#The other is using a technique daily that can drive him crazy

[taddymason]

It's weird to think that with Jordana being a teenager in the middle of a revenge journey and Cinder being an adult who is at most 20 years old who likes to beat up kids, that leaves Jay as the second oldest (probably the less... immature if you compare him to the other two) in the Wolf Clan after the 60-year-old tiger.

[flightlessangelwings]

Marcus Moreno NSFW Alphabet

18+ ONLY

Word Count: 2.3k

afab!reader

~

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Marcus is very attentive after sex, and he loves to cuddle. He’s content to hold you in his arms for as long as you want. Even after a mind blowing orgasm, nothing beats having you in his arms close and safe. And if you need anything, Marcus is right in it. Want water? He’s got you. Want a fuzzy blanket and cuddles? He’s your man.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

His favorite body part on himself is his arms. Marcus trained hard to keep his body in shape and that includes a lot of arm strength. But mostly he likes to wrap his arms around you and hold you close. He loves when you comment on how safe you feel in his arms.

And Marcus is a boob man for sure. He loves to worship every inch of your body, but he especially loves your boobs. He’ll spend plenty of time kissing his way up and down each mound and spend a lot of time on your nipples too. He loves to knead them softly while he thrusts into you and watch them swing when he picks up his pace. And when you’re finished having sex, he loves to hold you close with a hand on your breast and give it a soft extra little squeeze.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Marcus really likes to pull out at the last second and cum on your belly. The sight of you hot and sweaty with his cum painting your skin is a sight unlike any other for Marcus. And of course he cleans you up real well after he’s done savoring the moment; he’ll never leave you a mess like that. And he loves to watch you cum too. The faces you make are super sexy to him and the sounds are music to his ears, especially if you cry out his name when you cum. He almost loves when you cum more than he cums.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Marcus really wants to tie you up. Not only does he think you would look so sexy naked, bound and helpless on his bed, but it would show an extreme amount of trust, and that turned him on more than anything else. He’s always afraid to hurt you or try anything too wild with you, so he hasn’t asked you yet.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Marcus could count his sexual partners on one hand. He’s not the type for one night stands and he only sleeps with those he cares about. That being said, he still knows what he’s doing. Marcus likes to spend time getting to know what his partners like and what really drives them wild.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Marcus does like missionary so he can watch you while you wrap your arms and legs around him. He also likes when you’re on top and riding him. There’s just something about watching you bounce on his cock and watching himself disappear inside you that gets him off like nothing else. Marcus is a switch so he’s happy to be on top or bottom.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Oh sweet himbo Marcus Morano. He can’t help but laugh at times, and he loves to laugh during sex. Sometimes he can’t help but tickle you while he’s kissing down your body and just grin as you giggle and squirm. Sometimes he can’t resist the urge to blow a raspberry in your belly, and it especially cracks him up when you do it to him too.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He keeps himself well groomed and he loves to be fresh and clean for you. Marcus doesn’t shave, but he keeps everything neat and trimmed. You don’t care either way, hair is natural, but he likes to go the extra mile for you. And he doesn’t mind keeping the hair shorter.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

If you look up hopeless romantic in the dictionary, you’d find a picture of Marcus Moreno. He is a king of romance, and he takes great pride in sweeping you off your feet when it comes to that. There’s nothing Marcus loves more than to spend the evening wining and dining you, and he spares no expense to get all your favorites. Then he’ll spend all night making sweet love to you. Because Marcus Moreno doesn’t just have sex, he makes love.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Marcus spent a long time as a single dad so of course he jerked off fairly often. Between leading the Heroics and being a single father he didn’t have much time to date until you came into his life. He doesn’t feel as much of a need to jerk off now since he has you, but sometimes he’ll put on a little private show just for you.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Praise kink, both ways. He will shower you with affection while he’s inside you and he’ll tell you how beautiful you are and how amazing you feel. And he loves it when you tell him how good he is and how well he takes care of you. Marcus does short circut when you tell him how sexy he is and how hot he looks when he is fucking you.

Nipple play. Marcus loves your breasts and loves to play with your nipples. He’ll nibble and suck marks on your skin and swirl his tongue along your nipple as he savors the way you moan and arch your back. He also loves having his own nipples played with, especially with how you do it so well.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Marcus is traitional in that sense in that he likes to have sex in the bedroom. He likes the comfort and privacy. But, he’s also known to enjoy a good shower sex at times as well. And he also surprises you sometimes when he takes you to a storage closet or someplace in headquarters for a quickie.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Marcus loves when you say his name. Something about hearing it in your voice just really turns him on. And he loves when you initiate sex. And since he knows there’s a risk of his loved ones being targeted, he loves when you can defend yourself. If he’s teaching you a new technique and you’ve got him pinned, Marcus is more turned on than ever.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Marcus will never ever do anything to hurt you. He’s too protective of you to even think about anything like that. Also he does not like the daddy kink at all. He’s a father and he doesn’t want any references to that in bed.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Your pleasure really is his pleasure, and Marcus loves to go down on you. He could happily spend hours between your legs if you’d let him, and he’ll take his time to learn everything you love. Marcus will draw it out as long as he can as he works your clit with his tongue while he hold onto your hips. He’s addicted to the taste of you, and he would forgo anything in return just to spend as long as he can in your folds.

That being said, like most men he would never turn down a blowjob, especially from you. From the moment he’s in your mouth, Marcus is at your mercy, and you both know it. You work him better than anyone ever had before, and he has to physically hold himself back from cumming too soon because of how good it feels. And of course he stares in awe every time you swallow his load.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Sensual for sure. Marcus likes to take his time with you. He’ll spend hours kissing you all over before he even thinks about fucking you. Your pleasure is his pleasure for sure, and he’ll spend all the time it takes to learn what you like and what spots drive you crazy. But when he finally does enter you, he likes to start slow. Maybe just warm his cock for a little bit and just enjoy the feeling of you around him. He’ll rock out once very slowly and gently, and just watch your face contort in pleasure. Encouraged by your moans (and maybe you asking him to go faster or harder), Marcus will pick up his pace.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Quickies are part of the territory when it comes to being a hero. Sometimes there just isn’t the time Macus would like to make love to you, but he still wants you. Sometimes he’ll take you to a closet, bathroom or empty room in headquarters for a quickie when he gets back from a mission and is running on adrenaline.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Marcus is open to an extent. He isn’t into anything super kinky but if you want to try something he’ll give it a shot for you. He’s also not a super big risk taker since he wants sex to be safe for both of you. He’s got enough risk in his daily life that he doesn’t feel the need to admit to his sex life.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Usually he just goes for one long round, but sometimes he has a second round in him. Marcus takes his time with you for sure and he drags it out as king as he can. He loves to take the time for you both to explore each other and really pleasure each other. At times when he’s been away or too busy, he’ll want that second round with you, seemingly can’t get enough of you.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Marcus doesn’t own any toys himself, but he’s open to using some with his partner if they’re open to it. The first time you use one of your vibrators during sex, he’s almost too in awe to even move. He just buries himself in you and watches as the vibrations on your clit make you mewl and squirm. And he can feel the sensations too, and thinks to himself no wonder you like this so much.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

He is a tease for sure, but he doesn’t even realize it. When he’s wearing his glasses, you can’t help but stare because he looks so damn good in them. He’s so effortlessly handsome that he doesn’t even know the effect those glasses have on you. And whenever you watch him cook, you’re captivated by his arms. Again, he’s totally unaware. Sometimes, he’ll place his hands gently on your hips as he slips past you in the kitchen and the way he touches you immediately makes you heat up. You’re flustered while he goes about his business completely unaware. But you’ll make him aware later when you corner him in the bedroom...

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Marcus Moreno is a moaner. Boy definitely gets into the heat of the moment and sounds pour from his mouth. Where a lot of men are quiet during sex, Marcus is almost as loud as you are. He grunts while he thrusts into you, moans when you clench around him, and praises and your name spills from his lips.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

He is a talker in bed, and sometimes the things that spill from Marcus’ mouth surprise you both. It’s never anything too derogatory but Marcus can get dirty when he wants to. “You feel so good baby” or “You take my cock so well” or “You like when I fuck you like this.” Marcus is definitely big into dirty talk and he loves to talk you through everything. And of course he always tells you how much he loves you while he’s fucking you.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Marcus is well endowed, but he doesn’t even realize it. Honestly he doesn’t even think much about it. He’s never been the macho type so he never felt the need to brag about it or even care about what he’s packing. As long as you love what he does, he’s happy.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Since he spent so long without someone, Marcus does tend to have a high sex drive when it comes to you. He’s usually up for sex about four nights a week, as long as he’s not too tired from being a hero or a dad. But on those nights, he’s just as content to cuddle in bed and hold you close.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Between being a hero and a single dad, poor Marcus is always tired. So once he’s spent for the night, he tends to fall asleep fairly quickly. Sometimes he’ll have you wrapped in his arms with you on his chest and savors the warmth of your body. Other times, he’ll lay on your chest and enjoy the softness of your breasts and the sound of your heartbeat. Especially when you play with his hair and rub his scalp, it doesn’t take Marcus long to fall sound asleep.

[finelinesolo]

Rules are Rules - a Ben Solo One Shot (AU)

Rating: EXPLICIT (smut)

Summary: You work at the busiest bar in the city, and one night Ben Solo comes in. Small talk, small talk — you two end up in the bathroom.

Notes: thank you for 600 on twitter!! xo’s - Lizzie

Maybe it was the freezing New York City air or maybe the lack of caffeine in your system was finally getting to you, but goosebumps danced across your arms frantically – sending a chilling shiver down your spine. There was nothing you hated more than working the closing shift, especially on Fridays. Being a bartender was fun at times and the money was pretty good, but having to be the one to kick the drunks out after last call and listen to them bitch and groan about their wives hating them or their lives falling apart was a chore no one wanted to do.

As hard as you begged, no one seemed to want to cover your shift. You were halfway tempted to just call in sick, electing not to out of fear of your boss raising hell to fire you.

A groan slipped from your lips when you heard the banging speakers and screaming people pour out of the door, their legs barely keeping them afloat as they stumbled down the street. Did you bring your Advil today? Better yet, would the Advil be enough to get you through this? You knew the answer was no, but ignorance is bliss – and that would be the only thing to save you now.

Popping the medicine into your mouth, you step through the door – already counting the seconds until you could clock off.

You knew wiping down counters repeatedly was only fun for so long, but anything was better than making strawberry martinis and cosmos for the bridal party that came in tonight. The minute they entered, you tossed the main bar to your co-worker, electing to take over bottle service and the occasional table wipe down. The tasks irritated you to no end, but every time one of the girls released a shriek pitched high enough to break glass, you hugged the rag in your hand a little tighter.

Before you could start on another table, you felt the seat next to you pull out - and man with a mop of black hair and an electric smile plopping down. His eyes lingered on yours - the hazel color swallowing you whole. He was cute, you hated to admit. It was easier for you to pretend that everyone who came into this place was a slob, however you had never wanted to be wrong more in your life.

“Bottle girl tonight, I see.” He said, raising a hand at the waitress to put an order in. His eyes drifted down to your legs, sitting there for a second before flashing back to meet your gaze. “Nice legs, by the way. You’re always behind the bar, I’ve never seen them before.” He cocked a lazy smile at your co-worker, lazily ordering a whiskey neat. She glanced up at you before scurrying off, swaying her hips in the process. To impress this guy, you guessed. A small giggle fell from your lips, causing his eyes to fall back on you. You tried to suppress your laughter, but it came anyways.

“Something funny?” He asked, crossing his arms across his chest. The position drew attention to the muscles laced through his arms, your throat closing momentarily at the sight. “No, not at all. You enjoyed the show, I assume?” You ask, lifting your head to gesture at your co-worker. He rolled his eyes, leaning forward onto the table. “Every time I’m in here she does the same thing - maybe I should keep track, throw her a party when she hits 100.” Oh, so he had jokes. You rack your brain to remember who he was, drawing a blank after a few moments. “You’re a regular, I assume?” You ask, dropping your rag on his table to at least try to make it look like you are working so your boss didn't chew you out. He nodded; eyes steady on the bar to track his drink. “You don’t remember me? Ouch, that stings. I’ll remember that the next time I tip.” You knew he was kidding, his tone of voice said that much. He squinted his eyes at you, studying your expression. There wasn’t much to see, clearly - his gaze returning to the line of drinks forming on the counter.

“I’m Ben, Ben Solo. And you?” His voice was loud, the sound carrying through the booming music that busted your ear drums on the daily. “I’m Y/N - it’s nice to meet you, Ben.” It was a cute name, for a cute guy. You wondered if there was something deeper here - like maybe he was a serial killer and came here looking for girls to murder. You’d seen some creepy guys come through here, but he didn’t seem like one. Creepy guys don’t dress this well – his torso was framed tightly by a black dress top, his bottom half matched with plain jeans. Black boots sealed the look, and you couldn’t help but wonder what was hiding underneath all those buttons.

“So, Ben, what do you do?” You ask, throwing the rag over your shoulder so you could lean closer. He noticed, resting his chin on his palm to meet your distance. “I’m a pilot, but I live here. I have the next couple days off.” A pilot. This man was a rich, successful, pilot – so what was he doing in this part of town, getting drinks from the busiest dive bar in the city? “And what about you, bottle girl? Are you a full-time bartender or do you live a double life?” He smiled softly at you, the curve of his lips forcing you to return the grin. “I’m that predictable, huh? Yeah, Speech Pathology student by day, slave to the drink by night.”  He raised his eyebrow, the emotion behind it was unreadable. “Speech Pathology, huh? So, you’re an expert with mouth movement, huh?” His tone shifted towards the end, the weight of it growing stronger - like it was sitting on your chest. Yes, your major included those techniques - something your friends loved to tease you about. No one you’d slept with really cared, yet here was this man already using it to his favor. “Somewhat, yes. Why? Are you looking for a lesson?” A bold statement, you knew. Normally you’d never engage a customer, but in your eyes – this man didn’t count. His face shifted to glance back at the bar, his drink still not there. You hoped they forgot to make it - that maybe you’d be able to steal him before he got it. Before you could ask again, you felt his hand land on your thigh - his fingers drawing soft circles as they traveled up towards your hip. “How much time do you have?” He asked, the heat radiating from him warming your skin.

“As much as you're willing to give me.” The distance between you two grew smaller and smaller until you were practically sitting in his lap, your leg draped softly over his bottom half. Your face loomed over his, standing up having given you the high ground. The bar grew more crowded, the hoard of dancers covering you two from the judging glances of your co-workers – something you’d remember to thank God for later. He raised his jaw, gesturing towards the one family bathroom the building had. There wasn’t a line for it, something that rarely happens. Nodding in agreement, he snatches your hand to drag you forward. His legs carried him faster than you could keep up with, and it wasn’t until now that you realized how tall he was. No wonder he could make a b-line so quick, the man was easily 6’3.

Once inside the room, Ben wrapped his arms around your waist – turning you to press your back against the door as it shut. His lips softly brushed against yours’s, the hum of your chests reverberating against each other. He had big hands, another thing you didn’t notice until now. One sprawled against your hip, the other grasped the back of your neck tightly. The air was thick with the smell of spilt liquor and sweat from the dance floor - a trait you normally detested, but with Ben this close, you could faintly smell his cologne - a mix of sandalwood and mint fluttered in your nose. You wanted nothing more than for him to kiss you, but he wasn’t playing that game this evening. He wasn’t vanilla, clearly – your heart pounded at the thought of what he was capable of.

“Sweetheart,” his voice was sweet like candy, but was still coated with that same dark tone you enjoyed so much before. His breath was hot on your skin, the bottom of his lip tucked between his top teeth for just a second as he contemplated his next sentence. “How much are you willing to do?” The question was dumb, but you appreciated it, nonetheless. “In what way, Ben?” You asked, your lashes fluttering softly to not squirm away from his touch. It was driving you crazy, and he knew it too – his hands digging a little deeper into your skin. “I want all of you, every inch. But are you going to be good and let me take my time with you or can you not handle it?” His words dripped with intensity, and you fought the urge to audibly gasp. You were on the clock, but the idea of going back to work right now sounded like an unusual form of torture. You nod, slowly – watching that same grin you saw earlier form on his mouth. He loved this, clearly. And you did too, shockingly enough.  Normally you’d never hook up with someone in a bathroom, but it was just your luck that it had been deep cleaned before rush tonight.

“Any rules?” You asked, your arms wrapping around his neck. The gesture was so normal to you, yet he managed to reject it so fast – his hands grabbing yours to pin them above your head.

“Yes, a few.”

Whether it was shock or excitement that was heating your face, you didn’t care. The force behind his actions was electrifying, every move he made left you wondering what would come next. His eyes caught yours, silently asking to continue. You nod, maintaining eye contact as you twitched beneath him.

“You don’t do anything without asking. You even try to cum before I let you and I’ll pull away.” His voice got quiet as he nudged your head to get at your neck, placing soft kisses along your jaw. The pace was agonizing, his tongue dragging a small line across your skin. You groaned under your breath, the feeling causing your knees to wobble.

“You’re not allowed to touch me.” The rule was mind-boggling, and you weren’t sure how you’d be able to follow it. He was built like a marble statue, and the idea of not being able to drag your fingers across his figure seemed impossible.

“And what if I break it?” You ask, your voice faltering as he sucked on the skin below your earlobe. The soft laugh that escaped his lips sounded borderline threatening, his grip on your wrists only tightening. “Do you want me to leave you here to finish yourself?” No. No you did not.

“Rules are rules, sweetheart.” His voice carried through your ears like a melody.

Nodding, you mentally sign off on his rules. It’s not like what he was asking for was totally insane, you had seen much worse watching the people who came into this bar. His grip on your wrists changed, transferring both into one hand while he brought the other to grasp your hip. Your mouth released a soft moan at his touch, everything he did elicited a reaction from deep within you. It wasn’t long before you felt his lips on yours, the soft pillow-like texture clouding your thoughts. His kiss was unlike anything you’d felt before – like they were custom fit for yours’s, or that they had molded so quickly to fit your every movement. He turned his head to the side to angle deeper, swiping his tongue softly against your bottom lip to earn entry – and who were you to deny him that?

You wanted nothing more than to grab a fistful of his hair and pull it for strength, but that was clearly not an option now. He had open reign of your body, his free hand roaming up under your shirt to unclasp your bra.

With one hand? A talent.

Before you could realize it, your top half was exposed – he analyzed your every inch as if he was afraid, he’d miss a part. No one had ever taken in all of you like this, the nerves of being open to him causing you to shiver. He felt it, you assumed – releasing your wrists.

“Don’t move them - are we clear?” You nod, keeping your arms pressed against the door. His big hands slid up your side while he kissed down your collarbone and over the top of your chest. Hot air pounded against your forehead from the lack of AC that ever pumped into this room. You’d never had a fond memory here, but you were sure this would quickly top the list.

His lips clasped around your nipple fervently, as if he were in a rush – and maybe he was, you were at work and the risk of someone drunkenly stumbling through the door to puke was high. Your mind was racing, not able to place thoughts to actions as he dragged his tongue along your skin. The lights flickered softly, growing dimmer every passing second. It was like the further he got along your body, the darker it got. Ben didn’t seem to notice, focused on the task at hand. He stepped back momentarily, unbuttoning his shirt as fast as he could.  

“You just want me to stand here like this, huh?” You asked, your wrists resting against the cold metal of the door. A kink was a kink, you guessed – but this was the first you’d met someone who didn’t want you to touch them. You’d read about it time to time, and seen it in that 50 shades movie - but this was a real person with real rules, and you couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if you broke them.

A dash of courage races through your head, your hands working for you. Ben was so lost in unbuttoning his shirt, he didn’t notice you lurch forward to place your hands on his chest. His eyes flew open, shock splashed across his face. He didn’t stop you, his eyes intently staring at your every movement. As predicted, his body was stunning. The build of his torso was like something out of a dream, soft skin draped over toned muscle. His breath was shallow as your hand fell lower – a reaction that only encouraged you to go further. Oddly enough, he still wasn’t stopping you - he let you continue your exploration, watching your fingers fumble with the button of his pants. It popped open quietly, causing the hemline to drop slightly past his hip, exposing more skin. You raise your eyes to meet his gaze, hoping he’d let you continue.

The rules. You were doing a shit job at following them, and he was either playing a trick on you to see if you’d get back in line, or he didn’t care – and Ben didn’t seem like the kind of guy to forgive so easily.

Steadily, you raise your hands in defeat – stepping back against the door as he asked to stay before. Pride washed across his face, his frame towering over you as he pressed up against you again.

“Good girl.”

He returned his mouth to yours, an exhale of relief leaving lips in the process. Your stomach did 180 flips every time he touched you, and you couldn’t help but want to run your fingers through his hair and pull. This was the point, clearly – he knew that you not being able to touch him would drive you crazy, and he was right.

Ben slapped your legs softly, gesturing for you to jump into his arms. Wrapping your legs around his hips, you had assumed that meant the no touch rule was over – clearly not, because before you could finally touch his hair, he used one hand to catch them as he strode across the room to place you on the sink. You groan in frustration – desperate to feel his hot skin against your palm. He laughed softly under his breath, hiking your skirt up to let it pool at your hips. Ben stood in between your legs, his size keeping them spread far apart. The cold porcelain pressed into your thighs, goosebumps appearing in its place. The warmth from the man in front of you was enough to suppress them, his arms returning to their place around your hips. He softly kissed down your face, stopping at your lips.

“Do you want my mouth?”

Blunt, yes. You’ve noticed that he was straight to the point, a trait you’d normally detest. But it was hot on him. Everything was.

“Yes, yes please.”

Ben smirked, getting down on his knees to place a hand on your stomach – pressing you against the mirror. The glass chilled you to your spine, a small gasp escaping your lips from the contact. He either didn’t notice or didn’t care, placing soft kisses along your inner thigh to tease you.

“Ben, please.” You begged, swallowing your pride out of desperation to feel him. Nerves wracked your chest and you weren’t sure why. You’d hooked up with people before, even in public once or twice - but this was the first time you’d felt immobile in front of a man, as if your body only acted because he told it too. He noticed your trance, hooking a finger on your underwear to move it to the side. He let out a puff of cold air, the contact causing your legs to fly up. He didn’t care, leaning back a bit to prop your knees on his shoulders for a better angle.

It was a quick second before you felt his mouth on you, the pressure that was building up in your stomach immediately releasing at the feeling. Your hands found purchase on the side of the sink, the sudden thought of his rules reminding you to not grab at his hair. He licked in zig-zag formation, his tongue pressing in harder after landing on your clit. The air was sucked from your lungs, a moan forcing its way out. Ben wrapped his arms around your hips in return, holding you in place. His head rotated in small circles, mouthing at your center at a quicker pace. Every couple seconds he’d groan against you, the sound vibrating your clit in ways that made your head spin.

“You like that, huh?” He asked, pulling away shortly to press your buttons. All you could do was nod - his tongue pushing through your folds again taking away your ability to speak. He seemed to want words, his frame teetering backwards to blow cold air on your entrance. The feeling was electric, and you never wanted it to end. Shrieking, your knuckles went white from gripping the sink.

“Yes, god yes. Please don’t stop.” The words came out as more of a stutter.

“Please what? Tell me what you want, sweetheart.”

He knew. He wasn’t dumb. Why did he need vocals?

“Please, I need you to make me cum. Ben-” Your breath was hot as is exhaled, the words stumbling out in an incoherent mess. “I want your fingers, and your mouth – please.”

He raised an eyebrow, pleased with his effect on you. “Fingers too, huh? Greedy little thing.” Not that he cared, of course. Ben didn’t waste a second, raising his middle finger to your entrance and pushing in. The feeling was euphoric, his pace quickening to match the rise and fall of your chest. He murmured against your center, sucking your clit while his fingers curled deep inside of you. It was almost too much, and you knew you’d only last so long.

“Oh, god yes - daddy.”

Your eyes flew open, one of your hands coming up to slam over your mouth. Why? Why now?

“What did you just call me?” He asked, his grip on your hip tightening slightly.

“Nothing. I called you nothing.” You felt like an idiot, and you were an idiot. You’d always wanted to try calling someone that, but no one ever made you feel like they’d be okay with it. That, or they were boring to the point that you couldn’t get yourself to say it.  And here you were, naked on top of a sink – waiting for the one man you found that deserved the title, to decide if it was okay.

“Say it. What did you call me?” He said again, this time darker in tone.

“Daddy.” It came out weak, sheepish even. You swallowed your spit hoping it would make your speech clear up.

He smirked, the expression causing a wave of relief to wash over you. Returning to his place in between your legs, his lips kissed down your pussy – lapping softly at the skin just above your entrance. Fingers and all, this man knew what he was doing. Hunger for him raged on in your chest, and you weren’t sure how much longer you’d last like this.

“Oh, sweetheart – you taste so good. You like it when daddy does this, huh?” He said, his words pulsating against you. “Yes, yes.” You sigh, your legs starting to shake. The closer you got to finishing, the harder it was to focus. Your vision was blurring with every passing second.

“Ben -” you start, the pressure building in your stomach becoming unbearable. “Can I please cum? Please?” It came out as a plea, like your life depended on it. He looked up at you from his spot, the eye contact threatening to send you over the edge.

“Hm, not yet. Count to 10 and I’ll let you.” He says, staying close to you. You nod – confused with how 10 seconds would affect anything.

“1…”

He swirled his tongue around your clit, pushing his fingers in completely.

“2 … 3 …. 4 …”

Ben moaned against you, shaking his head from left to right to create friction.

“5 … 6 … 7 ... “

“I don’t know if I can do this Ben-” You gasp, sweat dripping from your brow as you try to hold your orgasm in. He dug his nails into your skin, signaling to continue.

“8… 9 … 10 …”

He sucked harshly, releasing your clit but continuing to push in and out of you at full force. “Cum, sweetheart. Cum for daddy.”

You felt your body wrack with shakes as you released, the power behind it causing your back to fly off the mirror – sitting straight up once again. You wanted to catch your breath, but Ben had better ideas. He stood to his feet, pulling you against his chest.

“I’m on the pill -” you whisper, his head resting on your shoulder. He nodded, leaning down to shuffle out of his pants. Pulling his boxers down, his cock was released from its hold. Your eyes flew open wide – the size of it taking away your ability to speak. This could hurt, and you almost wanted it to hurt.

He hooked one of his arms under your leg, lifting it slightly. You impulsively reached forward, grabbing his shoulders for support. This was breaking the rules, you knew that. Ben’s eyes traced your frame, nodding in approval at your position.

“You’ve been good, sweetheart – you can keep your hands there.”

You couldn’t help but feel relief, tightening your grip around his neck – your fingers finally trailing into his hair. It was just as soft as you hoped, the locks tangling around your grip. Ben groaned at the close contact, letting out a harsh breath before thrusting himself all the way inside you, filling you up. Your grip faltered, his arms catching you before you fell back against the mirror again. Pulling him closer after, your neck gave out – finding a resting spot on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, adjusting to the feeling of you around him.

“You’re so tight - damn, sweetheart.” You were, but mainly because of him - the man was stretching you as far as you could take. “You like how I fill you up, huh? Tell me how much you like it.”

Words were not coming out, an example of his effect on you. All you could manage were a few murmured words, flying out of your mouth in a haste.

“Yes - Yes, I love it, ugh.” That’s as good as it was going to get for you, his mouth curving into a smirk watching you come undone at his will. The sound of desperation in your voice only encouraged him further, picking up his pace. He holds you against him as he plunges his cock as deep as it would go, grunting and moaning obscenities along the way. Every move he made went straight to your core, the impact relentless. You wanted to scream or bang your arms against the wall – everything he did felt so damn good, and you didn’t know how else to express it. Your eyes begin to water, one hand coming in between you to rub vicious circles on your clit while the other finds purchase gently wrapped around your throat. You were fairly sure he was out to kill you, and the idea of going back to work after this was near impossible. He groans, elbowing your left leg, silently asking you to lift it just as he had it before. You oblige, the angle only sending him deeper. You make a mental note to thank your DJ for blasting the music so loud it was virtually impossible to hear anything, imagining a way to explain this to your coworkers if they caught you. His brain was on a different wavelength clearly, pounding into you relentlessly and enjoying every second.

“Don’t forget to tell me when you’re close.” He grunts, his fingers still rotating your clit deliciously. And you were, but you didn’t want this to end. How much longer could you drag this out for?

Your orgasm had other things in mind, creeping up on you quickly. You shriek, slapping his shoulder and shaking your head. “Ben, I’m so close, please-” He shook his head, slamming into you again but halting his movement, the length pressed against you causing your breath to catch in your throat.

“Cum now sweetheart, now.”

You scream into his shoulder, softly biting the skin to relieve the tension. His breath hitched quickly after yours, finishing inside of you while you continued shaking underneath his body. He slowly thrusts in and out of you to help you ride out your climax before slowing to a stop, his head leaning against yours. Your ragged breaths mixed with his, the air between you thin. The outline of the skin made your legs sore, a soft whimper of pain pushing past your lips. Ben assumed so, wrapping your legs around his hips tighter so he could lift you up, carrying you over to the small counter placed in the counter. The surface was less harsh, the surge of pain you felt before dissipating. He kissed your forehead, reaching to his left to grab some paper towels.

“Close your eyes, sweetheart.” Following his instructions, you feel him softly dab at your hairline - cleaning up the sweat forming. He did the same further down your body, wiping along your collarbone and your jaw. It was a sweet gesture compared to the way he was wrecking you earlier.

He finished, throwing the paper away and returning with your clothes. You dressed in silence, stealing a glance at him through the corner of your eye every couple seconds. Once everything was fastened, you stood on opposite sides of the bathroom, eyes glued to each other. His feet carried him in stride, his hands on either side of your face while he kissed you softly. You melted into his touch, wrapping your arms around his waist.

“What time do you get off tonight?” He asked, staring at your lips – waiting for an answer.

“I close, so around 2.” He flipped his wrist, glancing at his watch for time. It must have been around midnight at this point.

“I’ll wait for you, then you’re coming home with me.” He said with that same smirk crossing his face in the way you liked so much. That could be arranged, but you weren’t going to let him off that easily.

“Oh, really? And why is that?” You whisper against his jaw, placing soft kisses up until you reached just under his ear lobe, swirling your tongue there softly. He shuddered against you, pulling you away with his eyes squinted.

“Because I said so, and rules are rules.”

[simsadventures]

My Avenger Girl

Summary: Your relationship with Bucky grows stronger everyday, and Bucky feels confident enough to take you to the Avenger compound for you to meet his family. And you fit right in.

Warnings: fluff, hint of jealousy, implied smut, swearing, Avengers x Supernatural crossover

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x huntress!Winchester!Reader, Dean Winchester x reader (platonic), Sam Winchester x reader (platonic)

Word Count: 2561

A/N: Third part of My Girl Miniseries is here you guys! I got to thank @voltage2d-mylove for requesting the sequels to the original fics, because I’m having so much fun writing this! Hope some of you enjoy this little something with me :) xx

My Girl Miniseries Masterlist __ Masterlist

Part I      Part II   Part IV

Bucky laid on his back in your bed in the bunker, staring at the ceiling, thinking. He loved spending time with you, and the more he actually was with you, the more he fell in love with you. The worst thing, however, was that he had to leave you every now and then, because either you had a case that would take a bit longer than a day, or because he was called on a mission. And he hated leaving you behind. He wanted to spend every minute of the day with you, still very much in the first phase of the relationship, where people couldn’t keep their hands together.

You owned Bucky’s heart and soul, and he knew that if anything happened to you while he was gone, he would hate himself for the rest of his life. He’s meant to ask you a single question for the past few weeks, but every time he worked up the courage to do so, something stopped him.

One time, it was your brother, Sam, coming into the library just as Bucky took a breath to ask you. Then it was his own phone, and Steve calling him to tell him they had an urgent mission. Or it was the timer on the stove. Every fucking time. And it kinda made Bucky feel like he shouldn’t ask you in the first place. That maybe it’s fate. Or perhaps he’s just being stupid, he told himself and looked over at your sleeping form.

You were so cute asleep, your mouth slightly opened, your eyes fluttering, and Bucky would give anything to see what was happening behind your eyelids. If you were dreaming of him, or not. If you thought of him just as often as he was thinking of you.

He rolled over to the side, so that he was facing you, and trying to be as gentle as possible, he slid his hand under the sheets and caressed the skin on your arm eliciting a hum from your lips. It was past 9 AM, so he knew you had to get up either way, and he thought that having him wake you up might make you less grumpy.

His fingers travelled to your collarbone, only the fingertips touching you, drawing circles on your skin. He could hear your heart beating a bit faster, and your breath not being as slow and deep as it was moments ago; all signs of you waking up.

When he looked into your face, you were already staring back at him, a small smile playing on your lips.

“Well good morning to you, Mr Barnes!” You rasped, your voice husky from the lack of talking.

Bucky smiled at you and nuzzled your cheek before he kissed you.

“Good morning to you too, Ms Y/L/N. Did you have a good night?”

You just nodded and brought him closer to you, unwilling to get up out of bed just yet. You wanted to sleep as long as possible, and if Bucky weren’t as cute as he was, you would definitely scold him for waking you up at all. But who could be mad at that pretty face?

“I’ve been thinking, Y/N, and-“ Bucky starts but before he can finish you sit up straight, bringing your blanket with you to cover your modesty and looking at him confusedly.

“Are you breaking up with me? I thought we were at a good place, I thought things were fine between us. More than fine, actually. Why do you want to leave me? What did I do wrong? How-“

It was now Bucky’s time to stop you from rambling by putting his finger on your lips and shaking his head. Breaking up, pff, sure.

“Listen to me, Y/N. You are one crazy person, you know that? I didn’t want to break up with you, you moron. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come with me to the compound, get to know my teammates and stuff. I love you! I’m not letting you go, don’t you worry about that,” he smiled at you sweetly, and your heart finally calmed down a bit.

You chuckled nervously, feeling a little ashamed for letting your anxiety take over this moment.

Bucky laughed as well and kissed you again, but before he could get out of the bed, you took his hand in his and brought him back.

“I love you too, you know? That’s why I freaked out like that. And yes, I would love to get to know your family, it would be my pleasure.”

You could see your boyfriend beaming with pride, both from your admission of love and that you were actually excited to meet the people that were somehow most important to him.

“Do you think we could leave today? You know, be there for the weekend so that I could fly you back before your brothers got back from that wraith hunt. I know how much you miss them,” he smirked at you, and you swatted his shoulder.

But it was true, you did miss your brothers. However, lately, you’ve been feeling very different kinds of emotions, and that especially when Bucky left for some mission, or when you had to go on a hunt. You missed him like crazy, your body craved him, and your mind called for him. You always thought you’d be hunting with your brothers for the rest of your life, but ever since you met Bucky, things changed, and you suddenly longed to spend more time with him. Even if it meant not seeing your brothers every second of every day.

You knew they would understand if Bucky asked you to move in with him and if you said yes, but because that question was not yet asked, you didn’t want to delve too deeply into it. You just hoped Bucky was on the same note as you were, and that this New York visit would bring you two closer to the shared future.

You got ready reasonably quickly, packing the essentials and some sexy lingerie just in case the two of you could get some moments alone. Which you hoped you could get, to be completely honest. Staying away from Bucky and bed was a task you weren’t too good at, and you prayed to Chuck that you would never get better in it.

The flight to New York was swift, thanks to the quinjet, a thing you enjoyed immensely because the travelling was just somehow easier than driving around like three idiots with your brothers, with constant back pain thanks to the old car seats.

When you saw the compound get into the view, you started to play with your hands. Not that you weren’t excited to meet everyone. You sure were. But, at the same time, you knew all those people from television. They were superheroes. And you were… well, you. And you just hoped that it would be enough and that they wouldn’t want to drive you away because you weren’t good enough for their friend.

You’ve already met the Falcon and Captain American, however briefly that was. You were most nervous about Natasha, quite frankly. She was a goddess in your eyes, her graceful fighting techniques, her elegant walk, everything about her was perfect in your mind, and you didn’t know how you could even fight her for Bucky’s attention.

God! You were pathetic. You haven’t even met the woman yet, but you quickly assumed what would happen when you met her. For all you knew she wouldn’t even be there, or she’d be the nicest person on this Earth. Which, for some reason, irritated you even more.

Bucky could probably feel your nerves, because he put his hands into your lap, separating your own hands because he feared you’d rip the skin on your fingers down completely.

“You have nothing to worry about, Y/N. Everyone’s gonna love you, I know that for a fact!”

You tried to give him a smile, but the only thing you could muster was a grimace, and you were surprised that Bucky didn’t shriek in fear at what your face was capable of doing.

“I know, it’s just, your friends are all so cool, and like you’re superheroes and stuff, and I’m just a plain ol’ me,” you whispered, more to yourself than Bucky, but with his super hearing, you knew he would catch that as well.

He landed the jet and turned to face you.

“Plain old you? Are you kidding me? You’re one of the most badass women I’ve ever met. You fight monsters on a daily basis, baby! I love you, and nothing can change my mind, alright?”

That calmed you down a bit, and you hugged him tightly, trying to feel his heart beating against your own chest, that always brought you back in the moment. Bucky smiled into your hair and let you take all the time you needed to gather the courage to go and face the building full of superheroes.

When you pulled away, he kissed your forehead, whispering that everything will be alright, he grabbed your hand and led you out of the plane and inside the building.

It didn’t look like you imagined. For some reason, you thought it will be quiet and lonely, but the whole compound was buzzing with people running left and right, some in lab coats, while others were wearing technical gear. You looked around, and it all seemed unreal. Everything was new and shiny and seemed extremely expensive. Not like your home underground. You loved that space you shared with your brothers, but this looked much cooler.

Bucky was watching your every reaction as he led you through the compound, nodding at people around him, but not really giving them his attention. That was all on you.

You two finally reached the common room, where Bucky knew the most of the team would be at that time of the day. It was lunchtime, and his teammates were like hungry bears. Some were  hungry and looking like pigs *cough, cough, Sam, cough* but he wouldn’t say that out loud. At least, not today.

When you stepped inside the room, everyone stopped talking and turned to look at you. You gave them all a shy smile, and you could see a few smirk and smiles around the room. The first to break the silence was Sam.

“Well, well, well. Look who came back, our lover boy! And he brought his badass huntress with him! What a pleasant surprise. Nice to see you again, Y/N,” Sam hollered and gave you a nod, while Bucky just rolled his eyes at Sam’s theatrical behaviour.

You said your hellos to the rest of the group and sat down next to Bucky by the huge table, where Vision served some Hungarian food. You didn’t know what it was, but it was so damn good you later asked him to give you a recipe to cook for your brothers. You just made a mental note to put a lot more meat into Dean’s plate.

The whole lunch was so regular it hurt. You expected that they would talk about monsters and stuff, but the closest the conversation got to a monster was when Sam told the group about catching Steve in a bathroom, giving himself a pep-talk, which included something about Steve being a beast, a sexy sexy beast, and you couldn’t hear more than that through all the snorts of laughter around the table.

Steve was red as a tomato, and you gave him an apologetical smile, still trying to contain your laughter. To try and calm him down, you told him about the time you caught Dean doing pretty much the same, looking in the mirror without a t-shirt on, kissing his biceps and winking at himself in the mirror. That got the people to laugh as well, and Steve nodded at you, glad that the conversation shifted slightly.

Just like you thought, Natasha was even prettier in reality, but while you thought Bucky would be looking at her, because, c’mon, who wouldn’t look at her? You had a problem keeping your eyes away from her beautiful face. Bucky was staring at you the whole time, and it made you feel that much better about yourself and your whole relationship.

You and Natasha even shared a bonding moment about her knife collection, which she insisted on showing you and the two of you spent good 20 minutes comparing knives and different techniques at either throwing them or stabbing somebody.

You didn’t even realise it, but by the time you finished talking to everybody in the room, it got dark outside, and Bucky walked to your side to seemingly rescue you from one of Sam’s funny stories from a mission where he was with Bucky. You knew that Bucky was more saving himself from the embarrassment of you knowing all those dirty secrets Sam would tell you, but you didn’t protest. You bid your goodbyes to the whole room and followed Bucky to his little apartment within the compound.

“See? I told you you would be fine, and you didn’t believe me,” Bucky said, intertwining his fingers with yours, walking down the corridor.

“I had my doubts, not gonna lie. And yes, you were right, and I will always listen to you from now on,” you said mockingly, but with a smirk playing on your lips.

Bucky laughed out loud and squeezed your hand.

“We both know that’s not true, doll.”

“Well, there is one place where I can listen to you, all night long, and I can do it in a brand new see-through lingerie if you let me get changed,” you rasped seductively (or at least you hoped it was seductive), but judging by the throaty groan coming from Bucky, you assumed you did an excellent job. And by the sudden quick pace of Bucky’s footsteps, you imagined he couldn’t wait for you to listen to him, just the way he liked it.

Before you could reach the room, Bucky spun you around and pushed you against a wall. He smirked devilishly at you, and kissed you hungrily, taking your breath away in the process.

You head was spinning from the lack of oxygen and from the intensity of the kiss, but when Bucky pulled away and asked you something, you almost fainted then and there.

“Move in with me,” he whispered, and before you could give him an affirmative answer, he continued.

“I know that I’m competing with your brothers, and that you might think this is too fast, but I fucking love you doll, and every day without you is a horrible day. I just want to spend as much time with you as I can.”

You were staring at each other, and you knew that there wasn’t a better place for you, than in Bucky’s arms.

“Yes, I’ll gladly move in with you, Sergeant Barnes. My brothers will manage, and I can still hunt with them from time to time. It’s not like I’m never going to see them again.”

Bucky released a relieved sigh and kissed you again, this time much slower, conveying all his emotions in this one kiss. And you seriously couldn’t wait to start this new chapter with him.

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@this-kitten-is-smitten​ @paradisiacalsparks​ @crazybutconfidentaf​ @owlyannah​ @lassini​ @s-trawberryv-eins​ @reniescarlett​ @bxrnsfeyson​ @the-soulofdevil​

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[sohin-ace]

Ceasar - Cover

This is cross-posted from Wattpad and available on AO3.

Enjoy~

You were a trainee of Lisa Lisa. You've lived with her and Suzie Q for as long as you could remember and you got along very well with the girls. But there was something a little bit special about you.

You would always need to cover up your body. No skin besides your face would show, you always had a hood or a veil covering your hair too.

It was really only just because of religious matters, your ideologies and beliefs made you into a modest person. You could only undress in front of other women. Lisa Lisa and Suzie Q completely understood your lifestyle and even supported you.

It was not like it did any harm to you or others, and also, it actually matched your Hamon fighting style perfectly. Discreet, stealthy, anonymous, silent, just like the night. Just like you. Fate worked magnificently like that sometimes.

When your mentor told you you would start training with Ceasar Zeppeli and Joseph Joestar, you were a little bit perplexed at first but then thought that there was no reason to fret.

You never met Ceasar before even if he was already Lisa Lisa's apprentice because you both would always train separatedly. But this time, you would officially meet and see each other on the daily. But it was okay for you.

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Turns out that after many weeks of training, you got along very well with the guys. They didn't question you and your clothing much, and when they did, they were actually very understanding, which you appreciated.

That didn't distract any of you from your goal and training sessions, and they actually were impressed by your strength and Hamon technique.

In the end it didn't matter at all. They saw you for you, and so you were comfortable with them, and felt like you belonged with everyone.

But once went the day where the one thing that you hoped would never happen, happened. You could even call it the worst case scenario.

After a long day of training, you decided to go upstairs to change before you could go back down with everyone and have a debriefing. Lisa Lisa accompagnied you to an empty room.

"You should be able to undress here. Suzie Q must have warned the boys not to disturb you."

"Thank you, Lisa Lisa." You responded gratefully.

She then left and closed the door. You were left alone and removed the mask from your face and neck that you used on training days. The moment you slid the shawl out of your hair, somebody entered the dark room.

You didn't notice him and it seems that he didn't either at first, but when he saw you throw the shawl on the bed it clicked in his mind.

That was you. And you were not wearing your shawl anymore. He could see your actual H/C hair in the dark. If you just turned around...

Something inside him told him to go away. That it was wrong. He knew why you were doing all of this and he had to respect that. But he left his drive get the better of him. He would regret that later, but he'll worry about it when the time comes.

He approached you slowly and you finally noticed his presence. You turned around, not looking up at first, thinking it was Lisa lisa who came back.

"Did you need anything else Lis-" When you looked up, your eyes met with the tall blonde staring right back at you.

Ceasar couldn't help but stare. Under the moonlight, your features were so clear to him. The look of your H/L hair framing your face perfectly, your plump red lips, your delicate nose completing your sweet visage in a perfect canvas.

You always looked so mysterious to him, but now it was like uncovering a mystery, opening a treasure chest. Your usually fierce eyes looked so different tonight, there was this innocent purity that needed to be protected in them. That he needed to protect.

You gasped and your eyes widened in panic. You instantly went to reach for your shawl to cover up as fast as you could, but Ceasar was quick to stop you as he grabbed your arms.

His common sense was completely leaving him. He was acting crazy, foolish, wild even.

"Y/N, wait!"

You responded by ducking your head low and bringing your arms in front of you, a desperate attempt to hide.

"C-Ceasar, close your eyes!!!"

"No, wait! You're okay, it's me. I just want to-"

"Turn around, Ceasar, I just need to put my scarf back on!"

"Y/N, please, look at me, just this once!"

"Why are you so- If you keep this on I won't hesitate to hurt you!" You growled, scared and confused at your friend's behavior.

"Y-you... You're so beautiful, Y/N..." Ceasar breathed, softening his grip on you, not even caring if you stunned him with Hamon or slapped him across the face. He was completely under your spell.

"D-don't do this to me, please turn around, I-I..." You sighed in exasperation. "This is wrong, God forgive me-" You slammed your palms under his chin tilting his head back violently and preventing him from staring any further.

He grabbed your wrists in retaliation and pulled them down. You whipped your head to the side to hide your heating face.

When he heard a sob coming from your mouth he realized his actions. For him, there was nothing to fret about, but for you, it was basically the same as being naked in front of him. He was invading a woman's privacy in the worst way. And not just any woman too, his crush.

Realization hit him hard, but before he could even do anything, the door burst open to reveal none other than Joseph.

"Ceasar are you ther-" The brunet cut himself off and was astounded at the scene before him. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DO- HOLY SHIT Y/N'S NOT COVERED!!! DUDE GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!"

Joseph rushed towards the italian man and grabbed him in a head lock to drag him away from you, turning around so their backs were facing you. As if on cue, Suzie Q ran into the room with a long cloak and wrapped it around your form.

"Oh my god! Are you okay Y/N? I'm so sorry! I wanted to warn him but I couldn't find him anywhere! I'm sorry, my baby it's all my fault!!" Your blonde best friend hugged you tightly and pulled you out of the room, out of the guys' sight.

"WERE YOU TRYING TO- DUDE THAT'S DISGUSTING, EVEN FOR ME!" Joseph had a problem with Ceasar being a skirt chaser, but this time it was too much.

"No!!! You're misunderstanding, it's not what it looks like!" The blonde struggled against his grasp.

"You were alone with her, in the dark, and she wasn't dressed to her comfortable level... And you were grabbing her wrists, the hell does that look like??"

"I know it sounds horrible, but I wasn't planning anything, I may be stupid, but I'm not a sick pervert." The brunet clicked his tongue, obviously not convinced. Ceasar had no excuses for his actions.

"Ceasar you freaking dog, do you even know what you did? What the hell were you thinking? That's sexual harassment, Poor Y/N-chan."

"I-I KNOW! I just... Let me go, I'll apologize to her!"

"Ohoh no no no, my guy, she does NOT want to see you right now. You know there's no coming back from what you did?" Ceasar sighed, defeated as Joseph finally released him.

"Yeah, I know that was an asshole move... I'll let her punch me straight to hell in her stead."

"Ppfft In this state, she wouldn't even touch you with a stick. You're litterally the only man who's ever saw her like this. The only way to come back from that is if you marry her!" He gripped the front of Ceasar's shirt, as if to emphasize his point.

"FINE !!!" he snapped, swatting Joseph's hand away. "I was planning to anyways!"

"Good... wait what?"

Later during the evening, he went to look for you, and finally found you in one of the hallways.

"Y/N!" He called out to you and you turned around, ignoring him.

He ran to catch up with you and grabbed your shoulder. "Wait, Y/N, I'm so sorry for my behavior, I really messed up, that was so wrong. Please forgive me." He pleaded, his eyes showing his sincerity.

You glanced away, bringing your hand up to put your mask back over your face, but he stopped you midways.

"Please... At least allow me to look at your face... I know I don't deserve it... But I want to see your beautiful lips when you smile."

You put your hand down and frowned. You didn't know what to tell him. You could forgive him because you fell hard in love with the blonde man, but you could not forget his disappointing and disrespectful behavior.

"One of the reasons I cover up... Is to protect myself from people like you..." There was obvious pain in your voice, knowing you would have to supress your feelings for him.

He softly grabbed your hands, cupping them in his warmth. "Marry me, Y/N!"

You flinched, a strong blush rising to your face. Saying that you were shocked would be the biggest understatement.

"Huh?!"

"I love you and I invaded your intimacy. Marry me so I can make it up to you and take your sins!" You were quite impressed that he even knew that.

Your breath became shallow. "C-Ceasar, you don't have to do this, I forgive yo-"

"I want to! I want to know everything about you, you are so special, so different from all the women that I've met. You are so immaculate, humble, chaste. I was chasing after girls because I didn't know I would ever meet someone like you. I didn't know what I was looking for... And then I met you."

You were completely shaken at the sudden confession and proposal. That was so unreal, you thought you would wake up any second now.

"I... This is so sudden... Ceasar... Let me..."

"I'll let you think about it, I won't rush you this time, I promise. I'll wait for as long as you need. Even if it takes years."

The tall male tenderly brushed his knuckles over your cheek and you smiled shyly. His eyes softened on you.

"It's my first time ever seeing your smile. I'm so blessed... I hope you'll say yes." And just like that, he released you and left.

You'd have to rest for quite some time before you give this incredible man an answer.

Bonus:

"But... She's so beautiful though..." Ceasar muttered as he was leaning back on the couch next to Joseph.

"I know right? If I was her I would cover this much beauty too. Especially around wolves like you." The brunet glared at him and Ceasar made a face before realizing.

"Wait... What do you mean 'I know right'? You already saw her face???"

"Yeah, all the time, why?" Joseph answered as a matter of fact.

"BUT... HOW ???"

"Dude, she only wears that ninja mask for training, it helps her focus on her breathing. She shows her face all the time otherwise."

"WHAT ???" Ceasar was so shocked, his eyes could pop out of their sockets at the revelation.

"LOOOL YOU MEAN YOU NEVER SAW HER WITHOUT HER MASK?" The Joestar laughed obnoxiously "Or maybe! Maybe she keeps that mask when you're here! She's not wrong to be honest." Suzie Q then came into the room holding a laundry basket.

"Oi Suzie Q, isn't that right? Y/N's face is a mystery to nobody, you already saw it?"

"Yeah of course I saw it. I saw what you guys couldn't even dream of seeing." Suzie Q smirked, feeling like she's better than the guys. "I even know where her birthmark is." She giggled.

"WHAT?? WHERE??!!" Ceasar perked up abruptly, suddenly more interested.

"...." Suzie Q paused and her glance shifted. "I uh, probably shouldn't tell you this, but for hints, you can only see it at the honeymoon~" She teased then walked off.

Ceasar blushed heavily at the assumption and ran after her "Wait! Suzie Q!!! What do you mean?! Tell me more!" Joseph shook his head at the dirtiness of his friend.

"Jeez, this guy is too unholy for a girl like Y/N."

This was inspired by the fact that I really, really want to wear the Hijab. (update, by the time I wrote this, I started wearing it)

I hesitated to write this because I was scared to make this come off as blasphemous? It was tricky to write, not gonna lie. And I'll probably delete this in the future.

I was trying to not be exclusive to one religion, many beliefs have their women cover up, I hope I portrayed it well. And I hope you can relate to Y/N somehow in this, even if you don't cover yourself for religious reasons.

[batskulldrag]

Phoenix by Fallout Boy

SO, Deciet’s real name is Janus, so I changed his human character’s name to Janus. I’m not changing it in any earlier chapters. But it’ll be Janus from here on out. Chapter twelve it is.

Chapter Twelve: Hell to Your Doorstep from The Count of Monte Cristo musical

               Virgil ran his finger across the edge of the photograph he had stolen from Patton’s scrap book. He had been clinging to it for days now. It was the first image he had ever seen of his parents together. And there was such an uncanny feeling to finally seeing his mother.

               She didn’t look like someone who would walk out on her kid. Not that he really blamed her for it, Payton was probably one of those guys who threatened to kill themselves to get what they want. And she was most likely leaving him with his grandmother rather than his dad. And she was only like twenty, maybe twenty-one. Probably old enough to drink, no one would have sex with Payton sober. Hardly the image of good decision making.

               No, he wasn’t mad at past mom. It was present mom who had hurt him. It was present mom who didn’t want him. Present mom who had moved on and didn’t have room for anymore baggage. Any room for him.

               Payton had often told people that she rejected the idea of starting a family with him, it was a good sympathy play that cast him as the victim. She seduced him and left him with the baby. Another great victim claim. And of course, the pseudo rape story that had started most of this. Payton finally bit off more than he could chew with a lie that could be so easily disproved.

               Despite Payton’s lies to other people, Virgil had always heard the same story. His mom left because she didn’t want him. He never would have guessed that, that was the true story.

               “Blue skidoo we can too!” Dr. Picani sang as he popped into the room. “How are you today Virgil?”

               “I’m doing good.” Virgil quickly pocketed his picture. “I haven’t had to take too many Valium.”

               “That’s good. But you are taking the Prozac daily right?”

               “Yes, Logan is super on top of that.”

               “Good. And I heard that you’re spending time at the library while Patton’s working.”

               “Yeah, it’s a pretty chill place.”

               “Oh, I thought it would be warmer, it is summer after all.” Picani grinned.

               “Patton told that same joke.” Virgil smiled.

               “So, your anxiety is calming down. How about the nightmares, you still having those?”

               “Yeah.” Virgil looked away.

               “Has the bed wetting gotten any better?”

               “There were a couple more since our last session. Uncle Logan suggested I stop drinking after nine, and that helped a bit.”

               “Ok, that’s good. And it’s awesome that your uncles are trying to help you through this.”

               “Yeah.”

               “Have you talked to either of them about, well, Payton?”

               “I told Uncle Logan a few things.”

               “Do you feel ready to talk about them here?”

               “I can try, that way if I wuss out of going to court there’s still a record of it.”

               “Hang on, let’s get into the way back machine and start at the beginning of that statement.”

               “I want to testify against my dad. I’m done being afraid of him. And I want him to know that I know he’s just a mere mortal. Just like the rest of us.”

               “That’s pretty intense. Are you sure about this?”

               “I am. I’ve given it a lot of thought.” Virgil hardened his resolve.

               “Ok. Confronting your abuser is a massive step. And it’s one that a lot of people struggle with, even adults. So, I want you to be one million percent sure of this. Ok?”

               “I am.”

               “Ok, and if you change your mind, you can.”

               “Cool.”

               “So, if we are gonna talk about Payton, I want to try a different technique with you. It’s all in the technique.”

               “What are we gonna do? You gonna pull out one of those ‘show me where he touched you’ dolls?”

               “No, but those are extremely successful, don’t diss them.” Picani replied. “I want you to tell me about your dad, but I want you to tell the story backwards.”

               “Is this from a cartoon?” Virgil squinted.

               “No, it’s from a journal of psychology.” Picani sat up straighter. “And also, the backwards messages from Gravity Falls.”

               “That reminds me.” Virgil interrupted. “Where can I get Teen Titans, I can’t find any episodes on YouTube.”

               “I recommend the DVDs you can get bonus features.” Picani answered gleefully, before becoming a shrink again. “So, what do you think? Ya, think you can talk about Payton backwards?”

               “I’ll try.” Virgil hesitated. “Which story do you want to hear?”

               “You decide, it’s your hour.”

               “I’ll go recent.” Virgil sighed and thought hard. “So, when I looked at the bruise later there was a full-fledged belt mark. As always, I went to school bruises and all. It was at that point that he started hitting me. Sick of his bullshit, I told him to stop harassing me over something that wasn’t my fault. As he does, Payton mocked and yelled at me for wetting the bed like a toddler, saying if I keep this up, he is just going to order a crib for me. Payton came in and asked why I was screaming. I woke up screaming and noticed that the sheets were wet. It was April, and I had a debate meeting coming up and a chess tournament and all of my teachers were on me to talk to my dad about my grades, so when I finally did get to sleep, I had nightmares.”

               Virgil paused the memory didn’t seem so terrifying now. What black magic…?  

               “How ya feelin’” Picani asked curiously.

               “Ok.” Virgil responded, surprised. “What happened?”

               “Well, the idea is to be able to recall what happened backwards so that you can see the memory but not the fear associated with the moment. I think it’s using just your left brain, and then you can see the even without feeling that crushing weight. Like you get to know that it wasn’t the end of the world, process it and be able to move on. Cool, Huh?”

               “Very.” Virgil smiled.

               “And it’s not so bad seeing a thing in reverse. It’s almost kind of funny.”

               “Sure, if you watch a horror movie backwards it ends up being about a monster who brings people back to life.”

               “Exactly.”

               “How are you going to decipher what I’m actually saying?”

               “I’m recording our session so I can work it out later.”

               “Cool.” Virgil nodded. “Aren’t tape recordings not admissible though?”

               “The recording is just for me we’re not taking it into court.”

               “Ok.” Virgil looked at the ground. “What can we do if Payton accuses my uncles of abusing me?”

               “Well, unless your dad has proof it’s just going to be an accusation.”

               “Yeah, but then the accusation is still going to be there. And just that could ruin them. I don’t want that to happen.”

               “Virgil, are you worried that he’s going to claim that they have been molesting you?”

               “Yes. He’s literally the devil. He would totally do that. What can I do to counter that?”

               “I’ll call my friend Joan, they’re with the police, and they can probably help me get a few things together. Ok?”

               “Like what?”

               “We have screening tests to see if a person is, well, sick in that way, that we use mostly for cases like this.”

               “Ok.” Virgil looked at his skeptically.

               “And.” He hesitated. “Well, since you brought it up… they haven’t done anything like that have they?”

               “No.” Virgil went with the response that could never be taken out of context. “They have not at any point in time touched me in any inappropriate manner or tried to commit any sexual acts with me. It has never happened, and I am completely certain that it never will.”

               Virgil smiled at Picani after he finished talking.

               “Virgil, do you watch a lot of court room dramas?” Picani asked, giving him a side eye.

               “I’ve been watching a lot of reddit threads about custody battles.” Virgil looked at the floor, ashamed. “I’m scared.”

               “That’s perfectly normal.” Picani soothed. “You don’t want to go back to Payton, and you don’t want anything to happen to your uncles, am I right?”

               “Yeah, that’s about it.”

               “Well, we’re all going to try to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

               “Ok.” Virgil stared at him through his bangs.

               “We still have some time do you want to keep talking?”

               “I guess.”

               “Ok, and afterwards, can you send your uncles in?”

               “Sure.”

                                                                               #             #             #

               “I already had Patton take that screening as a part of his background test.” Thomas said from Emile’s monitor. “Logan too. They’re clean, at least as far as we can prove.”

               “Well, at least there’s that.” Emile responded. “Virgil’s pretty worried. And I think he has a good reason to be.”

               “We have a solid case, and at least three reasons for Payton to lose custody.” Janus added from his portion of the screen. “Four if we can charge him with neglect.”

               “Ok, Jan. We don’t have to wail on him.” Thomas scolded.

               “Maybe you don’t.” Janus rolled his good eye. “And I told you not to call me jan.”

               “Look, Virgil expressed a concern about this, and I want to be able to prove that we are doing something.” Emile interrupted, not wanting an argument. “I want him to see that he can trust people.”

               “I get that.” Thomas sighed. “The system messed him over just about as much as his dad did. Well, I covered all the bases. I’m not about to release a teenager into the custody of potential pedophiles.”

               “And we should get the results of Payton’s psych evaluation from the prison soon.” Janus added smoothly. “His bail hearing didn’t go as well as he would have wanted.”

               “He’s still locked up?” Thomas raised an eyebrow.

               “He doesn’t have anywhere to go.” Emile added. “He burned his house down, and he can’t stay with Patton because he’s not allowed to go near Virgil.”

               “That’s pretty much it. That and they were worried he may try to retaliate against his brother.”

               “How has no one helped this kid sooner?” Thomas said, his face buried in his hands.

               “I know.” Emile sighed. “I hate working with older kids. It hurts to think that they had to suffer for that long.”

               “We’re doing all we can.” Janus sighed, rubbing his temples. “And we’re helping him now. You can’t keep driving yourself crazy every time you get assigned to an older kid. I’m sorry, but we can’t save everyone.”

               “Ok, I have another session soon.” Emile looked at the clock in the computer. “I just wanted to see if everything was kosher.”

               “It is. Unfortunately for Payton, this isn’t our first time doing this.” Janus smiled.

               “Yeah, he’s really screwed himself.” Thomas added. “It’s gonna be a fireworks display.”

               “Ok. Keep me updated.”

               “We will.” Janus nodded. “I wonder if I can prove neglect.”

               Janus Pent or surprisingly cruel attorney logged off.

               “Damn, he’s vindictive.” Thomas sighed.

               “He’s a bit of a Bismuth, but he means well.”

               “Yeah, I guess we all have to cope with this somehow.”

               “You still good for our session on Thursday?”

               “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

               “Ok, bye.”

               “Peace out.”

               Thomas logged off.

               Emile closed his laptop. Thomas was a Steven all the way. He wanted to help, and usually he spread himself too thin trying to help everyone. And he’d beat himself up way too much over the ones he couldn’t help. But he was doing ok, therapy helped him. Mostly, it showed him that he needed to help himself as well.

               Janus or Pent or E.S as his plaque read, (they somehow misheard his name), or whatever he wanted to be called, was very different. He was a Bismuth. Passionate, skilled but very vindictive. He wasn’t a bad guy. He was just very empathetic towards the victims he represented and wanted to hurt their abusers right back. That wasn’t bad, in fact it was very normal. But it definitely needed to be kept in check.  

               Emile traced a circle around one of his cardigan buttons. He liked to think of himself as a Steven as well or maybe an Amethyst. After all, he went into medicine to help people. And as many people as he could. Sure, no one thought he was cut out for it. He always knew that. No one was more aware than Emile that he didn’t cast the most intelligent looking silhouette. And yes, he talked about cartoons a lot. But it worked.

               He had a decent success rate. And being a goofy goober made people open up to him. If he walked into a session with a fake persona then his patients would put their walls up too.

               “If I had been Mr. Stoic, Virgil would have never talked to me.” Emile said to himself. “None of the kids would have. Heck, most of the couples might not have.”

                                                                               #             #             #

               “Ok, we’ll be home in an hour, maybe more.” Patton said as he hugged Virgil. “Stay safe and be good for Roman.”

               “Uncle Patton, I’m thirteen.” Virgil sighed, hugging him back.

               “We shouldn’t be too long.” Logan sighed, patting Virgil on the head. “I’m giving Payton half an hour to threaten us, and the lawyers half an hour to negotiate. I’m hoping I can have them talk while Payton threatens us. It’ll save time.”

               “I’m sorry I got you into this.” Virgil buried his face in Patton’s shoulder.

               “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” Patton kissed him on the head.

               “We’re almost out of this. The metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel.”

               “By the by.” Roman added, he was leaning against the wall casually. “Remus and I talked on the phone last week, he said if we need a diversion so we can run away with Virgil, he’s down for it. Said, he’s been practicing.”

               “We’re not using Remus as a distraction.” Patton said officially. “It’s not fair to exploit his, whatever is wrong with him. We’re doing this legally.”

               “Are we sure Remus is real?” Virgil asked. “I don’t wanna think that there’s someone that screwed up in the world.”

               “Payton is worse, he exists.” Roman countered. “Remus isn’t a bad person, he’s just insane.”

“We’re not talking about Payton right now.” Patton waved away the idea.

               “We should get going, I’d like to be early.” Logan squeezed Patton’s shoulder.

               “Ok.” He smiled up at him and turned back to Virgil. “I just want you to know that we love you and we’re proud of you. And everything’s gonna be ok.”

               Patton gave him one last kiss and left with Logan. They entered the car silently. Patton drove to keep his mind off things. As they left the driveway, he heard the rhythmic sounds of Logan slamming his hand on the car door.

               “Logan, honey, are you alright?” Patton glanced over to him.

               “I’m a bit nervous.” Logan answered flatly, still drumming his hand. “There’s a lot of feelings going around. I’m surprisingly susceptible to that.”

               “Do you wanna clap?”

               “Absolutely not.”

               “You can, I don’t mind.”

               “I’m okay with hitting the door.”

               “Do you wanna talk?” Patton reached over and took Logan’s free hand. “Is all the abuse talk making you uncomfortable?”

               “No, I think it’s just the stress of having a child.” Logan sighed. “It’s an adjustment, but I can handle it.”

               “You’re doing great. Virgil had so much fun playing chess with you last week, I think he’s really taken to you.”

               “You’re doing an excellent job as well.” Logan squeezed his hand. “I think Virgil’s almost used to having a loving role model in his life. And he certainly likes you.”

               “That’s good.” Patton smiled. “I know it’s only been about a month, but I can’t imagine life without our dark, strange son.”

               “Me neither.” Logan looked at the floor to hide his smile. “And we won’t have to. I have every right to be confident.”

                                                                               #             #             #

               The prison looked exactly like, well a prison. The five of them had been given a room to meet privately, rather than try to use the phone things.

               Payton stared at the three of them coldly while his lawyer looked on, the effigy of stoicism. Patton anxiously pulled at his fingers and Janus, as they found out was his actual name, looked on at their opponents unfazed. And Logan, Logan met Payton’s gaze with total eye contact. He could stare until his head hurt, but he would have to do a lot more than glare to get Logan to back down.

               “So, I arranged this meeting to see if we could avoid going to court altogether.” Janus began. “Do you think you three could come to an agreement?”

               “I’m willing to offer supervised visitation rights.” Patton said looking at the table.

               “Oh, do I have your permission to see my son?” Payton sneered. “How generous, will you let me write him a letter if I’m a good boy?”

               “Payton, this isn’t funny.” Patton didn’t look up.

               “I’m not laughing. First you ruin my campaign and call me a liar, you get me investigated by my old law firm and now you’re here telling me that I can only see my own son on your terms. Do you realize that I haven’t seen him since the fire?”

               “Payton, it is not our fault that you’re losing custody of Virgil.” Logan argued. “We are just trying to do what’s best for him.”

               “Do you think our terms are fair?” Janus asked the other lawyer.

               “No,” The lawyer answered. “My client wishes to maintain full custody of his son.”

               “He’s going to prison.” Patton looked up. “He can’t keep custody.”

               “That is not a part of this case.” The lawyer retorted.

               “This is ridiculous.” Logan sighed. “If you lose, we get custody of Virgil, if you somehow win, you are still facing jail time for a long enough period to lose custody anyway. Why are you doing this?”

               “I don’t want my son being raised by you two.” Payton said, mimicking a normal tone. “I don’t trust you to provide for him, so I’d prefer if he went somewhere else, should I not be there for him.”

               Logan looked on in shock. Payton actually thought that he could beat the arson case, he even thought he could get custody of Virgil. He didn’t see any reason that he was in the wrong. He had absolutely no clue that his actions were reprehensible. How? How could he see this as acceptable?

               “Payton, do you realize what you did to Virgil was wrong?” Logan asked.

               “Well, you’re sticking to your story.” Payton scoffed. “So, I’ll say it again. I have never harmed my son. I don’t know if it was him that started that horrid lie, or if you and Patton decided that it was the best way to get a kid, but it is still a vicious lie.”

               They way Payton’s eyes lit up as he lied was horrifying. They glowed with a cruel light that said, ‘I’ve beaten you’ and he believed that he had won. He was thrilled with the prospect of dragging this out. Patton looked back at the table. Logan didn’t break eye contact.

               “We are willing to offer you supervised visitation. Virgil is going to need someone to drive him out to see you anyway.” Logan repeated Patton’s original offer.

               “We sure are going through a lot just so you can pretend to stand up to your parents.” Payton smiled at him the freak might as well have had fangs. “I will not bow to these allegations, taking any deals would be like admitting that I have abused my son. I’m not going to stand up and say that you two are fit parents while I’m not. No deal.”

               “Well,” Janus stood up. “It looks like we can’t agree on anything. I’ll see you both in court.”

               The three of them walked out into the hallway and watched as a guard took Payton back to his cell.

               “That was suboptimal.” Logan sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s nothing more than I expected.”

               “I’ll make sure to get us in with a judge that isn’t a moron.” Janus added angrily. “If Payton thinks he has a case, he can kiss my ass.”

               “Are you sure he doesn’t have a case that can beat ours?” Patton looked up from the floor.

               “Doctors say that Virgil has been abused, Virgil says that his dad hit him, police say that Payton is going to jail for felony child endangerment and arson. And there’s all the shit he did while he was practicing law. He’s losing custody, in fact I hope he wins this case, so he can lose custody again when he goes to jail.”

               “I’m worried.” Patton grabbed Logan’s hand.

               “We’re going to be ok.” Logan squeezed Patton’s hand in return. “Everything’s gonna be ok.”

               “Well, now Payton doesn’t even get supervised visits.” Janus chimed in, trying to be funny. “Trust me, this is going to be one of the easiest child removal cases in history. Payton shot himself in the foot.”

               “Payton didn’t shoot anything he doesn’t own a gun.” Logan squinted at Janus

               “It’s a metaphor honey.” Patton rested his chin on Logan’s shoulder.

               “Right.” Logan looked at the floor.

               “Well, I’m sorry I wasted your time.” Janus sighed. “You two go home and relax. Rest assured that I know what I’m doing.”

               “Sure.” Patton sighed. “When do you think the rape allegations will show up?”

               “Probably in court, but Payton is already a known liar.” Janus smiled. “He’s not going to get very far with that.”

               “Ok.” Logan nodded. “Thanks.”

               “I guess we can call you ‘No prob Bob’.” Patton smiled.

               “No, you can’t.”

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Yeah! If you had any tips I’d really appreciate it! : D

Okie-dokie!

I guess we can call this CJ’s jumbled writing tips for fanfics haha 

Just remember that these are things that help me and they may not help everyone. 

Write what you know/do your research!

This may be obvious, but it really does help. 

There’s a reason why I only write for s4 rather than for s1, s2, or ANF- I know s4 way better than I do the previous seasons. 

Like, if you asked me to write a fanfic where, I dunno… Kate died instead of Mariana, for example, I don’t really know if I could do it. 

Or, at least, do it well. 

Even though I enjoy ANF and love Javier Garcia with my entire being, I’m not nearly as invested in the characters and stories, which makes it difficult to actually write them. 

On the flip side, I could probably write 50k fic about Louis and a good day that he had. 

Again, I love Louis with my entire being just like with Javi, but I’m way more invested in his character as well as the characters around him, his relationship with Clementine and the others, and the story he’s a part of. 

So, with that, I’ve played s4 a lot. Like… a whole lot, and I like to think that I’m pretty familiar with Louis’ character and have a certain interpretation of him that I can express through writing. 

Replay/rewatch the season and taking notes. 

Now, that might seem like a bit much for some, but really? It helps so damn much. 

The more you play or watch these games, the more new things you notice or pick up on and the more invested you get! Crazy, right! I like to go back and replay the season whenever I have the notorious “writer’s block” with little to no motivation to write. 

I know that this always works for me because I just recently finished up s4 again and that resulted in [sit with me a while], a fic that wouldn’t have existed if not for that playthrough. 

Now, I know that not everyone can actually play these games or they can but don’t have time to sit through the whole season again, but there’s a simple fix for that: Youtube. 

Not necessarily let’s plays [because for me personally, I always get frustrated watching some of the bigger LP’s because their commentary can get on my nerves, and most of them are invested but not really, y’know?] but there are several videos like “All Aasim choices/moments in The Final Season” or “Full Clementine and Louis/Violet love story” that you can sit down and watch and take notes that way. 

And if you’re going to be writing a character like Mitch, it’s helpful to search for a video containing all of Mitch’s dialogues and choices, including the bad ones so that you get a feel for how he reactions. Mitch isn’t going to react to a piece of dialogue the same way Ruby or Aasim will, so it’s always good to keep that in mind. 

When it comes to studying these characters, regardless of who it is, you do end up coming up with your own headcanons for them without really thinking about it, y’know? 

For example, a little line from Louis of “my grandma’s phone number” resulted in me eventually forming the headcanon that Louis and his grandma were close and he because an absolute chess master because of her. 

Stuff like that really does help when writing these characters. It gives you the opportunity to put a personal spin on them and make them interesting for yourself and those reading. 

Read, read, then read some more

And I’m not just talking about fanfics. 

Though they do count. 

I’m mostly talking about books, though. 

Y’know, the kind that you hold or listen to. 

I stand firmly with the belief that the more you read, the better you’ll write. If there’s one thing I have going for me, it’s that I never go to bed without reading a little bit of my book. 

Hell, fun fact about me: I’m a goddamn book hoarder in recovery. Kind of. To be fair, I’ve given away a lot of my books so I don’t have nearly as many as I used to but like…

I have bookcases of these things, I have to restrain from spending full paychecks on books, and I have too many books that have been on my TBR for years…

Reading is a great way to see different writing styles and pick up on different techniques/words/phrases to try in your own writing. 

Also! Audiobooks! 

More recently, I’ve been listening to audiobooks while getting ready in the morning, on my lunch break, while driving, ect and they help just as much. 

Again, this is something that helps me, but usually reading and writing go hand in hand so I thought I’d throw it in here. 

Actually, y’know… WRITE

This is the part where I should take my own advice yeesh

So, aside from going back to the games or watching clips on youtube, it also helps to give yourself a daily goal to write. Again, I’m aware that there are those who don’t have time to sit down and write every day, which fair enough I barely have time these days ugh. 

But, for those who do have spare time but maybe aren’t sure what to write or how to go about it, do a warm-up. 

Seriously, pick a character and a topic and write a drabble [100 words] about that. 

Example: Violet and flowers. 

Does Violet like flowers? Do they agitate her nose or give her allergies? What’s her favorite flower? Did she not really care about flowers until something made her character? 

100 words. Write it. 

Not only will it help with getting into the character’s mind and give you a feel for writing them, but it’ll get you started and it could potentially lead to something amazing, like a full-blown fic. 

I’ve actually thought about making one of those chart things? You know the ones where you do the whole “The first letter of your name is a character and the last letter of your last name is a topic! Write a drabble!” or doing something like that and making it a thing to help get words flowing for our fellow writers. 

I dunno, let me know about that one, guys. 

Dialogue is fun, guys

If you’re having trouble with a scene between two or more characters, write the dialogue first and mark/color code it, the write the actions and thoughts around it. 

This is a little trick I picked up in a creative writing class back in high school and it’s saved me more than once.

Writing is hard and sometimes you can’t think about what the characters are doing right now, but you know how you want the conversation to flow and this is a great way to do that. You can fill in the blanks later. 

Angst is fun, too

I know you specifically asked about angst and how to make readers truly feel it. 

This is what works for me: I write what would make me cry. 

Simple, right?

A great example of this is dead Louis. 

Dead Louis makes me want to curl up in a ball and sob. Y’know what else makes me want to do that? Clementine dreaming about dead Louis. Clementine talking to dead Louis knowing full well that this is a dream and nothing more. Clementine and Louis can’t be together because he’s dead and she has to live without him while constantly being reminded of him through the music room, Tenn, and her missing leg. Clementine taking her notebook and writing letters to Louis even though he’s dead. 

That is what breaks my soul. After finding out that this is one of the canon endings [Save Louis/Don’t trust AJ] and receiving a certain prompt, I thought about all those things and that’s how [write to me] came together. And yeah, I teared up when editing that thing, just like I did with [sit with me a while].

Think about what breaks you, take those emotions and put them into words. Try and make yourself upset, or cry, or whatever. 

And really, this doesn’t just apply to angst. You can apply it to writing romance, too. What kind of romance do you want to see? What makes you giggle and feel mushy gushy when reading a romance? 

This pretty much boils down to that good ol’ saying: Write what you want to read. 

That’s all I have for right now. 

But, really, the best advice I can give you is to keep writing. You’ll find your style and continue to grow, trust me. 

Another fun fact about me: I’ve been writing stories since I was eight-years-old. We used to write stories all the time in my third-grade class and ever since, it’s all I’ve ever loved doing. 

I’ve written mostly original works, but when I was younger [around 12-14] I dabbled a bit in fanfiction for another fandom. I still have access to the stories and they’re horrendous. 

Anyway, I’ve been writing for a very long time and I still have so many things that I need to improve upon in both my fics and original works. I’m far from a perfect writer but I love doing it, regardless.

I hope that my mess of “tips” has helped some, and if you have any further questions, never be afraid to ask. That applies to anyone else out there, too.

You’re gonna create an amazing story, anon, with or without tips or help ❤️ 

[genderstudyfilmgroupwork]

The Garden Left Behind: The Other Side of Queers’ Life that We Ignore

Yuang He

20170614        

Feb 13th 2020

 “The Garden Left Behind” shows the hard struggling lives of the bottom transgender people by telling the story of a Mexican transgender woman Tina’s life with her grandma in New York. Tina and her grandma are illegal immigrants and Tina supports their little family by driving taxi. The film shows Tina's daily life and the conflict happens in her life under the social gender binary thinking with gentle and delicate narrative techniques.

 In this movie, the contrast of people's attitudes towards transgender people under different gender concepts is obvious. The image of Tina's passengers in the film is usually friendly or indifferent to Tina's transgender identity. The owner of the bar where Tina and her boyfriend frequented also really accepted Tina's identity, often praised her, and even gave her the job of a bartender later. At the same time, there is a group of young men who have the typical image of straight men that shaped by the American society. They talk to each other in a so-called masculine way, play a masculine sport like baseball and always speak rudely. Whenever they meet Tina, they will laugh at her and make offensive jokes on her.

 Tina’s boyfriend is a typical person in nowadays gender binary thinking society. He loves Tina and he doesn’t hate the queers. But he also worried about the social vision of “transgender lovers” when he was with Tina. He stopped her when Tina complained to the bar owner about the language bullying they suffered because she was transgender. He also forbids Tina to meet him at his workplace. Tina’s boyfriend is a positive male image in society and in line with social normativity for male gender roles. His the resistance to social pressures because Tina is a person whose outward appearance doesn’t conform to the gender norms and the desire to meet this social expectation for social recognition led him to finally left Tina. “Those who have been challenged, could say much about the problems they experience because their outward appearance does not conform to the gender norms. The emotional and physical violence that can accompany norm violations is real and substantial.” (Raskoff, 2017) He is a persecutor rely on binaries as well as a victim.

 Another man struggling in the normativity of male gender role in the film is Chris, a young man who works at a grocery store next to Tina's home. He is a friend of that group of persons who bully Tina. He has been in the culture and context which regards gender roles in binary terms. This makes him very anxious and even angry when he found that he fell in love with Tina. Under this increasing unbearable depression, he went crazy for fitness and cut his long hair short. He tries to escape his love for a transsexual in a way that continues to deepen his masculinity. In the end, he turned this distorted depression into a violent impulse, killed Tina with a baseball bat, and cried while holding Tina's body.

Chris and Tina’s boyfriend are both in the form of transphobia. “Transphobia is defined as a range of antagonistic attitudes and feelings against transgender or transsexual people, or towards the concept of transsexuality itself. Transphobia can be emotional disgust, fear, anger, or discomfort felt or expressed towards people who do not conform to society's gender expectations.”  Both of them they don’t hate Tina as a individual transgender woman, they just can’t escape from the particular ideology which the society told them. “Since the gender binary is so well ingrained into culture,…Transgender or transsexual people can even face harassment from their friends and family.”(Sexinfo Online, 2017)

 Tina has a group of friends who are all transgender women and they are more like transgender women in people's impression. Lashes, a lot of makeup, sexy dress and so on. They care about Tina and take to the streets for their sister who has been unfairly enforced by the police. The news media have done a lot of positive reports on them, and they have received a lot of voice supports. But at the same time, Tina’s life has fallen to the bottom. Her boyfriend broke up with her. After much hard work, she finally got permission to undergo a transsexual operation and she sold her car for the cost but was told that she could not complete the operation due to her own physical reasons.

This episode makes me think that nowadays almost all kinds of popular culture are showing the strong, powerful, confident images of LGBTQ community. The queers in people’s eyes are always been exquisite and pretty, and don’t care about what people think about them. In fact this is also gender stereotypes of the queers. “For a long time I think the stereotypical way to diagnose a transgender woman to be a candidate for any transitional related treatment. You have to be wearing makeup, you have to look like one of those characters that stops stepped off their 40s or 50s television show like Donna Reed. But that’s not how the real world works.”(Annalise Ophelian, 2009) All these stereotypes can lead people to misunderstand the LGBTQ people which making it harder for them to pursue their legitimate rights as other genders.  

This film shows us that the binary gender perspective not only directly harms the LGBTQ group mentally and physically, but also teaches people around them who have emotional relationships with them to cause them deeper harm. In a society that the gender binary thinking in the leading, the normativity of gender roles still can be seen in every areas. The real life of most of the LGBTQ people is usually harder and more struggling than people think. Just like what this film shows us. Tina lives hard, does everything, but still can't fulfill her dream of being true to herself.

 What you see in TV shows is not real life. The real life is more like Tina’s life.

 References:

 Sally Raskoff, “Signs of gender”, Everyday Sociology Blog, March 27th 2017, https://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2017/03/signs-of-gender.html#more*

 “Gender Binary”, Sexinfo Online, June 2nd 2017, https://sexinfo.soc.ucsb.edu/node/885

 Diagnosing Difference. Directed by Annalise Ophelian, performances by Ryka Aoki, Cecilia Chung, Jeanna Eichenbaum, Major Griffin-Gracy, Yoseñio V. Lewis, Natoyniinastumiik, Milo Razza, Dylan Scholinski, Dean Spade, Susan Stryker, Adela Vazquez, Shawna Virago and Willy Wilkinson, Floating Ophelia Productions, 2009

 Words:1071

[vivalaprocrastination]

Part 2 - Heroes and villains

I've had more pleasant landings. Not gonna lie.

I struck the pavement on my back hard enough to drive all the air from my lungs, make my vision blurry and my legs numb. Through the fog, I could see three - no, four - people standing over me, shiny mellatic shapes on their faces - surely their trashy masks.

My ears were ringing badly enough that I missed the first question. Sharp pain erupted in my side, and I curled on the floor, whimpering and coughing pathetically. A hand grabbed my hair, tugging harshly.

"Where is the kid, Siren?"

"Dead in a ditch," I wheezed with a pain-sharp smile. "Didn't think I'd leave such a dangerous weapon to you, didya?"

Fiend tsked.

"Well," he sighed. "that is unfortunate, but easily undone. Which ditch?"

I blinked at him, trying to clear my eyes. He tsked again and made a nonchalant movement of his gloved hand.

The pain was excruciating. Bone snapped, splintered and drove itself into my flesh, cut my leg open like a precise and deadly knife wielded by a crazy butcher. As it stopped, I realised that the buzzing in my ears was my own agonized scream.

"Which ditch, Siren?" asked Fiend again over my hysterical sobs, cool as you please, as if this was a daily occurrence for him - which, if we're being honest, it was.

I ground my teeth and half-sobbed, barely cognisant enough to arrange my words into a sentence:

"The sewers! I threw her body in the sewers, a-around the gang district and-and the hospital..."

Fiend made an appreciative sound and petted my sweaty, blood-matted white hair, which was slipping out of its ponytail and spilling on the dirty floor. I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed myself against the floor, praying to all the saints and gods and demons and whomever might listen that he'd had enough.

"Very good, Siren, very good. See, we can understand each other. I'm proud of you for telling me all this despite your fear. But, ah -" his grip on my hair became punishingly tight as he lifted my head off the floor, forcing me to crane my neck uncomfortably. His empty blue eyes caught on the tears flowing down my face, pupil dilating. "- I'm afraid you still disobeyed me, sweetheart. Worse, you touched my property. And I think we both know what happens to those who touch my property."

My cheekbone scraped the pavement once more, and he stepped back. I curled on myself again, as much as I could with my destroyed leg, arms around my head, as he gave an order to his lackeys.

The burning stared in my chest. I let out a broken sound as it traveled to my stomach, my lungs, my very veins - I knew this technique. It wouldn't do any actual damage to my body, while still making me experience unbearable amounts of pain, and it could last actual days. It was one of Red Mist's, unsurprisingly. I was too far gone for despair now, but my heart made a valiant effort at tightening inside my chest.

She crouched down by my head and gently tugged my spasming, burning arms away from my teary, bloody face.

"Oh, Siren," she sighed, running her hand through my hair like her leader had. "I warned you, didn't I?"

The temptation to beg for death was overwhelming, but my mouth was too occupied whimpering and moaning and soon screaming to allow me to debase myself even further. The burn kept growing and growing so much that I wondered deliriously how it was possible I could not die from it.

Then, it stopped. Abruptly. I blinked away tears, face pressed against the pavement as if I could escape the pain by worming a hole through the ground. Red Mist's hand was still in my hair.

"You look great like this, you know," she cooed. "Squirming and whimpering pathetically on the floor. Makes me wish we'd had more time together, really. I think, I think I'm not ready to let you go yet. I'm sure Fiend wouldn't mind me keeping you... What do you say?"

I didn't say anything. I breathed, deeply to steel myself. She scraped her nails against my scalp like she used to when we were still together.

"Take your time, sweetheart, you're not going anywhere."

Raising my head to spit in her face was both one of the hardest and most satisfying things I'd ever done.

She, for one, didn't seem impressed.

"Oh my. You really want to die, don't you. Guys?"

She stepped back as the other two began. A whip first crashed into me - Must have been Red Mist's apprentice - followed by kicks all over my body. I wanted to start scream-sobbing as the burning started again, but there was no air left in my lungs for that, my head was spinning, I vomited blood again, the blue glow faded from my eyes and I started losing consciousness.

Then, everything stopped.

Through my buzzing ears and blurry eyes, I could barely sense something, explosions, screams, the like. I didn't bother trying to make a break for it, not with my leg, not with my doubtless concussion and broken ribs, my breath rasping wetly in my chest. I was going to die. Soon.

Someone crouched next to me again, shouting something I did not understand. A hand pushed my shoulder to roll me onto my back, and I went with it, my eyes slipping closed.

Finally.

[goldblcd]

yes, i’m joining the trend and after of promising, i finally have something that resembles a plot list. i’ve also added links to each of my character’s intros, their pinterest, and a status page. take a look and see if any of these fit your character and if none do hmu anyway and we can come up with something else. like this and i’ll come message you on tumblr, react to it on discord ( calvin and hobbes#5021) if you’d rather i message you there. or you can just message me anywhere !

❛    𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒓.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎    ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒   ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

BROMANCE: yes! please, give him a best friend he can be cute with and have teenagers they’ve never seen in their lives shipping them. they probably met when they were much younger? during one of arthur’s summers in town and remained close friends even 30 years later. 

POKER BUDDIES: we need to have some weekly poker nights for the parents. that is a must. so come bring some people that would be interested in that. ╱ dante armstrong & .

FRIENDS: that’s it. give him friends that will help him get out of this funk. maybe someone who realizes he’s drinking a little too much and is like ‘brooo’.

SIBLING LIKE: they’ve known each other for as long as they can remember, maybe even family friends and act more like family than anything else.

ISABELLA’S FRIENDS: someone who was more isabella’s friends than his and mourned her loss almost as much as the family did and is always checking on them because that’s what she would have wanted. 

NEIGHBORS: i still don’t know who the faulkner’s neighbors are so give us some! they live in some huge estate so wouldn’t be too close to each other but still close enough and i’d love that. 

FELLOW DOG PARENTS: they started hanging out because their dogs met at the park and fell in love so now they meet pretty much daily and just sit there talking and having coffee while the doggos go crazy. ( could also be a club lol )

THE STAN: just someone who is a huge fan and probably already have 90 selfies him and is always trying to get him talk about his part works and whatnot. 

ASSISTANT: listen, arthur probably needs one of these okay. so if anyone is looking for a job babysitting a movie star, he is hiring. also, any cooks around? he is also hiring!

PAST SUMMER FLING: he already has one, but considering he would spend most of his summer in ashcroft, he could have more. it could have even escalated into a relationship that didn’t work because it was long distance and they were too young for that. 

❛   𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏 𝒋𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒛𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎   ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒    ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

BEST FRIEND: ben is in desperate need of a best friend. you know, that one best friend that is inseparable, they probably visited ben abroad when he was traveling. the one the whole family knows to be the best friend and who has been around the house so much that they might as well be family by now. ╱ ariel vega.

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS: kids who grew up with him and now too much about him. they have a life time of memories together and when they all get together is like they’re still twelve and soft. 

CONFIDANT: these two are all about spilling their hearts out to each other. originally when something goes wrong, you can be assured that these two are together. they can go to rooftops and just talk or not say anything at all and just allow the other to be, no questions, no explanations.

FRIENDS WHO USED TO HATE EACH OTHER: they don’t remember why the hated each other but throughout their childhood they could not stand each other, but thankfully time is a thing and they grew up. these day they’re super close and still laugh about the not so friendly pranks they’d play on each other. 

SHADOW: someone who is interested in photography and enjoys following him around when he’s working. ben doesn’t mind giving them some tips and talking styles and techniques with them.   

HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART: pretty self-explanatory, these two dated pretty much of all of their high school years, but when it came time for college they couldn’t make it work. they are still close and care about each other deeply. they will always have the special place of being his first girlfriend no matter what. maybe one of them could still have some lingering feelings that they’re ignoring or just don’t want to go there? ╱ nadine alston.

ONE SIDED CRUSH: this person and ben have had a harmless flirtationship going on for quite some time. to ben, it was nothing more than friends playing around, but unknown to him, this person is actually harboring a proper crush on him for some time now.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN: in another life, these two could have been together and make the perfect couple. they are close friends and although they both try to deny it there is a lot of chemistry and feelings between the two. but there has always been something in the way of anything happening between them, the timing was never right. ╱ pia lively.

FIRSTS: this is the girl who was ben’s first. maybe they weren’t even together at the time, but just friends who were curious and thought the other was hot and trusted them enough to explore their sexuality together. they could still hook up sometimes or just have that connection.

HOOKUPS: past and present just bring them! ben is young and he’s single so have at it!

❛   𝒍𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒋𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒊𝒊.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎   ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒    ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

THE SQUAD: pretty simple! give me the kids he hangs with. much like him, they like enjoying themselves and having fun, but when push comes to shove they will always be there for each other. these babies are as good as family for leo. 

BROTP: they are the ultimate brotp. always around each other and have each other’s back unconditionally. i love the idea of them being super domestic and comfortable around each other. sharing clothes? sleeping over all the time? ready to bury a body with the other. check. check. check. probably one of the only people who can see through leo’s shit.  basically, give me this! ╱ max lockhart.

CHILDHOOD FRIEND: leo and this person grew up together and have known each other since diapers. when they were just little babies they would tell anyone and everyone that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. they’ve since grown up but they remain as close as ever. ( might have even tried something until they realized nope. )

PLATONIC SOULMATE: give me best friends who have a lot of chemistry, to the point where people think they’re together and they do all these things that would be considered couple things but are like ‘nope’ whenever people say they should get together. leo trusts them a lot and he knows he can talk to them about anything and not be judged. they just have an easy relationship and love each other, but not like people think

TEAM MATES: leo has been qb 1 for the football team since his junior year and has been playing varsity since his sophomore year. he’s good. and i’d love to have some of his jock friends, they were even state champs this year. he also plays ice hockey and lacrosse, so even more teammates!

THE BAD INFLUENCE:give leo someone he can be a bad influence on. someone who is innocent and good and soft and gets involved with leo. he won’t entirely ruin them, but he will take them to parties, get them drunk and all that good stuff teenagers are known for. 

THE BROKEN HEART/FRIENDZONED: leo is oblivious to this, but the character is someone who had his heart broken by leo. i like the idea that they were always friends and they had a crush on him ( could be a past thing ) but he unknowingly friendzoned them and broke their heart. 

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS: he already has one, but i think he could have another one. just friends who hook up and haven’t blurred the lines between the physical and emotional connection. it’s easy in a very no-strings-attached sort of way, but it doesn’t mean they don’t care about each other as friends. 

THE ENEMY WITH BENEFITS: they say they don’t like each other and are constantly bickering and giving each other shit, but they’re also very keen on each other when they’re alone and naked. 

EX-GIRLFRIEND: actually an ex-girlfriend he’s on good terms with. they were together maybe freshman or sophomore year and it didn’t last long and it ended but they remained friends and she’s still one of his favorite persons in the world. 

❛   𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒐 𝒋𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒐.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎   ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒    ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

UNEXPECTED FRIENDS TURNED LOVERS: they are opposites he’s a kid with nothing who’s abrasive and cautious and they’re the good kid that has everything. somehow, they struck up a friendship and they’re the one who’s always trying to see the best in him. i would love to run this into something more. ╱ ava faulkner. 

ART BUDDIES: mateo loves to draw. he doesn’t show it to anyone, but loves to do it and is actually really good at it. not that he thinks that or that he would believe if anyone told him that. but art is his favorite class and he was even convinced to join the illustration club. give him some friends who are also into that.

SKATEBOARDING BUDDIES: catch him skateboarding and smoking at the skatepark ( do we have one of those ). it’s probably a very chill friendship and it can get him to relax a bit. 

THE PERSISTENT FRIEND: mateo has tried to get rid of his person pretty much for as long as he’s been in ashcroft, but they keep coming around. checking on him, bringing coffee, starting conversations when he just wants to be alone and let his anxiety drive him crazy. he says he’s annoyed but he’s growing soft.

THE PROTÉGÉ: mateo is a tough soft boy who has been protecting himself since he was ten, and he has a soft spot for people who can’t protect themselves. give me someone who is maybe naïve and pure and he can’t let it be and has to protect them.

LOVE/HATE: they don’t entirely hate each other, but they’re right on the line. one minute they’re having a friendly conversation the next they’re bickering non stop. sometimes you can tell the two care about each other, but the next it looks like they’re about to go for each other’s throats. 

GOOD INFLUENCE: i just need someone to be a good influence on him and try to get him to actually open up and relax enough to be a kid for more than 10 minutes at a time. someone who can at least try to prove to him that he’s not as damaged and far past the point of salvation like he think he is.  

THE HOOK UP: he has a lot on his mind, but he must have gone to a couple of parties even if he pretended to hate it the whole time. and he is the mysterious new kid, give him someone he hooked up with. are they ignoring the whole thing? did that bring them close? 

TUTORS: mateo dropped out in 8th grade and the only reason he didn’t get put in freshman year was because he refused, but he’s only taken 2-3 months of class this school year and will have to retake sophomore year. he needs tutors to help him get caught up with things. not that he’d be the one asking for help. ╱ holland faulkner &.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: someone who recognizes him from before he came to ashcroft. it could be some cop that picked him up at some point or maybe someone who bought drugs from him. they just make him anxious because it’s a reminder that he’s not far from everything. 

[recentanimenews]

THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH Sees An Old Enemy Return in Episodes 141-147!

With another week comes another batch of episodes in THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH. I'm David Lynn and I'm here to guide you through the rougher waters as we truly begin our deep dive into the seas of filler in the back half of original Naruto.

  This time around we're finishing off our journey through the Land of Rice Paddies to see how Naruto and Sakura help out the desparate Fuuma clan. Right after that we transition into a full arc, including a return of the show's very first villain, Mizuki! Orochimaru is always up to no good, but did his antics entertain this time around? Let's find out!

The end of the Land of the Rice Paddies arc comes with a number of twists and turns. Did that story do anything for you as it wrapped up here? Joseph: This ended up being an decent little side story. I enjoyed seeing more moments where Sakura finds the need to shine, and this combined with later episodes in this set start to flesh out her abilities and potential a bit more. With that said, I find myself already forgetting about the conclusion of this saga and its beefed-up villain thanks to the one that immediately followed and also ended with a beefed-up villain! Kevin: The final fight was much more captivating that I thought it was going to be. Instead of just a monster of the week fight it showed off some of the great choreography that the franchise is known for, and the final scene with the Fuma siblings made basically no logical sense, but was beautifully shot. Paul: Overall, I thought the Land of Rice Paddies arc was more competent than the Land of Tea arc as far as filler story-lines go, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me aside from a few body horror moments. My biggest issue is that the writers didn't leave Naruto and company any decent clues to follow, so even though tracking down and rescuing Sasuke is still a driving goal, it feels like they're just spinning their wheels. Danni: Not really. Nothing in this arc was at all very compelling. We never learned much of anything about the Fuma clan, it was still all up to Naruto to save the day, and the final villain was incredibly underwhelming. There was potential in having the final battle be against the fused corpses of Arashi and his captives, but it was all undercut by giving him a cartoonishly evil personality for no reason. Hopefully Sakura’s training under Tsunade will pay off in future arcs. Noelle: It wasn’t bad, but it still doesn’t stand up to the canonical content. In terms of filler though, it’s pretty okay. I liked that they tried to pad some of the routes that Kishimoto ignores, such as Sakura’s further development. If a filler tries to add stuff, I can’t complain too much. Jared: It was acceptable. Not great, but not bad. We get Sakura something to do finally which will hopefully be good and it at least adds to Orochimaru being a jerk, but at the same time, is the Fuma clan going to be remembered at all? Probably not, but that’s to be expected. Carolyn: I’m also of the camp that this arc was pretty boring and not very compelling. I am also hoping for Sakura to get a truly meaningful arc but everything she gets to do is just centered around Sasuke. Sakura deserves better!

  The interim between the two arcs this week came with some relatively peaceful times, showing us what the characters do when there isn’t a crisis to solve or tournament to compete in. That part of episode 142 is also adapting the final chapter of the manga before it transitioned into the “Shippuden” storyline. Did you like that small break, and would you like the show to expand upon that part of their lives more often? Joseph: More valleys of calm would certainly be welcome in Naruto. At one point Tsunade said she feels like everything was just starting to cool down right when another situation popped up, essentially describing the pacing of a long-running series to the audience. I’d like to see more if only to connect to some of the side characters and see what Choji’s eating at any given moment. Kevin: Honestly, I would’ve been completely fine taking several episodes just to expand on what the characters do on a regular basis. If we’re going to have entire seasons of filler, then why not have a Lee episode, an Ino episode and so on, just showcasing what their normal day is like? Paul: While I enjoy getting a broader view of what daily life is like both inside and outside the Ninja Villages, the manner in which this material is presented can be a bit confusing. For example, although I knew that ninja society has police forces (such as the Anbu Black Ops), I'd never really thought about there being a ninja maximum security prison, and now I'm wondering about how different Villages deal with crime, punishment, and rehabilitation. Danni: My favorite part of shonen anime is whenever we get to see how these crazy powerful fighters function in their daily lives. Dragon Ball Super and Diamond is Unbreakable are two of my favorite examples of this. So, yeah, I appreciated it, and if I had it my way we’d get a full arc dedicated to Guy and Kakashi furniture shopping at IKEA. Noelle: I’m all for characters in their daily lives. While I certainly live for the plot, knowing that these characters have things to do in the day to day that doesn’t solely revolve around magical combat fleshes them out. It’s a lot more relatable connecting to characters that have mundane stuff to do too. Jared: I love when we get breaks like this and the show turns into a slice of life for a tiny bit. Especially since there will be all of this filler to go through, why not do more episodes like that. Although, I’m bummed we didn’t get to see Gaara attempting to teach the youngins at the school as that would have probably been good. Carolyn: I guess it didn’t feel like much of a valley to me. I felt like they were stretching out the few fights and confrontations they did have over multiple episodes when we probably could have wrapped them up much faster.

  Other filler arcs have had loose connections to the main story, but this one brings back the original villain from episode 1, Mizuki. On top of that, he gets a ton of development and backstory alongside Iruka. Do you find Mizuki or Iruka more interesting after watching this? Joseph: It was cool to see a character come back from the beginning, even if he was yet another who has been manipulated completely by Orochimaru and the promise of power. I appreciate the connections to the main story, but if we’re going to be venturing into non-stop filler I also kind of hope we run into some villains with their own unique motivations. With that said, I dug learning more about Iruka, one of the series’ great characters who isn’t on screen enough. Kevin: I liked most of Iruka’s development, since we get to see him work alongside Naruto and thus see just how far Naruto has come. Mizuki is much more developed now, but I didn’t particularly care for his development. I’m okay with bringing back the first villain of the show, but why not just make it a revenge quest or something of the like? They wasn’t any particular need to bring Orochimaru into the mix, outside of forcing a connection to Naruto trying to find Sasuke. Paul: All I can say is that Mizuki is a complete jabroni. In pro-wrestling terms, he doesn't even merit “jobber” status. It's also hard to take Mizuki seriously when his back story-paints his as a complete psychopath who murders his comrades when they become a minor inconvenience, but he receives a stiffer penalty for stealing a forbidden scroll. Also, his ultimate technique is wearing a karate gi with the sleeves torn off and using an experimental drug to express his tiger fursona. Danni: Can I say neither? Iruka didn’t do much, and we didn’t learn anything new about him. Mizuki, though...Someone at Pierrot really loves Mizuki. All of a sudden he’s super ripped and powerful and has a cool dude jean jacket with the sleeves torn off. I appreciate them trying to flesh out a backstory for a throwaway character, but I don’t think it could’ve gone much more poorly. Noelle: I think I appreciated more the attempt than the final product. Considering how large the cast is and how many throwaway characters there are, utilizing existing characters instead of creating some from scratch gives the writers more to work with. I don’t think it necessarily worked here, but it wasn’t a bad choice. Jared: I don’t think it really benefited either of them to be honest. Mizuki’s backstory just made him seem like a joke and yet we’re supposed to take him seriously as this big threat to everyone. I totally get why you’d bring in a minor character like this to utilize in the filler, but it didn’t really do much for me. Carolyn: I’m kind of over the whole villain was manipulated and isn’t that bad thing. We can have real villains. It’s OK.

  Connected to the previous question, would you rather there be more attempts at filler using characters we know, or do you prefer the ones that introduce us to whole new lands and people? Joseph: Balance is important. I like having characters we know branching out to other areas and taking the time to introduce more ways of ninja life in the land. On the spectrum of filler we’ve been presented with so far, though, I much prefer what’s been handed to us in these eps than the dull Land of Tea race arc. For a specific example: There was one moment in which Tsunade’s people casually enter her office to tell her they’ve captured all the inmates but three. I would have liked to have seen some of that go down! Kevin: Both options serve different purposes, so ideally I would want both. Maybe a filler arc where a different squad of people we already know about goes to a new land, but with Naruto or Sakura included so that we still have a connection to the main cast? That way we would get more worldbuilding while also learning more about minor characters through more in-depth interactions. Paul: It all depends on how the characters are written. Fujin and Raijin are completely new characters here, but for me they stole the show, because they're basically One Piece characters transplanted into the Naruto universe. As long as the filler arcs focus on characters who are interesting or unique in some way, and as long as the stories are decently well-written, I don't think it matters whether the characters are new or not. Danni: Like others have said, you need a good mix. It’s cool when they take inconsequential characters and try to give them some real material, but if you stick too close to the main story you run the risk of contradicting something the original creator had planned for later. Extended filler can really only take place as side stories, which is why people are so often disinterested in them. Noelle: Mildly addressed this in my previous answer, but I think both is the best mix. The only issue is, that if the writers make a character completely from scratch, they have to put the work into them too. Having a completely new face means that the audience needs to find some way to get attached to them, to want to see what happens to them. As far as that’s gone, it’s been a mixed bag, but anything can be pulled off with the right team and effort behind it. Jared: It’s best to have a mix since if you just keep going with established characters, you’re probably going to either run out of characters or just give them convoluted backstories. As long as you can make good and meaningful stories for either characters we know or ones we don’t, that’s the route they should take. Carolyn: I think a mix of both works. But don’t introduce us to new lands if they are going to disappear forever and not actually mean anything. Also, the closer we get to the end of the series the less I’m going to want to see new people. Don’t show me someone I won’t have time to get to know. When the series wraps up, go back to basics.

  Mizuki makes a surprising “evolution” of sorts here, thanks once again to Orochimaru’s blatant disregard for safety and ethics when it comes to scientific progress. If you were in charge, what would be the next wacky thing Orochimaru’s antics force Naruto and friends to contend against? Joseph: Mizuki’s evolution made me want them to dive even deeper into the mad scientists of the ninja landscape. Give me The Island of Dr. Ninpo or something. I’d be even happier if it didn’t feel the need to be directly connected to Orochimaru, though. It could even focus on a villainous rival of sorts. Kevin: Let’s see: a mad scientist who wants to generally find ways to gain more power while also mastering every Jutsu in existance and doesn’t care about the mortality rate of anything, so nothing boring like “make the Curse Mark not kill people.” I’d probably look into how to implant Kekkei Genkai like the Sharingan and Haru’s Ice Mirrors without needing to reincarnate into a new body every three years. So in terms of something for Naruto and friends to face: a shinobi with significantly weaker variations of basically every Kekkei Genkai we’ve seen in the show thus far. Paul: I'd try to invoke some sort of moral dilemma where Orochimaru's twisted machinations accidentally result in something positive happening. i.e. Maybe Naruto and the gang come across a small village where Orochimaru experimented on the inhabitants in an attempt to develop deadly new combat Jutsu, but his efforts failed in a way that inadvertently made the villagers happier and healthier. Orochimaru would have departed in disgust, but – unaware of his true character – the villagers presently idolize him as a hero and a savior. Naruto would have to decide whether or not to tell them the truth. I think that would be an interesting conflict. Danni: I already proposed an arc wherein Guy and Kakashi shop at IKEA together, so let’s say all their furniture had been destroyed before in Orochimaru’s attack and now they’re in the market for snake-proof end-tables. Guy does a cool roundhouse kick to Kakashi’s new table and breaks it, revealing a secret compartment full of food pills that rival the curse mark’s power. Turns out Orochimaru has been using furniture to smuggle these pills through villages. They don’t find Orochimaru in the end, but they do get a sweet new couch for their bachelor pad. Noelle: This is a mix, but I want to see just what makes Orochimaru such a draw to so many people. There has to be more than he’s offering to people than just power, and maybe the science experiments have to do something with that. So many people have joined his side, but what exactly is the pull here? What makes him so appealing? What is he promising people (beyond power, which gets dull after a while) that makes people so loyal? I want to see that. Jared: I’d probably go with something with lower stakes, but also goofy. Have some of Orochimaru’s goons sabotage some local event, maybe a festival or a sport of some sort. Naruto and the gang have to make things better, but at the same time, it’s not something that’s super dangerous or incredibly life threatening since we know that won’t affect any of the main characters. Carolyn: I do also like the idea of Orochimaru’s manipulations accidentally causing something good to happen. But then also maybe just someone who is a straight baddie? Like Orochimaru tries to offer them a deal and they’re like, “Nah, I’m just in it for the evil.”

  And as usual, what were your highs and lows? Joseph: My main high was Formation Ino-Shika-Cho! They seem like way more of a cohesive unit than Team 7. I love how their abilities complement one another and work together strategically. Also, it’s worth noting that episode 146 is artistically moody as hell. Low: Naruto stepping in to get his back stabbed in place of another happens twice in just these 7 episodes. I wish they would have skipped the first one to give the ultimate callback of the second one more weight. Kevin: High - Iruka and Naruto fighting alongside one another, showing that despite all of the powerful forces trying to kill Naruto and the people around him, he’s still quickly becoming strong enough to stand on his own. Low - Orochimaru being a part of Mizuki’s backstory. Bringing back an old enemy is perfectly fine, potentially even interesting since it’s a great way to measure how much Naruto has changed in the past 150 episodes. Making him a part of Orochimaru’s overarching narrative just doesn’t work for me at all. His entire original motivation was stealing a scroll and leaving the village. Sure, the new information doesn’t change that, but it overcomplicates it in a way that’s never going to be followed up on due to this being a filler arc. Paul: My high point was Kakashi summoning Pakkun into Iruka's hand. “May I offer you a tiny talking dog in this trying time?” Fujin and Raijin were a close runner up; I love those kinds of characters. My low point is how aimless overall the series has become in terms of pursuing the goal of finding Sasuke. I want to believe that Naruto really wants to rescue his friend, but it's hard to suspend my disbelief when he spends so much time goofing around on these low-level missions. Danni: The high point for me this week was easily the direction in episode 146. Seriously, I need the name of whoever storyboarded that episode. It was some of the best Naruto has ever looked. The low point for me is the fact we had two terribly written cartoonishly evil villains in a row. A good villain doesn’t have to maniacally laugh and yell about how evil they are! Just look at Orochimaru! Sure, he isn’t amazingly written, but he doesn’t have to prove to you how evil he totally is! He just walks up like “sup?” and you think “Oh geez this guy’s bad news, huh.” Noelle: High point, all that 146 has to offer artistically. It’s lovely to watch. Low point, looks like the fillers are shaping up to be ‘everything is Orochimaru’s fault’ and that’s not such a good sign.

    COUNTERS: Ramen: 2 bowls Hokage: 0 Clones: 46 + 1 uncountable scene

Total so far: Ramen: 47 bowls, 3 cups Hokage: 52 Clones: 503

  And that wraps up this week. It's more fun to be invovled, so you're always invited to join in on our rewatch journey by checking out Naruto today!

  CATCH UP ON THE REWATCH!

Episodes 134-140: The Climactic Clash

Episodes 127-133: Naruto vs Sasuke

Episodes 120-126: The Sand Siblings Return

Episodes 113-119: Operation Rescue Sasuke

Episodes 106-112: Sasuke Goes Rogue

Episodes 99-105: Trouble in the Land of Tea

Episodes 92-98: Clash of the Sannin

Episodes 85-91: A Life-Changing Decision

Episodes 78-84: The Fall of a Legend

Episodes 71-77: Sands of Sorrow

Episodes 64-70: Crashing the Chunin Exam

Episodes 57-63: Family Feud

Episodes 50-56: Rock Lee Rally

Episodes 43-49: The Gate

Episodes 36-42: Through the Woods

Episodes 29-35: Sakura Unleashed

Episodes 22-28: Chunin Exams Kickoff

Episodes 15-21: Leaving the Land of Waves

Episodes 8-14: Beginners' Battle

Episodes 1-7: I'm Gonna Be the Hokage!

  Here's our upcoming schedule: - On June 14th, PAUL CHAPMAN will continue on with our filler journey. - On June 21st, KEVIN MATYI will push onward into what the fillers have to offer. - On June 28th, JOSEPH LUSTER brings us to the Land of Birds!

  Thank you for joining us for the Great Crunchyroll Naruto Rewatch! See you next time! 

  Have any inquiries or thoughts on Episodes 141-147? Let us know in the comments!

---

David is always on Twitter @navycherub where he watches too much anime and plays too many mobile games.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[frederator-studios]

Tiya Zhong: The Frederator Interview

Tiya Zhong, known to the interweb as Addictiya, is an animator, illustrator, designer and doll artist still brushing off glitter from her graduation just a few weeks ago. Her final film as a student of Sheridan College’s Animation program, “Lost, Stolen, Dropped,” is an autobiography of her daily struggle. It is also among the most relatable, inspired and squishy 2 minutes of animation I’ve seen in a good long while. Enjoy the short above, then read on for Tiya’s journey from schoolgirl doodling in her textbooks to professional artist!

Did you always want to be an animator or artist?

I discovered my passion for drawing when I was 4 years old, and I have always loved doodling figures on my textbooks, reading comics, and watching animation. When I was little, I never thought about becoming an artist - I just thought it would be fun if I could draw forever. In high school, I wanted to be a comic artist, but I became fascinated with making characters come to life. Animation was even more vivid than comics, which is why I chose to major in it.

How did you decide to move from China to Canada to attend Sheridan?

I grew up in China, so at first I planned to attend a university in Beijing that features the best animation program in China. In an extra-curricular art school where I was studying to pass the university’s entrance exam, I met a substitute teacher who'd studied abroad. Talking with him made me realize how many opportunities and great artists are out there. That’s when I started to research animation schools in North America, and got to know Sheridan.

What did you like best about studying at Sheridan?

I learned a lot at Sheridan. The school has great, experienced teachers. But I learned the most from my peers, who are all amazing artists. Being in that group gave me no choice but to improve. What I enjoyed most is how free the environment is, compared to the one I’d been in. I also had a lot more resources at my disposal. Being at Sheridan really helped me discover my own art style.

Did you work any jobs during your time in college?

Since high school, I have always worked on stuff for conventions: things like zines, charms, and commissions. During college I actively kept my eyes on the industry and started to take freelance jobs. I’ve done character illustrations for games, art for a published illustration tutorial, design work, and more commissions, mostly with Chinese companies. I think it’s really important for artists to have at least some experience working with partners or employers before finishing school.

What are your favorite techniques, considering you've worked in both 2d and stop-motion? And those are just the two I know for sure!

Yes, I’ve done a little bit of 3D for assignments, but so far I’ve only worked in 2D and stop motion. I love both techniques equally! They are two different forms of art and each has stunning aspects. I love how free 2D can be, and how much you can play with crazy distortions, squash and stretch. I also love the process of crafting puppets and sets and being able to hold them in my hand.

What inspires you and your work the most?

Japanese anime definitely influences my work. They are my childhood and what made me keep the pencil in my hand! In the process of creating, I also look for references in many forms: live action movies, fashion, short films, photography. Anything related to art.

Is there anything that comes up in your work over and over?

I built my interest in life drawing while studying at Sheridan. Now, emphasizing the beauty and curls of human bodies has become a core part of my drawings.

How was the experience of creating "Quarters" in a team of 9 animators? 

Creating “Quarters” with 8 other amazing artists was a really great experience! It was our first try, but there were no conflicts and everything went smoothly. Everyone pitched an idea for the film and we voted for the ‘four neighbors’ idea, which became “Quarters”. I worked on layout designs, prop and sets fabrication, shooting area setups, animation, and some post-production color corrections. We spread the work pretty much equally to everyone, so that we could all gain experience in every stage of creating a stop motion film.

What inspired you to create "Lost, Stolen, Dropped"?

I had two other ideas for my final film before “Lost, Stolen, Dropped,” but they didn’t feel authentic to me. Personally, I prefer telling stories on subjects that I’m knowledgeable about, or have experienced myself. So one month into my 4th year, I gave up my first idea and all the storyboards I’d done for it. I thought, “What subject am I really familiar with? Is there anything that I know better than anyone else?” At the same time, I lost my brand new Cintiq pro pen. Not long before then I had lost my wallet. Aaaand my portable hard drive. My roommate commented that losing things is my everyday life. That’s what inspired me - I am really good at losing things! So I decided to make a film about that.

Love it. Do you often pull from your own life in your stories?

Actually, I can trace it back all the way to primary school! I used to draw comics as my diaries. With four panels comics, I’d record anything that happened in my life that I found fun. By the end of grade 7, I had a whole sketchbook of my personal life. I only showed it to my closest friends.

What were the biggest changes you made to "Lost, Stolen, Dropped" while working on the film? What were the biggest challenges?

I made a big change in the story. At the end of the first version, I made lots of copies of the main character, which came from all the different scenarios or timelines. They all appeared in her messy room, staring at her and guiding her to find her phone. That ending had a very dark and absurd feeling to it. The problem was, in order to explain that story and deliver the right feeling, the film would need to be a lot longer. And so, too much work for me. In the end, I changed lots of things and compressed the storyboard so I could finish it.

What do you plan to do now that you've graduated? Sorry to ask that question, I know it's the worst for new grads, haha.

Haha, I was so lost on this before, but now I kind of have a blueprint! The very first thing I want to do is find a job that I like, start saving, and get my PR (permanent residency) here in Canada, which is very realistic. I'll use my savings to go to grad school or take online classes: anything to improve my skills and broaden my perspective. Eventually, I want to work on personal projects without having to worry about financial issues.

Do you have a favorite cartoon, film, or artist?

Different films have been my favorite at different times in my life... I just love work that has great stories or strong emotions. I can’t really pick one film as my favorite, but Masaaki Yuasa is definitely one of my favorite directors! What I admire most about his films is how the abstract parts serve the expressive storytelling, and the drawings are always loose. That’s what I need to learn!

What's your biggest dream?

My biggest dream used to be becoming a zoologist! That was when I was 8. Now, my dream is to connect with great artists and studios over the world. To learn from them, work on fun projects, live a happy, healthy life, and occasionally go on vacations so that I can work on my other hobbies!

What are your hobbies outside of animation?

I’m interested in a wide range of things! Biking, gym exercise, photography, choreography, sculpting, sewing, leathercraft. But my greatest interest, outside of animation, is dolls and puppets! I love all kinds of dolls and toys. Different doll artists always make dolls with different characteristics, and that self-expression element is what appeals to me. I want to be able to create my own porcelain or resin doll one day. I am working hard toward that goal! ❀

Follow Addictiya on Instagram

Thank you for the interview Tiya! Love your work and am so looking forward to seeing what you do next. Enjoy home and your summer vacation pre-Adulting, you’ve earned the heck out of it!

- Cooper ❀

[catholicartistsnyc]

Meet: Naomi Campagne

NAOMI CAMPAGNE is an actress, writer, director, director of photography (DP), and film editor. (naomi.campagne@gmail.com) 

Catholic Artist Connection (CAC): What brought you to NYC, and where did you come from?

Naomi Campagne (NC): I moved from Northwest Florida to attend the Tisch School of the Arts Undergraduate Drama Program at New York University four years ago (just graduated this past May!).

CAC: How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist? What do you see as your personal mission as a Catholic working in the arts?

NC: I’m learning more and more how to become a Catholic artist. Meaning, if my life is centered on Christ—how I live, what I do, how I speak, etc.—and I begin my work by first offering everything up to Him, trusting in Him, and allowing Him to guide me, then I will find myself a Catholic artist. As I’m sure I will be doing for the rest of my life, I’m learning how to take these beautiful passions God has placed in my heart and offer everything I do with them as a prayer to Jesus. Knowing that my intention is to bring greater glory to God, I am a Catholic Artist.

CAC: Where in NYC do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?

NC: Having only graduated in May, I’m still exploring the different communities offered by groups like CatholicNYC and the Frassati Fellowship of NYC. I’ve gone to many different, singular events posted through those groups, such as Theology on Tap, Catholic Underground, Young Adult Masses/Socials, hiking, etc.

However, the rock of my spiritual life has stemmed from the Catholic Center at NYU. Even after graduating, I still attend Daily Mass (5:15pm Monday-Friday), Adoration/Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (4pm-5pm Mon-Fri), and Confession (4pm-5pm Mon-Fri)—anyone is able to attend 😊 The Center has been blessed with incredible Chaplains: Fr. John Baptist Hoang, O.P. (current) and the previous, Fr. Sebastian White, O.P. (who just recently transitioned to St. Vincent Ferrer’s and will be an editor for the Magnificat). The Center also hosts a variety of lectures open to the public, including lectures from the Thomistic Institute. The Young Professionals Group (GradLaw) is also held at the Center.

The Catholic Center is associated with St. Joseph’s in Greenwich Village, which is where I’ve become a parishioner—even though I live in Brooklyn. For me, it was easy to get swept up in the many different, beautiful Catholic Churches that offer Masses all around and at a variety of times, but I’d recommend finding a parish where you actually feel community. That’s one of the parts of coming from a small town I miss the most: seeing families and actually knowing their names.

CAC: Where in NYC do you regularly find artistic fulfillment?

NC: Though NYC has some crazy neat features, I am not enamored by it…at all. To keep myself here (NYC has loads of artistic opportunities), I seek out the beauty that leads me to God: Catholic churches and nature. With one of my good, good friends, I’ve begun to go on mini pilgrimages around Manhattan to visit/attend Mass at different Churches. I also try to get out of the City to hike and find peace in proper silence as much as possible. These activities inspire me, keep me focused and remind me of why I am pursuing the arts in the first place.

CAC: How have you found or built community as a Catholic artist living in NYC?

NC: I was fortunate enough to have had four years with other phenomenal Catholics, which includes other artists, at the Catholic Center. Investing in those friendships has led to a community of people I absolutely love. Good, good relationships take time. Go to events, don’t be afraid to meet new people, and invest in those friends. And by friends I don’t necessarily mean “Catholic Artists” friends, I just mean people you can find love in and give love to. Those friends have inspired and encouraged me more than any Excel spreadsheet of connections. Though, I must say that when you do happen to find practicing Catholics who are artists, praise God and introduce yourself! 

CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice? And if you have a spiritual director, how did you find that person? If you go on retreats, where do you like to go?

NC: Silence and nature. When I can’t take a Metro-North train or get to Prospect Park to be silent in nature, I brew some coffee/tea, light a candle, find some oddly comfortable position in a chair or in my bedroom and read, journal, and/or pray.

Other than that, the more habitual practices are Daily Mass, Morning/Evening prayer (via the Magnificat or phone app iBreviary), and the Rosary.

Spiritual direction is great, but a wee bit tricky. At least for me it was. I just find it best to have a spiritual director who genuinely has the time to talk with you and whose homilies/disposition/teaching/leading etc. you really enjoy. That means time. I prayed and prayed for a spiritual director, talked to a few different people (priests and women religious) who I had a solid relationship with and then it was decided naturally from there.

CAC: What is your daily artistic practice?

NC: As of now, I’m focused on keeping up with the training I received at school. I studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute (part of Tisch’s curriculum), so I go over speech/voice work, movement work, technique, dance, script analysis, etc. by myself. I just have to keep disciplined. Doing a few things everyday directed towards my career is a necessity. It can be too easy to let weeks slip by without investing in one’s craft.

CAC: But seriously, how do you make a living in NYC?

NC: So, you’ll have to take this answer with a hefty serving of salt because I have just begun the journey of making a living while pursuing the arts. What I have found is that I benefited from finding a side job/survival job that feeds me--literally and artistically. From your temperament, try and find a job(s) that you genuinely enjoy and won’t completely drain you of joy. Maybe you really do love fashion and don’t mind working in a clothing store, or food service and don’t mind to waitress. For me, I really wanted to be doing something that allowed me to be creative and give others what I’ve learned in the form of teaching. I am on the pursuit of doing just so…check-in with me in about a year and we’ll see how that’s going.

CAC: What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in NYC?

NC: The Drama Book Shop 250 W 40th St.

Irving Farm Coffee Roasters ***71 Irving Place

The Frick Museum

CAC: What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists moving to NYC?

NC: 1)     Make time for prayer—the pace of NYC can easily make days go by in a blur, but make sure to have time in prayer with Jesus to center yourself.

2)     Keep your eyes on what really matters (ahem, Jesus and getting to Heaven). The idea of success can drive us mad, but He wants you to know you’re loved not based on “success” but the fact that you’re His son or daughter—rest in that.

3)     Be open to wherever you’re being led/called to, even if it’s not what you planned.

[daragosdragon]

Alright, so here’s a little reading stuff if anyone is interested in rago’s little longer description then on the picture. It’s like an early birthday gift to him. xP

(2018, November edit) Okay, so after a lot of time, I finally sit down and strated to rewrite his description. I’ve been thinking for a while now about the details and other things, and there still may be some stuff that’s gonna change in the future or I forgot to think about it, but for now, this is mostly it. I would love to make an ability set image once I have all the ideas, time, and skills to make them as I want.

Name: Daragos (nickname: Rago)

Age: 20

Birthdate: November 27th

Gender: Male

Height: 271 cm (8,9’)

Species: Western dragon – Neon

Elements: Light and fire

Personality: Kind, Helpful, Loyal, Placid, Lazy, Shy, Forgetful

Likes: Napping; Spending time with friends; Storms and rains; Being near water, especially waterfalls; Bioluminescence; Stargazing; Snacks

Dislikes: Meeting someone new; Crowds; Hot weather; Messy places; Adulting

Best friends: Xendy (belongs to a friend),  Kirim (another oc of mine)

Description: He is a bit of a lazy dragon, it’s quite hard for him to do something he should do but doesn’t want to. He likes to have a good nap on a daily basis. Food wise, he doesn’t have a great appetite, his slight body is kept in shape mostly with flying or runnig around, and playing with friends or with some training, however, he does love snacks, so much so that he sometimes just eats only snacks on a day instead of a proper meal. Agility is his natural strength, he was born as an agile one, and he keeps this gift in good condition and his reflexes are really great too. His friends always mock him that he naps too much and does not train enough, but they know he is fine. He even wears the scar on his face for this exact reason, remembering him to get better.

Aside from laziness, he is a great soul. He helps his friends whenever he can, and he is also very loyal to them, he would put his life in danger just to keep them safe. Despite his loyalty and kindness, he is a shy one. He really dislikes it when it comes to meeting someone new, since he is very bad with first impressions, and cannot really talk about anything. He usually gets a bit frustrated and just leaves the sinking ship when he feels like it’s time with a polite goodbye. Also, he's the quiet one when he gets together with friends, he just enjoys listening to the ramblings that happens between them and only speaks up rarely, mostly when a question is directed to him. He sometimes can drive his friends, and even himself a bit crazy because of his bad memory. Forgotten meetings, plans, displaced items, all sorts of those. He can’t stand the hot weather, in the summer, he prefers to go out of the cave for as short as possible, or stay in water when outside to cool himself down. However, he can withstand the cold well, he almost likes it, he can just surround himself in his fire to warm up if needed.

When it gets to chilling, he usually goes to a pond, lake, or a waterfall and lies down nearby, listening to the sound of nature. Sometimes he goes under the waterfall or dips into the water for a while if it’s possible. He’s not great in it, but he would never say no for a good swim. He can also spend a lot of time and relax with watching bioluminescent life in caves or underwater, or stargazing at night. If there's a rain coming, he goes outside and enjoys the fresh air and the rain.

The elements that won’t cause much harm to him other than his own type, are ice and dark, and his weaknesses are against water and earth attacks. The shields will break quickly from these types of elemental attacks and will do greater damage to him then any other. He has strong bonds and improtant memories of his friends, these are very precius to him, and he can be disrupted or enraged by hurting these.

Elements and abilities: Daragos is capable of using light and fire element spells. His light powers can be used as offensive, defensive or restorative, his secondary element, fire can be used as offensive and to temporarily enhance strength and speed.

He mostly mastered healing, and he can use his healing powers easily, on the other hand, light attacks and defense powers are strong but requires a lot of energy. The light attack can either be a straight directed large beam casted from above, which is weaker, than charging and firing it from his mouth, or it can be a rain from above consisting of many smaller needle like beams.

As for defensive powers, he can shape a single wall shield, which is the most powerful one, a ball shaped shield around himself to cover a larger area from every direction, or he can also make a thin defensive layer around something or someone to protect them from weaker attacks for a longer period of time. The latter one can weaken one lethal attack enough to save the tartget’s life but they still get most of the damage, then the shield breaks and stuns the attacker for a short time.

His fire powers are not as powerful and as draining as the light ones, he prefers to use this most of the time, and it fits better for his fighting style, attacking quickly in bursts and empowering these attacks. Attack wise, he can breathe fire and make fireballs, these can be casted instantly for quick attacks or charged for a more powerful one. His fire enhancing sorrounds the target in his purple fire, slightly warmer then the target’s temperature, and causes an adrenaline rush, making them more powerful and faster for a while.

He is also capable of casting both elements to work together. These spells are much more powerful, however, are very energy demanding, so he only uses this technique rarely.

The most used merged casting he uses is when he sets a fire that slowly heals someone who needs it while they rest. This method is more useful and more efficient for slowly healing, or multiple wounds than a simple light healing. This kind of his fire’s heat is equal of the target’s body temperature, does not spread to other objects nor areas, and does not go out until he stops it himself. It’s the most efficient when he casts it right on the injury, but it works well enough when used as a campfire or torch close the target. The larger the fire, the faster it heals, but also the more energy it requires to cast. As for other merged spells, he can cast firelight beam, rain, ball and breath, and can surround the shields with fire too, increasing their defense and damaging and setting fire on enemies who comes close to them.

[cosmiccommanderblr]

Super Affiliate System Review 2018 – John Crestani (honest review)

In this Super Affiliate System review 2018, I will you give you the pros and cons about John Crestani’s system. At the end of this article, you will know whether or not this is a good program for you, you will know what it takes and what it involves and how it costs. I will also share how much money I made using one of John’s techniques. Let’s dive in!

I’m sure you saw all of the Youtube ads with his face on it. You were probably on someone’s blog and even saw some of his products. The question is, is he a trust worth guy? Let me explain a little bit of what I felt about John Crestani before giving you the goods in this Super Affiliate System review.

  My First Thoughts about John

At first I didn’t know who John Crestani was. I saw him on Youtube videos and all over the internet, but I really didn’t care too much for this weird looking guy with a long beard and strange sunglasses. I just didn’t like his vibe, however, you cannot judge a book by it’s cover. I began to research him a bit.

    One of the things that jumped out at me with my research was that he has worked with a few credible, and trust-worthy big names in the internet marketing community. One of those individuals is Anik Singal. He has won a lot of trust because Anik was the first person to teach me how to make a lot of money online with his Inbox Blueprint program. Now I’m intrigued with John Crestani. What is he about?

  He explains his story about how he came from humble beginnings. He got blessed with an opportunity to do some marketing for a company, he provided results, and thus his love for affiliate marketing was birthed. As I listened to his story, he seemed to be a simple guy. He’s much invested into personal development and he is well studied in marketing. I can respect that.

  That was enough for me to give the guy a chance, so I put his knowledge to the test by trying a few techniques that he recommended to making money online. He said to start off doing product reviews and loading them on Youtube. This is how he began to generate money with free methods. I will truly say I’m thankful for that method, because I just recently got a HUGE commission sale from that very method.

This is from a product review that I did on Anik Singal’s Inbox Blueprint that I ironically spoke of previously ( I purchased that product as well. Check my review on it here =>>). Go figure! I’m $600 richer! So if this is legit and he’s a big believer in this method, let’s test out the rest of his products. Let’s go…

  What is the super affiliate system?

There are affiliates, and then there are Super Affiliates. Super Affiliates drive massive traffic to products and services. In return they easily make 6 and 7 figure profits per year. It’s ok to get the checks like my $600 commission above, but it is another thing to get multiple commissions like that DAILY. That is what creates the separation of an affiliate from a super affiliate.

  John Crestani’s Super Affiliate System is designed so that you can climb the ranks from making a few $100 bucks, to $1000s and ever $10,000s each month. This is done with free methods and paid methods, however, there will be a much bigger emphasis on the paid methods.

  Free methods are good and they will help you make money. You can create a solid business with free methods, but paid methods is what helps your business explode into the high 6-figure mark and the 7-figure mark in the course of a few months to a year.

Is this realistic? Yes.

Can everyone do it? Yes.

Does everyone have the resources to get started? NO!

  Here are a few things that you should know about John Crestani’s Super Affiliate System:

-6 week training on how to become a paid traffic affiliate marketer

-Over 60+ hours of video training

-The videos are taught by John Crestani himself. He doesn’t have a ton of other “experts” standing in for him and teaching like Tai Lopez’s Social Media Marketing Agency program. (I was so mad)

You will learn IN-DEPTH training of how to run the following type of ads:

Facebook ads

Google ads

Native ads

Youtube ads         

You will need money to get the most optimal results possible. If you’re on a serious budget, you can start off with something small like $5 per day for ads and scale up once you find something profitable.

  Who is this program for?

This is broken down so that the noob (newbie or beginner) can understand, but the most experienced affiliate marketer will also learn a lot. If you are new to the whole affiliate marketing thing, don’t worry. I will be the first to say that there is a learning curve. The program is 6 weeks for a reason. However, John Crestani is a very comprehensive teacher on his techniques.

Inside the program are the following modules:

The System Setup

Understanding the system

Marketing Skills

Facebook and Google ads

Youtube and Native ads

Scaling and Automation

Ready2Launch

And some other bonus content

Inside these modules, you can expect to learn mindset tactics, techniques and tutorials.

You may have made a certain kind of face when I mentioned mindset tactics.

They are actually really good because you have to be mentally ready in order to be successful. Let’s be clear on a few things here…you can make money online. You can create a better lifestyle for yourself. Even if you have failed at making money in the past like myself, you can still be successful.

Also included these modules are DFY landing pages, sales copy or swipes, AND audiences (buyer’s list)!

For me, that’s worth the price of the program alone! If someone hands over a buyer’s list for you to market to, the price of that can be invaluable. I must admit, John truly changed the game with that alone. He shows you how to leverage these lists so that you can make an audience in Facebook ads. You do this so you can take away all of the guess-work for targeting.

If you’ve done Facebook ads before, you understand the importance of targeting the right audience is to a successful campaign. If you’ve never done Facebook ads before, just understand that tons of hours for testing and a TON of money will be saved with this resource being provided for you. I’ve never seen anyone do this before.

After dealing with the mindset tactics to enable you to bet as profitable as possible, John then dives into the essentials of building your foundation to become a super affiliate by going over domains, landing pages, and finding PROFITABLE offers, all while structuring your business model.

  PAID ADVERTISING

Previously, I mentioned how an audience (buyer’s list) is provided when you purchase the system and how valuable that is. In his next modules he dives into paid advertising. He literally shows you examples of the ads being made, not just teaching on a theory so that you can go on by yourself to make mistakes. You will learn how to use the following type of ads:

Facebook

Adwords

Native ads

Youtube ad

This gets you learning how to profit quickly. Once you begin profiting, move on to the next few modules so you can learn how to optimize, scale, and outsource to make $10,000s daily. Does everyone get to this point? No. But if you follow the training and do everything that is laid out, you can get these type of results.

  THIS IS NOT A COURSE THAT YOU CAN DO IN ONE SITTING

I love the cheap products that teach you different techniques, but you will never get everything you need in those programs. You get what you pay for. This course is not cheap, but you will get what you pay for, and then some.

Inside the course are quizzes and homework, so take your time and do things step by step. You will completely know and understand what you’re doing each step of the way. This course is designed to make you as a new student, accountable. If you don’t take the modules seriously, you will not make any money. If you do, you will make money. It’s as simple as that.

If you’re not having success, I’d advise for you to check and see if you’re actually doing the steps laid out before you first, before blaming the system. If you can’t get good results, John’s team will jump in and help you.

  There is also a set of  videos teaching you FREE Traffic with social media, which is what I spent a lot of time doing myself.

What Else Is Included?

He provides you all of the tools necessary to be successful including the Ready2Launch campaigns which are templates that is almost a plug and play type of thing, where there is everything that you need to setup an ad campaign and it is already completed for you.

Above, are examples of ads that has worked for John previously. Also included in the course:

Affiliate ads to use

Landing Pages provided

Top affiliate offers you should use

Private facebook group for members only. Ask questions and John is very active. He’s really invested in his students and that is something I like.

Weekly coaching for now, don’t know how long it will go.

  Other Things To Be Noted

The course has a 30 day money back guarantee. If for any reason you do not like it or you feel like it is not for you, you can ask for your money back. This let’s you know that John Crestani is very serious about his product and he really wants you to give it a try.

As time has gone by, the persona of John Crestani has grown on me. He’s all about copywriting. His style is to be persuasive but he tests and tests like crazy. He’s a fanatic at being results drive, and I can truly respect that.

I didn’t like John Crestani at first because he seemed to be just like another marketer. Tai Lopez was everywhere on the internet and now we had to deal with this guy. I followed him and researched him a little deeper and realized that he’s extremely knowledgabe about marketing…more than the other guys.

Tai Lopez is good at marketing and making money, but after purchasing his Social Media Marketing Course, I realized he’s just good at packaging. He’s provides good content but he was never in front of the camera teaching. John teaches! It’s him in front of the camera giving the knowledge. Not some protégé that he fly in for 6 months to make a case study for. John is a little more genuine and relatable in my opinion.

  The Price, Extra bonuses and what others have to say about S.A.S:

Ok, now for the big question? How much does this crazy system cost! If you have ever watched the webinar, you will see all of the things that he values up to over $10,000.

He used to charge at least $2000 for this system, and I’ve heard others say he was charging more! If you sit through the whole 90+ min of the webinar, you can get his system for a whopping $997.

But if you stuck through this detailed product review, you don’t have to sit through the webinar again to get this price. I have an affiliate link where you can get it here. That link will take you to the sales page. If you want to watch his free webinar and soak up the free knowledge, click here.

  I’ve read what others have been saying and I also looked at a lot of Youtube testimonials about the product. I like to “keep my ears to the streets”. In the webinar, John speaks of  having $1000-$2000 of ad spend to start off. He then says not to worry because he was able to leverage deals to give you access to $895.00 of newtwork coupons for paid traffic. In order to get those coupons, you need a total of $75 of your own money.

I was able to get $200 worth of traffic from Bing.com after I spent $25 when I first began advertising on their platform. Other platforms such as LinkedIn give similar promotions. Others have a problem with this because they say the information is free and technically John isn’t doing you any favors. However, if this was the case, everyone would be taking advantage of these promotions. There are a ton of things on affiliate marketing on Youtube, but you have to know what to search for. That is why people pay for systems and mentors, because the package is much simpler. 

John mentions that you will partner with him while you are using the system, and you have to use it ethically. John has affiliations with network marketing companies and affiliate networks that help him leverage products and deals. This is a problem for some because they feel as if John is making money from them. Well, HE IS! And he is very upfront about it in his webinar. The thing that is missed by others is that he helps you maximize on making as much money as possible with the SAME methods that helped him make tons of money! He had to go through the same things you are going through with his mentors.

One of the biggest complaints is that IT’S TOO EXPENSIVE! Yes, I agree 100% that it is indeed expensive. The price is not for the faint of heart, and neither does it seem to be for the average individual. On the other hand, as a marketer myself, I understand why he made the price so high.

1) He knows that if you spend a lot of money on something, you will take it seriously. John wants you to take this program seriously and make money so that you can create testimonials.

2) There’s a TON of information in the Super Affiliate System. Over 60+ of comprehensive videos.

3) The value of things such as landing pages, swipes, ad copy, and templates for audiences, can honestly make the price of $997 sound too low. For real! He’s truly equipping you to win. Partner with someone if you don’t have the money, and share the system with them. 2 heads are better than one.

Inside the program, you also get archive videos of his affiliate campaigns from 2013-2017. It’s not necessary to watch, but it is great information to follow up with after you completed the training.

Conclusion

WHEW! That was a lot of typing! In all, this is a very detailed course, and that is why I made such a detailed Super Affiliate System review for you. Before you go spending money on another system that makes faulty claims, you need to know what you’re paying for.

All in all I would give the Super Affiliate System a 4.5 stars out of 5.

I’m not saying that because I really like it. This is my honest opinion about it. John Crestani didn’t have to provide swipes, ad copy, audiences, ad templates, etc., in his training. Once I say that, I was sold. NO ONE else is doing that with their programs right now.

You do need money to start, but it’s awesome that he pulls the resources together so that you can use the free money. Hopefully you begin to profit from that, and you never have to come out of your own pocket with money. 

I’ve spent a lot of money on courses and I have made a lot of money with courses. Next to Inbox Blueprint by Anik Singal, this is probably my next favorite course. I truly believe it’s worth every dime.

If you have any questions or comments, please drop me a line below! I’d love to hear from you! Maybe you purchased the product. What’s your experience with it? Don’t be shy, but don’t be mean either:)

If you’re thinking about making a purchase, please click here on my affiliate link. I would really appreciate the love.

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