#apparently I had a lot more going on in my tags than I initially thought

[cosmic-evening]

ᯓ★ high school reunion

ex bf!oikawa x gn!reader

a/n: you meet oikawa again at your high school reunion. second chance romance, iwaizumi & mattsun & makki features, minor profanities. probably ooc.

pt.2 of this drabble

hq m.list | gen m.list

this was all iwaizumi's fault, and you were going to punch him later.

walking down the halls of aoba johsai, the school you once went to, was nostalgic and distressing at the same time. they've changed the locker layout, you note. and the graffiti that was once on the wall is gone too.

you try not to notice that your initials, next to OT, was gone too.

you didn't even want to come. as much as you enjoyed your time at aoba johsai, there were some memories you would rather not relive. but iwaizumi, persistent as ever, convinced you to tag along.

and it was nice, you supposed, to see mattsun and makki again.

but you hadn't realised—and neither did iwa, apparently—that a certain brown-haired individual was here as well.

in iwaizumi's defence, he had thought oikawa was still in argentina.

it's outside the history classroom when your eyes meet a pair of chocolate-brown ones.

the memories come rushing back.

"y/n, i've been accepted in the argentinean volleyball club."

"tooru, that's amazing! when did you find out?"

"last night. but y/n, you do know what this means, right?"

"what do you mean?"

"we can't be together anymore, y/n. i need to focus on my career, and the long distance will just make things harder."

...

"i'm sorry, y/n, i wish it didnt have to end this way—"

you feel as if your heart stops.

there's a lot of yelling at iwaizumi afterward.

"what the hell, iwa? you said he wouldn't be here today!"

mattsun and makki are snickering at iwaizumi's bewildered expression.

"what— he's not supposed to, he's supposed to still be in argentina—ow, stop hitting me!"

iwaizumi sounds sincere enough that you decide to believe him.

you take a deep breath.

"okay, now what do i do? it's not like i have a ride, i took the bus here—mattsun, stop laughing—"

"y/n, it's really not that big of a deal." iwa's voice is calming, allowing you time to breathe—right up until the meaning of his words sink in. but before you can interject angrily, he continues. "just go out there. i'll do my best to distract him, and you can hang out with makki, or something."

"hey." mattsun cuts in. "i'm here too, you know."

and when the four of you laugh, you decide that maybe you can do this.

you can't do this.

it's taking all of your self-control just to not look at him, let alone try and continue conversation with makki. you've lost count of how many times you've glanced over at tooru—and how many times he's met your eyes when you do.

unable to tear your eyes away from him, you decide to walk over to the food table.

you don't miss makki's sympathetic gaze as you walk away.

you're halfway drinking a glass of orange juice when you hear a familiar voice behind you.

"y/n?"

it's only by sheer luck that you don't spill your drink all over yourself.

you turn around.

"oikawa."

and he visibly deflates at the last name. you almost feel bad, but you force the feeling away.

"it's... been a while," he starts, a little hesitantly. like he's unsure about what he's doing. like he's unsure he should even be talking to you.

"it has, hasn't it?"

your voice comes out colder than expected. but you can't help it; you can't help the way conversation is stilted around him now, when it used to be so easy.

he winces.

"listen, y/n, i'm really sorry about high school—"

"oh, you're sorry, are you?" you know you're being unfair, but the hurt is seeping through the cracks now. the cracks that are still there, even after years without seeing him.

"please hear me out, y/n." there's a desperate tone in his voice that makes you falter. "i need you to know that i've never hated myself more than when i left you here in japan."

you're silenced by the intensity in his voice. you're frozen; you don't trust yourself enough to speak, and no matter how hard you fought it, a little bit of you wanted to hear him out.

"i was young, and naïve, and i thought argentina was my best bet in making it big in volleyball, you know? i left because i thought it would be for the best, but i never knew how much it would hurt to leave. i know it's been years, but please, y/n, if there's even a little bit of you that can forgive me, i'll take it. i swear, i've never missed someone as much as i've missed you."

and he bows his head, shoulders shaking slightly, avoiding your gaze.

but the breaking point?

the point when your resolve breaks is when you see tears running down his cheeks.

and suddenly your hatred for him dissipates, just like that.

even after all these years, and you still have a soft spot for him.

when you leave the reunion with a now-unblocked number in your phone, you only have iwaizumi to thank.

[utilitycaster]

Do you think this episode is so boring because they brought back the Nein and reminded us how good they are? I keep thinking about this as I'm absently watching this episode, saw your post and would love to hear your thoughts on it. Because like, at least to me, most villains this campaign are painfully boring. But the Weave Mind are also boring. That was fine, M9 handled it perfectly and I loved it. Ludinus is arguably the only kinda interesting bad guy and a PC's mom is in mortal danger and I can't manage to care.

I don't find Ludinus and the Weave Mind boring! I don't find Liliana boring either! And I found Ozo Cruth and Otohan Thull DREADFULLY boring but actually, the fights with them are pretty fucking great. I mean, I have a LOT of criticism about the first Otohan fight that boils down to "this was EXCEPTIONALLY poorly signaled and I'd be PISSED if my character was killed for someone else's arc at this point in the story" but Otohan being boring is about the non-combat elements; she felt very real and compelling as a THREAT, just, she could have been a giant blender of magic knives that the party was going to be dumped in for all she had an impact on the story as a person. But I do think it is because we've seen the Mighty Nein and Vox Machina recently and remembered that they're orders of magnitude more compelling.

I think it's really like...I don't even want to say Bells Hells isn't bonded, but they lack something. I think I alluded to it in the tags of one of my posts but there's no banter between party members or sense of urgency. Like, I enjoyed the whole All-Minds-Burn/Myceit scenes a lot, actually, but after Imogen's initial (justified) panic the pacing felt unbelievably slow until we got to combat. I have found that really, for a good deal of the campaign, you have to kind of take things episode by episode and enjoy the good set pieces and scenes because it simply does not make for a pleasing and rewarding whole. The reason I didn't care about Liliana is, to be fair, partly because I think having her die would be an interesting development, but also because there wasn't a sense of "we can't stop and fuck around with mushrooms, LILIANA IS DYING" within the episode itself. No one was comforting Imogen as they ran through the tunnels. The Mighty Nein showed more personality and investment in the lead up to a fight that really, they had no more stake in other than the broad world-ending ones. As someone who's been playing a LOT of Veilguard which is all about building a close-knit team, and who's had VM and the Nein the past month to compare Bells Hells with, that lack is immediately apparent.

I said, over a year ago (possibly over two, I don't recall) now about one of the relationships in the campaign that it felt like when I see a single episode from a soap opera I don't follow. The actors are imbuing lines with emotion, but everything feels kind of disconnected. Like, this is all in a deeply subjective realm, I cannot give you a strong argument based on logic here as it's very much vibes-based, but I feel like when I watched this, my thought process was "BAFTA-winning Actor Laura Bailey is doing an excellent job of conveying the emotions 'terror and anguish over a dying relative' in this line read, and not "Imogen Temult, a character I've been familiar with since October 2021, is devastated over the potential demise of her mother.' " And I never had that issue with C1 and C2. Like, you can call it je ne sais quoi or the juice or the sauce or chemistry or the spark or whatever the fuck but Campaign 3/Bells Hells simply doesn't seem to have it for a huge number of people who have adored pretty much every other Critical Role work, and that means something. My personal thought is that it's because this has been such a plot-focused campaign without strong DM prepping of what kind of characters would be appropriately invested that we've had the problems we did (rampant indecision, lack of party chemistry due to lack of early opportunities to mingle and meld, lack of investment in each others' lives due to insufficient time focused on backstory-related plotlines), but I could be wrong, and ultimately the root cause isn't super important to this question, which is just. they don't have the it factor.

[cantwritethetword]

(2023) TickleTober Day 8: Alien - More Human Than You Think

Fic Descript - The Doctor maintains that being tickling is a strictly human thing. While Rory is quick to accept it, Amy knows him too well.

~A/N  - BLAME @carrie-tate FOR THIS HER 11TH DOCTOR ART HAS REIGNITED MY LOVE OF THIS TRIO AND INSPIRED ME TO WRITE THIS FIC (ngl heavily based on this art)

These guys were my first introduction to doctor who when I was like 8 so they are very very important to me I love them, so hopefully I write this well ^^

(also feel it's important for everyone to know that I watched this wonderful montage the whole time I was writing it lmao)

- Enoy! ~

Tag List: @fullsongphilosopher

Masterpost Link 

TickleTober Masterpost

"I keep thinking I'm used to you." Rory said with a light chuckle.

The Doctor popped up from where he was working. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked with a scrunched face, wielding a modified hair dryer and what looked like washing machine tablets.

Clearly the irony was lost on him.

The TARDIS needed a little TLC (in the Doctor's words), and so the team had taken the rare opportunity of peacefully floating through space to get some adjustments done. The Doctor was banging and tinkering at the console, Rory was watching, and Amy had gone to take a shower (because apparently she had no desire to listen to the Doctor's consistent yapping as he worked).

"Well, I've been here for long enough to feel like I know you." Rory explained. "But then you go do something... odd... And it's like the first day I met you all over again."

"Are you forgetting Rory," The Doctor half-shouted over the whirring of the hair dryer. "I'm an over 900 year old Time Lord from another planet, of course I'm odd. The best people are."

Rory softly tilted his head, taking a moment to fully appreciate that perhaps it was the overall circumstance that was weird rather than the person in front of him, before circling around the console closer to his friend.

"That looks better." The Doctor sat upright and clicked off his tool, turning to face Rory. "What do you think? After this I've just got a few more tweaks and we can be off again."

"You look human though." Rory continued from his previous train of thought. "You eat human food, you dress in human clothes, surely you aren't completely Alien."

"I'm just as Alien to you as you are to me." The Doctor chirped, scurrying over to the next stage in his TARDIS-repair plan.

As he moved, however, he failed to realise the space (or lack thereof) between his head and the edge of the console. He let out a tight-lipped groan as he rubbed the impact site on the top of his forehead.

"And you feel pain like us." Rory added, jumping to add the spontaneous example that would back up his point to the list.

The Doctor shot him an agitated look. "Don't they teach you bedside manner at your nursing job? I near enough break my skull and all you do is point out that we both feel pain? Most beings do!"

Rory, ignoring the Doctor's initial complaining and instead focusing on his last statement, nodded in contemplation. "I suppose they do..."

"I sUpPoSe tHeY- ugh..." The Doctor rolled his eyes, accepting that he wasn't getting any sympathy from the usually most sympathetic person on the TARDIS. "Any other questions? Or can I get back to doing something important."

"Hmm..." Rory scratched the back of his head. "Are you ticklish or anything?"

The Doctor froze momentarily, before jumping to his feet with a spin and a smile. "Nope, that's unique to you humans."

Rory gave him a doubtful but unsure look.

"Honestly, if anything you lot are the weird ones with your... hyperactive nervous systems... and... involuntary laughter responses..." The Doctor rambled, but his flow was a little more disjointed than usual.

"I guess so..." Rory nodded, but he still couldn't shake the memory of the Doctor's odd reaction.

But, there was little time to think about it.

"Has he bored you to death yet?" Amy said with a grin from the stairway.

"Hey!" The Doctor complained as Rory laughed. "I'm the most quality entertainment out there."

Rory opened his arm for Amy to tuck herself under it. "The Doctor was just telling me how weird we humans are."

Amy gave him a look. "You're one to talk Mr Bow-Tie."

The Doctor tugged on the aforementioned accessory. "Bow ties are-."

"Bow ties are cool, right." She finished for him, rolling her eyes. "My point still stands, how exactly are we the weird ones?"

As Rory opened his mouth, the Doctor jumped in first. "Well, weird might be a strong word. Humanity is wonderful and beautiful and terrible and strange and-"

"We're ticklish." Rory interrupted. "But that was the only example he could give me so I'm not sure I-"

"Oh you're not ticklish, Doctor?" Amy asked halfway through Rory's statement, but something in her grin made The Doctor suspect she knew the answer already.

"Uh..." The Doctor rubbed his neck. "Well I... Well..."

"He said it was just a human thing." Rory offered a response, oblivious to the rising tension surrounding the Doctor.

"Is it now?" Amy took a few steps closer to the Time Lord, her face trying to seem innocent and confused. "Just humans?"

The Doctor stumbled backwards, his hands fumbling over themselves. "Well, perhaps sometimes... some Time Lords may... may be a little more uh... susceptible to uh... to things like that."

Amy continued her devastatingly slow pursuit around the console of the TARDIS, leaving Rory on the opposite side. "And would you be one of them?"

Rory finally caught on as the Doctor backed up towards him. "Wait you lied to me?!"

"Rory it was nothing personal I just-" The Doctor babbled nervously, his hands now forming a semi-protective barrier between him and his pursuer.

Amy made eye contact with her husband, that evil grin still plastered on her face. "Rory, how do we feel about liars?"

Without a word, Rory stepped behind the Doctor and hooked his arms under the Doctor's shoulders.

"Waitwaitwaitwait no!" The Doctor shrieked, wriggling in Rory's hold. "Plehease!"

"Huh..." Amy paused, an inquisitive look on her face. "Humans normally wait for the tickling to start before we start laughing... Is that a Time Lord thing too?"

The Doctor whined. "Yohou know that's not truhue!"

Rory chuckled from behind. "You're not really in a position to talk about truth right now."

The Doctor was about to argue when Amy lunged, lightly scribbling her fingernails all over the poor Doctor's torso. He inhaled sharply, the effort of containing his reactions forcing out squeaking noises.

"Seems pretty ticklish to me." Rory commented, struggling with the sudden responsibility of keeping the Doctor upright.

Amy smirked, pausing her attack. "Oh, I don't know... He's not laughing anymore, maybe he was right..."

"I'm-" The Doctor panted out. "Always... right-"

Before he even had the chance to finish there were ten fingers digging under his armpits.

His eagerness to jump at the opportunity to talk after being unable to for the last ten seconds was exactly what Amy was counting on, and the sudden unexpected attack brought out a shriek of helpless cackles from the poor Doctor.

With a grin, Amy looked up at her husband. "Now this is what I'd call ticklish."

"OHOKAY FINE FINE FIHIHINE!" The Doctor yelped in between giggles. "I'M TICKLIHISH! JUST LET ME GOHOHO!"

Rory and Amy locked eyes, smirking.

"What do you think Rory?" Amy asked, letting her fingers skitter up and down the Doctor's bony ribcage. "Have we proved our point?"

Rory hummed in thought, drawing out his response to mess with the Time Lord as long as humanly possible. "I might be convinced, but he still hasn't apologised for lying..."

"I DIHIDN'T HAVE A CHOHOHOICE!!!"

Switching to drilling her thumbs into the Doctor's hip bones in response to his claim, Amy gave him a fake-confused look. "That doesn't sound like an apology."

Rory laughed, while the Doctor scrambled to put together something that sounded like speech through his laughter. "FIHIHINE OKAHAY I'M SOHOHORRY!"

Amy withdrew her fingers as Rory guided the Doctor to the floor, letting him rest his head on Rory's leg.

"I think you're more human than you think." Rory chuckled, patting the Doctor's shoulder.

"Right." The Doctor glared up at him, but there was a hint of softness behind his eyes. "Can we go now?"

[mimimui]

okay bllk boys as your not so bf was so good BUT IF you are willing to, could you do a sequel where reader either distances themselves or something along those lines

distance (doesn't) make the heart grow fonder (blue lock)

[ first part ] wherein you distance yourself from (character).

includes: isagi, bachira, chigiri, nagi, reo, rin

tags: one-sided, use of profanity, angst if you squint hard enough, boys annoyingly oblivious to reader's feelings, not proofread

a/n: (again) inspired by my not-so bf. i know the longing and mixed signals all too well :p this request has been collecting dust in my ask box but living rent-free in my head so .. enjoy !

you were always the one initiating conversations with isagi. not like you minded though, as long as you got to talk to him, you were happy. you can remember the first conversation you had with him as clear as day—you asked him which page the assignment was. you thought it was an absolutely brilliant plan to start talking to him regularly. it worked, obviously.

but then you noticed how dry his messages were. when you sent him three or four, he would reply back with one. isagi wasn't usually like this, no, he would return your energy all the time. it didn't bother you at first because you know he's busy with his sports, but his disinterest was getting more apparent.

you thought you were a bother to him; you thought you were annoying him, so you slowly stopped talking to him until neither of you spoke to each other at all. you stopped greeting him when you saw him, and you always saw his indifferent facial expression. uncaring, unconcerned.

it's like he forgot all about the conversations you shared. had he suddenly forgotten how close you two were? had he never cared about you? bullshit.

you waited for bachira to put his arm over your shoulders like he usually does, but he didn't today. you brushed it off, maybe he just wasn't feeling clingy yet. bachira always is touching you one way or another when you're together, but he suddenly stopped doing it.

you found it weird when he quickly retracted his hand from you when yours brushed against his. you also found it weird when he was suddenly leaning away from you in class, rather than leaning towards you. it was really weird when he was purposely standing far away from you. no matter how much you tried to get close, he would just move.

saying this only hurt you a bit was an understatement. of course it hurt you a lot, why was bachira suddenly ignoring you? you don't recall doing anything wrong or making anything awkward, so it's uncharacterisitc for him to be so... distant from you.

you decided to do the same. ignore him, distance yourself from him, and stop talking to him. you don't even know if he still considers you a friend.

chigiri slowly stopped asking to borrow your things. you didn't see anything wrong with it, but when you see him borrow things from other people, you feel a bit off about it. you thought it was stupid to feel this way—why is your heart sinking when you see him go up to someone else when he needs something?

you always gave him what he needed. you were always there when he needed something, and you were always happy to help. you loved helping him, actually. the smile he gives you when you let him borrow something is something you treasure.

it shouldn't hurt to see him borrow things from other people, it feels stupid to act this way. but you can't help it. you wouldn't be bothered by it, but the way he also stopped talking to you is what irks you the most. 'okay, you don't need to borrow my things anymore, but at least talk to me?' you think.

chigiri always gave back the things he borrowed from you safe and sound. the only thing he's ever stolen was your heart, and you're afraid he'll return it broken.

you sigh once again as you wait for nagi to go online on the game you two agreed to play together. he said he was going to go on soon, but it's been an hour, and you're bored out of your mind. you message him once more, hoping he'll reply this time. your smile drops as soon as you see his message: "can we play next time? im tired"

there was in fact no 'next time', because you haven't played a game with nagi in forever. every time you ask him to play with you, he will always reject you. he isn't the kind of person to decline a game invite, so you thought it was weird for him to suddenly be tired of playing video games.

games aren't as fun to play when you're alone. but nagi isn't joining you, so you just don't play at all. you were only ever excited to play because he was with you. when you see him online, you're quick to open the in-game chat, but then you notice he's playing with someone else.

it shouldn't bother you, really, but it's funny that you closed your game and went offline. you haven't played that game since.

you understand that reo was a busy person, but you never thought he'd get busy to the point where he no longer has time to spend with you. before, he'd always put in the effort to make time for you, no matter what. but it seems he's forgotten about your planned hangout again because he didn't show up.

the barista gave you a free drink and tried to give you words of encouragement, but you were quick to thank and dismiss them. you left the cafe that day wondering if you meant anything special to reo. he's always treated you differently than others, that's for sure. but did it ever actually mean anything?

you stare at the opened delivery app on your phone, debating on whether or not you should disconnect his online payment from your account. i mean, it's not like you mean anything to him anymore, so it's wrong to use his money.

you sighed as you reconnected your own account, ordering your usual. that was the last connection you had to reo.

you knew rin didn't prioritize relationships. hell, it wasn't on his priority list at all. but you had a glimmer of hope inside that maybe, just maybe, he thinks about you in that way. that maybe because of you, he'll consider being in a relationship.

you knew you and rin were not just friends. friends don't do the things you two do. so when you two flirt, you feel giddy. you thought that rin meant something more with his flirtatious actions, but when he calls you 'just a friend', your stomach drops.

he shares with you that he enjoys flirting for fun, and meaning nothing of it. of course he doesn't talk about you directly, but that's what it feels like. rin says it as if he's sharing a fun fact about himself, even feeling proud of it.

he notices your expression and asks why you look like that. you say it's nothing. nothing, just like what you are to him.

thanks for reading (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

[im-captain-basch]

It seems Welcome Home has had a small update overnight, so additional thoughts below:

I'm not... seeing ANYONE point out the song Nature's Remedy wasn't actually posted when the update dropped yesterday (or maybe they have, and it was just further back than I've gone in the tag). It was listed on the site but stated to be "being restored" and is now "successfully restored". My guess is either it was something that got slightly more delayed than the rest, or more likely Clown and co. did it intentionally so we could piece the story together ourselves.

I say that because the song starts by sounding exactly like what Julie is going through in the hidden videos. I think it would have given the game of it away to put it in initially. The song names seem to hint towards things regarding Julie, too, but it will remain to be seen just how. I definitely don't think we've heard the last from this album.

I started making this post before a lunch jaunt out and only now... I just realized the imprint of the record in the album's artwork looks like eyes. My posts seem to be getting lots of attention, so can anyone tell me if the eyes were there last night when the update initially dropped?

I could be wrong about this, since every time I think we've run dry of discoveries something new comes up, but I've also realized that I don't think we've found the exact image Clown posted with the update, of a clock by Julie's mirror with a reflection of Frank in it in the dark. We've definitely seen Julie's mirror in the Springtime Salutations storybook, but I can't help but wonder in what context we'll find the clock next to it.

Apparently Wally's /ringring audio now has a hidden picture of a chair??? I'm not entirely sure what to make of that for now tbh.

There was another hidden image found using the flowers, and Frank looks so concerned... Perhaps he found out the flower hasn't bloomed and is concerned for how Julie reacts to him finding out. I can only hope the side of Julie that is breaking through doesn't go down a dark road with that revelation.

I definitely think we'll be getting at least one more tiny update. There's so many more questions than I think we actually got answered, which while is in the nature of an ARG, it definitely feels like we're still missing something in this update.

[gremlin-girly]

Mine

Part of the 20s challenge

Pairing: Alpha!James Mace x Omega!reader (grumpy Mace + sweet shy reader)

Quote: "Welp... looks like this is it. How do you wanna do this?"

Trope: A/B/O + grumpy x Sunshine

Tags/warnings: angsty fluffiness,, this is set up, reader is trying to win him over

Not beta'd. I do not give permission for my work to be translated, reposted, copied or put through an AI machine.

Summary: Science has paved the way for mates to find each other by studying scents. However, this has led to mates being forced together as soon as possible to help with the declining birthrate, economy and housing.

That doesn't mean Mace has to like it.

A/N: you know. I thought when I came to tumblr I would never write an A/B/O fic and here we are. It took seven months to break me. You win this round Tumblr.

A/N 2: I've accidentally made an AU. So I've split this fic into two parts :)

20s Masterlist | Masterlist | Neighbourhood AU

"Welp... looks like this is it. How do you wanna do this?"

Mace made an uncertain grumble looking up at the house he'd been sent to. Government initiatives, threats of fines, loss of work - effecting omegas more than anyone else. All because some scientist made a breakthrough on scents.

At least they helped to pay for new housing. He didn't like being here. He wanted to be at home. In work. Not with some omega he didn't even choose.

He doubted that this whole scent breakthrough was true. A sudden scientific breakthrough? Please. He knew they took time and study. Which meant it was either faked or they'd been sitting on it for years. Which was the bigger conspiracy?

Declining birth rates were one thing but shipping unbonded omegas across the country to an alpha they'd never met, in the hopes of creating a baby boom was downright disgusting. Mace shuddered. Not that alphas had much of a choice either.

His name, bloodwork, medical files, you name it were in the NASA database. A government database. Any alpha that was single or unbonded or matched against their will and some, like Mace, had been moved from his home to meet his new omega in a newly built cul-de-sac of town homes. It was an initiative and incentive - a big three bedroom home, large kitchen and garden... the only thing it was missing was the white picket fence.

He knew what some alphas were like. He knew omegas didn't have a lot of say about what happened to them but still. Surely someone, somewhere, had to know this whole thing was wrong.

Mace realises you're waiting on him to respond and he sighs. "May as well get moved in. You can pick the room you like most."

You nod. "I've checked some of the brochures. Apparently the beach is only a forty minute drive away. We could-"

"You can go on your own time." Mace huffs, picking up a moving box. You seemed sweet enough with your big, pretty eyes that followed his every movement but you were also a stranger and seemingly okay with this new incentive to have him... Mace frowns the thought away.

"Okay." You say quietly, picking up one of your boxes and tailing him inside the house.

And so begins your new life together.

Mace had told you in no uncertain terms that you would not be sleeping in the same room. That hurt; you were supposed to be true mates. But! You supposed he needed time to adjust and get to know you, so it eased the ache in your heart just a tad.

Mace had been kind enough to let you choose which of the three bedrooms you wanted for yourself first. You didn't have many belongings as you'd come from a small government-funded apartment, so it made sense for you to take the smallest bedroom in your mind.

The bedroom was unpainted but the bed Mace had ordered for you was already set up and made. Your heart fluttered. You knew it. Your alpha was just a grump. He would have to warm up to you and you would do everything in your power to win him over.

You brought your belongings up stairs to your new room, mentally mapping what furniture you'd like to squeeze in, if you'd like a carpet or rug. You're in a daydream when you wander into the kitchen and spot Mace, leaning against the counter with his arms folded, looking at his feet with a frown.

His biceps are thick and they strain as he crosses them and you swallow thickly before turning your focus to the cupboards in search of glasses.

"Want a water?" You ask, finding the glasses on your third attempt and tugging out two.

"Yeah. Thanks." He grumbles and you can feel his eyes on you as you fill the glasses and you suppress a shiver. When you pass him the glass of water, your fingers brush his and it feels electric. The airs on your arms stand on end and warmth blossoms in your chest; you want to chirp and brush your lips against his.

But you don't.

You want to give him time. You don't realise that Mace can tell by your body language, and by your small pout, that you're trying not to overstep; and he appreciates it greatly. Even though he's not thoroughly convinced you're doing it for the right reasons.

"We'll order take out tonight." He says as you sip your water. "We'll have a busy few weeks getting...settled. I have a work deadline too, so..."

He trails and you nod. His work was important to him. You'd asked about it on the drive to the new home.

The rest of the day was spent unpacking until food was delivered and you both sat in a slightly uncomfortable silence as a random movie you'd picked sounded in the background of your eating. You couldn't remember the last time you tasted food like this. You'd been eating what you could at your apartment, never really being able to afford take out.

It's why you signed up to the Match Mate programme. Finding your mate was a childhood dream of yours but the handsome allowance the government offered anyone that signed up had won you over. You wondered if Mace should know that about you. That you weren't entirely doe-eyed and naieve. But he seemed indifferent towards you right now and if that changed; was there any point in telling him?

The first week with Mace flies by. Between unpacking and daydreaming of decorating such a large house, you'd been scoping out the area you lived in.

First, you'd made the rounds to the neighbours. Most of the homes were either empty or awaiting new residents but thankfully some were already occupied. Directly opposite your home was another couple who'd signed up for the program; one female alpha and her male omega who followed behind her like a lost puppy.

"Hi," you'd greeted when you'd spotted them getting their mail. "I'm Y/N I just moved in across the street with my alpha Mace."

The alpha female grins at you and gives her name before introducing her mate. "My shadow here is Jake."

Jake, a blond haired omega with round glasses and a goatee beams. You're grateful that he's not in the same position you are with your alpha. You exchange numbers and Jake informs you that, while the community is currently small, there is a community centre fifteen minutes down the street opposite the park where the omegas meet for coffee mornings on occasion.

"There's only four of us so far. Alphas have their own, of course but..." he checks to make sure his alpha isn't paying attention and lowers his voice. "You know what they can be like."

You laugh and have to agree before saying your goodbyes and moving on to the next house. Thankfully, your new neighbours had told you which were occupied and which weren't so it had made your journey easier.

The next neighbour was a family pack, who'd greeted you hurriedly as they ushered kids into the car on the drive.

The other occupied house, two doors up from your home on the same side of the street had two fancy cars in the drive. You almost rapped on the face of the omega at the door as he flung it open, clearly in the middle of storming out of the house.

He glowered, growled, and continued on past you as an alpha woman appeared with another alpha, this time a man, behind her.

"Ransom! Wait!"

You stood very awkwardly at the bottom of the steps as the omega now known as Ransom fumed his way down the street.

"Um, I should-"

Both alphas turn their gaze to you and you shrink immediately before the woman sighs and gives you a weary smile. Clearly, this is a normal occurrence for her.

"Are you the new neighbour?" She asks softly and you nod your head wide eyed. The man behind her scoffs.

"Cute." He comments before shuffling out the door. "I'll go get Ranny boy."

"Lloyd-" The alpha woman sighs when the other man gets into one of the cars, slamming the door shut before she can finish her sentence. She sighs again, giving you an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, you seem to have caught us at a bad time."

"I... it's okay. I'm sorry for..." you don't really know what your sorry for, other than causing her unnecessary embarassment but she does look like she's about to cry. "Do you want to come on and walk with me? I'm trying to find my way around."

She blinks at you and her sad gaze cracks a smile. "Sure."

You had texted Mace you'd be gone and he'd only given you a thumbs up in response. Your new friend, who told you to call her Cookie, walked you to some of the more important places that Jake had mentioned like the grocery store, community centre and the doctor's office.

You could tell she was clearly affected by whatever had happened between her and the two men that had disappeared but you didn't want to pry. Cookie bought you a coffee and apologised for what felt like the fifth time for Ransom's behaviour.

"I just... that jealous streak." She shakes her head. "I dont know what I'm going to do."

"That doesn't sound great." You concede, sipping your latte. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help."

"It's fine." She waves a hand dismissively and then groans. "God, it's not even your first week here and I'm unloading my problems onto you. Sorry. Ignore me."

You shake your head with a reassuring smile. "I promise it's okay. It's a nice distraction."

She snorts. "Not all sunshine and rainbows at your neck of the woods either?"

You look at your feet as you walk along the cement. "My alpha is... grumpy." You start carefully. "I'm not pushy and it's still early days, but he doesn't seem to want anything to do with me."

Cookie raises her eyebrow at you before puffing a breath. "I've heard that with this program that it's a... difficult adjustment for both. Being ripped away from friends and family, moving is stressful enough without all of that. Plus... you're still a stranger to him."

Cookie looks sympathetic, slowing to a stop outside her home. "You made the right choice by giving him space." She says, before looking thoughtful. "Try making him dinner or something. That sometimes works with Ran."

You nod and grin appreciatively. "Thank you! I will. And let me know how it goes with Ran and Lloyd."

Cookie looks deflated but still manages a smile. "Thank you, Sunshine. Welcome to the neighbourhood."

The following morning you surprise Mace with breakfast. You'd woken up early to make pancakes with compote and cream, Cookie had happily shared Ransom's recipe with you the night before.

When Mace appears, he looks...indifferent. You'd hoped he'd look surprised but he raked his hand through his long hair and eyed the mess of the kitchen.

"Been busy?" He asks coolly. You offer up a shy smile and Mace thinks the Earth stands still when you speak.

"I made you breakfast." You gesture to the plate piled high with pancakes, compote and a very large dollop of whipped cream.

Mace's heart is racing. His stomach feels funny; he's hungry and feels like he might throw up. God, when did he last have homemade pancakes?

He moves towards the chair and sits down, taking the fork to skewer some pancake. He contains a sigh of delight as the pancake dances on his tongue; thick, fluffy syrupy goodness with the tang of the compote to offset the sweetness. It's perfect.

He's aware that you're hovering and peeks up. "Where's your food?" He grumbles, shoving pancake into his mouth. "We can sit together."

"I haven't made it yet." You say simply with a shrug. "Just in case you didn't like the pancakes and I needed to make something else."

Mace stops eating immediately. "What-wh- ugh." He snaps before reigning in his temper. You were being too nice. Too sweet. Too damn perfect.

"Come here," he gestured to the seat beside him and you obeyed, taking a seat next to him. You looked so incredibly cute that, under different circumstances, Mace probably would have smothered you with kisses, but seeing your worried expression - he sighed instead. Annoyance bubbled again, but he swallowed it down. He knew he had to make an effort too. He picked up some pancake and compote onto his fork, and held it out to you, just under your nose.

You blink at the fork then at him before taking a tentative bite. You hum in delight and chew the delicious concoction you'd made and Mace allows for a ghost of a smile to appear on his lips. You, on the other hand, are enjoying the closeness he'd granted you. A small win.

"We can share. Then if you're still hungry, make yourself a snack." He tells you, taking another forkful. "These are good by the way. Thank you."

The way your eyes sparkled back at him, the rosyness of your cheeks, made his heart stammer for a moment.

You were becoming harder and harder to resist each with each day that passed.

Part 1 End

Taglist

Add yourself here

@stargazingfangirl18 @irishhappiness @awkwardgiraffe726 @jeremyrennermakesmesmile @cieraboobear @looking1016 @buck-star

[goddessofroyalty]

I love love love your zaun family au, im a sucker for omegaverse and you write it so well. Im personally a big omega jayce advocate and this got me thinking if jayce was the omega in the story and viktor was the alpha would anything drastically change? Even just his relationship with silco and vander or him being the pregnant one instead of viktor. I just was really curious what your thoughts would be !

Sorry for the delay in responding to this one. I wanted to go back through my blog and find the old posts I did about omega!Jayce in Zaun Family (and realised I apparently switched my Jayce tag from 'Jayce Arcane' to 'Jayce Talis' - going to have to go retag the old posts at some point). Anyway, here are some previous ramblings about it to start with:

What Silco would think about it (and some additional worldbuilding)

Vander and Vi's initial reaction to seeing Jayce

Who makes the first move

Silco's more judging thoughts

Silco with O!Jayce in labor

If O!Jayce had a difficult labor and delivery

I don't think anything would change drastically. But I do think an omega Jayce would have Silco and Vander assuming Viktor is doing most of the actual work for Hextech and Jayce more just the "pretty face" of it. And when they get together Silco even more of the opinion that Jayce seduced Viktor because Viktor's work is helping raise Jayce's status. Those thoughts are already happening when their designations are the other way around so it's most just they are stronger.

With the pregnancy Silco is a lot less hands on (it's Ximena's job to guide Jayce through his pregnancy because she's his mother not Silco). But I do think there's a bit of resentment on his side because Jayce has got the bigger more solid build so Silco assumes he's having an easier time with the pregnancy (and will have an easier time with the labor and delivery) than Silco did with any of his. He's also a lot more dismissive of any of Jayce's complaints/discomforts from the pregnancy because "you're meant to suffer for your children" is very much Silco's mentality about these things.

Vander meanwhile is glad Jayce is having a better time than Silco because he know he was having a rough time watching Silco suffer for their babies, he doesn't want that for Viktor (or Jayce either).

[color-craz]

AF MidWeek Round-up!

This is just a simple post compiling all of my attacks so far along with some artists notes! Mostly because I found myself much more active this year than last year (Minus these few couple days due to some appointments). I'll be tagging everyone and linking to other socials so you can see these lovely folks. Of course if you want to attack me, I'm ready to fight! Without further ado, here's all the attacks so far :>

@cosmicdenro @stellarknightz - Weekend Date The name of the game for these first few attacks was to get everyone who I was supposed to last year but ran out of time ^^;;. I decided upon Jesse's Zircon over Jesse the character (one in my bookmarks) b/c it seemed like Turquoise Zircon was less drawn this year but was his icon on AF. So easy pick from me :> (Btw doing Sodalite's stripes and copying Zircon's shape language was really fun!!)

@/clawothy (Twitter) - Chill Cat Another attack from last years bookmarks! It was definitely a soft but enjoyable opening into drawing furries since Claw's so human shaped. It was fun drawing his tail and patterns :>. This is just a nice character design all around.

@twidaisi - Speedy Service Twi was also one from my bookmarks, but also a doorway down an ArtFight rabbit hole. Which will become apparent in the next two pieces. For this one, I had a pretty clear pose in mind so I placed it onto O.R.B.I and went from there!! His design is so neat and he seems so cool! The pose was also pretty fun to do as well, just an overall fun art piece (Also this one got a revenge!!! I still really really love thank you so much!!!!!)

@scratchgeist - Escapism Ho! This was a doozy! Twi had Scratch's profile linked so I ended up hitting him with an attack too. Drawing Scratch's mane turned out to be a pleasant experience despite me originally fearing it. This scene idea also came from a prompt of Scratch going outside. I ended up putting Polish on this because all those scratchy "ink like" lines I actually did manually (take a fuzzy brush and then go over it using a sketchbook eraser). It was nice dipping my toes into BatIM again and trying out more animal feature.

@/stylin.art Instagram @/crypticc0rpse Instagram - Pirates in arms One of those two people were linked on Scratch's profile and the person linked also linked to the other person. But I realized that both Stylin and Crypt had some shared characters. So this ended my little rabbit hole of people by attacking these two lovely fellows at the same time. This little crossing swords idea took me a nice minute to come up with but I liked how it ended up anyway. I really did like drawing James together like this (probably helps that I really like pirates in general). Also yes I know her hand is fucked up I noticed way to late to fix it.

@smoresthehalloweenqueen - Listen to the waves Once I finished up with that I moved onto the next bookmark, which was Smores! Originally I was gonna draw Brutus but then I was like "I like his sona it looks like fun!" So I drew them listening to music because why not :>. I struggled on the arms initially but it came out real clean and nice. Honestly might be my best work so far! (Fun fact, I color picked the waves + background from Seafoam's icon.)

@skittisketch - I got it! Mr. Sascachawean himself! I referenced this pose form the classic Objection point because I thought it would fit his personality. This was also a little bit of a test with a style I had only done in sketches (Basically my human style but omitting a neck which somehow shaves off a lot of time). This was a super fun pose to do with a pretty nice background! (Once again, fucked up hand I know I noticed too late again)

@justpainterrobot - Rare Nightly Sight I had this really really clear picture of what I thought up for this attack and I'm happy that I was able to make it a reality. I put the polish tag on this one because I almost got super super detailed of what the junk was below her (Stuff coming down from Elysium n all that) but due to a lack of references I just went with typical metal and wood. Fun fact, the night sky in the background is based on the one from Deponia itself (The first game's scenes with the professor at night). I think this rewrite of Toni was really cool from what I could find about her. Overall a labor of love type of attack.

@coelpts @swan-swanno - Boss Battle I thought to myself "Hm, I see Coelpts around a lot, lets hit him with an attack." and it turns out Ciel's gay married to Swanno's charater Mikhail, who was the last one in my bookmarks from last year. So another double attack for this one! It was a struggle starting this one mostly because I was debating whether or not to draw Ciel's Lord outfit but I ended up doing so because why not :>. It was a fun experience copying Swanno's more angular style, which is a stark departure from my more rounded shapes (As you can see here). Has a nice venture doing the lighting as well, overall a good experience.

@tailsylennon - Sweet Treats Mitchell showed off Tasily's proflie one day and I saw their sona and was I was like "Lemme draw it!" and did! I ended up following another prompt by her because it was their birthday! (By the time I started on this it was 8 pm and I freaked tf out and got to work). Her sona was really cool and I really loved drawing them. Fun fact, each of the set pieces references the Hallows Souls trio. The chair is decorated after Terra, Markus is the table, and Whistle pallet is used for the tea set :>. It was just a pleasant and cozy attack to make overall.

@ceaseless-enemy - Congratulations!!!! I've actually known about Voila for quite awhile now and thought his design n theaming is quite neat! I actually based the pose off of Ai from Oshi No Ko (I think one of her key arts before the anime released, ifykyk). But I skillfully cut out the legs because I can't draw digitigrade legs... Hooray... Otherwise it was quite nice to work on this attack in particular, especially the eyes and the hair :>.

@killbent - Getting Ready This is another one I had a real clear idea of prior to doing this, specifically because Killbent gave a prompt to give Mr Fairchime pink hair, so i thought a "pre-show" set up would look nice :>. The lighting was another new venture for me, because I usually do cool/night time like lighting but I think it turned out nicely for Fairchime. It was also fun doing the accessories and stuff on the vanity as well. Fun Fact, it's a bit hard to see through the watermark + lighting but the face paint and pallet both have the colors of his make up! Overall a pleasant and warm attack for this year.

And that's all of them so far! I picked up some new bookmarks + I gotta get Twi back for drawing Compact!! So those will probably be compiled by the end of AF so about, early August-ish if I keep up the pace. Anyway, thank you so much for reading and gracing me with the opportunity to draw all of these amazing characters!

Until next time!

-Gappy, Witch of the Stars

[amethystina]

For the wipe tag game:

May I inquire about :

The devil's due ( I have been hooked since the first chapter that u posted. It's such an interesting idea with so many possibilities)

The gentle light ( will we get more of yohan's poverty?)

Thank u, and have a nice day 🩵

Thank you so much for the ask!

The Devil's Due

Oh man, this one. I am hooked on this one too, but I keep holding it off because I know it'll be pretty long and it's also going to be pretty, uh, sexually charged? And that intimidates me x'D

But yeah, I LOVE the idea and the possibilities it offers. It's a story that would focus on Ga On and Yo Han's relationship without the power imbalance of them being chief and subordinate. That's to say that Ga On is going to be even feistier than in canon, if you can believe that. And he's going to be more aware of his sexuality and what he actually wants — or who, I guess I should say.

The main plot would really just be Ga On getting to know Yo Han — and Elijah — during different circumstances. And the biggest conflict will be the fire and whether or not Yo Han caused it, plus Yo Han trying to open Ga On's eyes to the corruption in their country. The main portion of the fic would be set a couple of years after the first chapter, and a couple of years before the start of the drama. So they're all a little less jaded and, since the situation is so different — Ga On isn't sent to spy on him, for one — Yo Han won't be as defensive. But he's obviously also going to be, well, Yo Han. He's working as a normal judge, trying not to draw too much attention to himself — biding his time for his revenge, and all that — but he would definitely not mind having some fun with the bright-eyed, reformed delinquent he saved from a life as a criminal.

As a treat.

As with many of my WIPs at the moment, this fic is mostly just a collection of lines of dialogue from various scenes, with no connecting text around them. So there are no complete snippets I can show, but I can say that the first time they do something sexual together it's because Ga On has finally had it with Yo Han's teasing and flirting and just marches into his office — at Yo Han's work, yes — and goes:

Ga On: "Fine. Let's fuck."

Yo Han, after a small pause: "Right now?"

Ga On, very scathingly: "Do you want me to schedule an appointment?"

Yo Han: "You're an absolute delight when you're angry."

There are reasons why Ga On is being so blunt, I want to point out, because he wouldn't usually be. Again: Yo Han and his manipulation tactics.

... and yes, they do have sex right then and there, in Yo Han's office. Which is one of the reasons why I'm afraid to write this. I'm way out of my depth here x'D

But I will continue eventually! I like the story way too much to give up on it :)

The Gentle Light

As for this one, I was kind of shocked to realise that I have a lot more written on chapter 2 than I initially thought. It takes place right after the first chapter, so basically Yo Han's side of the very loaded conversation that takes place during chapter 7. I've just been adding bits and pieces here and there when I've felt like it and now I have almost 4 000 words. Imagine that.

Here's a snippet!

---

Yo Han slowly walked up the steps leading to Kim Ga On's apartment, his hand sliding along the railing. The metal was cold against the mess of scar tissue on his palm, sending a chill up his arm. Yo Han paid that no mind, focusing instead on taking in his surroundings. While he'd known Ga On's address ever since K did the first background check, Yo Han had never actually been to visit before.

There had never been a reason for him to — until now.

As Yo Han finished climbing the first set of stairs, his gaze swept briefly over the terrace to his left, then flicked upward, toward the rooftop. There was apparently another terrace up there, but it was dark for the time being and therefore not of much interest to Yo Han.

Instead, he turned and looked out at the surrounding buildings. The neighborhood was as run-down as he'd expected, debris littering the streets and the majority of the buildings in desperate need of repairs — some even looked abandoned. Or perhaps the owners had simply given up, choosing to huddle inside the dark, decrepit shells of what used to be their homes, waiting for the end to come. That seemed common in these parts, where unemployment and hopelessness blanketed every house and street corner, sucking the life out of those few remaining.

Yo Han could tell it hadn't always been that way, though. There were glimpses of a once lively neighborhood hiding underneath the grime and despair, the descent probably having happened slowly over time as the economy kept getting worse and worse — money getting tighter and tighter. And, eventually, whether they wanted to or not, the people had no choice but to give in.

It made sense, Yo Han supposed, for Kim Ga On to have grown up in a place like this, where he'd had to watch what he once knew wither away and fall into disrepair in front of his very eyes.

That deeply rooted disdain for the rich must have come from somewhere, after all.

---

A lot of what I have so far is basically just Yo Han sauntering around in front of Ga On's apartment, observing things and drawing conclusions about Ga On. It's kind of adorable in it's own way xD But things obviously take a very dramatic turn once Ga On shows up, some of which I've shown before in snippets that you can find here.

I can't promise I'll ever post this, though, since I'd obviously have to finish it first and this is very far down on my list of priorities right now. But we'll see, I guess? If I keep chipping away at it one piece at a time, eventually it will be finished.

I hope you like it! And you have a nice day, too 💜

WIP Tag Game

[rossithepixie]

YOUR TAGS I SCREAMED

Amira I spent probably an hour writing up a response to this so you could have insight into the churomu dynamic and tumblr crashed so hard i had restart my computer to fix it and i lost the whole thing. I almost never write thing in tumblr directly and the time that i do it has a fucking fit. -deep breath- Take two.

(And worth noting i think is that i'm essentially the same height as chuuya. only 1cm taller than him)

It's all in good fun. I swear it is when I send the video. Then Chuuya leaves me on read. Then Dazai texts me and I realize i might have fucked up.

Dazai: Hey sweetheart, just out of curiosity what did you send our slug?

Me: ...Why do you ask?

Dazai: Well… After you texted him he said and I quote “That fucking brat!” and then turned to me said you were clearly spending too much time with me along with several expletives before storming off. Oh! And muttering something that sounded an awful lot like he was going to teach you a lesson. 

Me: 🥲

Dazai: Am I going to need to rescue you?

Me: Do you think an apology will work?

Dazai: Well if I know Chuuya, and I most certainly do, when he gets like this a simple “i’m sorry” typically doesn’t suffice. … Sooo what did you send him? Can I see? Me: Absolutely not. He really would kill me if I sent it to you.

Dazai: Awwww, come onnnn you’re no fun! He doesn’t have to know!

I put away my phone. Ignoring him. I love Osamu dearly. But I do. But I know better than to hand him Chuuya torment material, especially when i’m apparently already in trouble with Chuuya. I resolve to head this off at the pass. I will simply go get him a peace offering. I get as far as stepping out the front door of the apartment building before I’m scruffed by the back of my shirt. Looking over my shoulder I see a very displeased looking Chuuya. 

“Oh! Hi Chuu! What’re you doing here-” I hardly get the words out before i’m being spun around and reeled in one hand on the small of my back while the other pushes my glasses up and out of the way before cupping my cheek so he can claim my lips in a biting kiss. Nipping and prodding until his tongue is allowed in so he can steal my breath away. The hand on my cheek slipping back to tangle in my hair as we pull apart. Not too tight, just there as Chuuya stares into eyes and I pant into the space between us.

“Don’t ‘Hi Chuu’ me. And you know exactly why i’m here.” Other than looking a bit annoyed and his lips being  kiss bitten he looks oddly unphased.

My glasses slowly slide down the bridge of my nose slightly askew. “I’m sorry?” and then my brain catching up to itself and the situation I clear my throat and slightly more sure I say, “I’m Sorry about the video Chuuya, I didn’t mean anything by it, i just thought it was a silly thing.” 

He snorts lightly before leaning in, lips brushing my ear. “You’re going to show me how sorry you are, and I’m going to show you why you’re never even going to think about sending me something like that again.” And then all contact is gone. His back is to me and he’s going through the door, only pausing to gesture with a finger for me to follow. “Follow.” 

Doing as he said was probably a better peace offer than any bottle of wine. 

— At some point in the evening Dazai had come home though he had distinctly not been invited to join until the aftercare phase of things.

And come the next morning he was apparently ready to be a menace again since he’d snatched up chuuya’s phone and was giggling over a certain video.

--------

Annnd that's the lore! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope it was fully coherent. I was so upset that I had to rewrite the whole thing. I literally got to chuuya gesturing for me to follow when tumblr crashed the first time. Like i was literally that close to the end.

@katsulock since you shared the initial post and i know you like getting churomu lore

[derekscorner]

Kingdom Hearts: Recompletion Tangent

Intro

It's been a while since I had an actual KH Tangent barring my mad ravings about the cosmology. It was more about the random things I think about rather than an actual tangent.

Although both that post and this one have spun off from a literal shower thought. Anyone who has been through my tags before also knows that I've had issues with how the Nobodies were handled for a long time.

They're something that I truly consider better on paper than in execution. It may even be something that's near impossible to put into practice entirely.

They're too Human

The main reason for this is the corner it puts you in as a writer. These are supposed to be beings born lacking a heart, the core of what they were as a person. Their very emotions and connection to the world.

Back in the day the story went with this notion that the human nobodies act human based on memory. They can't feel emotion but they can remember having them.

For what reason they did so was more or less left up to your interpretation. What was made clear is that they're desperate to become "whole".

The reason for that is because they are slowly fading away. Even in the modern KH era I think that rule stands. Their black coats and crusade for Kingdom Hearts was to avoid fading back into the void.

A fate that Yen Sid brings up in KH2 when explaining the nobodies to Sora.

As far as execution goes the lesser nobodies do it perfectly. They move in otherworldly ways, come in a variety of shapes based on how strong their heart was as a person, and we see them speak yet we can't actually hear the voice. (when the dusk talks to Roxas)

Where the concept hits a hitch and finds itself in that writing corner I mentioned is with the human variants. You are stuck between portraying them as they're described which would be boring narratively due to lack of emotion.

They simply wouldn't react to anything.

So you're stuck having to make them act human which then pokes a hole in the concept. You could excuse Roxas and Namine since their "somebody" still existed. That connection was there and even before Days or DDD you see it affecting Roxas in Kh2 as well as Sora in CoM whether it's the GBA or PS2 version.

Likewise, Namine's face, powers and desire to belong in someone's heart is her connection to both Sora and Kairi at play.

"How is that a problem????"

Quite frankly my reader it's not. At least it wasn't back then. As I type this I may have to reconsider my initial stance and say that Nobodies as a concept work well when used once because it's the expansion that's the issue.

I say this specifically in regards to KH DDD, KH3, and beyond. We not only get the Organization back either in human form or nobody but how they act is all over the place.

Ienzo, Dilan, and Aeleus come back both human and supposedly remorseful. We don't see much of it since Dilan and Aeleus don't talk while Ienzo is far more sociable than he is feeling guilt.

Even is revealed to have became a nobody again yet the guilt he felt upon awakening human and chose to be a double agent of sorts.

This raises a lot of issues to me personally.

Firstly, they can just go between nobody and human. I'm not saying it's an easy process but it is exploitable. Not only did the memories carry over as if the nobody was just revived with a Phoenix Down but apparently emotion was too.

Secondly, it highlights how pointless having nobodies return was because they're acting the same as they were prior in KH2 but also the same as they would if human. There is no distinction between the human and the nobody.

Barring have-to examples like Xemnas or Ansem there is no reason to do what they did. Worse, someone like Xigbar not only can exploit this mechanic but he does.

Being the current host of Luxu means that Xigbar can not only reclaim his long lost keyblade (Xehanort's No Name) but still freely use the powers you gain as a nobody.

Luxu now has his heart, his weapon, a potential legion of nobodies, and other dark powers to more freely as he wises with dark corridors and his manipulation of space. (his own unique nobody power)

This also makes the whole weight of nobodies being able to develop a heart of their own feel cheap to me.

Them gaining a heart of their own makes the whole nobody concept cheap for me to be fair but it is a KH stable that anything can have a heart so I'll begrudgingly accept it.

But to just jump between man and monster without seemingly losing anything as it's portrayed in KH3 just irks me. It makes the decision to become a nobody again feel without risk.

Given the nature of Luxu you could ignore it once but for Even to just carry over everything when becoming Vexen 2.0 is a step too far.

I also ponder why nobodies would even obey the revived Organization because while emotionless the lesser nobodies are not mindless.

Seeing this makes me question why they weren't questioning their superiors. They can think, plan, and surely more than a few can spot bullsh*t when they see it.

My Point

By now you likely wonder what my point with all of this is. If you've read this blog before you likely expect me to offer a solution or rewrite.

That's the maddening thing my patient reader, I don't have to offer such a thing because my friend @blackosprey did years ago.

And it ties back into the other new mechanic introduced after KH2, recompletion.

See, when a heartless is destroyed in the right way the heart will be freed. The two ways we know of so far are using a keyblade or the light of Kingdom Hearts.

Once that heart is freed it'll find it's vanished body and if that body has become a nobody it'll wait until the nobody meets it's end.

In that moment the original person is revived. On the surface that can make the nobody concept feel cheaper because it's essentially a "get out of jail card" for dying.

A mechanic that Luxu is fully capable of abusing in the current narrative btw.

But here's the crazy thing. Osprey just occam razored the whole issue and I have never forgotten it.

Her idea? Just make that nobodies death permanent in some way.

For example, lets say that you recomplete Marluxia. In this amazing idea you'd still get Lauriam back but the ego that was "Marluxia" is gone.

Lauriam would revive without his memories of Marluxia.

It's the most perfect solution to every gripe I have about nobodies ever told to me. It almost angers me that this isn't a thing!

Yes, that's right, you're not reading me tear down Kingdom Hearts to vent or talk about how bad it is. I'm not going to claim I can do this better than Nomura.

No no. What you're reading is me losing my sh*t because I think about this often. Just imagine how much that adds to the story, this idea of Osprey's.

The Potential was There

Not only do you keep all the stuff added to nobodies after KH2 but you keep the weight of their ephemeral existence.

Hell, it makes their existences more tragic because they'd eventually gain hearts to feel the dread of such a death. Knowing full well they "as themselves" would vanish for the original to return.

Those outbursts of emotion in defeat, the desperation to claim Kingdom Hearts, it all just flows so much better.

Sure, you still have Luxu abusing this human to nobody system but that'd just be one person out of 13. (no I didn't count Xion since she's a replica)

Sure, Vexen's role in KH3 would need a tweak or two but that's easy to do. You could even add that to his motives because he not only "ceased to exist" but comes back to see what he couldn't finish in his research.

Or you can spin it so that Even actually is remorseful upon seeing Vexen's research.

The potential there is endless and I can't help but think about it often. I'm going to go scream about it into the void now.

GAHHHh (bye~)

[cheerfulmelancholies]

Masterpost

Profile pic by @annama-art

About me: I love reading/writing and at any given moment I have too many projects circling through my head. I've loved to read for as long as I can remember and I've enjoyed writing things for that same amount of time. I also love video games and motorcycling, so if I'm not working on a wip I'm usually doing one of those two.

I'm not currently published, but I have a handful of original stuff I've been working on as well as fanfic. Some of my favorite tropes to read are found family, action/suspense, angst, horror/supernatural and slice-of-life. I tend to write very light sci-fi, action, supernatural, angst (though usually with a happy, if not bittersweet, ending) and occasionally somewhat comedic stuff. Sometimes, sometimes, I make shit get dark. I struggle with writing mystery and heavy romance, though I've been experimenting with the latter. A lot of my characters have somewhat sad backstories because apparently that's just what I do.

Tag game friendly!

Blank/default blogs blocked on sight.

I also love hearing about other people's wips so anyone is welcome to ramble in my inbox about their ocs and stories.

Side blogs: @purefandomonium: my blog for anything fandom-related. @artspace1001: for any art or photography.

Other places to find me: I currently lurk on FFN and AO3 under the username ThisPerson1.

Info about my wips below the cut.

All of my works are primarily tagged under their full titles, the fandom name if it's a fic, "creative writing," "writers on tumblr," "fanfic" and "my writing." Anything extra will be listed.

Original WIPS:

Medical Mechanical: A story about a couple of friends who set out to uncover the truth behind the mysterious mega-corporation that has infested their town and done strange things to their parents. Sci-fi, young adult, and I guess it also sort of falls under action, although nothing major really happens until much later. Additional tag(s): "mm" and "sci fi."

It's the first original thing I began posting about and also my favorite original project. I actually do have tons more than what I've posted thus far, but I got caught up in perfecting it and then sidetracked and kind of just stopped talking about it.

The Set Up: A sort of enemies-to-lovers* story involving two old acquaintances meeting years later and being reminded of how much they piss each other off. After they end up stuck together on a camping trip that was nothing more than a mischievous plan by their respective friends, they're forced to deal with each other until the trip ends. (Very light) Romance*, slice-of-life, humor/comedy, and angst—mostly due to their past trauma.

It's the second original project I'm working on, although this one has taken a backseat to my other works because I'm still going through the process of reformulating it. I thought I had it figured out, and was originally going to have it take place in college and be a forced-by-friends camping trip gone wrong, but I just wasn't feeling it. I don't know, but the way it was coming along just... didn't feel right. So I decided to essentially start over rather than force myself through something I wasn't enjoying and that wasn't getting anywhere. The main theme is that the two MCs initially can't stand each other and butt heads, however, they eventually learn more about themselves and each other and start making amends.

*I'm also at a point where I don't think I'm going to keep it as romance, but instead have their relationship be platonic. We'll see.

Fanfic:

Connection: Pokepasta/Glitchy Red fic about a girl who manages to befriend the embittered glitch. In other words, hermit high-schooler gets ahold of the titular Red cart and gets a new friend, and local depressed kids' game may not think life is so miserable anymore. Sci-fi/supernatural (because my version of Red is somehow both just a bunch of code and some digitalized cryptid entity,) very mild angst in the form of bullying, and found family/friendship. Additional tag(s): "glitchy red" and "pokepasta".

I got the brainrot and just wanted something to write with no worries. I write a chapter and as long as it holds up the story it gets published. That's it. I'm taking a break from serious writing/editing with this one. I've already let it get too out of hand as is. It was supposed to be a two-parter. Now look at it.

Mysterious New Member: Fic about the BF5 gaining a new member under mysterious circumstances. Due to the secrets she seems to be hiding, and the rising tensions of the war, Vert and the others find themselves on edge and at odds over what to do. Takes place during Fused. Sci-fi, action/adventure, humor. Additional tag(s): "bf5," and "hot wheels battle force 5."

Fun fact: This is a fic I started when I was like 13. I recently began rewriting it because now I am not 13 and I was rereading it one day and went, "The fuck did I write it like this for???" So began my tedious work of redoing the whole thing. The original is actually still up on FFN under the exact same name, for the new one I only added rewrite to the title 😅 I'm not mad at myself for the way it came out or anything, as I was literally a kid, but I can safely say my writing has improved immensely and I just couldn't fight the urge revamp it. I'm quite proud of how this new one is coming along, being both an improvement of my original version and also a slightly daker and more interesting take on BF5. I'm actually close to done, I'd say about 75-ish percent. I really just have two more major plot points to go through and the rest is just tying up loose ends as I go along. That said, if you'd like to check out the abandoned original, feel free. Just be prepared for a bit of whiplash when comparing the two.

It's The Thought That Counts: Dead Plate AU fic I started on a whim and, like a lot of things, it got out of hand and became a fun little side project. Rody isn't hopelessly pining after Manon, who's still alive but not relevant to the story, and Vincent isn't a psycho cannibal killer. Essentially gay panic meets bi-denial, Rody attempts to impress Vincent by learning how to bake lemon-themed desserts after he discovers it's the only thing that gives him any semblance of taste. After a shaky start, Vince decides to start giving Rody lessons and they eventually come to terms with their feelings. Romance, humor, angst, slice-of-life.

I've actually never written proper romance before this and am absolutely shocked that it's coming along as well as it is. It's the most fluff I've ever written. For whatever reason, these two dorks are super easy for me to write. I also recommend checking out the game, it's super fun.

Perfection: Another Dead Plate fic, but with a more canon compliant characterization for Vince. It's a oneshot focusing solely on his desire to force love into his cooking. As each attempt fails, he grows more and more frustrated. And then the answer to all his problems shows up.

***

There is so much more, but I'm going to stop for now.

If it wasn't already obvious, writing is my biggest passion and I hope to keep improving and expanding what I do. I'm also always open to advice and constructive criticism, and I hope to inspire and help others with their writing. Also, if you write anything with the tropes or genres that I listed, don't hesitate to tag me and I'll check them out! I really enjoy reading other people's works.

So yeah, that's me. If you made it this far, thank you for checking out my blog (and my long ass intro post) and I hope you'll stick around and see what I have to offer. Be on the lookout for more and more to come!

[soren-apologist]

ok so in the tags of my last post there were people apparently interested in my thoughts on a king soren au

i’ve mentioned some stuff about it earlier but here are a few more notes i had

so my idea was that ashnard initiates the war the same way as in fe9, but in this case elincia’s knights do actually manage to deliver her to gallia under caineghis’ asylum. the greil mercenaries are never formed because gawain came back to daein after some time in gallia over concern for the young prince soren, so elena is still alive and ike and mist are raised in daein, where they become close friends of soren’s and the former would eventually become his right hand man.

anyway as for elincia’s knights i’m personally thinking that oscar and titania would continue to be royal knights of crimea and would be among the ones escorting her to gallia, with boyd and rolf tagging along as well to stay with their brother. considering titania could effectively solo the entirety of daein’s troops in fe9’s early game getting elincia to gallia would probably be a lot more successful than it was in the canon timeline.

under ashnard soren serves as his reluctant tactician, though he’s privately against the war itself especially since he has ike and mist nearby who definitely detest the violence. he stands alongside one of the riders, gawain, to defend nevassa while ashnard and the rest of his riders (petrine, bryce, bertram) go on the offensive and fight against gallia and eventually the forces elincia rallies between gallia and begnion.

when elincia’s forces attack nevassa (so essentially chapter 21) instead of ena defending the castle it’s soren and gawain’s troops. it’s especially brutal since, well, it’s gawain and ike fighting under soren’s guidance, but midway through the battle elincia manages to sneak her way to the throne where soren is and essentially appeal to his sense of decency. ike immediately retreats from his position to protect soren, only to overhear the discussion and decide to agree with elincia, which is the tipping point for soren and he decides to defect from ashnard’s army and rally his own troops to stop ashnard’s mad campaign and end the fighting as soon as possible.

essentially, this means daein is split between king ashnard with his riders and prince soren with general gawain and captain ike. from there the plot would follow similarly to fe9’s, except begnion never occupied daein. in a similar fashion to fe9, ike is part of what allows gallia, begnion, and daein to cooperate with each other, and eventually ashnard is defeated in melior and elincia ascends to the crimean throne.

yeah this is just part of the setup i had in mind since this only explains what happened instead of fe9. i’d imagine that soren would be as pragmatic and cutthroat as the originals, but maybe a little more empathetic and compassionate because his upbringing wasn’t nearly as shitty. tbh ike would probably be just about the same as before lol

[mischief-lies-and-stories]

Loki Episode 1 Reactions (Less Coherent Edition)

It's been two and a half years, y'all, and what a start to the new season it was. (I've seen mixed reviews in the tag, but personally the initial reaction is I loved it.) What I apparently forgot in those two years, however, is that my in-the-moment reactions notes are not very coherent. So I apologize in advance if you aren't sure what part the note refers to. I'm going to make another post tomorrow with some more coherent thoughts around the episode and some predictions about the season in general (I'm also going to be rewatching the episode later so that might lend more clarity to the next post as well). I also cut out a chunk of my reactions that were just me screaming a character's name when they showed up, unless it makes sense for the next note to leave it in (and there were a lot of these, since it's been two and a half years since I've seen my friends).

Obligatory spoiler warning if you weren't already expecting them. Prepare for some wildness. I've bracketed [ ] some brief clarifying post-ep notes (not everywhere though).

I'm obnoxious, I'm watching the entire recap.

The editing of this recap is interesting.

The bleak theme is worrying. I don't like it. But I do love the color scheme of the logo.

SYLVIE???!!!

CASEY!!!

Okay hopefully that wasn't Sylvie.

Someone give this boi [Loki] a nap. He's had a very very very long day and it's only getting longer.

What the fuck is happening.

X-5 you've got the haircut of a cop, I've decided I don't like you.

Man, I hope we fix this time-slipping in this episode, it's stressing me out too fucking much.

Oh motherfuck. This is driving me insane. This is Sisyphean torture. [I don't remember what specifically I was referring to, so I don't remember if this is an accurate description.]

OH MY GOD I LOVE LIZ CARR I HOPE SHE STICKS AROUND [Man, Liz Carr is just hopping from franchise to franchise this summer. She's in Loki, Good Omens, The Witcher)

OH SHIT. Renslayer and Kang. If they kiss on tape I'm marking it on the Bingo.

I DESPERATELY want to know what B-15's backstory is. She's a fantastic character and I want to know how she used this personality on the timeline.

Keep that Hitler youth-looking fuck away from my girl!

Oh my god, I'm going to be watching this conversation in the hall between Loki and Mobius over and over, because I love every part of it. The panicking, the teasing, the touching, the making each other feel better. Just the entire debriefing, reuniting conversation is EVERYTHING to me right now.

"In order to do that I need a Loki Who Remains." I love this

"I have no memory of having my memory wiped." Mobius. This is Catherine Tate on Nevermind the Buzzcocks telling David Tennant "I don't know songs I've never heard of" solidarity [I understand I'm making obscure 13+ year old references but this quote lives in my head rent free]

Ugh I HATE time travel. But it makes sense why his name is OB now. Also his door is a circle.

OB IF YOU KILL LOKI I WILL END YOUR CUTE BESPECTACLED FACE FASTER THAN YOU CAN SAY "No...wait."

OB IF YOU KILL MOBIUS I WILL PERSONALLY FLAY THE SKIN FROM YOUR OWN BONES

Mobius writing "skin" into the dust on the computer lololololol

WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING JUST LET LOKI CONFESS

OB I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS IF ONE OF THESE BOYS EVEN SEEMS TO DIE AT THE END OF THIS EP

HOW IS HE GONNA HOOF IT BACK IF HE CAN BARELY CRAWL [I started getting really stressed at this point. It's pretty much caps lock from here on out.]

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD WE'RE GONNA END THIS EPISODE WITH MO BITING IT AND THEN LOKI FIXES IT IN EP TWO AND BRINGS HIM BACK

OR LOKI BITES IT AND THE OTHER WAY HAPPENS

THERE'S ELEVEN MINUTES LEFT BUT I DON'T TRUST MARVEL NOT TO MAKE ELEVEN MINUTES OF CREDITS

MARVEL DON'T MAKE ME CHECK OFF THE CRYING BOX [on the Bingo Card] ON EPISODE ONE

MARVEL

I WON'T BE ABLE TO SLEEP

MARVEL

LOKI

MOBIUS

LOKI

MOBIUS

SYLVIE MY DARLING MY PERFECT LOVE THANK YOU OH MY GOD

How wild is it that Loki comes flying back from the jaws of death itself and saves Mobius from getting his skin ripped off and they land on the floor of the TVA in each other's arms, and the first thing Loki does is bring up his ex-girlfriend [I wouldn't classify Sylvie as this, but I'm being tongue-in-cheek, and Mobius did accuse Loki of falling for himself in season 1, so]

OKAY BUT I WAS RIGHT THAT WAS SYLVIE AT THE BEGINNING [Before you reply, remember I can't respond to those, and also I forgot that was the past and at the end Loki's in the future. HOWEVER, I do still think that was Sylvie at the beginning.]

SHE IS IN BROXTON HELL YEAH WHOEVER FIGURED THAT OUT (I don't remember who that was) FOUR FOR YOU HOLY SHIT

Oh Sylvie :(((

[jackalopc]

Hi, R.A. again, hope the moving process has been manageable so far!

Thanks so much for the face suggestions! Already had a few of them listed from my own brainstorming, but absolutely loved all the options you provided. Thanks for taking the time to do that, and I do hope you had some fun with it - all the other shit aside, that's a fun little thing I often like to do, to various ends, but I know not everyone's into it or sees the point, so it was cool to see you share that you'd been thinking about giving something like it a try, and then absolutely knock it out of the park with your suggestions.

So, I'd always intended to wait for your response to my follow-up ask before I sent in another substantial reply of my own, so I'm not ignoring the first response that you posted (have a reply drafted, actually - just wanted to wait and possibly combine my two replies, because while you want to tackle my 2 asks as separate things - which is fair - I think that because they're about the same thing, I want to be able to put it all into a response together, address it all in one place).

That said... I'm not sure it's worth it, honestly? I think we have fundamentally different takes and approaches to a whole host of things, some of which was immediately apparent in our different wording, tone and direction of the initial ask & response, others are things I've picked up on in other posts/tags when I've scanned your blog for updates for Redfly Anon. Doesn't mean there's suddenly no chance of a civil dialogue, but we didn't have a great first round of interactions, and that has me questioning whether it's really going to be of much benefit to continue.

You're free to do as you choose, obviously - reply or not, to this, to the aforementioned 'Part 2' ask, whatever. If you want to write up a response, great! But if it's something on your tumblr to-do list that's looking more like a chore, but you feel you should keep the conversation going or something, this is me very freely offering you an out. There was never any expectation that you'd respond in the first place, and there's no expectation or demand to do it now.

I'll probably check again in a week or two, see if you did decide to post anything more on all this, but for now I can't really see myself dedicating any further time to write out a proper, considered (and edited, for once) response to any of it. Absolutely not meant to disregard the time and effort you've already put into any of this, or to judge, moralise or criticise any of the aforementioned differences - I appreciate the input, and hope you're able to continue curating an enjoyable and fulfilling fandom/media space for yourself on your blog and with your friends, I just don't think I belong inside that same orbit!

-Redfly Anon 😎

tumblr ate the original draft of this gdi i was literally about to hit post this used to be a proper website

howdy! it's nice to hear from you again! moving is going so-so... i got a month left and i should definitely be further along than i am admittedly. oh well.

i have been wanting to tackle your second ask, just been busy and/or no brain power to do so. i'd thought about working it into the original one, but i got it literally just before i was about to post and there was just a lot going on in both. a lot of the second ask felt contradictory to your first; and a lot of your first ask alone was already a bit contradictory to itself.. so i felt it would be a bit too unwieldy to work into one, larger piece. at least in any way that felt coherent and productive. it's on my "to-do" per se, but i don't really see it like as something negative or as a chore. i just have a bad memory between ADHD and disabilities; so i just need the literal reminder that it's something that exists. i have a very classic ADHD thing of object permanence problems lmao

i'd like to say i generally try to approach life and people from a we're friends (or at least friendly) until i'm given reason not to be perspective. and despite how these asks/responses, i personally don't find them reason enough not to be in the friendly category, et cetera.

i don't know if you follow me, or we're moots, or you're in my TFF community, or none of the above... i've said it on my blog multiple times now that its up to folks to curate their spaces. so if interaction stops here? then i totally understand. but know that should you ever want to continue speaking, whether on this topic or anything else, my inbox and DM's are always open.

i also doubt you're still interested in my MIBABM series, and i'd be surprised if you are. but it's okay if not, and no hard feelings. do i wish more people read it and enjoyed it? of course, everyone wants their work to be recognized and also to share their love of their favorite character. i'm also not blind though; i realize i am one of only an itty-bitty handful of people who like his character, in a vast ocean of folks who are at best neutral on him to outright loathing of his character to the point of censorship. i don't need folks to love or even like redfly or agree with his actions. i just wish people disliked him based on what he actually did.

rest is under the cut just bc im a yapper.

i think your ask(s) also touched on some grievances i've had with fandom in general for a while, which didn't help. it all feels too focused on the actors and not the characters and the stories themselves. it's why i've been grumbling so much, and i get it's probably annoying to anyone whose not also frustrated by it. like not to sound like an old man yelling at clouds; but i just miss being able to go into a fandom tag and seeing cool gifsets, art, and people excitedly talking about the story, et cetera.

it feels like any of that happens very rarely, nowadays. everything just feels like a mess nowadays that carving out a space feels less like building a comfy blanket for you and your friends; and more like digging out a foxhole. everyone finds comfort and escapism in fandom, in their own different ways and always have. but now it feels like i need to find comfort and escapism within fandom itself now too.

but maybe i'm an odd duck in that thought process. i've never been particularly good at fitting in, even in nerd spaces, and i'm aware of that. i don't really like it, but i've accepted it.

my tag comments are also rarely directed at specific folks or anything but like the Grand Meta of it All, if that makes sense...

admittedly i know i can be very blunt and often off-putting; despite often my best efforts not to be. i also know i'm a very passionate person. those two things are… not the best combination. and despite how it may seem, i did take (and still do) your messages in good faith and like as not intentionally trying to be upsetting or anything like that. but honestly the overall message in combination with the fancast request was… not ideal? not with how it was worded, at least.

but i don't think anyone particularly enjoys getting what is essentially summed up to: hey this character you like, also played by an actor you do see as attractive? i don't like the character and i hate how the actor looks. anyways wanna fancast an alt for me so they're bearable? like i hope you can understand why that's kind of an upsetting message to get; even if its not intentionally trying to be.

could i have approached it with more tact? sure, with me there is always room for more of it. do i wish i was more tactful? eh? kinda, maybe in spots. but overall, i don't know if that would have changed much.

to be quite honest, i wasn't entirely sure the asks weren't some sort of... hm, trap isn't the right word. but they felt more like experimental prodding, like hey lets see what will happen. which isn't inherently bad, but it did leave me a little suspect of them. particularly the language you used around referring to me (as the redfly #1 fan/expert/etc).

but maybe i've also just been in fandom for too long and am too "old", so i've just seen so much weird shit happen.

to quote your second ask:

It's ridiculous, but it's fandom so, like, I don't care if I'm being picky and ridiculous. It's not that deep, my core issue is as surface-level as they come.

you're right, on all accounts. like even in fandom, people can be as picky and ridiculous as they want. i certainly am (*gestures to the literal everything about me and my blog*). but i don't think there should also be an outright dismissal of things not being deeper, whether for you and this instance or just on a more grander scale that surpasses us both.

something something context and coconuts..

like i said in my original response, i think overall your ask(s) just helps verbalize a lot of whats going on in this neofandom era. and whether i like it or not, it's whats currently happening. but, i do know that like problems IRL; the only way for change to happen is to do something. so maybe this is just the role i'm meant to play in that, who knows.

all i know is just want to share my love of this movie with others; and share my love of my favorite characters. and not necessarily have to fill the tag myself just so i don't have to see nothing but awful shit about my blorbo.

the censorship of affleck's name was just... no that's still weird, and even if i regretted the overall message of everything else i wrote, that was still weird. like at the end of the day, i hope if you took anything from what i said, it's the fact you shouldn't participate in censorship.

[persimminwrites]

Can I ask about Layla's timeloop and her sheer will power 😍🥰??

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee oF COURSE you can ask i would like nothing more than to yap about my beloved layla <333

i actually didnt have specific thoughts when i tagged that its just very in line w layla to 1) be stubborn beyond belief and 2) have an insane threshold for personal discomfort whether that be mental or physical and 3) persevere to see something through to the end despite.... difficulties. all things which i think would set her up nicely for success if presented with a time loop skdfjnsjdf

dai actually sets you up nicely for a time loop plot with the in hushed whispers quest so more details below the cut <3

some in hushed whispers background (for you my beloved maia who supports my blorbo despite not being into dragon age <333333333) very basically is a main quest in the game where your inquisitor is sent forward in time by a mage named alexius. dorian (one of the companions) gets sent forward a year in the future with the inquisitor. the other companions do not get sent into the future and you find after some snooping that theyve been imprisoned along with other people and exposed to red lyrium which is killing them. the inquisition spymaster (leliana) is also imprisoned and has been tortured. after a lot of running around and fighting this culminates in dorian taking the amulet that initially sent you into the future and redoing the spell to send you back in the past. the companions and leliana buy the inquisitor time by sacrificing themselves so that inky can go back a year in time to where this all started. as leliana says "theyre already dead" :'(

some more additional notes is that the world is apparently in an apocalyptic state at the time with demons having overrun much of the surrounding area. the empress of orlais has been assassinated. things are bad etc. etc. the companions and a few notes you find reference the elder one who seems to be the real threat rather than alexius. the elder one led the demon invasion and is ruling over "whats left"

NOW what would be fun is if dorian attempts to send layla and himself back into the past but they end up back in the prison area they were initially transported to after alexius sent them forward in time aka just a few hours prior. this is fun for many reasons. i will list them.

dorian's horror upon realizing that he failed to successfully send them back to the correct point in the past

having to experience seeing the companions imprisoned and in pain all over again

having to experience seeing the companions hope that layla and dorian survived all over again

having to experience seeing the companions die for layla all over again

repeat

now when i say layla could probably get her and dorian through this by sheer force of will i do just mean her drive to literally die trying rather than quit because in the end she isnt a mage despite having the power of the anchor and i dont think she would be able to solve the time loop issue. but she would do literally everything in her power to make sure dorian lives and figures it out. now how i think this might pan out:

after the first failed attempt dorian panics but layla manages to calm him down enough and refocus so that they can try again. i would imagine that she would tell him to focus on thinking about what went wrong with the spell while she focuses on redoing everything they just did (get companions, get leliana, fight alexius, etc. etc.) i do think that after the first failed attempt they would not reveal that they had failed. probably a naive belief that they can get things right. dorian just needs to try again. :)

after the second failed attempt i think dorian would probably have a bit of a meltdown. at this point dorian and layla are not BFFs (yet) and theyve really just met so to be put into such a catastrophic situation with someone who is essentially a stranger would be difficult to say the least. dorian has a habit of turning serious conversations lighthearted and i think that would grate on layla who is a relatively serious, straightforward person with a wicked temper. i could definitely see them getting into an argument that completely derails this attempt. and i think through some series of mishaps one of them DIES (pause for dramatic effect)

and they get sent right back to the start. so now we're on the fourth attempt and theyve learned that if either of them dies then they get sent back to this moment. this is fun for a couple of reasons 1) one of them had to watch the other die and i think this is the moment where theyre like we've gone through so much together time to stick together till the end ill do anything for you etc etc power of best friendship being forged right before their eyes 2) this is probably a big clue for dorian that something else is wrong if one of them dying sends them back. there is a moment later in the quest where its seems as though time is of the essence but i dont think that urgency is really triggered until youve defeated alexius. so i think they would probably take some time or as much as is possible to sit and discuss here. i think that they would again decide to not tell leliana or the companions about the fact that theyve failed in a desperate attempt for dorian to try something else.

but they fail again. on attempt #5 i think this is where they decide to tell the others.

companions i would want to bring along for this fun time loop scenario would be solas and cassandra. solas for fun solavellan setup + i think its interesting to have solas along during this chaos since he has a lot to do with why current events are unfolding as they are. cassandra because a lot of her character is wrapped up in her faith and i think that would also be an interesting perspective to have along during this especially when its revealed that layla and dorian are failing.

so attempt #5 we finally reveal to solas, cassandra and leliana that layla and dorian are failing. at this time i think there would be shock from the companions obviously but i think layla would very quickly try to shift the focus to solas and dorian trying to work together to figure out whats going on. layla in an effort to not panic them would probably not reveal HOW many times theyve failed just that theyve failed. there is another attempt and other than the companions knowing that theyve failed before things play out pretty much the same. except theres a touch more desperation from leliana, cassandra and solas to see this through (dorian and layla as well) but

it fails again. and this is where i think layla's sheer power of will would come into play. she just would not fucking give up. like in a very unhealthy coping mechanism im not going to examine my grief and emotions too closely and keep powering through until things are done then i can fall apart kinda way. she would drag dorian with her over and over again and sacrifice herself over and over again to get him to keep trying to keep him from dying to keep him from going insane to keep him from despairing.

i would love to do some more planning and actually think about what would actually get them out of this time loop. its probably some hand wavey magic nonsense but i think it would be so fun to explore the special brand of psychological angst a time loop would result in. it would be a really fun exploration of dorian and layla's friendship. it would be extremely fun to write about how interactions with the companions would go with each loop esp bc in this dorian and layla are the only ones who remember the failed loops. maybe in one of the loops they try to run away and find somewhere they can hole up and plan more. maybe they bring solas and cassandra and leliana the first time. maybe on one attempt some of the others die. maybe they attempt it without bringing the others and make the decision to leave them to their fates of imprisonment. much to consider. much fun to have :D

another fun train of thought to have would be how would this change layla and dorian for the REST of the plot. in the game they go forward then come back and it is harrowing but its just once. but imagine if they experience the loop 20 times? 100 times? more than that? what does layla become? what does she kill within herself to survive that experience? what becomes of dorian?

the in hushed whispers quest sets up a lot of the next steps for what the inquisitor does in the game. what would become of the world if layla becomes so fundamentally changed after this experience? i think it would have to make her ruthless. she would be beyond scarred physically, emotionally, psychologically. and i think it would have huge impacts on the remaining decisions the inquisitor is faced with that shape the remainder of the plot. how would her view of mages and magic change? how would she approach the leadership of orlais. would a romance with solas still be possible for her? and if so how would she react to many of the reveals that shake a dalish inquisitors worldview?

MUCH TO THINK ON AND CONSIDER THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO YAP ABOUT THIS FUN IDEA MAIA MWUAH ILYSM