#and these little snippets are actually pretty spot on when it comes to my favourite things

[izzy-b-hands]

I can never seem to get an actual plot to revolve around this enough to write it as a snippet of the music au but

there's this bit that's been floating around my head forever of like. idk maybe Stede bc that might be fun, going to his first QAR show at Ed's invitation, when they're playing at some big event like Wacken

He's already a little out of place, bit nervous. The music is fine enough, not his favourite genre, but there's various bands playing within subgenres/genre mixing that he's enjoying himself well enough.

But he's on his own and waiting for Ed and crew to get onstage, and the nerves are bubbling up the whole time

The show starting helps. But as it goes, they hit a certain song (not sure which one I'm giving to QAR for this, but it's probably going to be an Uncle Acid one lol) that's one of their stoner metal type crowd faves, and the guitar solos between Ed and Izzy just... keep going

Like, it's good. Fucking amazing, actually, faces are being shredded off, so on and ao forth. But it becomes evident (and the whispers make their way through the crowd from the bemused roadies) that the pre-show toke might have been...a little much, and they're just stuck in a jam session now.

Stede watches and it becomes clear they're right, and that's the moment he realises he's in love with both of their dumb asses. Watching Ed and Izzy throwing it back and forth to each other, building on and bridging new bits off of what the original song was. He's pretty far in the back, but the large screens show that the two of them are having the time of their lives. Smiling and giggly and overjoyed every time the other 'yes ands' with another riff.

This is where Frenchie and Wee John come in, as friends of his who didn't realise he'd be there ('doesn't seem his thing' per Frenchie), and who, as soon as they see him, can tell he wants to be closer. At the front, even for a moment.

Cut to Stede Bonnet's first crowd surf, over a huge crowd that luckily (bc it's this au's version of Wacken) has massive amounts of accumulated metal show crowd etiquette that gets him to the front and gently helped over the rail by a security guard

And his wave, just one quick wave that he feels silly abt in the moment bc surely they won't see it even, is what catches Ed's eye, then Izzy's.

He can't hear much after (he hasn't gotten around to buying ear protection yet bc of course he hasn't, tho that said, mood), but as he stumbles back to Frenchie and John, he's aware he's now one of the only people in the world to have been dually serenaded via guitar by two of the most famous musicians in the world, all while gently cradled by the security guard (Steak Knife, bc I miss him. so he needs at least a small spot in this au.)

Cut to Fang and Ivan (lovingly) taking the absolute piss out of Ed and Izzy later on the tour bus when they're at least slightly more sober, bc they're so in love and it was so obvious and they'd better ask first, if Stede is okay with a public proposal or not before they so that onstage at the next show (they would never, not without asking first.)

[fantasyforbeginners]

Hello! I was wondering if you have any writing tips on balancing an intense plot with humor? I have a story I’m working on and the overarching themes are pretty dark, but I want the narrative to still feel wholesome and have some funny moments without them seeming out of place. Thank you!!

So the strongest, most consistent humour for me is always character based! It's why certain stuff can walk a line between light and dark tones while feeling very natural (think ATLA, a Series of Unfortunate events which can be quite absurdist) and why other stuff can fall flatter, because it doesn't seem to fit the world or circumstances and the tone is a bit all over the place (that was one of the big issues I personally had with She Ra).

For a smaller example, it's also why I think the first How To Train Your Dragon movie has the best humour of the three. Every joke is character based, much of it is very sarcastic and dry (which fits the main protagonist's voice well) and the movie never holds on any given joke for too long, so even if it doesn't land, it still reads well as a moment of just pure characterization. The other two films were more "jokes for the sake of joking" which, while still carried well, are less funny on rewatches (Ruffnut drooling over Eret is her only joke in the film, for example, just on repeat) and only tell us one character beat at any given time.

For darker storylines, I think juxtaposition and deapan could be your best tools. For ex: when written well, an optimistic character who mindlessly cheers forward can be very funny (Brett from "Inside Job" on Netflix comes to mind). Cue seeing some dangerous creature and this dumbass going, with pure sincerity > fear based hope, "Maybe it's friendly!"

Deadpan snarkers can also pave the way for dry wit and sarcasm, which lends itself well to more serious situations. It lets you have levity without breaking the tone / theme. I have two main deadpan snarkers in my core cast of seven, so here's a couple of my favourite little snippets:

Ally looked away and spotted Jamie standing by the lounge chair. “Remind me to never listen to you again.” "Wouldn't that defeat the purpose?" Jamie replied, unimpressed.

aka dead pan snarker 1 and then dead pan snarker 2

“Relax,” she spoke out of the corner of her mouth. “They don’t take kindly to fear or weakness.” "We'll that's reassuring," Rayan said dryly as he hid behind Bill.

Observational humur, sarcastic quips, and much more await you in character based humour.

For study:

How often Sokka's sarcasm in Avatar: The Last Airbender is actually used to set up exposition (as he gets corrected a lot, especially in the early days)

Everything about Percy Jackson as a character voice - he's also pretty pessimistic about a lot of his situations, but never comes off as whiny, which is a delicate balance to achieve as well.

A lot of his character voice relies on a conversational omission where he tells us things without it feeling like he tells us things, a la "Am I a troubled kid? Yeah, you could say that."

Most humour situations have a straight man (more skeptical, rational) and the every man (more ridiculous to play off each other). The skeptic reacts to the every man, and it can be particularly fun if/when these roles reverse. Also does not have to apply to men at all, but those are typically the short hand terms!

One last snippet as everyone loves a Peak Loveable Dumbass, too:

 “You’re coming into town with me.” "Oh—I'm not in trouble?" Dearborn arched one eyebrow. "Should you be?" "Right," Ally said. "Stupid question. Carry on."

[creweemmaeec11]

I'm not sure what this little snippet is, but enjoy it anyway I guess aha!

-------------------------------------

It was about time the hero tried a different tactic. They were tired of waiting for the villain to do something, then showing up to stop it. This time, the hero wanted to stop the villain before anything happened in the first place.

It was genius, really, and was something the hero really should have tried a long time ago.

The only problem, was *finding* the villain in the first place.

It wasn't like the hero had a home adress.

He'd spent nearly two hours scouring the city, hopping from rooftop to rooftop with no sign of anything abnormal when he heard a faint, almost whimpering sound.

The hero was thankful they had heightened senses, otherwise they may not have heard it at all.

They used their super strength to climb up the tall building, continuing to hop a few more rooftops when they froze.

Their eyes landed on the villan. He was sitting on a slightly sloped roof, back against a brick wall where the building continued upward. Their knees where pulled taught to their chest, cape wrapped around them like a blanket to shield them from the chill of the cool night air. One arm was wrapped around their knees, holding their dagger while the other hand was wiping at their face, trying to disperse the tears- *they were crying*.

The hero suddenly felt uneasy. What were they supposed to do here? They always saw the villain as cold, heartless, emotionless but, clearly that wasnt the case. They weren't sure what to do, or even how to feel with that information.

Information they clearly weren't supposed to have, given how high up and secluded this spot was. The villain clearly wanted to be left alone.

But, they were a hero! They're job was to help people and this villain was clearly in distress! He couldnt just leave!

They jumped onto the same roof as the villain, who didnt seem to notice. They were still a good 7-10 meters away from them, but the villain was usually very intune with the environment. The hero had never been able to get even near this close to them without the villain being fully aware.

They were now close enough to use their enhanced hearing to hear the ragged breathes and rapid heartbeat of the other.

The hero took a breath.

"Beautiful night out tonight," the hero offered in a friendly, conversational tone. They were smart enough to know that directly asking what was wrong wouldnt get them anywhere.

The villains reply came in form of a violent flinch and sharp inhale of breath. Their head snapped to look at the hero, shock and... was that *fear* written all over their face?

The villain never wore a mask, much like the hero, but they did usually have a hood down over their face, so being able to see it this clearly was strange.

However, with being able to see it this clearly, the hero could see how red and puffy the area around their eyes were, their cheeks thoroughly damp with tears, their eyes red.

The villain immediately directed their dagger at the hero, scrambling backwards across the roof frantically.

The hero held their hands up, "I come in peace,"

The villain stared at them in shock for a moment, "why are you... what... how long have you been..."

Before the hero could reply, the villain shook their head, steeling their features and pushing themselves to their feet. They wiped their face and took a deep breath, grasping for some sense of composure.

"What do you want?!" They snapped, "Why are you here?!"

Their grip tightened on their dagger.

"Theres no need for that, I come in peace, I swear," the hero tried.

"As if you would ever show up just to chat," the villain hissed.

The hero surveyed the situation. Clearly, the villain, who was usually overly composed and smooth, was distressed.

The villain was doing a good job faking composure, but it was obvious in way their fret twitched, weight shifting from foot to foot, fingers flexing while their eyes darted all over the place. They were one wrong word away from taking off.

Right now, the hero was a threat, and he needed to be seen as not one.

Slowly- very slowly, so the villain could track their movements, the hero sat down on the roof, sliding themselves to sit back against the brick wall like the villan had previously. He bend a knee, resting his elbow on it as he looked out at the city. They didnt look over at the villain, trusting their super hearing to tell them if they moved.

"The view from up here is pretty breath taking," The hero commented casually.

"What?"

"My favourite spots are usually around the inner city, like the tops of the big office buildings, but this spot might be even better, with the already tall building being on a hill and all."

Finially the hero dared a glance at the villain.

They were standing in the same spot, though their posture was more relaxed. They were staring at the hero with a dumbstruck look on their face.

"What are you doing?" They asked, narrowing their eyes.

"I mean, we could talk about the weather if youd rather?" The hero smirked.

The villain glanced away, seemingly considering running again.

"Come on," the hero added, "it's not like you have anything interesting going on tonight,"

"That's a rude assumption to make," The villain replied jokingly, crossing his arms and relaxing more as he glanced at his feet.

"Please, you know if you had something important going on tonight I would have been bat signaled already,"

The villain snorted at that. They gave the hero another look over, before caving and settling back down against the roof.

"Is this your way of telling me your bored? Have I not been active enough for you?"

"Thats- not what I meant," the hero sputtered, causing the villain to chuckle slightly.

The hero glanced over, watching the villain twirl his dagger in the air mindlessly. Or, well, mindedly, considering they were using their telekinesis. But it was twirling in a non threatening way, just spinning in the air like a spin top.

"That's a pretty cool trick," the hero commented.

"What? Oh-" the villain blushed, plucking the dagger out of the air like he hadn't even realized hed been doing it.

"sometimes I wish I had a cooler power," the hero started so the villain wouldnt have to explain themselves.

"Wait, really?" The villan asked, looking at the hero in shock.

"Yeah, I mean, dont get me wrong, enhanced senses and strength are certainly handy, but they arnt as cool as like flight,"

The villain hummed, fidgeting with the dagger in their hands, twirling the tip against their finger.

"Super senses also have their downsides, like when someone is trying to surprise you by baking you something, but you can smell it before you even get in the house,"

"I get the feeling theres a story there,"

"Friends tried to throw me a surprise party, I could hear them shuffling and whispering from down the hall, and I could smell the cake and such,"

"Only a hero would view not being able to be surprised as a *downside*" the villain replied, rolling their eyes.

"I guess I shouldn't complain though, it helps with being a hero a lot, without the hearing I probably wouldnt have heard you,"

Out of the corner of his eye, the hero saw the villain immediately tense, bristling slightly.

"Is that why your here? Doing this? You think I'm someone in need of saving?" They hissed.

"Partly," the hero admitted, "I dont think anyone deserves to be alone when there upset, but I'm also making sure you arent up to anything dastardly,"

"Oh yeah, I'm always doing something villainous alright, like crying on a rooftop," they replied mockingly, before realizing they were admitting to crying.

"I wont pressure you into an answer, but you know I have to ask..." the hero replied after a moment of silence.

"Theres no way-"

"Before you turn me down," the hero interjected, "consider I'm one of the few people who may actually understand, considering the uh... line of work,"

The villain stared with a blank, unreadable expression for a few moments, before huffing and looking off to the horizon again.

"Its the anniversary of something. That's the only information your getting,"

The hero hummed in response, continuing to look off into the horizon. They both stayed silent.

In the end, it was the villain who broke it.

"I need to go." They stated, standing up.

"oh really? Where are you off to?" The hero asked with genuine curiosity.

The villain shot them a baffled look, "you know I'm not going to tell you that... right?"

"Oh,"

"Your weird, hero,"

"Why thank you," The hero joked.

"Until next time," The villain stated, before stepping backwards off the roof.

"Farewell!" The hero called.

Things were... different after that night.

Second part here!

[childrenofthenightt]

only the black rose (chapter 4)

pairing: jimmy page x layla porter (oc)

warnings: bordering on nsfw, a little fluff, and yet another pretentious description of a zep song :)

words: 3.9k

summary: in the blink of an eye, it’s 1975 and layla’s suddenly joining led zeppelin for their north american tour. throughout the chaos, the band take a liking to her, she builds friendships with the boys, and love blossoms. but all good things must come to an end.

author’s note: i blushed countless times writing this chapter. also things are heating up folks!!! not beta’d as always! hope you enjoy!

masterlist

playlist

chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

----------

The dressing room of the Rotterdam Ahoy was certainly not a palace of luxury, with its plush navy couches and line of chairs pushed against the wall, next to a long folding table packed tight with refreshments. A full-length mirror sits in the corner, casting refractions of faint yellow light onto the off-white brick walls. John Bonham lounges on the loveseat, drumming out an intricate rhythm on his knees, brown eyes far away as he stares off into the distance. John Paul Jones perches on the chair nearest to the door, strumming a tune reminiscent of rockabilly on a beautiful mandolin, nodding his head to keep the beat.

Looking up, Jonesy spots Jimmy across from him, occupying the couch next to Bonzo. Jimmy is tuning up his acoustic guitar, no doubt the precious gift he had received just days before. Every so often, Jimmy would pause in his focused tuning to shift in his seat with a wince, stretching out, before finally resuming.

“You okay, Pagey?”

“...Hm?” Jimmy grunts out, concentration stolen completely by the beautiful guitar in his hands. Heavenly notes swirling around the small room, mixing seamlessly with the sharp harmonies of the mandolin. Jimmy did always preach about unity, after all.

“Are you okay? You keep wincing, and you’ve shifted in your seat about 20 times in the past two minutes.”

“My back is a little sore, I must have slept in an odd position. Nothing serious.” This is punctuated by a crackle as Jimmy stretches once more.

“Well, you did have a nice pillow though, didn’t you?”

“Jonesy—”

“I hope you know that Robert has pictures, Jim.”

“You’re joking.”

“Nope,” Bonzo chuckles, popping the P, and smirking at the man across from him, who has finally stopped plucking the strings of the guitar. Jimmy wrings his hands together, stopping only to thumb at his nose. “No need to be nervous, Page. I’m sure he’ll only show a couple of them at the wedding, which reminds me. We need to know her ring preferences. Stones are important to girls, or something.”

“He took more than one? Wait… Rings? We’re not… I’ve known her for like, 5 days! Marriage? She doesn’t even like me like—”

“Who’s getting married?” Layla questions, voice floating through the open door as she walks in, arm in arm with Robert, who is sporting a cheshire grin. The blond sends a subtle wink at Jimmy, strolling further into the room.

“Layla, quick question.”

“Oh no. Should I be scared?”

“Only a little bit.” Jonesy cuts in, chuckling at the helpless look on Jimmy’s face.

“Bonzo, I-I really don’t think—”

“Pagey, shush,” Bonzo interrupts the guitarist, who splutters, dumbfounded at the exchange taking place. He moves to stop Bonzo from speaking, but Bonzo shoves him back onto the couch behind him, Jimmy landing with a huff. “Now, birdie… What is your favourite gemstone?”

“Garnet. Do I want to know what this is about?”

“Probably not.”

“Great. Well, as fun as this has been, I’ve got to go find Peter, he wanted to talk to me about something,” Layla drawls, a smile just evident in the slight curl of her lips, painted a pretty pink in the artificial light of the room. She catches Jimmy staring her way, and her smile grows wider, taking in the stunned expression on his features.  “I just thought it would be a good idea to rescue Robert from the horde of groupies that had him surrounded first.”

“Very smart. It would be rather hard to play without our frontman. Unless… Bonzo, how quickly can we get Coverdale in here?”

“Jonesy, I’m hurt. You know my voice is better than his.”

“Every single day, I am astounded at how humble you are, Robert. Truly brings a tear to my eye.” Layla laughs, turning towards the door, when a soft voice pipes up from behind her, paired with the sound of footsteps, muffled by the carpet under their feet.

“Mind if I join you, petal?”

A soft smile graces the woman’s lips at the sound of Jimmy’s dulcet voice, and she turns around to face him. Gazing up at him almost shyly, she nods, and they walk out together, Jimmy’s arm comforting around the woman’s shoulders. As they exit the dressing room, Robert pokes his head out, a mischievous smile growing slowly.

“Use protection, you two. Can’t have any little Page-Porters running around the venue.” Before the duo could retort, Robert retreats into the dressing room once more, his golden curls and the sound of his cackle following. Embarrassment colouring his face, Jimmy releases his hold on Layla, but is stopped by a hand at his wrist. Forest green and golden brown meet once more as she nods lightly. Jimmy, confident that Layla is comfortable with his touch, wraps his arm around her shoulders once more, as they walk through the venue in search of Peter Grant.

“For a man of his stature, I hadn’t anticipated how hard it would be to find him.” Jimmy laughs, which causes Layla to look at the man. His laugh may just be one of her favourite sounds, she thinks. Jimmy, sensing Layla’s eyes on him, looks down at the woman, whose head dips shyly, so different from the sassy exterior she lets people see. He lets his gaze linger, taking in the unruly chestnut ringlets that frame her tanned face perfectly. Her brown eyes hold unimaginable depths, and he is frightened by how often he gets lost in them. Her lips, the colour of lovely flowers in the bright morning light, are bitten cherry red out of nerves. Layla looks up at him then, and instead of shying away, this time he holds her gaze.

“Jim, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course petal. Ask away.”

“I’m just… a little curious,” Layla says, smiling as she stares right back, biting her lip for an entirely different reason now. “Why exactly do you call me petal?”

“Because I can make you blush the colour of a rose in bloom.”

“...That was so cheesy. I hope you know that, Jimmy,” Layla says, a giddy laugh bubbling out past her lips. “You know, I need a nickname for you now, so we’re even.”

“Oh, is that right, petal?”

“It is, actually. How about… angel? I mean, just look at that face.”

Jimmy’s breath hitches, audible even through the bustle of pre-show preparations. His free hand moves up to scratch at his neck once more, a nervous tick, of which he has many, that Layla is now accustomed to. Recovering quickly, Jimmy smirks, eyes glinting mischievously.

“Actually, petal, I think I might be a devil in disguise, but that’s something for you to figure out.”

“Right, because a devil would definitely check up on me, and help me when I was drunk out of my mind, and make me morning coffee exactly the way I like it.”

Knowing he’s been beat, Jimmy’s gaze falls to his feet, suddenly very interested in a particularly deep scuff mark. Layla chances a look at the man, and smiles softly at his reaction. Stepping in front of him, she puts a hand to his shoulder, wiping off imaginary dust from his shirt. His eyes follow her fingers, which finally land on his chin, lifting his head to face her. Layla moves in closer, tucking the hair falling into his face behind his ear.

“I appreciate your help trying to find Peter, but you have a show to get ready for, don’t you, angel?”

“I—”

He is interrupted by the whisper of soft lips brushing his cheek, and the fading scent of the woman’s perfume as she slips past him.

“Damn, she’s good…”

----------

Maneuvering through the maze-like hallways of the arena, Layla finally spots Peter, who is in deep conversation with a stage-hand, back turned to her. Moving closer, she can hear snippets of conversation detailing stage lights and lasers, and she wonders just what she had gotten into. Peter, hearing the padding of Layla’s footsteps approaching, finally turns around, grinning the moment he sees her.

“Layla! I’d like to speak with you for a moment, if that’s okay?”

“Of course, Peter! In fact, I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Layla exclaims, falling into step with Peter as they trek through the long hallways once more. “You had said you wanted to talk to me earlier?”

“Right, yes. You had expressed interest in helping out in the wings during the tour,”  Peter says, leading the woman with a paternal hand at the small of her back, ensuring she doesn't get lost once again. “But I was wondering if you had wanted to maybe experience this show in the audience? I only ask, because the experience is much different from the crowd, and I wouldn’t want you to miss out.”

“I would love to, Peter, but if you do need help…”

“Go have fun, dear. A front-row view at a Led Zeppelin show doesn’t come very often, after all.”

“Thank you so much, Peter!”

“It’s my pleasure, Layla. Now, we’ll be on in about 30 minutes, so we better get you to your seats sooner rather than later.”

Peter riffles through the pockets of his blazer and produces a rectangular piece of paper, no doubt the tickets themselves. Layla is led to an usher, and Peter, with a wink and a smile, turns on his heel, walking away, no doubt to check on his boys. The usher leads her onto the floor, right in front of the stage. Layla thanks them, a gleaming smile making her glow.

The venue is already packed to the brim, and with a glance behind her, Layla spots an ocean of faces, eyes glued to the stage in anticipation. At the sight of this, Layla can’t help but reciprocate these feelings.

“Hell,” Layla mutters under her breath, shaking her head lightly. “I’ve seen them play in the studio… How much better could it get than that?”

In the relative darkness of the large room, she can see shadows moving out from the stage wings, the hollers of the crowd growing deafening.

Here we go.

A booming voice erupts out from the speakers scattered around the stage.  Layla can’t help but join in, letting out some cheers of her own, wide smile nearly splitting her cheeks.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Led Zeppelin!”

A soft click cuts through the sea of white noise like a knife, and the stage is illuminated by a giant sign reading, ‘Led Zeppelin’ in bold, lit letters, which ignites the flame of excitement once more. A smug look passes between them and the band starts to play, catching the audience off guard. Bonzo’s sharp drumming serves as a count-in for Jimmy and Jonesy, their combined excellence creating a solid wall of pure sound, only penetrated by Robert’s masterful wails. Jimmy, gleaming in a suit accented with shining panels of silver, looks absolutely decadent, enraptured by the music he is playing. The chorus sounds, echoing slightly, across the great sea of faces, who are relentless in their fiery adrenaline. Robert glides across the stage, singing as if the crowd were snakes and he was a charmer, entrancing them with his stage presence and golden voice.

“It's been a long time, been a long time, been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely... time.”

Finally, the last notes fizzle out, Jimmy improvising a run under the blanket of unity courtesy of the rhythm section, and the crowd’s screams grow thunderous, a reward for the incredible first song. This trend remained throughout the entirety of the concert, every song fueling the fire.

Layla is completely in awe, eyes blinking rapidly in hopes of comprehending exactly what she had just witnessed. She had known exactly how talented every one of them was, she had seen it just days ago when they had played in the studio, but what she hadn't anticipated, was just how much the stage lights and the crowd brought them to life. They looked holy, faces painted with pure concentration and confidence. Throughout the show, she couldn't help but hang on to Jimmy’s every move. Up there on stage, bliss apparent in the uptick of his rosy lips and eyes full of ecstasy, he was hypnotising, beautiful strong fingers tickling the fretboard in hopes of squeezing ethereal notes from it. The woman wonders what it would be like; for the guitarist to touch her like that. To make her whimper like the guitar he manipulates every night. She wonders what it would be like to touch unmarked, alabaster skin, to bury her fingers in jet black hair as perfect, pink lips rock her world. The touch of callused fingers making her skin tingle and hum and burn in euphoria.

“Layla, you’re going to start bleeding if you keep biting your lip like that. Are you alright, my dear?”

Looking up abruptly, Layla is met by the whiskered face of Peter Grant, smiling softly as he looks down at her. She shakes her head to banish the illicit thoughts, curls flying wildly about her head.

“I’m… Peter, that was incredible!”

“Why don't we sneak you backstage so you can tell the boys what you think?” Peter says, smirking at the astonished face of the young woman in front of him. “They've been asking about you ever since they got off stage.”

“Lead the way!”

The two make their way to the dressing rooms, idle chat between Layla and Peter the soundtrack. Walking through the dressing room doors, she sees the boys facing away from her, celebrating a job well done. Robert is reclined on the couch, two beautiful blondes on each side getting his full attention. Bonzo and Jonesy are chatting in the corner of the room, sipping on bottles of whatever liquor they could find. Jimmy stands alongside them, laughing softly, dimples rising on his cheeks. In the harsh light of the dressing room, the sweat dripping from Jimmy’s body makes him glow, and Layla can’t help but stare.

“Boys, it seems we have a guest.”

Four pairs of eyes lock on her, and she smiles winningly, the beginnings of a giggle bubbling up her throat.

“Excuse me, ladies,” says Robert, as he extricates himself from the arms of the blondes, smiling apologetically. “But I really must greet the little dove.”

Immediately, arms surrounding the young woman, and as bad as the boys smelled, impressively sweaty after such a wonderful show, she was too excited to care. Pulling back finally, she gives her friends a megawatt smile.

“Guys, that was… That was truly amazing! I don’t know how you did it,” exclaims Layla, hands flying every which way to prove her point. “But you completely exceeded my expectations! I thought your little studio performance was excellent, but… This!”

“Wow, Layla. You’ve got such a way with words.” Jonesy jokes, putting an arm around the woman, leading her into the post-performance chaos. Bonzo pours her a shot glass full of something unidentifiable, vodka perhaps, and Layla tips it back quickly. Liquid courage firmly in place, she catches Jimmy’s eye. Wrestling out of Jonesy’s arms, Layla struts over to the raven-haired man and guides him to the corner of the room, a small hand slipping into his.

“Petal—”

“Shush!  Jim, that performance was… I don’t know what to say! Everyone had a great show, of course, but your guitar,” Layla rambles, speaking so quickly that the guitarist can barely hang on to a word the woman is saying. “... And Stairway. Oh my god, I don’t think I looked away once during the whole song! And—”

“Layla—”

“... Communication Breakdown ended way too soon, but the way you moved your fingers so quickly across the fretboard. I just don’t even—”

“Petal, please calm—”

This time, Jimmy isn’t interrupted by the ranting woman, but rather a set of slightly chapped lips on his, and a soft hand cradling his cheek, the other a warm weight on his shoulder. Layla is… kissing him. As soon as he makes this discovery, the lips against his turn down into a slight frown, and begin to pull away. Frantic at the thought of Layla pulling back, Jimmy brings a hand to her face, the other threading through her unruly curls to land at the back of her head. Deepening the chaste kiss, Jimmy’s eyes close. If he had been less preoccupied, he would have seen Bonzo, phone in hand, calling home in hopes of talking to his lovely wife. He would have seen Jonesy, laughing and pressing ever-closer to a beautiful brunette, a hand pushing back her long wavy locks. He would have seen Robert walking closer with a smirk set on his lips.

Jimmy finally pulls away, staring deep into Layla’s chestnut eyes, glazed over slightly as she blinks back at him, lips a luscious red from the heated kiss. Jimmy opens his mouth to speak, but another voice beats him to the punch.

“Goodness, little dove, if I knew you were handing out kisses like that for a good performance, I would’ve walked off before Jimmy. Hell, I’d’ve shoved him to get to you.”

Layla scoffs at the blond’s words, her hands twined around the guitarist’s neck. “Sorry, blondie, I’m not handing those out to just anyone. Besides, don't you have two beautiful blondes looking to take a bite out of you?”

“Ah, you're right, little dove. Excuse me, but I must get going.” Robert says with a wink, strolling back over to the two women.

Layla looks back at Jimmy, to find him staring at her. They remain there, gazes locked on one other, until Jimmy finally looks away, scanning the room.

“Let’s go somewhere a little more private, hm?” Jimmy whispers, taking Layla’s hand in his and leading her out the door.

Walking through the maze of hallways, hand in hand, Layla is struck by the parallels of the last time her and Jimmy were here. Only this time, she hadn’t just kissed him on the cheek. Her cheeks flush a dark scarlet at the thought as she is pulled into a deserted room, hand still linked with Jimmy’s own.

“Layla, I…”

“That was…”

The couple speak in unison, nerves taking over. Jimmy takes a deep breath, gripping Layla’s hands tightly in his, as he looks down at her, green eyes twinkling like stars in the midnight sky.

“Are you,” He starts, clearing his throat as he gazes down at Layla, who is looking up at him in reverence, reminiscent of the look she had given him on the plane. “Are you okay, petal? You don’t seem like the kind of person to just… kiss someone like that.”

“Honestly? Angel, I’ve been thinking of doing that for a while. Since the moment I first saw you, really.”

“Well… The feeling is mutual, but I mean… I think we should talk about this.”

“Jimmy Page, always the pragmatist.”

The man chuckles, smirking at the woman, places a hand beside her head on the wall, leaning in close. “Hey, you’ve never complained about it before, so why start now?”

“Maybe I did, behind your back. You would have no way of knowing, would you?” Layla says, a sweet smile on her lips as she bats her eyelashes; the image of false innocence.

Jimmy smiles at the woman, until it slips off his face, his downcast eyes troubled. He reaches up a hand to thumb lightly at his nose, and she realizes that he’s nervous. Tilting his head up with a finger at his chin, she meets his eyes.

“Jim, what’s wrong? Did… Did you not like it? The kiss, I mean?” Jimmy startles at this, quick to reassure her with a hand at her cheek, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles along her cheekbone.

“Of course I liked it, petal. How could I not? I just… I want to do this right, Layla.”

“Mhm.” Layla hums, moving closer to the man, smirking softly at the nervousness that plagues the guitarist.

“You’re not just… You’re not just some groupie to me, y’know?”

“Mhm.”

“I don’t want this to be just a one night stand, or… or a fling, or a friends with benefits situation, Layla. I want you.”

“Right.”

“I think we should take this slow, and see where… When did you get so close to me?”

Layla leans forward, placing a peck on his lips, and pulls away, leaving him stunned. He shakes his head, and tries again, brow furrowing in determination. “Layla, I’m serious, I really—”

This is met by yet another peck of the lips. Jimmy opens his mouth to speak, trying once more, but he is thwarted by yet another sweet kiss. Finally giving in, Jimmy deepens the kiss, hands landing in her hair. He spins them around, and crowds Layla against the wall, pulling back briefly, which elicits a soft whine from the brunette.

“Jimmy—”

“Are you okay with this, petal?”

“... Get over here.”

She pulls him in once again, and they resume where they left off. Jimmy laps at the opening of Layla’s bottom lip, asking for entrance, and his request is granted. The couple battles for dominance, their hands roaming anywhere they could reach. Jimmy’s palm slides down to rest at her back, dangerously close to slipping lower. Layla smiles against his lips, and pulls away, breathing heavily. She presses one more breathless kiss to Jimmy’s lips, and smiles widely, taking in the man before her. His hair is a mess, his lips are swollen, and his eyes are locked onto hers, searching her face with a hint of a smile. She wants this to work; for them to work.

“Angel, I want to take this slow too. I don’t want to lose you to someone else, just because we rushed this. I do, however, hope we can still kiss like that on the regular.”

“We’ll see, petal.” Jimmy laughs, winding a familiar arm around her shoulders, as he presses a kiss to her cheek.

“Oh, how the tables have turned… I’m usually the one dishing out cheek kisses.”

“That may just have to change, then.”

“Be careful, I could very well just go and find Robert right now. You know, maybe I'll go steady with him instead…”

Laughter follows behind them like a shadow as they walk back to the dressing room to find the rest of their crew. Jimmy’s arm still rests around the shoulders of the woman, and as they enter, the band take in the disheveled state of the couple.  

“Oh my god—”

“Come on, boys, we have a plane to catch!”

“Actually, Pagey,” Jonesy interjects, smiling at the couple, eyebrows waggling. “We still have a few minutes. What happened while you were gone?”

“Did you guys, like… have a quickie in the custodial closet or something?”

“God, Bonzo, we—”

“Wouldn’t you like to know, Bonham.” Layla interjects, kind smile cutting through the sarcasm of her response. Bonzo smiles back, clapping Layla on the shoulder. Robert pouts playfully, curls bouncing as he lowers his head slightly.

“That should have been me…”

Peter chooses this moment to walk in, alerting them that it’s finally time to leave. One taxi ride later, everybody piles into the Starship, making themselves comfortable. Jimmy and Layla take a spot on the comfortable loveseat, and fall asleep right away, leaning up against one another.

If they wake up, backs sore once again, it’s worth it to them.

----------

taglist: @jimmys-zeppelin @salixfragilis @timetraveller4 (let me know if you want to be added!)

[lohtulauluja]

Hmm! This is difficult, because I still remember most of my snippets in Finnish, but I'll try to get three in English and in Finnish. I have pretty good memory, though, but the grammar might be off. We'll see.

English:

1. "I had forgotten how much light there is in the world, till you gave it back to me."

(Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea)

2. Stories may well be lies, but they are good lies that say true things, and can sometimes pay the rent.

(Neil Gaiman)

3. "someone, I say

someone will remember us

even in another time"

(Sapfo, I guess - not sure about the exact wording though)

Finnish:

1. graniitin kovaan kylkeen / kovin harva tarttua tohtii / joku jäkälä vain / jokin kirpeä yrtti

ja sipulin silmät itkee / meren suolaista vettä

vaan auringon valossa graniitti on lämmin / ja hoivaa lempeämmin

(lasten kuvakirjasta Maijan aakkoset, josta opin lukemaan)

2. "Jos olisin syntynyt kirjailijaksi, kirjoittaisin oikein iloisen tarinan. Kertoisin Nikosta ja villikissasta. Mutta en kertoisi siitä, miten Niko piileksi tuulimyllyssä ja ahtaassa häkkivarastossa. Enkä siitä, miten villikissa virui haavoitettuna salin lattialla."

(Alki Zei, kirjasta Villikissa katsoo lasin takaa)

3. "Älä sano mitään.

Jos sanot sanankin,

en enää tiedä mitä ajattelet."

(Kai Nieminen, kokoelmasta Kiireettä)

list 3-5 snippets of literature/media that live in your head rent free to the point where you have them memorized. write them down from memory! (try not to cheat!)

@black-lodge-gatekeeper tagged me in this! oh boy i havent been tumblr-tagged in years. I’m embarrassed by my answers already and I’m not even sure what I’m about to write at this point. Let’s see…

1. it goes like “Why beautiful, if lame… why lame, if beautiful” as one of Machado de Assis’ asshole characters wonders about some girl. I want to say it’s from Bras Cubas’ Posthumous Memories. Which also has one of the greatest first lines of any book.. something like “I dedicate this book the the worm that first feasted on my cold flesh”

2. not sure about the english translation but “it wasn’t before you that i bowed, but before all of human suffering” from Crime and Punishment

3. from a book about the first emperor of Brazil, a snippet about how he kept his dead, mummified stillborn son inside an armoire, i don’t know the exact words (and i would have to translate them so they wouldn’t be exact anyway) but that fact lives with me, because every now and then i need to shock people with random knowledge 

4. “im going away to Pasargada, for there I am friends with the King. There I’ll have the women I want, in the bed of my choosing” from Manuel Bandeira’s Pasargada, also a rough translation

5. “No one witnessed the burial of your last chimera” Augusto dos Anjos’ “intimate verses” 

6. Ill just say I have a separate cortex just for Simpsons quotes, like “No one ever said ‘Italy’ ” from Scorpio and “my diagnosis is.. a BAD BABYSITTER” (also translations so maybe not exactly the english original) 

This was kind of a revelation. I have a much better memory for texts in portuguese. For english texts I don’t have a quot-y memory, I can remember the stories but not so much the exact words, which is weird. Except for stuff like “so long, and thanks for all the fish” which they turned into a song so thats cheating. So I’m sorry for all the portuguese quotes. All in all my memory for exact quotes is pretty bad

I’m tagging @drjohnweston @katbelleinthedark and @schaudwen if they’re up to it!

[undyingsunshine]

Thanks @cross-d-a and @jockvillagersonly for the tag!!! 💙💙

Name: undyingsunshine

I've been on the internet for a whole 10-12 years, and I've had quite a few name changes xD The most recent change was 2017, and it wasn't until I made this tumblr and my new AO3 a few months ago that I realised how difficult it is to choose a user/name that I connected with. I wanted to keep my DMBJ fandom posting and the rest of my online shenanigans relatively separate, which is why I didn't just use my default name ^^ As for what this username means/comes from... It was actually kind of a reference to the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I was going to go with "EternalSunshine" but I felt like undying sounded better, and also felt more like its own thing. ^^ Undying could also be seen as a reference to ZQL's immortality xD Sunshine is such a lovely word and I most often use it in reference to my two NCT biases, as well as most other things that make me happy. It's so warm and bright and basically everything I wish to be! ((oh and also... may or may not remind me of Funshine Bear from Care Bears))

Fandom

I've been in too many to count! Right now, we're in DMBJ hell and I'm loving it so far!!! Everyone's just...so sweet? and kind? and funny???? Honestly I was really worried about interacting with people at first, but now I feel a bit more comfortable in doing so!

Tropes

I'm not actually sure what tropes I like xD I mostly just read something if I like the premise or if it's from a writer I like! That being said, I tend to be drawn to (soft) whump/hurt/comfort or sickfics cause they're just too cute ;^; And they can really bring out a lot of character moments, or demonstrate good relationships between characters. If your story has whump/hurt/comfort and a fandom I like, chances are that I'll try it out! This is also the kind of fic that I write the most. If you want 10 relatively similar sickfics written, I'm the girl to ask XD

Fic I spent most time on

Technically I have a fic for another fandom that I worked on for around two years that I never actually finished ^^;  I dropped it in the middle of a total rewrite, and I hope some day I can go back to it and finish it for the sake of the readers xD

For DMBJ, the fic I've spent most time on is probably 'I'm Here' since I've been working on it for... months xD I am an extremely slow writer and I'm trying not to be sorry about it bcs everyone had their own pace, and it just so happens that mine is equivalent to a sloth xD

Favourite fic(s) you've written

Probably the same fic I talked about in the previous answer! It has a special place in my heart. I also don't mind I'm Here too much! There some personal wips that I quite like too, but I'm not sure if I'm up for sharing them yet xD

Fic I spent least time on

Probably the "Li Cu fucking Dies" fic, otherwise titled "Come with me, I promise the water is fine."  It's pretty much just a slight rehash of a post I made that I then turned into a fic. There wasn't a whole lot of time spent on it, mostly for the sake of my own poor heart xD

Longest fic

Definitely the fic I spent most time on. It was around 39K words, which isn't a lot but, again, I am a slow writer xD

Shortest fic

Definitely "Come with me..." which is around 370 words! Unless I was to dredge up a REALLY REALLY REALLY OLD pokemon fanfic I wrote when I was 11. I doubt that any of the chapters got past the 100 word mark xD

Most hits/kudos/comments/bookmarks: 

The unnamed long fic returns! Definitely my most popular fic by far.

Fic you want to rewrite/expand on: 

Definitely would rewrite the unnamed fic and I think I might add onto I'm Here's universe? Or maybe the AU where Li Cu is dead.

Share a bit of a WIP:

Ok this comes from a dumb fic idea that I had where Li Cu and his snake spirit argue constantly, but Li Cu often argues his points out loud, and people catch him talking to himself too many times xD Of course, after this snippet it turns a little angsty (because Wu Xie and Li Cu's angst towards each other is Eternal around here) but I cut it out since I don't post enough fluffy-ish content xD

You need sleep.

"Not at 7 in the evening!" Li Cu protested in frustration. "I have work to do-"

"Are you arguing with yourself?"

Uh oh.

Li Cu is frozen on the spot for a moment, blinking stupefied at the wall. A new wave of emotions eclipses his anger, and instead he's drowned out with embarrassment, anxiety and slight panic.

He turns around slowly to see Wu Xie standing behind the couch, watching him with undisguised amusement, those clever eyes already beginning to deconstruct Li Cu in the same way Li Cu used to deconstruct pens as a kid.

Or. Maybe not as clumsily. Wu Xie's innate ability to read others was more like how a clocksmith seamlessly pieces together all the intricacies of, well.... a clock...

Where the fuck was he even taking this?

The point is, Wu Xie is a crafty bastard who knows his way around people - especially ones like Li Cu who basically wear their heart on their sleeve. Or if you want to be more accurate, right on his fucking forehead like that weird headband game.

Li Cu swallows his panic with the intensity of a man starved.

"Uh... I uh... No...?" Smooth. "Not... Not really...?"

Wu Xie raises an eyebrow and levels Li Cu with a disbelieving grin.

"Oh really? Who are you talking to, then?"

"I mean... You right now, if we're being--"

"Alright smartass, who were you talking to before I came in? The wall? A ghost?"

Well, he's technically not wrong there...

"I... Ah...."

You are quite inept at this.

"Shut it!"

And there we go!!! Sorry if this ate up ppl's dashes ;;; I'm tagging @tbx12 @traineecryptid and @strandedchesspiece ((don't feel pressured to do it!! ♡♡ It's fine if you can't/don't want to ^^)) and anyone else who sees this and wants to give it a go!!

[third-rail-vip]

fic writer interview

Tagged by @adventuresofmeghatron

I’m late so you’ve probably already done this but tagging:  @laurelsofhighever  @tanaleth  @asaara-writes  @allisondraste  @pchberrytea  @red-hot-chili-tiefling

Thank you for tagging me!  Sorry it’s taken me forever, my imposter syndrome has been laughing loudly in my face at the idea of being considered a ‘writer’.  Please, come in, sit down and have a look see at my complete lack of process or general idea of what’s going on :) 

Name:  Ginger

Fandoms:  Fallout 4 currently.  Dragon Age a while back.

Where you post:  I put all my full fics on AO3 and if it’s a shorter one then I post the whole thing here on tumblr too.  If it’s giant then I post a snippet here with a link to AO3.

Most Popular One-shot:  Based on kudos The Wanderers - yeah i’m surprised too.  It was my first venture back into writing after taking time out and it was a whole new fandom and a game I was new to.  It was a fun silly little exercise in me learning my new otp and working out their fairly early days dynamic.

By comments, it’s Complicated.  I’d had that one in mind for a while before writing it (probably why it took 4 rewrites before it felt how I wanted it to).  It’s a good bit of post-feral encounter wound tending and hurt/comfort with some feels starting up (or becoming harder to deny).

Most Popular Multichap:  I don’t have any multichapter fics any more.  Once upon a time I had a Dragon Age Origins one.  I’m not good at the commitment of multichapter.  I made it 14 chapters into that one and it took me so long to drag myself out of Lothering I took it out back and shot it.

My Fallout one shots are part of an ongoing series - Then I Met You - which is a series of snapshots of Ivy and MacCready relationship (it’s still in pre-relationship stages right now).  It’s mostly character driven rather than main plot driven, but it does fit within the fallout 4 canon with some backstory and timeline canon divergence.

Favourite story you’ve written so far:  You know what, it’s my least popular Fallout one, but I have a soft spot for Blood & Rain.  It’s the second one I wrote and it’s Ivy’s pov with a hint at her pre-war life (she’s a non-canon origin sole survivor).  I got to indulge myself in writing descriptions and some action - my old faves from when I used to write (pew pew is way harder to write than stab stab).  It’s also got a really important bonding moment between Ivy and MacCready.

Fic you were nervous to post:  Every damn one.  Sharing anything you’ve made really is putting a little piece of your heart out on a platter for everyone to see and waiting to see what will happen to it.   I guess The Wanderers was extra nerve wracking because it was the first thing I wrote after telling myself I’d never go back to writing, it was kind of a make or break experiment.  Blood & Rain because of the potentially triggering material, hoping I’d touched personal subjects with enough sensitivity but also still telling the story I needed to.  

How do you choose your titles:  hahahaha WELL, I finish faffing with the main story in AO3 and then am outraged that I’m expected to have a name ready before I can post it.  Honestly though, I’ve no formula.  They all have working titles in google docs which tend to be either a vague description of what’s happening, or a song title/lyric that’s running through my head while I write.  Like, the current fic I’m working on is ‘mass pike pt 2’ which is a useless title since the part 1 was actually called Gunners & Grudges.  And I won’t know until posting day what I’m going to call it.  

I did put some serious thought into a title for my series - Then I Met You.  I was cycling through song lyrics or things that might be a general vibe for them but settled back on one line from MacCready’s final affinity chat, “then I met you”. And it just fit so well.  Meeting each other is a turning point for both of them; whether you just look at it as making a friend in the wasteland, or finding some direction after drifting for too long, or there finally being a glimmer of hope after a long time in the dark (this all counts for both of them), something changed when they met.  

Do you outline:  Sort of.  I have a massive ‘fallout notes’ document where i just jot down whenever i have an idea of something i want to write, or just random bits of dialogue that spring into my mind (that may never see the light of day again).  From there, if I want to expand them I tend to bullet point with plot ideas, more dialogue, key backstory or important things I want to cover.  I tend to have multiple fics I’m doing this with at once and I bounce between them depending on where my mind has drifted off to that day.  By the time I actually come to write something, I tend to have a lot of notes to work from, in fact quite often I have to cut back on all the ideas I wanted to cram in and some things get slotted back into the giant fallout doc for future reference.

Complete:  I only have one shots, so technically they’re all complete and can be read, for the most part, individually without you needing to have read the others.  They will make sense, there might just be some context from previous one shots in there.

In progress:  Then I Met You is an ongoing series for my Mac x Ivy one shots.

Prompts?:  I do put prompt list out there for Mac x Ivy when my brain isn’t cooperating and I feel like a need a little extra inspiration.  For the current series I’m hoarding them and working them into the context one shots I have planned.  Pretty much all my Dragon Age Origins one shots over on AO3 were prompt fills.

Upcoming work you’re most excited about:  Ugh guys we’re getting close to them getting together territory and boy do I wish my brain was being cooperative so I could get these couple of stories in between down on the page and could start working in earnest on those ones.  There’s a lazy morning in bed after a big party fic I’m really looking forward to writing (I’m looking forward to both tbh) - any excuse to explore stories behind scars and tattoos and I’m there for it.  I’m even getting a commission from the amazing @tarberrymentats  for it *discord wiggle*, so yeah, I’m excited about getting to that one!

Anyway thank you for reading my ramblings x

[strangergrove]

× VOL 001 × 04.19.2020 ×

TUMBLR | @bambixxblue AO3 | moonlight_xx

× these hearts adore (every other beat, the other one beats for) ×

WORD COUNT: 10,569

CHAPTERS: 2/?

My Tumblr prompt fics all in one place. Some pining, some angst, but usually always a damn happy ending.

1. peach, curve of an ear, coffee grounds, veined hands, thunder

2. ways to say 'i love you' - 'i brought you an umbrella.'

The writing in this is so exquisite. It feels like cracking open a favourite book on a rainy Sunday morning, when the rest of the world is still asleep. It's comforting and poetic and incredibly heartwarming.

The first chapter takes us along on a sweet little vacation to California, a last hurrah of sorts, before the kids head off to college. It's sweet and peach-soaked and you can feel the ocean breeze against your skin with every passing word. It's the exact brand of happiness our boys deserve.

The second part is an achingly beautiful redemption for Billy. He learns how to let his wounds heal, learns how to let others in, learns how to trust and love. His initial interactions when he meets Steve are so precious and it shows how complex of a person he is, the softness beneath his concrete shell. I will devour any update to this amazing collection.

× the light of day shows me how ×

WORD COUNT: 39,173

CHAPTERS: 7/7

And from Robin, a single picture: the official cast list.

ROMEO MONTAGUE...BILLY HARGROVE

JULIET “JULIAN” CAPULET...STEVE HARRINGTON

Ah, fuck.

(or, Steve and Billy are in ballet school. They're cast in LGBT+ Romeo and Juliet. Featuring mutual pining, angst to fluff, and an Ancient Slavic demon cult. It gets weird.)

This is such a fun read. The spattering of background into the story really carves out the characters so well, choreographing the story in such a way that you fall into their lives without realizing it. You sit down to watch Steve practice his role for Julian and suddenly find yourself wondering if that small stutter you just saw has anything to do with any number of little details you know of his past. You see Billy storm across the studio floor and know that he’s trying to bury something that keeps resurfacing, but he refuses to let anyone help him.

It’s wonderful watching the way the boys play off of each other, pushing one another to better themselves in both their dance and their personal lives. Watching Steve fumble with his newfound and confusing feelings is sweet, hopeful, just waiting, waiting for it to tip over the edge, for the boys to fall into the space they’ve always belong: by each other’s side.

I’ve never done ballet, only watched it here and there in movies and shows, but I fell in love with this story, the way their dances are described, their movements. So if you’ve never been that into ballet, don’t let that deter you from reading this story. It’s so much more than just ballet.

× friends should sleep in other beds ×

WORD COUNT: 13,517

CHAPTERS: 2/2

It isn’t easy being in love with your best friend.

It especially isn’t easy being in love with your best friend if he’s the practical-Godfather of your university.

(or, 'I won't let anyone hurt you; you're safe with me' prompt fill where Steve thinks his love is one-sided but it absolutely isn't. Feat. loving girlfriends and Hawaiian vacations.)

This story is beyond achingly stunning. It’s all whirlwinds and longing and the white-knuckle deathgrip of trying to hold onto something you’re convinced is going to slip away. The deep, binding relationship between Billy and Steve is beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. Both characters have obvious trenches of emotional trauma they’ve had to trudge through to get where they are, trenches they’re still slowly crawling their ways out of.

The words are so wonderfully crafted that I felt the sway and break of Steve’s emotions at the same time he did. I felt the longing, the sorrow, the sputtering flame of hope that just refuses to gutter and die. I want to say I wanted more of this story, but I don’t know if my heart could have handled it. No, it was the perfect length, detailing the long harrowing journey of love and friendship, of finding family that doesn’t come from blood, of holding desperately onto things that are worth the bruises they leave on your fingers.

TUMBLR | @cameorabbit AO3 | CaffeinatedBunny

× Life Is Sweet ×

WORD COUNT: 8,676

CHAPTERS: 4/4

Snapshots of domestic bliss, between loving boyfriends.

(This story will be marked as complete but I will be adding chapters as the muses come to me or when I need a break from some of my larger wip)

This wonderful little collection offers us a sweet insight into the boys' relationship. We get small glimpses into the boys' pasts that add layers to the stories. We get to see little snippets of Steve's relationship with his mother and grandmother. We get to see Billy's insecurities. 

Each story has it’s own little theme, if you will, from baking Christmas cookies to battling insecurities in their relationship. Each story gives us a little more, brings us a little deeper into these boys’ lives, adds that next layer to them that has you coming back to see how they’ve developed. I'm looking forward to any future additions to this collection.

× When I run out of road (You bring me Home) ×

WORD COUNT: 5,316

CHAPTERS: 1/1

The road back to Hawkins Indiana is long and tedious with neither of them really wanting to reach their destination; so to distract them both Billy has a plan to make it as pleasurable for both of them as he can.

Uffda. This was a fun read. Now, before I dive into the review, just a heads up: this is a PWP with dom/sub. And apologies in advance for my inability to be eloquent about smut.

The dynamic between the two was a joy to read. Steve's mannerisms as a baby and the way Billy handles him as his Daddy was fantastic. It's not heavy dom/sub here, but you can tell they've had this relationship for a while. They're both comfortable in their roles and both know exactly what they're doing, and how to get a rise out of each other. But between the power play and the drops of backstory, there's actually some beautiful writing here, too. There were a few lines that I found myself rereading just because they sounded beautiful.

Also, I just have to say... The way Billy handles his own cock... Why do I love that so much? Just little things, too, like tapping it against the steering wheel while he's teasing Steve.

× I'll Keep you Mine ×

WORD COUNT: 3,926

CHAPTERS: 1/1

Billy's forged a kingdom and took an empty throne, and he'll burn anyone and anything that tries to take it from him.

(My Dudes this whole story is pretty much the Grumpy Possessive one claims the Sunshine One - Literally. And I ain't even mad.)

Here we get a gorgeously written tale that spins the events of the Upside Down in a different light. I don't want to spoil what that is, as it's not explicitly stated in the summary or tags, so you'll have to read to find out! This idea could easily be fleshed out into a much longer piece, but there's also something about just getting a small taste of an idea that is very enjoyable.

There is this persistent sense of danger beneath all the beautiful imagery. It's in the pacing of the story, in the way Billy needs to claim Steve. We get enough of a taste of this otherness to want more, to want to see exactly how everything unfolds.

TUMBLR | @wickedlydevious AO3 | wickedlydevious

× Weak Hands, Weak Lungs, Strong Heart ×

SERIES: Strong Heart

WORD COUNT: 2,771

CHAPTERS: 1/1

After the events at Starcourt Mall, Billy is recovering in the hospital and bored out of his mind. The only bright spots are when Max comes to visit.

And then Steve Harrington starts visiting too and that's even better.

There is a very beautiful light and warmth throughout this story. Billy's character feels so accurate, and the way he deals with being in the hospital and everything that entails is exquisitely portrayed here. What Billy has to deal with in the wake of the Mind Flayer grates against his entire personality, but it forces him to step outside of his comfort zone, outside of himself, and relearn how to interact with people, namely Steve.

The thing I loved most about this story is that we get to see these different facets of Billy, facets that maybe even he didn't really know were there, ones he never allowed himself to show because of his father. Still recovering, still being dependent on other people forces these different aspects of him into the world, and it's beautiful. It creates this very special sort of relationship between Billy and Steve that is just so pure and heart warming. I'll definitely be coming back to this when I need a spark of joy.

× Weak Backbone, Strong Convictions ×

SERIES: Strong Heart

WORD COUNT: 3,212

CHAPTERS: 1/1

After the events at Starcourt Mall, Steve starts bringing Max to visit Billy at the hospital.

And then Steve starts visiting on his own.

The sweetness continues with the second part of the Strong Heart series. The events of the first part are retold, but this time through Steve's POV. I've always loved the idea of telling the same events from different perspectives and this did not disappoint. The events may be the same, but you feel them differently than when they were told through Billy's perspective. Though the tone of the previous installation is ultimately uplifting, it's clear Billy is struggling. This part, however, is overflowing with hope, which only adds to the already beautiful feeling of the last piece. Don't think that because you already know the events that will take place because you read the last part that you shouldn't read this one. It's beautiful and moving and there are moments added that would be a shame to miss out on. I really hope this series continues, because it is wonderfully uplifting, but it stands strong all the same, just as it is.

× T(h)ree Mistakes ×

WORD COUNT: 4,559

CHAPTERS: 1/1

It’s their first Christmas in their own apartment and Steve reluctantly tasks Billy with getting the tree.

Mistakes are made.

This is a great read for the holidays. Billy's tree-getting adventures brought back so many memories of going to the tree farm down the road from our house as a kid and making a day of trying to find a tree that didn't look like trash and wouldn't break the bank. The feel of the story is cozy and sweet, like a warm and sleepy holiday morning. The kids, now teens, make a short but fun appearance that really makes this story feel like it's about found family. 

This story is like coming home, rounding up all of your best friends you haven’t seen in ages, and making a night of the holidays. It’s sipping eggnog, the lights turned down low, and listening to the sweet croon of gentle music somewhere in the house. This story is comfort and happiness and love. Now I want some hot apple cider...

QUESTIONS? VISIT THE FAQ

FIND ALL VOLUMES HERE

[langdxn]

I'm smoking hookah and it got me thinkin, either different stages of Michael and/or Cody's other characters smoking hookah with you....a little fun snippet that I can't wait to read since you ARE so good at your writting 🖤

Have I ever told you how much I love you babe? 🖤🖤🖤 Also this is SUCH a good request, hookah’s not a huge thing here in the UK except at festivals (unless I’m living a very sheltered life... not out of the realms of possibility) but I’ll try my best here from a cigarette smoker’s perspective with a heavy smoking kink. If anybody needs a Cody characters x smoking cigs, I’m your girl 👀

If there’s one Michael stage that’s up for a drag, grunge!Michael is your boy. You’ll find him in the kitchen at house parties trying his best to keep the pipe to himself, wide hands clasped around it protectively in the hope nobody can see it or, in fact, the ominous wall of white smoke billowing around him. That is, until you waltz in wearing the shortest black leather dress his eyes have ever seen. Catching your eye through the smog he’s made around the kitchen island, he tips the pipe toward you in his first social gesture of the evening. As you meander over to him, a coy smile beckons. “Need a hit, gorgeous?”

Is there anything Xavier hasn’t tried before? Hotboxing the Vanta-C is Mr Plympton’s favourite pastime when he’s on a break between aerobics classes. In fact, half the reason you met is by following the heavenly scent to his vehicle as you parked up at the studio. As you knock curiously on the back door, a slicked-back figure emerges from the smoke peering over his sunglasses. “Come on in honey,” he leans back against the sliding door to welcome you in, a saccharine coloured hookah pipe perched on the van table. “I call next.”

Duncan may be a refined creature but when you’re both wandering DC at night after tiring of your usual haunts, a neon-coated shisha bar calls you in from the cold. Shrinking into his collar at first should any media informants have spotted you diving inside, Mr Shepherd soon loosens up and becomes perfect company for a smoke. “This shit is pr—pretty damn good,” he splutters through his second toke. “I almost forgot about my problems. Almost.”

Let’s face it, Jim’s done basically everything that’s passed through Palos Verdes, so he’s no stranger to the pipe of destiny. “Look, I’m the caterpillar from that movie!” He splits his sides laughing, swirling his smoke around his head like the most easily amused kid. While you’re more likely to smoke up with him at parties and spontaneous meet-ups in parking lots, he loves nothing more than bringing his pipe over to your place to hot box your room in front of your favourite serial killer documentaries.

Richard probably wouldn’t have the first idea about hookah, it’s not like the clinic actually allows fun, let alone smoking. However, our soft boi is beyond curious as hell so when he spots you sneaking around the dimly-lit corridors at the dead of night, he follows you intently to the laundry room where you’re smoking up on top of a washer. A comforting smile ekes across his lips as he lays eyes on you in a puff of smoke, about as Casanova as the clinic can get. “So,” he sighs contentedly as he hops up onto the dryer beside you, legs swinging idly against the metal. “What are we having?”

The first time you ask David if he’d like a drag, he’s nose deep in research for an upcoming project and he politely declines for the sake of his concentration. As you retire to the bathroom to smoke out the window, purely out of love and respect for him as he struggles with his workload, a tentative knock raps the door as he steps in. “Would that help me with this stress? I can barely see straight right now.” All you have to do is shrug and he takes you by the hand to lead you back to the front room, planting the pipe on the desk beside his neatly organised sketches. With a warm smile and a brave, gentle inhale, his decision has already paid off.

Jerome’s the seasoned professional when it comes to hookah. If you’re an apprehensive newcomer, he’ll reassure you and wait until you’re comfortable enough to try it out. If you’re a regular, however, he’ll show off his pipe collection and dip into an alternative realm where he deems it acceptable to help you try every flavour and strain he owns. Once he snaps back into the room and clocks your eyes glazing over, least of all from his incessant talking, he’ll cast the pipe to one side and shift to the seat beside you. “I’m so sorry,” an insecure laugh concealed under his breath as his head droops shyly. “I’ll shut up about this stuff.” With a finger reaching to his chin to lift his face back up with a smile, you reassure him calmly — “please don’t ever shut up about this stuff.”

[phantomwitch16]

Real Dreams, Fake Compassion

Hey, this is a kind of snippet of what I wanted to do to do back when this I first came to me a few years ago. Back then, this was going to be a mix of the shows and series I was into at the time with my favourite character facing a lot of tough shit.

Now, the idea is very different, with the only series involved is Inazuma 11. This is the original post which I have edited, added and cut a lot out of it so I could fix the narrative. It might not be all that great, just to warn you. So it might be familiar to those have read it before back when I first posted this in 2020.

Also warning this has mention of self harm, depression, ptsd and some other dark subjects. You have been warned.

__________________________________________________

Blade ducked and jumped away from the man as an energy blast was shot at his head. He glanced back and growled under his breath. Dammit, he was almost hit. The energy field around him absorbed the attacks as he readied a blood-red energy orb that fit easily in his right fist.

Constable chuckled darkly as a golden-yellow orb that was about the size of melon forming in his hands." It's been a long time, boy. I see that despite your lack of training over the past year and a half now, you're still as agile and strong as I remember."

The former squire growled at the mention of his old title." What are you doing here, Constable?" he sneered, glaring up at the man." If I remembered correctly, you despised being here. It must be terrible if you of all people crawled out of Wonderland just to see little old me."

"I assure you, Blade, that I am here by the orders of the queen herself. There's a situation that has come up, and the queen needs our allies and men to return home." The older woman answered, and Blade's orb turned into a brighter shade of blue.

The boy rolled his eyes in disgust." Of course, there is. Why else would you show your face to me after everything that happened?"

Constable scoffed before he gave Blade a coy look and began walking over to him." Oh, come now, Blade. You've always known you were always my favourite."

Blade scoffed." Funny. I always assumed Midori was your favourite out of the two of us. Given how much time you spent with her, this kind of surprised me."

The man let out a laugh." You know I care more about results and precision. While she was strong, she lacked the necessary…skills and motivation to get those results like you did."

"Well, at least one of us will be leaving this life pleased." The boy muttered sarcastically, giving Constable a fake smile.

"If that's true, show me then, Knave." He growled, glaring at the young boy.

The two threw their orbs at each other, with there being a resulting explosion when they met.

“So before you went to the sleepover at Sorano’s house, a hole just appeared from under you and took you?” Tsurugi asked as he and Midori walked back from the school to Midori’s apartment complex.

Midori nodded.” Yep.”

“Then you were brought to this weird fairytale world where everyone there looked exactly like everyone that you knew, including us?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And for the three months you went missing, you were literally caught in the crossfire of some political disagreements, and the people there used you to sort out every petty fight that resulted in physical conflicts afterwards?”

The girl sighed.” Pretty much. I know it sounds stupid and unbelievable, but it’s true. I don’t have proof or anything, but please don’t look at me and call me crazy. I’ll already get enough of that back at home with my mom.”

“I’m not saying that your story isn’t true, senpai. Really, I kind of believe you.” The junior said, earning a perplexed look from Midori.” Look, given the fact that we know time travel exists and we’ve met aliens. I think the idea of another world connected to ours might not be so far fetched.”

She stared at him for a moment before she turned to look back down at the pavement.” That at least makes one of us.” She murmured.

Tsurugi looked up at her and gave her a confused look.” Senpai?”

“Ever since I came back, I thought everything was all a dream,” Midori admitted quietly, stopping in front of an alleyway with her friend stopping beside her.” In fact, I outright denied it. I thought I just got attacked at my house then got taken by weirdos for a few months before turning up in the alleyway. That my mind just made things up to cope with the trauma.”

“But ever since I came back, the memories…the trauma, it kept on coming back.” She said, shifting in her spot on the pavement.” Every night I would wake up from nightmares about that place. Whether it was on the battlefield or within the walls of the kingdom. And since then, something…somethings been happening to me. For a while now, somethings been holding me back, weighing me down to the point where I don’t have the energy to get my own bed my bed.”

She looked at her right hand, the white bandage that was wrapped securely around it, a dull pain pulsing under it.” And when I do…I feel so numb. It’s gone to the point where I get curious whether or not I can feel things anymore.”

With another sighed she looked back up, pushing the strands of hair out of her face with her bandaged hand.” The worst part is that I didn’t even notice how bad it was for me until Aoi and Akane talked to me about it. They told me that they knew something was up for a while and how they felt…long story short, I started looking at myself from a different perspective. Honestly, I can’t blame them for being concerned. I would’ve been, too, if the shoe was on the other foot. But I wonder if you and the others noticed too before they told me.”

Tsurugi did, in fact, notice. Everyone in the club has. Since she came back, Midori became quiet, reclusive and skittish. She became thinner, bags began to grow under her eyes, and her appearance became more dishevelled. It became the topic of concern when she returned to school. Especially since she started to get hurt more often.

But he didn’t say anything and just let her speak her mind.

He looked back up at him,” Then one day, my hand started to glow. The stuff in my room started floating in the air. That’s when I realised shit was real.” She said, pulling off the bandage to reveal a tender red burn mark on the back of her hand.

Tsurugi winced upon seeing it.” Is that alright?”

“Not at the moment. But it will be in a second.” She answered.

Without another word, her hand began to gleam bright blue. The junior watched in awe as the burn mark quickly began to fade away. Just as the wound finally heal there was a loud and sudden crash startled the two teens.

“What the hell was that?” Tsurugi exclaimed, looking down the street.

Midori looked around before her attention turned to the alleyway beside them. She stared down there intently for a moment before she spotted something. Then took off.

“Senpai! Wait!” Tsurugi exclaimed as he ran after she ran into the dark alleyway.

The girl kept her eyes trained to the shield, following the massive amounts of magic that practically flowed through the air. Then several meters in front of her was a clearing with Blade and Constable already there charging another attack. 

Midori’s heart stopped when she saw them. She didn’t know what surprised her more. Was it the familiar faces that haunted her dreams for over a year? Or was it the raw power she felt coursing their attacks?

There was another attack, making the girl jump back to see two orbs flying at the other. The two easily deflected them, with Constable put up her hand and absorbed orb while Blade dodged it.

The boy looked precisely like Tsurugi. From his pale skin, lanky figure, spikey dark blue hair and sharp golden eyes. He wore a black sleeveless turtleneck shirt with pieces of armour strapped to his left shoulder and knee caps, black pants and brown boots.

He wore regal white clothing that reminded Midori of European royalty with red and black accents. Meanwhile, the man with him looked like the spitting image of Sennguji Daigo.

Tsurugi quietly came up and hid behind the trees beside her. He doubletake when he saw the two in front of them. He turned to Midori with an expression of disbelief on his face and muttered to her.” Is that me and Mr Sennguji?”

Midori didn’t respond. She could only stare at the pair who had her attention, hearing little snippets of the conversation.

"You must obey me, Blade." Constable growled, holding out his left hand towards the boy as an animous yellow glow began to shimmer." This was the very deal your queen agreed to back when you first came under my wing. Now came along." He ordered, clenching her hand into a fist.

Blade loudly grunt, falling to his knees but didn't move any closer towards him. The woman's eyes narrowed again before she sighed loudly.

She made her way towards him and grabbed his chin, turning him to face her as she gives him a sympathetic look." Blade. I understand what you're feeling right now. I know that you hold a great deal of anger and rage towards the people in Wonderland and even me. Please, let me help make it up to you. Come back to Wonderland, fight with us to defeat the emperor and the warlords. Leave this pathetic world and help avenge Midori."

They stared at her before a chuckle left his lips before full-blown laughter began to echo the area. The two teenagers hiding behind the trees stared at him in shock, as did Warlock, who took several steps back away from him, taking a defensive stance.

"You think…" he said before letting out a small snort." You think I am going to help you avenge her?" Blade cackled as he turned his gaze up at the man. Blue sprouted up in his neck as he pushed himself back to his feet." You actually dare to try and persuade me to go back and help you!? After everything that we went through!? After all of the abuse you put us through for months, and you think that I will ever go back listening to you after she ended up dead?!"

Tsurugi paused in disbelief when they heard that word. Abuse, he thought before slowly turning his head to see Midori frozen, her eyes widened, and her mouth left open. 

Blade's hair began to darken as he slowly began to walk towards Constable, as animalistic features seeped into his face." Why do you need me? After all, you have dozens of more child soldiers. I’m sure you won’t mind using them as your weapons as you did with myself and Midori. I mean, you already used the same tactics as you did with her. So why don’t you just leave."

Memories of the acts she did while working under Constable came back in excruciating detail. The weight of the sword in her hands. The feeling of her jumping in the air, sword in hand. The loud screams of hundreds of soldiers ringing in her ears. Warm liquid flowing down her face and the image of a soldier losing the light in their eyes. The same look that he had when he was dying.

  Her vision began to obscure as her breath suddenly began to quicken. Something wet drop down on her cheeks.

“Oh, please, Blade, you know you and Midori were different compared to them,” Constable called out, pulling out a knife from his overcoat.” After all, the two of you are war heroes. You managed to save the kingdom from political disaster numerous times. I made you powerful.”

“Your masters were the very reason why we were in those political disasters in tha\e first place!”  the boy yelled, more fur growing around his neck.” There was so much damage to the political systems of the surrounding kingdoms and cities you had to kidnap someone powerful enough to fix those mistakes!”

Blade looked angry and ashamed with himself when he said that. Tsurugi watched on as horror grew on his face. Midori took in the emotional scene as her body leaned heavily against the wall for support.

After a moment of silence, they continued glaring at the nobleman in front of her." And look what happened to Midori. You broke her down until she was a shell of what she used to be before she was finally finished off. Now, unless you want to be flung into the ground, I would kindly suggest you leave and bring your trash with you." He said, throwing several trinkets on the ground in front of the man.

Constable sighed heavily before giving Blade a disdained look." Is that really why you refuse to help us? Your home? How pathetic. Now I see why the two of you were close. It was a shame that she died. You loved her.” He said, closing up the image and turned the boy.” I thought that having a close relationship with you would be beneficial. You two became the perfect weapons. I could've even taken over all of the kingdoms using both of you if I wanted to. But given the events that have transpired, it seems I was wrong.”

The man’s words again struck something in Midori. It was as if her entire world started to crumble around her.

What...what happened, she thought. Why...why was something like this happening again? No...no, this can't be real. This has got to be one of her delusions again, right? Right, she wasn't in some pocket dimension seeing these two people, she didn't see any weird landmarks from the top of her apartment building that wasn't there before, and she didn't meet that boy and his dog who looked so familiar to her. She was back in Inazuma Town, having an utterly everyday life. She didn't go down to a world of make-believe where she was poorly treated, forced to fight in an arm, part of a war where she had no-

A hand was placed on Midori's shoulder, bringing her back to reality. She turned around to see Tsurugi looking at her worriedly." Senpai. Are you okay?"

Midori stared at him for a brief moment before slowly shaking her head. Tears decorated her scarred face, leaving her eyes bloodshot and looking much paler than she was before.

Blade took a step back as Constable raised her hand a brought up an image of Midori in her battle uniform. She looked…so different. Her bangs were shorter, barely covering the dark bags under her eyes and the deadpan dark red orbs that were her eyes. A giant bandage was wrapped around the right side of her face. The short white dress, the armoured boots and even the leggings underneath the dress were blood. In Midori's armoured gloves was a sizeable bloody sword that was decorated in gemstones.

Something about her eyes didn't sit well with Midori. Whenever she would use magic, her eye colour would change from green to blue to yellow-orange and red depending on her emotional state or how much magic she was using. But her eyes...were never that dark. Her eye colours would've been very defined or bright. But her eyes in the image were a deep burgundy colour, almost black.

Blade gasped at the image before he turned to the man with a rage-filled looking in his eyes." You kept that!?"

Constable continued, staring at the image with a fond look in her eye." Of course, this was her first battle. I wanted to remember the moment. One of my proudest. My only regret with that girl is that I never made her complicit to me and me alone. Blanc and the others made her question her position, her loyalty and even sympathetic to our enemies. The only way I could get her to be utterly loyal to me was to make her believe that she had no one and returning to her world after everything that happened would lead to disastrous consequences. It's a shame. She could've done so much more than what she had already done."

The memories of her waking up with a bloody sword in her hand came back to light. She remembers the horror she felt as she found the body of an older man in front of her. She dropped the sword and covered her mouth, and turned to look away. Only she couldn't escape the sight…next to her were even more bodies, all with the duplicate slashes and stab wounds, all of them caused by the same sword.

"We have wasted enough time, Knave." Constable stated as the image disappeared and her magic return, her hands balling up into a fist, making the boy's body stiffen." Now, let's go back to the kingdom and win the war."

"…I should've known better…." Midori murmured, keeping her head low as she walked into the energy field. Her voice was so quiet and weak, it could break at any moment.

Blade and the Constable froze upon hearing that voice, then swiftly turned around to see Midori out of the trees staring at them. Tsurugi stayed back hidden by the foliage of the trees, giving the older woman an absolute disgusted look while Midori just stared at them with a poker face.

Then the reality and the weight of Constable's words sunk into them as they stared at the girl.

"Midori!" Constable exclaimed with a slight tremor in her voice, backtracking as he tried to act like he didn’t just confess his manipulative and outright abusive nature towards her and Blade. He turned to the girl, giving her the exact same smile she would give her back when she was back in the kingdom. His soldier…or, to be more precise, her puppet." You're here… you're alive! Thank goodness! I was just-!"

The man began to move towards the girl when a dark blue ball was flung past her shoulders, nearly hitting him on the left side of his face. He froze, hearing the explosion behind him as she took in the expression on her face and her body language. Her stature was relaxed, and her face devoid of any emotion. Only one arm was raised to send that attack. The essence of the magic she used was being lifted up into the air. Her face was covered by the shadow her bangs provided obscured her face.

However…he could make out the emotions she could see in the girl's eyes. Her eyes were bright red, reflecting the pure rage coursing through her veins.

Midori was known to get angered easily. Hell, there was more than one occasion where she would often show no mercy for anyone who dared to cross her. But now…this was different. It wasn't like the moments of rage they had faced before. This was pure and utter hatred...

"Just what?" she snapped, cutting him off." What were you saying? That Blanc was right about you? That for the months I was with you, you have been lying to me, manipulating me, using me as a tool and fucking up with my head while you forced my best friend to keep his mouth shut so that he couldn't help me? That the atrocities that I committed were all you? That I let you fucking use me to be your head soldier of the army, be the fucking cavalier of the war that you and those associates of yours started, so I get the blame for whatever bad shit happened."

The girl's short hair began to float above her head, making it look a little reminiscent of Gouenji's hair. But under the amount of hair, Tsurugi could see the scars hiding under the strands of her hair. His eyes widened when he saw the faded marks that began to glow through the fabric of her clothes. Just how many did she have!? How many did they give her?

They didn't need to speak to know what they were feeling. That the Midori standing in front of him wasn’t the girl he easily manipulated all those years ago. Right now, he saw the powerful soldier that he created. And honestly, she terrified them.

Constable gasped as Midori suddenly stood right in front of him, her eyes practically burning holes through her very soul. The girl grabbed the man's robes and pulled her face down to her level.

"I'm going to give you a little piece of advice now, Constable." The girl growled as her grip tightened around her robes." If you're going to go back to the kingdom and still pretend to actually give a shit about the people around you, that's fine. If you're going to go around parading your new status around your underlings and abuse it, go right ahead. But I will only say this once, so listen. Blanc and the others will know about everything soon. They will deal with the fallouts of their kingdom, with or without your precious weapons. They don't need Blade or me to solve it with violence. They never did."

Midori leaned in slightly, staring into the man's dark eyes with ." So if you dare consider coming back to the Upper Realms, putting my world in danger for whatever bullshit you have in store or to bring me back as your little puppet again, the last thing you will ever see will be my fist. Or better yet, my sword. Do us both a favour, stay the hell away."

The redhead let go of her robes, and the woman stumbled back, staring at the young girl who previously was another one of her prized soldiers. Constable's eyes narrowed as a portal opened underneath her, falling through without another word.

Midori stared at the place where Constable stood before she went back to her normal appearance. She took a deep breath. The adrenaline of the magic Midori used and the anger inside made her hands shake. She shuddered before turning to Blade, who just stood there staring at her. His hair returned to normal, and the marks were gone, but his entire body was shaking.

"You… you're real…right…?" He questioned as he fell to his knees, still holding up the girl's gaze." You're not a dream… you're not some illusion Constable is using to trick me, right?"

Blade shuddered before he began crying into his hands. Midori stared at him and nodded slowly before she walked over to him, bent down and gave him a hug. Blade melted into it, tightly gripping onto her uniform as she began rocking him in her arms as if she were to disappear if he were to let go of her.

[commentaryvorg]

Danganronpa V3 Commentary: Bonus 3.1 - Dangan Salmon Team (Kaito Edition)

This is postgame content, so people shouldn’t be reading this without having already finished the main game anyway. But just to be safe: while this is non-canon character stuff, I will sometimes be mentioning events that happened in the main story, so there will be spoilers for the main game.

First of all, can we talk about the ridiculous title of this game mode? “Love Across the Universe: Dangan Salmon Team”. Or, in Japanese, “Year-round Space Variety Love Show: Dangan Red Salmon Gang”. The salmon part is just your average Danganronpa weirdness, but on the other hand I do like the inexplicable space theme they’ve also got going. I like to think this is less because of the fake story about them being on a spaceship, since they don’t try and push that angle at all in this AU, and more just because Kaito, did you know Kaito is the most important character.

The title screen of this mode really leans into that space theme, too. It’s even got a rocket! And most importantly the rocket has a window, remember how Very Important it is for all rockets to have windows.

(In other Inexplicable Space Theming for this game, there’s a BGM piece used during trials that’s called “Class Trial Space Edition”. SPACE. Space is important in this game, you guys.)

For clarification, since the title does not remotely explain the point of this, this is the social interaction side mode in which you can get the FTEs of everyone you didn’t do during the main story (not that that’s what I’m here for) and then also some extra bonus interactions. Those bonus bits are what I’m here for, specifically with Kaito, because it’s me, and Kaito is the only character I like to such an extent that I even want to cover this bonus fluff for him. The title is about space, so clearly spending even more time with Kaito in particular is the entire point of this game mode, right?

This mode has the most half-assed introduction explaining its premise which I’m not going to go into in detail because it doesn’t deserve it. The gist is that things begin as they do in canon, except then Monokuma abruptly decides to cancel the killing game and have a reality dating show instead because apparently that’s what the outside world would prefer. The couples who end up together get to leave!! which is gross and manipulative and amatonormative and unfortunately very believable as something a shallow audience like this one might want to see. And, sure, it is an improvement on them being made to kill each other, but this is definitely still some level of fucked up. If any romances did form during this, how could the people involved be sure their partners’ feelings were really real and not just faked so that the two of them could escape? How could they even be completely sure about that for their own feelings? This would result in the most unhealthy of relationships.

Kaito:  “Hey, what the hell are you talking about!? Telling us to fall in love or whatever? What do you want us to do!?”

Okay I said I wouldn’t do this in detail but I do like that it’s Kaito in particular who objects to this specific idea. If people are being forced to fall in love, then it’s not people acting on their own feelings at all! Kaito doesn’t have any specific opinions about romance that we’ve ever heard, but this is from his principles about being true to yourself.

So… that’s the thing about this mode. While it makes sense with the overarching V3 twist that this is just to entertain a shallow TV audience, it leaves things with this uncomfortable patina of being all about romance. Even though the free time events are exactly as they are in the main story, and most of what the game calls “dates” aren’t explicitly romantic either, that’s still apparently supposed to be the goal. And while I just talked about how messed-up this setup is for forming romances, which could at least be potentially interesting to explore if they acknowledged that, the narrative plays it completely straight because of course it fucking does. It’s not only the in-universe audience that’s being amatonormative here.

Kaede’s FTEs in particular, since they only exist in this Amatonormativity Mode, really lay on the romance more heavily than I think they would in any other context, which makes me not want to cover them even though I otherwise might like to because Kaede’s one of my favourite characters. (As far as I remember, they’re not bad or anything, it’s just Not My Jam.) And it seems that some of the characters’ ending scenes for this mode also embrace this annoying idea and shoehorn more romance in them than they really should have. For example Maki’s ending scene is mostly fine until it suddenly insists that she and Shuichi are romantically into each other, which is provably not in line with canon because Maki becomes equally close to Shuichi in the main story and there are no romantic feelings on either end there so why should this be any different. And it’s not just her ending scene: a small handful of Maki’s dates and other dialogue specific to this mode try and make her all stereotypically tsundere towards Shuichi in what I can only assume is a very tiresome attempt to hint at romance between them, and ugh no get it away leave Maki the fuck alone she does not deserve this.

However, this game is also reasonably heteronormative, and while heteronormativity is of course objectively terrible and needs to go away, it does mean that when things are also being amatonormative (another thing that is equally terrible and equally needs to go away), there’s only 50% as much amatonormativity as there could be. So, since Shuichi and Kaito both happen to be guys, all of Kaito’s scenes in this mode remain completely platonic. While Monokuma didn’t mention this and everything in the flavouring of this mode is trying to pretend this is totally all about romance, apparently any people who become epic inseparable platonic friends also get to leave? Which I am very happy about, because I would not want to cover this otherwise. I don’t like it when my adorable friendships are diminished with romance, dammit.

So now to complain about the other awkward thing about this mode, which is how horrendously artificial and inorganic it feels to actually play. For one thing, we’re playing as Shuichi, but he’s already removed his hat and is apparently also already Kaito’s sidekick as we’ll be seeing, even though literally none of the character development and interactions that were required for Shuichi to make that progress has happened. And that shouldn’t have had time to happen offscreen either, since Monokuma declared that there’ll be a 10-day time limit for people to partner up, and then you get dropped into the game on Day 1. It’s just really hard to buy this AU as a properly justified and backed-up story.

Then there’s the fact that all the other characters you can hang out with just stand in a fixed spot in the courtyard – always the same spot every day – apparently just waiting for Shuichi to come and talk to them. If you do an FTE and not a “date”, they will then stay in this exact spot (apart from rare exceptions in which the FTE itself involves going somewhere in particular) for the whole event, despite that this might be awkwardly in earshot of another student who’s busy standing unmoving in their own spot nearby. There’s no sense of this being a story and not just a game – no hints of any kind of other friendships or community forming or any of these characters acting like people beyond just existing for Shuichi to get close to.

Which, okay, is pretty understandable since this is just a hasty bonus mode mostly slapped in here to make getting everyone’s FTEs easier than replaying chapters of the main story. But even so, there’s Kaede’s and Rantaro’s FTEs and then all of the “date” scenes and graduation scenes which are all scenes that only exist in this AU – that’s precisely why I’m here covering Kaito’s ones in this commentary – and so it would be really nice if they’d actually put, like, any effort at all into making this AU feel like a real story to give these scenes a more robust context. As it is, these scenes mostly just feel like context-less snippets of character insight, and if anything really needs more context then you have to use your imagination and come up with it all yourself.

But anyway, I’m here to talk about practically everything Kaito ever says and does, and I’m damn well going to do it regardless of how little context I get for it.

First, actually, while wandering around the courtyard I learned that you can talk to the two Exisals that are at work there, one of which is the good old red Exisal, and Monotaro actually has something kind of interesting to say. (Shocking, I know.)

Monotaro:  “I’m the red Monokub! That means I’m a main character, so I don’t tell lies! …Hm? But then, why do they call them ‘bright red lies’? Are lies red? Does that mean I’m a liar?”

Obviously I always figured that Kaito got the red Exisal because it’s the main character’s one and therefore the most fitting for a hero like Kaito (plus there wasn’t a purple option). But this is an interesting potential extra reason why they chose that colour! I can only assume this is a Japanese saying because I’ve never heard it before, but that’s neat if it’s really a thing.

Kaito’s designated Unmoving Courtyard Spot is sadly not the training spot. Instead, it is worryingly close to the gates to the casino. Kaito, no.

Dates Hangouts

So the main bulk of content unique to this mode is a series of mini-scenes you can get with each character after having maxed out their FTEs. The game refers to these as “dates”, but screw that, I’m going to refer to them as “hangouts” despite what the game calls them because the romantic connotations of the word “date” annoy me. Let’s hang out with Kaito! In a… slightly different sense of hanging out than what happens for his FTEs.

You get to choose one of five locations to hang out in, and then the game gives you a set of three options to pick for that place, which will vary in how much your hangout partner enjoys it. If you then later hang out with that person in the same place, it’ll give you a second set of three options, and then a third set the next time. Once you’ve had all three sets for a given location, it won’t give you any more options and you’ll just get a generic “we hung out for a while” textbox. So within one playthrough of this mode, for each character, you can only see three out of the nine mini-scenes for each place, or only fifteen out of the forty-five in total. Which is fine if you’re just trying to max someone out and get their ending, because that takes a minimum of five scenes if you get the best outcomes. But if you’re trying to see all the scenes, it’s a bit inconvenient.

What I’m saying is that I’m going to have to do three separate playthroughs of this mode to get all of these for Kaito. I do not envy whichever wiki writer went and compiled these for literally every character, but I am definitely thankful to them for removing the need for anyone else to do this, and for allowing me to see all these scenes beforehand without doing this myself. (I’m doing it myself here anyway because it feels more natural to me to transcribe the lines from my Vita after doing it for the whole game, but at least I wouldn’t have had to if I didn’t want to.)

Some of these are just going to be me fairly superficially going “hee look at Kaito being a dork”, and some will be me discussing how Good Kaito’s principles and outlook are some more. But the biggest reason I wanted to do this is that some of them go deeper than that and are relevant to his issues in some interesting way. They’re pretty delightfully subtle about it, as Kaito’s issues usually are because he refuses to talk about them, but they’re very present even in this context of just hanging out with Shuichi, since Kaito’s issues revolve heavily around his relationship with his sidekick.

For the sake of not having this be a completely disjointed read, I’ve grouped these hangouts not by the arbitrary categories of which location they take place in, but rather by some of the general ideas relating to Kaito’s character or outlook that I end up discussing with them.

First, though, just a couple of odd ones out that didn’t quite fit into any of the upcoming categories.

[A/V Room]

-      Watch a horror movie

Kaito:  “L-Like I’d watch something so uncool. What’s so fun about watching fake g-g-ghosts? Don’t get me wrong! I’m not s-scared or anything!”

Yep, this was of course a bad idea. The purpose of Kaito being written with his phobia is irrelevant in this non-killing-game AU, but since the writers changed their minds about doing the killing game after creating the characters, he still has it anyway.

While a player would choose this knowing full well it’s the wrong option, at least this isn’t Shuichi deliberately being a dick, because in this AU he wouldn’t know about Kaito’s phobia. He probably innocently thought Kaito might enjoy the thrill or something.

(Observe how “Kaito has a phobia of ghosts” is something that doesn’t fit into any of the categories I’ll be having here, which all have some kind of connection to meaningful parts of his character. Tsumugi, you’re a bad writer.)

[Library]

-      “Let’s make a tower of books”

There’s only one thing of note about this one, which is this:

Kaito:  “Let’s make a tower of books that’ll pierce the heavens!”

This is a delightfully blatant Gurren Lagann reference and I love it. They knew. They knew exactly what they were doing with Kaito’s character, and then some.

Astronauts and space

Obviously a necessary category for Kaito. Let’s talk about SPACE and his astronaut training!

[A/V Room]

-      Watch a documentary on athletes

Kaito:  “Seeing this makes me remember my astronaut training. Astronaut training involves just as much exercise as athletes do.”

It’s neat that he enjoys this because it reminds him of his own training. Kaito really would not normally slack off with exercise; the only reason it seemed like he was doing that in the main storyline is because he was sick!

Kaito:  “I wonder how all those guys who trained with me are doing…”

Yeah, uh, about that…

Kaito:  “Alright! Thinking about that made me super motivated! We’re definitely gonna get out of this place, you got it!?”

Oh dear, Kaito now especially wants to get out of here so he can see his friends from astronaut training again. They… don’t exist. Neither do his grandparents. When everyone escapes in this AU, they are all going to very abruptly learn that they’re “fictional” and none of their loved ones are waiting for them at all. That is not going to be fun for them. (And they’re going to learn that off-camera, in a way that is no longer part of this “story”, so the audience isn’t going to see how fucked-up this is and nothing is going to change.)

Since they’ll still have memories of their loved ones that feel real to them, and yet they can’t ever actually see them again, it’s basically going to be feel equivalent to if their loved ones had all died while they were in here. They’re going to be grieving for people they know in their heads never even existed. That did also apply to Shuichi, Maki and Himiko in the canon ending, but it’d have been a lot less significant next to all their grief for the real people whose deaths they actually experienced. In this AU, though, it’d be a much bigger thing.

(On the other hand, their pasts being fictional is still a good thing for Maki at least (whose best friend was already dead in her memories). And Kaito would still definitely take that opportunity to be happy for her even as he’s reeling from his own loss.)

[A/V Room]

-      Watch a documentary on aliens

You’d think this’d be the one Kaito would enjoy the most of the three options it’s part of, but it really, really isn’t.

Kaito:  “I totally get why you’d be interested in this documentary.”

Of course. Everyone should be interested in aliens, right?

But, alas, he goes on to say that he found out some time after having watched it himself that it was all fake.

Kaito:  “The day I found that out… I’ve never felt despair like I did that day… How dare they mess with my adventurous heart…”

Turns out, the only way to make Kaito feel despair is to give him false hope that aliens exist, and then take it away. That’s adorable.

(Obviously he doesn’t mean real, proper despair, though. Kaito is literally incapable of feeling that; it’s like his superpower – remember when he convinced himself the destroyed outside world maybe wasn’t the truth with no evidence purely for the sake of not giving up? But still, it’s amusing that he uses that word.)

I wonder how convincing the documentary even was in the first place. Wouldn’t surprise me if it emphatically wasn’t and Kaito only believed it out of childlike optimism when he really should have been able to tell it was fake already, because he’s a dork like that.

[A/V Room]

-      Watch a documentary on bugs

Kaito:  “I remember a while back there was some theory that bugs came from space. All life came from the ocean and as far as I know, there aren’t any bugs there.”

Kaito, no, that is not how evolution works. Apparently whatever science credentials he has do not extend into biology. There being almost no bugs in the ocean any more doesn’t change the fact that they evolved from ocean-dwelling organisms just like all life did. There are no humans who live in the ocean either, but that doesn’t make humans aliens.

Kaito should sit down with Gonta sometime and learn about the evolutionary biology of bugs. He’d find it interesting (even if it does mean no bug-aliens), because he finds everything interesting! And it’d mean Gonta would have someone he could actually talk to about bugs who’s genuinely interested and not secretly squirming from revulsion.

Kaito:  “That theory got shot down, but I always get so pumped up by stuff like that!”

I should hope it got shot down, because it didn’t make any goddamn sense. It can’t have even been a proper scientific theory in the first place. But of course Kaito just liked to be able to imagine there’s already aliens on Earth. Nothing’s stopping him from still pretending bugs could be secret aliens just to amuse himself! Fictions are exciting even though you know they’re not true!

[Dining Hall]

-      Drinking green tea after a meal

Kaito:  “Yeah! Green tea’s great! A piping hot cup of fresh brewed tea is seriously the best.”

While I’m emphatically not an expert on these things because I don’t drink either beverage, I would have pegged Kaito as more of a coffee person than a tea person. Maybe it’s just because tea is a lot more of a thing in Japan than coffee. Or he gets it from his grandparents.

Kaito:  “But now that I think about it, you can’t drink fresh tea out in space, huh? It’s so obvious, I never even considered it… Well then! I’ll just enjoy it as much as I can on Earth!”

Oh no, what do you mean that going to space might be kind of harsh and empty of luxuries and not the best thing ever in every conceivable way!? He really has not wanted to consider any of the downsides of it at all. But at least he keeps a positive outlook about it now that he’s realised it, because he’s Kaito.

(Maybe Kaito likes tea so much that making himself a nice cuppa is one of the first things he does when he gets back to Earth… and then he promptly drops and breaks the cup because what is gravity.)

[Library]

-      “Let’s study”

Kaito:  “Yeah! In order to become an astronaut, you gotta study hard!”

Reminder: Kaito is not an idiot, and despite being kind of oblivious about certain things, is actually very book-smart!

Kaito:  “Let’s start by studying language! And don’t let me hear you say you don’t need it.”

And it’s so him that this is the thing he wants to encourage Shuichi to study. Communication is vital in all walks of life, not just in being an astronaut!

Kaito:  “There’s nothing unnecessary in this world!”

I still love this philosophy of his. Kaito is so good.

[Library]

-      “Let’s look through photographs”

Kaito:  “Photographs of the planets, huh?”

Yes, Kaito, Shuichi definitely meant this, he couldn’t possibly have been interested in any other kinds of photographs except those of SPACE.

Kaito:  “When I think about actually being there and seeing them… I get the chills!”

THE ROCKET HAVING A WINDOW WAS VERY IMPORTANT

(not that he saw planets through it, but just being there and seeing it himself was so so worth it for any part of space)

Kaito:  “Just you wait, planets! I, Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars, am gonna see you with my own two eyes!”

He’s such an optimistic dork. Just like with his bold claims to Kaede about how he’s going to meet aliens, this is probably not a thing that’ll happen within his lifetime. Maybe Mars, but not, like, multiple planets. But hey, let him dream!

[Courtyard]

-      “Let’s relax in the sun”

Kaito:  “It’s been a while since I was able to get some sun. Ever since I was a kid, I’d think about the universe while sunbathing.”

Oh, Kaito. He would turn sunbathing into an excuse to think about space, even though he can’t see the stars when the sun’s out.

Kaito:  “But these days, I’ve been so busy with training, I haven’t had time to relax. Thanks to you, I remembered how important it is to relax sometimes!”

Yes, Kaito, it is important to rest sometimes and to not push yourself too hard. Of course that’s something he’d only think about when somebody else reminds him of it.

[Library]

-      “I’m getting sleepy”

Kaito:  “Yeah, it’s pretty quiet in here. But the silence of a library is nothing compared to the universe, y’know?”

Somehow, Kaito finds an excuse to make this about space, too. What a dork.

Kaito:  “After all, the universe is just one big silent room. If you went up there, you’d probably be sleepy all the time.”

You’re… not doing a great job of making space sound inviting, Kaito. What happened to all the passion and adventure there’s supposed to be out there?

[A/V Room]

-      Play dominoes with the movie boxes

Kaito:  “I may not seem like it, but I’m pretty good at setting up dominoes! During astronaut training, we had to do dexterity exercises.”

More fun little tibits about the kind of skills astronauts have to learn!

Kaito:  “I, Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars, will make a domino setup that will shock even you!”

But even so, it’s not the “Ultimate Astronaut” but rather the Luminary of the Stars who’s good at this, because he still much prefers the latter title for himself.

Also,  the “even you” is interesting. Why would Shuichi in particular not usually be shocked by an epic domino setup? Does Kaito’s secret idolisation of Shuichi even extend to thinking he’d be inexplicably good at this? (Kaito’s secret idolisation of Shuichi shouldn’t even be nearly as much of a thing in this trial-less AU, though.)

[Dining Hall]

-      “Let’s go in the freezer”

This is one of those very odd, why-would-Shuichi-ever-actually-suggest-this options. But it works on Kaito!

Kaito:  “Did you know… In astronaut training, you have to be able to survive in subzero temperatures! If it’s a competition to see who can hold out the longest, I won’t lose!”

More astronaut training things! And of course Kaito would turn it into a competition. Though it is a bit much of him to think that Shuichi should do this even though he has no need to train in this particular dangerous way, but Shuichi did inexplicably suggest it, so, uh.

Kaito:  “The loser has to say how many girls he’s had a crush on!”

…I don’t know about this line, though. While I don’t headcanon Kaito very strongly this way because there isn’t any actual evidence relevant to it like there is for Maki, I like to believe it could at least be possible for Kaito to be aromantic. This might just be me wanting to project onto him, admittedly, but the way he puts so much investment into his platonic relationships, including having an especially committed type of them in the hero-and-sidekick thing, is very enjoyably non-amatonormative of him. It just doesn’t feel right to me that Kaito would care that much about crushes – and, in particular, even less so that he would care about someone else’s crushes, which are really none of his business unless they choose to tell him about them. Peer pressuring Shuichi into admitting to anything of that nature when he might not be comfortable doing so really, really doesn’t seem to me like the kind of thing Kaito would do.

I don’t really have any actual evidence with which to argue that this is definitely out of character for Kaito, so this could just be me here – but it seems quite possible that this is an example of a line that kinda belongs in this next section.

The clueless intern

Remember that clueless intern last post who somehow ended up writing a handful of Kaito’s lines in the demo despite having only a very shallow grasp of his character that misses everything important about him? (That’s totally why those out-of-character parts in the demo happened, shush.) Well, apparently they were also given a few of his hangouts to write, as well. I feel it’s important to point out which few of these involve things that Kaito shouldn’t actually be saying.

[Gym]

-      “Let’s play basketball”

Kaito:  “You got guts to challenge me at basketball! Didn’t I tell you? My basketball skills are universe-tier.”

So why wasn’t Kaito in the basketball club in middle school? Because Ryoma needed to die, of course. (I suggested soccer as his alternate favourite sport in my Kaito-isn’t-into-tennis AU, but basketball, as another team sport, would make just as much sense.)

Kaito:  “World-class athletes try to be my apprentice just to steal my skills.”

It’s potentially interesting to see him use the word “apprentice” here, when really that word would be a much more accurate and representative word for what he calls a “sidekick”. I guess in Kaito’s head, an apprentice is something totally different and only there to learn tangible skills such as this, without any kind of emotional support being involved? …Orrr the writer for this hangout just doesn’t know what they’re doing at all; that’s also possible.

Kaito:  “But… my muscles are cramping, so I can’t really play basketball right now.”

See, I don’t like this. This whole thing was Kaito boasting about something he knows is not true with no intention of ever even trying to back it up, and making an excuse that is blatantly nothing but a lie. That is not remotely what Kaito is like, despite that he might seem that way at a glance. He may talk big, but the intent behind his words is always genuine, and for every instance in canon of him making what seems like an excuse to get out of backing up his words, it’s actually because he is literally sick and doesn’t want his sidekicks to know that. Meanwhile, this here seems like it was written by someone who knew almost nothing about Kaito’s character, briefly saw the part where he talks big, and interpreted it in the most superficial and typical way possible rather than actually understanding him at all.

[Dining Hall]

-      “Let’s bake something”

Kaito:  “Sorry, I’m not really in the mood for sweets. I need something… more manly. Something that’s gonna fill me up.”

This is the only actual time in the whole game, aside from the very first Misogyny Bullet that was also provably out of character, where Kaito talks about manliness in a way that seemingly is about stereotypically masculine things, if sweets apparently aren’t. This really isn’t his usual definition of the concept, and as such it also reads as out of character that he’d use that word here.

Kaito:  “If you eat too many sweets, you’ll become a spoiled person.”

Still, at least he also has a more meaningful reason for not liking sweets much. Plus, you’d think that as an astronaut, he’d want to eat healthier stuff that’d keep his strength up.

(All this said, though, based on his gift preferences, Kaito does at least like ice cream.)

[Gym]

-      “Ah, maybe we should take off our clothes?”

Another one that, what the hell, writers, Shuichi would be way too shy and awkward to actually suggest this even if he did secretly want to, this is blatantly just in there for some eyerolly shipbait. I would ignore this one entirely, but… we kinda need to talk about this.

Kaito:  “Huh!? What are you talking about!? Save that stuff for the girls! Or wait, did you come out or something and not tell me!?”

Okay, so originally my plan for talking about this line was to say that I have no idea where the hell some people get the idea that Kaito is homophobic. This is the only line of his in the entire game that actually addresses the topic of homosexuality at all, and it’s apparently him being upset at the idea that Shuichi would have come out and not told him. His sidekick’s supposed to be able to tell him anything! He’d want Shuichi to trust him enough to be the first person he tells about something like this! Of course he’d be supportive about who Shuichi is!

…But the expression Kaito’s actually making for these lines is a kind-of-horrified face which definitely does not allow for that reading of it, and no, fuck off, fuck you, game, Kaito is better than this, he would be supportive of his sidekick, and of everyone, no matter what. This is Danganronpa’s occasionally-shitty writing temporarily affecting Kaito in a way that is not in character for him and I will hear nothing else.

See, okay, maybe I can accept Kaito having passively picked up bigotry like this through cultural osmosis as he was growing up (perhaps through his grandparents’ old-fashioned views, although people use his grandparents to justify Kaito’s supposed bigotry way too much when they should just be pointing out that it’s not actually in character for him to think that way at all as I’m about to do here and have done previously on the topic of misogyny). But that’s only a view Kaito would ever have in the background without really thinking about it. Kaito’s principles (his concept of manliness, even!) put a lot of focus on thinking for yourself and not just mindlessly going along with what other people think without deciding on your own if you agree with it. So as soon as a situation came along in which he actually consciously noticed his passive bigotry, Kaito would question why he even thinks that way and realise it’s wrong.

Remember, Kaito believes more strongly than anything that everyone is important and amazing and deserves to be the hero of their own story. He puts so much value in communication and co-operation between all different walks of life (he speaks English and Russian fluently and learned the cultures along with the languages), and even hopes for communication between humans and aliens if they exist out there. The moment Kaito were to consciously catch himself feeling inclined to think that some people apparently don’t deserve respect just because of something arbitrary about them that isn’t hurting anyone else, he would immediately stop, go “what the hell is wrong with me, that’s bullshit”, and work on training his brain to stop thinking that way at all. Kaito’s not perfect, but he’s always trying to be the best he can be, and this would be no exception. Anyone who thinks Kaito wouldn’t do this doesn’t properly appreciate his character, and that includes the writers of this game when they’re being like this.

[Library]

-      “Let’s read a dirty book”

Another one that Shuichi shouldn’t actually have any in-character reason to pick, because he is evidently not this kind of person, remember when that was literally a vital plot point?

Kaito:  “Hehe! Of course! It’s weird for guys to not look for those kinds of books in a library!”

The way Kaito phrases this… kind of almost suggests that he’s not actually doing this because he wants to, but just because peer pressure and society has made him think he’s supposed to want to. I’d like to say this is something the writers are deliberately trying to hint at, but that makes very little sense for Kaito in particular, because that’s not thinking for himself.

And if Kaito is supposed to genuinely believe that obviously all guys should be like this… then that’s also kind of gross and another thing I refuse to accept is actually in-character for Kaito to think. Shitty Danganronpa writing, leave Kaito alone.

Mentions of manliness

But anyway, let’s move on from those brief instances of out-universe bad writing and see some more examples of what Kaito’s concept of manliness actually means. He brings it up in a few of these hangouts, and all but that earlier one have a perfectly good understanding of it.

[Courtyard]

-      “Let’s get some fresh air”

Kaito:  “Yeah, it’s a hundred times better than the stale air inside. A man’s gotta be in a wide-open space, y’know? Staying indoors for too long will turn you into a narrow-minded person.”

Oh, look, Kaito explicitly does not want to be a narrow-minded person. Cough cough like not a sexist or a homophobe, cough! He even connects being open-minded to his concept of manliness, because of course this is along similar lines to that! Be true to yourself – and to do that, think for yourself!

Kaito:  “That’s why I’m gonna go to the universe and be a universe-minded guy!”

Also, SPACE. But this actually makes a lot more sense than you might think – some astronauts have described something called the Overview Effect. It’s an overwhelming feeling they get when first seeing the Earth from space: the sense that all of the fights and prejudices and differences between humans down there are so insignificant in the grand scheme of how beautiful our planet is and how small we are in the vastness of space, and that we need to work together to protect our precious tiny blue dot. Did you know that astronauts are good? It’s not just Kaito; all astronauts are good.

[A/V Room]

-      “We should focus on reality, not movies”

Kaito:  “Right on! That’s my sidekick! A man should chase real passions, not sit around watching fake stuff!”

Since Kaito’s idea of being a man is all about being true to yourself, it follows that he’d also think a man should focus more on things that are real! At least, I guess, in terms of “chasing passions”, aka the things he wants to do with his life. We already know plenty about how much Kaito enjoys believing in fictional things like magic and kids’ games just because they’re fun.

Kaito:  “Hell yeah! I’m fired up like crazy now! I’ll teach you all about the universe as I imagine it!”

Kaito. Buddy. The universe as you imagine it is not reality either. You dork.

[Courtyard]

-      “Let’s go back inside”

Kaito:  “Huh? Why’d you pick this place if you were just gonna go back? It’s not manly to keep changing your mind like that!”

Be sure of yourself! Only decide on something if you know you’re going to stick to it, and if you do change your mind after that, it should be for a good reason!

[Dining Hall]

-      Sleeping after a meal

Kaito:  “Yeah, you get it! As expected from my sidekick! They say sleeping after eating makes you fat, but you can’t fight instinct!”

Oh, dear. According to Ryoma’s comments on this same option (and you’d think he’d know better than Kaito), sleeping after eating is indeed unhealthy. But Kaito tells himself it’s a good thing to do anyway because it’s what he feels like he wants to do. And he’s happy that Shuichi agrees with him on this, even though it’s not actually a good thing to agree with him on.

Kaito:  “And now that I said that… I’m feeling sleepy myself… Alright! I’m gonna listen to my instincts and sleep like a man!”

Sounds ridiculous, but actually a correct use of Kaito’s concept of manliness! He’s listening to what his body wants him to do, which totally means he’s being true to himself, right? …Even though in this instance he apparently shouldn’t be.

Exercise and training

This being Kaito, the options suggesting some kind of exercise are some of his favourites. Well… usually.

[Dining Hall]

-      Exercising after a meal

Kaito:  “I know that’s best, but don’t you get sleepy after you eat?”

Apparently Kaito is perfectly aware that it’s a bad habit of his to sleep after meals. Come on, Kaito, if you know it’s bad, you should be trying to break that habit, instead of justifying it to yourself because it can technically be argued to be manliness!

This hangout is one of the bad-outcome ones, and maybe the reason why is just that Kaito apparently really wanted to be validated by not being the only one with this bad habit.

Kaito:  “I guess even though you’re my sidekick, we’re pretty different sometimes…”

But… it seems like it might just be the more general thought that he’s different from Shuichi that’s bothering Kaito here, as if he’s worried Shuichi might be less inclined to be his friend if he felt Kaito was too different from him. (Hold this thought – there’ll be more along these lines in the next post.) Being different doesn’t stop you from being friends, though, Kaito! He and Shuichi are very different from each other in a lot of ways, but that’s what makes them such a good team, because they complement each others’ weaknesses so well.

[Gym]

-      “Let’s warm up a bit”

Kaito:  “Yeah, it’d suck if I got injured and had to give up on being an astronaut. Let’s work on our warm ups, then. Oh, hold on. Is it possible to get injured doing warm ups? If that’s the case, then we better do some pre-warm up warm ups.”

Kaito… does not seem to be all that knowledgeable about how physical training actually works. (See also: his totally very “systematic method” for his sidekicks’ training.) Maybe he really should watch that documentary about athletes. Or sit down with Ryoma and learn a thing or two from him… except, ha ha, that’s not going to happen very easily now is it.

(…Not that I know any better myself whether Kaito’s right to be worried here. I may do daily exercise now thanks to Kaito, but I also have a very systematic method for it, which is of course to say that I don’t and have no idea what I’m doing.)

You’d think Kaito should know this stuff, but, well, maybe his in-universe writers were slacking off while giving him memories of the physical part of astronaut training. Which should have been a difficult mistake to make when you consider that Team Danganronpa must have this character-creation thing down to a science by now and that sport-based talents are very common. They should have a standard “general athlete knowledge base” section of Flashback Light data that they put into every sporty character’s Flashback Light, which should have included Kaito; they’re clearly aware that astronauts train just as much as athletes since they gave him knowledge of that fact. But apparently someone was sleeping on the job.

[Courtyard]

-      “Let’s dance!”

Kaito:  “Huh? Dance with you? Why? It’s not like I don’t want to, but… Well, whatever! If you’re suggesting it, I’m sure you’ve got a good reason!���

Let’s pretend Shuichi was suggesting this as a different kind of exercise, even though Kaito should probably have realised that’s why and have said so and been on board with it for that specific reason. Kaito should enjoy dancing in particular, too, because it’s all about expressing yourself!

(Honestly, the lack of Shuichi having any of his own dialogue in these past the initial options, leaving the hangout partner essentially just talking to thin air, is kind of awkward sometimes.)

[Gym]

-      “Let’s do some muscle training”

The obviously correct choice for when you are in a gym with Kaito!

Kaito:  “Alright! Let’s do 500 push-ups! We’re gonna go non-stop, so get ready!”

That is a big number. I can maybe imagine reaching 500 with a lot of breaks to rest – like, a lot – but non-stop? Yikes. Especially for Shuichi, who’s still new to this.

Kaito:  “Huh? That’s too many? 500 should be a piece of cake for my sidekick! Don’t complain, just do it!”

But of course Kaito pushes Shuichi into at least trying anyway.

Kaito:  “The impossible is possible! All you gotta do is make it so!”

Ayyyy! He still wants this to be known even in the bonus mode. If Shuichi believes 500 non-stop push-ups are possible, he’s a lot more likely to be able to do it than if he’s already written it off as impossible, after all!

…I doubt Shuichi managed to get anywhere close to 500. But then, I also doubt that Kaito did either, so after they both inevitably collapsed in exhaustion, they probably agreed to get there more slowly with breaks after all.

(If Maki were here too, though, she could totally do 500 non-stop without breaking a sweat.)

[Courtyard]

-      “Let’s go for a run”

Kaito:  “Yeah, sounds good! I haven’t been able to do my daily training since we came here.”

Surely he has been doing his daily training since he started training Shuichi under whatever circumstances kicked that off in this AU? Ugggh this AU and its lack of a proper contextual story for any of this.

Kaito:  “Let’s run like we’re chasing our pasts!”

Usually when Kaito has a line that appears kind of ridiculous and there-to-sound-cool, there is actually some kind of meaningful substance to it that makes sense in his head. But I’m not sure what he could mean with this one here. Kaito’s generally more about people putting their pasts behind them and looking to the future, after all.

Kaito:  “Detectives need stamina too, right?”

Well, they do if they’re going to be having cases that involve things like capturing alligators, apparently. (Man, Shuichi should tell Kaito about that case. He’d enjoy a story like that, no doubt.)

Principles and advice

Some of these hangouts lead to Kaito showing his delightful principles about keeping a positive outlook on things. (This is partly because quite a few of the obvious-bad-hangout-partner options involve Shuichi grumpily complaining for no good reason, which Kaito would obviously take issue with.)

[A/V Room]

-      Watch a comedy movie

Kaito:  “Movies like this are great for turning your mood around. When you’re down, all you gotta do is let out a laugh and everything’s good!”

It’s interesting that Kaito apparently likes comedy movies not exactly for their own sake, but rather because they’re good for cheering you up. What Kaito has just implied here (definitely without having meant to) is that he can in fact feel down sometimes and has found that things like this work for pulling him out of it.

Kaito:  “If you’re down all the time, then your dreams might get away from you!”

After all, you shouldn’t just wallow in your sadness when you could be doing whatever you can to stay positive!

[Gym]

-      “Let’s train… our minds…”

Kaito:  “Yeah! It’s got nothing to do with exercising, but your mind’s important!”

Of course Kaito thinks this! Although, what does he mean it’s got nothing to do with exercising? The whole point of him getting his sidekicks to exercise is to help with their mental health!

Kaito:  “If you can’t visualize your goals, you’ll never be able to achieve them.”

If you can’t believe the impossible is possible, you’ll never be able to make it so!

Kaito:  “That’s just what I’d expect from my sidekick! You get what’s important!”

Aww, he’s so happy that his sidekick already understands the type of mindset he likes to advocate.

(Fun irrelevant fact: I had Kaito use the sentence “You get what’s important!” in a piece of extremely silly Kaito content on my main blog just because it sounded like the kind of thing he might say, while not remembering at the time that he says that exact sentence in the actual game. I was quite amused when I saw this line again.)

[A/V Room]

-      “I might fall asleep…”

Kaito:  “Well, sure. If you grab some boring movie or something. But if you decide that’s gonna happen from the start, then it probably will. If you always expect the worst, then you’ll always get the worst!”

Kaito’s philosophy is just so good. He always encourages people to try and have a positive outlook, not just because it’ll help them feel better, but because it actually matters to what they’ll be able to achieve. You have to believe the impossible is possible before you’ll ever be able to make it so!

[Library]

-      “This is boring…”

(This is another one that doesn’t make any sense for Shuichi to say. He likes novels; he would not be bored in a library.)

Kaito:  “Really? There are so many books here, there’s gotta be some that interest you. Before you start complaining, try looking around a bit more.”

Don’t just pointlessly complain when there’s something you could be doing to make things better! Don’t give up before you’ve even tried!

[Library]

-      “Sure is dusty in here”

Kaito:  “Yeah, but instead of complaining, you should do something about it. If you’re gonna be my sidekick, then you gotta know that much.”

I like that this one isn’t just Kaito’s don’t-complain principle, but is also him asserting that any sidekick of his should already know about this principle of his and be trying to follow that advice. People only become Kaito’s sidekicks once they’ve made the choice to try and change themselves and make their situation better, after all. His principles about not complaining when you could be doing something are basically the same idea as that.

[Gym]

-      “I’m tired…”

Kaito:  “Huh? You haven’t even done anything yet. If you keep talking like that, I won’t hold back, even if you are my sidekick!”

This is presumably more of Kaito’s don’t-complain principle going on here, except this time he’s not even mentioning the principle itself and is just assuming his sidekick should know better and being annoyed that he’s still complaining anyway.

I should note, though, that if Shuichi complained about being tired in a different context, Kaito would definitely take it very differently and see it as a sign that something’s wrong with him and offer help like always. But in this context, in which Shuichi has just invited him to hang out in the gym and then immediately gone “oh but I’m tired” before they’ve even done anything, it does just come across like he’s being lazy and flaky and doesn’t actually want to exercise, in which case why even come here if you’re only going to complain?

Somewhat relevant to this is Kaito’s stock dialogue when a hangout has the worst possible outcome, which the above hangout is one example of.

[Worst outcome]

Kaito:  “C’mon, man… Don’t go forgetting a sidekick’s responsibilities. I’m heading back…”

He expected his sidekick to know better than to change his mind and complain for no reason like this! A sidekick doesn’t have nearly as many responsibilities as the hero does, but Kaito does expect them to understand some of the most frequent advice he gives and be making at least an effort to follow it. To be his sidekick, they’ve got to be trying to change.

There are literally only four hangouts that have a “worst” outcome for Kaito, so it’s really not often at all that Kaito gives this response that implies that he’s disappointed in Shuichi like this. One of the others is the one from the manliness section where Shuichi wanted to go back inside as soon as they’d gone to the courtyard, which is a similar thing of changing his mind and complaining about the decision he literally just made – the kind of thing that Kaito already expected his sidekick to know better than to do.

(Another of the worst outcomes was Shuichi suggesting a horror movie – that one’s not at all Shuichi’s fault and has nothing to do with Kaito’s principles, but I can understand Kaito getting upset enough about it that he somewhat forgets himself in his reaction to it. The fourth one is one that’s coming up later.) 

Heroes and sidekicks

My favourite category! Time for some hangouts that hint at Kaito’s issues about heroes and sidekicks, either in a general sense or specifically in regards to his relationship with Shuichi.

First, though, Kaito’s response when a hangout has only a bad-but-not-worst outcome is relevant to this topic as well. As I mentioned, the worst outcome is very rare – most of the time, if he doesn’t have a good time, he’ll just say this:

[Bad outcome]

Kaito:  “Are you tired or something? If you’re not feeling well, just rest. My sidekick’s fatigue is my fatigue. I’m… gonna head back first.”

Obviously, it’s not that the hangout made Kaito feel bad or anything. It’s just that apparently Shuichi looks tired, and Kaito’s looking out for his sidekick by suggesting he should go back and rest! And then it’s totally just a coincidence that Kaito heads back first.

(“I’ve projected my own fatigue onto you in order to hide the fact that I’m the one feeling tired” sure is one way for the phrase “my sidekick’s fatigue is my fatigue” to technically be true.)

On some level this could be Kaito trying to hide the fact that Shuichi showed him a bad time so as to not make Shuichi feel guilty for being a bad host – after all, it’s only very rarely that he gives the worst-outcome dialogue that makes it seem like Shuichi did anything wrong. I feel like if that was the only issue, though, Kaito would be more open about it and just say something like “I didn’t have a great time, but hey, it’s not your fault, don’t worry about it, I’m still up for hanging out with you again”. But that would still be Kaito all but admitting that something actually made him feel down at all. Which is obviously not a thing that ever happens to Kaito, right?

[A/V Room]

-      Watch an action movie

Kaito:  “Action movies are fun cuz you don’t have to think too hard to enjoy them.”

…Because they tend to just have the heroes winning by saving the day in cool ways and being uncomplicatedly awesome?

It is such a delightfully relevant detail that Kaito prefers his fiction simple. If he appreciated more nuanced fiction, if his favourite kinds of stories were instead the ones where the hero’s character is more of a focus and you watch him go through hardships and struggle and grow and still manage to be a hero in the end anyway, then things in canon would have been very, very different.

Kaito:  “And there’s a bunch of ‘em that use the universe as their stage!”

Of course, this is an even better reason to like action movies: because SPACE.

(The writers could so easily have had this hangout be nothing but Kaito taking the excuse to talk about space movies, and nothing would have seemed amiss. But they put that first comment he made in there too. I love Kaito’s writers so much.)

Kaito:  “Alright! I’m gonna tell you all about my favorites! You ready to take notes!?”

And then… they don’t even watch any space action movies, it just turns into Kaito excitedly telling Shuichi all about his favourite ones. What a dork.

(At least, if Shuichi really did take notes, he can use that list when they’re living a normal life on the outside and he suggests a space movie marathon with Kaito on the 31st of October for no particular reason.)

[Library]

-      “Let’s read manga

Kaito:  “Adventure manga are the best! They’ve got so much passion in them!”

Heh, of course Kaito’s favourite genre of manga would be that.

Kaito:  “You should read all the famous adventure manga, Shuichi! Since we’re pals, it’d be great to read through some together.”

And then it’s cute that he wants to bring Shuichi into this thing he’s interested in, too! Shuichi does like novels, so while maybe he doesn’t usually read much manga, he should still be able to enjoy them! It makes me happy to think of them doing regular kinda-nerdy friend things together like this. Kaito even referred to them as “pals” and not “hero and sidekick”, which is very rare for him!

(I’m imagining, as they read through one of Kaito’s favourite manga, that Shuichi with his more nuanced appreciation of fiction comments that the hero isn’t very interesting because he keeps winning too easily without much effort. And Kaito is internally all “???????? He seems like a perfectly good hero to me??? Why does Shuichi think he’s supposed to be struggling?”)

[Dining Hall]

-      “Let’s cook something”

Kaito:  “Oh? You can cook, Shuichi? That means I can cook too! My sidekick’s skills are my skills, and my skills are my sidekick’s skills!”

Uhhhh Kaito that’s not how this works. “Your X is my X, my X is your X” definitely does not apply to this. Does that also mean that Shuichi can speak fluent English and Russian and pilot a spaceship?

Being happy that your friend can cook because then you can enjoy his food whenever he feels up to making something is one thing, but this is not quite how you express that, you dork.

(Ask him to teach you, Kaito! It’d be a fun thing to learn, just like how to build a crossbow!)

[Dining Hall]

-      “Let’s drink something”

Kaito:  “H-How did you know I was thirsty? Insight like that is just what I’d expect from the Ultimate Detective.”

Really? Because insight about the way someone’s feeling is really more the kind of thing that one would expect from you, Kaito.

Kaito:  “Or maybe… it was your sidekick powers that tipped you off! If that’s the case, then I’m proud to have such a great sidekick!”

What does “sidekick powers” even mean? …Perhaps it’s Kaito-speak for Shuichi being such a great friend that he can pick up on his friend’s needs. But even if that’s what he means, Kaito has to word it in a way that’s about Shuichi being his sidekick, because he very rarely actually refers to Shuichi as his “friend”.

…The third and by far most likely option, of course, is that it’s pure dumb luck and Shuichi just happened to want a drink himself without realising Kaito did too. But Kaito has to go and make this about the sidekick thing and use it as an excuse to shower praise onto Shuichi like the encouraging hero he is. He’s such a dork.

[Gym]

-      “I’ll be the referee”

Kaito:  “Huh? If you’re the referee, does that mean I’ll just be exercising by myself?”

Saying you’ll be the referee is probably supposed to be interpreted as the lazy way out of having to do any exercise yourself. But somehow Kaito doesn’t take it that way and admonish Shuichi for not wanting to train.

Kaito:  “Haha! So the sidekick wants to see the hero’s full potential? Then why didn’t you say so!? I’ll show you everything I got!”

Because he takes it this way instead. Obviously Shuichi wants to see how awesome the hero is! Being the most awesome so that he can set an example and inspire his sidekicks to try and reach his heights is exactly what a hero is supposed to do!

I love the “why didn’t you say so?”, implying that this really is not at all why Shuichi suggested this, yet Kaito is automatically assuming it is because that’s definitely how heroes and sidekicks work.

[Dining Hall]

-      “Let’s have some tea”

Kaito:  “Yeah, let’s grab some tea and have a heart-to-heart.”

Yes, this is totally going to be a two-directional outpouring of emotions and issues here.

Kaito:  “Don’t you keep any secrets from me! Sidekicks and heroes shouldn’t have secrets between them, y’know?”

Oh, Kaito, you wonderful hypocrite.

It is a little surprising that he’s so adamant that Shuichi shouldn’t be keeping anything at all from him, since he advocated during trial 3 that people are always going to have some secrets and that doesn’t mean they’re keeping them out of malice. But I suppose since Shuichi is his sidekick, the whole point is that Shuichi is supposed to trust him with anything and everything, and if there was something Shuichi wasn’t willing to talk to him about, it’d mean Kaito’s not being a good enough hero.

And obviously, as the hero, Kaito definitely also trusts Shuichi with everything that’s going on in his head, right? Definitely.

[Library]

-      “I want to scream really loud!”

Kaito:  “Huh? That’s not like you, Shuichi. You’re not the type to be rude like that. You don’t gotta force yourself, y’know?”

Pfft, look at Kaito pointing out for us that this is one of the out-of-character options for Shuichi. It’s kind of a shame that he doesn’t take this further like he does for some others that we’re about to see.

[Dining Hall]

-      “Let’s try fasting”

Kaito:  “What!? If you do that, you’ll die for sure!”

…I feel like this might be an odd translation thing, because fasting is obviously not something that kills people. Kaito is open to other cultures enough that he should perfectly well know this.

Kaito:  “Do you have a fever? Don’t push yourself, alright?”

Yeah, if you’re sick, you shouldn’t push yourself, Kaito.

(…It’s not clear whether or not Kaito actually has the virus in this AU, because that would depend on whether Team Danganronpa changed their minds about doing the killing game before or after infecting him with it. But even if he does, his symptoms wouldn’t quite get far enough along for him to realise he’s dying within the ten days this takes place. And since he’s going to get out of here in ten days, that’s plenty of time to get himself to a hospital once he’s outside, so he’d be fine.)

Kaito:  “If you’re not feeling well, it’s because of my poor management.”

It is very Kaito that he turns this into assuming something must be wrong if Shuichi is inexplicably suggesting something like this, and so he starts worrying about him. It’s also very painfully Kaito that he’s blaming himself for it – he considers himself thoroughly responsible for his sidekicks’ wellbeing, and so if something’s wrong, it must be his fault somehow for not being a good enough hero, right?

[Gym]

-      “Let’s burn this place to the ground”

Another “what the hell, Shuichi?” option. But this one Kaito takes quite seriously.

Kaito:  “What? Hey, c’mon, that’s not you, man. What’s wrong?”

Which is to say, he immediately takes it as a sign that something wrong with Shuichi, because Kaito is good and always concerned about his sidekick’s wellbeing. If Shuichi actually did ever suggest this, it probably would be because he’s very upset about something.

Kaito:  “If something’s wrong, all you gotta do is talk to me about it. If it’s something you won’t talk to me about, then there’s nothing I can do…”

And I love that this then turns into Kaito being really worried that there might be a problem that Shuichi won’t talk to him about, which would mean he’d be powerless to fix it. He can’t bear the idea of not being able to help, especially not when it’s his sidekick, whom he’s always supposed to be able to help.

(It’s almost like someone not talking about their issues and therefore being impossible to help is precisely the problem with you, Kaito! But of course that’s not an analogous problem, Kaito’s the hero so he’s not supposed to need help, what are you talking about.)

Unfortunately, since this is a “what the hell, Shuichi” option, and since Shuichi gets no further lines in these, there’s not really anything that’s actually wrong with him and so we can’t further explore this idea of Kaito feeling like he’s unable to help his sidekick. It’s just a fun look at how the possibility of being powerless like that is something he’s really scared of.

(The wiki says this option is a worst outcome, which would be an extra sign of just how awful Kaito feels about this… but the wiki is wrong and this is actually only a bad outcome. The worst outcome dialogue, about Shuichi forgetting “a sidekick’s responsibilities”, could sort of work here – one of his sidekick’s responsibilities is to tell him whenever something’s wrong, isn’t it? But on the other hand, this hangout lingers on the note of Kaito feeling helpless to support Shuichi, which is not a state of mind in which he would want to blame Shuichi for anything. Meanwhile, the “you’re totally the one feeling tired, right, and there’s nothing at all wrong with me” bad-outcome dialogue is perfect for this situation. So maybe this is why this is nominally only a “bad” outcome even though it would definitely be making Kaito feel more awful than any of the “worst” ones do. I am totally not overthinking this.)

[Courtyard]

-      “I want to get outside as soon as I can”

Kaito:  “Well, that’s obvious. What’s really on your mind, man? If there’s something you’re worried about, just talk to me.”

Here’s some more Kaito delightfully deciding that Shuichi must clearly have a different problem to this that’s what he really wants to talk about. Perhaps the reason he decides that is because the problem of getting out of here isn’t something Kaito can actually help with other than being positive about it, so he wants to turn the conversation onto something he can help with.

Kaito:  “Your worry is my worry! My worry is your worry!”

Hee. He only says this once in canon, but I love that it’s here again. It is still so delightfully hypocritical.

Kaito:  “If I can ease your worries, mine will be eased too!”

This is extremely true and accurate, though. A lot more literally so than it would be for most friends who support each other, because almost all of Kaito’s own worries revolve around whether he’s able to help Shuichi with his. The best way for Kaito to feel better really is for him to know that Shuichi is okay and that he helped Shuichi be okay. The counterpoint to this, of course, is that if Kaito feels like he can’t ease Shuichi’s worries, then his own will only get worse.

In fact, this basically proves that when Kaito says “My worry is your worry,” he really is just thinking of it as another way of wording “Your worry is my worry”. He’s saying that what he worries about the most is how to help with whatever’s bothering Shuichi. That line is not and never was Kaito trying to actually claim that he’d be happy to share if he had problems of his own.

And even when Kaito does have worries entirely of his own, like when he’s dying in canon, the feeling of being able to support Shuichi means so much to him that it at least manages to distract him from his own worries and therefore sort of ease them in a sense. Though what that really ends up doing is making Kaito increasingly convinced that his own worries are insignificant next to Shuichi’s, which is incredibly not healthy and part of the reason he died.

Being stuck here

And finally, to finish off this post, a few of the hangouts actually reference the vague semblance of a “story” we’ve got going on by mentioning the fact that they’re trapped in here.

[Gym]

-      “Let’s renovate the place”

Kaito:  “What, you wanna make this place more comfortable or something? What if you start liking it here? Weren’t we gonna work together and escape this academy?”

It’s neat how Kaito makes this about escaping and warns Shuichi not to get too attached to this place.

I guess by “work together” to escape, given the context, Kaito’s specifically talking about how they’re working towards escaping by hanging out and becoming close enough friends with each other? (let’s keep pretending Monokuma mentioned platonic relationships at all, shush)

[Courtyard]

-      “I’ve gotten used to being here”

Kaito:  “Yeah, me too. But that doesn’t change the fact that I wanna escape!”

Despite the previous one that had Kaito asserting it’d be bad for Shuichi to get used to being here, in this one he’s willing to acknowledge that he’s done that too, even though he doesn’t like it.

Kaito:  “Life is short! I don’t have time to waste loafing around here.”

did you know Kaito’s parents died

Kaito:  “Don’t get complacent! If you start to enjoy a place like this, then you’ll never find new horizons!”

Here’s more of Kaito just having a generally Good outlook on life. People shouldn’t be telling themselves they’re okay with a situation that isn’t what they really want (just like Maki was doing before she met him), because then they’ll get stuck in that rut and never be able to get themselves out of it! And so, even though he is finding himself getting used to this place, Kaito’s determined not to let that stop him from wanting to move on and not look back once they get out of here.

[Courtyard]

-      “What a great view…”

Kaito:  “Really? I don’t think so. I mean, I’m the guy who’s gonna fly off into the universe. I can’t be content with a view like this. I gotta see bigger and better things!”

I’m going to assume this is meant as basically an extension of the idea that Kaito doesn’t want them to get used to being stuck here and not try to escape; the view from the Academy isn’t anything particularly special, after all. Because it’d be sad if Kaito wasn’t able to let himself enjoy some of the prettier views on Earth just because they’re not space. You can still enjoy a thing even if you know there’s an even better thing out there! Kaito is definitely the kind of person who should be able to understand that. There’s nothing unnecessary in this world!

(but also have I mentioned how very important it is that the rocket had a window)

[Courtyard]

-      “Staying here forever wouldn’t be so bad”

Kaito:  “Huh!? What the hell are you talking about!? No way we’re staying here forever! Even if you are my sidekick, I won’t let you off the hook for saying that!”

This one reads to me less like Kaito’s trying to encourage Shuichi to be less defeatist and more like Kaito is angry on his own behalf. It’s almost as if Shuichi is trying to tell him to give up on getting out of here. Hey, Kaito, what’s so great about space anyway? Maybe you should just never go there after all.

(This is the last of the rare absolute worst outcomes. Kaito does not approve of having this idea suggested to him, and his sidekick should obviously have known better than to try and make him be okay with giving up like this.)

And while you might think Kaito is so optimistic that the thought of staying here forever would never have even occurred to him, it is a thought that’s been plaguing him, even though he’d never admit it out loud. More on that next time when we reach the main event here.

[razieltwelve]

Secret Santa

Here is a little Christmas present for all of you. The characters in this snippet are from The Unconventional Heroes Series.

X     X     X

“Why do I have to be Santa?” Gerald asked.

Timmy patted the bureaucrat on the shoulder and gazed off into the distance. “Think of the children, Gerald. Think of how happy they’ll be to receive gifts. Think of how their smiles will light up their faces.”

“But why me?” Gerald really didn’t want to be the centre of attention, and playing the part of Santa would ensure that he was.

“It’s pretty simple. Santa is supposed to carry all of his gifts around in a giant sack. For obvious reasons, carrying around a sack big enough to carry gifts for all of the children in the world would be impossible, so Santa has to be using magic to do it.” Timmy smirked. “And guess whose magic fits the description?”

“Oh.” Gerald made a face. “Mine.”

“Exactly.” Timmy pointed to where the rats were filling a sack with a random assortment of bits and pieces. “Whenever you’re about to give a child a gift, you’re going to reach into that sack before using your magic to pull out a suitable gift via your magic. It will look like you’ve got a bottomless sack, just like Santa.”

“But can’t you just use one of the sacks you got from Mike the Corpse Dealer?” Gerald asked. “Those are pretty big.”

“Sadly, they’re not big enough. Since I still haven’t cracked how he makes them yet, it’s up to you to be Santa.” He patted Gerald on the shoulder again. “Relax, we’ll be right there backing you up. It’s not like we’re going to throw you at a bunch of excited children on your own.”

“I guess.” Gerald took a deep breath. “For the children.”

“Exactly,” Timmy said. “For the children – and my future status as the legal ruler of this area. After all, what better way to secure the loyalty of the villagers than by building them schools, giving them access to clean water and proper medical care, and maybe throwing a few gifts their way. Hopefully, they’ll remember this the next time someone suggests grabbing some stakes and pitchforks.”

“I knew there had to be an ulterior motive.”

“Gerald, there’s an ulterior motive behind everything.” Timmy grinned. “Now, go with Bramante.” The rat waved. “He’s in charge of getting you fitted for a fat suit and fake beard.”

X     X     X

Avraniel stared at her dragon. “What are you doing?”

Spot wagged his tail happily and then held still as Katie attached a pair of what looked to be fake antlers to his head. I’m a reindeer.

“No,” Avraniel said slowly. “You’re a dragon.”

“We’re going to visit the villagers for Christmas,” Katie explained. “And hand out some gifts. It’s part of my master’s public relations campaign. When Spot found out that Gerald would be dressing up as Santa, he asked if he could be a reindeer.”

A flying reindeer. Spot flapped his wings and grinned. Who helps Santa give gifts to good boys and girls… and eats bandits and stuff.

“I’m fairly sure that none of Santa’s reindeer eat bandits,” Katie replied. “Although I’m sure the bandits don’t get gifts either.”

“Fine.” Avraniel shrugged. “Let me know when you guys get back, so I can join all of you for Christmas dinner.” She smirked. “Your master might be an idiot sometimes, but he knows how to put together a good spread.”

“Actually,” Katie said lifting a costume up into the air with her shadows. “My master and I were hoping you could help. You see, Santa is supposed to have elves for assistants and you are the only elf in the castle, so…”

“No. Not happening.”

At Avraniel’s words, Katie nodded gravely. “I see. Well, as my master would say, it’s a good thing I prepared a backup plan.” She nudged Spot.

“What?” Avraniel laughed. “You think Spot can force me to help? Good luck with…” She trailed off as the dragon looked at her with puppy dog eyes. When she continued to scowl back, he merely increased the power of his puppy dog eyes until they began to reach truly epic levels. Finally, when even that failed, Chomp trotted over and added his own puppy dog eyes to the mix, all six of them since he had three heads.

“Fine!” Avraniel snapped. “Just give me the damn costume.”

X     X     X

Old Man raised one eyebrow as he eyed the contraption that Gerald would be riding in. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

Daerin put his hands on his hips and smirked. “That, my friend, is the latest in dwarf engineering! It might look a little cumbersome, but that sled is perfectly capable of hovering in mid-air thanks to an assortment of runes, seals, enchantments, and other technology. Of course, it’s not like it can move around on its own, but that’s what the others are for.”

Attached to the sled were Spot and an assortment of zombies, the largest of whom was Roger. The gigantic zombie shark-hydra-drake towered over everything and gave off a truly menacing aura.

“The villagers may well assume that they’re under attack.” Old Man paused. “And are those giant fake antlers on Roger?”

“I made those,” Katie said, smiling sunnily. “Isn’t he adorable?”

“I’m not sure that adorable is the word I would use,” the swordsman replied.

“It should be fine.” Amanda had joined them. She was wearing an outfit not unlike the one Avraniel was wearing except the vampire also sported some fake elf ears. “And the villagers are already used to Roger. They see him whenever they going fishing at the lake.”

“Ah, of course.” Old Man nodded. “That’s true.”

“All right,” Timmy said, striding out into the courtyard in his own outfit. “Is everything ready?” An assortment of ninja rats chorused their agreement. “And has someone strapped a parachute to Gerald? We can’t having Santa accidentally falling to his death in front of the children.” The rats pointed to where a parachute had indeed been strapped onto Gerald. “In that case, let’s get going.” He nodded at the others. “Everyone climb aboard. It’s time to do our good deed for the day.”

X     X     X

Katie watched with a small smile on her face as Gerald handed out gift after gift. Somehow, each child got exactly what they wanted. It was really quite remarkable unless…

“Master,” she murmured. “Did you ask the ninja rats to spy on people, so you’d know what to get them?”

He shrugged. “If the ninja rats just so happened to be wandering nearby when people were talking about what they would like for Christmas, that’s simply a happy coincidence.”

Almost as popular as Santa were the two elves he’d brought along. Katie bit back a laugh as she watched Avraniel do her best to keep a smile on her face as the children swarmed around her, eager for a chance to talk to one of Santa’s elves. Amanda handled the excited youngsters with more aplomb.

Not far away, Spot was trotting alongside Tabitha. Apparently, Spot had saved the little girl and her brother from wolves some time ago, and they’d become friends.

“I’m glad you could visit, Spot!” Tabitha said, hugging the dragon.

I’m not Spot. I’m a reindeer. Spot had decided to stick to his story despite his scales, his wings, and his incredibly sharp teeth and claws.

“Okay.” Tabitha giggled. “That makes you my favourite reindeer.”

Spot preened.

“This isn’t just about public relations, is it, master?” Katie asked quietly. The smile on her master’s face was far too genuine for that to be the case.

He said nothing for a long moment before replying. “Christmas with my family wasn’t a big deal. We never had all that much, but, well, it was nice. When I became my master’s apprentice, Christmas became a survival exercise.” He chuckled softly. “We’ve done very well this year, Katie, far better than I could ever have hoped. War… war is tough on villagers and other common folk. When Everton goes to war, they’ll be asked to fight, and they don’t have powerful magic or excellent equipment like us. If I can give them something to smile about before things take a turn for the worse, then I’ll do it.”

“You’re a big softie, aren’t you?” she teased.

Her master ruffled her hair. “Don’t get too confident. You need at least another ten years of training before you can even think of overthrowing me.”

X     X     X

Timmy chuckled as Avraniel sauntered into the dining room. After hours of dealing with excited children, the elf was ready for a good meal, and he’d made sure not to disappoint. The dining room was set with a feast, and from the way she was practically drooling, she approved. Beside her Spot, hurried to shrug off his antlers. With the arrival of good food, his days as a reindeer were done.

“This is what I’m talking about,” Avraniel crowed. “Not bad.”

“Aye,” Daerin said. “It is a feast fit for a dwarf.”

Timmy waved them forward. “Go ahead. Get started.” He grinned at Amanda. “And, yes, I did have some suitable blood brought in too. We wouldn’t want you to feel left out.”

The vampire smiled. “You have my thanks.”

Timmy waited until things had begun to wind down a little before revealing the last trick up his sleeve. “Now, I know today has been very busy. You’ve all been kind enough to help me with the villagers, so I thought I should pay you back. If you look under your chairs, I think you’ll find something interesting.”

Attached to the underside of each person’s chair was a present.

“It’s that ancient tome I’ve been looking for!” Katie cried.

It’s honey-baked drake meat! Spot cheered.

One by one, each of the others opened their present to reveal that, yes, Timmy really did know what to get people for Christmas. Later, as everyone prepare to go to bed with a full stomach and a smile, Katie approached him.

“Master, how did you know where we would all sit?” His apprentice’s brows were adorably furrowed. “The layout of the dining table was different from usual because of all the extra food.”

“Katie, the layout might have been different, but I know all of your preferences. Avraniel likes sitting where she can keep an eye on the doors and windows, Amanda likes sitting where she can avoid any light coming through the windows, Old Man usually takes a seat where he can challenge anyone coming through the door, Gerald likes to sit as far from any of the doors and windows as possible, and Daerin likes to sit near the fireplace. As for you… well… I cheated a little. Given the choice, I knew you’d pick the pink chair.”

Katie’s eye twitched. “Of course, you did.” She looked about furtively to make sure no one else was looking before reaching out and hugging him. “Thanks, master. Merry Christmas.”

He ruffled her hair. “Merry Christmas, Katie.” He paused and nodded at Rembrandt. “And Merry Christmas to you too, Rembrandt.” The rat, who was perched on Katie’s shoulder, nodded back.

“But when did you attach the gifts?” Katie asked. “The rats have been around you all day, and none of them saw you do it.”

He grinned. “I have my ways, Katie.”

Later, once everyone else was already asleep, Timmy headed for the kitchen with a cake. As he’d expected, Sam was already there waiting for him. The protoplasmic horror had readied several slices of cake, and he pushed one toward Timmy.

“Thanks, buddy.” Timmy handed Sam the cake. “And this is for you. Thanks for helping me out with the gifts earlier. It helps having a friend who can phase through solid matter.”

Sam signalled his gratitude, and the two of them sat down to enjoy some cake. His very first Christmas after his master’s death had been just like this: just him and Sam and some cake. He smiled. There were still two more gifts to give. They should be arriving at their destinations any second now.

X     X     X

James’s eye twitched. A lump of coal. Someone had put a lump of coal in his stocking. He had no proof, but he knew who exactly to blame.

“Timmy…”

X     X     X

Vicky looked at the invitation to Boxing Day lunch. She’d already had Christmas dinner with her family. Spending Boxing Day with Timmy and the others would be a welcome change. There was even a small gift attached. Opening it, she smiled.

Timmy always gave the best gifts.

X     X     X

Author’s Notes

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This year has had its ups and downs, but it’s been a pretty good one overall. I hope the next one is even better.

And if you’re looking for a little bit of extra good cheer, please do check out The Unconventional Heroes Series if you haven’t already. The fourth part Two Necromancers, a Dwarf Kingdom, and a Sky City came out last month.

[cherrygorilla]

Time for me to be nosy as heck for the fanfic author thing! Hope you don't mind if I ask a lot like you did to me! Here you are: 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 17, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40 A bunch are the same ones you asked me, but I'm really curious as to what your answers would be. If there's anything you'd like to answer that I didn't ask you, then feel free to add it on if you feel up to it! 💖

Okay, I'm known to ramble at the best of times but I really ran away with myself here. You may want to grab a snack or something first; it's hella long. You've been warned! 

4. What made you start writing fanfiction? 

When I was like 11/12 I was obsessed with the musical Starlight Express and after trying to google just about everything I could about it I think I stumbled across some fanfiction for it. Well, instantly my little english-class-loving brain grabbed this concept and ran with it. I remember writing my own stories in this cheap little notebook I would hide in my bedside table drawer and it was around this time that TBM came out, so naturally I decided to see if that had any fanfiction too. Turns out it did, and significantly more than Starlight Express might I add, so my creativity ran away with itself and next thing I knew I was setting up my own account and getting properly involved this time. And I guess, as they say, the rest is history... 

5. Favourite pairing? 

This is pretty tricky for me. Most of the pairings that I have set up are littered with little flaws and things that make them more interesting to write about (and hopefully read about lol) and more realistic. And the already established pairings that I use (i.e. Mack & Brady in old stories or Lela & Tanner) just feel too bland for me to really connect with them, which is probably why I always struggle so much to write for them. I suppose Lela & Tanner can be cute, or at least their potential is; I don't feel like the movies did them justice lol. But for my stuff, at the moment I just feel so out of practice with writing and at such an early stage in the story with Wheels and Waves that I'm not really attached to any of the pairings yet. And besides, the only one I've really established so far is Butchy & Giggles, but if you've read my last chapter then you'll know that that's not exactly doing so hot atm. So, since I can pick holes and find flaws in everyone's relationships too much to pick a favourite, I think I'll pick one I'm excited about that has some of the biggest flaws imaginable: Coral & Hyde. And that's all I'm going to say. Unless you're curious, then ask away lmao. 

6. Least favourite pairing? 

Okay, I may be a bit controversial here- Actually, this is probably really controversial judging by some of the reviews on my old stories that I was just reading. But I don't really like Mack & Brady… Hear me out! Maybe it's just because I haven't watched the movies for ages and I haven't been thinking about them writing-wise since I abandoned my old stuff but they just seem really bland to me. Don't get me wrong, they're super sweet, but I like giving my characters a bit of grit to work with and make them a little more interesting beneath their 'perfect movie character in an idyllic world' surface and I just could never seem to do that with Mack & Brady. I could never manage to give them any depth and because of that I feel like I just grew to resent them haha. Other people can write for them much better than I can, let's just put it that way. Apart from them though, non-canon-wise in my stories it's got to be Butchy & Coral. Hands down. Honestly, what was I thinking? It was cringey. It was basic. And I think because of it Coral became super one-dimensional and kept losing her way as a character because my whole focus was trying to get them to work as a couple. Spoiler alert: they don't. And since I ditched them I think I was really able to get her to come into her own and develop a much more interesting, albeit worse, side of her.

7. Favourite type of au? 

This is probably going to be a quick one because I don't do a lot of au stuff but modern day/high school aus are always a lot of fun. I feel like TBM2 could have done so much cool stuff with that premise but then they went and dumbed down all the characters and really ruined their chance but I think the concept in general is so cute. I'm actually working on something in this vein for my sims blog, but that's not what we're talking about so let's move on. 

14. Do the people in your life know you write fic? How do they feel about it?

 Nope. I haven't ever mentioned it to my family because I just don't think that they'd 'get' it. I think I mentioned it to one of my best friends ages ago because she also read/casually wrote fanfics but I don't think that she still knows that I've kept it up; she probably just assumes that it was something we both just did when we were 13/14. So they don't really think anything of it; they don't know and probably never will lol. So I just struggle over chapters and ideas and things by myself. 

17. What's the harshest criticism you've ever gotten on a fic? 

To be honest, I don't think that I've ever really had any super harsh criticism. None that I can remember, anyway. I was reading through the reviews on one story recently and someone told me that I should work on my dialogue for Mack & Brady because it wasn't true enough to their characters and tbh they probably weren't wrong. That's barely criticism but it was the closest that I could find to it in my five minutes of looking and nothing else stood out in my memory so I guess that's what I'll go with. I know that probably sounds super cocky like "omg i'm amazing i never get any criticism from anyone because i'm amazingggg!!!1!!" but honestly all the reviews on my old stuff were just people being nice to me because I was friendly to them and I get next to no reviews on my current stuff, so there's no real opportunity for criticism if there's no interaction in the first place lmao. 

20. What's your biggest struggle when it comes to writing fic? 

Actually finding the time to write it when I have uni work, family life, stuff with friends and a somewhat healthy sleep schedule to balance as well. I just don't have enough hours in a day. Besides that, when it actually comes to writing I guess I find it hard to stick solely to ideas that progress the plot. I've been trying to work on that a lot more lately and be more ruthless with my planning but sometimes I just get inspired by something fun and in sheer creative desperation I just wedge it into the plot somewhere. And I think that for the reader's sake I need to stop doing this. 

21. Your biggest strength? 

I don't know if this is what anyone else would consider my biggest strength but I personally really like the way that I can develop the characters beyond what little personality we get to see in the movies. I love working on their story arcs and experimenting with how they 'exist' in my head, like finding out who the quiet souls are, who the loud mouths are and why they act like that. From the snippets we actually see of them in the movies and how basic they are, I'm pretty proud of the characters I've rounded them into in my stories; they feel a lot more real now, to me at least. 

22. Which do you do more: read fic or write fic? 

I know it's hard to believe, but probably write. I only really keep up with a handful of stories now and I always find I'm more actively thinking about kicking my butt into gear and writing something myself instead of setting out to read someone else's stuff. 

24. What's your process? 

Daydream and plan out future plot lines for most of the waking hours of the day. Find the fleeting shred of time available in said day to sit down and work on something if both inspiration and motivation are working in my favour. Actually sit down and open up a google doc, perhaps with a cup of tea if I'm feeling particularly adventurous and fancy treating myself for doing something productive. Painfully struggle through the first ten minutes of warming up my writing muscles and getting my creative juices flowing again. Settle into a good rhythm and just let my fingers and the words work their magic until something boring from the real world interrupts me and drags me away from my fictional one. Then repeat. 

25. Of all the fics you've written, which is your favourite? 

I know it's not necessarily a single fic but I really liked when I was writing the one-shots for Surf, Sun, Sand because I knew that I was writing the things people wanted to read, so I knew there was more of a chance that they'd enjoy them. And it was nice not being constrained to one timeline, I could jump around and play with different pairings, ideas and settings as much as I, well, the requests, wanted. I also really liked my Twelve Days of Cruisin' for a Bruisin' Christmas story, but I can't put that at the top spot because I'm so frustrated that I never got that final chapter up. It was really fun to write though and that's one of the few things that I've written that I'm still happy with to this day lmao. I just think it's sweet and I like how I wrote all the characters, so I'd say that's a win for me. 

27. What's your most popular fic? Do you think the popularity is warranted, or is there another fic that you think deserves it more? 

Statistics-wise it's Paper Flowers, by a long-shot. 77,485 views and 331 reviews. Now, I think that the fact that there are about a million chapters and I wrote it back when the fandom was thriving has quite a lot to do with that, if not all of it, because I'm almost certain that it can't be the writing, character quality or whatever crap I threw into the plot back then. But for nostalgia's sake, I'll allow it. And to be fair, it was probably alright at the time. I do think, however, that I've developed and improved my writing style over the years, so it would be nice if Wheels and Waves could get a little more popularity (since it's something I'm actually semi-proud of lol). But I just don't have the audience, so what can you do? 

29. Which of your fics was the hardest to write? 

Just Like Me. By a country mile. Like I mentioned earlier, I really struggle when it comes to writing for Mack & Brady and although I liked the concept (and a few other people did too) I just wasn't ever happy with what I ended up with. The chapters felt boring (which probably had something to do with the fact that I wrote them in my phone notes at 11:30pm), their relationship felt bland and the plot felt like it was going nowhere. I sort of had a vague structure of where I wanted to take it, but when I couldn't seem to get the hang of writing for them every chapter felt like such a challenge. 

30. Favourite fic writers? 

You, girl! I literally don't even bother to keep up with anyone else anymore because I just don't have the time (uni will do that to a bitch, lol) but I never miss a post of yours and will frequently go and re-read your stuff (especially if it's in preparation for a crossover lmao) if I need a pick-me-up. And like you said, we're practically family now and what kind of internet sister would I be if I didn't support my fam?! 

31. Do you write just for fun, or would you ever consider pursuing writing? 

I don't think I'd ever actually pursue it as a job. I'm in dentistry school atm so I'm pretty set on becoming a dentist, but even if that wasn't the case, I don't think I have the creativity to create my own unique story with original characters and a whole universe under my control. I just think it's fun to expand on other ideas and grow my own ideas from them. 

33. Fanfiction pet peeves? 

Bad grammar is really frustrating. But I also just think it's really boring when people will basically re-write the whole movie/story pretty much word-for-word with only the slightest of alterations. Like, I've already watched/read this once, why would I want to do it again? I came here for creativity and fun stories with my fave characters, not the flat-out plot all over again with a cookie-cutter, paper doll inserted into the mix to steal a few lines. It just bored me. 

34. First person, second person or third person? 

I'd probably put second person last because I just find reader-insert things weird and cringey. Like they legit make me feel uncomfortable sometimes. And then I'd go with first person because although I don't really have a problem with it, it's just never a style I'd choose to write in; I just can't really get the hang of it and I prefer to be able to see and show everyone's perspective on a situation from the outside, which is why good old third person has to be my favourite. 

35. OCs, reader inserts or canon pairings?

 Like I said, reader inserts creep me out a bit so definitely not those. Canon pairings are a pretty safe bet and can be cute most of the time (I just personally seem to struggle with them lol) and if they're done well (i.e. not basic bitches with no personality that just double as weird reader inserts *cough cough* Coral in Paper Flowers smh 12 year old me) then I think OCs can be really fun and can add another layer to fanfics that takes them beyond the bubble of what's canon. 

37. Which character is your favourite to write for? 

Saying Coral would be too easy because she's literally my own character, so of course I'm going to enjoy writing for her. So, other than that I'm going to have to say Seacat. I feel much more comfortable writing for the surfers than the bikers anyway, so that definitely plays into it. But I really like the version of him I've created. I really leaned into his sort of fiesty, stubborn side that occasionally showed itself in the movies, which created a super interesting dynamic with his inherent relaxed nature that all the surfers have. He's a really fun character to work with and I've got lots of fun things planned for him, so I think he's earned that top spot. But I'll mention Giggles too because it's been fun developing her character more deeply for Wheels and Waves. I just like a bit more drama, which Seacat can deliver more than my sweet bby G. 

40. Imagine yourself 10 years in the future, do you still think you'll be writing fic? 

Honestly, who knows? Back when I started I never thought I'd still be writing it at 18, so never say never, I guess. 

And since you said I could choose another one, I'll go for 38. From where do you draw inspiration? 

I wanted to include this one because I'm literally listening to my Wheels and Waves playlist as I write this to try to get me into that #writingmood. A few different things influence me but music has always been my biggest inspiration. I'm constantly adding new songs to my playlist and finding songs I want to use so badly that I'll rearrange and shift around plot points to work them into the story. For example, that Coral & Hyde relationship I mentioned earlier? Grown entirely from songs. But yeah, I'm always getting inspired by songs, which is why I'm really trying to get a general plan of Wheels and Waves set in stone so that I'll stop being tempted to switch things around and ruin the plot with convoluted ideas I get on a whim because I heard a fun song. On another note though, if you have any song suggestions then hit me up lmao; I'm always looking for more haha.

[missselenewrites]

Entangled sequel snippet

Several months ago I started writing a proper sequel to Entagled, by which I mean that it takes place after the epilogue, not like the missing scenes which take place before. But because finishing sequels is clearly not my strong suit, it's likely to remain unfinished for some time. So I decided to post at least the first chapter here because I like it and it would be a shame if nobody got to read it.

It's just the first draft, so forgive any mistakes, and let me know if you can tell which Sherlock Holmes adaptations it's inspired by!

********

September 2034

John stepped out of the train and onto the platform, pulling his suitcase behind him. His eyes were immediately drawn to the imperious figure standing slightly apart from the general crowd milling about on the platform, and he smiled.

Sherlock looked as good as ever. Aging suited him, John thought for the upnteenth time. It wasn’t that he looked younger than he was, exactly - there were lines on his face and while his hair showed no sign of greying, his hairline had receded in a way that his wild curls couldn’t entirely mask. But he wore his age well - to John, he always looked like someone who was happy to be growing older simply because he was happy to be alive. His face was tanned from spending time outdoors and his erstwhile sharp edges had been smoothed down with love and regular meals. At fifty-five and having long ago abandoned his neatly-pressed suits for a more comfortable attire better suited for country living, he was still the most beautiful man John knew - the only difference was that he no longer shied away from admitting it to himself.

“John,” Sherlock said warmly, and then they were in each other’s arms, hugging tightly. Sherlock smelled like sun and honey and wood fire and John felt tension he hadn’t even been aware of drain from his shoulders. It always felt so good to come here. They saw each other fairly regularly, but it just wasn’t the same as when Sherlock still lived in London and they worked cases together.

It had come as a surprise, when Sherlock decided to retire from detective work. He’d been only fifty, and when he said he was moving away, John had assumed he meant Paris or New York or Tokyo - a metropolis, because that was the sort of environment where Sherlock Holmes belonged. Right in the middle of things. Sussex had come as a relief because it was closer, but the idea of Sherlock living in a tiny village - and not even in a village, more like just outside of one - took some getting used to. However, the new, quieter life clearly suited Sherlock, and even though John missed the excitement of their work, he had to admit it was good that they had stopped before their reflexes got too slow. He thought he was in good shape, but he doubted he’d be able to chase anyone across rooftops.

John had been worried at first that Sherlock would no longer have any use for him if there were no cases for John to assist with, but he had been wrong about that. They found opportunities to see each other as often as possible, and there was even a case from time to time, since Sherlock still accepted work that was interesting enough. Last year, when John had been a bit depressed when Rosie left for university, he’d spent ten days with Sherlock and they solved several cases within that time - he knew Sherlock had only taken them to cheer him up. Perhaps something like that would come up again this time, and if not, that was okay too - John would be more than happy to enjoy a quiet long weekend in the countryside with his best friend.

They walked together to Sherlock’s car and drove the short distance to the stone cottage, which stood in a secluded spot away from prying eyes and out of the way of random passers-by. The cottage was picture-perfect, complete with a white picket gate set in a low stone wall, a flowering front garden and roses climbing up the walls. It wasn’t a place where Sherlock of twenty years ago would have willingly lived, but it suited his softer, gentler nature of recent years and the loving warmth of his relationship with his husband -- or partner, more precisely, since they weren’t married, but at some point John had started thinking of Sanjay as Sherlock’s husband anyway. 

Right now, however, the house was clearly empty when they arrived, aside from the two dogs who greeted them - an Irish setter called Bonny, and Doyle, a boisterous one-year-old retriever that nearly knocked John off his feet with his enthusiasm.

“Down, Doyle,” Sherlock commanded to absolutely no effect. “Sanjay’s at work, he’ll be back after lunch.”

“Oh, didn’t he need the car? I could have taken a cab from the station.”

“No, it’s fine, he likes the walk from the bus stop when the weather’s nice. Doyle, down! I swear to god, this dog is a menace,” Sherlock said sternly as he tried to stop Doyle from jumping up and down in excitement, but John knew that his strictness was faked - there was no one in the world who loved and spoiled their dogs more than Sherlock did.

“Let him be, it’s great that someone’s so happy to see me,” John said indulgently, more than happy to pet one dog with each hand. 

“I’m happy to see you, but forgive me if I don’t slobber on you to show it. Tea?”

“Please.”

They took their tea on the patio. John sank into his chair with a sigh of satisfaction, enjoying the view of the extensive back garden, full of flowers and fruit trees intended to provide plentiful and varied sources of pollen to the bees that resided in the colourful beehives at the back.

“Mmm, I needed this,” he hummed appreciatively as he took his first sip of the hot tea, sweetened with a generous dollop of honey. He normally took his tea unsweetened, but one did not simply refuse Sherlock Holmes’ honey.

“The tea?” Sherlock said, stirring even more honey into his cup.

“No, just being here. I always feel like I’m in a different universe when I’m here.” It was the absolute truth, and it wasn’t just about leaving the city behind, hearing birdsong instead of the hum of traffic, smelling flowers and grass and damp earth instead of exhaust fumes. It was Sherlock, being with him, seeing how happy and fulfilled he was in his new life. It energised John like nothing else.

“You could move here, you know,” Sherlock said softly, looking at John through his eyelashes.

“Yeah, I’ve thought about it, actually.” He wasn’t sure how Lara, his wife, would like being away from London and her daughter and grandchildren, and buying real estate in the current economy wasn’t an easy thing to do, but then again, the train connection to London was pretty good, and selling their flat would bring a nice sum. They certainly couldn’t afford something as nice and large as Sherlock’s cottage (Sherlock and Sanjay were only able to afford it thanks to the Holmes family money) but if they found something simpler and smaller… it was a possibility. “But Lara helps out a lot with Veronica’s kids, you know, I don’t think she’s in a hurry to leave, she loves being a grandmother. But when the kids are a bit older… it could be nice.”

“I loved visiting my grandparents in the country when I was a child. Tell Lara she should consider that before all the good properties are snapped up. There’s a house in Cocksbrige that’s just become available and should be within your price range.”

John raised an eyebrow at him. “You’ve given this some thought.”

Sherlock shrugged. “Yes, well. It’s tedious having to pick you up at the station all the time, and then you clutter up the guest room.”

John grinned at him, warmth spreading through his chest. “I miss you too.”

Sherlock’s eyelashes fluttered as he gave a tiny smile, clearing his throat.

“Think about it, John.”

“Yeah, I will. I think I deserve a nice retirement too, don’t I?” He’d occasionally thought about this ever since Sherlock and Sanjay had moved here. It wasn’t far from London, but it still wasn’t practicable to see Sherlock as often as he’d like. If he could move somewhere within a reasonable distance, he’d have everything he needed.

“And how are the bees?”

“Good. It’s been a good summer, enough rain and not too hot for once.” Sherlock launched into a lengthy monologue about his bees as John had known he would, and John tuned out. He had no interest in the intricacies of beekeeping, but he enjoyed watching Sherlock’s enthusiasm, the animated way he talked about about his favourite topic, the glint in his eye. It would be good if he could see it more often.

“... but then it turned out that the bees in the hives on the eastern side noticed the increased number of exits from the hive much quicker than the bees on the western side, and… John. You’re not listening to me at all, are you?”

“What? No, I am. The number of exits. I’m listening.”

Sherlock smiled broadly. “You know you don’t have to pretend to care about bees. It’s fine. Now.” He puts his cup back on the table and straightens a little in his chair. “Have we wasted enough time talking?”

“Sorry, what?”

“Are you finally going to give it to me?”

“Give you what?” John asked, but of course he knew what Sherlock meant. He’d been hoping that somehow Sherlock wouldn’t notice, but he had known there was only a small chance of that. 

Sherlock gives him a pointed look. “You brought Lara’s suitcase instead of your usual duffel bag.”

“So? Maybe my shoulder hurts.” John knew there was no point in dragging it out, but something stopped him from giving in too easily.

“Except it doesn’t. The only reason why you’d choose a suitcase is if you wanted to bring something that you couldn’t bring in your duffel bag. Not because of size, the case is actually smaller in volume. But something that could get damaged in the bag. Creased. Like sheets of paper that you printed out because you’re old-fashioned.”

“I’m not old-fashioned,” John bristled automatically.

“You’re old-fashioned enough to prefer paper instead of the screen for your manuscript.”

“Hmm, that’s just a wild guess. You couldn’t deduce anything like that just from the suitcase.”

“Couldn’t I? The only thing you’d want to bring as a physical copy would have to be something with sentimental value - there aren’t many things like that. But you’re right, it wasn’t just the case. There’s also the fact that everytime I visited your home in the past year, you computer was conspicuously absent, hidden away. You normally leave it lying around, but suddenly it was nowhere to be seen, so clearly connected to something personal.”

“Maybe I just watch a lot of porn.”

Sherlock chuckled. “That never made you hide your laptop before. Your eyesight has also deteriorated slightly in the past year from too much screen time and squinting at your notes in bad lighting, although I admit it could be attributed to other factors as well. However, I know from Rosie that you’ve been using her room as an office while she’s away. She complained that her desk was full of your old case notes when she came back home for Easter.”

“Ah, so you didn’t actually deduce anything. Rosie just told you.”

“She only told me what I needed to confirm my suspicion. You’ve been writing.”

John sighed. “Yes.”

“About our old cases.”

“Yes.”

“And you’ve brought the manuscript for me to read.”

“Yes. But only I wanted to give it to you just before leaving.”

“Afraid of my scathing critique?”

“Can you blame me, given how you reacted to my blog?” John said, but that wasn’t the true reason, although it was part of it. Of course he was worried Sherlock would think his writing was bad, but it was more than that. What he had written was far more personal than any account of a case he’d ever published on his blog. It wasn’t about the cases. It wasn’t even about Sherlock, not really.

John had had a vague idea about writing a proper book about his work with Sherlock almost from the very beginning, but he had only started actually writing it last year, almost immediately after he came back home from his extended visit to Sherlock’s. There was nothing like your only child leaving the nest to make you think about time passing, face the fact that you were getting older, that most of your life was behind you. John had thought about that when Rosie left for university, her small bedroom quiet and eerily empty even though most of her possessions were still there. He had thought about his life then, and all the choices he had made that had led him to where he was - the right ones, and the wrong ones. He had made a lot of the wrong ones. And after spending almost two weeks with Sherlock, in that perfect cocoon of happiness and domesticity and love that was Sherlock’s home and where John would only ever be a guest, he had known what he had to do. He had come home, and found his old case notes, and started writing. The cases served as a basis for the plot, but the real story was elsewhere, and even though John had known ever since he first opened a blank document that he’d eventually give the story to Sherlock to read, he still dreaded Sherlock’s reaction.

Sherlock inclined his head to the side, his piercing eyes fixed on John and no doubt reading every single thought that passed through John’s mind, and somehow that made John feel braver - Sherlock already knew John thoroughly. One extra glimpse into John’s soul would hardly matter.

“I’m sure your literary style has improved over the years,” Sherlock said. “But if it helps, I promise not to read it until you leave.”

John scoffed. “Yeah, right.” He had no illusions about Sherlock’s ability to resist temptation. He pushed his chair back and stood up. “Wait here.” He walked back inside the cosy lounge and then to the entrance hall where he’d left his suitcase, and then he carefully took out the thick folder he’d placed in the front pocket. 

“There you go,” he said brusquely when he joined Sherlock back on the patio, handing the manuscript to him.

“Thank you, John,” Sherlock said with obvious sincerity in his voice, but John couldn’t fully look him in the eye. His heart was thumping rather hard.

Sherlock glanced at the front page through the transparent front flap of the folder.

“The Adventures of Sheridan Hope?!” he read, almost comically surprised. “Who the hell is Sheridan Hope?”

“Well, he’s you. But not really. Your alter ego. This is not a biography, Sherlock. It’s not facts. And I didn’t want to make it seem like it was, so I didn’t use anyone’s real names.”

“Right,” Sherlock said, looking at the manuscript rather doubtfully. John could tell he was itching to open it. “So I’m Sheridan Hope. And you are…?”

“Doctor James Weston,” John said reluctantly.

“You know, if you wanted to hide our identities, you should have taken the name changes a bit further. No one will be fooled by Sheridan Hope and James Weston.”

“Shut up,” John bristled. “You’ve only read the title and you’re already criticising. Wait until you’ve read the whole thing at least, all right?”

“Sorry,” Sherlock said, a little subdued, then he carefully set the folder to the side with an admirable show of self-restraint. “I appreciate you letting me read this, John, truly. It will be nice to relive our glory days, so to speak.”

“Do you really never miss it?” John asked, grasping the first opportunity to shift the conversation away from his book (if he could even call it that).

“Oh, I do, sometimes. The thrill of the chase, the two of us against the rest of the world,” he smiled at John, a warm, fond smile that compelled John to smile back. “But the truth is I have no interest in facing the world anymore. And besides, this life isn’t devoid of excitement,” he added with a glint in his eye. “You really should have been here two weeks ago.”

“Oh? What happened? Did some of your bees escape? Stage a coup against the queen?”

“Coups against the queen are more common than you’d think, actually,” Sherlock said with smile. “But no. There was a murder.”

There was a moment of silence when John tried to determine whether Sherlock was pulling his leg and was actually referring to one of his beehives getting attacked by wasps, or something of that sort.

“A murder? Here?”

“Yep. People are just as capable of criminal behaviour in the country as in the city, John. There’s just less chance of someone noticing it.”

“So a murder happened basically on your doorstep and you didn’t think to tell me until now?”

“It was Rosie’s last week before home before the start of term, you wouldn’t have wanted to come here anyway. But don’t worry, there’s still a chance for you to solve the mystery.”

“What do you mean, for me to solve?”

“Well, I gave the matter some thought, and I realised there were three alternatives how I could share this case, if you want to call it that, with you. One, I could simply tell you what happened--”

“And you rejected that idea immediately as being way too straightforward.”

Sherlock smiled. “Naturally. Two, I could write it up and we could exchange manuscripts…”

“Hang on, you had no way of knowing I’d bring it with me.”

“No, but I had hopes. I knew you’d been writing, obviously I hoped you’d share it with me at some point.”

“And the third option?”

“I could tell you the facts, show you the evidence, take you to the place where it happened, and you could try to solve it.”

“So it’s still unsolved?”

“No, I was able to clear it up.”

“Right, so I’m just supposed to make a fool of myself for your entertainment, is that it?”

“Of course not, John. I have no doubt that you can get to the bottom of it. I thought you might enjoy it. Didn’t want you to get bored."

Sherlock seemed actually a little hurt by John’s reaction, and John realised that his nerves about the manuscript had made him a bit too sensitive. Of course Sherlock wasn’t planning to make fun of John - he’d essentially planned a game for John.

“I’m never bored here,” said John, and by here he meant with you. “But okay. Let’s see if I can solve this faster than you did.”

Sherlock clapped his hands together with obvious glee. “Excellent.” He stood up and grabbed the manuscript. “Let me just put this away somewhere safe and let’s go.”

“Go?”

“Obviously. The murder didn’t happen literally on my doorstep. There won’t be much in terms of evidence left, but you should still see the crime scene, don’t you think?”

[morallygreyprompts]

Oh could you please write a snippet where the hero saves the villain and lets them stay with them, they both already are very fond of each after knowing each other for quite sometime. That the villain practically follows them around like a cute puppy as well as commenting and complementing them causing the hero to blush? Sorry if its wordy or too much and I understand if you can't but thanks anyway.

Ask 24

*breathes deeply* I smell fluff. You worded it just fine and I shall do my best!

The apartment fire was rapidly growing out of control. Hero had managed to come with a little preparation, a small mask that gave them a source of clean air. Almost everyone had been accounted for, Hero had head from outside that someone had been pulling people to safety, but that person hadn’t been accounted for, neither had a little boy. So hero had hurried inside to try to find them. The firefighters searched the lower floors but Hero went higher, into the room the little boy and the mystery person had last been spotted in before rubble had meant they couldn’t climb out of the window.

Even though Hero could breathe the smoke was blinding. But they could hear a noise, a never-ending beep. Hero followed it as best they could, looking in each room of the apartment. The Hero almost tripped over something, no someone. They were holding a rolled up duvet. Hero pulled the duvet away, unwrapping it slightly to see the little boy wrapped up, alive but struggling. Hero covered the boy back up and sent a blast of energy at the wall, putting a great hole in it. The building shuddered. They had to act fast.

The fire service was already moving a great ladder towards them with a man on top. Hero lifted up the boy and passed the little boy to him, getting him to safety.

“I’ve got another one here,” Hero called out. They went back for them but Hero could sense the building was weakening. They couldn’t get to the window. They waved the fireman away. “Go! Go!”

Hero went back to the other and checked for a pulse but as they did shock coursed through them. It was Villain. Hero took off their mask and out it onto Villain, giving them the air they desperately needed. Hero tried to hold their breath as best they could as they draped Villain across their shoulders and carried them downstairs, so many stairs. The floor Hero walked on was melting, burning. Hero’s eyes watered with the smoke and the heat.

Hero sent another blast of energy out on the same side that they had before. Hero peered down the gap to see they were low enough to jump on the massive inflatable they’d put down. They had to jump. After slipping the mask off Villain’s face, they threw them down. A sudden explosion forced Hero out the hole before they could wait for Villain to be moved. They tried to aim away from Villain and narrowly managed.

For a second, Hero lay there in surprise. Then they rolled off the sinking inflatable, turning their attention to Villain. Villain was coming around. Hero stayed with them all the way to the hospital, barely able to take their eyes off the movement in their chest and their blistered sooty face.

___

“They’re letting me out today, but I’ve lost everything. Even the car got crushed with debris.” Villain said from their bed. They were lucky that no one knew their face, no one other than Hero. Hero hadn’t left their side since the fire. Villain had almost died in helping other people out of the building. Had it not been for Hero they might have.

“Then stay with me,” Hero said as they handed them a glass of water for their scratchy throat.

“I can’t ask that from you,” Villain said. “Offer the place to someone else. I’ll find a hotel.”

“You didn’t have insurance, did you?”

Villain shook their head. “It’s a means of getting followed by the law.”

“You’re staying with me,” Hero decided. “I’m not giving you a choice. Other people will have that support- you don’t.”

Villain gave a wet smile. “Thank you,” they said. Hero moved closer and gave them a reassuring hug. “I’ll help you get back on your feet.”

___

Hero let Villain sleep for the first few days, looking after their burns and keeping them comfortable. Hero didn’t mind. They’d earned the rest, Villain hadn’t liked the hospital enough to get a full night’s sleep. Once they were rested there was no keeping them down.

Hero was busy trying to find Villain a place of their own again, but their favourite part of the day soon came to be as they made dinner. Villain always did their best to help out. The radio would be on and the conversation would flow. Sometimes a good song would prompt a quiet sing along.

“You’ve got a lovely voice,” Villain admitted quietly as they chopped an onion. Hero turned their attention to the empty pan as their cheeks flushed red. “You’re not that bad yourself.”

“No? My [relative], always said I had the voice of an operatic seagull.”

Hero laughed “Tough crowd, huh?”

Villain grinned. “Yeah, man, the stories I could tell about them.”

Hero loved their talks more and more as the evening went on. Villain had a skill for slipping kind words in towards them, no matter the story, getting chased by cows, barbeque disasters, anything.

When they sat down together for their meal, Hero found themselves getting reluctant to tell Villain there was an opportunity for them to get their own place.

“This is delicious,” Villain said. Hero smiled and thanked them. No, they didn’t want them to leave. Villain seemed to notice. “Everything alright?”

“Of course, great in fact. A friend contacted me today. They said they might have a place for you to rent.”

“That’s great,” Villain smiled. “I can get out of that pretty hair of yours.”

Hero smiled. “I’ll take you to see it tomorrow- but if you don’t like it feel free to say so. Having you here has actually been nice. Don’t think I’m forcing you out.”

“Of course,” Villain smiled. “I’ve loved the last few days too. I’ll have to visit if I do like it.”

That prospect lightened Hero’s heart.

___

Hero shouldn’t have been so happy when Villain didn’t like the place, but they were. It meant they had more time with Villain. Villain just seemed to glow with gratitude and kindness, of course, they always had been kind to them but living with them had made things even better. They’d learned things about Villain that they never thought they would.

“This is probably stupid,” Villain said as they walked back towards Hero’s place, “but I don’t think I’m… comfortable, with the idea of living by myself just yet, not after everything that’s happened.” That dashed all of Hero’s happiness, replacing it with guilt.

“Then you don’t have to leave until you’re comfortable,” Hero said. They couldn’t stop themselves blurting “Stay forever.”

Villain smiled. “I couldn’t disrupt your life like that. Our friendship is complicated enough as it is. But… I’ve never been more comfortable until  I stayed with you,” Villain admitted.

“That means a lot, [Villain].” Hero was a little surprised when Villain reached for their hand. Hero let them take it.

“I know I’ve said it a lot but you really are amazing.”

Hero blushed.

Hope I stayed on track and I hope you like it!

[lunapixu]

Pixu Ponders: My Favourite Games of the Decade

As the 2010s come to a close, I wanted to take a look back on my gaming experiences of the past ten years. I wish to look back on the games that I believe shaped my teen and young adult years, games that defined this decade for me, and all my treasured memories with them.

As we go into this, please bear in mind that these are my opinions. If you don’t like what you see, cool.

Furthermore, just because of long this darn post is, I’ve had to keep my list pretty short. If there’s a specific game you think I’ve missed, it’s because I had to cut it out.

Among the games cut from the list are: * Portal 2 * Super Mario Odyssey * Undertale * A Hat in Time * Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild * Stardew Valley * Monster Hunter (3U and World) (If you wish for me to write up about these games like the list below, shoot me an ask.)

The Binding of Isaac (2011 and 2014) (Franchise)

To me, the Binding of Isaac is a trend-defining indie game that, along with a couple other entries on this list, I believe contributed to the indie game boom.

The Binding of Isaac, created by Super Meat Boy's Edmund McMillen, depicts a young boy trying to escape his mother (and his inner torment) by delving into his basement and slaying countless monsters with his tears. Amongst many things, The Binding of Isaac stands out due to its simplistic art, unusual fleshy monsters, frequent depictions of... excrement, and a variety of other unsavoury material.

In spite of the crass material and immature nature its contents carry, The Binding of Isaac is a surprisingly deep and heavily replayable game. Many Roguelites that have sprung this decade like to say “No run is the same” but nowhere is this more clear than in the game that kickstarted the modern Roguelite trend. Within the game, Isaac can collect a wide variety of items that can help better slay monsters or navigate the labyrinthine levels of his basement. Isaac can pick up an item that allows him to shoot a large laser of blood, he could obtain a knife to throw at enemies, he can pick up an item that suspends his tears in midair and then release in a volley of bullets Kylo Ren style. When this game says “No run is the same”, it means it.

On Steam, I have over 250 hours on the game’s 2014 remake (Binding of Isaac Rebirth). I have approx. 300 of the 413 achievements the game has to offer. To say that I love and play the heck out of this game is an understatement. And it’s not even my most played game on Steam.

Hollow Knight (2017)

Hollow Knight was a surprise favourite of mine. Being a big fan of metroidvania games, I knew I was going to like this funky little bug game. After all, the game seemed fun and was going to be something of a hybrid between Metroid-style exploration and progression but a Dark Souls health system and storytelling. What’s not to like?

I will be real here, the first two areas of the game weren’t all that amazing. Though there were pleasant sights, neat characters, and simple but kinda fun gameplay, I couldn’t help but feel like wanting... more. Something more captivating. Perhaps something more amazing might await me if I push on through. A hurdle that I needed to overcome. Would it actually happen or will this fun but unimpressive saunter through the world of insects be all there is? And boy were my instincts right.

I will not go into the specifics but the game’s appeal and charm finally clicked for me after a few hours in. It was a combination of taking on two very specific bosses and entering a specific area of the game that instantly made me fall in love. I was enamoured. What had simply been me crossing a game off my bucket list had turned into an adventure I was whole-heartedly engaged in. This game’s adventure was now my own. It was an adventure that I hadn’t been quite as engaged with as... Kingdom Hearts, honestly. And if my posts on here are any indication, that’s quite the feat.

Hollow Knight’s usage of atmosphere, clever writing and worldbuilding, and simple but challenging gameplay are something of a brilliant recipe. I was fascinated by every single snippet of dialogue, smiling as my little insect buddy clashed with perilous foes, wowed by some of the levels, and charmed by every character who I happened to stumble upon.

Though I only played it so recently (Spring 2019 for reference), I can very confidently put it as one of my favourite games of all-time. A list shared by greats such as The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, Cave Story, Kingdom Hearts 2, and Super Mario Galaxy.

Terraria (2011)

Ah, Terraria... The “2D Minecraft”, the “Minecraft but not as good”, the “Starbound but not in space”.

Terraria, as you may know, is a 2D action-platformer sandbox. It’s a game that drops you into a large (but not unlimited) world and says “You’re gonna need to gear up, bucko.” So, you tear down some trees and dig up the land a bit in a bid to gather some resources. After all, this is a sandbox! It’s mine, mine~ Mine for the taking~ It’s mine, boys. Mine me that gold! *ahem* Seems I got a little carried away. Anyways...

Within the first few minutes, the sun starts to set on Terraria’s world and you’re being mauled apart by zombies. That is unless you built a house and hunkered down for the night to avoid the ghouls that intend to ruin your night. Seem familiar? Well, it should. And it’s why people drum up the comparisons above, flag it as just another sandbox game, and leave.

This, I believe, is not really a fair look at Terraria. Yes, you mine blocks. Yes, you fight monsters at night to survive. But that’s it. Those are the only substantial comparisons to be made. Terraria, as I described earlier, is an action-platformer. To me, Terraria’s sandbox nature and simplistic Minecraft-esque survival come secondary to what I consider to be the meat of the game. The exploration, the combat system, and the shenanigans.

Within the game are several set pieces to explore and countless bosses to fight. Players are expected to plunge headfirst into the rotting landscape of the Corruption (or the more eldritch and bloodied Crimson), delve into the skeleton-filled Dungeon, brave the perilous Jungle, and even venture into Hell itself. In exploring and slaying the many powerful foes that await the player, one can go beyond just “I swing my Iron Sword at a Zombie. Yaaaaaay... =_=“ and into extreme levels of zaniness. Wanna beat up Martians with a lightsaber? I don’t recommend it but you can. Wanna kill a giant robot worm of doom with a minigun? You bet your butt you can.

Minecraft (2009, 1.0 release in 2011)

To say Minecraft didn’t define the 2010s would be a blatant lie. As the #1 best-selling game, a spot hotly contested with Tetris, it’s hard to deny the influence and critical success of this simple voxel-based sandbox game.

What is it that makes Minecraft such a perfect and fantastic game? To me, it’s all in the simplicity of it all. The lack of goal, the blank slate of a world you’re given, and the openness and accessibility of the game. Minecraft expects you to take whatever inspiration and ideas you may have and construct them in this blocky world.

Wanna build a plane? Wanna build a sweet mansion? A bit too normal for you? How about a working computer? What about recreating settings from your favourite games? In Minecraft, you can do just that. And let’s not even forget about the enormous modding community this game has. Automation, adventure, aesthetic, graphical enhancements, quality of life. Mods have everything and more!

Above all else, Minecraft helps to connect. With its huge player base and countless public servers, you’re bound to find a community that will welcome you and treat you right. Minecraft is best played in multiplayer, in my honest opinion. Explore caves with friends, collaborating on build projects, or just plain old chatting and hanging with folks.

For me personally, Minecraft is an invaluable game. Through it, I met countless people, made many friends (several of which I consider my best friends), I even found love through it. Minecraft came to me at a time I needed it most. As a late teen, I was at one of the lowest points in my life. The game allowed me to express myself and work past what issues I had developed over the years. In finding friends and a way to express, Minecraft helped shape me into a much better person. Were it not for this game and the folks I met through it, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.