#PESTER ME ABOUT IT IF YOU ARE VERY MUCH INTERESTED AND COMPELLED TO DO SO

[winterwrxter]

Casually making an interactive Nickloon comic without telling anyone is my favorite pastime

(This isn't a panel from it because I'm actually about to start drawing it soon. Should be released on both Wattpad and Ao3 mid October but no promises 😁)

[transforming]

Life Update + Commissions!

Hey y'all! So here's a life update because right now, it's fucking hell on earth:

I'm going through major financial instability in my life, and as a college student, it's really hitting hard. Parents are out of a job, and my college just implemented a salary earnings cap for student jobs, which honestly I think is stupid and cruel to low-income students like me. On top of that, where I live, students can't work part time jobs outside of university, which would make it even more (and already) extremely difficult for me to cover my living expenses, let alone tuition fees.

After talking to some of my friends in this community about what I could do to keep myself afloat (and try to keep paying for my studies), and after getting some advice on how to proceed, I have decided to open up writing commissions.

To start, here is how it's gonna work with me:

Firstly, send me a message. You could do it over here on Tumblr, that's fine, but I'd much prefer it if you could message me on Discord, since I'm more reachable there. This makes things a lot easier for us to talk through your ideas and delve deeper into them, really flesh them out, and figure things out before I start writing.

Do NOT send me commission requests through asks.

Second, make sure to properly read through my rules below. Pricing details are set out below (rule 4), so make sure to keep that in mind when you're sending a request and when we're in discussion.

The number of commissions I will take on at at time will depend on a number of factors:

balancing my writing with college assignments & priorities

my level of interest

my writing mood / mental health

I'll make sure to provide updates on when I'm open to them or not.

Okay, now that those are out of the way, here are the very important rules that need to be taken in consideration.

The Transforming Commission Rules:

1. I reserve the right to refuse writing commissions.

Beside the above-mentioned reasons for the number of commissions I'm willing to take; or regardless of the reason; or for no given reason, no means no. Flat out.

I may not like the idea. Maybe I'm busy with classes, life or other commissions. Or perhaps my mental health's taken a downwards spin and/or I'm just not in the mood to write at the moment.

Make no mistake, if you pester me and ask if I've reconsidered your idea, I will simply just block you, no questions asked. If you want to politely ask again if my classes/time/mood were the issue for my saying no, I'd be more than happy to talk things out.

Also, please keep in mind that besides writing stories and my college classes, I have a life too. If you message me about a commission and I don't respond immediately, I'm either just busy or asleep.

I'll make sure to reply to those that inquire, it might just take me a sec.

2. Be as creative as possible, but also use your common sense.

As a creative writing student, I'm gonna be hard on this: one-sentence commission requests that just say "Make me into a twink!" or "Turn me into a frat bro!" will more than likely get refused. That said, try to make your request a little more compelling for me.

Come up with a plot summary, throw some more tf's in there, maybe add a delicious plot twist that would subvert a part of your idea, . I can only write so many of one type of tf story - they're fun, but don't make me bored sick of writing any more of them.

Also, be conscientious and realistic about the length you want. I'm no literary god with unlimited time, and I definitely can't fit a heavily descriptive tf AND a good plot in just 1,000 words.

If you're feeling insane super generous, or more supportive to help me out, and want to commission longer pieces (more than 3,000 words), we can talk more about it when you make the request.

3. I have limits. Push them and our deal's off.

Some of these are without question:

Underage characters / tf's (you will immediately get blocked if you make such a request).

Feet

Violence / pain / rape / non-consensual acts

Homophobic tf's (refer to my repost of @idesofrevolution's post - they've explained it better than I ever could)

Chastity

Unrealistic sizes

Animal tf's

Celebrity tf's (more details below)

I'm primarily a male tf writer, so gender tf is fine, but a heavily female focused story is a nope from me.

Don't even think to ask, I simply will not write them.

As much as I used to include them in my previous stories (especially with TF College), I won't generally do celebrity tf's anymore (i.e. stuff like "Turn me into Henry Cavill!") There may be a lot of very sexy celebrities around, and as hot as it may be to become them, I've had my fair share of writing those stories to the point where I'm done with them. Writing up original characters are more my thing these days - I'm a creative writing major, after all.

There is, of course, some flexibility with this, so if you have an idea but aren't completely sure, you can always ask me. If the idea is compelling enough -- and the guy hot enough -- maybe I'll make an exception. That's much better than getting rejected.

4. Payment & Delivery.

See, as much as I'm struggling right now, I'm not inconsiderate either - I know I'm not the only writer going through shit. I also know people aren't gonna dish out money to completely cover my life and instantly get me out of this hellish rut.

That said, I charge $0.04/word (for my British friends, £0.03/word). That's $40 (£30) per 1,000 words, or $20 (£15) for 500 words.

Payment is via PayPal. In full, up front. I will not begin writing until I've been paid.

When it comes to format of delivery, I will send you a pdf of the final story, provided you give me an email to send the pdf to (unless you' message me on Discord, for which I can just send the pdf to you directly).

5. Use of Images & Posting on Public.

The final say on any images included in these commissions are up to you. You're completely welcome to bring your own images to for me to write around, but if you don't have any, I'm happy to try and find some I feel fit the particular story if you'd like me to.

Then again, I can't make any promises. If I can't find image(s) that fit, or you don't like the ones I provide, I won't climb every mountain or cross every stream to find something. These are writing commissions in the end, so keep that in mind.

I'll also give you the final word on posting these commissions here on Tumblr. If you specifically don't want me to post yours, please say so during the process. If you say nothing, I may end up posting some of them after they've been delivered.

If you're okay for me to post the commission, but would like to remain anonymous (as in not get tagged on the post), make sure to let me know that too. This is an easy one to forget, so I'll be reaching out to you on posting after I've delivered it.

- Drew the Transformer

P.S. Don't forget, you can also tip me over on ko-fi, if you can't or don't want to commission! Seriously, any support during this very difficult time is always welcome, but I'll also understand if you can't.

[crookedfandomquill]

TOTNT 1938 is halfway done (grrr no whyyyyy), and I have many thoughts. I will share some of those thoughts with you this evening:

- I love that this season is so distinct from the first, without totally abandoning its roots; it leans a lot more into the action/comedy, but it’s still got a lot of dark folklore and is very character-centric.

- The intro sequence is amazeballs. It’s like the first season intro and the intro from Bad and Crazy had a beautiful, unhinged baby. I never skip it!

- I love that they got back almost the entire OG cast. I’ve missed them!

- I haven’t seen anyone comment on it so I gaslit myself into thinking I imagined it, but is Yeon’s hair a good bit darker? It’s leaning more auburn than the old bright orange, although it’s more orangey in direct light. I like it, I was just doubting myself.

- Everyone is clearly having so much fun with their roles, and that’s what I look for in performances. LDW especially, but that’s kind of a hallmark of his acting for me.

- It’s hysterical to me that the writers explained the end of season 1 FIRST THING. They were like “okay we gotta fix this immediately so people stick around.” Honestly in the absence of other information I had a different theory for why season 1 ended like it did, but this works too!

- The end of episode 1 was genius. Getting them all together on the train, everyone with different information and agendas… chef’s kiss, no notes.

- I’m glad they’re giving Rang so much to do! He’s getting his romance subplot, he has his bandit gang…

- Ghost!Rang was so fun, and a great opportunity for hijinx. I love that it allowed him to hear what Yeon was really thinking, and the sneezing thing was hilarious.

- One thing I was hoping for from this season was a more in-depth exploration of what it means to be a mountain god, and it looks like we’re getting it! The information we have so far on our three mountain gods casts a really interesting light on the first season and Lee Yeon’s whole character. The fact that they were chosen for the job as children by Taluipa… I’ve gone into that in a separate post.

- Hong Joo is my new problematic fave. I say problematic because the scene where she comes on to Yeon while he’s blind really gave me the ick, but in spite of her inability to take no as an answer she’s a really interesting and fun character. Flawed, strong, hot… just my cup of tea! My love for her feels similar to my love for Taluipa; part of me kind of hates her, but I respect her at the same time.

- I’m still waiting to be compelled by Moo Young, but I’ve never tended to attach strongly to stoic characters (at least until we get a full tragic backstory). I’m excited to see more from him.

- I’m interested to see how the broader plotline plays out, considering we’ve been told that nothing Yeon does in the past will make a difference.

- Will Yeon and Rang’s dad be making an appearance?? I don’t think we’ve been told that he died, and we’ve seen Yeon talking about how abusive he was during his childhood. I’d love to see them tie up that end.

- Everything with Mi Ho was absolute gold (pun intended). Yeon is 100% going to return home and start pestering Ji Ah for a baby.

- Yeon and Shin Joo are really doing the Lord’s work getting Rang’s mermaid romance off the ground. Very accurate portrayal of an older sibling’s reaction to the younger one being in a relationship; I’ve said and done all of those things with my brothers.

- I don’t know what I expected from 1938!Yeon; part of me thought modern!Yeon would transmigrate into his body from the time period, but the alternative is so much better. Coked-up, petty, grief-addled Lee Yeon is a treat to see, and I wonder how he’ll factor into the rest of the story, if he does at all. The fight between the two Lee Yeons was epic and hysterical.

- On the topic of 1938!Yeon: I notice that his hair is in the Goryeo mullet, which I guess just means he hasn’t cut it lately. But also: his black-gray ends are gone. So he’s not cutting his hair… but he’s dyeing his ends! I like to think it’s his sad emo look.

- Yeon choked up so much blood at the beginning of episode 6 that for a second I thought I was watching a Chinese xianxia lol

- I appreciate how Yeon and Shin Ju are both spending significant mental energy pining for their wives. But also: WHEN WILL SHIN JU GET HIS WEDDING RING BACK

I’m sure I’ve forgotten many thoughts. Perhaps I will reblog later with additions.

[casspurrjoybell-21]

Pirate Chains - Volume 1 - Strong Tides

*Warning Adult Content*

Chapter 15 - Deepening Ties - Part 1

Agenor

Here I stood, leading the Martina across the vast sea, my customary place on the forecastle. But this time was different, for beside me stood someone who filled me with pride. His presence seemed to infuse everything with greater meaning and value. I glanced at him and my eyes locked onto his. His gaze was fixed upon the sea and it perfectly reflected the blue of his own eyes.

"Feels good standing here, doesn't it?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied, his voice calm but tinged with sadness.

"What were you thinking about?" I pressed.

"Nothing," he said.

I knew better than to accept that answer.

"Definitely not nothing. What's on your mind?"

He sighed and then muttered.

"You'll probably get angry."

"I won't. What's on your mind?"

"My father... I was thinking about him."

I could understand why he assumed I'd be upset. He struggled to let go of the past. But for once, I didn't want this conversation to end with him nursing another head injury.

"Your dad was a sailor, right?"

"Yes, one of the best. When I was young, I used to pester him to take me out on his boat."

"Not easy for a kid out there. Especially of noble blood."

"My mother was hard to convince. She worried about storms, me falling overboard, and pirates."

I chuckled.

"Wise woman."

"I used to think she was unnecessarily overprotective but now I see that I shouldn't have. Look where I am now. But she eventually relented and my dad taught me everything he knew. He showed me how to navigate between islands, how to read the stars, how to handle ropes, how to mend the sail and what to do when confronted with a storm. He was the only person who fully supported my dream of becoming a navigator. Everyone else believed that I should learn his trade and become a manager."

"So that's where you got your interest in navigation?"

"I disregarded everyone else's desires and pursued my own, I just wanted to be free. My father supported my choices, so I had no concerns. I had my life mapped out and was on the verge of attending a prestigious navigation school far from home. He started making arrangements for me to make my stay at the school comfortable. All he wanted was for me to focus on my studies. Then he was suddenly very ill. After his passing, I began to question whether I had made the right decision by not adhering to others' wishes. If I had not been so selfish, my mother would not have felt compelled to marry Terry and my father may have passed away without worrying about his family and the business he spent his best years building. I was very selfish and because of my ignorance, I am today an ungrateful son."

He abandoned his own aspirations and worked tirelessly to keep a successful business. Yet despite sacrificing his own dreams for the sake of his family, he still cannot shake his feelings of guilt.

"Nyx, your father was a rare exception among fathers. While many abandon their families or sell their daughters to brothels, he was not that kind of man. He would be proud of everything you've accomplished and would want you to continue pursuing your dreams."

Nyx stared at me, a little surprised at my words. He seemed to consider them for a moment before replying with a calm and soothing tone.

"Thank you".

I nodded, slightly struck by how much his quiet gratitude affected me.

"Your fate is in my hands, Nyx," I continued.

"But I promise to make sure that your dreams come true. You deserve to enjoy the beauty of this world and I will help you achieve that."

His lips parted slightly and I could tell he was confused as he considered my words carefully. He chose not to answer me though. I guess he was starting to choose his questions more carefully now. The idea of him learning his way around me was delightful.

"We're going inside."

"Already?" he replied with disappointment.

"The sun is setting," I reminded him.

"I want to stay a bit more," he said with a hint of rebellion.

Normally, I didn't tolerate being talked back to but I could see why he was so eager to stay out here.

"Fine, just a bit more."

He looked relieved and gazed at the beautiful scenery, trying to savor every moment. After he shared his past and his love for sailing with me, I realized how hard all of this must be for him. It was also a pleasant surprise to learn that he wasn't the landlubber I thought he was. I wanted to check on things around my ship but I couldn't bring myself to leave him standing there alone. Having him close by was rewarding and I also couldn't trust him not to do anything foolish. However, he had assured me that he would behave and if I wanted him to trust me, I had to trust him as well. So, reluctantly, I turned and walked away.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I have some things to do. I am the captain, after all," I teased'

"Are you scared to stay by yourself?"

"Scared. Who the hell is scared. Go take care of whatever you need," he replied, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Good," I said before leaving him.

However, something in my head kept nagging me to go back, irritating me. God, I had never been so preoccupied with someone before.

"We'll drop sail here for today," I announced to a couple of pirates.

"Aye, captain," they replied enthusiastically.

I carefully surveyed the scene before me. The crew had already finished dinner and were now indulging in alcohol. Baril was torturing us with his terrible singing, Ace was guzzling liquor without pause and the others were scattered about the quarterdeck. Some of them eyed me strangely, likely due to the alcohol clouding their judgment.

Leaving the hull, I approached Nyx who stood exactly where I had left him. As I drew near, I noticed a figure standing beside the front deck, shrouded in darkness. Intrigued, I took a few noiseless steps closer to investigate. It was Ken. What was he doing there? He gazed fixedly at Nyx, who appeared oblivious to his presence. Ken took a step forward, emerging from the shadows. I called out to him.

"Ken."

"Aye captain," he responded, startled.

"Are you not drinking tonight?"

"I certainly am, captain," he replied.

His eyes briefly darted towards Nyx before he continued,

"I plan to drink heavily."

With that, he turned and walked away, his eyes downcast. Leaving Nyx alone was a mistake. Though I knew no one would dare to touch him as my property, trust was a scarce commodity among pirates.

"What's wrong?" Nyx asked, his face creased with worry.

He tended to fret excessively but I shared his concern. I didn't want him on his first day out with a crew of drunken pirates.

"Nothing," I said, urging him to follow me.

He complied and we entered the cabin.

[boypussydilf]

aw hey another relationships ask. how about sae and akechi? (platonically if thats not obvious,) vastly interested in hearing your opinion

OH MY GOD I HAD NOT EVEN CONSIDERED THEM. CAN WE TALK ABOUT SAE AND AKECHI IVE BEEN DYING TO TALK ABOUT SAE AND AKECHI “youre literally about to talk about them” I AM}!??!?!? SWEET!!!!! literally i saw i had an ask and i was like oh man I’ll probably have to save it for tomorrow and then i saw what it was and was Instantly restored to Full Health. my HP bar is massive and so is my brain. anyway this is once again gonna turn into kind of a big post so

describe their canon relationship/dynamic

SAE NIIJIMA. AND GORO AKECHI. HAVE. THE LITERAL FUNNIEST DYNAMIC OF ANY CHARACTERS IN ANY PIECE OF MEDIA, EVER.

They’re, like, coworkers, which is already incredible bc they’re like. a 27 year old woman and a 17 year old boy. i dont actually know how old sae is but you get the idea. can you imagine being sae and working so hard to earn a position & respect as a young female prosecutor and then theyre like. can you confer with this Teenage Prettyboy. shes so strong for not just walking out.

But It Gets Better. Every interaction they have is stellar. The very first time we see them interact, which is also The First Time We See Akechi, At All, is, god i dont remember the Actual conversation they have i only rememebe the end of it, the most important part: akechi trying to get sae to buy him sushi and looking so miserable and pathetic when she’s like “only the cheap stuff :/“. Fucking…. incredible. 10/10 introduction to their dynamic all on its own. I cannot remember if akechi ever asks her to get him sushi again in the game or if im recalling something that happened in the anime or a fanfic. but. god its so funny. akechi, AKECHI, trying to pester this adult woman he works with into treating him to food. and her refusing. its incredible i could talk in circles abt how good this is for years.

and then it gets even funnier bc of like. the scene where sae realizes that Her Laptop Has Been Tampered With, and she asks akechi if He did it because they had a Disagreement recently. sae thinks akechi is petty enough to like. illegally take important and classified case information from her computer. over some difference of opinion that like, i imagine we see in the game, but if we do its so Understated that ive never noticed it. and she goes Did you try to get revenge on me. you bitch. like its so so funny

AND IT STILL GETS FUNNIER. BECAUSE. makoto says like. she got the impression sae had more trust & respect for akechi than for her. Sae is like “this guy I work with can be annoying and full of himself but he’s genuinely smart and he gets the job done i respect that” and then the guy in question is A TEENAGE CELEBRITY.

I don’t think we ever get to see akechi talk about sae all that much but like. It seems like he does Genuinely Like Her. And also is constantly passive aggressive at her!

In conclusion i. They’re incredible. They’re coworkers, theyre enemies, theyre very good friends with deep respect and even a kind of admiration for each other, theyre one businesswoman and the weird as hell teenager she works with that she feels compelled to be nice to because she has a little sister his age.

your ideal/headcanon version of it? how does it differ from how it is in canon & why is this your favorite version? any other alternate versions of it you enjoy?

Again yet another case of like. ^ All That is just like. Their actual canon interactions. I cant improve on that. The only way it can be made better is by having More of it. GOD I wish we got more of it. Oh also I think they talk shit about other people theyve both worked with together. With the utmost professionalism.

what do you like about their relationship, why is it interesting or enjoyable to you?

theyre a combo of “GOD i want akechi to have friends. so bad” + “This is the funniest thing ive ever seen. in my life” i wish i was big brain enough to come up with something as riotously hilarious as their dynamic. the whole concept is so singularly unique. i dont know if that was even INTENTIONAL. its all There and it just gets skimmed over. just….. completely fascinating

what about the individual characters involved? what does this relationship mean to them, what makes it unique among their relationships?

*sobbing and blubbering* what if… goro akechi… had friends and people he cared about… even if he wont fully admit it or tries to avoid it… Like legit that’s. theyre. theyre like friends. i keep going to say They Get Along but they do not get along. but they are. friends. mostly in a Work Friends kind of way but still. & like. i think itsjust inevitable that as an Older Sibling sae will see people younger than her & feel Urge To Watch Over Them And Make Sure Theyre OK even without any like Personal Attachment. *sae voice* i guess i have to take care of this annoying fucking kid because NO ONE ELSE IS!!

of course agaun they also both just have Professional Respect for each other. as well.

favorite interaction they have in canon

AGAIN. THE ONES I LISTED @ THE BEGINNING. AKECHI TRYING TO MAKE SAE BUY HIM QUALITY SUSHI AND SAE ACCUSING HIM OF BEING EVEN MORE PETTY THAN HE IS. 10/10 SITUATIONS

favorite interaction they have in your head/a situation you want to put them in

ACTUALLY I HAVE NO IDEA. I JUST WANT TO SEE THEM INTERACT MORE FULL STOP. i think anything they did together would be funny

[carpetcat2]

Aw man I have so many thoughts on Drill and Scrap Knight. Copy n pasted pretty much word for word from a twitter thread bc I don’t want to resummarize them. Put under a readmore for dialogue spoilers up to Drill Knight’s boss fight.

I was fully prepared to be obsessed w any other Hexcavators, but Drill Knight was surprisingly delightful. You don't understand him like I do.

He has the vibe of someone who didn't really think of his life in the long-term but is also terrified of death.

He likes the infamy gained from his heists bc 1. He's an attention whore.

But like. On a deeper level I think he's desperate to not be forgotten. He genuinely is prepared for the possibility of dying young, but he doesn't want to be forgotten just as quickly.

It's said in camp NPC dialogue that, besides Scrap, the other Hexcavators were pretty new. It's not a group that was around for a long time.

And just based off of the other Hexcavator dialogues, it seems they see it as a temporary thing too, or at the very least don’t plan on staying long-term. (Taken from SK wiki bc I didn’t want to go through screenshots again.)

They just have to do this one heist and they're all set. So it's really neat to see Drill say this line. He cares about this seemingly temporary group and it is so interesting and sexy of him

Anyways. That’s the Mostly canon compliant stuff here’s the fanficcy stuff I wrote about Scrap and Drill based off of their apparent unique relationship.

I would’ve put this under another readmore, but apparently you can only have 1 on posts so now you have to deal with my insane rambling.

I think Scrap is like. Pretty old. Like. 58 or something while Drill's somewhere around his 30s. They're equals for the most part but the age is important.  

She’s in no way the epitome of an adult who should be responsible for a kid let alone a teen. She’s like a wine aunt who's kind of a bad influence, but she still has valuable insight on life that Drill very much values.

They met when Drill was like. Some weird scraggly little teen and they've been pestering each other since.

Do you get where I'm going yes yes you do

 DK: There's no thrill in a heist without danger ScK: Well, there's no thrill without skill, you little shit. Lemme show you how it's done before you keel over or something.

  So that day rolls around and she just wakes him up like ScK: Wakey wakey birthday boy! Or should I say... Birthday man ;D

And Drill is still trying to figure out whether it's a Tuesday or a Friday morning. 

ScK: We gotta do something big for your big day! Like... Or or like... Or maybe!!! Fuck it were doing all of the above. We're gonna have a busy day today so LETSGO And then they rob a couple sorcerers and one of Pridemoor's treasure vaults 

 And by the end of the day they're breathless. It's become dark by then and the only light they have besides the fleeting setting sun is the dim glow of the magical relics they stole refracted in the facets of gems they also stole. 

They're trying to keep their voices down, but the excitement is too much. It wasn't a big deal though. They were the best scavenger and the best thief! 

Their chatter finally slows down and they just sit there for a moment to appreciate the chilled air. "Oh shit wait. Gotta do this before I forget" scrap breaks the peace to go rummage through their loot and drill glances over, curiously.

ScK: Tada!!

She pulls out an expensive looking bottle of wine and a glass that somehow did not break while inside the bag. 

DK: Oh... Wow  DK: Let me guess. You plan on getting blackout drunk again?  ScK: What? No, this is the fancy shit. Obviously it's for you.  DK: Really now? ScK: Yeah, really! I know your standards are high and all so I made sure to get the best of the best for you! Why did you think I dragged you all the way to Pridemoor's vault? DK: The various magical relics? The ridiculous amount of gold? Really, I can't think of any other reason.😒 ScK: Those were also very compelling reasons, but this one's the big one!

And she holds out the bottle and glass for him to take.

DK: ... You do realize that the legal drinking age is 21, right? ScK: What?? Where's the guy who raided Pridemoor's vault with me just an hour ago? Here I was, thinking you didn't care about the law. DK: Obviously I don't. 

And then he takes the items from her. but like. listen. listen.

"I didn't think I'd live past 18" 

And he's now at that middle point and that fact is just sinking in.

Y'know that feeling when you're overwhelmed w emotion or whatever but you're in denial about it / trying to push it down bc it's stupid?

You're in conflict with what's going on bc by all means it shouldn't be happening, and you're trying to keep it together to not dour the mood bc it's supposed to be fun/happy.

He's like. frozen in place for a moment because everything's just setting in. 

"Holy shit. I'm an adult." And he's reluctant at first to actually try it bc he couldn't really fathom the possibility.

ScK: Aww, come on! Don't tell me you're chickening out on me! ScK: Hey.. earth to Drill? Yoohoo! ScK: .......Are you alright?

He then (tries) to chug the whole bottle to deflect the question, which is something you absolutely should not do if you want to be correct about drinking wine.

She knows something is up but just isn't sure how to handle it. She doesn't really bring it up but still tries to lighten the mood. 

And she's not exactly equipped to handle something like that bc she's very much someone who pushes down issues too.

Far from an amazing influence.

Recognizes an issue, but doesn't personally address it. “He's a tough guy.. He's not gonna want to talk about it with me and that's fine. He can handle it himself.”

Note: He doesn't, and now Scrap has to reconcile with the fact that she actually has to act responsibly because she does in fact care about this loser and doesn't want him hurt.

It's not going to be as easy as just repressing it and laughing it off later, because the weight doesn't solely fall on her shoulders this time.

Something something she acts mean and pushes people away because she doesn't want that responsibility over another person in that way again. She's fucked up in that position more times than she wished she did and doesn't really trust herself to be in that position ever again.

The convo is important for the both of them bc Scrap has to confront that shared mindset of not thinking about anything longterm and find reasons that would comfort someone about it + acknowledge that amount of responsibility she has over her friend and take that seriously.

And like. I talked about Drill's deal. Actually looking forward for the future. Starting to delve more into the long-term.

DK: The highest quality wine from Pridemoor's vaults... Honestly, I have no idea how I'll top that when I actually reach drinking age. ScK: Well, that'd be a problem for when you get to 21! We could rob Pridemoor’s Castle itself! DK: ....Yeah. Yeah, that sounds cool.

[inactive-luv]

The Absence of Rain

The Absence of Rain

"the absence of rain is when good things are most present."

the absence of rain

Summary: Y/N Y/L/N meets a stranger in the rain

Pairing: (Spencer Reid x Autistic!Fem!Reader)

Details: I hope I did my best to convey proper Autistic traits; my ASD is not the same as the readers' character, the same way no one's ASD or Autism is the same.

Category: fluff

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: Autism

A/N: I decided to make the reader Autistic. This was originally just a short story I made in English lit class my senior year, but upon rereading it, I decided to use the same prompt to write this fic

...

It's two in the morning. The Virginian rain drizzles as it has for the past two days without stop. She loved the rain, even if it was a sign of sadness or sorrow. She misunderstood it when people said the absence of rain was when good things happened. Until tonight when the theory was proven very, very true.

...

She walked from her job down to the bus stop at two in the morning when it started to rain harder than the usual drizzle from earlier in the evening. She spent time analyzing the splashing of droplets, echoing in her head after a long day. Her head raised to watch the water slap against the glass roof above her.

She stayed like that for a while, soothed after a stressful day by the calming aspects of the rain. She was watching and waiting, sitting in her bus stop seat. Her hands folded in each other to scratch lightly at her fingers, bundles of nerves across her skin aching to be touched.

She wants to stay here forever and quietly wishes for a late bus before her peace is interrupted when she sees a dark figure move across the station bridge. Her face turns puzzled, trying to analyze the new person in her space.

He looks tall from a distance. That's the first thing she notices about his body before she investigates further. She thinks about his satchel bag and his converse shoes, how he holds his umbrella in his right hand, and a book in his left. She can't make out the cover, but it must be pretty slim from how fast he blows through it.

She thinks about what would happen if he would walk over to her. She's seen him only a few seconds, yet she feels drawn or compelled to wonder further. He steps to his side, adjusting his stance, and his face falls under the light of the bus station for a second.

His jawline, eyes, lips, and everything about him leaps out immediately, catching even more of her attention. He must have felt her gaze over him, like an ocean wave crashing over a beach. A certain persistence to discover makes her eyes stay glued to the dark figure.

He swallows his lips before turning to see if she was maybe looking at someone else. He expected it. He expected not to be expected of. So when her eyes stayed fixated on him, he was a little curious. And during this time, all she can think about is if he came closer. Suppose he could turn to her so she could find the thing. The thing about him that made him so compelling.

And he does it. He starts to walk over with his book in one hand and the other in his pocket. The sounds she once found comfort in faded as he walked up to her, and everything turned to silence. The soft patter of the rain, once saturated and abstract ringing through her head, turned pale and hushed.

He watches how her eyes still stay attached to him, almost obsessively. A silence fills the space between the two before he breaks it so haphazardly, she can't help but shudder a little.

"Excuse me?" So she turns her head and is met looking up to the dark figure. He's much taller now that he's closer to her, and his hair is long. Long hair so obviously stretched under the rain, with soft curls ever so innocently framing his face.

He doesn't know what to say after that. He couldn't make out exactly who she was or who he was even expecting but, she was beautiful. He finally took notice of the more calming features about her rather than the creepy stare. He saw how her skin glowed, and her lips parted slightly as if in deep thought.

During this time, he notices the silence forming again, and he breaks it once more before he can hear her voice. "Uhm, can I sit?" He murmurs as an excuse he perhaps too eagerly came up with, taking notice of her puzzled expression. "Yeah, here, let me move my bag." Her voice dribbles out of her mouth, laced with an extensive kindness that intrigued him incredibly.

He mumbles a small 'thank you' back while he undoes his umbrella and takes a seat next to her. His head is facing the street now, but he still feels her eyes on him. It takes him a minute to swallow the lump in his throat before he turns to her again, craning his neck to meet her eye-line looking up at him.

His eyes meeting hers makes her pause for a moment before hastily averting her attention from him to anything in her way. The grass peeking through the concrete or the way the rain filled the puddles on the sidewalk.

And just like that, the silence, as well as it faded out, fades back in. The soft sounds of rain climb back through her ears to fill her brain again. Easily and slowly, she listens to the buckling of the stranger's bag, as if he was trying to make an as little sound as possible not to annoy her. But the sound doesn't upset her. It calms her.

It intertwines with the rain in a calming way. Everything blends smoother than she expected. She expected sounds to scare her as much as they usually do meeting a stranger, but the sound of his skin against the leather, and the pitter-patter of the rain, calm her.

So she's at peace when he breaks the silence once more. Although now, his words don't break the silence as much as they seep into the silent sounds, merging to form a tranquil melody. She realizes she could get used to his voice.

"Where are you coming from at," He looks down at his watch, over his sleeve for convenience, a trick she notices because she does the same thing, "two in the morning?" His tone acts as if he made most of his living in the night; the calmness, even in such an abundant presence of darkness, leads her to believe he'd done this a million times.

"I lost track of time in the library." He smiles again, "I thought only I did that." She smiles back at him and feels her cheeks start to swell and pink. He listens to her words; there weren't any libraries open this late at night he of all people should have known that.

He contemplates asking; further, he really wants to. He wants to listen to her voice again and again over and over because, unlike anyone else's, he thinks he'll never get tired of it. But he doesn't pester; he waits, hoping she'd further the conversation herself.

Little does he know she's thinking the same thing. She was thinking about every question he's asked and every question she wants to ask him. But he was a stranger even if she hoped he wasn't for much longer.

It takes a lot of strength for her to continue the conversation but noticing his peaked interest, her tone of voice heightens, "I was working at the university, that's why I was out so late." His questions are answered and followed by more, "Really? What do you do?" he wanted to know everything about the mysterious girl at the bus stop, and she was willing to answer every one of his asks.

"I help my friend who's a professor there, but I'm a medical examiner." His eyes light up, "Really? That's cool." He tries to keep his voice calm, but it trickles out so quickly, and this time she can catch his investment, and it gets easier to talk to him as if she'd known him a hundred years.

"I look at dead bodies all day. You think that's cool?"

"Well, to be fair, so do I,"

"Oh! Are you a serial killer?" Her best shot at sarcasm was successful, he laughed.

Like a modern orchestra erupting into its triumphant climax, the rain, the air, his laugh soothes her ears until she's blessing the world for her ability to hear. It's a kind of sound that reverberates in her mind and stores itself to her happiest emotion.

A type of sound she wants to hear for the rest of her life, but sadly, all of this excitement at once becomes too much too quickly, and her smile slightly fades while his head is turned.

She didn't have too much trouble with sound, so her anxiety heightened slightly when she became overwhelmed. A type of overwhelmed he could sense before he tried to lighten her mood. "No, I just catch them," He turns to reach into his bag, swiftly pulling his federal badge out and showing it to her.

She reads his badge quietly, "Doctor Spencer Reid." That's the first time she learns his name. A doctor working with the FBI. She reciprocates his actions and reaches into her pocket to pull out a card. On it, her name and medical license. "Doctor Y/N Y/L/N." A doctor working in a hospital.

"I'm in medicine. What about you?" Spencer clears his throat and holds up three fingers in one hand, clutching the card tightly in his other. "Chemistry, mathematics, and engineering." Her eyes widen, and her mouth forms a small 'o'; he just twists his face as if he was used to that answer.

And then, abnormally sudden, the rain started to let up, proving good things do happen in the absence of rain.

...

[theepisceswriter]

Jealous!Reader with AOT characters pt.2 (Porco, Bertholdt, Pieck, Zeke)

A/N: y’all really liked the first one I made here, so here’s a pt.2 with different characters

TW: none really apply, sort of suggestive for Zeke, Modern AU, GN!reader

PORCO GALLIARD

I am a firm believer that in a modern AU, Porco and Reiner would be the type of people to go to sport restaurants like Hooters, Buffalo Wild Wings, or Twin Peaks. They give me that macho man type of vibe. Of course though, Porco would make you tag along with him almost every time he went. He feels that it’s a very nice way for the two of you to bond. Which honestly it is.

You have a deep sense of security within yourself and enough trust in Porco to not be bothered by the waitresses there, as you should, knowing that it’s only their job to be enticing like that. Hell, you even enjoy it when the waitresses would flirt with you sometimes or you’d get the really pretty ones who look like they’re straight off of a magazine. Not to mention that you visit places like this often, so most of them know you and know that you and Porco are in a relationship together.

They all respect your boundaries and don’t try to push at them at all.....until this one waitress comes around. You can quite obviously tell that her flirting is different from the “trained” flirting that the other girls often do. She lingers at your table a little longer than she should be trying to talk to Porco to the point where other waitresses have to tell her to go check on other tables and she’s disregarding you completely, asking Porco questions that should be aimed at you and being very rude in general.

Porco is hardly paying her any mind, too focused on the game to really pay attention to what’s going on, but any piece of attention he gives to her she latches on too it. But still, you remain cordial and calm on the inside. Not wanting to come off as one of those significant others and cause a scene that doesn’t need to be caused. If someone looked at you for too long they might notice an eye twitch or two coming from you.

Really it’s Porco’s hand holding underneath the table that’s keeping you sane and reminding you of how secure your position in your relationship is. You almost calm down entirely, but of course the waitress has to come back and try desperately to get his attention again. At one point he zones out into the game and to try and get his attention she attempts to tap him on his shoulder.

Strong on the attempt because you grabbed her wrist before she could even brush her fingers against his shirt and gave her a stern “Aht! Aht! That is not going to be happening tonight and definitely not in front of me.”

And Porco, this menace to society, finally speaks up like, “I was wondering when you were finally going to say something. I was getting afraid that I didn’t mean anything to you anymore.” He would’ve eventually intervened himself though if she was actually successful in touching him.

The waitress gets the hint for the rest of the night, but just incase she doesn’t he holds you close to his side with his arm draped over your shoulders.

BERTHOLDT HOOVER

Despite his soft spoken nature and personality that sometimes falls on the shy part of the spectrum, Bertholdt is actually an easy person to come up to and start a conversation with. Of course, you have to be the one to start the conversation, but after that it’s like he can’t shut up, likes he’s compelled to answer back to everything and keep a conversation going.

It’s a trait of his that you’ve come to love, but also come to hate on days when you’re out in public with him and can just see the twinkle in a girl’s eyes when she’s getting ready to come over to him to flirt. It’s usually in awkward situations too like when you’re out shopping and he’s standing off to the side because he has no business looking at what you’re shopping for, so the fact that he’s kind of alienated from you and doesn’t know how to respond to flirting all that well in the first place really has him in an awkward chokehold.

He’ll get asked for his number and instead of saying flat out no, because he doesn’t want to be harsh, he struggles to let words out at all as he tries to think of what to say. And people really prey on his shyness and don’t even give him the chance to respond before they’re forcing themselves on him more, handing their phone out to him just waiting to input a number.

Imagine the shock and anger on your face when you turn around from your shopping happy ready to show Bertholdt what you got and instead you see a girl trying to get his number! You’re over there in an instant, legs carrying you as fast as they can and a scold on your face as you go over there and the first thing you do is push that phone as far away from him as you can.

“I know my BOYFRIEND and something tells me that he is not interested in the direction this conversation is going with you whatsoever, so I suggest you leave him alone before I make you 😤” The girl leaves like immediately after that.

Bert is just behind you the whole time with a ☺️ look on his face like “Yes, that is indeed my significant other!” Which is so funny because he’s like 6’3 and towering over you, but you’re the feisty one!

He does feel kinda guilty for not cutting off the interaction before it got that far, so he wraps his arms around you and nuzzle his face into your neck all like, “I’m sorry baby 🥺🥺 you know I don’t like anyone else but you 🥺🥺 I was trying to tell them no thank you but it wouldn’t come out 🥺🥺”

You couldn’t stay mad at him even if you wanted to, that’s all it takes for you to forget about it altogether.

PIECK FINGER

It’s almost impossible to see someone as fine looking as Pieck and not shoot your shot. If I saw Pieck out in public the first thing I would do is shoot my shot.

It happens allll the time whenever you two go out. Out at the mall shopping for clothes? Someone’s going to come up to you two and try to hit on Pieck. At the club minding each other’s business and trying to have a good time? Some guy is going to come over and try to ruin that for you too.

At first it was like a bragging rights thing for you. Everyone noticed your hot girlfriend was hot but you were the one who went home to her everyday and not them, but at some point it switched from a bragging right to down right annoying. It’s like you can’t leave her alone for more than a couple of seconds because here comes someone breathing down her neck being a weirdo!

Poor Pieck doesn’t even know what’s going on half of the time because she be baked out of her mind, thinking about nothing but how some ruffles and ice cream can really hit right now. So she’s just going along with the conversation like “mhm, yeah ☺️” every ten seconds hoping that they’d get the hint that she’s not thinking about them at all and to leave her alone. But, of course, they don’t.

Her body language becomes stressed out and agitated, not knowing what to do because you’re in the gas station buying snacks for the two of you while she’s far away at the gas pumps doing her best to get an ending with this weirdo where they don’t kidnap her.

Luckily, just on time you exit out the gas station and even before you get any closer to Pieck you’re already pissed off at the fact that someone is probably hitting on her, but after you see her do that awkward little shuffle with her feet signifying that she’s uncomfortable? You’re over there in a heartbeat.

See, maybe you would’ve been a bit nicer if her body language didn’t tell you that they had been pestering her for a while despite how everything about her screamed ‘not interested.’

So what do you do? You take the bottle of sprite you bought and bop them on the head with it. Head empty no thoughts just ‘protect my stoner girlfriend.’

Pieck is so messy too, she’s in the background like “Ohhhhh shit *giggle* fight! Fight! Fight!” You were ready to rumble too, but if you were so ready to hit them in the head with a sprite bottle the other person definitely didn’t want to know what else you were confident with doing. So they recuperated from their sprite bottle hit and went running to their car.

This was a proud girlfriend moment for Pieck the whole drive home. She could not stop talking about how much of a badass you were and how she loved that you would do anything for her.

ZEKE JAEGER

I wrote soft Zeke already, so now it’s time for me to give y’all the menace Zeke y’all have been waiting for.

Zeke is the type of significant other who’s big on teasing and messing with his partner is general. There’s something about seeing them all flustered after he does something to embarrass them, like fake propose to them in public or something, that really cracks him up. That being said, he’s not opposed to flirting with someone in front of you to get you riled up and see your reaction.

Let’s set the scene; He drags you to Sam Ash with him, because we’ve all just collectively decided that modern day Zeke is a music pretentious asshole, to go get something for his guitar or at least that’s what you assume he was complaining about. You weren’t even listening, just excited to go and mess with the drums and guitars there. It’s the first thing you do once you get there and Zeke sees this as his opportunity to finally mess with you.

He goes over to the drum set display you’re playing on and calls over and employee with “inquiries” about the set you’re playing on. He pretends to ask a few genuine questions at first but eventually he’s able to get the conversation to shift to something a little more personal. Which isn’t terrible, but once he starts throwing out lines like “Oh you like (said band)? I’ve always found myself gravitating towards people who like them. They’re always the most attractive people, I’ve found 😏.” Is when you start getting agitated.

You’re just trying to play We Will Rock You on the drums and here he goes killing your vibe immensely. And it’s hard to ignore when they’re standing right on the side of you. Not to mention how the employee is eating all of this up, blushing and all. It’s at the first mention of numbers being exchanged that you’ve decided you’ve had enough. Without a word to Zeke you get up and storm out of the store.

Was this a dick move on his end? Absolutely, but you’re a couple who’s relationship is filled with debating and bickering, bickering especially, so part of him thought you would play along with his little game and be like “Whatever. I don’t care.” But instead, you were genuinely upset. You didn’t even know where you were going but you were going somewhere. And that somewhere was the outside of the Sam Ash store because you realized you really didn’t have a choice.

Sorry guys, but I have to switch over to soft Zeke now.

He comes running after you, “y/n! Y/n it was a joke!” But that just makes you even more mad and oops, a year drops down your face and he feels terrible.

Kisses all over your face, words of assurance spilling out his lips, and a tight ass beat hug.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m such a dick I know. I didn’t mean to make you this upset though.” He would get down on his knees if he had to!

I guess you can forgive him just this once, but only on the terms that you get Sub!Zeke tonight and get to act as a pillow princess/prince cause he has a lot of making up to do.

[indulge-that-sin]

Every Day, Most Nights

Characters: GN!MC, Mammon

Wordcount: ~1500

Tags: Fluff, Pre-relationship, Sleeping Together

*

The first time Mammon slept in your room, it happened quite by accident.

  It was in your first year in the Devildom, when Mammon still grumbled unhappily about being your babysitter sometimes, but half-heartedly and more for show. One evening, he holed up in your room to avoid Levi, who'd taken to the warpath once again, demanding that Mammon repay some debt or other.

Levi was still shy about barging into your room--he was shy even about being invited inside--so Mammon was winning himself some time by hiding with you. Unfortunately, even cowering from his erstwhile loan shark, Mammon grew bored easily, so he pestered you into entertaining him.

"How about a movie?" you offered, because you didn't have energy for much else.

"Fine, but it better not be anything lame," Mammon replied.

Of course, the moment he said that, you decided you were going to sucker him into watching the lamest movie you possibly could. He probably wanted something with car chases and explosions, so you were going to aim for something very much not like that instead.

You climbed into bed with your laptop, arranging the pillows so you could sit more comfortably with your back against the headboard, and you patted the space next to you for Mammon to sit as well. His cheeks flushed, but he remained as stoic as he was capable of, and hopped up onto the bed next to you.

With the laptop placed onto a cushion in front of you, you pulled up Hellflix.

"How about..." You blinked innocently as you looked over the list of movies on offer, "a comedy?"

Your tone was casual, like you weren't really invested in the option. Mammon didn't look like he suspected anything, though he tilted his head thoughtfully as he looked over the colorful thumbnails on the screen.

"Can't really go wrong with a comedy, right?" you prompted further, like you were stating some general fact.

"Yeah, s'fine, just pick a good one," Mammon said, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his head. He would obviously let you do the heavy lifting, and that was precisely what you wanted.

"Oh, this looks cool. A succubus leaves her office job in the beauty industry to become a racecar driver." You omitted the next part of the movie synopsis, which mentioned she and the co-pilot would butt heads at first before the relationship turned to mutual interest. Mammon yawned, not paying attention. Perfect.

You set the movie playing. You briefly regretted you didn't get some popcorn, but at this point going to the kitchen might have blown Mammon's cover, and anyway, you could probably do without crumbs in bed. You snuggled down into your pillows instead.

The movie started out promising enough. It was bright and colorful, and the lead character was endearingly quirky. Mammon grumbled something about 'this better not be a chick-flick' sometime during the opening scenes, but by the time the character was longingly flipping through car magazines while sitting in a bubble bath, Mammon seemed hooked. You could always tell how invested he was in a movie by how much he talked during it, and now he was muttering under his breath, urging her to follow her dreams already.

He grew obviously suspicious when the meet-cute with the love interest happened, though it was late enough into the movie that he was now invested. You could tell by the way he fell suddenly silent that he realized now it was a romcom, and you could almost see the way he was internally debating whether he should complain about it out loud. But he was stuck because he obviously wanted to watch the rest of the movie, even though he didn't want to reveal he was the kind of guy who liked romcoms.

It was cute how every thought going through his head was projected to clearly onto his expressions unless he was actively sitting at a poker table, but you kept it to yourself. You hugged a pillow to your chest and hid your smile into it when you couldn't keep it off your face.

The rest of the movie passed quickly. Some scenes stuck out in your memory, but you were pretty sure you fell asleep during the third act, and woke up only at the final scene, with the protagonist and the love interest hoisting up a trophy as confetti streamed all around them, and then kissing right before the credits rolled. Or maybe you dreamed it up, your brain able to reproduce the extremely predictable ending all on its own.

What you recall more vividly is that you woke up to the laptop's screensaver casting weak blue light. You were laying on your side, one pillow cradled to your chest and the rest cushioning your head. But in front of you, Mammon's position mirrored yours. He had fallen asleep on his side as well, facing you, and he was so close that your foreheads were nearly brushing together. You felt the tickle of his hair, and you could see the movement of his eyes underneath his closed eyelids as he dreamed. 

His mouth was also slack, and he was drooling slightly. Gross.

But still, it was so strange to see Mammon at rest, peaceful and undisturbed, that you were compelled to look at him. This was a face carved for an angel, and at no time had you noticed it as much as you did now. If he opened his eyes, they would be gold and blue like a summer sky, and it was a pity he hid them behind sunglasses so much of the time.

Alas, you couldn't sit and admire Mammon for too long. The angle was giving you a crick in the neck, and you felt so very cold, that you knew you wouldn't be able to sleep again unless you were under the covers. You moved slowly and carefully as you closed your laptop and slipped it down between the bed and the wall, putting it flat on the floor under your bed.

You were just peeling back the bed covers to slip underneath, when Mammon raised his head, and groggily muttered, "Whass goin' on...?"

"Cold," you muttered back, tugging the bedcovers more firmly now that he was already awake. He scrambled upright to let you pull the bedcovers down, and you slipped under them as soon as you could. You shivered at the touch of the cold sheets; it would take some time for your body heat to warm them up. 

Or, maybe not. You looked over at Mammon. In the darkness, you couldn't see much--certainly less than a demon could--but there was uncertainty in the lines of Mammon's body. Having woken, he wasn't sure if he was welcome anymore. But you hadn't planned on chasing him out anyway.

You held up a corner of your bed covers.

"Come on, I'm freezing," you said. You didn't make it an order, but you did make it sound like it was the only obvious course of action, so Mammon turned on a bit of bluster again.

"Yeah, yeah, don't rush me," he retorted, muttering about humans not knowing their place as he slid under the covers next to you.

He laid down as stiff as a board, some awkwardness obviously lingering, but your master plan had come to fruition. You glued yourself to his side, and he was exactly as warm as you expected. Maybe demons ran hotter, or maybe it was just Mammon's nature to glow from the inside like he had his own sun in his chest, but either way you were going to leech off that heat for the rest of the night.

"Hey," Mammon protested mildly as on of your legs hooked around his, and you threw an arm over his chest so you could snuggle against his side.

"Mm," you hummed contentedly as you snuggled under the covers up to your ears.

You felt a shake of laughter from Mammon.

"What'm I, yer hot water bottle?" he muttered in the darkness. "Ah, I'll let it slide, just this once."

You felt his arm move behind you, and then two pats on top of your head. You considered saying something snarky to him about not making this awkward, but the cold was finally chased out of your bones, and all you wanted was to sink into sleep. *

The next day, by the time you woke up, Mammon was already gone.

You did notice over the next few weeks, however, that Mammon would make excuses to visit your room in the evenings. More than usual, at least. He'd demand to watch movies with you, or play games. Once, in what you assume was a fit of desperation, he even requested help with his homework.

And then he'd linger until it was late, and fall asleep 'accidentally', or, once he got bolder, outright demand to sleep in your room because it was too late for him to leave.

As for you, well... you were very good at playing dumb. He may very well have believed you didn't notice what he was doing.

[wildernessuntothemselves]

I think that the idea of OC looking different every lifetime and demon!gyu finding OC at different stages of life, would be very interesting if the story was to be made into visual form. It could make for a very hauntingly beautiful and visually interesting story to have him spend centuries coming across versions of OC of different nationalities, different ethnicities, different genders, different socioeconomic backgrounds and at different stages of life, and then have him learn about them and their new reality and see how much their soul grew and accomplished through every new existence. Him having to see oc's soul core essence continue to live on and expand while he is stuck in this eternal limbo haunted by the past. It would also take demon!gyu into a harder challenge exploring the world and navigating through the times searching for oc and having only that feeling of completude and homelyness in his heart as confirmation that he found them, which would in turn kind of force him to be more in tune with his own psyche - making this whole journey as much rehabilitation as it is punishment for his soul. That would do great as a animation or a series or even in comic book format. But if you feel like challenging that type of approach, I would 100% be down to read it.

But since we are talking about a story that would be put out into writen form, I can see the idea of OC looking the exact same in every single lifetime making for more compelling storytelling, since we would spend less time on his search for oc and be able to delve more intensely into both the interpersonal and intrapersonal details of their interactions throughout time. It cuts short the search and chase and the level of worldliness it could take, and focus more on reintroducing yourself in someone's life and cultivating a relationship from point zero when your soulmate sees you as a stranger all over again... and again, and again. Maybe in one lifetime he could be the priest celebrating her wedding and only meeting her a few weeks prior to the ceremony. Maybe in one lifetime he meets her at day one, at the very day she is born, and she grows up calling him uncle and it could be a extremely wholesome or terribly creepy version of their dynamic. There are so many possibilities. The biggest advantage of writing is indeed to make thinking and feelings as visible as matter to it's audience. So... yeah, I guess those are my thoughts on it.

(news news: I am finally not sick anymore! and after days of me pestering local police my best friend is not going to jail for beating the shit out of her creepy stalker 🥳)

~♡anon

i feel like the medium of writing can work for the multiple faces etc oc just as well as a visual form can, like i can just describe the struggle instead of showing it so i don't understand what you meant about that point. but i actually wasn't planning to write much about the process of him finding oc between lifetimes, i was gonna focus more on him trying to steal her away or trying to get close to her. but you mention a really interesting point about going with the multiple faces approach "having only that feeling of completude and homelyness in his heart as confirmation that he found them, which would in turn kind of force him to be more in tune with his own psyche" yeah it would force him to turn inward to contemplate what really about her he's after. she doesn't look the same. she doesn't remember him. yes it's her soul but what does that mean? is it loyalty that keeps him trying? does he believe his princess is down there?

"Maybe in one lifetime he meets her at day one, at the very day she is born, and she grows up calling him uncle and it could be a extremely wholesome or terribly creepy version of their dynamic." it really all depends on the approach i wanna take with the story. are the gods just? if beomgyu gets better will he and oc be allowed to "ascend" to a different state and be together at last? or will he keep repeating this time and time again even if he becomes better? even if he manages to make her love him again, this time in a healthy way?

idk i haven't decided how i wanna make the gods (though i'm leaning towards vengeful and cruel), and what purpose they're doing this for. but if you guys have any opinions, i'd be happy to hear them.

also i'd be happy to hear ideas about other lifetimes than the priest!gyu one

ohhhhhh that's awesome! didn't know you can pester the police into not jailing someone 😂 is the stalker going to stay away? i hope he doesn't retaliate though :')

[paragonrobits]

i found an actually good take on Superman, considering the use of Parasite as an interesting villain and while the movie at question (Man of Tomorrow) gave Parasite more character and nuance than he typically has, it occured to me that taking Parasite as he is normally depicted, a power-sucking greedy bag of hunger and desire that doesn’t care about ANYTHING but satisfying his cravings, leads to some interesting thoughts on Superman in terms of his rogues gallery.

You can tell a lot about a superhero by their rogues. Often times a well written rogues gallery that treads the fine line between being compelling without coming off more sympathetic than the hero is ESSENTIAL for that superhero becoming popular and well-liked, and it can be difficult to narrow them down to a snappy summation that says something about that hero. For instance, it’s hard pressed to say what Batman (arguably the most well rounded rogues gallery out there) has to say with his villains. You can definitely pinpoint various eras of those villains and how they were influenced by popular culture, such as how Batman’s earliest villains are generally gangsters and crime lords with a gimmick or two, or how later villains were very one note and given more complexity to the point that there’s a ton of discourse about, say, whether Ivy’s political outlooks and so on.

so, Superman’s rogues are an interesting thing in that uniquely for superhero comics, they’re very rarely given a lot of attention. Most of them don’t really exist to the common view; most people can probably name Lex Luthor, sure, and maybe you might find Metallo or Prankster name dropped here and there. There’s this common idea that Darkseid is his nemesis, and sure, Darkseid as a living embodiment of the concept of tyranny battles well against Superman’s role as a force of optimism and helping other people as best you can, but really, the New Gods are more of a much broader strokes attitude. it cheapens Darkseid to reduce him to this.

so Superman DOES have a rogues gallery. They’re certainly there, and while its true that many superman writers find it more interesting to muse on Superman grappling with the morality of using his amazing power or raising the questions of if he has the moral RIGHT to do as he wants (he has the power to do whatever he pleases, but that doesn’t give him the RIGHT to do so). There’s still room for his rogues, and lets think about what his rogues represent.

There’s power-mad billionaires like Luthor, who goes obsessive with a need to beat Superman or outdo him, who makes a cure for cancer and makes it so that someone will need to take it their entire life at big prices to survive, who could have saved the world YEARS AGO but never cared enough to do it. Luthor is defined by selfishness and ego, contrasting Superman’s desire to do good and help people in whatever ways he can.

Then there’s Parasite, who is again defined by his greed and hunger. Even in the broadest strokes, he’s ravenous and only really cares about feeding, even to the point of a compulsion. He doesn’t want to do anything WITH that power, he’s just got an itch to scratch and he doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process. 

Then there’s everyone’s favorite keyboard-destroying nuisance, Mister Mxyzptlk, an imp from a higher dimension with outright godlike power, who comes to this world to muscle around and screw with people that are otherwise completely powerless against him, just because he can. This contrasts against Superman’s own use of his power as responsibly as he can, and who often gets irritated by the imp’s pestering him while he’s trying to do his job.

It goes on and on, there’s thugs and bullies and users of all kinds, short sighted people craving power or attention with a strict point that: 1. they don’t care about the people that get hurt in their actions. 2. they don’t usually care about anyone but themselves and MAYBE a few friends, and 3. they’re carelessly, horribly irresponsible and prone to massive damage.

superman’s villains, i suggest, are defined by the lack of responsibility and a big attitude of selfishness that defines Superman by the LACK of those traits in him; he’s strong but handles his abilities with responsibilities, with a keen understanding that everyone, in his world view, has a responsibility to help out others and continue the never ending battle to making the world better. At worst they want to dominate and control, while he is specifically the opposite; liberating and hoping that people can trust in each other. This is a great way to approach Superman, and especially the people that fight him.

[latenightcinephile]

#719: 'Hour of the Wolf', dir. Ingmar Bergman, 1968.

Ingmar Bergman: <makes Hour of the Wolf> Me: that's a trap. Me: <walks into trap>

According to people who have seen a lot more of Ingmar Bergman's filmography than I have, this is an interesting actor's piece, but not a very successful film overall. They cite the overall reliance on suspension of disbelief, and argue that if you have to actively tell your audience to put their critical thinking faculties on hold for the plot to be persuasive, then you haven't made a very good film and you shouldn't pretend your artifice is deliberate. One of the things I've always tried to avoid when writing about the films on the list is pretension. If I think a film isn't very good on its own merits, then I don't feel the need to defend its watchability. Something can be important without being good or fun, and I try not to pretend I know more than people who make a living discussing films just because I have a degree and can scroll to the sources at the bottom of a Wikipedia article.

All that being said, I think Hour of the Wolf is a trap Bergman has set for people who analyse films, and I think I can discuss the trap without falling into it myself. I think. Let's see.

The plot of Hour of the Wolf is pretty simple: A woman tells us the story of how her husband, an artist, disappeared. They moved together to an island owned by a wealthy couple who lived in a nearby castle. The artist Johan (Max von Sydow) is beset by nightmares about strange figures, and forces himself to stay up all night, even through the hour just before dawn, which is where the film's title comes from. The wife, Alma (Liv Ullmann) is visited one day by an old woman who knows where Johan keeps his diary, and she encourages Alma to read it. Reading the diary, Alma discovers that Johan is hallucinating the figures from his nightmares, and also his former lover, Veronica Vogler (Ingrid Thulin).

Johan and Alma are invited to the castle for dinner, along with other inhabitants of the island, who we've seen through flashbacks are the same people pestering Johan. Everyone is a big fan of Johan's work, and everyone knows his history with Veronica, which makes the whole dinner awkward bordering on eerie. They seem to view art as a commodity, and artists as figures to be humiliated as a kind of public service, but all in good fun. During their late-night discussions, Johan admits to Alma his previous traumas, which test her faith in her husband. They are invited to another dinner, and promised that Veronica will be there. Johan shoots Alma (fatally, he believes) and runs to the castle to be reunited, where he discovers that the guests are the nightmarish beings he feared. Nonetheless, he finds Veronica, but is unable to make love to her while the assorted spectres watch. Alma finds Johan in the swamps, where he is attacked by the monsters before disappearing. Back in the film's framing device, Alma asks if she was unable to protect Johan because she didn't love him enough, or if she loved him too much.

Before diving into the more meta analysis, I think it's worth saying that this film is really good, and that Bergman makes it compelling in an interesting way. Watching it (and especially the 2016 remaster) I thought that it could be summed up as 'crisp'. Bergman and his cinematographer, Sven Nykvist, use sparse settings and frame them from unusual angles that highlight textures. Everything is still and quiet, and it feels like you have a sense of how every object in this film feels. Because of that crispness and quietness, it becomes easy to share the fears and internal experiences of Alma and Johan, who are frequently filmed in such tight shots that they physically block the camera from having a full view. That silent claustrophobia is what makes this film so unsettling, although there aren't many points where that unsettlingness becomes outright horror.

A lot of the critics that disliked Hour of the Wolf weren't able to make that leap of belief that Bergman seemingly wants from the audience. With a director as renowned as Bergman, who frequently made heavily allegorical films, people were quick to read the film's content, searching for what was autobiographical in order to fit it into the larger pattern of his work. Critical analyses abound in which Johan is a stand-in for Bergman, in which the character is read through theories of psychoanalysis and sexuality; parallels are drawn with Mozart and E.T.A. Hoffmann, August Strindberg and Henry Fuseli. Johan's nightmares are drawn from dreams that Bergman acknowledged having, so it must be autobiographical; Bergman must be trying to express something about himself.

Okay. But if he is trying to express something about himself, let's step back to look at the film's plot, retold in broader strokes to make the overall picture clearer. An artist meets some people who are fans of his work, and who seem to know his history and behaviour better than his wife does. They oppress him to the point that he turns to violence to get rid of them - in fact, this is the one common denominator of all of Johan’s violence: people observe him too closely. All that changes when the fans offer to reunite him with his lost object of obsession. They all love her too, you see. It must be tempting to be rewarded by the people who know you best, but they never seem to want that for your sake, only for theirs.

Now imagine you've made a film about that, and fans of your work, who seem to know your history, try to tell something about you through it. They observe you and your work closely. They want to use it to figure out how you feel about your past. They like your work, but in the confines by which they understand it - as an allegory, as a commodity, and as a reflection of you.

This is why I think this film is a trap.

Now, if you follow the instructions Bergman lays out, you'll escape alive. Start with the opening credits, during which you can hear the film's crew setting up for a take. That's your first hint: this is a fiction; it's been carefully constructed to make you believe it's real. Enjoy Hour of the Wolf as a film and as a story. Bergman has drawn some elements from his own life, as all artists do, but don't let yourself be distracted by which things are real: Bergman has nightmares, but he's probably never killed anyone, and anyway, that's the whole point. This film spends a lot of time trying to make you decide whether the monsters are real or not. Ignore that. Assume they exist, because the film will eventually tell you. Did they exist beforehand and start haunting Johan, or did Johan will them into existence? Would they exist if Johan wasn't still obsessed with Veronica? Has Johan really done those awful things, or does he just say he has to try and drive Alma away?

Hour of the Wolf is just a story that ends in a swamp. Analysing it is a whole other swamp of its own.

[lilyhoshikawa]

🎥🎶💕🏳‍🌈💎 for hunters perhaps? >:3c

Oh golly! Ok fndkfnfn let me do this then. This may be difficult-

🎥: Do you have any favorite scenes from your hyperfixation?

This is hard bc I have a lot of scenes I like and good scenes keep happening dhdjfn.

There are a lot of stand-outs so far. Among them is definitely like, the confrontation in the car between Blake and Sakio, and the recent social link scene with Blake and Lena on the boat.

Scenes that DON’T involve my own character that I adore include. The scene with Sakio and Camellia at the graveyard. The scene with with Lena and Twitch outside the store. The Sammy’s scene where they read Tango’s letter. Also the scene with Sammy and Masumi bc it was just extremely funny.

🎶: If your hyperfixation has songs / an OST, what is your favorite song from it?

Hm. Well time once again to advertise my Blake playlist, which I’m constantly putting a lot of work and thought into tbh dhjddb, I’ve deleted a fair number of songs from it when I feel they don’t fit, and I’m constantly messing with the order of the songs in relation to Blake’s prospective characters arc, and adding more as I find them fndkfnf I’m always on the lookout.

Also, vane is constantly updating the official playlist with some real bangers, and I appreciate that. Amil’s and Twitch’s themes are real good.

💕: Tell us about one of your favorite characters and why you like them!

Everybody has really really good characters, heck. One thing that strikes me is that even with taking the backseat and having to be on autopilot for several sessions, Camellia still has such a strong and distinct personality, to the point where everyone is on the same page abt them, and I think that’s just really amazing dhdjfjf, that’s how strong an impression they make every time they’re around.

Lena is also so good, she’s like… I think abt her frequently. Sometimes I just start giggling when I think abt Lena, bc she is a national treasure, and I hope she knows I care abt her. She’s great in this way that she’s both very funny/cute and also has a lot of depth and nuance to her arc, and I’m so excited for more.

In the same vein, Sammy. No one character has made me go from giggling to sobbing as fast as this green goat. One moment Sammy is making their cat do a little greeting and I’m rolling on the floor from the cuteness, and then the next second they’re crying and saying they don’t want to be left behind, and then I am also crying. How do they do it. The absolute range.

I also really appreciate Ilse like, particularly in contrast to Blake sometimes, in that Ilse is very smart in a way that’s quiet, self-conscious and careful, while Blake is at times recklessly arrogant, and those two bounce off each other well. Ilse feels mature at times but every time they quietly like, try to be the bigger person, or to not make a problem of themselves, I wanna give them a hug and be like “u deserve to be recognized and acknowledged and u deserve better” dhdjdndjdn. When u have big personalities like Sakio and Lena and Blake in the party there’s something compelling abt Ilse being with them and not asserting themselves as they try to do their best, if that makes sense, and I want them to know I see and appreciate them.

Sakio is also so good and I’ve talked abt this to vane plenty before but holy shit. There’s so much obvious care and love and effort and skill that went into writing a character who is both wrong in many ways, and who many player characters antagonize for good reason, and yet still so incredibly sympathetic, so likable and so compelling. The fact that both Blake and Lena have this relationship with Sakio where they don’t like or trust her, necessarily, but also can’t deal with her not being there, is so fucking good, it creates such powerful conflict in the smallest of ways. Sakio is great bc I love her and I understand her and I appreciate her, but I also wanna yell at her and think she is absolutely horribly wrong about incredibly crucial things and u can FEEL that turmoil in her as well, with her knowing on some level that her actions are going to cause harm, and she’s just waiting and hoping to take the fall, thinking, maybe foolishly, that she can, and that doing so will save everyone else.

I also fucking love so many minor characters we haven’t seen much of so far. I absolutely love Bee and I’ve told vane abt this but she’s just a total icon. Theo is also great, he is the only valid he/him in the entire campaign djdkfj. I love Twitch as well and I’m very excited for some of the interesting stuff in Twitch’s arc that has been hinted at coming to fruition later on, that’s very exciting. I’m also very excited to learn more abt Amil’s whole deal, I appreciate them a lot and I feel bad every time I have to make Blake come pester them fndkfnf. Oh also Prim, how did I forget Prim… what’s going on with her, I have no idea, but she’s a mean lady and my love for mean ladies is well-documented. Also her look is iconic. Also also Puck, the fact that he’s a child and I didn’t know it for several months shocked me to my core but it has made his brand of Shakespearean mischief that much more endearing, and now I seek only to give him snacks and let him sit in his funny garbage throne. I forgot abt Puck earlier so I’ll say he is the second valid he/him in the campaign but frankly I think Puck should take some neopronouns for a spin, he deserves it.

🏳️‍🌈: Do you have any headcanons (LGBT, race, neuro, etc.) that are important to you?

(*throws neurological disorders at Blake*) jdkdnfkf no but jokes aside. I love that this party is like, 5 player characters, 4 of whom use they/them. Just. The raw power of a persona series written by LGBT+ ppl…

I can’t speak on other ppl’s characters too much but as for Blake, they’re a closeted transfem and also too much of a disaster for a coherent sexuality but probably bi. Autistic, and an abuse survivor who experiences paranoid delusions and self-destructive tendencies. Probably more, but specifics are messy, they’re a fucking mess, what’s going on with them, they don’t even know.

Masumi is a binary trans lesbian, also an abuse survivor and manages quite a bit of paranoia of her own, dealing with mood swings and occasional delusions of grandeur, most of it she keeps internally managed which isn’t great for her mental health.

💎: Are there any fun facts or trivia that you would like to share?

Blake’s original characterization was thought up prior to the campaign and was very different from their finished characterization. They lived on a farm with their parents and were pretty quiet and passive before being arrested for a murder they didn’t commit (this part is the same) and their personality was way more quiet, reserved and passive, with the whole celebrity aspect completely absent. They were still going to be the sort of clever leader type character but leaned far more into the background. Their design was also different, with their hair in a low ponytail rather than high and scars on their face from scrapes and accidents working on the farm.

I realized that, even though this character was more of an original idea than Masumi (who I was playing in another campaign at the time and who was characterized somewhat differently as well) I didn’t find myself excited to write them, couldn’t get invested in them in the same way, and as I kept workshopping them I decided to be more self-indulgent and lean more into shamelessly making them an Akechi expy in more ways.

And what resulted from that, ironically, is what I feel is a better character in the end. Blake feels more dynamic, lively and interesting now than the old iteration I first thought up, back when I was intent on making them My Own Creation with their own arc. At this point I’m comfortable saying that Blake, for all their similarities to Akechi, has evolved over the course of the campaign into a more interesting character, into someone I recognize as distinctly different and who stands out. They feel unique to me, and feel like my own character. And I think that only could’ve happened through playing them in a TTRPG like this, in developing them along with others, and having to adapt, and I think that’s the beautiful thing about developing characters with other people. The Blake I’ve ended up with is one I’m really happy with, who I feel is more interesting and dynamic to me than if I had just tried to force something unique just to not feel cringe about making an expy. And maybe I need to learn that lesson before I go through the same thing with Zee fjdkfnf.

[nikibogwater]

What other anime have you seen besides FMA? - Willow the FMA Buddy

I guess technically my first anime was the Pokémon series (like most kids here in the US--unlike most kids my age though, I didn't see my first full episode until I was 13 and had access to Netflix). I adore the original Kanto series--mostly because of Team Rocket, but also Ash was such a little twerp lol. I also kept up with the XYZ arc when it was airing, since Pokémon X was a huge part of my gaming life at the time (I was bored for most of that season, truth be told, but I stuck with it because I just had to find out what happened to Alain and Mairin. How come all the best characters in Pokémon are the side characters?).

I watched the first season and a half of Sword Art Online on the recommendation of a friend (I was about 14 then, I think), but at best, I could only describe my feelings towards that show as lukewarm. I really loved the animation, and the premise of the first season was so interesting, and I remember the last two episodes of the first season carrying a lot of emotional weight for me. But the writing sort of fumbled halfway through, and then suddenly everything was weirdly sexual and kind of fetish-y for some reason and I ended up bailing. The general consensus I've heard is that that was the smart move lol.

I tried Gurren Lagann a few years ago (also on recommendation--this time from my brother) but had to nope right out of there after about five episodes because I couldn't cope with the hyper-sexualization and objectification of one of the main characters. Sure, maybe this is just me being a prude or whatever, but I personally just can't get swept up in a story if I'm constantly being slammed with the message that my female body is first and foremost a tool for the entertainment of men, no matter how great the characters/storytelling otherwise is.

That same brother felt really bad for recommending me a show that made me feel icky, so he made up for it by steering me towards Steins;Gate. I don't really remember much about it, since it wasn't something I felt compelled to re-watch, but I do remember enjoying it quite a bit. I mean, I didn't understand any of it (something about time travel by putting a phone in a microwave???) but my goodness I had a fun time with it. Also it had a story element that reminded me of Fire Emblem: Awakening, which is one of my favorite 3DS games, so yeah.

I also saw the first...10? 15? episodes of One Piece after a lot of pestering from one of my cousins, but was too overwhelmed by the length of the series and not invested enough in the premise to keep going. I don't really remember anything about it except Pirates and one guy had three swords and the kid was super stretchy, I think?

Little Witch Academia is probably my second-favorite anime after FMA. Rather a jarring shift in tone, I'll admit, but it's just such a sweet and uplifting show. No, it's not terribly groundbreaking in terms of storytelling or characters, but it's just so gosh darn upbeat and cute, and I can't help but smile any time I watch it. Also the animation is smooth as butter.

Do the Studio Ghibli films count as anime? Because I've seen quite a few of those and oh my gosh the ARTISTRY! *chef's kiss* I have yet to see a Ghibli film that didn't make my jaw drop. I also checked out A Silent Voice last year, and that movie shook me in the best possible way. I should probably look into more of Kyoto Animation's films.

I guess I can't say I've seen a ton of anime. Certainly not enough to call myself an otaku, at any rate, haha. I actually first started learning the basics of art by learning how to draw manga/anime-style characters, so I have a very soft spot for this particular style of animation regardless. Thanks so much for the ask, my sweet Willow! I'd love to hear any anime recommendations you might have. ✨

[zenithlux]

Tendrils of Regret - Part 3

Read on AO3 Here!

You found out very quickly that it was easy for you to annoy Vergil. In fact, it seemed that your entire existence was enough to do it. But you quite enjoyed pushing more of his buttons. Music in the shower? Check. Typing as loudly as possible while working on the paperwork? Check. Silent treatment? Check. (He did tell you to be quiet, after all). Conveniently forget to wash his clothes despite helping Dante with the laundry? Check. Anything you could do to make his day a little more annoying was free game. 

But you also realized very quickly that Vergil was doing the exact same thing. Buy pizza for dinner but forget that you couldn’t eat it? Check. Read in your desk chair and ignore your (silent) demands to leave? Check (Though he’d quickly given that up when you’d almost sat in his lap just to prove a point). Bring home the stinkiest demons he could find to help with your “condition”? Check. (You wish Trish hadn’t recommended he or Dante do such a thing). And your little game, or whatever it was, went on and on and on. A never-ending dance of increasingly annoying things back and forth, as if one was waiting for the other to crack.

And Dante was absolutely loving it. 

“It doesn't bother me one bit,” he said one day while looking through one of his more scandalous magazines. “It’s lively around here now, thanks to you.” 

You stared at him. “Lively!?”

Dante laughed as he tossed his magazine toward the trash bin. He missed, of course, and just put his hands on the back of his head. “It’s been a long time since my brother and I shared the same space, but things would have been boring between us. You’re like… chaos incarnate.” You scowled at him, but he just kept going. “Verge can’t predict you, and I think that’s good for him.”

“Good for him?” You said. 

“And it’s entertaining,” Dante said as he grabbed another magazine from his desk.

“How many of those do you have?”

“Just about enough,” He said with a grin. “Now go pester my brother some more.”

“He’s not even home.”

“But he will be-”

Then the phone rang. 

Both of you stared at it for a moment. The phone hadn’t rung once since Dante and Vergil had come back from the Underworld almost a month ago. It was Morrison who had taken all of the calls, sending requests their way in a well-coordinated manner. The only reason the phone was even on the desk was because Dante claimed he was “fond of it”. In fact, you hadn’t even realized it was plugged in, as you all had cell phones now. 

“Should you get that?” You said. 

Dante glanced at you, then back to the phone. Finally, he lifted it off of the receiver. “Devil May-”

“Demons!” A male voice yelled. “There’s a swarm of them outside my house!”

Dante frowned, glancing at you. You nodded, more than ready to get out of the store for a little while. “Where are you?” Dante said. The voice was quieter this time, but Dante just nodded. “We’ll be there shortly.” He tossed the phone back on the receiver and grinned at you. “Sure you wanna come, sunshine?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Only one way we’re going to get there.”

You blinked. “But you don’t have a car.”

“Nope,” He said as he grabbed his sword off the wall. 

“What then?” You said. “Am I piggy-backing?”

He laughed. “Something like that.”

-----------

You don’t know what compelled you to get on that infernal bike. As much as you’d come to trust Dante, riding a demon motorcycle without a helmet and an arguably crazy driver was the last thing you should have done. And he made you pay for it, going far faster than the speed limit, turning corners as sharp as possible, and even jumping a bridge with little care in the world. At some point, you’d been forced to wrap your arms around his stomach to keep from falling right off. And once he’d skidded to a stop in front of an old country home outside of Redgrave, you’d jumped off the bike so fast you almost hit the dirt stumbling away. “Are you crazy?” You said, breathing heavily. 

“But it was fun.” He said as he sent the bike away. 

“Fun!?”

“You were perfectly safe, Sunshine.”

“Stop calling me that!”

“And if I don’t?”

You scowled and stormed toward the building. Except a demonic screech from nearby stopped you in your tracks. You wandered to the side of the building, peering around the back. As the man had said, there were numerous demons. They were ones you’d seen before; fat bodies, flowers for heads with nothing but mouths filled with shark teeth. However, most of them were already dead, and a certain blue-coated man was standing in the middle of the carnage. 

“Hey, Verge!” Dante yelled with a dramatic wave. “Surprised you got here first.”

The elder brother swiped his hand through his hair. “Of course I did,” He said. “You should have sensed them yourself.”

Dante snorted. “From Devil May Cry? You give Sunshine too much credit.”

“Me?” You said. “I can’t sense demons.” 

A rumble beneath your feet stopped you in your tracks. Dante moved first, picking you up before you had a chance to react and leaping an impossible distance away. The ground split open, throwing chunks of earth in all directions. Dante slashed a few that came towards you. The others suddenly turned to dust as Vergil clicked his sword back in its sheath. “Show off,” Dante said. Vergil said nothing. 

Your heart pulsed with sudden energy as vines shot out of the ground. In the next second, a blur of purple emerged, slamming down in front of you. Petals unfurled on top of a bulbous stomach, revealing a humanoid figure from the waist up. Her beady red eyes fell on you as a crown of black rose petals formed on her head. “I knew I sensed you.”

Your heart pulsed again. You flinched, grabbing at it. The demon laughed. “How far you’ve fallen, sister.” Vines snaked out toward you, but they too disintegrated. The creature wasn’t even phased as more vines emerged to take their place. “Take a host, she said. I’ll be stronger than even you.” The demon cackled in pure delight. “Look at you now, sister. Nothing more than a useless vine in a useless body.” 

Your eyes narrowed, but it was Dante who stepped forward. “You picked the wrong place to sprout.”

Her eyes flickered between the brothers. “Sons of Sparda,” She said with a dramatic sigh. “How unfortunate. No matter,” The creature said. “You can’t really blame me. My sister and her master in the same place?” Her eyes came back to you. “Both shadows of their former selves.”

Master… 

“This is a waste of time,” Vergil said. “Just kill her and be done with it.”

“Tired of the interesting stories already, Verge?!” Dante said. 

Vergil reached for his sword. “If you won’t do it then I’ll-”

“Who are you?” You said, taking a step forward. You could feel the weight of Vergil’s glare on the back of your head but ignored him. “I remember her thoughts, and she never spoke of you.”

“Of course not, worm,” The demon said. “I was the better of the two and she just couldn’t accept it.”

Dante snorted. “Now that sounds familiar.”

“You’re lucky she’s here,” Vergil said through gritted teeth. 

“What? Afraid of what she’ll think?” Dante said. “That’s funny coming from you.”

“I suggest you…”

“Shut up,” You snapped as you took another step forward. The vines didn’t move, and the demon was giving you a curious look. “You want your sister back, don’t you?”

“What would make you think that?”

“You came to see her,” you said. “And you couldn’t have known she was in my body.”

“What are you getting at?”

“You know how to remove the piece she left behind.”

After a moment of silence, the demon burst into laughter. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t bother now. She got what she deserved, and I do enjoy the suffering of humans.” Vines crawled up around you but you merely flicked your hand and they slammed back into the ground. The demon’s laughter stopped, her eyes wide. “You retained her powers?”

“Guess you’ll have to find out.” You said as you raised your hand, calling to your own plants. But a sharp pain pierced your chest. You cried out, barely able to remain standing as your vision blurred. 

“Poor little girl,” The demon said. “Can’t even fight without your Master’s permission.”

“What?” 

“You probably thought you were free while he was gone from this world,” The demon said. “But you’re not. Not anymore. That pathetic vine in your heart pledged her allegiance to the Demon King. You’re lucky you can even breathe without his permission.”

Furious, you whirled on Vergil. “Stop… whatever this is.”

“I’m not doing anything,” He said. 

A vine crashed beside you.  You pushed it back, but your head felt like it was splitting open. “I was right then,” You said. “You… You can…” You couldn’t finish that sentence as the realization struck you. He can control me. 

You’d never hated the vine in your chest more in your life. 

“I’m done with you,” The demon said as vines wrapped at your feet. “You’ll die here, sister. And I’ll be free.”

“What are you waiting for?” Vergil said. 

“What?”

“You want to fight?” He crossed his arms. “Then do it.”

Your senses snapped into focus. The fog cleared. The pain ceased. And as the vines tightened, you pulled your hands back as fast as you could. The vines split from her body, falling limp around you. The demon shrieked, swinging her arms out. A new pair of vines stretched off her body. You jumped back and touched the ground. You felt your power seep into the soil and you yanked your hand up. Your own plants emerged, their roots growing large enough to block the strike. “How?” The demon yelled, slamming her vines into your barricade again and again. “My sister trained for years. How can you…?”

“I had a good teacher,” You said. Then, you took off into a sprint. Each time a vine swung toward you, you dodged to the side, pulling up more plants to block her path. Her attacks were more frantic, some swinging right over your head. Others missed you entirely. More plants grew; flowers from deep in the soil. Grass that grew and twisted until it was as thick as the vines themselves. As you reached the demon, you slid under her belly, pulling your hands down to your sides. All of your plants surged forward, piercing through the demon’s body. She shrieked, unable to move as more grew, wrapping up around her. You pulled down, straining as you felt her try and fight back. But it was no use. Her own vines wrapped around her, pinning her to the ground. 

The vine in your chest stirred. It was hungry. 

You felt a tinge of excitement, and you didn’t think it was your own. 

You walked slowly as the demon struggled, mentally preparing for what the vine expected of you. You had done this numerous times before, but never on a demon of this size. You remembered the words V had given you when he first taught you what to do. It’s a transference of energy, he’d said as he jabbed his cane into the head of a demon. You’re taking what is rightfully yours. 

How is it rightfully mine?

Strength rules all in the Underworld, my vine. If you defeat a creature like this, its power is yours to take. And if you want to live, you’ll remember that. 

You did remember. You’d hesitated once after he’d left and it had nearly killed you. Now, you promised yourself that would never happen again. 

You just wished nobody was here to see it. 

As you made your way to the front, you shed your shirt, letting it drop at your feet. You were grateful when neither of the brothers said anything, as you fully expected at least Dante to throw something your way. The demon struggled more, but it was useless. “Strength rules all,” You murmured as you reached your hand out toward her body. She shrieked again, trying to dissuade you. But you barely heard it, wincing as the vine emerged from your chest. It was small at first but grew as it wrapped around your arm, heading for the demon. 

“No!” The demon yelled. “You can’t do this.”

“The better sister, huh,” You said. “Not anymore.”

“Human!” She shouted. “Don’t…” But the vine shot upward, piercing her through the heart. Your senses flared to life, even brighter then they had been before. You watched as blue blood slipped through the vine and back into you. You took a deep, slow breath, adjusting to the foreign feeling. You felt lightheaded, but you always did like this. Your body couldn’t handle the blood. It was human. Fragile. But once the vine snapped back, all would return to normal, its magic doing whatever it needed to do to keep you alive. Before you, the demon shrunk, wilting away as her life slipped out of her body. 

After another moment, the vine pulled away, drawing back into you. The wound closed, leaving behind the same, star-shaped scar that you’d stared at for months. For a moment, the demon stood there, mouth agape as she stared up at the sky. Then, she tumbled backward, shattering like a brittle leaf crushed under the weight of someone like you. You felt dizzy as your heartbeat quickened. You reached for your shirt, but stumbled and fell to your knees. You’d never defeated such a large demon. Not on your own. It had always been V to take the power from them, and you’d gladly given it. But now…

You shuddered as nausea swept over you. Exhaustion spread to all of your muscles, threatening to drag you into a deep slumber.  You managed to get your shirt back on, but it was clumsy. You could barely breathe. Barely think. The world felt so small. So constricting. You’d never felt this bad in your life.

Had you taken too much?

Stay strong, V had said the first time you’d absorbed a demon. Its power is yours to keep. 

You felt a hand on your back.  Stay strong V whispered again. 

Yours to keep. 

You passed out, uncertain if you’d ever wake up again.

[thee-morrigan]

🌲🍁🥀 for Holland and Leila!

ahhh I love these, thank you, Willow💕 (and apologies for taking so long to answer! I got ambitious with Leila’s journal decorating 😂)

And this got really long (your honor I just have a lot of feelings), so -- under the cut! [soft oc asks]

🌲: How deeply does your OC feel? Are they typically empathetic or do they have a hard time connecting with others in this way? What are they like when offering support and comfort to someone they care for?

Leila is a major empath, which sometimes makes her job extra hard on her – although it certainly makes her particularly good at parts of it, too! In part because of growing up really lonely, she’s developed a sensitive emotional barometer, so she’s got a knack for picking up on the moods of others, which can make her pretty good at comforting most people…unless it’s someone in whom she has a vested interest. Unfortunately, when it comes to people she really cares about, she can let her anxiety get the better of her and second-guess her responses. (The research nerd in me feels compelled to mention her insecure – anxious-ambivalent – attachment style as a contributing factor.)

Holland definitely feels deeply but is pretty good at compartmentalizing. Obviously she also had a pretty lonely childhood, at least in terms of parental involvement, but she uh…responded a little differently than Leila🙃 She probably would’ve been a chronic overthinker no matter what, but that tendency combined with her too-many, displaced-kid feelings made her really good at distancing herself from her emotions. Not super great for her, but it does make her weirdly good at comforting people she cares about most of the time – she’s good about giving people space and just being with them without asking questions or pestering them about how they’re feeling.

🍁: Where does your OC go when they need to have some time to themself? Would they ever have their own “comfort corner” filled with all the things they like? Do they have a favourite spot outside that feels like it’s theirs and theirs alone? Holland…I’m honestly inclined to say her own head lmao because she spends so much time there anyway! I don’t think she’d ever be likely to have an intentionally crafted “comfort corner,” but (because she’s not-so-secretly Extremely Soft) she sometimes will slip off to the cemetery and talk to Rook, usually when she needs to think through something out loud (she’s forever grateful that his grave is in a relatively secluded area, so no one is likely to see the town detective talking to herself in a graveyard). I don’t know that I would call it a “happy place,” exactly, but she’s not there out of a sense of mourning, either – just that kind of basic need to get parental advice, and she’s definitely not going to ask Rebecca’s opinion on anything.

Leila’s “comfort corner” is one of two places: either in the makeshift dark room she’s got in her apartment (where she’s turned her laundry closet into more of a photo lab than anything), or out by the emptiest section of the docks, where she likes to paint (she paints in her apartment, too, of course, but she definitely enjoys painting in plein air when she can swing it: out above the shoreline, listening to the water and the gulls and painting the boats on the marina is totally her happy place.

🥀: How would your OC decorate a notebook or journal? What kind of things are written in there? Could you give an example of a nice entry?

Holland has a Leuchtturm on her most of the time, but she doesn’t decorate it. She half-heartedly bullet journals, but mostly she just scribbles down anything and everything in it (and gave up on any semblance of organization a long time ago!). It’s a pretty accurate representation of her brain, tbh – lots of thoughts, no connecting threads to the outside observer.

But I will share a page that ended up torn out and tossed in her garbage disposal (set very early relationship with Nate, because obviously you can’t let your boyfriend know you have feelings) – a few abandoned drafts of unsent letters. 

Leila is obviously very artsy, and she definitely has sketchbooks that are half sketches, half journaling. (I myself am not artsy, so apologies in advance for my attempt at replicating one of those journal pages!)