#and partially bc i really Did like the idea behind some of it

[mxdotpng]

btw i know i have one or two mutuals who like arise i hope im not offending anyone too much. u like what u like. will not criticize anyone for that

[reiding-writing]

macarons and misunderstandings [ s.r ]

Summary:

You coax Spencer into joining you in a bakery café that your friend recommended you to visit whilst on a case in NYC, and although it starts as two friends getting lunch together, it doesn’t end that way.

WARNINGS: minor swearing, wholesome miscommunication

pairing: spencer reid x gn!reader

genre: fluff, just the most sickeningly sweet wholesome fluff

wc: 3.4k

masterlist!!

a/n: rest assured, i will be returning to my comfort zone of hurt/comfort for my next fic bc i cannot write wholesome stuff for the life of me 😭

“Alright, take a break everyone, we’ll pick this back up after everyone’s had the chance to eat,” Hotch’s voice rings across the NYPD conference room alongside the closing of the file he was reading from, and he tucks the manilla folder under his arm as he stands. “I want you all back here by 1:30,”

There’s a small chain of nods and ‘yes sir’s before the team is rising from the table and grabbing their belongings to vacate the police station to go and get some lunch, and you manage to catch Spencer right before he leaves. “Hey Spence-”

“Hm? Yeah?” He does a full U-turn with his body, almost walking straight into you in the process if not for his hand still holding the door open to give him a point of balance, and you have to stifle a small smile that tries to break its way onto your face.

“You got any plans for lunch or can I effectively kidnap you for an hour?”

Spencer gives you slightly furrowed expression although doesn’t seem opposed to the idea. “I’m not sure that was the best way to word that but no I haven’t,”

“Yeah probably not-“ You let out a small breath that could almost constitute as a laugh. "Anyway, apparently there’s a really good french bakery like two blocks away from here, we should go check it out before Hotch changes his mind and decides we’re confined to the station,”

“Right… yeah uh-.” Spencer laughed softly, encouraging you out of the door ahead of him before following behind you. “A bakery sounds really nice actually,”

"My friend told me about it when she was down here for fashion week, she said it has some of the best pastries she’s ever tried," You emphasise the word ‘best’ with your hands, and Spencer’s eyes followed them as he got caught up in your enthusiasm.

One of your favourite things about your oddly-developed friendship with Spencer was that you could do things like take a trip to a bakery together without a single hint of awkwardness.

Long since had the silences between you held any unfamiliar tension or apprehension when it came to getting to know each other those five years ago.

It was comfortable. Secure. And you weren’t entirely sure it was just a ‘friendship’.

“Did she happen to mention what type of pastries they have?” Spencer asked you, his eyebrows raised with genuine curiosity.

"She specifically mentioned the almond croissants, although i’m also eager to try their lemon crêpes because they sound absolutely amazing," You continue to exaggerate what you’re saying with your hands as you push open the door of the Police Station, exiting into the cool autumnal breeze of the New York City streets.

Spencer followed closely behind you, nodding along to what you were saying as he placed his hands the pockets of his tattered trench coat. Although, he wasn’t entirely listening to the words leaving your mouth, too focused on how the autumn breeze blew your hair softly and how the partially concealed rays of sun made your eyes look like they they held all of the stars in the milky way.

"Ooh, and macarons-" You turn towards Spencer as your excitement about what pastries to get overtakes any lingering thoughts of the case you’re working on, gripping onto his sleeve with your left hand.

You were excited about the pastries; He was excited about the warmth of your hand through his sleeve.

“Macarons do sound good. You know what would go really well with them?” Spencer looked at you as he spoke, smiling like you’d ripped the sun from the sky and given it to him as a present. “Hot chocolate.”

"Oh you are so right-" You give an immediate sharp nod at Spencer’s suggestion, sliding down his arm to rest on the inside of his elbow, fingers pressed gently into the slight curve created from where his hands rested inside his pockets.

To the unassuming eye, the two of you most probably looked like a couple out on a date, your arms linked and Spencer looking at you like you were the only person in existence.

Spencer was very aware that the way you touched him made it look like you were in a relationship.

And it made him feel a little giddy.

He had to force himself back to reality. He wasn’t in a relationship with you. All he was doing was going out with you as a friend to grab some pastries for lunch. That’s it.

"Okay so we have definite yeses to macarons and hot chocolate, I feel like we’ve gotta get at least one almond croissant considering how much my friend was raving about them, anything else?"

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a crêpe before. Maybe we should try one of those?”

Spencer had a sudden urge to kiss you, and he didn’t really know why. Maybe it was gentle heat of your fingers against his arm. Maybe it was the light pink flush on your cheeks from the cold breeze. Maybe it was the fact that he’d been subconsciously pining after you for years to the point where he could barely think of anything else.

"Yes. Definitely. 100%." You give the inside of his elbow a small squeeze at the prospect of introducing him to the delicacy that is french crêpes. "I cannot let you live a life without crêpes in it."

Spencer nodded along arbitrarily, not listening to a single word that you just said as he internally imagined how it would feel to have your hands in his hair and your lips on his skin.

Why wasn’t he in a relationship with you? You were just… perfect, and he was really into you.

He felt like there had to be a reason why you weren’t together, but that train of thought made Spencer fluster to the point he was afraid you’d be able to see it if he thought about it any longer.

"Aha," You make an exclamation of victory as the bakery comes into view, pushing the door open with a soft bell chime and tugging Spencer inside with you with a gentle but excited insistence.

The bakery looked amazing, although much closer to a café. It had a small quaint European feel to it despite it being on a main Street in New York City, and surprisingly, it wasn’t that busy either. It was the exact type of bakery that Spencer had hoped it would be.

You scour the chalkboard menu for a second to make sure they actually had everything you wanted before going up to order, and Spencer noticed as your hand slid downwards to the inside of his wrist so that you could lean forward to see the chalk whilst still keeping yourself anchored to him.

He was definitely blushing now, his heart taunting him as it pounded against his chest.

Spencer wanted to ask you to kiss him, or at least hold his hand, but the thought of bringing attention to the unspoken connection the two of you had may ruin it stopped him from saying anything, not wanting to risk losing what he currently had in the very minor instance of gaining something more.

"You’re alright with sharing a croissant and a crêpe right? I figure it might be too much otherwise-"

Spencer nodded with a smile. “I don’t mind sharing a croissant and a crêpe with you.”

You give him a beamed smile and a nod as you leave his side to go and order, shutting down his offer to pay before he could even suggest it.

He subconsciously ran his fingers over his wrist as he waited for you, trying to compensate from the loss of your touch and the gentle warmth that accompanied it as he watched you engage in polite small talk with the cashier.

You looked so sweet. So perfect.

"let’s sit outside yeah? it’s a nice day," You retreat back towards him with a tray balanced in your hands, two mugs of hot chocolate joined with four coloured macarons and a single croissant and crêpe, carefully distributed to balance the weight as you carry it.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Spencer nods at you softly, a wistful expression still on his face as he takes you by the elbow in order to help you carry the tray safely.

The reinstating of your previous contact brought a small flush back over his cheeks, and even through his hands were only brushing against the fabric of your shirt, it still felt oddly intimate.

The two of you walk over to a vacant table, set under a large parasol that casted the table in a comfortable shade.

Spencer took a seat across from you as you both sat down, separated by a small table in between the two of you.

Funny how a little table could do that.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Oh my god we are definitely coming back here next time we have a case down here-" You give a satisfied sigh as you wipe your fingers on a serviette, placing it inside your empty mug and pulling out your phone to check the time.

1:17.

You should get back to the station.

The thought of having to go back dampened your mood a little, and not just because it meant you now had to spend the rest of the day bent over a desk to curate a profile.

You really enjoyed spending time with Spencer like this, whether it be accompanying him to a new museum exhibit or driving him to buy his groceries so he wouldn’t have to sit behind the wheel.

It was a small highlight of your time not spent working, and you always found yourself disheartened when it was time to leave.

“We should definitely come back.” Spencer looked at you as he spoke, catching the mild change in your expression. “Are you okay?”

“Hm? Yeah- yeah i’m good,” You give him a nod and a reassuring smile as you stand from you seat with him following not long after you. “Just not exactly looking forward to going back to work,”

“Yeah I understand what you mean,” Spencer gives a small laugh, stuffing his hands back into his pockets again.

"We should do this more often you know,” You tilt your head slightly at him, the words leaving your mouth without any thought behind them. "I uh- enjoy spending time with you like this,"

“I enjoy spending time with you too,” Spencer smiled gently.

He looked at you, feeling a slight bit of courage at your confession of enjoying spending time with him one on one.

Come on Spencer, just ask them out already.

"I’m glad," You give Spencer a half-laugh, turning away from him slightly to hide the flushed nature of your cheeks from your embarrassment.

Spencer’s eyes studied you, and he felt like now might be the time. You two were still technically off work, you loved spending time together, and you’d just spent the last half an hour listening to him rant about the new book he was reading whilst the two of you drank hot chocolate and shared french pastries with each other.

You weren’t just friends. You were more than that.

At least he hoped so.

“Can I take you out… on a date?” Spencer’s voice was soft, but it carried confidence.

"A- date?" You stop walking in the middle of the street, your body re-directing any cognitive functioning to focus on computing Spencer’s question.

Spencer stopped as you did, eyes entirely trained on your expression. He couldn’t help but look at how beautiful you were right now. Your face painted with a blush and a mild look of confusion characterised through the slight furrow in your eyebrows.

“Y- yeah… do you want to go on a date with me?”

Of course it was okay if you didn’t. It wouldn’t hurt Spencer. He’d handle the rejection. Right?

"I- Yeah-" You nod quickly, a little too enthusiastically if you were to think about it logically. “Yes,”

"I’d love to go on a date with you-" You’re words are rushed and slightly muddled together as you hastily agree to his proposition, but they get the point across.

Spencer’s face lit up with a blush as you said yes.

That’s wonderful news.

A small grin spread across his face. “I’m glad…” The words slipped out without Spencer realising it, joined by a notable fluster.

He was glad.

He was absolutely thrilled about the fact you want to go on a date with him.

Spencer was so incredibly grateful that you said yes.

“Wouldn’t- I mean- We just like went out together and got food and talked and stuff- was that… a date?-“ You gesture your hand back to the bakery café the two of you had just left.

You weren’t exactly wrong, and he understood your confusion.

“I suppose it follows the motions of a date,” Spencer looked at you, overtaken by how perfectly ethereal you looked with the breeze fluttering against your shirt and a blush covering your cheeks.

“But an actual date would be much more romantic.” His words were confident, even if he was embarrassed that he was admitting to you just how much of a romantic he was underneath his façade of being uninterested in finding someone.

"So it wasn’t a date?” You raise an eyebrow slightly, fiddling with your sleeves. “Because I want to kiss you but if it wasn’t a date then I can’t because you can’t kiss someone without going on a date with them first because it breaks date etiquette-”

Spencer’s eyes widened as he listened to you ramble without taking a single breath. You wanted to kiss him?

You wanted to kiss him.

You wanted to kiss him.

Spencer was trying to keep his emotions in check as he stared at you. Your words made him tingle with excitement. “Um… you can- still kiss me if you want…?”

You shake your head with determination. “You can’t kiss someone before you’ve been on a date with them,”

Spencer looked so utterly confused.

So, you didn’t want to kiss him?

He wanted to kiss you.

“Why not? Your logic makes no sense. Why can’t kiss me?” Spencer was so utterly confused, his eyebrows knitted in a way that made you want to plant your lips between them as he tried to understand what your issue was.

"My logic makes complete sense-" You cross your arms over your chest as you gesture for the two of you to keep walking with a nod of your head.

"Everybody knows that you never kiss somebody until the end of the first date, it curses your whole future relationship otherwise,"

Spencer couldn’t help but stare at you blankly.

What he heard you say was wrong. Really wrong.

You should kiss someone whenever you want to kiss someone. Especially if they’re your crush.

But you were adamant you couldn’t kiss Spencer because of this stupid arbitrary rule.

"Well, if you’d have agreed to my judgement that our bakery stop was a date then you’d be getting a kiss," You shrug your shoulders nonchalantly, lips pressed into a straight line. "But you don’t, therefore I can’t kiss you,"

Spencer stared at you in disbelief as you spoke, before his eyes widened.

He knew what you wanted to hear, and so he gave in.

It was the only way he’d get a kiss.

“Okay okay- It was a date at the bakery I was wrong-”

He hated how desperate he sounded, but you were so beautiful, you were stunning, you were the most gorgeous person he ever met.

Spencer wanted to be with you. And you were giving him an in to finally press his lips against your perfect face.

"Are you sure?" You furrow your eyebrows at him in mock accusation, agains stopping in your tracks to stand in front of him with your eyes fixed on his face.

Spencer sighed. “I… yes. It was a date. I was just being silly…” Spencer took your hand for a moment as he spoke to you, interlacing his fingers in yours and feeling the warmth of your hands against his frigidly cold ones.

He wanted you to know that he felt a lot differently towards you compared to how he’d felt about anyone else.

You were special.

And he wanted you.

"Right you are pretty boy," You give his hand a small squeeze as you use your other to cup his face, pulling it towards you with a gentle insistence so that you could press a chaste kiss to those perfect pink lips that had just been begging you to silence them. "You were being silly,"

Spencer’s face lit up with another blush as you called him pretty boy.

Of course you thought Spencer was pretty. Not handsome or beautiful.

Pretty.

He let himself be pulled in closer as you spoke to him teasingly, telling him that he was being silly.

And then… your lips. Pressed against his with a soft pressure that he gladly returned.

That was all it took for Spencer to feel like the luckiest man on earth.

"Here’s to a successful first date," You chuckle softly as your lips part, your noses brushing as you lean back to admire the rosy tint to his cheeks and the beaming smile that accompanied it.

Spencer felt so happy. So overwhelmingly, sickeningly happy.

And so, he did a thing that he never thought he had the courage to do. He pulled you into his arms, leaning in to kiss you with so much fervour that you were relying on the strength of his hands on your waist for stability.

Spencer didn’t know when he’d get the opportunity to do this again. So he was 100% going to make the most of it.

You can’t help the smile that erupts on your face as he pulls you in again, your hands cradling his cheeks and your head tilted ever so slightly to the left as you rested your weight into his hands.

If you’d recorded this moment and told him it was a scene from a cheesy romance movie he would’ve believed you.

As the two of you reluctantly pull away due to the unfortunate human necessity of breathing, you catch a glance at the watch face on the inside of your wrist.

1:29.

“Shit- We really need to get back to the station.” Your hands fall from his face to grab one of his own, pulling him down the streets as you hurry back to the police station, mildly out of breath and still completely flustered.

“So-“ Spencer pulled a small resistance against your hands as the two of you stopped outside of the door.

“We’re going on a second date once we get home right?”

[inkysquelched]

Them.

I drew my bozos and there’s nothing you can do about it. Now get ready for a long post as I talk about my headcannons for them. Feel free to ask me anything about them, I love rambling:

Agent 3: Has a major RBF, but she’s nice I promise you. She’s been enjoying her role as captain but was overwhelmed at first.

Weapon preferences: shooters, chargers

Fave Special: Splashdown

Agent 4: Just vibing honestly, she’s gotten pretty good at hacking/research over the years.

Weapon preferences: daulies, brushes

Fave Special: Boyah Bomb

Agent 8: Curses in octarian at least 5 times a day. Remarkably relaxed despite all the bs shes been through.

Weapon preferences: shooters

Fave Special: Triple Inkstrike

Neo 3: A chaotic child, will occasionally eat stuff off the floor.

Weapon preferences: tri-stringer, blasters if shes feeling spicy

Fave Special: Super Chump

Some Honorable Mentions:

3 has a major sweet tooth and she won’t apologize for it. (shes awful with spicy food tho gchfxgfz)

Neo really likes bread.

8 will eat the most criminally offensive spicy food without a reaction.

3 likes to sleep in her squidform, it’s kinda weird to others. It’s honestly more worrying if she doesn’t shift forms. (hc that people usually only do that when theyre really sick…..and then theres 3)

4 listens to her music too loud.

3 and 4 bicker all the time, but it rarely gets to a point where they’re actually upset. They especially fight about how to lead on missions (this is moot bc 3 is the captain lol) because 3 prefers the “slow and steady” approach and 4 prefers to play “fast and loose”, if that makes sense. (8s just here for the ride)

The squid sisters like to say that 3 and 4 are twins and they both hate it.

3 is a runaway, Neo is an orphan. Different circumstances, same outcome. They relate to each other a lot and I think thats awesome (and sad).

Neo (and 8) will occasionally say some out of pocket shit without realizing just how messed up it really is: “what? you’ve never had to eat out of the trash before?”

3 is very emotionally numb and has a hard time expressing any care towards others, so she ends up showing it through favors/giving advice/“are you ok?”s. She’ll tell you to put on a jacket when it’s 70 degrees out lol. (this is also why she’s a mess around 8, those are feelings she has no idea how to deal with)

3 is terrified of being sick (like bedridden sick, haha sanitization go brr) and will inwardly panic the whole time.

3 has the worst alcohol tolerance behind Marie and 4. (Callie will drink 12 shots of vodka without flinching)

Octolings have a very different view on relationships than inklings do; inklings will date/marry out of love while octolings will treat it more as a transaction (not saying they can’t, love just isn’t a priority). 8 as had and infatuation for 3 for years but doesn’t act on it because she wasn’t sure if she really felt the way she did. She knows inklings hold more weight to relationships and didn’t want to risk hurting 3 if she was wrong. (the events of side order really helped her figure it out)

After the events of Splatoon 2, 4 took a back seat on being an agent. Less frontlines and more research focused. (like Marie lol) She hated this at first, but grew to like it.

3s alter ego is DJ Sango, she uses her rapping/singing to vent. 4 and 8 play dumb and pretend they don’t know about her account. (They both listen to her music tho 😶)

8 is extremely calm, you’d have to be trying to piss her off.

Inklings are like mood rings, there tentacles will change color depending on their mood (think like streaks or spots of other colors) The more intense the emotion, the deeper the color.

8 and 3 both have to clean/replace their weapon filters more often than most but for different reasons: for eight its bc shes an octoling (their ink is more abrasive) while 3 has thicker ink than normal as the last remnant of being partially sanitized.

3 isn’t actually as stinky as the squid sisters will have you believe. She one time came back from a mission smelling particularly RANKED that day, and they’ve never let her live it down.

There’s probably more but I can’t think of any rn

k bye <3

[voiceofthesilly]

Hi, uhm.

Your designs for the voices in STP are..

Genius.

The premise of their design are simple (birds(?) with animal skull heads(?)) yet it makes them so distinguishable!

Also your art is very yummy- It's beautiful.

Ajsjadhdja thanku!! this means a lot, espeically since i love your designs for them a LOT Gonna take that as an opportunity to explain them some bc i havent really done that so beware, long rant under the cut

The general idea was for them to have masks of various woodland creatures, as a general reference to the cabin being set in the woods and to add a bit of a fairytale twist, as often in fairytales guiding voices in form of animals appear But thinking about it skulls are such a sick idea and might use them for less cartoony iterations honestly

From left to right!

Cold was actually pretty hard to pick an animal for - @3zethe3zr has been immense help figuring those out with various voices and we went through options like wolves and bears before i settled on lynx (quick, efficient and solitary assassin). I wanted Cold to feel big and overpowering, blocking out everything else. In a way that silence is big, sorta. You might also notice that they're the only voice without markings - its partially because everything i could come up with felt too on the nose, and partially because well. what symbol better than vast emptiness. Largest voice! 8'2" tall

Paranoid is a mouse, i feel like the association here is pretty straightforward. Big wings to hide behind and bald patches from overpreening. Their pattern is the eyes, they can't seem to get rid of them. Some on the feathers, some straight on the skin.

Hunted gets a hare mask because i said so and hares have amazing prey eyes. It's rather large, but always crouched over and ready to bolt, making it much smaller than it could be - Hunted always says we're small, but there's a moment where Wild refutes that. Of course it's not in reference to physical size there, but I wanted to use that nonetheless. Target mark on their chest and mask. Eyes on the side of the head - not sure where i heard it first but it was sych a good take i had to do it

Hero !!! I struggled a lot with the animal for them, went through a bunch of deer, wolf, even bird at some point (birds were off limits). In the end went with 3zr's squirrel suggestion - a little kind voice sitting on your shoulder. Hero also gets a cape, as a treat. for being there always. And because they're a hero and im no edna mode. Markings are the slits in a knight helmet!

Stubborn was im pretty sure the first one who got designed at all, due to intense stubborn brainrot. Animal is a boar, due to the mfs being extremely hard to kill, though i did want to go with a wolverine for a while. His mask is moved aside, he's straighforward and has no need for hiding anythin. Masks off and knives out, am i right . He's the shortest voice in the lineup (whole 3'7"). this is because im not tall and i like him. I tried to strike a balance between squarish and triangle build. His wings are proudly on display, and so are his scars - a testiment to our resilience.

Opportunist! my littlest guy who missed being a weasel by like 3 milimeters and ended up fox. because of course he did. He's fucking tiny - i usually like making voices who dont consider us strong bigger than they think, but in this case it felt fitting to make it something he works with. The markings are pointed knives, pretty self-explanatory i feel. Usually partially hidden under the chest feathers. Also, his arms are hidden behind his back here but the palms are red - blood on him hands

Smitten is a deer! They always felt very noble to me, and, well, heart shape in the antlers! The mask is somewhat ill-fitting and she can't see well but that's alright, love is blind. The largest marking by far - he's not one to hide his nature, and his heart is as big as the markings would suggest. I wanted to give her this sorta chivalrous fairytale knight build. Wings folded into a wing shape!

Contrarian is another long boi, i felt it would work well for whatever silly limb contortions hed do. The animal is a natterer's bat specifically - again, 3zr's genious idea

Neck feathers meant to resemble a jester's collar. Funky patterns meant to be confusing and disorientin. In the lineup in particular i didn't do it, but the idea is that with the mask slightly more up and beak open it almost looks like he has three heads, paralleling Stranger

Skeptic i wanted to have a very solid build, so square he is. The markings are question marks - both on the mask and feathers. He's a little silly with his saying wink out loud, so he gets to have a question mark tie. Wings folded behind mimicking a trench coat. He deserves glasses

Broken is actually second longest! It doesn't matter though, does it. They can be as large as they want, doesn't change anything. Mask is a raccoon dog - felt fitting vibewise. Bald patches around neck, wrists and ankles, as if remnants of shackles locked around them. The markings are meant to mimick both cracks (in shape) and chains (in layout). Mask pulled up for them double sad eyes and because there isnt even a point in hiding

Last up, cheated! Hedgehog bastard. I guess kinda paralleling Razor in that regard? They're not particularly big and their feathers are ruffled. Uses wings for extra expression! Markings meant to both resemble scars and diamond suit

Also, earlier verisons!

[a-lonely-dunedain]

1, 6, 9, 10 , 12 and 35 for any oc you’d like!! Mix and match if you want!

oh! I missed one! ok let's see...

1. are they associated with a certain color? what color do they wear the most?

I try to color code of my OCs! There isn't any sort of symbolism behind them besides just Vibes™, but Ethedis is green, Tossdir is red, Margim is dark red, and Celeair is blue.

my less developed OCs don't have a suuuuper solidified colors yet tho, but currently I'm thinking that Ceriondil is red, Rodigrin is turquoise, and Elwar is a dark steel blue. I'm actually still not sure who the 4th member of their group will be besides the fact that they're a dwarf, so I don't have a color for them yet.

6. "how do they wear their hair? do they care a lot how their hair looks?"

hmmm I'll answer this for Ethedis bc she's one of my only characters who actually styles it lol. She keeps is pulled back pretty simply, but lets her bangs loose to just do whatever. She's not super concerned with keeping it looking neat all the time, but she likes to keep the long parts out of her way, and if it can look pretty at the same time then that's always a nice bonus! she also likes to accessorize with those little silver leaf decorations

also, I don't know where I saw this headcanon or how commonplace it is, but I've heard some people go with this idea that for elves braiding each other's hair is kind of like an intimate thing that couples do? Idk if I'll go with this angle, but at some point in the 4th age it might be cute to add a little braid somewhere in her hairstyle, bc she's started to let Corunir help style it <3 (another one of those little things that doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is to her)

9. "favorite food? least favorite? are they a picky eater? do they have any dietary restrictions?"

hmmm I'll answer this one for Tossdir!

Tossdir really can't be a picky eater, he's a Ranger and sometimes just has to take whatever he can find, so he's developed a tolerance for basically anything that could be considered edible. and some not. I think he ate a stick once.

As for his favorite, he really liked carrot cake! But being the sentimental guy that he is, can't eat it anymore without thinking about Tadan and some measure of guilt, seeing as he partially blames himself for his death. It was the last thing Tadan ever gave him, after all.

He is now deeply conflicted about carrot cake.

10. "if they wear jewelry, what kind? do they prefer silver or gold? do they have a favorite gem?"

Ethedis wears silver jewellery mostly! More when she's at home in Rivendell, but when she's traveling she usually goes without, besides the little silver leafs in her hair of course (mostly because I don't want to draw any more jewellery lmao)

I never really gave much thought to what her favorite gem would be, hmmm... first thing that came to mind was something pale and green, perhaps beryls? elves are said to be fond of them after all. I guess that makes her basic lmao

12. "how long have they been around? do you know their birthday? is their birthday the day you made them or another day? what do they think of celebrating birthdays?"

Oh gosh, how long has Ethedis been around? I guess I created her when I started playing lotro. according to my account, it was created in...

2016! which was... hey, lotro owes me a gift box! that was 8 years ago but my account only has year 7 gifts >:(

anyway I guess that makes Ethedis roughly 8 years old, but I couldn't tell you exactly when she went from player character to capital C Character™

Tossdir was created when Before the Shadow came out, around November of 2022, but I guess his concept of "weird Ranger who sleeps in bushes named Shrub Man" goes back a little bit further, but not much.

now I did actually work out some of their birthdays in-universe by rolling some dice for funsies. let's see if I can find where I wrote that down... ok so Ethedis - May 19th (she's 350 someodd years old) Tossdir - September 18th, just a few days before Sarn Ford and everything else in Cardolan, that sure is a fun coincidence huh! (he's the Dunedain equivalent of being in his early 20s) Celeair - March 31st (probably late 20s? maybe like 30 by the time he gets to Trum Dreng but that's subject to change) Margim - I thought about rolling dice for her, but no one remembers when she was born in-universe anyway, and she has no idea how old she is.

35. "do they ever return home?"

I like to think they all make it there, in some fashion or another. But for many of them what "home" looks like is different at the end of their stories than it was at the beginning.

For Ethedis it isn't Rivendell anymore, but wherever Corunir and Tossdir are, both in this life and the next.

For Tossdir I don't think it's Tornhad at the end, so much as the North in general might be what he considers home, so long as his friends and family are there with him. I do think he still has a lot of fondness for the Trollshaws though.

For Celeair it's wherever Margim is safe and happy, and for Margim that ends up being Lhan Tarren.

For Elwar the current plan is that she's going to Gondor with Ciriondil, where she'll take some levels in Mariner and her home will be on the ocean, with the family those chose to love her.

(now that I type it out, it almost seems a little sappy that all their ideas of what home is aren't really places so much as wherever the people they love are, but hey I'm allowed to be a little sappy right?)

[mikuyuuss]

I just went to the kny premiere and this is my OOTD.

Since my hair is partially dyed pink, I went for a Mitsuri inspired look. I braided my hair, wore her shirt (that I got from the swordsmith premiere) and wore all her colors (pink white jacket, green skirt, and flower patterned socks.) Also close up of my pink hair below.

I got this idea when me and my friend were window shopping for clothes. We were talking abt which clothes the kny characters would wear and which ones our oc would wear too, so that's how we thought of doing some casual cosplay during the priemere.

My friend went for a subtle Tengen look, with a simple black outfit, since Tengen doesnt wear a haori. He also wore some jewelry as an homage to Tengens flashiness. He also loves Zenitsu so ofc he wore a Zenitsu bag.

The theater has less people and wasn't as lively as the Swordsmith premiere, probably cuz we went at the wrong time, but hey, more room for us to be unhinged without disrupting anyone tho haha. (I was sad not to see any cosplayers, we intended to bring our cosplayer friend too, but she was busy)

There was a display so we took lots of pictures. We even made sure to stand next to our fictional crushes, me with Giyuu and my friend with Tengen.

Anyways here's what I thought abt the movie so far

-first of all I LOVE IT. I have no idea how much I miss seeing the rest of the characters so much. The Hashira Training arc is an arc that I really adore, bc it's one of the few moments where we get to see the characters slow down a bit. My friend says he finds it to be the most boring arc, but idk, with all the action in KNY I dig for some "boringness" once in awhile. Also we were joking abt how this arc is like the "school festival arc" or "beach episode" of KNY, again, one of the reasons to love this arc.

-I Never thought much about Sanemi and Obanai's dynamic before. I just know they are a besties, but this filler really made me interested in them! Snake breathing and Wind breathing visuals were just sooo cool!!

-Have I mention that I miss the cast so much, but also I find myself foaming at the mouth everytime I see Giyuu 💀🤣 I noticed that there seems to be a sad piano music that's playing when he was trying to leave the meeting (I wonder if that is his ost) meanwhile my friend is foaming at the mouth everytime he sees Tengen.

-I feel bad for anyone in the butterfly estate who had to sleep next to Zenitsu and Inosuke. XD

-Also it's so nice to see some Kanao and Shinobu moment! Shinobu looks extra gorgeous I noticed. They really yassified her this season, and I'm not complaining. Also I like how even after Giyuu left, Shinobu tried her best to include him when they were discussing the pillar training. I wish they didnt cut it short though, I wanna know what they talk about Giyuu behind close doors so bad lol.

-Mitsuri's "Tanjiro speech" was so well executed and adorable, and just when I thought it couldn't get more expressive in the manga, then they even added her ost, and it was just perfect! Kanahana knock it out of the park with this one too! Even if there weren't alot of people watching. I did hear some giggles in this scene (including ourselves)

-Overall, it was a very satisfying watch. I really enjoy this arc for being some of the slower moments before the storm that is the final arc, and I think they managed to nail that! All the little things such as the filler of Tamayo being informed about Shinobu helping her, and some scenes that were rearranged, made the flow of the story go more smoothly.

-Also yes the op really slaps.

Speaking of our cosplayer friend that we mentioned before, after we were done with movie, it's almost as if there was some fate or foreshadowing going on bc we did end up stumbling upon her (though not in cosplay) and we ended up going back to take better pictures with her in it!

[neonmetro]

HAI....SO LIKE,, OPINIONS ON MAHOU SHOJO.......... PERSONALLY IM A DIE HARD FOR IT

I've been into it since I was like 5. My parents have videos of me dancing to the music of like Precure and stuff....WHICH IS LOWKEY EMBARRASSING BUT WHATEVER

Favorite Magical Girls series 👀👀

I personally REALLY like Precure, madoka magica, and card captor sakura, and tokyo mew mew ( BUT OBVIOUSLY MORE ) I WOULD LOVEEEE TO HERE YOU RANT ABOUT YOUR LOVE FOR IT 💞💞💞💞💞💞

-Paris anon

I LOVE MAHOU SHOUJO!!!!!!!!!! i have SO MANY THOUGHTS ON IT YOU HAVE NO IDEAAA!!!!

it's so good. the tropes are so funny and endearing (the running to school toast thing is the most iconic thing ever) and its SO NICE TO HAVE A BOTH EPISODIC YET CONTINUOUS STORY LINE... I LOVE MAGICAL GIRL OUTFITS ITS PEAK I FEAR

i grew up on shit like sailor moon (good lord this changed the trajectory of my life forever), kitchen princess, pichi pichi pitch mermaid melody, and shugo chara (oh my god i am obsessed with shugo chara you have no idea) so um. so far my favorite is sailor moon + shugo chara but i really have to watch utena and cardcaptor ... those will probably make it on top

SAILOR MOON'S CHARACTER DESIGN/DRESSES ARE GENUINELY SOOOO AGUGHGHGHG i love the inbetween pages for mahou shoujo especially like. naoko takeuchi's fashion sense is genuinely peak (like i said i love her dresses especially)

i don't really remember all that much about kitchen princess? but it was cute i liked the food and how much the main character liked hokkaido and flan but i also read it out of order bc UGH OTHER people want to read it TOO (art style is so cute though augh)

PICHI PICHI PITCH LEGIT SHAPED MY ENTIRE CHILDHOOD EXCEPT IT WAS JUST THE FIRST VOLUME BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW PIRATING EXISTED AND I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO GET MORE VOLUMES SO I JUST REREAD THE FIRST VOLUME OVER AND OVER AND OVER i got the book at like a bookstore used and it was just peak to me at the time (i tried going back to it. genuinely cannot get past it now i fear)

shugo chara.

FUCK I AM SO OBSESSED WITH SHUGO CHARA THE CONCEPT OF EGGS AND HOW HAVING YOUR DREAM EGG BROKEN AND LEAVING YOU BROKEN IS SO DEVASTATING AMU IS A LITERAL 5TH GRADER AND SHE GOES THROUGH ALL THIS SHIT i love you utau peach pit cannot make me hate her. her arc of having her talent abused because she's just that desperate to save her brother is so devastating, AND TADASE. MY GOAT. MY KING. YOU CAN RULE THE WORLD I BELIEVE IN YOU SEKAII ITEEE his arc is also just so bad. his grandma dies. his dog dies. his adoptive siblings leave him. now he wants to rule the world so everyone in the world can be happy because he will carry their burdens FOR THEM FUCK ITS ALL JUST SO GOOD!!!!

its definitely one of the mangas i can actually go back on and read it it holds up so well and the art style is just so cute (they got a new reboot and it was AWESOME UNTIL THAT FUCKING CAT BOY SHOWED UP (unfortunately sometimes mahou shoujo is just connected with that cringe))

I STILL NEED TO WATCH PRECURE, CARDCAPTOR, AND TOKYO MEW MEW (shields my face as i'm getting tomatoes thrown at me) I KNOW I KNOW I'M SORRY

I DO HAVE A LOT OF PRECURE TOYS FROM WHEN MY MOM WENT TO JAPAN AND BOUGHT THEM FOR ME... plus a bunch of magazines i loved shifting through when i was a kid

i also did watch precure glitter force and that was. uh. well it was interesting. (um. i mean it was. partially good. i. i liked the character designs and art.)

i did watch princess tutu and that was just so fucking good. i love fairy tales and i love toxic lesbianism and some empty ass guy and his toxic yaoi with his best friend

i'll be real. madoka magica scarred me because i saw the mami scene but then i went back to it when i was like 15 and cried over homura and the last few episodes of the main series and look at me now mentally ill and gay and i have homura as my google pfp

i have Thankfully grown as a person and i now understand the hype behind madoka magica and i need every single person on this fucking earth to watch it it is the biggest influence on novaturient ever i love the concept of witches and magical girls and that FUCK ASS CAT KYUBEY HIS IS AWESOME

soul gems are so pretty. i got these perfumes in my room that look exactly like them and i put them up and i think wow... this is just like madoka magica

i have no idea how to end this post. thank you for enabling to ramble about mahou shoujo i am so glad there are people just as insane as i am about this genre

[mimiwritcs]

FIGHT FOR YOU (4/?)

FANDOM: Divergent

PAIRING: Eric Coulter x Fem!Reader

SUMMARY: this is after four+eric's initiation and before tris'. this will be the build up of the characters as we got introduced to them as well as maybe the society. not just a love story but we aim for characters' growth and storytelling.

WORDS: 2.5K

A/N: so the slow burning is already starting, trying to make everything very realistic. i'm currently on vacation and haven't had much time, hopefully you are able to trace along my imagination and with time i'll improve with these action scenes, enjoy bc next one will be a ride

Although you weren't sure how much time had passed, you didn't believe it would be enough. You were faced with a ton of work, several weapons that were quite similar, and many that you had never even seen in person. Nevertheless, you believed that you needed to learn as much as you could before tomorrow in order to be ready for everything. Even if you received the book, your situation did not improve. Even though you hadn't said anything irrational, you still caused yourself a lot of trouble and perhaps even Four as well. You had to figure out how to fix it.

"What are you supposed to be doing?" You heard someone asking as you looked up to see Rose, the girl who made a ruckus the first day on tour. "It's a long story…" you commented without much desire to talk about it. "Are you aware that you are no longer in Erudite. Why did you choose Dauntless to end up locked in a room with a damn book?" she asked you. "It's a direct order, okay?" As you gathered your belongings, you hissed, "Mind your own business." She managed to touch on a sensitive subject for you and immediately put you in a poor mood: your clear Erudite behavior.

You were aware that if they had permitted you to, it wouldn't have been as unusual, but you didn't appreciate staying locked up while studying this with everything going on outside. You didn't mean it to end it this way, you just wanted to have some paper to back up in order to review. But it was obvious that, whether intentionally or not, you had earned it. What time would it be? You questioned as you felt your stomach grumbling as you were walking. As you walked toward the cafeteria, you noticed that the majority of them had already left. You quickly took the first thing you saw that was left and ate fast at a table that was only partially occupied. You scanned the room to see who was still present. People were chatting and laughing, and you were sitting with your book. You felt extremely foolish and out of place.

Winter and Milan yelled, "Y/M we've been looking everywhere for you! What are you doing?" they asked you while you updated them on the situation. "God, you couldn't shut your mouth, you seem from Candor" Milan teased you as he took the book from you quickly flipping through the pages. "You all thought the same, it was too much information. We have a lot of pressure, I just wanted to be one step ahead even though I think I've done three behind" you grumbled as you tackled the dessert.

"Well don't worry, you were very smart, surely if you answer the questions well they will forget about it" Milan encouraged you. "Of course, you'll see" Winter said as she reached across the table to caress you. Then you realized, "You guys went to get a tattoo!?" you exclaimed, changing the topic of conversation as you grabbed Winter's arm and admired her new tattoo. "Do you like?" Winter asked you while her face lit up. "It was Milan's idea, I never imagined myself with one but I thought it would help me in with the transition" Winter spoke. "It's beautiful, damn and meanwhile I'm locked up there with all my problems, let's see yours" You asked Milan while he was showing it to you. "That's cool, this stuff really suits you, even you Winter, I already see you different" you laughed.

But it wasn't a joke; it was real. As you saw your buddies develop into outstanding initiates, a part of you was wounded, as you continued going back to your old behaviors. Why was it so hard for you to do? You were talking a little more, Milan left while Winter stayed helping you review, asking you questions and learning something else along the way. "Thank you very much, you didn't have to" you thanked her once in the bedroom preparing to go to sleep.

The following morning, you awoke a half-hour earlier than anticipated; just one person was having a shower, and the rest were still asleep. You weren't sure if this was due to nerves or for some other reason. You quickly changed into your clothes and stayed in the hallway where more light was coming in to review what you had learned. You discovered that you had learnt all the weapons that you had prioritized and that were in the armory, and that despite having numerous words floating around in your head randomly, you knew a good number of them. You hoped that would be enough.

When you noticed that there were just ten minutes left, you walked to the room to leave your things, people were already starting to get up and you went directly to the training room. Four had arrived earlier. Both of you were alone. Lucky you. You took a big breath of bravery and said, "Good morning" as you pulled your hair back in a high ponytail. He greets you with "Y/M". He appeared irate."You truly have no idea what's going to happen to you today, so I hope you're prepared," Four advised, as he greeted the next initiate to enter. You were taken aback by his attitude, which made you wonder what he was trying to warn you, but from what? Had Eric intervened? Your arrogance was going to cause them kick you out? It would be funny if you got kicked out something they're so well aware to be, however you had put yourself in opposition to a coach and a leader, thus it was inevitable that you would face consequences.

The morning began calmly. You all went to a modest training facility where you were divided up sets on the treadmills while others performed weightlifting exercises. Changing sets every fifteen minutes, increasing the pace each time while attempting to maintain it. Even though it was difficult for you, you knew that you couldn't let your guard down today, since you felt you had to make up for yesterday's incident and knew that there would be repercussions today. You also didn't want to attract unwanted attention once more.

Even though you could run on the treadmill, it was difficult for you to keep up, even though Four was being very generous in the beginning by alternating between low and high speeds to let you start to build resistance. But in the weight room, you were far worse; you could hardly lift some of the lightest weights, and you were aware that your arms would be completely devastated the next day. There were many who had it worse off, but it didn't work for you. You knew that everything would be examined, even if it was your second day, but you didn't want to push yourself to the point of exhaustion and then have a few days where you couldn't accomplish anything. You were taken aback by Milan's and especially Winter's power. Even though the Amity girl seemed like a damsel in distress since she was so shy and gentle, you could see she was unstoppable because she was able to tolerate far stronger handcuffs than many man in the room.

The only sounds were Four's voice and the machines; you had all been practicing for an hour, maybe two, when suddenly someone entered the room without muzzling the noise. "Four," yelled Eric. Four gave the command as he moved to the side to speak with Eric, "Continue with the routine as before and don't slow down." Even though they spoke softly, you couldn't help but notice Four's annoyance as he spoke and Eric's hatred as he responded. You knew you probably shouldn't be looking there, but you couldn't stop it as you raced. Eric, who exuded a sense of triumph and self-assurance, started to look at us before his eyes locked with yours. Four grumbled as he took a few steps back and attempted to breathe normally. You instinctively looked away, you knew your time had come. "Initiates finish this round and come with me" he ordered as he approached us taking the strings of the class.

It was a good thing there aren't many minutes left because the anticipation was making it difficult to focus. Your heart was about to come out of your chest and your hearing almost stopped because of the palpitations. Eric commanded, "Come on, follow me" as Four positioned himself in the back of the group keeping an eye on everyone. You sipped some water, patted the sweat off your forehead with a tiny towel, and then you followed the group. Everyone was talking among themselves, but you were too preoccupied to listen.

They moved silently out from the compound and toward the city streets while you followed them. Eric yelled, "Let's go, we have a little path," and they started to run. Even though it was your first time passing through the Dauntless district's streets, you were still too frightened to take in your surroundings. Nothing particularly attracted your eye.

It only took 15 minut run to arrive at a desert explation where a circuit had been made. You relocated to a circle, with Eric and Four in the middle. "Well, I suppose you all know about the big incident yesterday when a supposed Dauntless asked for school supplies forgetting that this isn't Erudite." Eric commanded, "Y/M to the middle, we'll see what you've learnt." Your whole body tensed, why did these things always have to happen to you? In an effort to project the confidence that everyone knew you lacked, you straightened up. You were now unable to fail. Eric started by asking you a series of straightforward questions, during which you were able to inquire about the weaponry present in the compound. Identifying parts, reasons for use and even selecting which option would be best for the supposed theoretical case that they were proposing. You surprised yourself at your retention capacity, you had always been a good student, it was not your vocation, that was clear if you hadn't stayed there but without a doubt you had learned some things in a few hours.

And although Four seemed to look at you surprised by that ability, Eric remained rigid but you couldn't tell a hint of irritation to each correct answer you gave. He wanted you to fail. Now you saw it clearly but you knew you couldn't afford it. You were afraid that if you said everything correctly they would accuse you of Erudite but if you failed to take your task seriously, you were going to lose anyway. Even so, when the far-fetched questions began, various concepts crossed your mind and your answers were no longer so clear. If you had been taught anything at home, it was not to ask, but to affirm. So you tried to answer as precisely as possible, sometimes trying to turn a question around by answering what you did know instead of what was asked, but Eric quickly corrected you and returned to the main topic of the question.

"It's not bad, know-it-all. It's clear that your book has helped you learn something, but let's see if it helps you in your staging" he challenged while throwing a weapon at you. You caught it on the fly and recognized it. It was commonly used with neurostim darts, which simulate the pain of a gunshot. "Come on, let's see if your book helps you out with this too" He said as he advanced through the group to the other side where some sort of circuit was, you followed him while you saw the faces of your companions. You didn't understand why he made them submit to watch this show, you felt bad for wasting their time like this. The angry face was noticeable in more than one. We all had a lot to learn and improve to get closer to the level of those born here and because of you they were wasting their time.

Even though the circuit was hidden, it was protected by some wood fences that blended in with the vegetation and trees. Inside, there were a number of passages that led to various zones and were separated by metal, both of which condensed the area. All roads lead to Rome or was it like a maze? You assumed that you would soon find out once inside. The circuit was wide but above all long, it surrounded the entire field in which you were so more than one thing awaited you.

"This is a circuit of weapons, it is intended for the final stages of your physical training but surely you will have no problem doing it since you know so much. It is simple, follow the path and you will find different objectives, some fixed others not so much. Don't let anything you find in there shoot you first. See you on the other side, smartass." Eric explained while you looked at the circuit concentrated. You sighed. You took a deep breath and got into the circuit in position to shoot. You didn't know you could wait in there. Fixed targets, others not, so they don't shoot me first? Who was going to shoot me first? A mannequin? Therefore, why using neurostim darts? What did they have prepared? Whatever it was, nothing good.

Your mind was racing as you made your way slowly through the grates, scanning through them for anything you may uncover. Anything might happen. Targets, animals, people. Eric called at you from outside, hurriedly, "We don't have all day" You went a little further and decided when you saw the first shadow on your right, you turned quickly and shot, a dummy. It was after shooting it that you saw that he had a target, and you had focused on the first place you saw, they had not warned you about that. "Good reflexes, but next time wait to hit the target" advised Four and you nodded your head thinking that they could have warned you before but at least you appeared to receive assistance.

You were still moving along, taking in your surroundings, when you noticed a slight movement of the rope. Unsure of where it was coming from, you turned around and tried to find it. You instinctively looked down, but you quickly realized that it might be up through the trees. In fact, there was a rope with numerous targets attached to it, all of which had marks for shooters to aim from, and they were all moving in a circle. You made two shots, one on target and the other rather close, and you continued to move to your left. More fixed targets; too simple. There was a problem. It couldn't be that simple.

Without knowing where you were firing or what you were going to find, you turned and fired out of instinct. As soon as he received the bullet, he shouted in agony. He had a gun, too, and you weren't shot from behind. You anticipated that would also be a rule. You hastily remarked, "Sorry, take the bullet out, it lessens the pain," and ducked behind a tree to hide your back. Other initiatives had been put into the circuit. You looked and saw how much bullets you had, for the supposed fixed targets and hopefully some more for some margin of error. You figured it would be better not to waste them. You took a deep breath. It was time to fight.

[rollercoasterwords]

i had such A fun time reading r’s ch. he knows so much more than s lol, indulge us so many information. i’m gonna miss his pov!!

also you’re a genius. this is such a complex story. the plot is a lot. and we have two very distinct perspectives going on that fit each other beautifully. it’s a difficult writing and you make look like it’s easy.

anywayyyy! i started rambling. i meant to ask how you think r’s feelings for s are right now, after he knows s knows he’s in the order (if this can’t be answered without giving much away you just ignore it

thank u!! i do not know if i would call myself a genius lmao i feel more like a kid in a candy store who's just grabbing every single yummy plot idea that i see...will i be able 2 successfully weave them all together 2 make it work? who knows...stay tuned...

as for how r is feeling! i suppose this might be giving like. a bit of information away just bc this is not info that s will be privy to once we switch back to his pov in pt ii obviously but. i don't think it spoils anything in terms of plot etc. still i will put it under a cut just in case!

so the thing for remus is that like. he genuinely hated sirius + all he stood for going into this. like i am hoping that came through lmao but unlike sirius who was basically experiencing a somewhat like....linear? i guess? process of slowly growing closer (or so he thought) to remus + opening up to him + getting to know him better, remus's feelings have been much more tangled throughout.

sirius has definitely surprised him, and he's got the self-awareness to acknowledge that sirius isn't exactly who he thought he was/expected him to be. at the same time, in any instance where remus's own feelings softened--whether he was feeling pity, empathy, sympathy, attraction, etc--he has had a pretty immediate + visceral pushback in his own mind. unlike sirius, who basically trusted that what he was getting at face value w remus was 'real,' there is always doubt in the back of remus's mind that anything sirius is doing could be some sort of act or play, and any soft feelings he's evoking could be an intentional move on his part--partially bc that's exactly what remus is doing to sirius lmao. so while sirius is, for the most part, letting himself just experience those feelings as they come, for remus any instance of positive feeling is immediately wrapped up in a reminder of the potential danger, the power imbalance, and thus the hatred that he continues to harbor towards sirius.

as time went on it became more apparent that sirius wasn't like, performing any sort of act/didn't really have a ploy the way remus did, but remus could never fully let go of that doubt. and even when the doubt lessened + he began to feel like sirius was potentially being genuine (or as genuine as he could be, in this sort of situation where they are both hiding so much from each other), those feelings were still wrapped up in hatred. remus doesn't want sirius to be nice. he doesn't want sirius to care about him. he doesn't want sirius to be gentle or thoughtful or kind because he doesn't want to like sirius, he doesn't want to feel anything other than hate for sirius, and the fact that he is starting to just makes him hate sirius more, because it feels to him like one more way that sirius is taking power away from him. so again, any 'softening' from remus is pretty immediately shut down by a hardening of his hatred, and also tied to disgust with himself that he's even capable of feeling something for a person who is basically like. the mascot of his oppression. he wanted to finish his mission and leave sirius behind and never have to see him or think about him again.

but! obviously that cannot happen now <3 and i do not think i can say much more without giving stuff away but!! that's basically where remus is at by the end of ch 6 lol

[martianmoon]

Sam and Max: It Feels Like I’ve Forgotten Something

HEY GANG are we ready for round two?!!

this is a continuation of my last piece featuring my version of the boys!! except less hurt, more comfort this time :) i really wanted to try writing from max’s perspective since i find it harder and bc i think we get a lot of this series from sam’s pov, so it was nice to push myself!!

premise: “sam has a nightmare about the events of 305, max is there to listen and comfort in his own way”. this was partially inspired by @bitterartregret‘s art which you can find here! it hit me right where it hurts and i love the idea of them soothing each other after 305, so i just had to put my own spin on it :)

rated T for Trauma LOL

🐶❤️🐰

Max is jolted awake by the sound of screaming.

At first he isn’t sure if it’s his own - it wouldn’t be the first time, given the last few weeks - but his throat doesn’t feel raw, and he isn’t sweating, which means--

Sam!

He’s hopped from the top bunk and into Sam’s in seconds, trying to squash his fear long enough to shake the man awake. “Sam, Sam! Wake up, Sam, it’s okay, it’s okay! I’m here, you’re okay!”

“Max,” he gasps, and in the sliver of yellow light cutting through their curtains, Max gets a glimpse that makes his heart sink. Sam’s fur is matted, eyes unfocused and heavy from what must have been a night of restless sleep. When he finally rouses, the man squints at him, then slumps into his arms with a haggard sigh.

Max catches his weight, ignoring the pang in his chest. “Hey... hey, ya big fussypants. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“Did I wake you?”

“Who, me? Nah, I was already--y’know, I was--”

“I’m sorry, Max,” Sam croaks, and he sounds so defeated that Max wants to rip something apart.

With some effort he eases Sam back down, pulling the covers up and over and pointedly ignoring the look the other man shoots--just in case it’s something he can’t--can’t--unwrap right now.

It must be obvious, even in the dark. Before he can think of anything to say, Sam reaches out for him.

“...would you mind--would you stay?”

Max bites his own cheek, hard. His voice still comes out an octave higher than he’d like. “Stay? With... with you? Here?”

Sam nods, unreadable. “I think--I think I need it.”

It kicks a predatory part of him into overdrive: the urge to hurt, to destroy whatever’s making Sam so obviously miserable. He knows it’s pointless - Sam’s nightmares aren’t something he can just sink his teeth into and tear to bits - but that white-hot instinct to protect runs as deep as his blood, and bubbles just as close to the surface at the tone in Sam’s voice.

“S-sure,” he says as evenly as he can, slipping in beside him. There isn’t much space, in the single bunk, but the gap between them still feels as wide as a chasm.

Sam chuffs, a fond thing. “You can come closer, y’know.”

Closer... like it’s nothing, like they do this every night. A twist in Max’s gut says Maybe him and his Max did.

I’m his Max now, jackass, he glowers. It helps when he feels Sam relax, just a little, as he shifts towards him.

They’re silent, for a while. Max busies himself by listening to Sam’s breathing--not only to make sure he isn’t falling into another bad dream, but also to calm his own nerves. Behind closed eyes, he imagines what someone else might think of them--not quite cuddling but near enough that it’s obvious they’re more than friends... perhaps still getting to know each other, or maybe this is their first time sharing a bed--

It stings, unexpectedly. He sighs.

“...Max? You still awake?”

“Yeah.” His eyes flutter open to find Sam watching him, and he blinks. “S-still awake. You okay?”

Sam shakes his head. “Not really. That one really shook me up.”

“...you wanna talk about it?”

He watches Sam weigh the idea for a long moment. He looks so serious, and it suits him, but Max knows that look: one that promises this could go either way - and he would never push, but after weeks of feeling through the uncertain space between each other, of awkward silences and missteps... he isn’t sure he can take much more pretending.

“...yeah. Yeah, I--I think I do.”

Relief SNAPS like a wire spring inside him, and he stiffens, sure that Sam must feel it. Don’t say anything, just don’t--don’t mention it. He forces himself to relax. “O-okay, okay, you--uh, you just go ahead. I’m all ears.”

Sam’s soft snicker makes him grin, in spite of everything - still got it. Max thinks there might have been a joke there, before, a quip along the lines of ‘you sure are, little buddy’, but for now Sam’s gentle amusement is enough, more than enough.

“God, where do I start...” The man blows a hard breath over Max’s cheek. “Guess I can’t expect you t’listen to all the gory details...”

“Are you kidding?” Max snorts. “After everything, now you’re gonna worry about, what, my delicate sensibilities?”

“Shut up, Max, you weren’t caught up in the middle of it all, before!”

“Sam,” he scoots closer without thinking, cupping the wolfhound’s cheek. “I can take it. Just--trust me.” He feels the man swallow, a faint rise-and-fall beneath his palm, and it takes everything in him not to bite down there. Instead, he gives him a gentle nudge. “C’mon - what happened?”

There’s another long pause, and Sam sighs again. “You... you were there. Not--y’know, not you you, but--”

He doesn’t finish, but he doesn’t need to. Max knows who he means, tries to ignore the spike of jealousy that hits at the thought; this isn’t about him, it’s about Sam, and he’d said he could take it. With a soft huff, he asks, as mildly as he can, “Somethin’ bad happen to--him?”

It doesn’t quite land the way he hoped - Sam’s lips purse disapprovingly, eyes falling closed.

Panic. “W-wait, Sam, please, I--”

“Yeah. Yeah, he--there was fire, and everything was dark... I couldn’t even really see him, it was all covered in--in ash, and blood. Felt like I was choking on it. Then a great ugly pit opened up and just--swallowed everything. Him.” A pause. "Me."

Max stares, an uncomfortable feeling pooling in his gut. “I--I’m... I’m sorry, Sam.”

He hates how small his voice sounds. Fury, molten and dark, grabs him by the throat and burns, and suddenly it’s all he can feel, that liquid hate. Hate for how the feeling of ‘other’ still hangs over them, for what it does to Sam on nights like this. Why’d you have to go and die, huh? He seethes. Why’d you have to--just look at him! He can barely function without you, and I’m stuck here in the middle when he oughta be mine and I can’t--I can’t fix it--

“Max.”

“Auagh!” Max nearly springs out of bed, held down by the weight of Sam’s arm falling over his hip and the look that comes with it.

He swallows. “Er, I--my bad, I was--”

“Just... hold still for a sec, would ya?”

It’s not really a question, but feels... important. Their eyes meet over the pillow, and Sam doesn’t blink, so neither does he. Gently, so gently he almost swears he imagines it, Sam’s thumb moves over his heart and just... rests there. It’s firm, and warm, and Max doesn’t count the minutes they stay like this... but when Sam finally moves, it’s to stroke there, once, before settling back at his hip.

Red-faced, Max shivers. “Uh--”

Sam smiles, slow. “Just needed to feel it.”

‘It’--Max’s heart. His heart. The implication makes him dizzy for a moment. Not yours... mine. He wriggles closer, voice soft. “I keep tellin' you, Sam... I’m right here.”

This - the need for reassurance, the concern over his safety - is familiar to him. Patience isn’t one of his stronger suits, but Max will always oblige, in moments like this... even if he’d never admit it out loud. It makes him feel... toasty, something he’s grown to associate only with Sam, and even if they are from entirely different worlds, universes apart, the joy of knowing how alike they are, how much he still cares... Max can’t describe it. He thumbs over Sam’s cheek, his jaw, eyes half-lidded even as his heart races.

Could be a heart-attack, he muses, derailed suddenly by a kiss pressed against his forehead. Startled, he grabs a pillow and hits Sam square in the face with a WHUMP.

“Max! What’re you--what was that?!”

“I don’t know, you surprised me!”

“You--jeez.” Sam rolls onto his back, laughing, and Max feels his face heat. “You crack me up, little pal.”

It takes him a second to parse why the words hit so hard, flopping down to hide his face when he does. It’s really... him. It’s really you, Sam...

“Quit thinkin’ so hard, I can smell burnt toast.”

“That’s just your old age, smart-ass.”

“We’re the same age, Max.”

“Yeah, well--” He rolls onto his side to see Sam beaming at him, fumbling through a sudden swoop in his belly. “You--I--ugh.” Nothing, and Max has never felt so good about it. He grins back, sinking into the pillow. “Hey--betcha you’ll get wrinkles before me.”

“Oh, sure. But you’re gonna go hairless, first.”

It’s playful, and stupid, fills his chest with butterflies. Max rolls onto his side, grumbling happily--then freezes when he feels Sam spoon up behind him, breath warm on the nape of his neck.

“S-Sam?”

“Mm...?”

A heartbeat’s pause. He smiles. Closes his eyes. “...nothin’. Night.”

Sam’s own smile is right there, in his fur. “G’night, pinhead.”

[owlbelly]

featherwurm

I really loved it but it was not an easy game even in pacifist mode. I think I'm a little too old and came in too late to be really sucked in but I did find it worth the difficulty.

i do enjoy the story & the characters! but yeah i guess i just didn't realize/expect that "you don't have to fight, you can talk to the monsters" actually meant "you have to frantically dodge bullets while attempting to talk to the monsters" which is not my idea of a good time haha

winkingvoid

with the cow/goat lady you have to let her almost kill you then her attacks will all miss you (even if you don't evade) bc she can't bare to finish it-after a few rounds of this, she lets you pass (You won't get the Pacifist ending if you kill her, unfortunately) The golden part of the game is the playback value and the games memory/recollection of you\prior you's- (it's faster to go through each sequential time bc you don't need to explore as much) I'd rec trying the Pacifist run, again, once you beat it this time if you can stand it. But, also, if you're not having fun then it's not worth continuing to not have fun with it, y'know, so do you

yeah i looked it up & apparently it was going to take like 20+ seemingly futile attempts at "sparing" her to get her to stop? that kind of thing just annoys me. if i try an action 10+ times with no apparent results, i am going to assume the action is impossible! also i took enough damage from her that i thought she was just gonna kill me & was like well. guess it's you or me. i think i must have JUST been to the point where her attacks would stop hitting me. everyone keeps calling me a murderer but it really didn't seem like i had a choice there :/

i think if i didn't have to redo all the bullet hell shit i might try it again! but imo those are enough hassle for me to say i'd rather just watch someone else get the other endings

jmhowl

If you accidentally killed Toriel then just watch the Pacifist Run ending on YouTube when you’re done, if you don’t kill anyone then you go through one of the default endings first and then it partially rewinds, lets you make some different choices, and the gives you the full ending with a couple more boss fights included. It does mean you won’t get the heart attack it gave me when it force-quit itself as part of the story but I thought it just crashed and was going to force me to redo a boss I am REALLY bad at bullet hell games. The random dummy took me way longer to beat than it had any right to and filled me with rage, but not as much as one boss fight that I think took me like 35ish attempts? Good thing that boss fight has one of my favorite songs in the game playing behind it.

ah okay yeah. ooh i've played other games that force-quit themselves so i've experienced that particular bit of meta before!

oh my god was it Mettaton EX because ffffffffffffffuck him oh my god literally the only thing that kept me coming back was the song

[borreloadsavagedragon]

alright tell all of us your thoughts about kaito :)

I did not forget… I have just been con crunching but now I’m free to become the worse

Minor Zexal and Arc V spoiling ahoy

How I feel about this character:

Oh no you’ve opened a floodgate… welcome to oversharing hour with Jay

I’m very normal about Kaito, just ignore the two full cosplays + the EVA foam Orbital work in progress I have mapped out, the wall scroll that’s at my work computer, my ita pin bag, and the fact that I’ve done everything I can to make his deck competitive viable and god dammit am I still trying please print this deck a god damn banger starter, Konami, I can’t keep doing this without your help-

Short story but I used to be suuuuper YGO Vrains favoring from 2020 into early 2022, but I found myself drifting from it because one can only tolerate so much subtweeting and catty behavior over personal preferences, and I’d never really finished Zexal before, just has a half baked idea how it ends, like I watched a chunk of it when it first aired but never finished and proceeded to forgot most of it, so I picked it back up after deciding to pick up Kaito to write in an RP server with some friends because I remembered liking him and… well I didn’t stand a chance when I got back to him fjdhdhd

I deeply relate to the theme of self-inflicted loneliness because it’s easier to be by yourself, just getting walked out on, left in the dark, or even being shafted for reasons out of my own control, I really get that

Also taking on too much if it means the people you love will be ok even if the ending result is you’re not ok, where he is after his Duel with Yuma at the end of Zexal I and getting to repair all of those relationships he was damaged by is where I want to get to in life

Bonus fact that’s minor spoilers for another spin off, but I’m… not a huge fan of his portrayal in Arc V, I like that he’s there and acknowledge that it’s a different Kaito and I love all Kaito Tenjos as they exist, including the Structures Cosplayer, but… yeah, not a fan, I’m a big fan of showing vs telling and Arc V to me feels like it’s ALL telling for all of its supporting cast most of the time

All the people I ship romantically

The better question is who I don’t honestly because that list is far smaller, but if I had to pick favorites I’m very partial to Ryouga, Mizael, and Edo-

Something about rivals to lovers resonates with my very being, even if Edo is less of a rival and more of an enemy until Arc V does it’s usual-

I’ve written for Challenge and AntiHero both already actually, my docs is 99% Challenge Wips that are slowly coming along tbh, and GalaxyMaster takes more time to write since most of those are… you know what I’m getting at LOL

I stg Gallop's one mission was to make Kaito Tenjo a dating sim protagonist because I have no other excuse for why they gave him so many boyfriends and even girlfriends across Zexal and Arc V, Yugioh’s surprising most eligible bachelor

My non-romantic OTP

nervous laughter

Chris.

I like to think of them more as divorcees who are just fine staying apart

Also gestures vaguely at the first answer

My unpopular opinion

I don’t know if I have many tbh, besides disliking Arc V’s rendition of him / not liking mentor at all lol— Like maybe how I genuinely believe he’s the strongest rival bc his record was the best even after he was put up against forces behind human understand and was even considered dying majority of the time of Zexal while remaining arguably mostly human, Zexal’s wack

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon

Oh my god, the duel I hate the most in all of YGO is Kaito’s duel against Heartland because not letting Kaito win against someone who’s become representative of the garbage he was put through is SO UNSATISFYING

Yuma coming in and finishing it up is symbolic in its own right because of the importance of bonds, but to me that was and always should have been Kaito’s moment, let Yuma and Astral show up literally any other time and I’m fine with it

ALSO WE DON'T GET THE RYOUGA AND KAITO GRUDGE MATCH, though Kaito solos everytime, I’m so sorry Ryouga

[lesbianwithchainsaws]

"send me a character" you get abed and adam faulkner stanheight (from saw was i close?)

Aaaugh!!!!! YES thank you so much!!!!!! I could talk about both of them for weeks!!!

Abed:

First impression: I loved him really early on and he really quickly became my favourite character in Community. The second they showed Abed's short film to Jeff, Britta and his dad, it was all over for me

Current impression: I love Abed even more now. He's probably one of my favourite, most likely even most favourite character ever. He's so so relatable and I could watch Abed just being Abed forever. I honestly am not even sure i could put into words how much Abed's character means to me and how much I love him!

Favorite moment: I'd say all the times he dresses up as a character and acts as that character/just acts as someone else for a bit. I used to do that a bunch when I was younger so I love seeing Abed doing stuff like that, it makes me happy. Especially when it's Inspector Spacetime. Also: the scene where its mentioned that he has a 2 hour long analysis of the Saw movies because that's gotta be the most relatable scene ever made for me

Idea for a story: I have so many. I have already written way too many and have way too many more. So I'll share one which I don't think I've mentioned before: I'd love to write a fic about all the times people call him emotionless or a robot, and just sort of write out how that makes him feel and view himself until he finally decides to tell people to stop calling him that. Because it happens quite often in the show and I want some kind of a moment where he just stands up for himself and puts a stop to it.

Unpopular opinion: umm, I'm not sure if I have one, at least from all the opinions people on tumblr have. For the most part, I agree with a lot of opinions people have of him on here. I think people sometimes overexaggerate some aspects of his character, but that just kind happens in fandoms and its not a big deal.

Favorite relationship: obvious answer, but it's trobed!

Favorite headcanon: okay, this is my own personal headcanon, but I hc that he keeps a notebook not just of people's traits and things he notices about them, but also has a seperate notebook about the movies and shows he's watched. He writes down every show and movie he's seen, main characters' names and actors, and any other info he wants to remember. Mainly this headcanon is just me projecting bc I have a spreadsheet I made for the horror movies I've seen, so I'd like to believe he does something similar!

Okay and Adam:

First impression: I don't remember what my very first impression of him was tbh because I didn't yet have the sawtism on my first viewing of saw. But I did quite like his character.

Current impression: not a single normal thought has entered my brain about Adam. Every time I think about him, I feel the need to scream about him for days. He's such a tragic character and he hides all that behind his snark. And he wanted to live!!! He wanted to live and do more, but he couldn't!!! Adam also has some hilarious and great quotes, which at this point I'll admit I have like memorised because apparently I've just memorised half of Saw.

Favorite moment: oh my god, either the moment that Lawrence says "there's something you're not telling me" and Adam starts listing a bunch of unrelated shit to Lawrence (which includes the iconic "my ex-girlfriend was a feminist vegan punk who broke up with me because she thought I was too angry"). Or the moment he discovers the camera behind the mirror and says the iconic "this is the most fun I've had without lubricant". Or the deleted Saw III scene where he and Amanda interact. I love that scene so so much and I wish they had kept it in.

Idea for a story: not really a story, but I have thought about writing like a character study of some of the characters from saw. Or I guess more like a partial character study, partial what were they like in their daily lives type of thing. I've also thought of doing something like that with Amanda. Idk if I would ever write a full on fanfic with a plot for the saw characters, but character study-like thing would be cool imo

Unpopular opinion: quite a lot of people want him to come back and be alive, but I am fully against that. I love Adam and the "Adam is alive" au's are great, but realistically I don't want him to be alive in the movies. It wouldn't make sense and it just wouldn't work well imo, especially with how his death impacts the other characters and their stories.

Favorite relationship: Adam and Lawrence of course. But I did see one post of a theoretical ship of Adam and Mateo from Saw X (even though they've never met) and that post was pretty cute!! I should look for that post again

Favorite headcanon: gonna be a stereotypical saw fan and say: gay and trans Adam. It's a good headcanon, I think it can definitely make sense canonically and it just fits! Gay and trans Adam is canon to me

[ohklah0ma]

I just noticed the text on you ask box button so: tell me about your ocs. all of them, your favorite, I do not care. I wish to hear all you have to say (also I really like your new blog theme, it's very calming and quiet on my eyes)

THANK U i love dark colors bc im very light sensitive so thats a big thi nf i was going for w my new theme<33

ok oc time!!!!!!!!uh uh i dont really know where or who to start with so ill prolly just go w quickly rambling about my ocs from tbe casino gang!!!!! this story is mostly in collaboration w my sibling kay and they have about half of the characters here but im mostly gonna focus on mine for times sake because theres. like 10 in total which would take a long time bc you know i wont shut up about anything

i have a bunch of ocs who all work at this casino somewhere between multiverses that we still dont have a name for but its ok. lots of people from all sorts of different worlds show up there but its usually dimensional travelers or backrooms wanderers or random characters who have been magically brought there just for funsies :-)

first we have avery!!!!my partial sona whos also their own character its weird avery created the casino sometime after they died and became a god, its one of the things theyre most proud of and they wouldnt work anywhere else for the world. except sometimes they would because their employees are little shits sometimes (which is kind of what you’d expect from half your workforce being either undead immortal children or raging alcoholics (abel.)) theyre basically a wine mom friend tbh but the kind of wine mom who would absolutely tear you apart with an axe if you did sometjing to their kids. theyre very protective of their employees and their sibling/co-owner abel (kay’s oc) <3 but they arent afraid to be a little strict with them

indigo is averys best friend and technically head of security even though they dont even work there! theyve just been given full authority over the security staff because theyre slay like that. one of my fruitiest ocs ever i swear indigo died very soon after avery did! they were friends before they died as well but avery has no idea and indigo would like to keep it that way. they wear a mask concealing the right side of their face and they loooove to scare people with whats behind it. they met avery and helped them get back onto their feet after they died <3 even though they have full security clearance theyre literally just a regular visitor at the casino and nobody really knows Why theyre best friends but its fine. theyre also very protective of avery and abel and of course their friend ephetatis (kay’s oc) and their little sister ruby!

ruby is a little shit. im just gonna say that now i adore her so much but shes the definition of a chaotic neutral mean lesbian sje would tell you to kys unapologetically if she thought it was funny (but she would apologize if it made someone sad) she and indigo are both. weird vampire demon creature dudes. she was assigned to be indigos younger sister by higher-up gods and she was a bit hesitant to trust them at first but indigo is very responsible and the two got along very quickly! they have a really interesting dynamic because ruby lived during a much more modern time period than indigo so she learned about. internet things and stuff like that more easily which makes for some really funny scenarios. ruby will occasionally get dragged to the casino when she cant be trusted to be home alone but now she has to help out there a bunch because she and her best friend kris (kay’s oc) broke a $27,000 chandelier (kris did it on purpose. bitch) and now they have to work off this ridiculous amount of debt. however they do get free snacks so thats cool i guess

parsley and sofi are two little guys who probably live in the walls i have no idea what or who they are but they annoy abel and help avery and cause chaos. they are never not together so its impossible to not draw or write about them together. avery kind of just took them in and now they help ephetatis at the bar (they handle the non-alcoholic drinks and clean things) and sometimes sofi sneaks salt into abels wine because it think its really funny

and those r all the main important characters!!!!the ones i own anyway!!!!!! theyre so silly and i love the whole casino gang to death and i worked on thisfor like 45 minutes so i hope you enjoy this massive infodump thank you for reading

[ambrosialdesire]

https://www.tumblr.com/ambrosialdesire/748781466686832640/httpswwwtumblrcomambrosialdesire748770227596

Yes.. more ideas pls. Love girls kissing

-🌷

im gonna be so fr, ive never written lesbian content in detail before even though i have some ocs that are full fledged girl kissers lol BUT IMMA TRY MY BEST RN

mikasa was the one who took the initiative since she has the fading regrets of not confessing to eren before he was into you. cause in boundless/bounded, i feel like the scene where eren asking mikasa what has he to her wasn’t really in a romantic sense sorta but rather the confirmation if she was going to be able to change her answer or not to see if the path is really unavoidable yk (aka just the normal scene but without romantic intentions lol)

reader was shocked bc she didn’t think that mikasa liked her before (she also thought that eren was like mikasa’s one true love before yk 😭) and also that liking girls was an actual option, even though ymir was literally blatantly flirting with historia haha but she reciprocated, mostly to see if it’ll work out and the companionship would be nice as well.

their first kiss was really cute cause it was actually reader that kissed mikasa first. what happened was that it was early in the morning, she had to get up first to make breakfast (since it was her turn) and to take care for the child, so in her drowsiness as she got up, she mumbled a groggy good morning to mikasa before giving a peck on her lips and moving onto her duties. you have no idea how quickly mikasa got up from her sleep and ran to her to return the kiss more deeply. this causes reader to wake up even more cause what is going ON and then she starts realizing what she did earlier and what mikasa’s doing rn, so she kisses her back yippee ‼️

ngl i feel like after the reader and eren experience, she’d be more hesitant when it comes down to the more sexual things in the relationship and since she won’t tell mikasa what happened, she doesn’t push her boundaries about it, she’s simply fine with kissing and cuddling her.

mikasa’s a very coddling mother to eren and reader’s child, she teaches them some highly illegal defense and attack moves that she learned during her time as a soldier just in cause they face any bullies in the neighborhood or school 😭 but they share some sweet moments, one was where reader catches the kid sleeping in mikasa’s arms when she was reading a story book for them to go to sleep. even though mikasa doesn’t really completely see herself as the kid’s second mother, she believes and feels like she’s more of an aunt since they’re from eren and reader, she does let them call her mama (reader is mommy) cause she knows it’ll be confusing to them if she’s called auntie and kissing their mom 💀 LMAO

the both of them do teach the kid eventually about the full details of their bio dad and don’t hide the fact that he caused a whole ass mass homicide to humanity, and yeah that’s gonna be hella shocking to hear about that your dad is a mass murderer so they don’t really claim that part of his genes (despite them really looking like eren), which makes them a little sad cause they still partially believe that eren was a good person but they understand the reasoning behind it so they don’t force the idea that he was once someone admirable.

yandere mikasa is hella protective over this little family of theirs and would do anything for the both of them, so when an out-of-the-blue intrusion occurs, it ends just as quickly as it happens. she’s the only one awake when it happened and she’d do anything to protect the long deserved peace they have, what’s three more bodies and a lost rug? when reader wakes up, no blood or bodies are seen, she has no idea that a break-in even occurred. all she noticed was the nice rug they just bought last month was missing and mikasa just simply says that it got too filthy so she’s cleaning it. ignorance is bliss and she’ll keep it that way for her no matter what.

[lords-of-fortune]

all very good but 5, 10, 11, and 12 for the angelic acrobat

5. Does your OC have a signature weapon and/or attack? How long did they train to master it?

He normally likes to fight with his quick wit and cutting tongue, but when push comes to shove and he needs to fight, he's got a proficiency in throwing axes that will fuck an enemy right up. He learned how to use them originally as a trick to add to acts, but that entailed learning how to be very accurate with it, which made turning it into a way to defend himself the next logical step. He took up magic because even though he's accurate with the axes, he doesn't always have enough strength behind them to deal with threats fast enough.

10. Is your OC sentimental or pragmatic? Do they keep mementos or only what they need to survive? Have they always been this way or did something happen to make them change?

Hmmm I think he tends a bit more towards pragmatism, partially bc he and his family have been moving around his whole life, never in any one place long enough to really call it home so that doesn't lend itself to having a whole ridiculous amount of belongings. He does have some sentiment towards his old costumes but he doesn't keep them in their entirety, he usually cuts squares off them and sews them to his other squares so at this point he's got a decent-sized blanket—more useful than keeping old costumes that take up space. He also does keep way more gifted jewelry than he needs, but that's usually not sentimentality, it's more that he likes shiny things and struggles to get rid of them bc they're sooooo pretty

11. What does your OC believe in? God(s)? Monsters? Love? The power of unbreakable bonds of friendship to overcome any obstacle? The ability of money to open any door? Or are they indifferent?

Arcosæ worships Calistria, which I think might actually be a family religion, since her worshipers include performers (and also thieves, which... is also part of the whole thing ajdjfk I feel like I haven't talked much about this even with you but I have been imagining his parents as kind of similar to the Thérnadiers, mostly the idea of them being a lot of fun to be a distraction for the fact that they're also robbing you blind) and I think he was casually into her whole deal but as he got older he got more into it because she's a cool as fuck goddess ajdklg also I think at some point he had at least one relationship that added him to the 'scorned lovers' category of her followers. So he's actually pretty devoted to her but also devotion to her entails a lot of doing whatever the fuck he wants lol.

12. Is your OC cynical or optimistic? Who or what shaped their outlook on life?

Cynical. Very much so. He maybe used to be a bit more optimistic, but it's hard to keep that up when you've never really fit in anywhere. He stands out because he's an aasimar and that draws people towards him, but a lot of their interest is very surface-level. They only see the pretty face and not anything beneath that, not the hard work he's put into his performances, not the fact that he's extremely intelligent. Not anything deeper. He doesn't trust people much with his deeper self because not many people have cared to try to uncover it, so he doesn't bother anymore.