#and then i need to go through my discord saved prompts

[zjofierose]

because i am a crazy person and also procrastinating, i have begun the process of moving my WIP spreadsheet from google sheets into Notion. it's got 19 columns, hundreds of rows, and is color coded. but it's so satisfying!

[dumplingsjinson]

List of “you just had to go and ruin something good, didn’t you?” prompts

“…Maybe you should have kept that to yourself.”

“I really wish I didn’t find out about what you did.”

“You should have trusted me.” “How dare you— You can’t be serious right now. You made it so fucking difficult for me to trust you.” 

“Things could have stayed the same if you didn’t go and run your mouth.”

“There are days when I wish you didn’t tell me how you felt.” 

“You’ve done nothing but fuck things up, so thanks a lot for that.” 

“So… What was I supposed to do? Hide how I felt and just carried on like my feelings meant nothing? Like my emotions hold no weight at all?” 

“This could have been avoided if you didn’t—” “If I didn’t what? If I didn’t tell you how I felt about you?” 

“Why are you letting my feelings get in the way of our friendship? I’m not asking you to like me back! I’m not asking for any of that so why… Why? I just don’t understand what I’ve done that was so fucking wrong that I’m being literally condemned for it by you.” 

“So you’re saying I wouldn’t have lost you all if I had just sat there and bit my tongue.” 

“I’m sorry for telling the truth. I’m sorry I didn’t want to lie.” 

“If telling a lie was the only way I could keep us together than I think I’d prefer things this way. I don’t want us to be built on lies. It’s happened before, and it fell apart right in front of me and… I don’t want to risk going through that pain again. Especially knowing I could have done something to save it from crumbling like that, but I was not brave enough to make that step.”

“Curiousity more than just screwed us over, didn’t it?”

“We wouldn’t be here if you were capable of telling even an ounce of truth.”

“It’s the fact that we lost something so dear to us because of one small detail that really didn’t need to be aired out like that.” 

Join my Discord server: Steaming Dumplings Nation (so you can also join in on yelling at me to go to sleep at an appropriate time)

[impyssadobsessions]

DpxDC Prompt: Danny Overshadows the Batmobile

... Danny while visiting Gotham saves Batman by possessing the batmobile- unfortunately he gets stuck.

Imma copy and paste my thoughts on how I would take this from discord LOL

Bruce knows there is something wrong with the batmobile and runs test to see if he got hack. But same time conflicted because whoever hacked his vehicle just saved his life.

Also can see Fenton driving skills put to use plus with Danny's ability to phase through. Definitely makes car chases easier if Bruce can jack the runaway vans from the inside.

But Danny freaking out- using the radio or gps to try and speak after he realizes he needs help to get out of the car… and that Batman wont be As upset as he thinks.

Oo meanwhile Fentons are all over Gotham looking for their missing son… having no idea Danny overshadowed a car.

Danny figuring out how to send tuck a message to send to jazz…ends up being tracked by the bats who go investigate thinking tuck's the hacker.

Tucker trying to cover for Danny

Ooo imagine if they try to chase down Fentons because of them driving crazy(and maybe they're attacking batmobile because they can detect a ghost) and its the only car Danny cant phase through and even getting damaged by.

So he tries to plead in the radio to batman.

And then Bruce wonders if it actually was the Fentons but things still dont make sense… until the team that investigating Tuck brings in more evidence and probably Tuck.

Then it clicks.. Danny isnt ai/bot used to hack the car but Danny Fenton the missing child.

Tuck still the key to figure out how Danny got stuck. Apparently a certain part is made from materials similar to the thermos.

But catch is they need tools from Fentons to get him out so they have to bait them and have Tuck and another bat probably Tim help gather the materials.

Maybe batman confronts them, raising his arms as Fentons accuse batman being a filthy ghost that stole their child. While the others steal what they need.

When it looks like the Fentons are not going to cooperate and blast batman (batman ready to go on offensive ) Danny uses a shield to send blasts back at his parents beeping for batman to get back in.

They go on another chase where Danny drives the batmobile off a cliff and into water only to safely fly them back to the cave. Exhausted and powering down as soon as they're on land letting Bruce take the wheel again.

When Tim n Tuck finally get Danny free they all jump for joy then quickly reminded Danny is still in the batcave. And like oh right shit… they know what i am >>'

But Danny already impressed the bats so i can see them offering to help Danny out further.

Tim n tuck become friends and soon Danny gets a support of heroes. He goes back to his family whose so happy to see him safe… Danny putting in a good word about batman but it falls on deaf ears.

Pfft be funny this is the catalyst to have Fentons moving to Gotham to hunt down batman.

Bruce investing in the Fentons just so he can work on their tech and modify them to not work on Danny- and then Danny haunting the car every now and them for old time sake.

Thought this was just fun idea XD

[rockmiyabideusexmachina]

2025 Megaman Secret Valentine Event Signups *Closed*

^*Art drawn by Soul Rokkuman

While I wait for the last couple Secret Santa gifts to arrive, going to move on to opening the next yearly event. Even though last year I went back to Valentine's Day being in contest format, I feel like it's worth swapping back to a gift art event this year, to mix it up again. Truth be told, just hard to brainstorm much new for categories right now. And my contest prize plans are better off for summer, when more people are able to participate. (I do have a few nice prizes I plan to give away for that ;D ). So rather than rushing those plans, just going to keep this event more relaxed once more. For those who didn't participate 2 years ago, the Secret Valentine Event works much like Robot Rumpus/Megaman Secret Santa. Sign up with the intent to draw, by providing a list of your favorite characters and couples, that you would like as a Valentine gift. After signups close you will receive a target, with the goal of drawing something from their list for them, to send them as a Valentine.

Sign Up Instructions: 1.) When you are ready, either post a reply in this thread or send me a DM via tumblr or Bluesky or sign up through my Discord server: (https://discord.gg/EjHZJ7D3Xm), stating that you intend to sign up to draw for someone. 2.) In your reply/message, please include a wish list with a minimum of 3 prompts, either individual fave characters or couples from the Megaman franchise, that you would be happy to have drawn for you as Valentine’s gift art. Megaman-related OCs are OK, but please include at least one canon character. 3.) Let me know if you can be a backup artist or not, if someone has to drop out/can't complete their gift

Artwork does not necessarily have to be romance themed, but it is preferred to fit with the holiday. But some singles are happy by themselves on the day of love, so you can certainly find a way to make single characters feel appreciated/loved in your art, too.

Any kind of artstyle and medium are welcome, with the exception of AI slop. Has to be your own work only.

Signups will run from today until Tuesday, Jan. 14th, 2025.

That gives you one week to sign up.

On Wed. the 15th, Cupid Wily and I will message everyone back with their assignment, and their assignment’s wish list. Then you will have one month to create your gift art for your Secret Valentine. 

Secret Valentine’s art will be due Friday Feb. 14th, 2025, by the global end of the day. 

But I'll work in a week or so grace period if people need an extension. It would be nice if gifts were given on Valentine's Day, but since this won't be a competition, I'll be a little flexible if people need a little more time than a month to draw. While the gift should go to your recipient first and foremost, please also either send them my way when you are finished or tag me in a public post so that I can save the art. I will then compile all the art into a homemade Valentine’s Day shoebox gallery/thread like I usually do for contests. That way everyone can view them together in one place just as easily.

Please do not post your art before Feb. 14th!

Ideally, send your secret valentine their gift at any point on Valentine's Day itself. Either through DM or publicly tagging them in a post on your social media of choice. Posts can also be made in the valentine's day channel in the Fanart Contests and Events section of my Discord.

Any other questions, or something you felt I forgot to address? Feel free to ask. 

I’ll edit a confirmed participant list in this thread as I receive them.  (Just like I need to edit the year to 2025, because I really screwed that up initially! LOL)

*Confirmed participant list* (W/backup status)

Lunna Cupcake N LadyStormtail1985 N SunnyJustice Y RockmanGurl Y @axlthemaverickhunter Y Jay Sky Y @digitallyfanged Y @burntbeebs Y Elle Y Dr. Fresh Y SkipperdeesArt Y @sparkpop N @drewblossom Y @dahlia-the-nurd N @zeibei Y

1/15 *All assignments have been sent out! Check your DMs for your target. Thanks, everyone!

[gallifreyshawkeye]

"Hell to Pay" A one shot that wrote itself without asking my permission, thanks to a dastardly prompt on a GO discord. For anyone who writes, you know what I mean!

Summary:

Crowley is ambushed by multiple angels and tortured almost to annihilation by a holy weapon. He makes it back to Hell and Lucifer finds him barely in time to save his life. But such an attack can not be allowed to stand unanswered. Lucifer will make sure there will be literal Hell to pay by the angels who went after his demon. And Crowley will also need taking care of. Of course. And Lucifer is very good at caring for his demon as well.

(yes, it's rated 'E'. But for anyone not interested, or too much of a minor, you can skip the smut and it'll be an absolutely complete story that's rated 'M' for violence and some swearing. Just stop after Gabriel finishes thinking extraordinarily Gabriel thoughts, it'll be obvious 😂) ---------------------------------------------- Excerpt:

Crowley was fairly certain there weren’t supposed to be two Shaxes at reception as he made his way back through Hell. Or two desks.

Then again, he wasn’t supposed to have to use his hand to hold his abdomen together either. At least it was only the one knife-size gash and he hadn’t been eviscerated clear across it like he would have been in the old days. That would have been awkward, he thought. 

At least backs didn’t need to be held together like abdomens, he thought next, because then he’d be in real trouble, because his was sliced to ribbons under his jacket. And his jacket really fucking hurt to wear right now too, but there wasn’t a chance he was going to walk through Hell with his injuries actually visible, no matter how much it hurt to hide them.

Seeing double was making it rather hard not to run into the walls though, because there were two of them as well. He figured it was because of the raging fever he had, thanks to that infernal holy blade. Actually, a “fever” was a bit of an understatement at this point. It more felt like every nerve in his body had been doused in petrol and then lit with a match. 

Or the massive amount of blood loss. That might have something to do with his double vision as well.

And he could sense the anticipation of the other demons.

It was a long way between here and that centre of the bottom circle, and normally, a demon in as weakened a condition as he was in, would be ripe pickings.

But everyone knew where he was headed, and who resided in those far reaches of Hell.

And not a single demon dared touch Crowley, tempted as they were.

But he could still feel them trail in his wake, and it was unnerving, especially given how much pain he was in and just how vulnerable he really was. A couple of them came close enough that he actually reflexively attack-hissed at them, and they bolted, terrified. But the defensive action dropped him to his knees, shaking in pain and disorientation, and when he staggered back up, he wasn’t sure how much farther he could push himself.

Drenched in sweat, his vision disappearing sometimes entirely, he continued on purely by muscle memory, finally stumbling down the stairs to the bottom circle of Hell. It was thankfully, always abandoned, and Crowley let himself collapse to the floor and lean against the cool stone of the wall. 

He had to take a break. Just a short one.

He was so tired, and everything hurt so much.

He squeezed his eyes closed, arching his back slightly against the agony that suddenly surged through him, giving in to breathed whimpers of pain now that he was alone. He slumped all the way down as the wave crested and the fire settled back to where it had been. Except he could feel it keep eating deeper, eating away at him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He lay on the floor, breathing rapid and hot, not even aware when his body pulled him into unconsciousness mere moments later in a growing pool of blood.

He’d been so close to getting where he needed to be.

He wasn’t aware when Lucifer gently picked him up out of that pool of blood, fear and anger stamped on his face, and quickly carried him the rest of the way to their quarters at the centre of the bottom circle of Hell.

......................

The entire glass front to the Earth-based building, where the escalators leading to Heaven and Hell were located, shattered in one spectacular shower of rainbow shards ahead of the two demons who did said shattering. Behind them came another four demons, each dragging an unconscious, bloody angel in their wake.

They hadn’t needed to enter from this direction. Given the escalators’ existence, it was entirely superfluous.

But that was the entire point.

The entire point was to make as spectacular and noisy and dramatic an entrance as possible.

Lucifer wrenched a piece of the now-empty steel window framing out of its location, and used it to bang on the escalator that led up to Heaven.

“Oh Michael! Gabriel!” he called, “Uriel, you might want to come down before I come up!” He banged a few more times, and the sound reverberated far more than would be expected. “You have exactly twenty seconds to get your imbecilic, archaic, white-feathered, fussy, TORTURING arses down here, BEFORE I START BLOWING THINGS UP!”

……

“FIFTEEN SECONDS! You know I don't bluff!”

[pixelgrove]

Writing Event: Frienduary 2025✨

Everything you need to know

Pixel Grove is spotlighting the other kind of love: friendship! Whether it’s childhood companions, found families, or unlikely alliances, Frienduary is your chance to celebrate the beauty of platonic bonds through writing.

For the entire month of February, a daily prompt is available to inspire your creativity. Whether you write fanfiction, original fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, this event is open to all writers and fandoms.

How It Works

Daily Prompts: The prompts are available in text format below, as well as a graphic. But if you're a spontaneous writer, don't fret! This blog will post a prompt each day at 12 AM AEDT. Take the prompt and interpret it however you like—canon, AU, silly, serious, it’s up to you!

What to Write: Whatever the prompt inspires! There's no limit on how long or short a piece can be.

Where to Post: Share your work on your preferred platform (Tumblr, AO3, etc.) and tag it with #Frienduary2025 so others can find and enjoy your work!

If you’re uploading to Archive of Our Own, don’t forget to add it to the Frienduary collection.

Want your work shared further? Submit a link to us through our Tumblr ask box.

The prompts

First Impressions

If Only / Childhood Friends

Unlikely Allies

Found Family

Rivals to Friends

Animal Companion / Lost

Long-Distance

Shared Secrets

Protective Streak

Road Trip / Travelling

Festivals & Celebrations

Helping Hands

Reunions

The Letter

Invitation

Unbreakable Promises

Saving the Day

Bad Influence

A Plan

Shared Space

A Gift

Misunderstood

Dream Team

Unspoken Understanding

Healing Together

Saying Goodbye

Rebuilding Bridges

Laughter and Light

Want the graphic? Find it here.

FAQs

Do I have to participate every day? Nope! You’re welcome to join in for as many or as few days as you like. No pressure!

Can I interpret prompts my own way? Absolutely. There’s no right or wrong way to use a prompt. They’re just here to inspire you!

Can I write for multiple fandoms? Yes! You're free to write for whatever fandom for any prompt! You can also go with an original work or a non-fiction essay if you'd like! The aim is just to get you writing.

Will you share my work? Our ask box is open for you to submit links to your works. This blog will post those links. Additionally, if you join the Pixel Grove Discord server, there's a channel thread dedicated to posting links to what you write for this event in #what-you-writing.

Join the Grove

Come chat and connect with other writers on our Pixel Grove Discord server: https://discord.gg/BNk9eprags

TLDR

Frienduary officially begins: February 1, 2025

Tag your work: #Frienduary2025

We can’t wait to see what you create! 💕

[razzmatome]

First

         Lifting on her toes, she pressed her lips to his. She saw his eyes narrow further, but they didn’t close. He was still waiting to see how far she was willing to go.

         Which annoyed her. He annoyed her.

Pairing: Jude/fOC

Words: 2296

CW: Mild suggestive sexual behaviour

Prompt: First kiss

A/N: First fic in a long time but when the prompt was posted in the Discord, my brain went into hyper drive. OC isn't Kate but got caught up with Jude through other means. Headers and borders from @/natimiles

         She was not cut out for physical activity.

         Panting as she ran, Bea could only focus on making sure she didn’t trip over her own feet. The vice grip Jude had on her wrist told her he was unlikely to stop if she fell and being hauled through streets and back alleys was embarrassing enough as it was. She didn’t need to add insult to injury and have him drag her as well.

         But, God, she needed him to stop running!

         They’d been going to check one of his warehouses for a new shipment when he’d realised they were being followed. He hadn’t wasted any time hustling her into an alleyway to cut across town. But it hadn’t done any good as they’d run into even more people who’d ‘wanted to have a word with Mr Jazza’.

         Now they were running. Because she was there. If he’d been alone, he probably would have dealt with them, but he’d made her come along because it was her shipment that had come in. She had tried to tell him that it was fine, that she could check them later, but no. He’d wanted her there, telling her it was pointless for him to check the quality of the fabric later when they could check it now. But now she was a liability to him instead of just an annoyance.

         “J-Jude,” she gasped as he turned down another alley. “Stop!”

         She heard the sharp noise he made but he didn’t slow. At this rate, she was going to pass out. A sharp ache was throbbing in her side and she couldn’t breathe. She needed him to stop. Surely, they’d gone far enough and didn’t need to keep up this pace.

         It finally happened when he rounded a corner sharply. She overbalanced and stumbled. There was no time to react, and she resigned herself to the pain that was coming. Along with the tongue lashing that was sure to come immediately after.

         But it didn’t. Jude pulled on her arm as he turned, keeping her from completely tipping over, and grunted as she fell into him. She felt him stiffen as he braced them both to keep them out of the dirt.

         When he didn’t say anything, she gripped his shirt and fought to get her breathing back under control. Her everything felt like it was on fire and-

         “We ain’t got time to stop, princess.”

         -he was completely fine. Maybe a little winded but fine. Because this was a normal part of his life. She sucked in a deep breath and shook her head. “You go,” she panted.

         “Ha? The fuck you sayin’? They saw ya with me,” he said shortly, pulling away from her and not letting go of her arm. “You think they’re just gonna let ya walk away?”

         She knew that but she was going to slow him down. She could tuck away somewhere to hide and make her way back to safety after they’d passed. Maybe it was wrong to use him as bait to save her own skin, but this was his fault in the first place.

         He took a step back toward her when she didn’t move, making her head tip back to meet his gaze. “Ya thinkin’ of doin’ somethin’ dumb, princess? Somethin’ noble?” he sneered.

         Hiding was hardly noble. “I’m going to fucking pass out,” she snapped back. “I can’t run anymore!”

         “Quit yer yappin’. If you can do that, you can run.”

         She was going to kill him. Tugging on her arm, she hissed as he held on tighter. “Jude, just let-”

         “We’re wastin’ time.”

         “No!” she said, digging her heels in. She could not run anymore!

         “We don’t have time to-”

         “Spread out and find them!”

         Her spine stiffened even as Jude swore sharply at the shout that was far too close for comfort. She reached for his hand, trying to pry his grip off her. “Jude, just go!” she said tightly.

         “Not happenin’ and now yer gonna owe me for this shit.”

         God, what was he going to do? Fight all of them? When he stepped in front of her, she realised he fully intended to do that. She gaped at his back, her thoughts whirling. How was this better than him leaving her behind? He thought she had had noble thoughts? What was this?! It certainly wasn’t going to end with him walking away unscathed and if he got hurt because she was here, she’d owe him even more. She was tired of owing him.

         Looking around, she grabbed the back of his coat and pulled.

         “What the f-”

         “Shh!” Bea snapped, pulling him into a shadowed alcove between buildings. This was a long shot and probably dumb. She could have made it easier, but her sister would kill her if she ever found out she exposed her abilities to anyone. Even if this was a life or death situation, Cate would tell her she wasn’t allowed to do it unless she was prepared to kill everyone around her who saw.

         “This ain’t gonna work,” he growled, crowding into her despite his words.

         She backed into the wall, ignoring how close he was to her. It wasn’t a great idea but if it did come down to a fight, it would be harder for anyone to get past him to use her against him. But her heart was hammering in her chest because he was right. God, this wasn’t going to be enough. They wouldn’t be clearly seen if someone went running past but if they looked back? Maybe she should have tried to push her tired body and kept running. Maybe she should have tried harder to get him to leave her behind. Maybe-

         “Calm down,” Jude muttered. “Yer breathin’ too loud.”

         She was? She couldn’t hear it over the pounding of her heart. This wasn’t enough. They were going to be found unless she did something more. Maybe she could warp the shadows without him realising. It would be tricky without moving her hands and he was so close he was sure to feel her moving. Was there anything else she could do? Anything that didn’t involve using her magic?

         “Princess, quit-” He grunted when she reached up to grab his face.

         This was absolutely a dumb idea, but she was out of good ones. Bea expected him to resist her, he never did what she wanted, but he leaned in when she pulled on him. A curious light was in his eyes, almost like he was waiting to see if she was bold enough to follow through with where they both knew she was going.

         She could feel his breath on her lips, could smell the tobacco on it. But she was focused on his eyes. They’d narrowed but she could still see that damned look in them, daring her to do it.

         “Check that way!”

         Lifting on her toes, she pressed her lips to his. She saw his eyes narrow further, but they didn’t close. He was still waiting to see how far she was willing to go.

         Which annoyed her. He annoyed her.

         She slipped her fingers into his hair, holding him to her. It had to be convincing if they were spotted. They needed to look like a couple stealing a moment in the shadows, not a pair on the run. But she couldn’t do it by herself and right now she was.

         Pulling just away from him, she breathed, “You ass.”

         Oh, she recognised that smug smirk. He wanted her to work for it. This was her idea so it was up to her to do it.

         Ass, she repeated silently. But she leaned in again, slanting her mouth over his. He was watching her still, that smugness hanging in the air around him. Would he rather fight them instead of kissing her? Was this really so horrible that he’d rather risk getting hurt?

         Her irritation got the better of her and she bit his lip.

         His eyes widened a fraction before she felt something shift in him.

         Gasping as he pressed fully into her, her fingers dug into his hair as he deepened the kiss. Her eyes squeezed shut as he didn’t let up. Damn it, she’d wanted him to respond but she hadn’t expected this from him! The kiss was rough and now she was struggling to breathe for an entirely new reason. All she could feel and taste was him and it was overwhelming.

         Hands grasped her hips, holding her right where he wanted. She hissed as his fingers squeezed through her clothes and dug into soft flesh. There were going to be bruises. She already knew her wrist was going to be covered in them and now he was marking her further.

         “Can’t keep up, princess?”

         Damn him. Cracking her eyes open, she was surprised he was still so close. Pale eyes caught her gaze almost immediately but it was the hint of heat in them that truly caught her off-guard.

         “Jude.” She didn’t get to say more as they both heard feet pounding down the alleyway and his mouth found hers again.

         It was hard not to moan as he didn’t hesitate, biting her lip this time. She felt him shift a little before she jumped when he gripped her leg and hauled it up against his hip. Her cheeks heated as cool air hit her skin, her skirt rucking up to expose far more than she wanted, and one hand dropped to his shoulder to push at him. Surely that was too far!

         But she stopped when she heard a low whistle come from behind him. “Well, damn!”

         Jude’s fingers dug into her thigh and he crowded closer between her legs. His kiss was still rough, but it was clear he was paying attention to whoever had spotted them. It seemed they were in the shadows enough that they weren’t immediately recognised but would that last if they couldn’t make this look real.

         Throwing caution to the wind, Bea hooked her leg around his hips and let herself moan. She hated that it wasn’t entirely fake. Her annoyance at him and all of this aside…he did feel far too good settled against her like this.

         “Oi, what are you doin’?”

         Her heart sank and Jude tensed. “No, wait,” she whispered as he leaned back from her.

         “Had yer chance, princess,” he muttered. “Now-”

         “Leave a man alone,” another voice yelled. “We ain’t got business with them!”

         “But-”

         “You really think a man like Jazza is gonna stop to get his dick wet? Get out of there! We’re gonna lose them!”

         Bea held her breath as they listened to the goons leave. Had it…really worked? She sighed before yelping when he snapped the strap of her garter against her thigh. “Excuse me!” she snapped, trying to move away from him.

         He didn’t budge, eyeing her for a long moment. “Didn’t know ya had that in ya.”

         She huffed and pushed at him. “Let go,” she said tightly.

         Her mouth flattened when he snapped the garter again, lifting it further this time. Great. A welt to add to the bruises because she was sure there were impressions of his fingertips on the back of her thigh from how hard he’d been holding it. “Yer the one clingin’ to me,” he pointed out.

         Her fingers jerked open as she realised she was still clutching at the back of his head. But she couldn’t do anything about the leg he was holding. “Jude,” she said, trying to keep calm. “Let go.”

         She felt him toying with the garter again and wanted to smack him when he tugged on it. But the snap wasn’t as hard this time and his hand dropped from her.

         Her leg came down fast, a small hiss leaving her as the heel of her shoe jostled her ankle, and she quickly reached to smooth her skirt down as he stepped back. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he lit a cigarette and kept an eye on the alley. Once again, he seemed completely unbothered by anything that had transpired. Well, no, not entirely. She pressed her lips together, an amused little huff leaving her as she saw that his hair was messed from her hands.

         “Somethin’ funny?”

         She could not tell him…but someone would and he would know that she hadn’t. “Stand still,” she muttered, reaching out to smooth his hair back into place. She’d messed it up; it was only proper for her to fix it.

         He was eyeing her again and slowly exhaled a long stream of smoke once she stepped back from him. “Make up yer mind, princess,” he muttered, turning away from her.

         About what? She moved after him when he started to leave their little alcove before almost running into him when he stopped suddenly to look at her. “What?’ Bea asked warily.

         Jude rolled his eyes at her. “Ya got us out of that mess so I owe ya for that and for the other thing.”

         “What other thing?”

         “Ya gonna look me in the eyes and tell me ya didn’t just waste your first kiss on someone like me?”

         Her cheeks heated but she didn’t say anything as she looked away from him. “I don’t need anything for that,” she mumbled.

         “Ha, liked it that much, did ya?”

         “I like being alive, Jude.”

         “Shouldn’t be around me then. But I clear my debts, princess, and this won’t be any different.”

         It was just a kiss. If it had mattered to her that much, she wouldn’t have done it in the first place. But as she followed him back toward the main street, she couldn’t help wondering what he considered equivalent payment for a first kiss.

[phmonth]

Pandora Hearts Month 2023 Prompts!

Wonderful art made by @retracexcviii for last year's secret Santa!

What is Pandora Hearts Month? Pandora Hearts Month is an event that celebrates, well...Pandora Hearts, the manga created by Jun Mochizuki! Each day is a new prompt. The first three weeks celebrate the three main trios, and the fourth is a bonus week that celebrates any ships/friendships/ot3s fans chose and love--or simply any characters not covered by the other weeks! You can create edits, fanart, drabbles, fanfictions, amvs and mms...whatever you can think of, really!

Pandora Hearts Month 2023 Prompts:

Golden Trio Week (Alice, Oz and Gilbert), October 22nd-28th:

Day 1, Sunday Oct 22nd: Coat

Day 2, Monday Oct 23rd: Autumn

Day 3, Tuesday Oct 24th: Precious

Day 4, Wednesday Oct 25th: Raven

Day 5, Thursday Oct 26th: AU

Day 6, Friday Oct 27th: Blue

Day 7, Saturday Oct 28th: Sun

Rainsworth Trio Week (Sharon, Break and Reim), Oct 29th—November 4th:

Day 1, Sunday Oct 29th: Silver

Day 2, Monday Oct 30th: Fragile

Day 3, Tuesday Oct 31st: 🎃 Candy 👻

Day 4, Wednesday Nov 1st: Affection

Day 5, Thursday Nov 2nd: Grave

Day 6, Friday Nov 3rd: Moon

Day 7, Saturday Nov 4th: Winter

Tragedy Trio Week (Lacie, Jack and Oswald), Nov 5th—Nov 11th:

Day 1, Sunday Nov 5th: King

Day 2, Monday Nov 6th: Lyrics

Day 3, Tuesday Nov 7th: Spring

Day 4, Wednesday Nov 8th: Gold

Day 5, Thursday Nov 9th: Guilt

Day 6, Friday Nov 10th: Pocketwatch

Day 7, Saturday Nov 11th: Stars

Fan’s choice Week, Nov 12th—November 18th:

Day 1, Sunday Nov 12th: Hat

Day 2, Monday Nov 13th: AU

Day 3, Tuesday Nov 14th: Meadow

Day 4, Wednesday Nov 15th: Rose

Day 5, Thursday Nov 16th: Lonely

Day 6, Friday Nov 17th: Contract

Day 7, Saturday Nov 18th: Book

(If you want to use other prompts to make a Halloweeny piece, feel free! You don't have to save that for Halloween day!)

When you post, please remember to:

Tag me @i-prefer-the-term-antihero, @phmonth, and/or @this-idiots-left-eye in your posts to make sure I reblog them! (My main blog is your best bet).

Tag #phmonth23 in your tags! I will go through that tag and check if I've missed any direct tags. (If you don't see your piece reblogged on this blog after doing both these methods, please dm me!)

Either put a link, or a “read more” on long fics (or long posts in general), so they're easier to reblog!

NSFW content is allowed, but please make sure it’s clear it’s NSFW/tagged that way, and is beneath a read more so anyone who doesn’t want to see it doesn’t have to!

I also made a collection on Ao3 for writers! Don't hesitate to add your fics to it!

Don’t forget to join our discord if you haven’t! It’s a fun place to discuss the series and more easily share your creations!

You are free to have fun with this!! As I said, as long as you tag it, NSFW is allowed! Tagging ships is nice too. You can pretty much do whatever you want with the prompts!

As long as you make sure the characters from the trio are your main focus, it’s okay to use other characters in your creations too!

You can join any time, and use as many or as few prompts as you want! You don't have to post on the exact day if you can’t make it! I’ll reblog things late!

Since we live across the world, you are free to post whenever the day is for you. I myself will be making posts according to my time, which is Central Standard Time in America. 

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to send an ask here, or post in the #questions channel of the discord!

P.S. About the Phmonth22 prizes:

Some of you may recall me posting about wanting to add a raffle aspect to Phmonth22, with the 15th anniversary merch as prizes. The prizes finally arrived!

Once the setup for Phmonth23 is done, I plan to gather up the names of everyone who posted for Phmonth22, and raffle off the two prizes: one for artists, and one for fic writers!

(Do note, however, that you will have to pay for shipping, especially if it needs to be sent internationally! )

Lastly, Vncmonth!

You guys voted to have a Vanitas no Carte month, like last year! Not sure when that'll be, I'm thinking January-February. I will work on that prompt list after the setup here is done as well!

Feel free to get started on making stuff early! (But please wait to post until the month has started!) I'm so excited to see what you make! Thank you for all your support!

i-prefer-the-term-antihero

[azoreaneve]

Legends Arceus seed RNG manip tutorial

Ok because there's barely ANY tutorials online about this (and no, discord is NOT an archive of knowledge) ever since the switch emulators got nuked, I want to share the ideal way to RNG manipulate seed spawns on Pokémon Legends Arceus. Not outbreaks, but the seeded spawns.

So what you need is the game, a way to check your pokémons' IVs and abilities (e.g. PKHeX), some way to take notes or screenshots, and of course the pla-reverse-gui (on Lincoln-ML's github). To maximise the chances of getting shinies you'll want to get perfect research on the pokémon and own the shiny charm.

In PLA the whole map of an area is seeded when you load in (you reseed by leaving to the village and returning to the area) with each spawner having its own seed. If you know the seed of a spawner you know exactly what pokémon will show up after you catch/KO the current ones on that spawner. There are multiple types of spawners, some will always spawn 2 pokémon, some always 1, and some will spawn an inconsistent number of pokémon, like 1-3.

These latter ones currently can't be RNG'd because we can't figure out the seed. Single 'mon spawners are just not worth it because there are no multiple paths to the pokémon generated so you will easily need some 60 iterations to get the same pokémon that you'd get in 10 on a double spawner.

Pokémon respawn when the time changes (e.g. from "morning" to "midday") or when the weather changes. Static alpha spawners take multiple time changes to respawn, I personally wouldn't bother with those.

Unfortunately you can't control the weather… or can you? Well...

I recommend doing this RNG manipulation during the quest to meet the lake trio. When you're ostracised from the village there is NO WEATHER at all to fuck up your respawns. You also don't have to talk to the fucking professor and go through multiple prompts just to leave an area. Life is much simpler.

Onto the real tutorial

Have autosave off for all of this.

Pick a spawner, let's use a triple qwilfish one here. Go to the area of it, bring 3 empty slots in your team, get near the spawner, and save. Catch all 3. You need to be able to distinguish future qwilfish from them so jot down some characteristics like gender, level, stats.

Reload. We will now discover what the seed finder calls pokémon 1. Catch/KO 1 pokémon, ensure the other 2 are still there and didn't run away or somehow despawn (happens A LOT with stuff like basculin). Teleport to camp. Rest/advance time, preferably to some other day time to prevent day pokémon from despawning into drifloons and fucking all of this up. Go back to the spawner, catch everyone there. One of the qwilfish will be different from the originals, that's your pokémon 1 and you can fill in its data on the seed finder.

Reload. We will now find pokémon 2 by basically the same method. Catch/KO 2 pokémon instead of 1, ensure the remainder doesn't randomly despawn, go rest to advance time, save when you get to the spawner, then catch everyone there. You should have an original qwillfish, pokémon 1, and a new qwilfish which is pokémon 2. These are iteration -1 of the generator.

If this is not the case then you got fucked over by a weather or time change or a 'mon despawned when it shouldn't, or you caught a pokémon from another spawner by mistake.

Fill in the seed finder data. Ideally evolve your pokémon if you're getting small ones so you can fill in multiple measurements to save on calculation time.

Seed finder will toss you a seed, put that into the generator as well as the filters you care about. In my case I have max shiny odds and want a shalpha fish with whatever stats.

If you didn't save AFTER catching pokémon 2, you can pick any of these. If you did save however (like to trade the pokémon for IV checking), you'll have to pick paths which start on 3, because you despawned everyone from iteration -1 and then iteration 0 will have 3 'mons.

You can open path tracker if you want to be anal and catch everything to make sure you progress correctly. But basically all you need is to follow the path and on each advance catch/KO the number of pokémon stated. So a person who saved after getting pokémon 2 will pick a path like 3-1-2-... which means now they advance time, go to spawner, catch/KO 1 pokémon, advance time, catch/KO 2 pokémon at the spawner, etc etc, until they catch/KO the last pokémon, advance time, and find at the spawner whatever it is they manipulated for.

Please note that alphas can't spawn near other alphas. If you want to manip for an alpha and there's one close enough to hear the alpha music in the spawner, then go despawn it before your manipulated alpha is meant to spawn.

Anyway enjoy your hunts! It's a slow but very easy to accomplish method and nearly impossible to fail. Also more relaxed than MMOs and allows you to catch "skittish" or "neutral" pokémon who you can't multi-battle like in the MMO RNG manipulations.

[starsreminisce]

Lucien’s POV of Elain being kidnapped

Lucien's senses screamed danger, a familiar intuition that had guided him through centuries, but this time it was different—an unsettling recognition of his mating bond with Elain, signaling a threat to her.

Abruptly, he stood, gaze fixed on the window as if it could reveal her situation. A boat would take too long, and winnowing meant a two-day journey. Sorting out where to take her would have to wait.

Papa Archeron, breaking the silence, questioned, "Something the matter?”

"Elain's... something is wrong with Elain," Lucien revealed urgently.

Papa Archeron, seemingly unfazed, resumed his meal, "If she was with Feyre and Nesta, she'll be alright. You are needed here."

The nonchalant reply ignited a blaze of anger within Lucien, a furious tempest swirling in his chest. Unable to contain the seething rage, he brought his fist down on the table with a thunderous crash, sending cutlery into a chaotic protest, clattering in discordant symphony. The room seemed to quiver with the force of his fury, and the atmosphere crackled with tension, revealing the depth of Lucien's livid discontent.

"How can you be so uncaring?" Lucien's temper flared. “They kidnapped her a second time!”

"Sit down," Papa Archeron's authoritative voice demanded, making Lucien question if he faced a high lord.

Reluctantly, he complied, though every instinct screamed to leave.

"Because she needs to experience this every once in a while," Papa Archeron explained, leaving Lucien conflicted and frustrated.

Lucien, his power radiating, engaged in a silent standoff with the resolute old man, the urgency of Elain's distress intensifying through their unspoken connection. The fire within him swelled and churned, a tempest of emotions as his thoughts delved into the intricate planning that lay ahead. The weight of responsibility and the need to act pressed heavily on him, fueling the intensity in his eyes and the determination etched on his face.

But something in her father’s look gave him pause.

Papa Archeron, undeterred, continued, "If you are to be Elain’s betrothed, you will not treat her the same way as Feyre and Nesta did."

Perplexed, Lucien tilted his head, prompting Elain’s father to unveil a history of her confinement. "All her life, she's been made to be a doll, something for display, when she is more than capable. I share tales of my travels, hoping to inspire her to leave and experience the world."

Lucien nodded, vowing silently, but the restlessness in him persisted. Fingers drummed on the table, leg shaking with impatience.

"Tell me about her," Lucien pleaded, seeking distraction.

Papa Archeron chuckled. "I think I've said all I can."

"Tell me more."

A smile played on the old man's lips. "She'll love you. It may take time, but she will."

"I need to save her," Lucien finally confessed.

"Wait till the morning," Papa Archeron advised. "Whoever took her needs her alive. If she's not saved by morning, you can go."

In an attempt to soothe Lucien's torment, Elain's father unfolded a vivid panorama of dreams and aspirations he held for his daughter. With unguarded candor, he laid bare regrets and vulnerabilities, constructing a narrative of parental aspirations and the inevitable stumbles along the journey. Lucien, intimately attuned to Elain's emotions through their bond, witnessed the tumultuous ebb and flow of her feelings. Each revelation from her father acted as a comforting melody, gradually calming the storm within her, until the waves of distress subsided, leaving behind the serene assurance of safety.

"She's safe now," Lucien muttered, a mix of relief and defeat settling within him.

—-

Lucien was taken aback to find Elain there, her form tainted with blood not her own. Her eyes bore the weight of her actions, haunted yet proud with a hint of remorse and horror.

His instinct was to envelop her in a protective embrace, shielding her from the gruesome sight. He longed to extract promises, ensuring she'd never tread such a reckless path again.

Papa Archeron's words echoed in his mind, emphasizing Elain's capabilities.

So, he opted for a simple question, "Are you alright?"

Elain's surprise reflected in her gaze, realizing the difference in his approach. His inquiry made her reassess whether he would treat her unlike anyone before.

"Yes," she affirmed, a flicker of gratitude crossing her eyes.

[katiesautisms]

Instead of going to bed like a normal person, I wanted to show pvz tumblr something!!

If anyone reading this is a fan of the classic pvz 1, then theres a mod avaliable for you to download that I can almost gaurentee you'll love:

Now before I continue yapping, just wanna say i am NOT affliated with the mod or the creators in anyway, it just scratches my autism fuelled brain and I need to talk about it or else I'll explode /silly

Sooo, if you're interested, here's a synopsis of the mod itself under the cut!! :)

Basically, it's a mod that acts as if the original pvz 1 had dlc! While most mods for the game either have to replace its content for new stuff, or just make the game a bazillion times harder, dlc is (as far as I know) one of the only of its kind to purely ADD content to the game! No replacing anything at all! In fact, theyve left vanilla almost COMPLETLEY untouched!!!!!

Liked vanilla's weird balancing, level design, and all of its other beautiful features? Well it's all in its original state! The only difference is 5-10 where its a traditional ultimate battle level, the zomboss fight is moved to 6-10.

And yes, there is a roof night stage, BUT it has its own unique plants, zombies, and even its own unique gimmick!! Thats not even it either! At the time of writing this, there is a 7TH world already added, and much more on the way!!! There's even unique puzzle levels and minigames!! All of these features are made to be as close to the style of vanilla as possible and, in my opinion, they succeeded with flying colors!!

Also, if you do want to play the mod, at the very beginning of a save file, youll be prompted to skip right into the mod's new content when starting 1-1 if you so choose to skip all of vanilla pvz1!! And even if you still want to play through vanilla, theyve added a speedup button to every single level, just like pvz 2!!!

You can download the mod and learn how to in the discord linked in the video, but if you want my help, id be more than happy to assist!!!

Ok im done yapping go play the mod :]

[heartaide]

was cooking today w/ LuckyTon (heated love) ogs know this ‼️‼️‼️ i used one of the questions from @eremillie ‘s selfship prompt questions !

🥕 - How do you and your F/O feel about farming simulator games, like Stardew Valley? If you play together, what kind of roles do either of you take on (i.e. farmer, forager, etc.)?

Creighton and Lucky will often play Stardew Valley together after their day is done and when they're winding down. More often than not they will call over Discord (video or audio, they flip between both) and play. Though if either of them are too tired for the day, then they just communicate through the text function in the game as well.

Lucky takes on the role of the farmer and the fisher, she loves to water the plants, and take care of the animals on the farm. Sometimes she'll even ask Creighton to pitch in bc she'll plant SO MANY crops on their land. Sometimes he'll be a bit of an ass and is all like, "you planted those you gotta water them yourself" and she's like "I HAVE A DEFAULT WATERING CAN YOU HAVE GOLD PLEASE HELP ME!!! :(" And then of course he'll help her because then he'll feel a little guilty after she's on like less than half energy after starting the day LOL. He'll pitch in with the animals too for the most part, he'll collect the eggs/milk and use them as ingredients (he cooks the meals for when they go into the mines) or he'll turn them into mayo & cheese if he needs to as well. Lucky is more worried about turning a profit while Creighton is putting priority into their health when they go mining.

Sometimes he'll even ask Lucky to catch specific sorts of fish bc he'll need them as ingredients for dishes n shes like "THAT'S WACK CAN'T YOU FISH IT YOURSELF?!" "you're lv. 10 fishing i think you can handle it." HEADASS!!!! She bickers with him for a bit before mumbling and going to the beach/forest/mountain to go fishing for whatever fish he needs for his thing.

they actually both share the duty of mining... so they'll often switch off who's gonna work on mining day by day. Lucky is more combat focused, cos she’s more concerned with leveling up her shit to take care of the baddies down on the lower levels. She’ll go out of her way to mine some copper/iron/gold but it’s not her big focus. But she will easily find a way to get down because she’s always crafting bombs. She loves to explode everything on sight, kill everything around her and advance down the caves.

Aaaand Creighton is always mining out ores… he cares more about upgrading their tools (so often that he’ll end up upgrading his own tools before Lucky, but it's okay. He ‘needs’ it.) But he makes sure to save enough ores and smelt them into bars for Lucky, at least he does something to make it easier for her when she wants to upgrade her tools!

They both also forage for the most part, but Lucky forgets to check for the traveling merchant. Always. Even though she’ll be in the forest looking for berries and checking on the mushroom logs they set up, her ADHD is out of control so she will get invested in other things before forgetting that she had to go visit the merchant. Which causes her and Creighton to butt heads w/ each other because they wanna finish the community center before Y1 😭 (It is okay because they eventually DO finish the community center before Y1 they just love being overbearingly dramatic with each other.)

They did not take the Joja route btw. Even though Creighton wanted it for achievement reasons, Lucky thinks it is So, So evil to do so. But now they go on funny little movie theater dates.

“That movie sucked, Lucky”

“It wasn't even a feature film, how can you judge it?”

“It was The Brave Little Sapling.”

“You. Cried.”

can you tell i’ve been rotating them in my brain …

[tessenpai]

Chikawa Week Day 1: Flower

Reproduction of the Ranunculus Flower gifted to Amu-sensei by the KOT discord server for the Kono Oto Tomare! 10th anniversary.

I've spent a great deal of time thinking about what to do for Chikawa Week. I don't think my fanart is all that good and it takes me a chunk of time to make, and I can't write fanfics to save my life. Then it dawned on me that I don't have to do anything new at all. I just need to stick to my strengths. As it happens, I enjoy writing "essays". So for Chikawa Week, I will write one essay based on the prompt for the day!

The prompt for Day 1 is "Flower" and I couldn't think of anything better to get started. When you mention "Flower" when talking about "Kono Oto Tomare!", one cannot but think about the beautiful pink ranunculus Chika gifted to Satowa on the day of the Revitalization Concert.

In this essay, I would like to delve deeper into the symbolism and importance this flower has in Chika and Satowa's relationship.

For me, it all starts with Isaki, funnily enough. That week, Satowa had invited him to assist to the Revitalization Concert that would welcome her back into the Hozuki Clan. Chika, of course, was thrilled to go, but I'm afraid he was not aware of the etiquette involved in these kinds of events. Not too surprising, he is just a teenager, and it's not like he has ever had to go to an event where a certain dress code is needed. It's his first time, we have to cut him some slack!!

Thankfully, Isaki is there to help him out. We love an Aunt who knows her nephew has a big fat crush on the Hozuki Lady, and is willing to captain the Chikawa Ship for the day.

She first tells him he should dress adequately, and that under no circumstances should he present himself to her house empty-handed. Of course, Chika asks her what should he buy, then. And she suggests flowers. I find it endearing that Isaki is trying to educate Chika on chivalry, and in how a lady should be treated. Specially when you are someone important to her. And of course, she is being sneaky because we all know what a man gifting a woman his age (and not related to him) flowers means.

As awkward as Chika can be, he knows his Aunt speaks the truth, and he should trust her. That's why without more complaint, he stops by a flower shop before heading to the Hozuki Household.

At the flower shop, the Helmsman (or Helmswoman as it happens) of the Chikawa Ship for the day is waiting for him. The florist sees a doubtful teenager intensely looking at the flowers, and she understands she has an assignment to ace. And wow does she ace it.

I can only imagine that, in the beginning, Chika intended to buy flowers as a sort of "assignment". His aunt told him they were necessary and it was not like he was going to question that judgment, but he thought it was just a matter of picking whatever he first saw that looked okay, buying it, and going his merry way. And they are just flowers. They grow all over the place, how expensive can they be, right?

When he sees all the types of flowers and arrangements? Well, things just get complicated. Because what flowers should he buy then? Also, he is broke. Our helmswoman won't let that be an impediment, though. No, sir! She gently asks if he is searching for something, and Chika awkwardly replies "A bouquet". Worth noting, he stumbles over the word "bouquet", and it's so cute because you just know that's a word he hasn't used much, if at all, and he is already making an effort to get out of his comfort zone.

Now, the budget. As I said, Chika is broke. He is SO broke, he can't even buy a mini-bouquet. He has a measly 254 yens (equivalent to 1,70 USD) to his name.

This will never NOT be funny.

Chika's financial situation won't deter our Helmswoman. She will see this through!

She offers him the option of buying a single flower. One with his thoughts and emotions on it. And unknowingly, at that moment, she turns what was an "assignment", into so much more. Because Chika immediately relates it to "Treasuring each sound".

He understands that one single flower might just hold the power to tell Satowa what he thinks and feels on her Special Day. And is not something that he should think about superficially.

However, there is challenge in transmiting his thoughts and emotions with one single flower. Very similar to "Treasuring each sound". But also, different. He is not versed in the "Flower Language". He finds it easier to communicate with music than with words! Not to worry, our Helmswoman is there to stir him in the right direction.

She asks him "What sort of girl is she, this girl who isn't your girlfriend". That is not an easy question to answer. It demands honesty and vulnerability. If you really want to give her the perfect flower, you have to be transparent, you can't gloss over things or tell half truths. You only have one chance to get your message across.

For the first time, Chika puts into words how he sees her. She is powerful and strong, yet sometimes surprisingly weak. The store clerk is sort of confused by the contradiction, yet it makes perfect sense. And it is a testament to their relationship. When he first met her, she put up a front, acting strong, refusing to ask for help and struggling to open herself to him and the koto club. But behind that mask, was fear. Fear of being left behind, of her sound harming others. When the clerk asks "Which is it?", he replies "Mostly strong, definitely". To him, who has seen her face her fears, and come up the victor, she is more powerful and dazzling than when she was trying to act like she was strong. A woman who shines her brigthest when she performs. "When she performs, she is amazingly cool". And then he adds "Always very awkward".

That is what knowing someone really is like. They have so many colors and shades to them, that is so very difficult to make a uniform statement about who they are. They can be strong yet weak, cool yet awkward. Chika doesn't only like Satowa's brightest colors, he finds all of her shades and tones charming and worth noting. He also sneaks in her "Huge chest". He couldn't let us forget he is just a growing boy, with blood in his veins.

"Is she cute? Or beautiful?", asks our invested florist. Chika falls silent, ruminating over the question. But how could he possibly choose one? How could he simply pick one of her tones? Satowa is "Both", he replies quietly. And our Helmswoman understands in that moment that this flower is not only meant to be given to a performer, or some kind of unreachable idol, but to the girl this boy loves, wether he knows it or not. The girl he finds most charming, admirable, but also wishes to protect.

Gifting a ranunculus, in the language of flowers, means "I find you dazzingly charming". Then you add the meaning of the color. Pink signifies love, romance, and gentle feelings. I highly doubt she told him that, though. I imagine she simply prepared the most beautiful pink ranunculus she could find, and gave it to him with a smile, knowing she had found the perfect flower, for the girl who is perfect for that boy.

And we know Satowa received the feelings and emotions that Chika's gift carried. Because even if she received countless bouquetes that day, there was one single single flower that wasn't given to her out of obligation, one single flower that was given to her with honest feelings of happiness for her returning to her family... One single flower that was meant for her, given by a boy who loves every shade and color that makes her who she is.

And so, Satowa framed the flower and hung it in the lobby. Because before going out to face a new day, she will have the reminder that there is a boy who admires her and wants her to do well. And when she comes home, there will be comfort waiting for her.

Without knowing it, Chika gave her "home" within one flower.

[justalittletoocorrupted]

Secret Santa prompt!

Merry Christmas you guys!! I know I've been gone a while but I had taken a part in a discord writing secret Santa! My person was @onlywhump so I really hope you enjoy!!

Lots To Do

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.. 

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.    ..    

   .

The day had started so well… 

. …

.     ..

..

  … 

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    ..   .

   .

It was a bright day out. The sun was shining, the people in the city were happy… and the hero was on their way to a meeting with their boss, superhero! Well… maybe less of a meeting and more of an evaluation. The week prior the hero had brought to light a gruesome story of a civilian that had been kidnapped by a villain the world had now deemed “the metal welder” for their horrific crime of turning the once loved civilian into a robotic structure that was once remnant of a person. Although the hero was able to save the civilian, they had found that the villain had made a quick escape before they or their team could catch them. Hero had been well thanked for their hard work towards discovering, locating, and saving the victim involved… though they had hoped to have gotten the thanks for catching the villain too. But the most important part was getting the victim! That the hero did leaving them *something* to be proud of.

But.. maybe if they were a little quicker, then they wouldn’t have gotten here….

Everything had gone by so fast. One moment the hero was rummaging through their bag to find their keys to get inside the building, then the next they were on the ground. There were dark stars invading their vision from all over that continued to grow until they could see nothing at all! The worst part was they couldn’t even see who it was that had caused this…

.. . 

    .   …

..    .

  ..    . 

.

     …

.  ..

   .

By the time the poor hero woke up something was different. Very different. However there was little time given to figure out what it was that had changed before a voice from somewhere behind them spoke up. 

“Sleep well?”

Hero sat up quickly, a panic rushing through their mind as they scrambled to find who it was behind them. Strangely enough.. their head was able to turn far enough to meet the eyes of their kidnapper. Could their neck go that far before?

“Ah, I see you’re using your new perks already..” The stranger grinned.

“Perks?? What do y–” Wait.. was that villain??! The hero gasped, “[Villain]! What the fuck did you do?!?” they hissed.

“What did I do..?” Villain tsked, “Oh [Hero]… what did you do? You were the one that took my beloved experiment..” they sighed, “So I had to get a new one..”

A new one? What on earth did the villain mean?? The hero looked down at their legs so they could push themself off the table only for the shine of metal to catch its attention. 

Metal. Oh god, their legs were metal…… And…. If their legs were metal.. Then that means—

Oh god.

The hero looked back up to the villain who had the biggest smile they had ever seen a villain wear.

“Stand.” the villain directed, “Stand, my beautiful creation.” they repeated.

The hero’s gaze drifted to locked on their own legs again. Their chest heaving as they tried to process what it was that was going on, but absent mindedly they found themselves pushing their heavy body off the table to stand. 

“Feel anything?” The villain asked, cocking a brow. What did they mean by "feel anything”?? Of course they didn’t!! They’re a freaking ROBOT! Not even a cyborg, no, because from what the hero could see *nothing* on them was organic! Everything was metal! Cold metal!

The hero didn’t answer, and it seemed that the villain didn’t need one to continue. “I spent hours, maybe even a full day on you, my precious..” they added, taking a few steps closer to the still in shock hero. “You’re my best outcome yet..” 

The best?? Maybe the worst! The hero found themself unable to find the smallest word or sound to express their feeling that wasn’t the newfound urge to cry and fall to their now metal knees. What would superhero think? What would their friends think? Their family? Their coworkers? Would they even recognize them?? Depending on such answers, the hero worried that perhaps it would be time to simply give up. 

“Oh, [Hero]~” The villain's grading voice forced itself into the hero's ears after their spiraling, “You may want to listen before I begin testing..” 

Testing. 

The hero couldn’t process any of the villains words aside from testing. 

And that was the hero’s final straw. 

So with a sudden burst in motion the hero began bolting it to the first door their eyes had landed on. The metal clanks of the hero’s replaced feet could be heard loud and clear, yet the villain didn’t seem worried at all. 

“So be it..” 

Suddenly the hero felt something jam itself into their back. Whatever it was, it pulled the hero back at such a force their back slammed into the wall and left them collapsed on the floor groaning in pain. 

Wait.

Pain??

“Yes!” The villain cheered, “Oh, my darling… you DO feel!” The villain gasped, taking no time as they practically skipped their way over to the crumbled hero. When they knelt down, the villain was gentle to brush the hair, or what replaced the hero’s old organic hair, out of their face. 

On the other hand, the hero found themselves confused and in tears. “Wh– what did you do to me, [Villain]?!?!” they babbled out through what they assumed to be their tears. What part of them was organic? Was this all some illusion? Was the hero even human anymore?

No. 

Clearly not.

“Can’t you see, [Hero]?” the villain asked, “I just fixed you, that’s what! Do you have any idea as to how special you are now? How special you are to me? Why, you’re a miracle!!” they nearly cried, the criminals hands reaching up and cupping the mechs cheeks. 

“We need to do more tests..” they rambled, glancing around them before their eyes landed on what looked to be a glass bottle. The hero cried in reprimand, squirming as their hand grabbed onto the villain's arm and squeezed. They knew it usually wouldn’t do much, but they were hoping desperately that their newfound body would be strong enough to stun the villain. That attempt appeared to be in vain as it didn’t stop the villain from slamming the glass onto the hero’s head. If they could bleed they surely would’ve. The hero screamed in pain, confusion, grief, sadness, just about any overwhelming thought going on in their mind began to bubble up and out of their throat every time a new sting of pain flourished throughout their body. Maybe it was an excuse to express themselves, but perhaps this is too far from being considered an “excuse” when the hero was transformed into something they never once mentioned any possible form of consent to. If anything they expressed nothing but disgust!

The villain on the other hand was laughing. They were fucking laughing. They laughed and smiled and hummed as they battered the robotic hero every which way that wouldn’t compromise themselves. The grin on their face and their reddened cheeks were sickening, and yet the hero did nothing to pry themselves from the others arms. Despite the pain they were subjecting the hero to.. They were the only one offering comfort, too. That was the one thing the hero felt they needed most right now.. 

“Oh, if you weren’t metal I’d be doing much worse..” the villain said with a tone of voice that made the hero want to scream. Their head laying atop the others below them, “Perhaps I give you a minute while I set things up, hm?... We have lots to do, my darling. Lots to do.”

[zeldaelmo]

Director’s commentary on Somebody That I Used to Know!! If you need/ want a specific chapter - rituals.

Ah, B, thank you! This story experienced a revival in the last few weeks because a friend was inspired by it and now toys with writing a sequel to it which makes me very happy.

A common trope in OoT fics is Link leaving for searching Navi and coming back in the middle of a ball several years later to sweep the ever waiting Zelda of her feet. It makes for a cute little scene, but after reading a couple of interpretations of it, my mind went down the 'and what if he doesn't?' road.

So I started thinking about Zelda waiting for him to fulfill his promise of coming back and he just... doesn't. What would she do after five years, after ten years, after thirty years? A why wouldn't he keep a promise? What would make him break it?

When I had the idea, I didn't plan doing anything with it anytime soon. I have quite some fic ideas like this: some hastily notes thrown together and saved on my discord server, waiting for the right moment to come. And then, @zelinkcommunity published the prompts for zelink week 2022 and the story fit so perfectly, that I dropped everything and started writing.

I usually write lighthearted stories. They have some angst to keep the plot going, yes, but overall they don't cut too deep. That's mostly because fandom is escapism for me and I want to have fun. This one is different and it was interesting to explore what I'm capable of in the right setting.

I wanted to show how having lived through half of their lives already affected Link and Zelda after all the trauma they went through. We see a lot of exploring the immediate effects of the games in fan fiction, but stories about how they affect the big and smaller life decisions are rare. And that's where the fun for me began: To work out how complicated life is. To show there's no easy answer to why Link didn't come back. To highlight that Zelda was a terrible queen because she projected her anxiety on her reign.

The story only gets Kudos every few weeks, because it's probably nothing most people in fandom search out nowadays, but if I have a super long comment in my inbox, it's usually for this one. Maybe it's the mature approach to OoT's tragedy or the respect for complicated characters and feelings, but something about the story resonates strongly with the people who read it. And I'm very happy and thankful about that.

My favorite scene from 'Rituals' is this here:

He fell silent, digging the tip of his boot into the hard soil around the fire. It took an eternity for him to look up again and when he did, his gaze was cold. It was the first time that she thought the missing eye made his face a tad harsh. 

"So instead of a hard-earned happy ending for us, you managed to create a version where I'm gone, one where I end up here, and one where I'm killed. Eh, good work, I'd say." 

Zelda drew a shaky breath. "Would you even have wanted a happy ending for us?" The words toppled from her mouth before she could quell the bitterness in them.

His gaze snapped away. 

"I didn't know that I would create different realities, Link," she continued, her voice now purposely soft. "We thought it was safe. I just… it wasn't your fault that you got dragged into all this and I wanted to give you the chance to live a normal life."

"I'm an orphan raised by a tree, Zelda. I never had the chance for a normal life." When she shifted on her seat, he buried his hands in his hair. "Sorry. I know you meant well. It's not that you choose to be part of all this either. It's just… this one moment was maybe the only one where we had a choice. And you made it for me."

Zelda couldn't tear her gaze from the way his hands dropped listlessly back into his lap. How had she never considered this? All he had wanted was to choose his own future.

"I'm sorry," she pressed out, and it didn't matter if she stole this choice from him or the other Zelda. 

His hand darted to hers, squeezed, and was gone again. "It is what it is."

[dcviated]

MUNDAY: GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Respond to the following prompts out of character, then tag others you'd like to get to know a little bit better!

ROLEPLAYER NAME: bear! or will, I don't mind being referred to by my real name but even my wife calls me bear most of the time, so-

ROLEPLAYER PRONOUNS: he/him

MUSE NAME: I feel the mainstays will always be Wylan, Raguna, and Eira. But many many others-

PREFERRED COMMUNICATION: As needed. I'm low maintenance while still considering us 'in contact'. But I do love getting sent random bits as relevant and commentary on threads. I can be short or slow on replies at times though. Discord all the way over tumblr IM.

EXPERIENCE: Back when I was 15 or 16 on forums. I did some avatar games that had roleplay baked into it as well that were good. Did a lot of RP in warcraft back during BC to WOTLK, but could not get into it in FFXIV. Tumblr has been my favorite place to write, by far. I love getting into longer form. On that note-

PREFERRED ROLEPLAY TYPE: Literate paragraphs! I can't stay bantering in short stuff to save my life. Like a leak I inevitably switch over to having a paragraph. Then two. Maybe three. I'm pretty comfy around the 300-500 word length on my replies. I get intimidated when they get consistently longer and writer's block starts to lay its bricks.

PET PEEVES & DEALBREAKERS: An inability to meet halfway when plotting is brought up. I don't like being waited on like it's my responsibility to come up with a compelling plot that I suspect you'll half-ass reply to. Have some advocation for what you want. Otherwise ... yeah.

Also an overabundance of context-less dash commentary. Particularly connected to their discord happenings. Some blogs feel less 'indie' and more pseudo-group related. And if you're not involved good luck.

PLOTS OR MEMES: I like to think I'm pretty good rolling with the punches! I can do memes, random asks, and memes and ad-libbing a situation out of a few back and forth banters is really amusing. It's also easier than front-loading a ton of plotting that may or may not be realized anyway. Letting events happen off the cuff feels more dynamic and allows more surprises for both writing parties. <:

That said, don't mind plotting whatsoever! So long as the other person actually wants it and isn't going through the motion of it because it's 'what people do'. Also... I hope they're ready for the long game if so? Like they want to let the plot play out and not just making a plot and then jumping to the end of it.

Pre-establish-jutsu is not plotting!!

LONG REPLIES OR SHORT REPLIES: Middle?? Both?? There's a time for everything but like I said before I'm a fan of 300-500 words for my replies. Sometimes I like them shorter, others longer. But we're biasing towards the 'long' given when a lot of what's in vogue as of late.

BEST TIME TO WRITE: Whenever I can put my adhd into proper submission. I like writing at the office (after I have my work for the day handled) because it separates me from the usual distractions but we can only be so strong...

I like writing earlier in the day! I feel like my best work is done in the mornings, after all. And the head is clearer before I've hit lunch. So on weekends where I don't have plans and I can make myself sit down at a keyboard before everyone else is around, that's just great.

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSES: Like any good oc writer, I pull out little pieces of myself and cram them into other beings to irreversibly corrupt them not unlike a certain villain from a certain manga. People have called me dad in the past... perhaps that fits better than I thought.

tagged by: @triinitas (thank!!) tagging: gosh this one has gone around a few times, steal it if you like!