#and they're written accordingly

[starsonablackboard]

a long-ass unstructured yappin about trod lambert because i really, really love them and i feel like they don't get enough recognition (maybe i just dont see it tho). (im not even putting the read more bar here, you're going with me even if you don't want to)

maybe it's my taste in characters (it's definitely it), but im much more fascinated by them than by narinder. and don't get me wrong, trod narinder is beautifully written, complex, interesting, and just plain fun to read. he's tall dark and handsome ™ emoboy (lovingly), he likes killing things but he also has a dream journal, is patient with kids and remembers that lamb likes red foods best. but you take one look at him and go "oh that cat has some baggage". and you take one look at lambert and go "oh, a goofy sheep". and then this sheep hits you with a moving truck.

like, what do i mean – narinder (im sorry for using you as an opposite example you're the second half of the pairing what can i do) is obviously complex. lambert is subtlety complex, moreover, they're deceivingly simple and they learned to hide their complexity very well. like we're 400k?? words in and we know pretty much nothing about them. their family? their father used to sing a song to them sometimes. what song? did it have lyrics? what situations was it for? how did their father's voice sound? next question. their long term goals, their fears, their nightmares? no. and we're in their pov half the time (and i know that this is intentional because sara has talked about this, about lambs tendencies to deflect and hide themselves behind masks).

i distinctly remember the moment i understood that i will love them as a character – it's when in earlier chapters (before 4th one im pretty sure) narinder hides an axe in his sleeves and lambert takes a look at him and goes "you don't cross your arms often. i don't think you yet realise that you're able to do it again. whatcha hiding in there?" and i was like. oh. they're smart. and im not saying it like i thought they weren't smart before that, im saying that it takes a certain type of attentiveness and skill to notice such small details and to put them together. and they drop that line with a smile and in a silly speaking manner ("watcha") that at that point annoys narinder to no end. yes, they're silly goofy and i love them for it, but this is barely the surface of what they're actually are. (oh and i also really like the fact that their unseriousness and light heartedness isn't a "fake personality", it's just one of the layers sides of their character)

in my native language we have this phrase that translates to "kindness should come with fists/kindness should have fists/whatever" (maybe there's a similar one in english but I've never heard of it) and i think it suits lambert incredibly much. they are kind, i would say radically kind at that. let's be honest the whole "enemies to friends" part of the fic exists and has any chance of existing only because lambert is continuously and stubbornly kind to narinder. he tries to kill them, they bring him food. he bashes their head into the altar, they make him clothes. he curses them again and again, they make sure he doesn't run out of candles. i once mentioned this part to my friend (that knows nothing about cotl and by extension trod but listens to my yapping anyway) and she said something along the lines of "he walks all over them but they continue to love and love and love" and i don't think that's it. lambert is incredibly, sometimes unreasonably kind (and selfishly, where the whole "why do you keep a murderer around" part comes in, but I'll talk about that later), but they have boundaries, their kindness, however generous and forgiving, has limits, and those limits are clear and hard once you reach them. they will never ever let anyone "walk all over" them, even if from the outside it looks like it, they know what they want and what they're willing to tolerate, and when those boundaries are broken they never hesitate to act.

circling back to the selfish kindness part. i love how forgiving bishops' isn't for bishops'sake. it's for theirs. they refuse to let the anger and resentment consume them (im pretty sure sara made a whole comic about this point specifically), they've seen what it does and they will not repeat the mistakes of gods that came before them. the sheer will to live and to live the best life you can in this is also so impressive and important to me – it's one thing to not let your god to sacrifice you, it's another to step your (rightful) anger on the throat no matter how hard it is because you know you won't be happy or even fully your own self if you don't. their mercy isn't a weakness, their kindness isn't an invitation to exploit them. almost all of the things lamber does they do for their own sake first and foremost (yes, even running themselves dry for their cult. they fully understand what they're doing and why – they want those under their care to prosper, and they're willing to do what it takes. the sacrifices they make are stemming from their want. it's different from exhausting yourself just because you were told so).

all this to say that i find them to be such a beautiful blend of things that are usually written as mutually exclusive. they're lighthearted and silly yet complex and smart. they're kind and forgiving yet selfish and incredibly able and willing to stand their ground. they're determined to make their own choices even if to outsiders those choices seem incredibly poor.

they're subversive at every step and they feel so alive and vivid because of that. i love them. thank you bamsara

[blitzwhore]

Stolitz, and their fear of rejection and sense of worthlessness turning into a self-fulfilled prophecy.

Blitz—

Does anybody love you, Blitzo? / No.

Eventually everyone goes...

Stolas only cares about having a rugged peasant raw-dog him into his mattress. It's nothing... You know. It's nothing else.

I'm going to die alone, aren't I? Just a wrinkly, old, withered waste.

Royal demons don't give a shit about guys like us. They're all the fucking same.

Stolas, don't act like what we have is anything but you wanting me to fuck you. You make that really clear all the time.

But you don't want to do things alone, Blitzo.

I mean, Stolas is just a loud, thirsty bitch who loves feeling the thrill of being dicked by the lower class. It's a novelty to him.

And then he'll call me and try to see how my day was, and he'll pretend to care about me, and comment on my photos, and laugh at my jokes... /Oh well that's definitely your clue right there that it's all bullshit / I know, right?!

It's all my fault. I'd hate me too. I mean, I do hate—

You're going to die alone. You're gonna die alone, Blitzo.

[My worst fear has come true. He couldn't possibly want me. This has to be a joke. He's selfish and an asshole, just like the rest of them. He's trying to get rid of me; that's the only explanation. I'm just a broken toy he's finally gotten bored of, just like I knew would happen. He won't even fight for me, and why would he? I could never be good enough for him. It's happening again. I'm being abandoned by someone I care about. I really am going to die alone.]

Stolas—

Would he want me if he was free? And if he's only here as a prisoner, what kind of monster does that make me?

I mite b bsuy / I wouldn't want to bother you!

You see... I seem to have found myself with, um. Feelings for him. And I'm not sure if it's a mutual thing.

Dearest, I know better now, I must give you this choice.

I'll save us both before we grow cold.

What's between you and I? Just a comfortable lie.

I'm sorry it's a bad time yet again, Blitzy...

He deserves the choice to stay or go.

So I'll grant you this mercy, this bind on our souls needs to end...

Next time you come over, maybe we can talk about what happened at Ozzie's? / Y? / I'm sorry! Nevermind, it's not a big deal.

What's left for me and my broken heart if I cannot have you? Unless it's me, and no matter what in this world I could give, it's not enough to get through the walls you've conjured up to live...

I'll believe him, and not the voice that says I'm not enough.

I'll fucking die alone if this goes bad!

[My worst fear has come true. I truly am not worthy of being loved. He's rejecting me— no, mocking me for even thinking he could ever want to be with me if he didn't need my book. I've been taking advantage of him all this time, all the while believing we had something real and being naive enough to think he could love me back. I am a monster. And now that he can, he has chosen to leave me. So now the least I can do is quietly let him—the only person I have ever wanted and felt alive with—go. I really am going to die alone.]

[wooahaes]

god i rarely write chubby!reader fics because my fics by default dont include any (intentional) descriptors to paint reader as thin or fat or any race so that they're accessible for everyone. but i saw some absolutely rancid takes and i lowkey wanna write another multi-part chubby reader fic. i should finish some plans tbh

[honeytonedhottie]

honey's guide to winter⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❄️💕

winter is my SEASON. as a december baby and a certified winter princess im qualified to talk about to have the most princessy, sugary winter that you've ever had and were gonna explore just that in this post…💬🎀

WINTER BEAUTY ;

when i think of winter beauty i think of glittery, shimmery eyelids and frosty pink lips. glittery nails, long dolly lashes, and LOTS and lots of ribbons and furry accessories. winter beauty is about looking fabulously flushed from the cold, looking and feeling like a glittery winter fairy ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅💕

lets start off with the makeup. first and foremost wash ur face and prep ur skin cuz it makes ur makeup look 10x better…💬🎀

♡ prime and prep ur skin ♡ put on ur foundation

when putting on foundation it helps to apply the product onto the top of ur hand and apply with a brush for more coverage 💓🍨

♡ next, use some concealer as needed ♡ fill in ur brows

♡ now feel free to prep ur eye lids if u have some redness, but we're gonna go in with an icy eyeshadow. for this look lets do a light blueish grey tone and just put that all over our eyelid

♡ put a darker blue color on the outer corner of ur eyes, and very gently blend outwards towards ur brows as u see in the first photo above. then go in with an angelic light blue on the inner area of ur eyelid (not the inner corner) ♡ use a bit of eyeliner to make ur eyes stand-out

this makeup look is focused highly on the EYES and the lips so feel free to do ur face as u normally would, contouring, blush etc ❄️🍧

♡ go in with some GLITTERY eyeshadow to make ur eyes shine and you can NEVER have enough shimmer ♡ next put on some half lashes because they rly pull this look together and dont forget to apply mascara onto ur lower lashes to make ur eyes look fuller ♡ a little highlight under ur brows for that blingy 2000's look

now lets talk about how to do the PERFECT FROSTY LIP. u wanna start by outlining ur lips with a lip liner that is on the rosier side. nyx has a lot of good ones like that. go in with a baby pinkish or a light pink lipstick (i say both these things cuz you'll know what looks good on u) and finish off with a shimmery lipgloss

furthermore we need a yummy winter scent! invest in some yummy scents like…💬🎀

♡ soft, powdery scents

♡ warm cashmeres and cake scents

♡ the bath and body works snowflakes and cashmere scent specifically is so nostalgic to me

♡ frosty petal and berry scents

we should also be prepared to protect our gorgeous doll skin from the harsh winter weather so make sure that ur doing ur skincare accordingly! look for creamy, hydrating formulas and make sure to cleanse gently in little circles ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ after you've cleansed, use a nice rich serum to keep ur skin plump and hydrated and NOT dry.

another thing, chapped lips are a NO this winter so make sure that ur walking around with ur yummy chapstick to protect ur lips from the cold and keep them pillowy soft…💬🎀

♡ creamy lipglosses

♡ whipped soaps and body butters

WINTER ESSENTIALS ;

during the winter time, use a lotion that is on the thicker side because we should be moisturized all year round but ESPECIALLY in the winter. because its so cold, lean towards lotions that are thicker and creamier. also look out for lotions that have oils, or glycerin/sodium lactate (these are all humectants and they're FANTASTIC for hydrating ur skin).

♡ thick lotions, creams and body butters

♡ a christmas wishlist written in a pink glitter gel pen OR a fluffy pink pen

♡ chapstick and LOTS of shimmery lipgloss

♡ herbal teas and supplements

during the winter time, there we're exposed to reduced sunlight, and seasonal illnesses. and that not hot!! so make sure that ur taking supplements like vitamin D (cuz during the winter time, we tend to spend more time indoors and have less exposure to sunlight, which is crucial for vitamin D synthesis) ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ along with other things like zinc, elderberry, and other probiotics.

DISCLAIMER : its crucial for u to do ur own research when it comes to ur health so make sure that u do that before applying anything that u learn on the internet for ur own safety!…💬🎀

some teas that i recommend in the winter time is ginger tea, peppermint tea and lemon balm tea. i also rly love rosehip tea cuz it is SUCH a treat 💕

♡ hot chocolate with pink marshmallows and whipped cream

♡ a bouncy blowout

♡ big fluffy lashes

WINTER FASHION ;

winter is literally THEE season for over the top accessories like earmuffs and mittens. invest in some super cute fluffy earmuffs and gloves, fluffy boots and puffy coats with fur trimmed that are cinched at the waist to look like an adorable winter doll! mini skirts, tights and leg warmer combo is also very doll for the winter.

this winter we're giving the baby pink and white color scheme, with long silky hair, icy pink lips, victoria's secret pink perfumes and BODY GLITTER…💬🎀

on the winter wardrobe shopping list/checklist we have thick tights and stockings, thick comfy pajamas, a couple or more cute pairs of boots, a winter coat etc.

ribbons

legwarmers

thick tights

thick stockings

comfy pjs

boots

adorable winter coat

fur coat

some more things that are rly winter-esque in fashion are those fur coats. they're SO luxurious and so pretty + they keep u warm so they're an absolute STAPLE when it comes to winter fashion. look for things that are FUZZY cuz they rly radiate those amazing winter vibes.

WINTER MOOD BOARDS ;

PREPPING FOR WINTER ;

♡ buy some new body scrubs. because its so cold and we're usually covering up more during the winter months, its the perfect opportunity to work on and perfect ur body care routine so dont neglect that

♡ buy a nice fuzzy blanket or one of those heated blankets cuz shit gets cold, and we wanna stay as warm and toasty as possible 💕

[jelloapocalypse]

Hi! I guess it’s ask time? Just wanted to say I think you’re one of the funniest people on YouTube; I have a playlist called ‘Emergency Funny’ and like half of it is just your videos.

I’m wondering, when you’re cold-reading a line, like in those streams of voice acting a video game while playing it, what are the small details, if any, that you look to to figure out how to read the line? I’m continually amazed how you manage to have near perfect delivery while never having read the line before. Sorry if this is worded confusingly I legit don’t know how to phrase it

This was sent months ago, but it's actually a very good question and talking about this might help people who like to voice games on stream get better at doing that.

For context, this is about our "fully-voiced" game playthroughs where we cold read an entire video game out loud.

One small thing I try to do that helps is pressing the "advance dialogue button" when the person speaking is about 65-70% of the way through their line. That way, if the next line is from the same character the actor has a chance to read it smoothly as though the lines were not separated at all.

If it turns out to be a different actor's line, this gives the new actor more time to skim the words as well as extra time for them to realize they're about to be speaking so they don't get caught off guard.

Doing this is actually kind of hard because every actor we work with reads at a different pace and the person actually playing the game has to keep that in mind. Oz, Vixen, Arim, and I can sight read most lines almost instantly. I've seen Oz and Vixen in particular read entire text boxes that were only onscreen for a couple frames. But, obviously, not everyone is that fast, so everyone gets different "advance the dialogue" speeds.

Ideally, if a game is well-written and the characters you're playing have a strong voice, you'll slowly fade into the character as you read them. You begin to feel the things they're saying rather than just reading words on a page. Once you hit that flow state, it becomes easier to process what they might logically say next. If you notice one of us make 2-3 errors in the span of just a few lines, it means we're probably not in that flow state.

Some games are also much easier to scan than others, usually because of their character poses.

A game like In Stars and Time has such incredible character portraits that you can usually tell the tone of the accompanying line within a few frames of a portrait change.

Loop (above) is an extremely suspicious and weird character, but voicing them was so much fun because I could always rely on the portraits and the font changes in the text to give me direction on how to play them accurately, even though I didn't actually know what their deal was until about halfway through our playthrough.

Coffee Talk also has very strong portraits that react in real time to the lines of dialogue. The framing can push characters smaller or larger in focus depending on how upset or meek they are, so it's very easy to react on sight and adjust accordingly.

Every time a game developer takes the time to painstakingly add portraits that match every single line, every time they add SFX to accentuate certain words, every time a font wiggles to tell you someone is speaking in a sing-songy way, that's all direction that the game's creators are giving you.

Another thing that helps is just media literacy. I think everyone on the channel is pretty good at that because, speaking frankly, I don't like hanging out with people who have bad media literacy, lmao.

The more media you consume, the easier it becomes to know how a story is going to go. Even a really well-written mystery usually has only 3-5 real options for an ending, and while you're reading games aloud it's a good practice to consider all of them equally so your reads make sense no matter what. You'll notice it's pretty rare something takes us entirely by surprise in a read-through.

Also, of note, it's much easier to notice specific foreshadowing and word choice in dialogue when you're reading it aloud as opposed to silently skimming.

A solid example is our fully-voiced playthrough of Trails From Zero, which actually happened on SurpriseRoundRPG a few years back and not my own Twitch or YouTube.

Minor spoilers, but the character above, Ernest, has some antagonistic interactions with your main party over the course of this game. He wants Ellie, the white-haired party member, to quit the police force (that's your group) and go back to working with him in the Mayor's office.

When Arim played this game solo he didn't really think much of this guy. However, when he played the game for us and we read it out loud, having lines like the one pictured above spoken aloud makes it kind of impossible not to notice that this man is a freak. Mo, his VA, ended up playing him as a manosphere incel weirdo because that's the vibe he was putting out, and, lo and behold, that's pretty much exactly the character he turned out to be.

There's a running theme on our channel where commenters are often surprised to see the game "play into our bits" and how we "accidentally predict things".

What's really happening is the reverse.

It's very, very rare that we decide to make up a bit from absolutely nothing. It's not a hard and fast rule, but I find we only make jokes and play up aspects of characters based on things that are already there. Hence that one time in Miles is a Robot when I said something awful and sexual as Ray Shields, Oz groaned, and I said "Hey man, I'll give him a different joke when the game gives me somethin' else to work with!" I didn't choose to make Ray awful and sexual all the time. That's just how he is, so that's the well we pulled bits from.

Because we only extrapolate from existing content and our "silly" versions of the characters onscreen are just exaggerated versions of what's really there, whenever the game gives us more info about them, the new stuff tends to be very in-line with the bits we've already been doing. It's not us being psychic. It's us being consistent!

It also helps that almost all the regulars on my channel have done professional voice work and have been doing some version of this for literally 10+ years. Practice makes perfect!

[mochinomnoms]

I don't know if you've already answered this, but how would ptm go if Jade was the one reading Yuu's mind instead? Or if the ability switched over to him for some length of time, how would he use it?

I do have some ideas of how it can get switched over to other people in PTM, I just haven't decided how exactly. Though I have written two short drabbles about Riddle and Azul having Yuu's telepathy for a bit!

I think it would be funny if Jade somehow got their telepathy right around the time that Yuu is at the brink of insanity trying to figure out how to get Jade to confess to them (they can't comprehend doing it themselves, they chicken out).

Perhaps they unintentionally transfer their power one evening to Jade, after a study session, and when they wake up in the morning, they're panicking because they can't hear anyone's thoughts. Originally, this might have been a blessing, but they've gotten so used to it, it's been a habit to talk to their friends discreetly through it, and it's been their one-way ticket into Jade's heart! He might not have even liked them as much as he has without it (nevermind that his feelings were established well before their telepathy developed).

So they're walking around school, immensely distressed and getting spooky by everyone every minute. It's awful, Riddle tries to console them by telling them how much better it's going to be now that they don't have to deal with all of that extra stimulation feeding into their head.

When they talk to Azul about it later on, he surprisingly doesn't seem very surprised about it. He does advise that perhaps they limit their interactions with Jade, though he doesn't say exactly why. It makes sense to them though, they can't act accordingly to how Jade wants them, and if they start acting weird now it will ruin...whatever it is that the two of them have.

Of course, they both are in the same potionology group, so it's hard to avoid him. It's worse when Yev asks that the two of them go alone to the botanical gardens later to forage for some ingredients. You both show up separately, Yuu arriving before Jade.

They hate not being able to hear anyone, it would be so easy to sneak behind them. But really, they just are still distress about not being able to hear Jade.

Ugh, should I just be like super cool-faced? Will that throw him off? Maybe I should be cutesy? He likes cutesy, right? UGH! WHY DO I EVEN CARE NOW???

Yuu kicks at a rock in their path, huffing and stomping over to the magical herbs section.

I didn't even like him that much! Why do I even like him now? He thinks weird lewd thoughts about me and tries to get me alone with him to make them become real! That's weird! That should make me not like him, why do I feel the exact opposite!

They're so deep in their thoughts that they don't hear the footsteps behind them, though if Jade doesn't want to be noticed, then he won't.

Stupid! It's not fair, I want to kiss his stupid face and hold his stupid hand. Why can't he confess first? It's not fair, he's had feelings way longer than me! If he wants me, maybe he should initiate one of his stupid, lewd fantasies instead of just dreaming about it!

Yuu is well aware of the irony in their sentence, but they won't admit it. Not while they're pulling the vervian.

Hmph. My doesn't he take initiative, hmm? H-he's got that stupid long tongue, I've seen it! H-he can kiss me and m-make me all dizzy, a-and scrape those stupid teeth down my neck…Ja-Jade would be gentle…right? O-or maybe he'll be a little mean, and leave a mark as he goes further down and down and—

They choke on a scream as they feel a pair of hands grab them, one around their waist and another grasping their right hand.

“Oya~ You're quite the hypocrite, aren't you?”

Jade was purring in Yuu's ear, his breath fanning over their neck and making them shiver.

“J-Jade! What are you—”

“When I woke up this morning, I thought that perhaps I'd been cursed. It was like I was hearing everyone speak in layers, they'd say one thing, but mean another.”

A shuddering whimper left their mouth, their left hand clasping over, as Jade's lips pressed against the back of their ear.

“Huh? J-Jade this is really in—”

“Azul gave it away, of course. He's never been able to really hide his thoughts from Floyd and I. But add this sudden gift of, what do you call it...telepathy? And he's like a treasure chest that's been forced open and presenting me with a trove of knowledge.”

Yuu froze, icy cold fear coursing their veins as Jade's grip on them tightened. Like he knew that their flight response was gearing to go.

What. He's got—no, he doesn't—

“Yes, my pearl, it's exactly as you think!” Jade sighed, nuzzling into the side of Yuu's neck and inhaling at the bend of their neck, where their pulse was rapidly increasing. “I was surprised, hearing from Azul, that you'd been struggling with this all year. Even more when his mind slipped that you'd been particularly stressed because of me.”

Jade sighed, a sad and deep sigh as he pressed another kiss into their neck, using his nose to push their collar to the side and kiss their shoulder.

“Devastating, isn't it? To know that my beloved, my mate, my pearl was distressed because of me! Aaah, that knowledge just broke my heart...”

Oh. God. Oh god, oh godoh god—

Yuu swallowed, deciding to take a peak at Jade from the corner of their eyes, freezing as Jade's own bi-colored eyes bore into them, a smirk on his lips growing as soon as he noticed them looking.

“At least until I came in here, and heard those delicious thoughts of yours.”

A low chuckle left Jade as he scraped his teeth along Yuu's jaw.

“Would you like me to make the first move? Would you like to to, what was it you're imagining? Take my 'stupid long tongue' and make you 'dizzy with it?' That was it, yes?”

Jade's hand around their waist ghosted down, fingertips grazing down to rub and squeeze at their inner thigh.

“You wanted me to go, how did you imagine? Further down and down with my tongue until...well, you didn't finish that thought, did you? I interrupted you, so...why don't you tell me?”

I-I can't...

“Of course you can, I'm being quite vulnerable with you. Won't you do the same with me, my pearl? I beg.”

Jade's voice turned whiny, meek, pleading as he brought Yuu's hand up to press a kiss to their palm.

“J-Jade, I want you to-to—” Yuu whimpered, finally turning their head to look at Jade, who tilted his head in curiosity and delight.

“Yes?”

“C-can you kiss me? Please?”

His eyes softened, lips slightly opening as he let out a gentle breath.

“Oh, why, of course, my pearl.”

Who was he to deny them. Who am I to deny myself. He thought as he obliged to the simple request and fulfilled both of their wishes.

[stormz369]

☕💖 Can I Get Your Number? ☕💖 Ch 6

Jason Todd x (f)Chubby!Reader

written with a female reader in mind, first person pov, no use of Y/N, will probably get NSFW later, let me know if there's anything else I should tag this with!

warnings: tense conversation ahead, reader character has more loyalty than sense

word count: 1.8k

Chapter Selection

“Umm, why is Bruce Wayne requesting a table in your section?”

My head snapped up from the silverware I was rolling to meet Edna's eyes. “... Me?”

“Yeah, you! What's going on?” She leaned in conspiratorially; “you're not in any kind of trouble, are you?”

I laughed a bit awkwardly. “Not that I know of.”

“Hm… well, he's at table 6, so …” she waved me off.

I grabbed a pen and rushed over. Bruce Wayne was an imposing man up close. He looked a lot like Jason actually, and I had to remind myself that Jay was adopted. He followed me with his eyes as I approached; an intimidating, emotionless stare.

Before I could open my mouth, he spoke my name. Not a question, a matter of fact, as if we'd met before. “... Um … yes, sir. That’s me. … Can I get you started with anything?”

“Just a coffee please. And when you have a minute, get one for yourself and join me.”

I nodded slowly and went to tell the shift manager that I needed a quick break. The diner was practically empty at this time of night, so he gave me minimal shit for it, and I took the coffees back to the table. Mr. Wayne gestured for me to take a seat across from him.

 “… I'm sorry we're meeting this way, but it became … necessary.”

“... Necessary, sir?”

“Please, call me Bruce. … Um, yes; it seems my children have been a bit … overzealous in protecting their brother, and you are owed an apology.”

I blinked repeatedly. “... S- sorry?”

He sighed softly. “I believe you met Dick and Tim?” I nodded. “Dick informed me that you've been dating Jason, and … last night I discovered that Tim has taken it upon himself to run a background check on you.”

I blinked slowly. “Oh … Well, I guess that makes sense. Your family is well known, it's logical to want to know exactly who's getting close to you.”

Bruce stared at me, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly as I awkwardly sipped my coffee. “... You aren't upset?”

“I mean, it's definitely weird to hear, but I can't say I'm surprised. When I realized who I was talking to it did seem probable that something like this would eventually happen. … Anything interesting in the report?”

“... All pretty standard stuff. … It said you dropped out of college, may I ask why?”

I shrugged. “Life got in the way, and I didn't know for sure what I wanted to study. Couldn't justify the expense anymore if I didn't have a clear trajectory.”

“The Wayne Foundation has a higher education fund, I'm sure you would qualify for a scholarship.”

“That's kind of you, but once again - unsure what path to pursue. That money would be better spent on people who do know what they want from school.”

He observed me for a moment. “... Interesting. … Well, nevertheless; on behalf of my boys, I'd like to offer you our sincerest apologies. They know they've crossed the line, and have been reprimanded accordingly.”

“I … thank you, I guess? But I don't think I'm the one who needs the apology.”

“No? Your privacy was invaded.”

I shrugged. “They haven't bothered me since introducing me to Jay, which I already forgave them for because … well, it gave me Jay. But from what I've heard they've been doing more than the usual amount of protective-sibling stuff towards him, and he's getting frustrated about it. Seems like he's the one who'd want to know they're going to stop.”

Bruce nodded once, seeming to be deep in thought. “... Jason-”

“Wants to know what exactly you're doing here, Bruce.” I nearly jumped out of my skin. I hadn’t seen or heard him approach, but Jason was suddenly looming over the table, glowering at the man across from me.

“Jesus! … Jason, what the hell?” I cautiously reached for his hand, hoping to calm him down a bit.

His demeanor shifted entirely when he turned to face me. The sharp anger in his face slipped away as our eyes met, and the faintest hint of a smile slid across his lips. He gently stroked my knuckles with his thumb, turning fully toward me.

“Hey Doll~”Jason leaned over me, gently cupping my cheek with the tips of his fingers. “How’s my favorite girl?”

I blushed bright red, unable to stop the grin that spread across my face. No one had ever been so openly affectionate with me in public before, and while we had made some progress in the casual touching department, this was the first time he'd touched my face. I could feel Bruce's eyes on us, but mine were transfixed by the look on Jason's face. There was something in his eyes I'd never seen before; he looked focused and determined, but for the life of me I couldn't guess what he was determined about.

“I … I'm good. … What are you doing here?”

“Just taking out some trash, darling.” He smirked a bit.

“Jason, really, I wish you would calm down.” Bruce's sharp stare was trained firmly on the back of Jason's head. “Dick said you've been dating this nice girl for months, so I wanted to meet her. If you aren't going to tell me these things yourself, and you clearly aren't going to bring her by the manor, you can't be surprised when I eventually take matters into my own hands.”

“Don’t you know better than to harass pretty girls at work, Bruce? Someone should have taught you better.” 

The atmosphere had been tense in the first place, but now it was frigid. I gently squeezed Jason's hand, frowning. “Honey, that was uncalled for. He's not harassing me, he just came to apologize for your brothers.”

Jason growled a bit; “They have mouths, they can apologize for themselves.”

I sighed softly, gently cupping his hand on my cheek. “Jay, … why don't you take a seat at that table,” I pointed to one a little bit away; “and when my shift is over we'll go home.”

He frowned; “no, I'm staying right here.”

“Jason, you're going to get me fired if you keep bothering the customers, which is exactly what Bruce is right now.”

“You don't need this job, I'll-”

“I'm gonna stop you right there. This is not 50 Shades of Gotham, you are not my sugar daddy, and we are not married. You are not going to be paying my rent any time soon. If you want to watch over me you can take a seat. Otherwise I can give you my keys and you can wait for me at my place, or you can find somewhere else to be for now and I'll call you when I get off.”

A look of annoyance flashed across his face, and for a moment the green flecks in his eyes seemed more prominent than usual. “... If he says or does anything you don't like…”

“You'll be my knight in shining … denim. I know~” I turned my head a bit to kiss his palm. “Go on, now~ I'll come over as soon as I can.”

Slowly, he stepped back, letting his hand drop to his side. Glaring at Bruce the whole way, he took a seat at a nearby table, and Edna went over to take his order. Bruce looked me over, a curious expression on his face.

“... That was … interesting.” He mused, sipping his coffee.

“I’m sure he didn't mean what he said. He gets a bit defensive when Dick and Tim bother him about us too, but once he's had a minute to process he always realizes they're just trying to be brotherly … in a weird, slightly overbearing way.”

“Oh, that was all par for the course. No, what's interesting is how readily he backed down. It usually takes him hours to calm down enough to be rational when he's upset with one of us. …”

I clenched my jaw. Jason hadn't told me much about his family, but I knew they had a tense relationship, and I felt like I was starting to see why. “... It probably helps that I'm not treating him like he's being irrational. I don't know the full story, but I do know that something in his life taught him that you showing up here is a threat of some kind. A threat he felt he had to come here to protect me from. And while I'm sure that’s not what you mean by it, I also know that telling him he's wrong won't solve anything. He doesn't trust based on words, he trusts based on actions. I don't know what actions of yours have taught him this about you, but here we are. So if playing the protective boyfriend role helps him to feel safe, I'm not going to belittle him for that. And if you are, then I don't think we have anything else to say to each other… Sir.”

Bruce watched me through my whole rant, a detached look on his face almost like he was gathering evidence. It would be unsettling if I wasn't already seething inside. After a moment he smiled softly, finishing his coffee.

“... I'm glad he found you.”

“... You're … glad?” I blinked slowly. After all I just said, I hadn't expected to hear that…

“Yes. I think you'll be good for him… I do hope you'll consider coming to the manor for dinner one of these days; I know the boys met you briefly, but the others are curious as well. Particularly since Damian spoke so highly of you.”

“... He did?”

Bruce nodded. “... In his way. He said you strike a fair bargain.”

“I see … Well, meeting everyone will depend mostly on Jason. I'm not opposed, but I'm also not going to push him. You shouldn't either.”

“... Damian was right.” Bruce smiled a little, sliding a business card across the table to me. “Please do call if I can do anything for you, or for Jason. He … he doesn't reach out to us very often, even when he probably should. … I worry.”

I took the card, nodding slowly. This was definitely the weirdest interaction I'd ever had in my entire life. “... Alright. I'll do that.”

Bruce dropped far more money on the table than was necessary for two coffees -for a moment I wondered if he even knew how much two coffees cost- and made his way to the door. In the next instant, Jason was crouching next to the table beside me.

“Babe?” He frowned, looking at the card in my hand. “… He gave you his personal line. … What did he say?”

“... Apparently Damian likes me?”

He chuckled a bit breathlessly. “... Of course the demon child likes you… what else?”

I stood, pocketing the card. “... My shift is over in an hour. Do you want to wait for me? We'll talk after.”

He groaned softly; “you’re really gonna make me wait?”

“We'll get those doughnuts you like on the way home.” I gently squeezed his hand. He sighed softly, but smiled, lifting my hand to his lips.

“You’re torturing me, Doll…”

Next ->

Divider by: @saradika 

Taglist (open):

@jawdropforkpop @krys0210 @snowy-violet @superthoughts @wordsfromshona @mystic60 @iwannabealocalcryptid @morstuavitamea-a

(if you are in the taglist and are not getting notifications, please let me know - some of the tags keep looking different from the others and I'm not sure if it's affecting anything ... 🤔)

[aettuddae]

business matter — chapter 119.

↳ synopsis: two of the most important kpop companies covet a partnership with a huge global brand, only to be surprised when the deal is extended to both labels. fearing potential sabotage and cynical strategies to secure exclusivity for just one of them, both CEOs resort to desperate measures. in a bid to maintain trust and prevent betrayal before the signing, they come up with a pact: forcing a fake relationship between the leaders of their star girlgroups. if one side attempted to fail the other, they threaten to expose it all to the conservative south korea.

masterlist | prev | next

[half written chapter]

"the netizens are destroying you." commented yujin as her eyes scanned her phone screen while her finger scrolled down through her socials.

"i know, you've been saying the same thing every time you go on twitter." grumbled serim before taking a swig from her water bottle.

"how could you post a picture of a cigarette?" exclaimed chaeyoung in exasperation from the armchair the group had in their practice room.

"i already answered you that every time yujin reminded me that i'm being destroyed online." the leader gave a frustrated sigh.

"it's worrisome, let us react accordingly." minnie approached jang with her backpack hanging from her shoulder and the one that belonged to her bandmate in her hand. "you know how they are in olympia, if the press keeps this up, they're going to put you on hiatus." she threw the belongings at her.

"they're not going to put me on hiatus." serim grabbed her bag and stood up, following the thai who led the group towards the door to leave after finishing practice. "we are at the peak of our success."

"exactly! so knetz are more on us than ever!" complained yujin, smacking her on the back of the head. "you shouldn't be doing anything that ruins our image."

"but it's just a picture of a cigarette!" the attacked one fluttered her arms through the air reason of her despair. "many celebrities are public smokers." she reminded lowering her tone of voice.

"but you're a woman." minnie grabbed the door handle and without taking her eyes off serim, opened it. "and anything you do is much more controversial."

"what did you do?" an intrusive voice came from behind the singer causing all the HeAVEN members to jump and scream from the sudden fright.

"holy shit, jimin!" shrieked an annoyed serim covering her face with her hands. "what a scare." she muttered uncovering her features and looking angrily at the girl who had personified herself behind the door and was smiling innocently back at her.

"we all see her, don't we?" questioned yves as the members began to approach one another until they accumulated and piled up against each other.

"blink twice if you are real and not a figment of our imagination." yujin ordered the newcomer.

jimin, standing in the hallway of olympia entertainment's building, at the entrance to the group's practice room, looked at them in bewilderment, not understanding why they were reacting so astonished. with the same silly -or awkward- smile she'd had since she arrived, she listened and blinked twice, which elicited groans and surprise from the others.

okay... she wasn't welcome. good to know.

"i can't believe it." chaeyoung straightened up, separating herself from the human mass they had formed, dropping her arms in frustration. "i'm going to lock myself in the bathroom, let me know when she leaves." she walked toward it with a slumped posture.

"i see you are all very fond of me." observed the girl.

"go!" the maknae called out, extending the vowel and raising her hand to point toward the exit.

"i'll go." she reassured.

"awesome!" celebrated minnie.

"but with serim." she added.

"oh no." sooyoung shook her head in disgust at the idea.

"did you come to kidnap me?" questioned jang with a horrified expression.

"it's not kidnapping if you come with me voluntarily." she cocked her head, giving her a look of obviousness.

"but i don't want to go with you voluntarily." the older refused.

"namu, come here." she took a few steps towards her taking her wrist and leading her out.

"she's kidnapping me." warned serim to her mates as she walked behind the blackhaired.

"it's not like you're resisting." contradicted yves with a disappointed expression on her face before the door closed behind serim.

"what do you want?" the older one queried once they were alone in the hall, crossing her arms and furrowing her brows as she watched jimin.

"to take you home." she replied simply and somewhat tenderly, she was terrified of a possible negative reaction, but she couldn't not find her angry attitude adorable.

"you depraved woman!" she exclaimed offended, pulling away from her a bit.

"no, wait." interrupted the younger girl awkwardly. "not to my house." she clarified. "i came to take you to your house." explained.

"what for?" she looked at her sideways.

"i decided that i'm going to come get you from work and drive you to your place like you did all this time for me." she revealed. "i'm trying to start over, to make you fall in love with me the right way."

"jimin," she dropped her head, tired.

"no, listen to me." she stopped her. "let me try, i want to make things right." she fought back.

"no, jimin, i was going to say you don't have a car and you don't know how to drive, what do you mean you're coming to get me every day?" she exposed.

"i extorted my manager to drive me here every day-" she spoke very fast, knowing that what she had done was morally wrong so she wanted to defend herself as soon as possible, preventing serim from judging her.

"are you trying to get me back by extorting people?" she shouted.

"she what?" minnie was heard startled from inside the room.

"since when are you an honorable person?" pointed karina incredulously.

"oh, and now you're trying to win me back by calling me a bad person." she couldn't believe it.

"that's not what i mean!" she tried to fix the situation, stressed. "you stole my wallet!"

"that was months ago!" she put her hands on both sides of her waist. "and i gave it back to you!"

"well, i'm extorting a person for a good cause." she argued.

"it's for a whim." she dismissed.

"you are not a whim." her tone turned serious and the lively expression on her face turned into a sad one, following serim's every move with her eyes wide and bright, as if she were a child about to cry. "you matter to me and i genuinely want to make things right with you."

serim faced her, turning her body fully in her direction. she scanned the opposite calmly, silently, if you concentrated on her eyes you could see the thread of thoughts weaving behind them, contemplating how she should act. the younger girl looked pleading, aware of possible rejection, but with some hope within the brown of her pupils.

"listen." she broke the silence.

"yes, my namu?" her eyebrows raised in amusement, sensing in her manner of speaking something good.

"no, listen to me." the woman repeated coolly, causing jimin to return to seriousness and nod her head. "i'll go with you." she agreed, to which the blackhaired began to jump and squeal in celebration. "stop it." she held her still by placing her hands on her shoulders and applying pressure. "just for today." she clarified.

"i'll convince you tomorrow too." she warned confidently.

"we'll see." jang murmured.

"namu." karina called.

"what do you want now?"

"are we about to kiss?" she narrowed her eyes as she groped the situation, referring to the closeness between them and the hold serim still had on her body.

"you should stop talking before i change my mind." she advised, abruptly removing her touch from her and approaching the door to open it. "i have a kidnapping to attend, see you later." she informed her bandmates.

"you used to be a respectable woman." yves judged her.

"slut!" added chaeyoung.

(!)

— taglist [CLOSED]: @yoontoonwhs @cwpiqwon @aliceiwk @xen248 @gtfoiydlyj @rinapomu @aeriuchinarga @multiliker @somedaydream @impossiblesharkcashrebel @yjiminswallet @nwjnsloona @yerimbrit @73vyn @dni-unavailable @yizhuobberi @sewiouslyz @yeetaberry127 @masuowo @yallatalla @aerithykly @chaenniefirst @minfolio @starrynini05 @hotluvlet @wmnrhot @mineige @lisaswifey @brocoliisscared @fae-the-wanderer

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

Wrapped up in you

Written for the @steddieholidaydrabbles, day 3

Prompt: Jacket

Rated: T

Tags: Omegaverse; Omega!Eddie; Alpha!Steve; Alpha!Jason; Jason Carver being an asshole; Courting; Clothes swapping; Protective Steve; Possessive Steve

Notes: Set in the same universe as Whatever you want it to be, pretty soon after the original story (before they learn of Eddie’s pregnancy)

Eddie isn't sure what drove him. He never thought he’d be one of those omegas who wear their alpha’s clothes in public. 

What normal, self-respecting person would strut around in shirts and sweaters twice their size or, even worse, those sweaty varsity jackets with some random alpha’s name on them? Like a green-and-gold billboard sign announcing to everyone that you had been claimed like a piece of property. It was fucking ridiculous. 

That was before, of course. Before Steve Harrington came along - he of the bright, boyish smiles and the lame, dorky jokes and addictive summer forest scent - and casually flipped Eddie’s world upside down. 

So what if he wears Steve’s jacket to school? Nobody knows they're courting. Hell, nobody even knows Eddie's an omega, apart from the teachers and, lately, some nosy basketball players who'll keep their fucking mouths shut if they know what's good for them. People will probably think he's making a fashion statement, especially with the fuckton of pins and patches and chains he's added to the jacket. (Just because he wants to drown himself in its scent doesn't make the thing any less hideous, okay?)  

It goes well for the majority of the day. People gawk in the hallways, a chorus of confused murmurs follows him, and Mike Wheeler stares so hard he doesn't look where he's going and almost walks into a locker. Eddie’s having a great time. 

Until he's walking back to his van after classes. The sour smell of angry alpha hits him before he even hears footsteps, which is probably why he manages to evade the hand grabbing for his elbow. 

“Carver,” he bellows, baring his teeth into something that is more snarl than smile, even as every instinct screams to cower, run away, roll over and beg for mercy. “Fancy-” 

“Cut it, Munson,” Carver's voice vibrates with a barely concealed growl. “What do you think you're doing?” 

His two pet goons, trailing behind him as usual, grunt their agreement. 

Eddie smiles, wondering if he should make a dash for it. His van is only a few yards away, and he's fast, but is he fast enough to outrun three of them? It's not an experiment he's eager to try, seeing how their last run-in ended with him bound, gagged and drugged on the floor of the locker room. 

“Well,” he says, because for as long as he's talking, he can keep them distracted. “What I'm trying to do is get to my car and enjoy my well-deserved free time in the comfort of my home. What I'm doing, unfortunately, is talk to you. Which, I'm sure, neither of us is particularly enjoying, so why don't we-” 

Carver has him by the lapels before Eddie realizes he's moved. Okay, so much for running, then. 

“Listen,” he snarls. His breath is hot and moist on Eddie’s face, lips peeled back to reveal his canines. His scent spikes, cloying and thick like rusty metal. Eddie’s stomach twists. “I don't know what's going on with you and Harrington, but he isn't here right now, and if you think you can-” 

The Beemer comes out of nowhere. One second, the parking lot is empty - the next, tires screech and brakes crunch, and Carver’s friends jump out of the way with panicked shouts. Eddie’s surprised at the lack of flaming tire trails, to be honest.

“Oh, there he is,” he cheers as the driver door flies open and another body shoves itself in front of him, forcing Carver to release his hold. “Steve, we were just talking about you.” 

“What do you want, Harrington?” Carver asks, but there's an uneasy quiver in his voice. Eddie supposes his scent will have shifted accordingly, but he can't be sure. All of his senses have honed in on Steve. 

Steve, who's positioned himself before him like a human shield. Whose scent is so overwhelmingly furious he's surprised Carver doesn't cave before him. Which, paradoxically, is just about the sexiest thing Eddie has smelled in his life. Earthy and intense and warm. Protective. 

“I could ask you the same thing, Carver,” Steve rumbles, and Eddie bites his own lip to keep in the embarrassing noise that threatens to bubble out. “Shouldn't you be at training? Or are you still taking it slow? That bruise looks nasty.” 

Carver flinches, hand touching the fading bruise on his nose. The bruise Steve put there. 

“Would be a shame,” Steve says. “If you got injured again before it's even healed.” 

Carver growls, body curling as if to lunge - and then he steps back. 

“C'mon,” he tells his goons, measuring both Eddie and Steve with a disgusted look. “I don't have time for this.” 

Steve watches them disappear behind the buildings at the edge of the parking lot. 

“Okayyy,” Eddie says when the silence drags on. “Not to sound ungrateful, but what are you doing here? Don't you- whoa, big boy!” 

Steve has just whirled and pulled him flush against himself, chin slotting into the crook of Eddie’s neck and shoulder. 

“Why are you wearing this?” he asks, fingers sliding under the jacket. “You need to be less obvious if you want to keep this secret.” 

Eddie cackles. “Says the one who's rubbing himself all over me? Talk about double standards.”

“Let me,” Steve growls, sealing his lips over the gland on Eddie’s neck, and the laugh turns into a weak moan. “Need to get that asshole's scent off you.” 

“Jesus, Harrington,” Eddie says, rolling his eyes and tilting his head for better access. “Tear off my clothes and establish dominance like some sort of caveman, why don't you?” 

Steve's head snaps up. His irises are thin rings of gold, almost swallowed by his pupils. 

They share a look. 

“Van?” Eddie breathes. 

Steve grins. 

“Yup,” he agrees, grabbing Eddie by the hand to drag him along. “The jacket stays on, though.” 

Ugly as the thing is, Eddie thinks he'll need to wear it more often. 

More holiday drabbles

[writingquestionsanswered]

IDK how many people are running the account, but if you or a member of the team running the account has ADHD, do you have any tips for ADHD writers, particularly when trying to get WIPs done? Outlines don't work for me like 99% of the time ;_;

Tips for Writing with ADHD

Here's what works for me, but your mileage may vary...

1 - Know What Outline Works for You - You say outlines don't work for you 90% of the time, but what type of outline are you using? Many people hear the word "outline" and imagine an academic outline with roman numerals and bullet points, but that's not what most fiction writers mean when they talk about using an outline. For fiction writers, outlines can be anything from a beginning to end written summary, to a scene list, to a detailed timeline. My post How to Outline a Plot has some different things you can try. Ultimately, there's no right or wrong way to outline your story. Anything that works as a "road map" to guide you through your story can help.

2 - Pants When You've Got to Pants - Some writers are "pantsers" or in other words, they prefer not to go off an outline. Some don't even plan in advance. They "write by the seat of their pants" and let the story take them where it may. For some writers, it depends on the specific story they're working on. Some stories might require planning, others might work better if you pants them. What works for me is understanding my needs (what type of story I'll usually need to plan/outline ahead of time, and what type of story I can pants) and then planning/pantsing accordingly. If I spent time outlining a story that I could easily pants, it would definitely take the wind out of my writing sails.

3 - Schedule Your Writing Time... Sort Of... - For me, I can't just rely on myself to write when the mood strikes me. If I did that, I'd never get any writing done. So for me, it's important to have a dedicated writing time each day. That doesn't even have to mean my butt's in the chair writing from this time to this time, it just means I'll do my best to write during whatever span of time. So, let's say this week you're home every day from 2pm until 6pm and some of that time is free time. That's going to be a good time to write, so you could say you're going to sit down every day at 3pm to write. Or, you could do 10-minute writing springs every hour, or every other hour. Or you could say you'll write when the mood strikes you, but definitely from 5:30 to 6 if you didn't get it done earlier.

4 - Try Random Writing Sprints - Writing sprints in general can be a good way for people with ADHD to write. You can schedule them or you could do them when the mood strikes. Get a timer and set it to whatever works for you... 5-minutes, 10-minutes, 30-minutes, whatever. Then just set it and go when you have time. Even if you don't feel like writing, getting into that habit will make it easier to write as soon as the timer comes out.

5 - Don't Give Yourself a Hard Time - One of the most profound things I ever heard about writing resistance is that it's often the product of writing feeling stressful. In other words, the idea of writing causes you stress, so your brain says, "Avoid! Avoid!" and you sit down to write and nothing happens. One of the ways we make writing stressful for ourselves is by giving ourselves a hard time when we don't write or don't write as much as we wanted. So, just do the best you can and congratulate yourself on small victories. Find ways to make writing fun and relaxing rather than stressful and like a chore.

Bonus - Sometimes the problem isn't ADHD but something else. My post 5 Reasons You Lost Interest in Your WIP, Plus Fixes! has some other things to consider.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[adventures-in-a-world-of-fiction]

There's a joke in The Good Place that was clearly written by someone who's never had to rely on public transport. When they're in the train station in the Bad Place, there's an announcement about how all the trains are three hours delayed, like they are every day.

But that's not the worst way for public transport to be. If all the trains are 3 hours delayed, you catch the train that was supposed to leave 3 hours earlier. Or if they're consistently delayed every single day, then you treat the delay as the new timetable and plan accordingly.

No, the worst thing is inconsistent delays. The bus/train is late almost every day, but you still have to be there on time because once in a while it shows up exactly on time and murphy's law means that if you're running late one day, that will be the day it's on time. Or the train before they one you wanted left exactly on time so you've missed it, but then the one you wanted is cancelled and the one after it is almost an hour late.

The train might be two minutes late, or twenty, or forty. And then once in a while, there will be an incident on the line and all the trains are stopped and you have no idea how long it's going to take before things start moving again, and this happens just rarely enough that you haven't got a plan for how to deal with it.

If all the trains are always three hours late, you adapt to that. If you have no idea how long the delay is going to be, that's torture.

My headcanon for this is that it's the demons in the Bad Place who are incompetent and not understanding how to really make public transport terrible.

[octosan]

I've seen the take that Veilguard's lore handling is the way that it is because it was largely worked on by a team that isn't familiar with Dragon Age, and I... don't know about that.

Like it's kind of funny in retrospect, but

For all the mistakes the Vows and Vengeance podcast made, that show felt more to me like an example of a story trying to incorporate relevant Dragon Age lore, but being written by people who weren't well-versed in it.

They had Tevinter class divide and bureaucratic apathy as a major plot point that affected the main character's life. They had Solas employing middlemen and tricking characters to get some of his work done instead of doing everything himself. They had multiple references to the faiths of the setting, including Davrin referencing worship practices in Dalish culture (they even used the term The Beyond, the Dalish term for the Fade that even Inquisition kind of forgot was a thing even if it was not the Dalish character using it.) They had a cult other than the Venatori as an antagonist at one point. They had an instance of racially charged conflict between Bellara, an elven Veil Jumper, and a Tevinter templar, that originates from the templars looting elven artifacts (something that is implied to happen often.) They at least tried to depict an example of regular Qunari culture in the village in Par Vollen that the protagonists wind up in briefly. They had Lucanis, a Crow, actually carry out an assassination of a non-combatant character. They had multiple demons playing mind games with the characters trying to get their bodies as hosts, in addition to a demon that just rampaged, and even referenced despair demons being ice-coded. They depicted the Fade as a chaotic and emotionally-driven realm, with spirits and demons everywhere--and fittingly Arlathan, a forest with a lot of influence from the Fade, was itself a dangerously chaotic and shifting place. Bellara explains what Veil Jumping entails and actually veil-jumps (and it's accordingly treated like a big deal for the characters). They reference Genitivi and Varric as prominent authors in the world-building. They had grenades. They even brought back the idea of being "Fade touched" with Drayden. They had asfkdksadfgkb HAD A MABARI.

Also the podcast wasn't constantly reassuring you, patting you on the back, and repeating information to you every second so that's nice.

I thought most of the companions came off better here too, with the idea that this is just supposed to be a snapshot of them. I remember enjoying their inclusion the most and trying to speculate what traits and flaws were on display that might get expanded on in the game (for example Emmrich's attitude of trying to "parent" a demon failing spectacularly, or Davrin being depicted as actually taking his clan's faiths seriously despite not being among them anymore.) Taash not realizing they're nonbinary until long after meeting Drayden, who had their own personal issues with their family about their identity, feels like some kind of missed opportunity though (I mean realistically the podcast was just supposed to advertise the game so I know why this is, but still.)

idk if this is a hot take. like imo the podcast wasn't "good" good and again there were clear mistakes in the lore, a lot of the stuff set in Antiva for example, like it was messy. But I had more of a sense that these were people new to the setting but trying than I did with Veilguard.

Idk to me the problem was less that the writers in Veilguard didn't know anything about Dragon Age and more that it was an extremely sanitized and simplified version of the lore, one that couldn't even take into account the world-changing decisions you made in previous games. With a helping of things being shoved under the rug to avoid Discourse. Like it felt more intentional to me, for the most part. And then you have all the visual errors that come from just reusing assets which is an RPG staple at this point (someone pointed out that the Chantry symbols in Minrathous are wrong, for example.)

[genderqueerdykes]

hi hope you're well !! um so I was thinking, perisex people aren't really ?? assigned anything, are they ?? like afab / amab, they're obviously intersex terms that've been taken and continuously misused, I know that. But it got me thinking that like, when you're born and a doctor " assigns " you a gender, if you're perisex they're more of js observing what you are and adding that to your birth certificate, it's not assigning you one gender or the other it's just .. giving you Male or Female based on you physically ?? so, I as a perisex person, was not AFAB or AMAB, I was js .. observed and written accordingly .. ?

whereas intersex people are assigned one or the other, because they don't fit one or the other clearly, and have to actively be assigned one ?? am I understanding this right ?? I'm trying to like, unlearn and relearn lots of stuff rn lol, so js asking for clarification on this ..

good question. everyone is assigned a gender at birth, it's not just intersex people. perisex people would not have a gender marker if that were not the case. no matter if you're perisex or intersex, you're still forced to be assigned male or female at birth. i would say that there's not really a lot of difference between the two experiences, especially considering that a baby can be born looking perisex, but then grow up to develop intersex conditions down the road.

we're all assigned a gender at birth and that's the core issue. it's an assumption made by a doctor. if we weren't assigned genders at birth, our medical records would read something to the effect of instead of saying female, saying things like "has a vagina and uterus" or instead of saying male "has a penis and testes", or whatever. there would be transparency about that person's actual situation instead of obscuring it behind an arbitrary assigned gender

plus, perisex trans people still fit into and benefit from this term because they were assigned a gender at birth but it doesn't mean it lines up with theirs. i hope that makes some sense- while this definitely affects intersex people in a very bad way, it affects us all. perisex trans people are heavily affected by this, and even some cishet people are. it's a practice that needs to be removed altogether given how strongly it affects us all

i hope that makes some sense! take care

[ckret2]

Basically a scene where Ford's emotional atrophy is shown by not recognizing that Bill is showing his vulnerable side or dismissing it as Bill manipulating him, but also a scene where he realizes how broken Bill is regarding the massacre, his self-deception saying that his dimension is fine as himself, but more so Bill's self-perception as a monster for having destroyed Euclydia

I got nine asks one after another just a few minutes apart, so I'm assuming they're from the same person and answering them accordingly.

I don't think Ford has "emotional atrophy."

And I already have significant plans in place for exploring Ford & Bill's trust/trustworthiness issues, and Ford finding out about Bill's emotional relationship to his dimension.

Ford will tell Mabel at some point, when Bill showed him the last particle of Euclydia (I know that's not the case in this masterpiece), and it ends with Mabel going to hug Bill and telling him why.

This is a canon-compatible fic, including TBOB. Anything that doesn't currently appear to be canon-compatible was written & posted before TBOB came out and is still in the process of being updated.

But even at that, I think the only thing that implies Bill might not have shown Ford the particle is simply that it hasn't been mentioned. That can be fixed with one sentence during revisions.

Yes, Bill did show Ford the last particle of Euclydia in this fic. That's still canon.

At any rate—Ford may not like Bill, but he's not the kind of person to be an asshole just to be an asshole, and telling someone else about the particle would be an asshole move. That moment was deeply private.

Ford says in J3 he spent part of his portal era trying to find out where Bill is from; this means he must have decided "a monster ate it" is either a lie or an incomplete story. Whether or not he saw Euclydia's particle, he believes he doesn't really know what happened to Bill's dimension—which is what he's currently told Mabel—and which is all he's going to tell Mabel.

Bill's perfectly capable of telling Mabel about his home dimension of his own volition, just like he did in ch 52-56.

And that's as it should be. Bill telling Mabel about his secret particle is an act of trust. Ford telling Mabel about Bill's secret particle is a violation of trust.

This is a redemption fic, after all, and forcing Bill to be vulnerable by ripping his secrets out of him and smearing them around town against his will won't help him.

You know what will help him? Getting him to a point where he feels safe sharing his secrets.

In the case of Euclid's design, you have not considered that it is a triangle with a hexagon inside its body, as if the tips of its body were in sections with smaller equilateral triangles, and that the bases that give to the rest of the body adding to the sides form a hexagon.

You say that like it's a fact? It's not a fact.

His design doesn't involve hexagons and I'm not going to incorporate hexagons.

I gave him bricks because his son has bricks and I want them to look like they're related. The bricks are at an angle because I headcanon he has a twin brother and the pattern continues across both their bodies if their sides are pressed together.

Now, I don't particularly like how it looks, which is why I might change it, but "looks like he's related to Bill" and "looks like he's 1/2 of a pair with his brother" remain my objectives in figuring out his design. I'm not just gonna make something up that doesn't line up with those goals.

I will admit that I miss the axolotl since his arc ended, so you can have something about him in the future, like him visiting Mabel through the dream plane just to give her pictures of baby Bill, and tell her that Bill didn't know how to tie his shoes until his teenage years or other embarrassing details that Bill wouldn't want anyone to know.

I have plans for the Axolotl.

Unless plans significantly change, I don't intend for him to swing by Earth again just to hang out and gossip. It robs him of his mystique. Whenever he shows up, it's because he has a purpose.

He's still Bill's lawyer. Bill broke out of Theraprism. That's the sort of thing Bill's lawyer might need to deal with. That's the focus of the Axolotl's engagement in the plot: representing/protecting Bill on a cosmic level, and delving into related themes of justice & punishment & second chances.

The Axolotl barely knew Bill until after the Euclidean massacre; he doesn't have Bill's baby pictures or know when he learned to tie his shoelaces.

Since Dipper's the one who met the Axolotl earlier in the fic and Dipper's the one who's become preoccupied with the Axolotl's poem, Dipper's the one the Ax will speak with again. It's one of his character arcs.

One way to excuse the USB, would be that they have had many incidents of not only losing the USB, but the animals always end up eating it, enough so that making USBs resistant to stomach acid especially for goats is actually a route to the destination of taxpayers' money.

As I've said, I'm deliberately not seeking an explanation for the flash drive because there's no explanation that would be as true to the show's spirit as simply not explaining it would be.

I think I'm stupid, exactly what information did Bill not want to tell Ford about the portal, was it that Bill was the same, was it the nightmare realm or something else?

Bill didn't tell Ford the thing he didn't want to tell him about the portal, and Bill hasn't thought about it while we've been in his POV since then. This is what we in the writing biz call "a mystery."

Now that the Axolotl arc is over, it's possible some people might be able to figure out what Bill didn't want to tell Ford, although I don't expect it from more than one or two readers. But if you haven't figured it out based on the Ax arc? Then the reason you don't know the info is because you haven't been told the info. You'll find out when the story tells you.

If you could have decided what Bill's phobias would be, what would they be? Of the canonical ones, only TV static is good because that's how his blood looks, and that this fear comes from the massacre or naturally from Bill's discomfort at always seeing the inside of everyone in Euclidean (possibly including himself).

tbh I wouldn't have given him phobias? Not everyone reacts to trauma by specifically developing phobias.

Bill's psychological self-care might be shit, but if he got messed up by something during the massacre so badly that it turned into a phobia, then a trillion years later he either would've encountered the trigger so many times he's become numb to it, or else the trigger would be something so obscure that there's no way he'd just randomly stumble on it where we the audience can see.

Like, in fic I give him an extreme revulsion to having hair; but within a few weeks he's made major progress in training himself out of it.

I don't think the sight of something he's seen on every single person around him everywhere he goes ever since he was born would make him feel disgust. He probably struggles to picture his people without seeing their insides. He may well have a reaction to the sight of gored Euclidean bodies—but from his POV, normal healthy bodies with every organ where it should be are simply what normal Euclideans look like to him.

In the B&N deluxe version of TBOB, he says he hears voices in TV static and a hidden code on the page says "he never sleeps he never dreams but somehow still he hears their screams." I assume that's the reason he has a phobia of TV static.

[falling-star-cygnus]

the day i stop projecting onto Alhaitham is the day i have deleted my platform

i really like the way some characters are typed more than i like the way they're commonly written, so i retrained my hand to write them differently -> i.e.: my twos in kindergarten to be the loopy ones, my a's in freshman year to be the typed vers., and currently my g's into being book g's [and briefly my sevens to have the line in the center, but that didn't stick]

Alhaitham is a linguist, you cannot convince me that he doesn't have at least some interest in the way the letters are shaped- especially considering he knows at minimum 20 languages

[Kaveh is in Alhaitham's office, having 'forgotten' his keys. It's too hot outside to wait outside the door]Kaveh, leering over his shoulder: Hold on a moment- since when do you write like that? Alhaitham: I've always written like this. Kaveh: No- no, i've known you since you were tiny. You changed it! Alhaitham, rubbing his eyes: Kaveh- [Kaveh leans to jab accusingly at a 'g'] Kaveh: There! Alhaitham: Oh, so that's what you meant. I just thought it looked nice in my books. So I changed accordingly. Kaveh: Why-!?

Cyno and Tighnari are far more normal about it. i mean, they shoot him questioning looks and make him to write down all the characters he changed- but they don't like interrogate him about it

Tighnari: How do you even- write a.. 'book g'? What is that? Alhaitham: The official name for it is called a 'looptail g', here- [He 'steals' a pen from Kaveh and settles down a piece of paper, quickly inking the process] Cyno: Only you would know something like that, Scribe. Write an 'a' next- [And this continues for almost an hour]

[gffa]

Hi, since you’ve been reading the star wars books, do you have one you’d recommend as a starting point for someone who’s never read any of them and is interested in seeing what they’re like?

Hi! This is going to be very subjective, given that I'm not sure what your favorite characters are or which era you're interested in, and if you're interested in the best books out there or ones that typify what the books are overall like. BEST BOOKS: - Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover, god-tier ability to take my favorite SW movie and make it even more emotional and hard-hitting. It adds even more depth to the story, has beautiful writing, and just is a really satisfying read imo. - Padawan by Kiersten White, which is a story about a young Obi-Wan going on an adventure by himself and I think really captures how I see his youth, that there was struggle and difficulty, but overall it explains why he loves being a Jedi and why there's so much joy in his life. - Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule is good for if you're interested in the High Republic stories and I still think is easily my favorite of the entire line. There was so much good foreshadowing and banger lines that really got Star Wars and was an exciting plot to really hook me on THR.

BOOKS THAT MOST TYPIFY WHAT SW BOOKS ARE LIKE: - Brotherhood by Mike Chen is one that I have some stuff I side-eye in it (everything with Mace) and some stuff I was over the moon for (everything with Obi-Wan) and some stuff I was in the middle about (everything with Anakin). That's Star Wars novels in a nutshell for you! (I also think Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott is another good starting place, it's an audiodrama, but it gives an interesting backstory to the character, has some interesting Jedi worldbuilding, and does some really great character work with Asajj Ventress.) - Wild Space by Karen Miller is a Legends book (and I usually try to stick to Disney continuity just for ease's sake) but it has some eyeroll-worthy stuff, some unearned stuff, and some absolutely batshit bonkers in the best way stuff. It's a RIDE to read and maybe not one to take super seriously but I feel like it captures the spirit of SW books. (Alternate suggestion: Dark Rendezvous by Sean Stewart is a really good Yoda & Dooku book with a lot of good appearances by other Jedi characters and one of the better books for Jedi stuff, plus lots of feelings and banger conversations between characters.) (Alternate-alternate suggestion: Another Legends suggestion, since there are a lot of SW books in that continuity, you could read the Jedi Apprentice series by Dave Wolverton and Jude Watson, as long as you know they're aimed at a pre-teen audience and are written accordingly and they are SUPER dramatic and put Obi-Wan through the wringer. I'm not always wild about Watson's writing, but when she writes a banger line, she writes a BANGER line, and they're very fun books that a lot of fandom still folds into their writing.) - The Aftermath trilogy by Chuck Wendig is a good place to start if you want to explore the connective tissue between the originals and the sequels, though I always recommend that I think they work a thousand times better as audiobooks. It's mostly new characters (which, welcome to SW novels) but it also has some really good Leia and Mon Mothma scenes, too. - Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray is for if you're more interested in the Original Trilogy characters and while I wish there'd been more worldbuilding in this one, it's a solid story from someone who genuinely loves this character, and will give you a good idea of what you can expect from Leia books. (If you're more interested in a Han/Leia story, The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis is on the same level. Solid story with occasional moments of fantastic. I had a blast with the Leia sections especially!)