#and two because i would be THRILLED to know they have a better ship name

[freyfall]

you best sleep with a blanket and a shovel, 'cause life's too short to be dancing with the devil.

[antianakin]

how do you interpret codywan?

I suppose I should've seen this one coming.

So, the appeal for me with Codywan is the idea of these two people in impossible positions during what is a really dark time for them both overall learning to rely on each other and trust each other. They come from such radically different backgrounds, but somehow those backgrounds also allow them to understand each other in a way few others have (discounting the Jedi for Obi-Wan and the clones for Cody). There's a feeling of equality and respect between them as they fight beside each other and the other person starts to become more real because they can see the other person get tired and bleed, mourn and celebrate. And from that, they start picking up on the other little things about each other that turn them from General and Commander who respect each other professionally to friends who care about each other personally.

They AREN'T the most important person in each other's lives. They don't necessarily understand each other better than literally anybody else they've ever met. Cody will have relationships with other clones that are very meaningful to him, and lots of shared history with other clones that Obi-Wan simply cannot hope to replicate. Likewise, Obi-Wan has relationships with other Jedi that have lasted DECADES before he ever even meets Cody, and other Jedi will have a deeper understanding of that part of Obi-Wan that Cody just doesn't and never will. But Cody and Obi-Wan do go through an experience together that binds them, an experience that is uniquely their own. They mean a lot to each other and they are important to each other, but they aren't necessarily the center of each other's lives nor does their relationship eclipse everything else they care about.

Cody and Obi-Wan are one of the relationships that, to me, is most appealing when it's VERY Jedi in nature. From an outside perspective (a non-Jedi one), it might not even look like they're in a romantic relationship at all. Their relationship is their business and neither one feels the need to flaunt it publicly. They're happy the way they are and just because they don't follow the usual standards of what constitutes a romantic relationship doesn't mean they're doing it wrong or that it doesn't exist. I mentioned in the last ask about shipping that I'm aroace, and that tends to impact my view of Codywan, too. I tend to like interpreting them as something in the realm of a qpr (which is how I define ALL Jedi relationships because I don't think most Jedi relationships that work and/or last would look all that similar to what society tends to portray as a typical romantic relationship). In a happy fix-it AU scenario, Obi-Wan and Cody aren't necessarily spending all their time in each other's presence, they may not even live together, they're not constantly touching or making sexual innuendos with each other, they don't have pet names for each other or use endearments.

They both have such a strong sense of duty that meshes well together. Obi-Wan is a staunch Jedi and that means he feels compassion for everyone in the galaxy and is dedicated to helping everyone in the galaxy. Cody is someone who was forced into a life of service, but I like to interpret him as someone who, after meeting the Jedi and getting to know them better, decides that he still WANTS a life of service if he gets the opportunity to choose. He wants, more than anything, to be able to help people. He wants to bring peace and protect people when he can, he wants to represent something greater than himself. This allows them to be happy and fulfilled in their relationship without either of them needing to prioritize the relationship above everything else in their lives.

Obi-Wan enjoys Cody's wit, his steady presence and level head in a crisis, and that he's a sponge for any knowledge he can get his hands on. Cody enjoys Obi-Wan's compassion for life, his zest for learning and desire to pass on knowledge, and his thrill for adventure (whether Obi-Wan would call it that or admit to it or not). They both know they can rely on each other to get the job done without letting emotions get in the way, but they also know that at the end of the day, they can relax and be themselves with each other and find acceptance no matter what. I think Cody probably grows a lot through his relationship with Obi-Wan, that it allows him to understand himself in a way he hadn't been able to do before, and Cody provides an anchor point for Obi-Wan during a time when he's often separated from his regular support system.

I've seen people say that the appeal of Codywan for them is the yearning, but I don't think that that's it at all for me. The appeal in it for me is that it ISN'T something that causes them pain, but something that only really ever brings them joy. Even with Cody being pretty new to relationships in general, I think that he and Obi-Wan are both people who just end up enjoying the feeling of being in live, regardless of whether you think that person is in love with you back or not. They both glean pleasure from making the other person happy or even just SEEING the other person happy. Their relationship flows pretty easily from a professional respect to a friendly rapport to love without there being an obvious distinction between the different stages. They love each other, and it's not an issue that needs to be solved, but an experience to be savored.

None of this means that they never have disagreements or things like that, but Cody's steadiness combined with Obi-Wan's Jedi teachings means that they're pretty good at managing their disagreements without them becoming full-blown fights or major conflicts. Communication would not be one of their problems.

One of the things I like about Codywan is that what we know about them lends itself to an interpretation that they are the OPPOSITE of Anidala. Anidala is defined by its desperation, its secrecy and lies, its lack of healthy communication with each other, its melodrama and heightened emotion at all times, and the pain and fear at its core that leads to its own destruction. My personal interpretation of Codywan is the opposite of all of that. It's not defined by desperation and pain and fear and melodrama, but by smaller things that perhaps make for a less compelling story to people. So many fics turn Codywan into a variation of Anidala, with one or the both of them unable to admit to their own feelings and stuck in a cycle of their feelings for each other causing them little but pain. But if I wanted Anidala, I'd just read or watch Anidala. I want Codywan to feel DIFFERENT than Anidala in pretty much every way. I want their relationship to be based on honesty and trust and simple small moments feeling more romantic than grand gestures. There's no melodrama in my version of Codywan unless they're playing it up as a joke in front of somebody else.

[charlietheepicwriter7]

the ship name for jazz x dick grayson is Night Birds, right?

Well, Night Birds, but Jazz was Red X

Every summer, Maddie and Jack would sign Jazz and Danny up for the cheesiest, mind-numbingly boring ghost hunting camp in the world, located in Jump City. There's maybe a dozen other kids there, but only two camp councilors, so it's super easy for Jazz to sneak out of there. Danny, of course, is super mad that she doesn't take him with her, but as the elder, the 12 to his 9, she refuses to risk him in the dangerous metafilled Jump City.

This ghost hunting camp is what sparks Jazz's bitter, teenage rebellion. SHE wanted to go to a psychology camp; she'd even picked one out in Florida, only a few miles away from a space program for Danny. But noooooo, Dad had found a dirty, ripped pamphlet for Spooky Ghost Camp and signed them both up, without. even. asking. At least Danny's well looked after, being the youngest kid at camp, but that gives Jazz free time.

and in her free time, she fixates on one of her first obsessions: the psychology of superheroes.

Not sure how Jazz would get the Red X suit; she'd have to learn that Robin was Red X, then steal it, and I'm not sure how'd she'd accomplish that. But she's a smart, independent child badass, I'm sure she figured it out.

Every year her parents sent her and Danny to that damn ghost camp. Every year, Jazz put on the Red X suit and tormented the Teen Titans. She couldn't dye her hair, or sneak out at night, but she had crime. Robin gets his first bisexual crisis because of her bantering/flirting with him.

Eventually Danny finds out she's Red X and is thrilled. His sister can beat up the Teen Titans, it's so cool. Maybe in the future, Jazz can steal the Pink X suit from the Teen Titans Go comics so Danny can join in the fun, have some fun gender shenanigans for them both to have alteregos that are the opposite gender.

The reason why I thought of thsi au is because I keep reading "Danny is a thief in Gotham" type stories (which are EXCELLENT) and I can't stop imagining this specific scene: Thief Danny is cornered by the batfam, about to be caught, when out of nowhere... *spanish guitar* Red X comes to save the kid. No one knows who this guy is except for Nightwing, who seems to automatically hate this guy who's... flirting with him? Is this a Cat Woman situation? This sounds like a Cat Woman situation.

Also, not sure which I like better:

For Jazz to fill out on her chest, but keep the male voice of Red X, leading to some gender confusion.

For Red X to become less of an addition to Jazz as it is part of her core personality. She is just as much Red X as she is Jazz, so when her chest comes in, she thinks "hmm, don't like that" and gets top surgery.

bc Jazz? Still totally into the Red X game even as an adult. She even found a similar ghost hunting camp in Bloodhaven after Robin went solo. She hadn't even graduated high school yet, but her favorite hobby is tormenting this one superhero. She bats at him like a cat with a spider.

[your-resident-boat-person]

A BOAT PERSON YEEEEEES BOATS BOATS BOATS BOATS BOATS DO YOU HAVE A REASON FOR LOVING THEM? YOU HAVE A LIST OF FAVS AND THEY ARE GREAT ARE THERE ANY YOUD RECOMMEND PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT OR THAT YOU WANT TO INFODUMP ON SPECIFICALLY SORRY FOR THE CAPS I AM VERY VERY EXCITED

Okay, so, if I had to give a reason for liking ocean liners, the answer is probably that I'm a mega-autist. However, it started in the 5th grade. Like everyone else, Titanic was my gateway drug. That eventually expanded into other ocean liners.

If I had to recommend one to learn more about, it would easily be the SS America.

She had a long and storied 55-year-long career. I highly recommend the documentary by Oceanliner Designs on YouTube. However, I will give an abridged version of her story beneath the cut. It's a thrilling story, so if you're interested, don't read this; go watch his video. Its better:

Designed by the famous naval architect William Francis Gibbs, she was launched on August 31st, 1939. The day before World War II began. She was actually part of FDRs new deal program, meant to help the United States recover from the great depression. Her construction employed thousands of people, and nearly every state contributed to her in some way. She was built to a 3 compartment standard, meaning with 3 of her 14 watertight compartments flooded, shed stay afloat. This is actually better than most modern cruise ships, I might add. She was completed on April 16th, 1940, but given all the U-Boats everywhere, she couldn't exactly serve as a transatlantic liner. So the maiden voyage of this ocean liner was actually a Mediterranean cruise. United States Lines actually painted two giant American flags on each side of her hull, with the text “AMERICA UNITED STATES LINES” in big, bold letters, just in case they somehow did encounter a U-Boat.

America was a neutral country at the time, so that kind of thing was important to advertise. Eventually, the US got pulled into the war, and the SS America was requisitioned as a troopship and renamed the USS West Point. I don't know if this is confirmed, but I suspect that it's because if she were lost in the war, announcing that a ship bearing the name of our country had been lost to enemy action would be a huge blow to morale. When her running mate, the SS United States, was constructed, the US government tried to pressure William Francis Gibbs into giving her a different name for this exact reason. It didn't work. I love him. Anyway, here's a picture of her during her service.

The SS America carries the honor of being one of the few ships to never have a single death occur on board during the war. She might have actually been the only one. Anyway, in 1946, she was returned to United States Lines and renamed back to SS America. This time, when they repainted her back to her civilian colors, they ditched the name and flags on the sides of her hull. (Thank god.) Her career with USL was successful, if uneventful. In 1952, the SS United States was introduced. The Big U was about 267 feet longer, twice the size, and twice the speed. Given that the SS United States is still, to this day, the fastest passenger ship of all time, America had a little bit of trouble keeping up. America's passenger numbers fell after this, but she still had many loyal passengers who preferred her. The SS United States’ interior design was a tad lackluster compared to the SS America.

With rising operating costs and competition from air travel, she was deemed an unnecessary part of the USL fleet. In 1964, they put America up for sale. She was bought by Chandrice Line, which serviced the postwar emigrant run from Europe to Australia and New Zealand.

America was renamed Australis and served them until 1977, when, faced with ever-increasing fuel costs, could no longer compete with air travel. She is remembered to this day by many of the emigrants as being a very happy ship, but Chandrice didn't exactly maintain her very well. On one voyage, part of her hull opened up, and a compartment partially flooded. The crew was unable to fix it, and for the rest of the 3 week voyage, she had an awful list over to one side.

Now comes the most shameful part of her career. In 1978, she was bought by Venture Cruise Lines for 5 million dollars. Seeking to capitalize on nostalgia, they offered 5 day cruises to nowhere. To prepare her for this new role, they repainted her in what was definitely her second-ugliest configuration, and they gave her her old name back.

And then they kinda… stopped. They made no effort to modernize her (a ship constructed in the 1930s), and her interiors were, for lack of a better word, a dump. The swimming pool was full of garbage bags, toilets were overflowing, and there were rats and bugs everywhere. It was a nightmare. Truly, a predecessor to the poop cruise from hell. The passengers on her first cruise actually mutinied, and the ship barely made it past the Statue of Liberty before the captain turned her around. The health inspection board was called in, and they examined the ship. They gave her a score of 6.

Out of a possible 100.

Venture went bust, and America was put up for sale again.

Shockingly, the ones who bought her were Chandrice Line again, for 1 million dollars. Meaning they profited 4 million dollars while also getting their ship back in the process. She was renamed AGAIN to Italis, and her forward funnel was so corroded that it had to be cut off, giving her an extremely ugly and unbalanced profile. Even to the lay person, most can tell at this point that she looked very sad.

Her final years with Chandrice were short and uneventful, only lasting 2 years. Chandrice wanted to completely modernize her and have her serve as a modern cruise ship, but this never happened. She then bounced around from owner to owner. First, she was the Noga, intended to become a prison ship. Then she was the Alferdoss, but only the port bow was the Alferdoss, because they only put the name on one side of the hull. So the starboard bow and the stern were still the Noga. She was nearly sold for scrap, but after they scrapped the lifeboats, they defaulted on their payment and pulled out. Then, she was bought by a Thai investment firm, which intended to completely restore her and convert her into a 5-star hotel, much like the Queen Mary had in the 1970s. After a short period of drydocking, it was found that, despite the neglect, her hull was in remarkably good condition. The trip from New Zealand to Phuket, Thailand, was a long and dangerous one. Approximately 100 days. A Ukrainian tug won the contract, and in 1994, they set off…

only to immediately turn around due to the weather. They tried again, and again the weather turned against them. The tow line snapped, and they sent crew aboard to try to reattach it, but it was no use. They were airlifted off by helicopter, and the SS America, now named SS American Star, was set adrift. There was no one aboard, and the ship had no power. Seemingly tired of the years of neglect and mistreatment, the SS America decided to go out on her own terms. She went aground at Playa de Garcey, off the west coast of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. Within 48 hours, the pounding waves broke her in two.

She was declared a total loss and promptly abandoned. The waves quickly ate through the stern, causing it to deteriorate very quickly. The bow, however, remained standing, up until about 2008, when it began collapsing into the sea.

It's difficult to imagine that at one point, this was the grand old lady of the seas.

By 2013, nothing of her was left standing above the surface.

Along with her eye-achingly beautiful appearance, she had an extremely long and storied career. So that's why she's my favorite liner of all time. Most liners only last 25 to 35 years. Hell, the SS United States was only in service for 17 years. The SS America had a 55-year-long career. 74 if you count the time she spent wrecked, as she frequently got visitors. She was a truly outstanding ship, and I'm devastated that she couldn't be preserved. If it's any consolation, Phuket was struck by a major typhoon in 2004, so America was probably doomed regardless. If I could pick one liner from history to undo the fate of and magically preserve, it would EASILY be her.

[laurenkmyers]

you’re so sweet. thank you so much!! i’ve watched love in the air. i know boss but i didn’t know his partners name. i’ve also watched:

dead friend forever (it was so fun; tan was right and he should’ve been able to kill all of em. except my sweet sunshine bby white who didn’t deserve anything bad to happen to him ever)

two worlds (loved it)

cutie pie 1&2 (eh),

naughty babe (loved but i think i love the pairing),

not me (chefs kiss),

kinnporsche (the volume in which i screamed cousin fuckers and then sung sweet home alabama, 10/10 would recommend to a friend),

the sign (so ridiculous but like in a great fun way; i like police procedurals and i like fantasy)

only friends (i wish i had a toxic dramatic friend group :/),

between us (that jaw thing mr blond did was oddly attractive; can’t wait to see the pair in the vampire show!),

last twilight (my heart ached and baked and was made into a cake. that means i loved it),

kiseki: dear to me (ai di owns my heart forever; i like his big puppy chen yi too. i couldn’t get into the main pairing tbh),

together with me 1&2 (it was okay)

love in translation (cuuute)

do you have any more recs???

First of all can, this list is immaculate (bar cutie pie, did not vibe with that one bit)

Secondly, I see you with your insane taste in ships. Maxnat from Two Worlds/Naughty Babe? This is top tier shit. I found Naughty Babe awful and mostly unwatchable (I'm not domundi's- the company who produced naughty babe and cutie pie- biggest fan) but MAXNAT??? That pairing have me wrapped round their fingers. Especially Max. Goddamn.

Thirdly, did you like love in the air? Thoughts on the second half of the show in particular? Because the other main couple (fort and peat) are my precious fucking baby angels and I would die for them. And if you liked them then my first recommedation is the currently airing Love Sea the series, because they're tearing me limb from limb. Every week they do something that thrills, excites, and terrifies me all in equal standing.

In terms of other recs, I can definitely give you a few I enjoyed, because your list is very good already and I'm seeing that we have quite similar taste.

I want to throw the show Manner of Death at you. You've seen Together With Me, and if you liked our boys Max and Tul and managed to wade your way through that show plus it's sequel, based on their chemistry alone, then Manner Of Death will be refeshing change for you. Because their chemistry is even better and the story line actually has a very clever and exciting narrative. Plus, its a lot more mature than your average highschool drama bl.

Tale of 1000 Stars is another show I really enjoyed. Its bl pairing is Earth and Mix, they have fantastic chemistry and the show has a really interesting plot that kept me hooked. It's a bit more typical thai bl in certain aspects, and the intimate nc scenes are next to none, but their relationship is one I was hooked on and I enjoyed the story a lot.

I have also enjoyed: 4 Minutes is only one episode in, but I can already tell it's going to be a favourite, which says a lot. But I am also very biased towards the lead male, Bible Wichapas aka Vegas from Kinnporsche. Man Suang is a movie, not series, but its on Netflix and its Mileapo from Kinnporsche. It's historical, gritty, heart-hitting, and just generally very fucking well produced. Moonlight Chicken (the side couple had me hooked immediately) Ingredients (cute af mini series with a Jeff Satur-Kim from KP) My Stand-In (I endjoyed it for what it was, it was a bit ridiculous) Vice-Versa (If you liked JimmySea you'll probably enjoy this) Bad Buddy (Great chemistry between the main characters) And a Taiwanese bl I liked was: History 3: Trapped.

(Your kinnporsche review is EVERYTHING. No notes.

The Mr Blonde jaw thing had me chuckling. I too, very much enjoyed the jaw thing. Hope the vampire show is directed well. Bounprem deserve it.

Tan absolutely should have slain them all. Apart from bb White. Agreed. Wholeheartedly.

Ai Di x Chen Yi were the only reason I was watching that show. For real.

Last Twilight was fantastic. I just didn't vibe with the ending. If it had ended on that rock cliff? Perfection. Stunning. Show-stopping.)

I hope you enjoy some of these! Sorry this got SO LONG.

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Made up fic titles:

Left Our Future To The Right

Ever Since You Walked In

Hungry For My Skin

(You know me and my song lyrics)

Thanks for these, Rachael!! I do know you and your lyrics, and you know me and my penchant for song prompts.

Here's what I got:

Left Our Future To The Right - Jack Daniels x F!Reader This is the one I struggled with and I'm still not convinced I'm right about it, but this is a standalone from Jack's POV. And it's very sad :(

He promised you. More than once. Promised that he would be done with the agency, done with the danger, done with the secrecy and the double life. It terrified you, knowing the risks he took on a daily basis, and you'd made it very clear to him that you had no desire to be made a widow before you were even married. Or ever, for that matter.

And he made that promise willingly, because he's never loved anything or anyone like he loves you. He's never felt alive the way he does with you.

But here's the thing: After so many years with Statesman, it's not as easy as he hoped it would be to walk away. One more mission, just to tie up loose ends became two more, because, you see, the ends had split and now there were two things to tie off. Fine. You weren't thrilled with that, but you understood. But then two became three, and three became just until I train my replacement, and then, of course, he wanted to tag along for his replacement's first mission, as a precaution and that's when it became clear to you that he meant his promise, but he couldn't keep it. And so, you left.

The irony, of course, being that the day you left happened to be the last - truly, the LAST - day of his service with Statesman. But he won't go back. He's done... And he's hopeful that you'll give him one more chance to prove it.

Ever Since You Walked In - Marcus Pike x F!Reader This would be part of Spectrum (aka the "you can only see in grayscale until you meet your soulmate" AU - part 1/part2) and it would be sort of a montage of Marcus and Reader getting to know one another, from Marcus' POV.

You changed his life from the moment he met you. I mean, you brought color into his world just by speaking his name. But Marcus knows that just because you matched as soulmates doesn't automatically mean it will be a perfect romantic match. It might be one of those better-as-friends situations - which would still be great, but Marcus is hopeful for more. He's just got so much love to give and he's so damn good at giving it and if he can't find someone to give it to he feels like he's going to explode, you know?

With his track record though, he knows better than to get ahead of himself. So he wants to do this right. He wants to take you out on dates. Plural. He wants to talk to you on the phone and invite you over for takeout and movie nights.

But with every day that passes and every new thing he learns about you, it becomes more and more clear that you are exactly who he's been looking for.

Hungry For My Skin - Din Djarin x Reader This would not be connected to anything I've written before, and would be from both Din and Reader's POV. High potential to become very smutty.

They always knew that rebuilding on Mandalore came with the risk of attracting enemies. Mandalorians would always have enemies. There would always be those who sought to destroy them. Over some age old vendetta, or political agenda, or simply to take their wealth of beskar. So it came as no surprise when the ships appeared above their planet.

Din knows an imminent threat when he sees one. He's been familiar with the feeling of being hunted since he was a child. Since before he even became a Mandalorian. He knows he's going to have to fight to protect his people and the life they're working to rebuild. He also knows it may be a fight to the death - at least that's how far he's willing to take it in honor of his Creed. He knows that if his enemy wants to take his armor, it will have to be over his dead body.

You know this, too. And you're willing to go to the same lengths. For Mandalore, yes. For your people, yes. But mostly for him. For your Riduur. There's nothing you won't do for him. And the night before the battle, you take it upon yourself to make sure he knows that.

[bigfrozenfan-fanfics]

Chapter 72 - Halvard's final honour 🔞

Links: Chapter overview, Character list, Map, Glossar Rating: M over all Publishing cycle: around every 2-3 weeks

Remarks: all my chapters contain carefully selected music tracks (try to use headphones). It’s your own decision if you want to use them or not while reading. The purpose is to musically support the respective mood of the plot. If you can please use a browser for reading (not the Tumblr app) due to the text formatting and music.

A chilly wind in Arendelle's capital was blowing around the noses of the citizens and was the first harbinger of the approaching winter. It had been an unusually long golden autumn with lots of sunshine and mild temperatures, it was now high time for many to provide firewood and spend the last few days enjoying nature before everything disappeared under a cold, white blanket of snow.

          Anna and Elsa had agreed to accompany Yelana and the other Northuldra home last night. They told Mari that morning that they would visit Vesterland's royal house on their way back and wished her and Ambassador Mitya a safe journey home.

          Elsa had the brilliant idea of sailing with the new ship instead of riding. Anna immediately agreed and told her sister that it would certainly be much easier for her to think of a new name for the confiscated vessel this way.

          Yelana was thrilled when she heard about it, because she found Arendelle's ships fascinating and had long wished to travel on them one day. That way, everyone would arrive at the Northuldra camp much earlier and there would also be a way to transport men and equipment, including prisoners back to Arendelle and the naval base, Elsa told her.

          However, not all Northuldra would travel by ship, this was especially true for the merchants whose camp was in the northern forest, not far from the capital. They would also take Yelana's reindeer with them. Indu, too, who did not fare particularly well on the last ship voyage, decided instead to accompany the others on his reindeer by land and then leave for the far north in a few days to join his family.

          Anna had also agreed the night before to Yelana's unusual request to show the castle's stable boy the forest where she and her people lived. She had promised him and his reaction had made her smile. The boy had shown genuine interest and also a knack for reindeer. Yelana immediately made her way to the stables, also to check on her reindeer.

          “Hey, stable boy, do you still remember me and my promise!” called Yelana as soon as she was standing inside.

          The boy turned in surprise and peeked around the corner of one of the horse stalls to see who was calling out to him. As soon as he recognised Yelana he called back.

          “Lady, you bet I remember! But please don't joke, because you must know that my work here is extremely important to me!”

          “Come out, for I have asked your queen's permission! You will accompany me to the Northuldra region, as promised by me, and then you will see what has always interested you.”

          “Are you really serious, Lady?” he asked back, uncertain.

          “I'm dead serious, lad. So get ready, because we will set sail together with the queen and her sister in about an hour!”

~~~

It was hard to say who was more impressed by the ship's voyage, Yelana, a more than true Northuldra, or a perhaps sixteen-year-old stable boy who was leaving Arendelle for the first time, and on a ship of the royal fleet at that!

          Both stood at the bow and let the wind blow around their ears. Neither spoke a word for a long time, but the royal siblings smirked at the two as they strolled across the deck, inspecting the new ship.

          “Do you think I could start a new future as a ship's boy?” he asked Yelana excitedly at one point.

          “Who knows,” she replied, “but I think you'd better stay a stable boy, because you're very good and loving with the animals, especially reindeer. Not everyone is cut out for it, but you certainly are, believe me.”

          He looked at her thoughtfully and then nodded slowly, “Perhaps you are right, Lady Yelana. Animals have always been a part of my life, even when I was very small. Somehow I understand their needs and know when they are well or when they need something, and the horses in the stable like me, I can feel that. On the other hand, Arendelle's big ships fascinate me and make me dream of far away adventures.”

          “Well then, you're experiencing one right now,” Yelana replied with a smile, “and you'll certainly be thrilled by our life in the great forest. And I can feel that, you know.”

          He smiled broadly, clung excitedly to the bow rail, closed his eyes and breathed in deeply the fresh wind that blew around his nose and brought the distant adventure he had always dreamed of.

~~~

“It is fast, the ship, and in excellent condition. Our people have done a good job in getting everything ready, don't you think, sis?”

          “Yes, I like it too, and it just flies over the water, all without Nokk and Gale,” Elsa replied, and they both had to laugh at their comparison. “Have you thought of a new name yet? Jarls Pride is kind of inappropriate, I think, and it still reminds me too much of Thord.”

          “Not yet, but I'm sure I'll have found one by the time we return. By the way, as for Thord the usurper and the current ship name, I was thinking the same thing as you. I hope we never see him again, though I'd love to give him a taste of my fist.”

          Elsa shook her head in amusement and chuckled softly, “You've had that before with your ex. Be glad you don't have to face Thord again! But now, enough of this tiresome topic, let's go and see how our Northuldra friends are doing instead.”

          “You're right, I'm sure they'll be wondering why we haven't joined them.”

          The sisters made their way to the quarterdeck and as they climbed the short flight of steps they saw everyone sitting good-humouredly on the deck planks or standing at the rail, a new flag with the crocus, the symbol of the House of Arendelle waving in the breeze between them. Anna briefly looked up behind her and there, with great satisfaction, she made out a large, long flag with the same symbol on the main mast. She smiled, for this was now her and Elsa's ship. Their very own!

          And who knows, maybe next year they would both go on a long and beautiful voyage together to friends in other kingdoms, in fine weather and a summer breeze, not as chilly as it was at the moment. How about calling the gaff sailer the 'Voyager'? Anna smiled up to her ears as she imagined it all in her mind.

          “Well, how are you?” asked Elsa of the others, snapping Anna out of her daydream. “You are certainly looking forward to returning home with your friends in a little while, am I right?”

          “Yes, you are absolutely right, Your Highness, what me and Ryder are looking forward to the most is seeing Honeymaren again. I miss her so much,” Linnea said and stood up.

          Ryder stood with his back casually leaning against the railing and nodded happily. “I had seen her at least briefly when I was there with the soldiers … and well, at our joint fight with Kolgrimr of course. I'm so proud of her and I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about in the days and weeks to come. I'm really looking forward to it.”

          “I'm mostly looking forward to my forest and being able to gather herbs again,” Myrtha said, “Besides, I'm sure our people have missed a good healer … without wanting to praise myself, of course,” she laughed. “I miss everyone very much.”

          “And I can finally ask Ikka's parents for her hand in marriage. Then next year we plan to get married, after I have put myself in her parents’ service. Because that's the custom with us … not just the proposal ceremony with butterflies and reindeer, the way Ryder helped Kristoff in his proposal,” Joná grinned and, sitting up, put an arm around his beloved, who leaned her head against his shoulder with a smile as she nodded in acknowledgement.

          "But then instead of Anna, Yelana suddenly appeared and you should have seen Kristoff's surprised face," Ryder smirked and everyone laughed, even Anna.

          "I didn't know that," she said. "He'll have to tell me more about that when he gets a chance. It's a pity I didn't see that … I mean, of course, the butterflies and all that. But anyway, we are happy for you, for all of you," she said. "By the way, do you know anything about what Yelana wants to show us and why we should definitely come along?” she added, but only received a shrug of the shoulders in reply. Myrtha did not respond at all, but looked out over the fjord.

          Anna somehow had the impression that Myrtha knew all about it but didn't want to say anything. But no matter, Elsa and she would find out before evening, so she also shrugged and turned to her sister.

          “Come on, let's both go below deck and have a look at the captain's cabin, Elsa. I haven't seen it yet.”

          “Me neither, good idea. See you, guys. If you need anything, tell the boatswain down there, the one with the blue cap on his head,” Elsa said and headed for the second exit, closely followed by Anna, who was still smiling and waving to the others behind her.

          “'Hey, Elsa, I think I've already come up with a great name for our new ship,” Anna said enthusiastically as they walked down the short hallway towards the cabin.

          “Our ship, you say, it almost sounds like you've already reserved it for just the two of us,” Elsa laughed as she opened the door. “And what are you going to call 'our' ship?”

          “The Voyager, because we'll both be making a lot of trips in it in the future.”

          “So without the ARN designation in front of it? Doesn't sound so bad though, Anna. I like it.”

          “Well then, it's a deal! The ARN Voyager it is. It could do with a new coat of paint, though. What do you think of white?”

          Elsa looked at her in surprise, pondered for a while and finally nodded with a dreamy smile. “Oh, I can imagine that quite well, it also emphasises the streamlining of the sailer. Good idea, Anna!”

          Anna grinned back and then looked around the captain's cabin. All of Thord's private things had been removed, except for the heavy wooden table and three reclining chairs, so they could furnish the room to their liking. Including everything that was still missing, i.e. sea charts, nautical books, instruments and all things for the personal outfit for a land trip on distant shores. The room offered enough space and also a separate working area for the two of them.

          Anna was already picturing everything as she walked around, while Elsa stood at the slanted stern windows looking out over the wake and the Arenfjord.

          “A few flowers are missing here too, Elsa, maybe crocuses and in the summer some sunflowers too. We could have the walls and all the frames redecorated in the Arendelle castle design. What do you think? I already have everything in mind,” Anna asked, joining her to look out as well.

          “I trust your taste, sis. I'm sure it will be nice and cosy.”

~~~

In the afternoon, Anna had the Voyager anchored on the second beach and three dinghies lowered into the water. First they loaded the food they had brought with them, mainly flour for baking breads and also some fruit, various mushrooms from the area around Arendelle, some lamb and freshly caught crabs from the night before, which Yelana said were hard to find up here in the north. And of course Olina's famous chocolate. That was not to be missed.

          Next the Northuldra got into two boats, followed by Anna, Elsa and their bodyguards in the third. The stable boy was all excited as he shimmied down the rope ladder into the second boat and sat down right next to Yelana.

          They had not been travelling for five minutes when they were spotted by two Northuldra fishermen who were unloading the catch from their boats. One of them was gesticulating wildly and shouting something at the other, but they couldn't understand it because of the distance. But that wasn't necessary, because the second fisherman was already running towards the camp. So their little surprise would no longer be a surprise, because very soon everyone there knew who had just arrived.

          Shortly afterwards, the dinghies pulled onto the sandy beach with a slight crunching sound. The first to disembark were all the Northuldra. Then followed the royal bodyguards, who together pulled the heavy third boat far up the beach so that their highnesses would not get their feet wet when they disembarked. The fisherman who stayed behind immediately rushed to his people and especially greeted Yelana joyfully and effusively. Anna and Elsa exchanged happy glances.

          After that, they all had to walk another half hour before they came around the bend and saw the camp in front of them. Actually, they heard it already before they caught sight of the first Northuldra there. Almost everyone there was already shouting excitedly, loudly spreading the happy news and many were already running towards them to greet them.

          The sisters watched excitedly as all their Northuldra friends were welcomed as joyfully as if they had been away for years. All of them did not advance one step further because the hugs and greetings just would not end. It was loud and many tears of joy flowed on both sides.

          And then Honeymaren came towards them smiling broadly and with her head proudly raised. As soon as she was spotted, everyone formed an alley for her, for the long-awaited family reunion.

          Linnea just stood there staring towards her for a little while, looking her over from head to toe, before finally spreading her arms wide for her daughter with tears in her eyes. Honeymaren ran the last few meters towards her and fell into her mother's arms. Everyone around them clapped and some of them even sang a joik.

          Elsa watched the reunion closely and it was undeniable that Honeymaren had somehow changed since the last time. Elsa couldn't put her finger on what it was, but the young woman seemed more mature to her and, above all, her first glance was not at her but at her people, especially her mother. Elsa noticed contentment in her clear gaze, but also determination.

          When the two broke away from each other again, Honeymaren had time to embrace her brother and also greeted everyone else with heartfelt hugs. She stood a little longer in front of Yelana, then looked questioningly and with a raised eyebrow at the boy standing next to her.

          “This is the stable boy from the castle who I promised to show our people and the forest to someday,” Yelana said and the boy bowed to Honeymaren, which made her smile. “But you and I have something very important to talk about, Honeymaren.”

          “Of course, Yelana, but I'm sure it can wait. I'm really glad you've finally returned. But tell me, what is actually in the sacks you brought with you?” she said, casting an astonished glance at them.

          “Some food and flour for baking.”

          “That's nice that you thought of it, but let's all go to the camp for now,” Honeymaren said a little louder, “you must be a very hungry and your return must be celebrated properly. Besides, I have an announcement to make later.”

          After she said this and waved ahead, everyone followed her with expectant expressions. Shortly after, everyone sat comfortably around the cooking fires while the women in the camp began to prepare a feast, baking fresh flatbread and asking Anna and Elsa about the method of preparing these strange sea creatures. They gladly gave them information and asked about the whereabouts of General Mattias, Fabian and the other soldiers.

          As they were led towards the tent camp, they wondered about the two wooden cages at the edge of the forest that undoubtedly housed the prisoners of the recent battle.

          “You got them all, I see,” Elsa said with satisfaction, and Anna showed an expression that was difficult to interpret. She said nothing and avoided looking the prisoners in the eye between the wooden slats. Bad memories sprang up in her and she quickly took Elsa by the elbow.

          “Come, let's go quickly to Mattias and Fabian. I can't stand this any longer.”

          Elsa looked at her worriedly and then nodded in understanding. “I can understand that, Anna.”

          When they arrived at the tent camp, in front of which several cooking fires were also already burning and above one hung the large cooking kettle, in which it was bubbling and spreading a familiar scent, the excitement was great. Word spread quickly among the soldiers that their queen and sister had arrived unexpectedly.

          The general and the fencing master blew the tent cover aside when they noticed and hurried out and towards them. Everyone around the sisters bowed deeply to them and saluted appropriately.

          “Your Majesty, Your Highness! We were not expecting you, this is really a nice surprise,” Mattias said.

          “How is the leg?” Fabian added immediately, turning to Anna with a somewhat worried expression.

          “It's all fine, Fabian. Thank you for asking. Hello, General Mattias.”

          “So you actually did it and were able to apprehend all the fugitives,” Elsa said, “That's excellent! Then we can take them to the penal camp first thing tomorrow, for we came by ship and it is anchored close by on the upper beach. It's over at last and we'll take you all home.”

          “That will make the men happy and me too, for I miss my Halima very much. Is she still at the castle with Elin and are they both well?” asked Mattias, looking from one to the other sister in turn.

          “Yes, Mattias, you need not worry at all. She has returned home, though, because she missed her house and the garden,” said Elsa. “But I'm sure we have a lot to talk about and we could talk more back at the camp. There they are preparing a feast in honour of the Northuldra we brought with us. I guess that will last all night.”

          “We'd love to, wouldn't we, Fabian?” said the general.

          “Unless there's that weird bread with birch bark again,” Fabian said, making a face, “I miss the food from Arendelle and a fragrant fresh loaf of bread from the baker.”

          “Fear not, Fabian, for we have brought flour for baking and many other goodies … even chocolate from the castle kitchen!” Anna reassured him and Fabian was already licking his lips.

          “Well then, let's go,” Elsa said and Anna added, “But by another way, please.”

~~~

An hour or two later, after everyone in the camp was full and satisfied - there had even been fårikål, an extremely delicious lamb stew, for the guests of honour - the cosy evening began.

          The royal sisters had discussed everything with Mattias and Fabian in the presence of Yelana and it was slowly getting dark in the sky when the Nattura family came out of their kota again. Everyone wore their best clothes and the women an elaborately made scarf over it. In addition, they all wore colourful shoelaces, attracting everyone's attention, because every Northuldra immediately knew what this clothing meant. Everyone stood up with serious expressions and partly bowed heads as Honeymaren led them to Anna, Elsa and Yelana.

          “What does this mean,” Anna asked Yelana, who now rose as well.

          “This is our traditional mourning attire, Anna. We call these shoelaces voedtege and they are only worn when someone in the family has died,” she whispered back

          “Halvard!” breathed Elsa in sudden realisation, and without looking, motioned Anna to stand and pay respects as well. But Anna was already standing and looking sadly at the Natturas.

          As the family stopped and Honeymaren turned in a circle to look at everyone, the Northuldra moved closer and formed a large circle around the mourners. Not only to show their deep respect, but also to understand every word that would now presumably follow as a promised announcement.

          Alena also joined them now, followed by Árnason with the young stable boy in tow, and nodded knowingly to Honeymaren. The latter nodded back and then raised her voice.

          “Only yesterday I was at papa's grave for a few hours, telling him that his family would soon be complete to visit him. Now the time has come, and not only that, for I would like to ask you all to take a day of mourning and join us. I have learned that you have not yet had the opportunity to do so, or that you have been waiting for this moment. I would like us to place reindeer antlers on his grave and honour him with a traditional joik.”

          Honeymaren paused for a moment and then asked Alena to join her.

          “As probably only the older ones among you remember, we haven't had a noaidi go into a trance session and check in the spiritual plane for decades to see if Halvard's free soul has made it there and is doing well. Since I was born a long time after that, I didn't know about it either until I learned about this meaning from Alena here next to me. She is an experienced noaidi and will help us with this task for the first time in a long time.”

          She looked around and then said, “Now please prepare yourselves and accompany us to Halvard's grave.”

          The Northuldra dispersed to put on their best clothes, get their birchwood staffs and the large reindeer antler. Yelana excused herself and left the group from Arendelle to go to her old kota.

          However, there she found that her belongings, which she had not been able to take with her when she was banished, had been removed when Gyda moved into her hut. At first she was very upset about this and hoped that the things had not been burnt and had been taken to safety by her people in time. And so it was. She took the bare necessities with her and changed in her kota.

          Alena and her young companion were of course not prepared for such an event. While she whispered to him that she wanted to quickly fetch her drum, he remained waiting where he was. The boy from Arendelle had become somewhat friend with Árnason, who was about his age, in the last few hours and had told him about the reason for his journey. He was now standing beside him a little uncertainly and was very surprised by this event.

          “You are about to experience something very special, Lars” whispered Árnason, “but just stay by my side. Watch and listen, for you will surely not forget this.”

          Anna and Elsa, standing a little apart with their escort from Arendelle, waited patiently until all the Northuldra were ready and the procession was about to start. The royal bodyguard did not quite know how to behave and the commander politely and quietly asked his queen.

          “Follow us in silence and stay close to us. Just try to behave according to the sad occasion.”

          Half an hour later, all the Northuldra gathered in festive dress. Some of them also wore colourful shoelaces and Mattias said quietly to Anna and Elsa that they too had lost relatives during the war, though he did not know if their dead had been buried near Halvard. But as Honeymaren had said, it would be a full day of mourning and surely the following event would be repeated at the gravesites of the fallen tomorrow, he said quietly.

          “You have experienced this before, haven't you? While you were locked up here in the forest,” Anna whispered back.

          “Not at first, because my men and I kept ourselves separate from the Northuldra for a long time. After all, they were still the enemy in our eyes then. But later we did, after we had all inevitably come to terms, several times even. It is a beautiful ceremony, similar to the one you have experienced here before, when the Northuldra welcomed you as theirs.”

          Movement now arose in front and eventually all set off in silence, following the Natturas ahead. The group from Arendelle followed at the end.

          And as if summoned, at the same moment some riders on reindeer appeared. They were the merchants returning from Arendelle, together with Indu. They had made it just in time and as soon as they received information about the reason for the event from the nearest person in the vicinity, they hurried off to also equip themselves appropriately for the occasion. Only Indu felt a little lost, but joined them in the end.

~~~

There was hardly any space between the trees around Halvard's grave, but a large circle formed anyway, which many lit with torches. The Northuldra with the reindeer antler laid it gingerly on the grave and then stepped back. Linnea and Ryder knelt before it and now spoke to their father's soul, much as Honeymaren had done before, only a little more quietly. Honeymaren stood silent beside it with her head down and her hands clasped together. Meanwhile, Alena began to beat her drum and sang herself into a trance. All the others remained quiet and in devotion at first.

          When the drumming stopped, everyone looked expectantly at the noaidi.

          When she opened her eyes again, a small smile appeared and she said, “It's all right. He has found his peace.”

          And then the great ceremony began, with both women and men intoning a funeral yoik and singing Halvard's praises. Those who had a fighting stick with them struck their birch woods together in pairs and rhythmically to the chant, in tribute to Halvard as their best Skalastet fighter, thus producing the typical 'clack - clack' when two fight against each other.

          Elsa and Anna looked at each other in amazement, for the last time the men had only stomped their fighting sticks rhythmically on the ground. Even touching each other on the shoulder was not the case here, and yet. It was as Mattias said, a beautiful ceremony and the singing expressed affection and honour for Halvard, their friend. At the end, the women raised their heads and sang a little louder and more carrying into the night sky, until the singing slowly died away and absolute silence fell, interrupted only by the faint flickering noise of the torches.

          When Linnea and Ryder finally rose, the ceremony was over and one by one everyone went back to camp.

          Honeymaren came over to Anna and Elsa, looked around again briefly and then said to them “Thank you both for being there, especially you, Elsa. It meant a lot to me.” Then she nodded, turned away and walked back into camp as well. She walked slowly, keeping her head down while walking.

          The sisters looked at each other, puzzled at first, then gazed after her until she was out of sight and disappeared into the shadows of the night.

          “I don't know, but it almost sounded like a goodbye somehow,” Anna said quietly and Elsa nodded slowly and very thoughtfully.

~~~

Some kotas had been cleared for the guests from Arendelle to spend the night and lined with plenty of reindeer skins. Two of the royal bodyguards took positions in front of it as the sisters entered to go to sleep. They would take turns with the rest of the guard every four hours. The whole camp was quiet now and many of the fires had already been put out.

          When the sisters had undressed and covered themselves inside, they lay quietly next to each other, but thoughtfully with their eyes open. Both of them looked up at the flue, where a small section showed the sky with bright twinkling stars.

          At some point it was Anna who quietly wished Elsa good night, turned to the side and closed her eyes. Shortly afterwards, her light snoring could be heard.

          Elsa looked over at her, threw the reindeer blanket aside and stood up. She made an automatic gesture with her hand and in this way literally put on her dress in an instant with her ice magic. Then she left the hut and said quietly to the guard that she wanted to be alone and made her way to the Natturas' kota.

          She knew where the hut was and stood in front of it in the pale glow of the half moon, undecided. Should she call quietly for Honeymaren or just go in? Elsa didn't know where exactly her sleeping place was, so the chances were three to one of finding it right away.

          She decided on the latter and very carefully and quietly opened the flap. Elsa was lucky because the half moon was right behind her in the sky and its light showed Honeymaren's face in the sleeping place just ahead on the left.

          Elsa slipped inside and had Honeymaren's position and how many steps it was to her in her mind's eye as she closed the flap and quietly entered. Elsa felt her way to Honeymaren's head by means of the reindeer fur, listened to where she was breathing and gently covered her mouth.

          Honeymaren startled and Elsa breathed into her ear, “Be quiet, it's me, Elsa.” She felt the slight nod at her hand and let her up. Then Elsa held the flap open for her and for the first time saw Honeymaren's body completely naked in the moonlight before her. Elsa couldn't help but look at her and her gaze lingered on Honeymaren's sparse pubic hair under which her sex was clearly visible. Honeymaren paused for a moment, looked at her in surprise but without any shame, and only after a second or two put her gakti on. When she had slipped into her reindeer boots, she followed Elsa outside.

          “What are you doing here?” she asked in a whisper, her eyes wide.

          “I want to talk to you, Maren.”

          There it was again, her short name, the kind Elsa hadn't used since escaping the forest from Kolgrimr. It astonished Honeymaren all the more now.

          “All right, but not here.”

          “Then let's go to our beach.”

          Had Elsa actually just said “our beach“? Honeymaren couldn't help wondering, but nodded quickly and pulled Elsa with her.

          A little later, they were both sitting on the weathered old tree trunk lying in the sand across the sea, its bare, barkless wood reflecting the moonlight. Both looked out at the glittering, gentle waves and enjoyed this quiet moment of beauty for a few moments.

          Honeymaren turned briefly to the edge of the forest, first checking to see if anyone had followed them, before looking at Elsa with her eyebrows drawn together. Then she began to speak softly.

          “So I'm really curious now, Elsa. You show up in the middle of the night, sneak into my parents' kota just to talk to me? What's so important after you've been avoiding me all this time in Arendelle, not even being able to look me in the face. And now you even call me by my pet name again and say “our” beach. What has changed that you suddenly behave like this? And then, too, those scrutinising glances you've been directing at my nakedness!”

          “You're upset, I can tell,” Elsa agreed.

          “You bet I am! You have pushed me away, rejected me, even despised me.” She had spoken up a little louder than she meant to, but feelings couldn't just be suppressed like that.

          “I'm sorry. I didn't want all this. I was just … afraid,” Elsa confessed, lowering her head ruefully.

          “Afraid? Afraid of what? Of me, perhaps? Or of being touched …”

          Elsa's head jerked up and Honeymaren suddenly realised the truth, holding her hand in front of her mouth as she stared at her counterpart in deep realisation.

          “By the gods, I'm beginning to understand. I thought you …”

          Elsa shook her head slowly. “No, never, Maren.”

          “Have you made it yourself at least once … I mean…”

          Another shake of the head and a rather embarrassed look to go with it. Honeymaren had the impression Elsa's cheeks were turning rather red at the moment.

          “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be tactless, I …”

          “It's all right Maren. It's just that half of my life has been dominated by fear. Ever since I was eight years old and had to be separated from my dear sister for thirteen long years.”

          “But why is that? Who forced you to do such a thing? Family is one of the most important things in life. I can't even imagine being separated from them for so long.”

          “It's because of my ice magic. I was born with it. Everything was halfway fine at first, but then …”

          “What happened?”

          Elsa decided to tell Honeymaren everything and she listened very attentively, not interrupting her with a single word, her expression growing sadder as she did so.

          “Do you remember our evening in the hut after we went to the beach and I could no longer remember my life? I told you about someone important to me, someone I vaguely remembered, a face I couldn't recall. That was Anna. She was and is the most important person in my life. Unlike me, she is really outgoing and knows so many people, in fact everyone in the capital. And now with Kristoff she has experienced something that was previously foreign to me and that I never really thought about or missed. You can guess what it is, Maren.”

          “Love and tenderness towards another human being.”

          Elsa nodded. “Anyway, that's how it was until now.”

          Honeymaren drew in her breath and her heartbeat quickened on the spot.

          “Anna knows. I told her about your love for me in the night camp when we went to war and didn't know if we would survive. She … wouldn't mind such a relationship, she confessed. She had even suspected it herself with you.”

          “She is a really good and lovely person. I understand now how much she means to you and why. You must love her very much.”

          Elsa nodded, “She sees the potential in me that I never saw myself and was always afraid of.”

          “And now? Where do you go from here? How do you imagine the future now? Or will you perhaps even stay with us as Ahtohallan's fifth spirit?”

          “As for the latter, no. I promised Anna and she needs me. All is well here now after all and there is no longer any threat to you or the forest. Of course I'll check on things from time to time and with Nokk I'd be there in less than an hour. But as for the rest, I honestly don't know what to do. I have no experience and I'm not attracted to men in any way, especially not to their bodies. Just the idea …”

          “… scares you,” Honeymaren added, “I feel the same way, you know?”

          Elsa nodded, “But how do you deal with it and what experiences have you had with love in your young life?”

          “Honestly, none yet. But I feel it deep inside … this desire … and I dream about it and …”

          “About who and what …”

          “I dream of you, Elsa.”

          “And what are you dreaming about me? I mean … I can't really imagine.”

          “Hmm … you saw me naked earlier and … looking … down there. How did that make you feel? Or were you just embarrassed …”

          “No, no …, I …” Elsa stammered, unable to describe her feelings. Her body was reacting, in a place she hadn't expected, but how was she supposed to describe that to a beautiful young woman who probably had far more experience with it. Or maybe that was why she didn't need to? Elsa looked deeply into Honeymaren's eyes, her head probably flushed. She felt the heat rising inside her.

I had to remove the following scene because of the Tumblr community guidelines for 18+ content and created a new blog for it. If I had labelled this chapter as mature, my entire fanfic blog would only be visible to people over 18 and that was going too far for me. So only follow this link if you are over 18 and ready to read an explicit Elsamaren love scene.

          “Let's go to sleep, Elsa, and dream of me as I will dream of you tonight, as I never had before.”

~~~

---

Remark: I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a comment if you liked the story, I would be pleased to read your opinions, even criticisms. But please only comment to the normal content here, to the outsourced scene only on my new blog. If you want to be tagged as soon I publish the next chapter please let me know, except you are already tagged :-)

Tagging: @true--north @annaofthenorthernlights @dronning-formynder05

[itcamefromthetoybox]

DOLLLLLLS IN SPAAAAAAACE!!!

So continuing from last week’s review, we’re going to keep up our review on Barbie dolls. Why? Because the upcoming movie looks so great, so this is how I’m handling my enthusiasm, so I don’t talk my wife’s ear off! This week, we’re looking at one of my personal favorite dolls from the franchise, “Space Discovery Astronaut Barbie!”

The “Space Discovery” line, as you can probably guess from the name, is a line of Barbie products focusing on space. You’ve got space stations, small space ship playsets for child dolls to play in, and even science classrooms focusing on space. That’s a lot of space stuff, and as someone who loves him some space toys, I am thrilled!

The doll we’re looking at today, Astronaut Barbie, comes in two varieties: white Barbie and black Barbie. Both dolls come with the same outfit and accessories, and they both have the same levels of articulation, so let’s dive in!

Each doll is posed standing at attention, with slight bends in their arms. They’ve got the standard Barbie articulation: moving arms and legs, and ball-joint necks. So pretty much what you’d expect from a Barbie doll.

You would not believe how hard it was to get a picture without massive amounts of glare on the helmets.

The dolls have the standard Barbie bodies, like you’d expect. There is one big thing to note here, though. Normally, people think of Barbies as having big arches in their feet, like they’re wearing eternal high heels. In fact, one of the big scenes from the first Barbie trailer puts focus on Barbie’s foot having that arch, and a later trailer makes a big deal out of Barbie no longer having that arch. So considering how much I’ve been talking about the arch in Barbie’s foot, you can probably guess what I’m about to say: “Barbie has no foot arch.” Well, you’d be wrong. What I’m actually gonna say is that the arch, which still present, is slighter than what people would expect. 

That annoying moment when you misplace your shoe before work.

This is actually the case with a lot of modern day Barbie dolls. The reason is so your Barbie can wear different shoes and outfits without having to do a different leg mold for each Barbie. While some dolls do have the classic high arch and others have completely different leg designs, this lower arch is actually more common in modern day dolls. So if you haven’t bought the dolls for ages, this could be something useful to know. It also means you can grab most dolls and expect the different outfits sold separately to fit just fine.

The black and white Barbies do have different heads and hair textures/haircuts, which is great. The main thing I want to talk about here is the hair texture. The black doll has softer, curly hair, while the white Barbie has stiffer, straight hair. It’s a huge difference in texture, and leads to one of my few issues with Astronaut Barbie. The blonde hair feels like straw. It’s stiff and dry to the touch, like someone used way too much bleach for too long.

Barbies pose for their company photo IDs.

Now, let’s talk outfits. Astronaut Barbie wears a smooth spacesuit with a very nice amount of detailing on them. I love how the suits look and feel. They’re shiny, smooth to the touch, and covered with detailing that really adds to the look without being too much. It’s the right amount of detailing. The suits also have space program logos on the chests, which is a really nice touch.

Astronaut Barbie has a pair of large, plastic gloves and boots. The gloves have slits down the back to make it easier to put them on Barbie and to let them better go over the sleeves of the space suits, but the slits don’t close all the way and some of the sleeves can stick out of the slits as a result of this. The boots are very thick, which I really like, and even fit under the suit legs. Getting them on and off is a challenge because they are very stiff, which can be a little bit of a pain, but I do love the boots. They have a lot of sculpted details, which look really great will definitely excite kids. Also, the boots are treaded on the bottoms, which helps the doll stand on her own without the need for a stand.

Barbie also comes with a space helmet that’s made of two pieces that clip together over the doll’s head. The helmet looks great, but it also brings us to the second issue I have with the doll. The helmet doesn’t fit tightly over the doll’s head, so it’s loose and flops around. The other issue is from how the helmet clips together. Since the dolls have hair, the hair can get caught in the helmet and stick out of the top and sides. It can take a good amount of fiddling to get the hair completely in the helmet.

Barbie comes with four accessories: a small flag and three astronaut ice cream sandwiches. The flag has a little clip on it that lets Barbie hold it in her hand, but it can be a bit of a challenge to fit the clip on the gloves. I often just wedge it onto the glove’s thumb and hope it doesn’t fall off. 

We claim the moon in the name of the Barbie Empire!

The astronaut ice cream sandwiches actually bring us to my third and final complaint: Barbie has no way to hold those at all, so you’re probably gonna lose them like I did. That’s a shame, because astronaut ice cream is one of my favorite things ever. I would kill for an astronaut ice cream sandwich right now, in fact. So delicious.

Behold, one of humanity’s greatest achievements!

“Space Discovery Astronaut Barbie” goes for about $17 and can be found at most retailers. She’s recommended for ages 3+, but do keep in mind that both versions of the doll come with very small accessories that can fit in the throats and noses of both kids and very dumb adults, so use your best judgement there. Would I recommend this toy? Absolutely. Space is freaking awesome, and the idea of a Barbie that explores space is really awesome. I feel like this doll and the theme itself is one that everyone, kids and adults alike, would love. Definitely don’t be afraid to grab this doll. Next week, we’ll be looking at a more collector-aimed doll as we continue our look at Barbie. So come back and take a look at what’s happening! This is JS signing off and wishing you Happy Toy Hunting!

[stellamancer]

OH NIKU. DEAR NIKU. I AM HERE FOR THE SHIP GAME. FOR YOU AND GOOJ. 😍🌌 !!!!!

OF COURSE YOU ARE WILLOW. OF. FUCKING. COURSE. YOU ARE!!!!

Name your three favorite things about your f/o

WHADDAHAIL WILLOW!! I AM SHAKING YOU AND I KNOW YOU ARE SENDING ME THAT HE HE HE EMOTE YOU ALWAYS LIKE TO SEND ME ON DISCO!!!

UGH. fine. One, his eyes. I mentioned it in Merms' answer but I'm fucking weak to a man with glowing eyes and I know you've seen his eyes and. Yeah. Beautiful. Entrancing. I could stare at them all day and he's tease me for it.

Okay, two, I know he's infuriating and so full of himself, and like as much as I say that I hate it, I also love it. It's terrible, he'd tease me and make fun of me and I'd fight back and argue and what-have-you like the true tsundere that I am, but I'd get a thrill out of it LMAO. I like a good fight. Unfortunately, he'd either always win or let me win.

Finally, and finally, this is actually the first thing I thought of, but I think that this most logically the best thing that goes last. But the thing I like most about Gojo is that I think he could handle me at my absolute worse, and I don't mean like, depressive episodes, but like, I've got a fair amount or rage inside my little niku body, and I have never really truly... let that out, but I think Gojo could handle it if I just let that all out.

(And if you want my completely honest opinion, I think the only other like fictional guy who probably could handle that is Bakugou.)

What was your first date like?

OKAY. Continuing from Erika's ask. So the next 'first' date is that, after continuing to run into one another, we end up exchanging LINE iDs. I don't really think much of it because I just see it as a way to exchange information better. It's easier to find good sweets shops with four (uh TEN?? EYES??? his six eyes plus my 4 (my eyeballs and glasses)) eyes than two. We end up intentionally meeting up at a wagashi shop that's opening up.

I still don't know it's a date. There was no label on it after all. So how would I know? LMAO.

[celinamarniss]

The chapter continues...

(previously on)

“Oh, I’m sorry, little friend,” Luke said. “We didn’t forget about you.” When he crouched down the child reached out a hand to poke at his face. “Where did you come from, huh?” 

“I was tasked to return this little one to his people,” Din said. “The Jedi.” 

Luke looked up, his eyes startlingly blue. “The Jedi?”

“Yeah. He has strange powers—I don’t understand them. I was told that he belonged with the Jedi, so I’ve been trying to find them.” Until the moment that Mara had magicked her weapon right off his belt, Din wasn’t entirely sure whether all the Jedi were the same species as the child or not. “Are you one of the Jedi, too?” 

Luke chuckled as if Din had made a joke. “I’m a Jedi too. The Jedi who trained me reminds me of this youngling, actually. He was a great master of the Force.” The child blinked up at him and cooed. 

Luke looked back up at Din. “The Jedi have ways of talking to each other, mind to mind. Would you mind if I spoke to your child this way?” 

“Is it dangerous?” 

“It shouldn’t be. I won’t do anything he doesn’t want to do.” 

“Yeah, okay.” 

“Thank you.” Luke smiled that disarming smile again and settled on the floor, his legs crossed, hands resting lightly on his knees. The child mirrored him, his ears tipping from side to side as he wiggled into position. Luke took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The child did the same. 

Quiet fell in the Razor Crest hold, only the soft hum of electronics filling the silence. Din wasn’t sure what he was meant to do. Moments passed. The sound of leather and armor rubbing against each other when he shifted into a more comfortable position leaning against the wall of the hold, made him wince. It didn’t disturb the two motionless figures on the floor, and silence settled through the ship once more. 

The sound of the fresher door clicking open and sliding aside broke the quiet. A hand braced against the doorframe, Mara stepped out of the fresher. She looked down at her husband, still communing silently with the child, and then back up at Din. The color had returned to her face and she looked better than she had when she’d fled into the fresher. 

Crossing her arms, she leaned against the doorframe and met his gaze. “Mando. That’s not really your name.” 

“It’s not,” Din agreed, and when he declined to offer any further information, she didn’t press him. Jedi could read minds, couldn’t they? That’s what the rumors always said. Mind benders, who could pluck a thought right out of your head. The thought made him half-wish he hadn’t brought them aboard his ship in the first place. 

“Who put the bounty on my head?” she asked. It wasn’t the question Din had expected, but perhaps he should have, given what her husband had said while Mara was unconscious. 

Speaking of her husband—Din found himself looking over to where the two figures sat on the floor. Neither Luke or the child seemed disturbed by the conversation going on in the hold; both remained perfectly still, their eyes closed to the world around them. 

“They’re fine,” Mara said, following his gaze. “They can’t hear us.” 

“Do you know that because of your…Jedi powers?” 

Mara snorted. “Sure.” 

“That’s not an answer.” 

Mara sighed and tilted her head back at the pair. “If anything was wrong, I think we’d both know it. But Luke knows what he’s doing.” The corner of her mouth curled up.  “And he’s just thrilled to meet a Force-sensitive kid.” 

Din wasn’t sure what that meant. “Okay.” 

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said. “Who put the bounty on my head?” 

Din realized that sometime in the last hour he’d already decided not to cash in her puck, even if he wasn’t quite sure what he thought about the Jedi. 

“The bounty was posted by Geefa Tarks.”

“Crimson Dawn.” She snorted. “They’ll pay for that.” 

Her response was so mater-of-fact that Din just stared at her for a long moment. The Crimson Dawn had declined dramatically since the height of its power in the late days of the Empire, but the syndicate was still known for its viciousness, even as diminished and fragmented as it was now. Din tried to avoid pissing off anyone who had Crimson Dawn ties. That Mara seemed to think she could take on the a member of that syndicate had Din once again reassessing the puck’s insistence that his target was so dangerous that a direct approach was strongly discouraged. 

Either that or the Jedi were crazier than he’d thought. 

“Alright,” he finally managed. 

[orchideous-nox]

18, 25, 27, 28, 36, 38, 49, 55, 68, 72, 74 and 79 for the fan fiction writing asks < 3

Ooooh boy okay this is gonna be a long one!

18 - Do you enjoy research? Which fic of yours required the most research?

I think it depends on the topic, I enjoyed research for the Wolfstar cowboy fic like looking at difference places in the States to find a setting and getting to know American equestrian terms as a Brit. It was very different for the pirate Wolfstar fic though because that was a lot of research about ships at the time and names for different sails and the layout and jobs on a ship and laws at the rough time its set.

25 - What’s your favorite part of the writing process (worldbuilding, brainstorming/outlining, writing, editing, etc)?

Right away, definitely not editing. Hate it with a burning passion. I love writing but I can find it a bit stressful at times but I love coming up with the initial concept. I'm not much of a planner though so anything more than a paragraph gets boring for me.

27 - What area of writing do you feel strongest in?

So fun fact, I'm terrible as assessing my own strengths. Editing is not my strong point though I can tell you that, I notoriously have one typo left in every fic/chapter somehow when I post it. Writing description can be a bit boring but I love writing dialogue. I will sometimes write just the dialogue like a script and then hate myself because I have to go fill in the descriptive bits between it which feels like a chore.

28 - What area of writing do you want to improve in?

I'd love to improve at varying my writing style, I don't know how it comes across to the readers but I sometimes feel I write with a very similar style across all of my fics. I experimented a bit with gothic for one fic and it was relatively well received so I'd love to be able to expand a bit and play about more with genre and style.

36 - What fic are you proudest of?

This is a tough question, I'm going to pick two for the sake of my own sanity. First is think i need someone older because it was my first multi-part fic and it has done better than I could have dreamed of considering I thought of the idea when I was falling asleep after reading Wolfstar smut until 2am. The other is it's never just coffee because I really struggled with parts of writing it but I was so proud after it was done. It was entirely an indulgence in my love for Rosekiller and the comments I got on it were so wonderful!

38 - What is your most self-indulgent posted story?

I'd have to say looking at you got me thinking christmas because I just wanted to write about Remus dressed as Santa (the birth of Moony Claus, who I'm sure will return later in 2024) fucking Sirius and I had so much fun writing it.

49 - What fic of yours would you say is the best introduction to you as a writer?

Right off the bat, I have to say think i need someone older because it just feels like the fic I always go back to in my head trying to find whatever magic I managed to put in there. I had so much fun writing Wolfstar as cowboys and diving deeper into the characters. I also want to say once the thrill expired though because it was the first one-shot that I wrote where I had a genuine investment in trying to convey emotions inspired by a song, which has just expanded for me as a concept and is now how most of my fics come about.

55 - Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

This is a really fucking good question. I seem to be a sucker for writing some hurt/comfort second chances but I can't particularly think of any words or expressions I use a lot but if anyone does know any and fancies making me regrettably self-aware then do let me know. As for settings, I love to keep it as vague as possible in terms of city or region (except its usually England) unless the setting is important like with the band au, cowboy au and pirate au where setting mattered. I would say because I write a lot of smut a common setting is "bed" but that's just not even true, I've made these idiots fuck in bathrooms, against walls, trucks, on sofas, in a barn.

68 - Are there any fics that influenced you to write the way you do?

So I've mentioned in a post waaaay back but my idea to write a cowboy Woflstar fic came after reading a few cowboy wolfstar fics but primarily Boot Scootin' Baby by cancerravenclaw. Other than this, I try and keep the way I write as authentic to me as possible and avoid fics too similar to my concepts so like I've never read another band au (the closest I've come is The Cadence of Part-Time Poets like the last chunk) and I've never read a pirate au to my knowledge. There are writers who inspire me though, I love greenvlvetcouch, damagecontrol and the absolute loml who asked this massive list of questions futurequibblerjournalist/heartnipnops/Alex who is a bit of a saint when it comes to me and my writing. We bounce ideas off each other and I send him bits of my fics to test if they're shit and apparently they never are so idk if I should trust his judgement. He's also going to be like "Katie urgh wtf" for saying he inspires me but it's true < 3

72 - What’s your favorite writing compliment you’ve gotten?

Because I'm mean, I love when people cry. At my fics, not in general....usually. I have a folder of screenshots on my phone of my favourite comments for a little ego boost (it's a lot of Alex crying and typing essays in my comments ngl). I get complimented on my smut a lot which is honestly so...idk, I don't quite have the words which is ironic really. Receiving compliments on my writing has been quite the journey for me, I used to cry whenever someone said something nice and I still struggle to accept people genuinely like my fics.

74 - Do you have a fic you wish got a bit more love?

I'm assuming this means my fics? Trying to word this with without sounding ungrateful for the love this fic got but yes absolutely it's never just coffee but that's just how writing Rosekiller seems to go. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE writing Wolfstar and the occasional Jegulus but I wish Rosekiller got the same love from the fandom. I spent about a month straight working on it's never just coffee and I'm so grateful for the love it has received but I feel it's just better written than some of the pwp one-shots I post.

79 - Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

This is going to sound so hypocritical after that answer but honestly, just write what you love to write and not just what people want you to write. Write what you want, when you want, as often as you want. Once you start writing for others you lose the passion you start out with. Fic writing is a hobby and not a job, if you stop loving it then it becomes a chore with no gratification. Even if it means you write something you think no-one will read, write it anyway if its something you love. Oh, and consider therapy.

Well, I just rewrote War and Peace so thank you for those all though provoking questions < 3

[hopetorun]

“↻ pick a fic and a different ship and I’ll tell you how I’d rewrite it” LOOK okay hear me out—it’s just that i would commit actual crimes and maybe even a light murder or two for your take on arranged marriage mattdrai my liege

okay first of all sorry it took me a while to get to this! i needed to let it rotate slowly on the 7-11 hot dog roller in the back of my mind because this is clearly a full au type of setting, which isn't my default.

all that said mattdrai is a perfect pairing for arranged marriage, for me, because the slow progression of learning that they can get along, that they actually have so much in common, that maybe they can make each other better ... that's the perfect stuff for arranged marriage.

there's a few different angles, obviously, and of them i think the one i like best is a political marriage situation, where there's a peace treaty, maybe, between two small nation-states in this fictional world i am going to be building on the fly. it’s not quite a war, nothing that serious, but there’s trouble brewing at the borders. it’s enough to be concerned about.

and there’s a history of bad blood, i think, or at least contentious blood. and god knows matthew and leon have done their parts to keep it going. getting into it at any opportunity. if they can compete, they will, and they will make a big deal about it.

in the broader political situation, leon’s family (something something edmonton) is losing ground. not a lot, not by much, but they have the weaker bargaining position. so that’s how leon ends up shuffled off to matthew’s family home (something something calgary) and married to matthew.

obviously, neither of them is thrilled about it. but they’re both loyal and dutiful and stubborn, so it happens. there’s a lot of glaring, but vows are exchanged and treaties are signed. consummation does not occur, but what other people don’t know won’t hurt them. they’re both perfectly good liars.

being married is no reason to stop being competitive, though. fencing. riding. making the servants like them. hunting. you name it. both of them are, of course, having a lot of fun with it and there is, of course, a lot of sexual tension that they don’t act on.

rounding the story out there’s probably a sexual tension filled dance at some point, maybe a kidnapping or something. someone definitely gets to yell BECAUSE I LOVE YOU during a spat. maybe some spiteful kissing. the works, yk.

[practically-an-x-man]

4, 7, 9, 14, 16, 18, and 21 for the OC ship ask game with Four and Aces (because Your Honor I love them) <3

ahhh thank you so much!! Love these two, this will be fun!

answers under the cut :D

4. Who initiates affection? Why does the other not initiate affection as much?

Okay, Billy just radiates confidence, and he's basically a golden retriever in human form. Definitely him. But they're both comfortable with physical affection and both initiate it pretty often - as you've seen in Desert Song, they're really comfortable around one another even before they get into an official relationship. Affection is usually more reserved for private moments, but it's abundant in those moments.

7. How often do they say “I love you”?

Relationships are a little taboo among the Ghosts, even if One has loosened the reins a bit after the events of the movie itself. Neither of them say it very much in public. But they make up for it in private

9. What do they dislike most about the other? Why?

Billy hates how Quinn refuses to accept her limits. She'll push herself too hard (usually because she's afraid she won't match up to the others), end up hurt, and he hates to see her hurt. She knows her limits, but still forces herself past them, and he wishes she'd take care of herself better than that.

Billy throws himself 150% into everything he does, and Quinn worries that it'll end up biting him in the ass. Think about chapter 3 of Desert Song: he offers to leave the Ghosts for her if One decides to kick her off the team, and she hates how willing he is to throw everything away just for her. She worries that one day, one of his leap-before-you-look decisions is going to end with him hurt, or destroying his future, or whatever else.

14. Do they enjoy PDA, or are they more private with affection?

Pretty private. Like I said before, relationships aren't quite allowed in the Ghosts. Everyone knows they're together and nobody really has a problem with it, but they're still a little cautious all the same. For some, it can be hard to tell whether they're in a relationship or are just especially-close friends (to be fair, they're kinda both). The one time Billy gets especially affectionate in public is if someone acts like an asshole towards Quinn (ESPECIALLY if they're a transphobic asshole), he'd jump to her defense so fast.

16. Would they ever get matching tattoos? If yes, what would these look like?

Actually, that would be really cool. They both have a fair amount of tattoos (though Quinn has more than Billy), so I think they'd be in favor of the idea. As far as the design, they'd probably get designs based on each others' rooftop names: Billy would get an ace of spades, Quinn would get a set of wings (or something along those lines). They definitely wouldn't be the type to get each others' names tattooed, they'd go for something more subtle.

18. How do they care for each other when one of them is wounded/sick?

...wait and see. It'll pop up a few good times in Desert Song. Hurt/comfort is one of my favorites to write.

21. Do they enjoy domestic life?

In moderation. They both have this inescapable need for excitement and adventure, so fully settling down isn't something that either of them would really enjoy. That chronic sticky-finger syndrome, as Quinn says, they need thrill in their lives. But in between missions, recovering, absolutely. The quiet moments are few and far between sometimes, but they'd definitely spend those moments with each other

[karlyanalora]

Hi, I recently found the post you made awhile ago talking about Burns family ships while looking for Graham/Amy stuff, and you mentioned writing a fic set ten years after the show ends. I don't know how long ago that was, but would you mind sharing more about that fic, I'm personally very intrigued.

Ah yes! It might not be happening anymore, but here were some of my plans.

It would have been part of a crossover involving both Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. A lot of work had gone into setting up how DC, Marvel, and Star Wars coexist earlier in the series (that part I am still planning to write) before Transformers entered the picture (which probably won't happen anymore.)

The year is 2025. The Batmobile is a Decepticon OC of mine named LS. IDW based Drift is partnered with Nightwing. IDW based Red Alert is also partnered with Red Robin. TFP Soundwave is partners with Black Bat. Whirl Sr. and Harley Quinn are partners too.

The Coruscant Guard (who are alive after Order 66 due to some Marvel based shenanigans) have moved to Gotham and work with the GPD. Also, Mandalore has an embassy in Gotham because they think the city is neat. (It's trying to kill them, just like home!)

Chief Burns had grown up in Gotham. His mom had run away from home (Griffin Rock) for love, but her husband turned out to be a jerk and left her and the kids. She died from an illness, and Charlie joined a gang to put bread on the table. Charlie killed a man from a rival gang in self-defense at the young age of 16. Woodrow was worried for his bro, and in an age before Batman, reached out to my oc hero Foxglove. Foxglove in turn reached out to Jim Gordon's dad, who took in the two Burns boys.

After reconnecting with his grandfather and losing his wife to Crime Alley, Chief moved to Griffin Rock. But Dani, Kade, and Graham are old enough to remember and consider Gotham home.

Kade is also Babara Gordon's favorite cousin.

The year is 2025, and Babs is getting married to Dick Grayson. Kade thinks his cousin can do much better than that bimbo and is very vocal about it. Babs invites Kade to come and see why she's not settling.

Dani has also been dating a guy online named Thire, who works for the GPD. He's let her know he's got some "interesting life facts" he'd like to share in person, and she knows she'll have to tell him about Blades if things are going to get serious. But her Uncle Jim says Thire is a real good guy so she's not too worried.

The We Are Robin has also started and is not going away. They are joined by the Blanks, a group of anonymous young clones going behind their older brothers' backs to protect their new home in Gotham. Commissioner Gordon calls in Chief Burns to negotiate with the teens to find an agreement the adults can live with.

So this gets Chief, Dani, Kade, and Heatwave in Gotham for a visits.

Dani has a very fun date with Thire, who is a clone. Fox, Chief, and Gordon have way to much fun running into the couple and Fox gives Thire a hard time about it in a teasing way.

It is revealed Blades is like a dad to Drift, and Drift was like a dad to Wedge back when he was Deadlock. There is much angst as Drift frets about his past. It's a whole thing to convince him Blades will still love him. Blades and Wedge are both thrilled to be reunited with Drift.

Whirl Sr. and Whirl Jr. also have a wonderful reunion.

Kade learns he saved Ketsu Onyo once years ago and she finds that hot. He gets a date out of it. He can't help it her kid is adorable! (She was at the Embassy when Kade came to visit.)

Also, somehow, the Burns somehow get included in the "We know who Batman is" club.

As for more normal stuff? Cody and Frankie are married. So are Graham and Amy. Might be a few grandkids. Chief still hasn't managed to retire yet. Cody is a paramedic, but he feels his calling might not be in rescue work.

Yeah. So that's a bunch of thoughts I had. Here's a fic I wrote to lay the groundwork for some of it.

[khalixvitae]

making clothes, especially alternative clothes, IS fun. the process of creation is the most gratifying part me thinks! however i refused to get stencils because i was like lmfao im already an artist ill just go big or go home and spent 3 hours handpainting the font designs alone onto it which really effed me in my a. getting into the act of DIY 😰 i inhaled the fabric paint so much i swear i had a communion with god and he was slapping me in the face with a wet halibut. i really do get why brands who handmake their unique items price it so high because it requires so much attention and time and id love to support them but i am like... shit fuck poor.... :-///

and if it's not the price of the item or shipping that's the problem then it's the fact that it's literally discontinued. nada. it's been out of stock for years so i can't buy it from them and anyone who sells their originals price it absurdly high. again i can see why (kinda) but i just can't afford it so i might as well learn a thing or two by making it myself! hopefully, and eventually, i will be able to design my own ambitious articles.

my vision for my too-ambitious ass is those madame chocolat shirts. they are so ostentatious and they'd probably give me hell trying to make them but if i CAN do it my ego will be so big plus ill have a cool shirt!!!!

as for rookvil x yuu poly, i imagine it'd be all the better if yuu, either, did not know who they were and thus did not allow the illusion of their fame place them on a pedestal from the get go, or they do know them, and they don't make a very big deal out of it. how fascinating! these two are models more iconic than shalom harlow, than naomi campbell, than kate moss, cindy crawford, christy turlington, claudia schiffer-- you get the gravity of it! yet their nonchalance serves to be even more invigorating than the bustle of the fashion industry.

and if yuu was ardently passionate about the craft and artistry of fashion! they'd be positively enthused by the admiration for the arts many big brands fail to have kept alive. you don't want your designs to be twisted by the sick hand of fast fashion? don't want large brands to piggie back ride off your geniusry? fine. be their one and only designer. design haute couture pieces vil peacocks out on the runway with cutting confidence and striking charisma like no one else can even muster. design avant garde pieces with creative vision rook's theatrical passion will surely complement and even amplify to stun the audience into a stupor at the ingenuity of. design alternative items that would fit them and only them and they will ensure you will have what you want. the claim to your art, the opportunity for greatness, the means to a comfortable life, endless time in their company. isn't it thrilling? to think these two practically have your name on them pretty much all the time, even if save for the days they model for different brands? the paparazzi goes wild upon seeing the two in your innovation.

and sure, their measurements have been taken countless times for past items, but each and every one has to be to a T! they certainly don't complain about their schedules or any of the sort when being roped into another hour long measurements session. yea, they're used to being measured upon modeling for certain items, but never for the sole intent that they are the only ones privy to such privilege-- never for such earnest determination to fulfill their desires and tastes and give them something to remember whilst also having your own artistic ambitions brought to life by them!

urgk. they make me insane in the membrane. i remember i once didn't sleep or eat for 2 days because my magnetic autistic aura compelled me to watch every gothic haute couture runway ever without any break. when you combine the idea of that and a favorite character i go absolutely livid. they haunt my every waking thought and action PLEASE help

Hello dear anon! I’ve had a negative social battery recently so I’ve been easing back into interacting with the world, but this is quite literally the BEST way to reintroduce myself to society. So many things to unpack here, all of them sublimely inspiring. On the topic of paint fumes and communing with the divine- I have also been there ! I can definitely understand your drive to hand paint rather than stencil though, I’m the same way. And finishing a difficult design is SUCH an ego boost I completely agree.

And as for the RookVil poly, I agree !!! A designer who doesn’t really make a big deal out of their statuses would be fascinating! Like sure Yuu realizes they’ve just found their most glorious muses yet, and are in awe of RookVil for their dedication and commitment to the craft, but they don’t alienate RookVil as if they’re untouchable superstars from another planet yk? There’s a kind of comfort the three would find in working together- no one else seems to understand their intense devotion to their respective arts. Yuu can keep measuring, keep realigning, keep tweaking designs until it’s absolutely perfect, and the two models won’t mind at all. For Rook, he finds a deep joy in watching Yuu work so passionately. There’s so much love for their craft in everything they do, and he feels honored to witness it. For Vil, he admires their work ethic and just how critical they can be. It’s not often that he finds someone as particular as he is about their respective art. He loves knowing that Yuu takes it all seriously, not just in the name of their reputation, but because Yuu knows what kind of quality aloty they’re capable of producing. But that also means that the two will urge Yuu to have breaks, to eat and sleep and be a human outside of their studio (and since the two models also need to fulfill those basic needs, why not as the three of them?). They take care of one another- at a certain point in the relationship, it clearly became more personal than work related. None of them really know when it happened- but once Yuu finds themself in the lavish living room of RookVil’s home, the three watching some movie Rook had insisted on playing but instead talking and laughing about everything except what was on the screen, they realize just how far from the professional path the arrangement has strayed. I am also. Fucking insane about this.

And also! I really really get being immersed in an interest that deeply anon😭😭😭 I will say that keeping snacks in my room helps when I fall down those rabbitholes. Sleeping is something I also have trouble with when I’m being plagued by demons (autism) but snacks in room can help work around the eating portion at least for me ! <3

[humantome]

hi hello!

i'm max or tome and this is my self-ship blog!

i'm very new to self-ship as a whole so please bear with me as i start my first steps into this lovely community

(bio, s/i and f/o info below!)

. . .

- self / self inserts -

Maxwell (real life!!!!)

he/they

adult

5'4"

hobbyist musician, writer and artist!! aspiring botanist <3

catch me falling for any fictional masked man out there

main / system blog @mindscapers

Orange (Among Us)

#🕹️;; ''i am the willing victim of a cannibal!''

crewmate extraordinaire & head of communications!

managed to convince the super scary shapeshifting imposter to NOT eat his crew and instead kiss him sloppy and hide undercover as a human with him on polus

will talk about retro video games for hours if given the chance and that is a threat. loves old handhelds, never leaves his dormitories without a gameboy color or gameboy advance sp

he/him

Maxwell (Lethal Company)

#🪐;; ''...and i stared back into them in a fearful trance''

a goofy and fun-loving botanist, who turned to working for the company to pay off his student debts. LOVES cracking jokes, but a nervous wreck when monsters are involved....

determined to keep his crewmates safe and to always meet quota no matter the risk! most likely in the group to run in with a shovel to save their crew, no matter how afraid

has a curiosity with the bracken ever since learning of it's botanical origins.... gains a bit of a crush on that plant monster after being stalked around the facility one too many times

he/him

. . .

- fictional others -

Simon Jarrett (SOMA)

#🌊;; ''take me back home‚ let me know that you're human''

MY ROBOT LOVERBOY... a human turned into AI, sent a hundred years into the future after the apocalypse

some of the last surviving evidence of humanity and hating every second of it

24/7 identity crisis! he needs a hug and he needs one badly. i for one am settling for kisses

he/him

Cyan (Among Us)

#🌠;; ''you're an enemy who i'm keen to defend!''

most lovable shapeshifting alien around!!

one of two impostors that took over our ship but he got better <3

we worked together to expose our crew member red for murder and got him thrown out the airlock

shhh the murdering stopped after that so the crew doesn't have to know that cyan caused like half of those deaths they can think he's human shhhhhhhh

he/it

Tardif (Darkest Dungeon)

#📜;; "i can fill your heart with something new"

also known as the bounty hunter!

a quiet yet intimidating loner.... no past and no future... he will hunt down anyone and everyone, for a price

...but i think he's secretly a big softie who's afraid of vulnerability and loves animals and likes to bake cookies because i'm INSANE

also very, very british

he/him

. . .

- fictional crushes -

The Bracken (Lethal Company)

#🌿;; ''with eyes as white as the moons...''

♪ he was a plant... i was a gardener.... can i make it any more obvious... ♪

has all of the best qualities of a monster boyfriend!

it could kill you in an instant. it's SHY! it lurks and follows from the shadows. IT HAS A CUTE LITTLE GROWL. it's territorial and protective. IT PURRS!!!!!

i would spritz it with water twice daily and sunbathe with it and prune its leaves and and and-

it/he

The Merchant (Resident Evil 4: Remake)

#💎;; ''oh‚ i'm in love with a stranger...''

GIVING HIM ALL MY MONEY <3

funny british pirate man likes to sell me guns and herbs

probably infected with the plaga but who doesn't like that?

no one knows his real identity behind that mask (and i want to pull it off him and find out) ((maybe kiss him along the way))

he/they

HUNK (Resident Evil)

#⚰️;; "kiss me‚ kill me‚ catch me‚ thrill me!"

his code name is HUNK, standing for "human unit never killed"

but to me? that's HUNK as in "god DAMN is he a hunk!"

no one knows anything about him, except for that almost every mission he's been on, every member of team died or never returned... except for one sole survivor, being himself

this also earned him the title of "the grim reaper".... but i think his title really should be "my boyfriend"

he/him

. . .

- familial f/o's -

Builderman (ROBLOX)

#🛠️;; "what will you build?"

obligatory "builderman is my dad" joke

the co-founder of the ROBLOX platform! he's a friendly (and heavily overworked) construction worker...

he loves his job so much but good GOD does ROBLOX need to give him a break. always makes it a point to be kind to the younger userbase despite the circumstances

(HE'S A CHARACTER I PROMISE MY FATHER IS NOT THE ACTUAL DAVID BASZUCKI)

he/him

. . .

all for now, thank you for stopping by!