#as someone who is a big fan of both series and is looking forward to tgd too I just want to watch in peace

[thejesterstears]

I feel the need to remind people that The Gaslight District is not replacing The Amazing Digital Circus, Glitch is prioritizing TGD now that the pilot is about the drop and the two shows will be airing simultaneously so they will both start getting equal promotion. It doesn’t mean they’ve stopped caring about TADC, keep in mind this is an indie production company working on multiple shows and bringing many creators’ visions to life and that they’ll all get their turns in the spotlight. We’re just barely at the midway point for TADC so it’s not like it’s going to lose steam any time soon, we just need to be patient and not get greedy about it.

The reason I voice this concern is because there were plenty of Murder Drones fans who were angry about TADC “stealing the spotlight” back when it started and even blamed it for MD getting cancelled (it wasn’t cancelled, it ended on the creator’s terms—just like TADC isn’t getting cancelled for this, we are still getting the rest of the show). All I’m asking is that people please be respectful and patient as well as supportive of Glitch in this time. Let’s just be nice and enjoy our shows in peace, and please consider giving Gaslight District a look as well because it looks pretty cool so far.

[loserboysandlithium]

Fantasy: Eddie x reader x Billy

Part one, part two, part three, part four

Four part mini series. Minors DNI. Explicit sexual content

Summary: Your boyfriend, Eddie Munson, asks you what your biggest fantasy is and you're hesitant to tell him. Will he allow it to come true?

You were laying on the floor of your apartment in a big t-shirt and panties, staring up at the ceiling.

"This shit is strong, Eds." you sigh, exhaling the smoke into the air.

He leans over and kisses your cheek before stealing the joint for himself.

Eddie Munson. Your boyfriend of four years now. You had met in High School. Started with flirty glances here and there and ended up with the two of you in his van every lunch period.

"Biggest fantasy. Go!" Eddie blurts as he grins over at you.

"Sexual?"

"Duh."

"I don't know." you lie, hoping he can't see your face turning red with the dim lighting.

"There's gotta be something." he scoots closer as he takes another hit.

"I don't know." you repeat, shrugging lightly, the topic making you slightly uncomfortable.

"Anything. Some secret fantasy. You always take care of me, baby." he drawls as he leans over and plants a soft kiss on your lips.

The two of you loved to experiment. He was right.. you've done basically anything he could want at this point.

You've watched him while he had sex with someone else. You've brought other girls home. Threesomes, foursomes. Toys, movies, role play, rough sex, extremely rough sex.

And you enjoyed every minute of it. It was fun for both of you. But now he was asking what you wanted. And it made you a little nervous.

My desire. My fantasy.

I did have a fantasy.. but he won't like it.

You shrug again and he rolls over on top of you. You feel the warmth of his body weight pressing against you. His curls tickling your cheek as they fall forward, framing your face. He moves to kiss your neck before his warm lips meet your ear.

"Tell me, sweetheart. Whatever it is." he whispers deeply, his breath sending tingles across your entire body.

Billy Hargrove.

Eddie was never a fan of him in school. But it was something you had thought about for a long time. You had craved him back then before you and Eddie got together. And sometimes.. sometimes you still did.

But you wanted them both. Together.

"You won't like it." you sigh as he kisses your neck again. His lips begin to suck a small mark as his fingers trail up and down your arm lightly. His touch soft and sweet. Your high making it feel even better.

"Try me." he mumbles into your neck.

"It's a threesome.." you start and a deep chuckle erupts from his chest immediately.

"Why wouldn't I like that?" he laughs as he sits up, pulling you with him. You straddle his lap and look into his deep brown eyes.

You lean down to kiss his lips softly as his hands rest heavily on your ass.

"It's not the what, it's the who." you hint as you place your hands on his shoulders. His eyes narrow a bit and you take a deep breath. Just spit it out.

"Billy." you finally manage and Eddie gives you a blank stare.

"Who?"

"Billy... you know.."

Eddie continues to stare at you, his expression unreadable. "As in Hargrove?" he deadpans.

You nod slightly and as you take a piece of his long hair, twirling it between your fingers.

"You want me to have a threesome with Billy Hargrove?" Eddie stares at you in shock, his lips parted, his already big eyes widening even more.

You roll your eyes as you go to climb off his lap but he pulls you back instantly, his large hands keeping a firm grip on your waist.

"I told you, you wouldn't like it." you groan and his eyes search your face carefully.

"Baby, I just.. I need to process for a second." he sighs deeply. You watch him as his face changes from stunned back to semi normal.

"That's your big fantasy, huh? Billy Hargrove?"

You nod again as you feel a blush creep over your cheeks.

"He is... well I guess he's alright." Eddie starts. "If you're into all those muscles and abs and bad boy stuff.. and well his eyes are nice.. very blue..."

"Eddie?" you interrupt with a giggle.

"Hmm.. sorry." He shakes his head and leans in closer.

"What makes you think he would even do it?" Eddie asks and you feel an excitement building in your stomach.

He's not saying no.

You run your finger down his jawline softly, feeling the light scruff under your fingertips. "I don't know if he will. But you asked for my biggest fantasy.. and now you know." Your hand makes its way to the back of his neck, pulling him close and kissing him hard.

His tongue slips in your mouth and you wrap your legs around his waist as he leans back down, laying you flat on the ground. He pulls away, resting his lips against yours.

"You would have a better chance of fucking him alone." Eddie murmurs, his lips tickling yours as he speaks.

"But I want you both." you whisper back and his plump lips meet yours again before moving to your neck once more. Your head falls back against the soft carpet as he nips and sucks on your soft skin.

"You want us both?" he burns against your neck as his hand creeps up your thigh.

"Yes." you breathe, his calloused fingers traveling slowly to where you need them the most.

"You want him to fuck you while I watch? That could be fun." Eddie's voice is low in your ear. A deep tone making your thighs clench.

"Yes.." you sigh as his fingers finally reach their destination, swiftly moving your panties to the side. He slips one finger into your warmth, feeling your excitement immediately.

"Oh fuck. You do want him don't you? You want to know what he feels like inside of you?" Eddie teases as he adds another finger, slipping them both in knuckle deep.

Your nails dig into his shoulder as he begins to move his fingers, sliding them in and out of your already soaked pussy.

"Yes, baby." you admit, a needy moan slipping from your lips.

"Mmm.. you're a bad girl, sweetheart. If you're this turned on already... I might have to let him fuck you." Eddie growls as his fingers slowly pump in and out.

"Eddiee.." you whine, grinding your hips against his hand. It never takes long for you to cum on his hand. His fingers are fucking magic.

"Tell me what else you want." Eddie says nibbling on your ear. He speeds up even more bringing you closer and closer as he fucks you with his hand.

You feel your body tense up.. you're already so close. His fingers curl perfectly, stroking your g spot every time. "I want... fuck, Eddie.."

You struggle to speak as his fingers begin to move faster. Rougher. The sound of your slick coating his hand only makes him increase his speed.

"Say it." he orders.

"I want.. oh fuck.. I want you both." you whimper, listening to the wet sounds of his fingers thrusting in and out. The sound of his palm slapping against your pussy.

"You want both of us inside of you? Is that it?" Eddie hisses as his hand continues pushing you closer and closer.

"Yes!" you cry.

"You wanna be a little slut? It might hurt baby, you sure you want that?" his fingers are moving at an insane pace now. Your body jerks with every thrust of his hand.

"Yes!" you cry out again and he moans deeply.

"We're gonna fuck you so hard.. you want us to destroy you, don't you? You want us to destroy that pussy?" Eddie chuckles as you squirm beneath him.

"Yes!”

“And that tight little ass, hm?” Eddie groans as his other hand comes to your clit, swiping rapidly.

“Baby, yes! Fuck please!" you squeal as you feel your muscles spasm around his fingers. The thought of them both inside of you sending you completely over the edge. Your back arches off the floor as you cum hard, your juices coating his hand entirely.

Eddie works you through your orgasm slowly. A filthy moan escapes his lips as he watches your body shudder under him. You struggle to calm your breathing as your back falls to the floor.

He hooks his arm under you and lifts you up to meet his eyes.

"Find him. Set it up." he says simply before kissing you once and walking away.

Holy shit.

Tag list: @gri959 @flory-alexandra @livinnadaydream @anakinsbbgirl @watermeezer @theyellowhaunt @nailbatanddungeon @mugloversonly @bunnyhargrove @ali-r3n @eddiestans-blog @alesiaaa

Part two coming soon. 🤭

Divider by @strangergraphics 🖤

[flemingsfreckles]

Replacement pt. 1

Jessie Fleming x Reader (enemies to lovers)

Synopsis: Jessie transfers to your team in Portland, while everyone else seems to be thrilled about her transfer, you see the girl as a threat to your position and playing time with the team.

Warnings: cursing

WC: 2.4K (this is just set up, the other parts will be longer)

A/N: this is a LONG overdue series I started writing when Jessie first transferred to Portland, I just have had some serious writers block with it. But I’ve finally been able to get some of it down. It is enemies to lovers, so it will be rough and angsty at the start but give it some time :)

Everyone had seen the rumors flying around. You heard the whispers of your teammates at training yesterday afternoon after they had all seen the supposed transfer news. Just like any other fan or team, you all loved the speculation. Your teammates loved it even more when it surrounded bringing a big name on to your team for once instead of Gotham like everyone else. Janine and Christine spent most of their practice trying to dodge questions about their fellow Canadian teammate, not giving away any details of what they did or didn’t know.

You couldn’t lie, you often fed into the spectacle of transfer rumors, chatting with your team about where people might be headed. Something about this transfer rubbed you the wrong way. Maybe it was because you felt threatened. You were a midfielder as well. If you’re being honest with yourself, your first season in the league, fresh out of college, had not gone to plan.

Being drafted second you were expected to perform well, and the transition into the NWSL from the NCAA had been anything but smooth. You had a few minor injuries, a strain here and there, with the addition of a minor concussion. You ended up with an overall disappointing season. It wasn’t due to your lack of effort, you pushed yourself as hard if not harder than most players, it just hadn’t yet paid off.

Jessies arrival meant you’d likely be finding yourself sitting on the bench more and more often. They were bringing in someone who could actually help the team. They were bringing in your replacement in the form of an incredibly skilled and experienced midfielder.

You tried to remember that they were just rumors, she wasn’t confirmed to being transferring. What small hope you had was quickly diminished when you got the team message from staff asking that you all arrive to practice 20 minutes early for a “quick meeting”.

So when you walked into the meeting room, slouching in your seat next to Sam and Janine with a huff, they both turned to look at you. They had both taken you under their wing when you joined the team, being your first friends in Portland. They would come over when you were injured, helping take you to and from training, and helping you get acquainted with the city.

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of their bed, damn.” Janine looked at you with wide eyes. It was uncharacteristic behavior being so cranky, even with how poorly your season was last year, you were typically upbeat, trying to make your teammates laugh, keeping practice lighthearted.

“Shut it Beckie.” You muttered in her direction. Sam looked at you, wide eyes before slowly turning to face forward not wanting to get on your bad side. Your coach walking in shortly after, not giving Janine the chance to respond. You’re not sure she would have even had something to say as she just stared at you, mouth open at the fact that you had just talked back to her.

“Alright, quiet down everyone,” your coach held his hands up. “I’m sure everyone has already seen the rumors floating around our club. We hadn’t planned to announce it until she was actually here to introduce herself but as of a couple hours ago, we have officially agreed to terms with and will be welcoming another Canadian,” he shoots a look at Janine and Sinc, “Jessie Fleming will be joining us.” A couple of whoops and hollers scattered across the room. “She’ll be starting with us at practice in two days. I expect, as you all have with our other transfers and signings, that you welcome her to Portland.”

While the rest of the team seemed to be thrilled at the idea of Fleming joining the team, you dodged every conversation you could about her.

Thankfully training was short, with the season just beginning you were completing fitness testing, getting both benchmarks for the season and learning how well everyone had kept up with their fitness during the off season. After warming up, everyone ran the well known and well dreaded “beep test”. It may be dreaded to most, but as a midfielder you had some of the best cardio fitness. It was days like this where your confidence rose, feeling comfortable through the test, nothing to worry about except running.

By the end of the test, you were one of the only players still running, your lungs were burning with each breath you took, the lactic acid building up in your thighs and calves. You finally dropped to your knees, unable to run any further. You found yourself kneeling next to Janine before rolling over to sit. Placing your head between your knees you breathed, listening to your teammates around you also panting, some coughing, some cursing the test for existing. You laid back fully putting up one leg straight in the air. A smile crept across your face, something about the burning of your lungs and your legs nearly cramping felt so good, a small reminder of your hard work.

“You mind helping me stretch?” Reaching out an arm you smack Janine next to you. Easily convinced, she stands up moving over to you placing herself to hold the foot in the air. She gently begins to press it toward your chest, your hamstring straining as she pushes your leg further.

“You’re fucking crazy for smiling after that test.” Janine rolling her eyes at you, a small cough coming out after as she can still feel her lungs burning. “I can’t believe I’m going to have to deal with two of you now.”

“What does that mean? Two of us?” You send her a pointed look before laying back letting your head fall back against the grass. Janine drops your leg, grabbing the other one before repeating the stretching motion.

“It means, I’ll now have to deal with you and Jessie running circles around me and the rest of this team. Literally circles.” She huffs.

“Right.” You felt the smile drop from your face, you had been able to forget about your replacement’s arrival. Janine noticed instantaneous change in your emotions at the mention of Jessie. She made a mental note to check in with you later, not while you were still on the sidelines of the pitch with the entire team.

Once everyone cooled down from the test, you stretched more, before heading into the locker room. You grab a protein bar and electrolytes from the shelf before hopping into the ice bath. Janine follows you, hopping in as well, making a comment about how cold it was as she shivers.

“Hey, I know we usually go for coffee after practice. We can still do that, it's just that I had offered to help Jessie unpack. She got in last night and didn’t really get settled. I’m supposed to meet her at her new place in about an hour, so I won't be able to stay for too long. It’ll have to be more of a grab and go kind of thing.” Janine looks at you, you both standing in the ice cold water, your shirts held up to avoid getting them wet.

Part of you is annoyed at her. You two always grabbed coffee, it was an unspoken activity, occasionally another teammate or two tagging along. You two would get coffee, you’d vent to each other, chat about the tv shows you were watching, Janine would talk about her wedding. It was something Janine started with you when you were new to the team, she was doing it to make you feel comfortable at the start and it quickly developed into a genuine friendship. Now Jessie was going to replace you at work and in Janine’s life too.

“Just go to hers, it's all good. We can skip this week.” You try not to sound upset, already feeling replaced by Jessie’s arrival in the form of losing your coffee “date”.

“Sorry, I would have said something sooner but with the transfer not public yet, I just didn’t want to get her in trouble or anything.” She pauses for a moment. “Actually, why don't you come with me to Jessie’s? I really think you two will get on well, plus it’ll be a good way to introduce you two.”

“Oh, no, I wouldn't want to just show up, I mean I don't know her and unpacking her stuff would be a little personal, it just probably isn't the best time for me to meet her.” Coming up with the best excuse you could come up with without flat out telling Janine that you don't want to meet one of her favorite people. You had heard plenty about Jessie before from Janine, only before it didn’t bother you. Before it was just hearing about one of Janine’s best friends, now it had a different sting when she was brought up. Now she was talking about the girl coming to take your spot.

“Alright, well I’m still grabbing coffee because I thought we’d be going and I promised Jessie I’d bring her one. Come with me at least then we can split?” You know Janine has zero negative intentions, she still was trying to have your usual coffee while also being an incredible friend and going to help Jessie move in.

“Fine, twist my arm.” You add sarcasm into your sentence, it wasn’t too hard to get you to go get a coffee, it was one of your favorite drinks, you spent way to much time and money on it, even having your own espresso machine at home with a bean grinder and all. Janine always joked that you could just run your own coffee shop out of your apartment for extra money.

You get to the coffee shop, when you walk in the barista gives you a wave, you and Janine were frequent visitors, the baristas all knew you and your orders.

“Are we getting the usual ladies?” The girl behind the counter asks, already starting to punch in the order on her screen.

“I am, but can we get them to-go, thank you.” You tell her. She puts in the order for your cold brew with caramel foam.

“I am, but I’m also going to add another drink, can I just get a latte with the lavender syrup please.”

On a normal day, if you weren’t in such an upset and negative mood you would’ve mocking the way Janine says syrup, but you don’t. You also mentally gag at the coffee she ordered for Jessie, lavender tasted like old lady soap. You mentally added it to the list of reasons to avoid the new transfer. It was childish what you were doing but you didn’t care.

You reach to get your card out, Janine beats you to it tapping her card on the register. “Janine, no.” It was your turn to pay, the two of you alternated.

“Please it’s the least I can do given I’m ditching you today.” She shoots you a sympathetic look.

“Alright.” You rolls your eyes at her as you hear your name called from the other end of the counter where your drink was placed.

You grab your drink and turn to walk out of the shop. The shop wasn’t too far from your apartment, a couple of blocks, and you figured you could walk so Janine didn’t have to drop you off at your house before heading to Jessie’s.

“Hey, where are you running off to, I’ll drive you.”

“Oh, no I’m good, I don’t want to make your trip longer.” You also had enough social interaction for today, a short walk alone wouldn’t be the worst thing.

“Well Jessie’s new place is just across the street from yours, so I’ll be going that way anyway.”

Of course Jessie moved in right across the street, out of all the apartment buildings in Portland of course she found herself the closest one, besides literally being in your building.

Janine grabs hers and Jessie’s drinks and you both walk back to her car. The two of you chat again, complaining about the weather and how it couldn’t make up its mind if it’s was winter or spring yet. You both coo over a dog walking down the street and for a second the conversation is light, it feels normal again. Until Janine brings up Jessie again.

“Hey, would you mind if I give Jess your number? I just figured I’d maybe be nice, you guys live across the street from each other, if she needed anything while she’s still moving in, store or food recommendations, you could help.”

You wanted to say no. But the girl was going to end up with your number anyway, you had to be teammates, you’d have to be cordial with her, you couldn’t let your own pride be a problem for the team.

“Yeah, that’s fine I guess.” Your mood deflated, the words coming out of your mouth with a heavy sigh at the end, making it obvious you weren’t thrilled about the suggestion for her to have your number.

“Are you alright? You’ve seemed weird all day. Is it because of Jessie?”

“Why would it be because of her?” You ask, knowing damn well that your behavior was exactly her fault.

“I don’t know, just when she gets brought up, you seem to get annoyed.”

“No I don’t.” Your answer is quick, you get defensive. Unfortunately your defensive behavior likely tells Janine that it is in fact Jessie who’s on your nerves.

“Oh, I know what it is!” She slaps her hand over to your thigh, giving you a small smack.

“What?”

“You’re worried I’m going to start doing things with Jessie instead of you! You’re jealous!” Her tone is playful, she’s teasing you.

“I’m not jealous.” You cross your arms in the passenger seat, pouring like a toddler.

“Good, but if you were, you have no reason to be, yes she’s my friend, but so are you, our coffee dates will still go on, we’ll still hang out, you have nothing to worry about.”

“I wasn’t worried.” You say as Janine pulls up in front of your building. You climb out of the car, thanking her for the ride.

“You’re welcome, I'll always love you, she’ll never come between us!” She yells out the window making a slightly embarrassing scene, bypassers not knowing the joke she’s making. You turn back, shaking your head at her as you laugh.

“Love ya Janine, bye.” You wave at her and enter your building.

You get inside and go about the rest of your day, laundry, cleaning, a rather mundane but somewhat relaxing evening.

It’s when you’re crawling into bed that you receive two messages from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hi, this is Jessie, Janine gave me your number. She said you lived in the area.

Unknown: Sorry, Jessie Fleming, I should’ve clarified. Don’t feel obligated to text me, just Janine insisted I reach out.

You ignore the messages, you have a quick thought of blocking her number, but you know that’s not realistic. You’d have to see her in a few days and be her teammate you can’t block her phone. At least the girl gave you the permission to ignore her.

So that’s what you did. You closed your phone, putting it on silent and snuggled into bed, putting on whatever was showing on National Geographic at this hour and falling asleep shortly after.

[yatsurinamikaze]

Wager [completed!]

Series : (first) - (second) - (third) - (fourth) - (fifth) - (sixth) - (seventh) - (eight) - (ninth) - (tenth_last) - (BONUS!)

tw// shit show, cringe, word vomit, objectification, shitty writing, grammatical errors, curse words.

Oikawa Tooru x Reader, Ushijima Wakatoshi x Reader

Summary: They strike a bet. The Wager? You.

Five years have passed since that chaotic day in the gym, and life has unfolded in ways you never could have predicted. You’re now a leading architect, renowned for your innovative designs and dedication to your craft. Your life is busy but fulfilling, and you’ve carved out your own path—one that, as it turns out, was the right one for you.

Today, you find yourself courtside at the Tokyo Olympics, watching Argentina and Japan warming up before their big volleyball match. The energy in the stadium is electric, fans from all over the world cheering in anticipation.

As you sit down, your friend Aeri nudges you, her eyes wide as she spots the players on the court. "I can’t believe you dated Oikawa from the Argentina team back in high school," she says, her tone a mix of awe and disbelief.

You smile, shaking your head with amusement as you wave at Tooru, who just winked at you from the court. “Not just him,” you say, laughing softly. “I almost ended up dating Ushiwaka too.”

Aeri’s jaw drops, and she turns to face you with wide eyes. "Wait, what?! Ushiwaka as in Wakatoshi Ushijima?!"

You laugh goofily, nodding as you watch both the Japan and Argentina teams warming up. “Yeah, those were some crazy days.”

Aeri is still in shock, her gaze bouncing between you and the players on the court. "You almost dated both of them? And now they’re both Olympic volleyball stars? That’s insane!"

You shrug, a playful smile tugging at your lips. "Well, life takes you in unexpected directions."

As you watch the players finish their warm-ups, your mind drifts back to the choices you made after that day in high school. You had chosen your own path, focusing on your future and self-discovery instead of jumping into relationships. It had been the right decision. You’d grown into the person you were meant to be, without being tied to someone else’s journey. And seeing Oikawa and Ushiwaka thriving as pros? It only reinforced that they, too, had followed their dreams and flourished.

You made the right choice, you think to yourself, it wasn’t about being with someone, it was about finding yourself first—and you were grateful for how it all worked out in the end.

The stadium’s noise fades for a brief moment as everyone prepares for the opening whistle. The excitement builds, and you lean forward in your seat, ready to watch the match. But just before the whistle blows, you hear someone clear their throat near you.

You turn your head to see a tall, athletic-looking man standing next to the empty seat beside you. There's something familiar about him, though you can’t quite place it. Your eyes flicker between him and the court, where one of the Japanese players—a faux-blonde in a red and black jersey—catches your attention.

The stranger grins, clearly noticing your confusion. "Are you…" you start, pointing at the blond player on the court. "Are you his… brother or something?"

The man chuckles, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "Twin, actually."

You burst into laughter, the realization dawning on you. "Oh yeah, that makes sense!" you say, feeling a little silly for not seeing the resemblance sooner.

He smiles, his gaze warm and lingering as he looks into your eyes. There’s something about his demeanor—calm, confident, and inviting—that immediately pulls you towards him.

"So…" Nodding towards the empty spot next to you, he asks, "Is this seat taken?"

Masterlist

haha, just a fun bonus.

[makncheese12]

Big Girl

A/N: I want you guys to know I’m still very confused with ‘to’ and ‘too’ it’s very aggravating

Stats: requested

Jenna Ortega X bodyguard!GN!reader

“It’s gettin’ crowded out there,” your colleague says as you both glance out the front doors of the hotel Jenna was staying at. There were no flashes yet but they stood ready for when she came out.

Though you had grown used to the cameras and having the fend off the paparazzi, you were still anxious about getting her through them with their persistent pushing to get a good picture.

You had to fight urges to shove them and away from her, yell in their faces for pushing her, hell even hide her away to prevent those things but you knew it’s what they wanted. A reaction from someone to have a big headline of the sort and you didn’t want to give them that satisfaction.

“Yeah,” you mumble before looking back toward the stairs. “So make sure she can get through.” He nods in response, sensing the nerves you always tend to have when there were big crowds.

“She’ll be fine, she always is with you around.” He replies as people begin to shout toward a celebrity who walks out.

You nod and can’t help but agree. While Jenna was out in Romania you decided to become a body guard just for her sake. You knew she would become big after seeing the responses to preview to the Wednesday Series.

It wasn’t like you didn’t really trust other body guards that were issued to celebrities, but you were to afraid they’ll look away for one moment and she’ll be pulled into a crowd of adoring fans.

So who better than to be her personal body guard than you? You were big enough and with enough working out you had the strength to push through crowds for her.

Jenna enjoyed the idea, you following her around like a big dog and possessively protecting her from the paparazzi. She liked the idea so much she even told you she’d pay for the training herself.

You, of course, declined and went straight into training. After a few months of sore muscles and long lectures, you were flown out to Romania immediately by her demand to start working.

The man next to your now was your partner during training and he seemed capable of keeping the paps away, especially with how much bigger he was than you.

“How do I look?” You ask looking down at yourself, he barely glances at you, smirk evident on his face. “Same as before, just a different shade.”

You press your lips together before hitting his chest with the back of your hand. “Funny,” you mumble rolling your eyes.

“She’s on her way down.”

A voice sounds through the small microphone in your ear making both you and the man next to you stand up straight, ready to help Jenna through the crowd.

“I’ll go forward a bit, make a little path for you both.” He states before looking you over. “You look good though.” He says with a nod before making his way over to the double door, standing at the ready.

You smile softly before glancing up toward the stairs where Jenna walked down along with another woman you only send a glance toward.

You can’t help your smile from growing at the sight of her. She had shedding down from her tuxedo dress and the long cape that came after it. It left her in the white button and her little bow. The corset only added to the feature as it hugged her curves perfectly and you wondered if she had anything on to cover her bottom half.

The thought is quickly dispelled when her eyes land on yours, seemingly lighting up as her pace quickens.

You take a step out of the corner as she nears you, eyes still scanning over her to take in the view you were given.

She had looked absolutely ethereal earlier in her gown for the Met Gala but this? This was much better than what you could ask for.

Sure, you saw parts of Jenna the world would never see but it still felt like a blessing when you saw how she looked everyday. From the moment you both wake up to the time you both lay down for bed and close your eyes. And it was truly a blessing to you.

One you were eternally grateful for and will be to the day you die.

“Take a picture, it should last longer.” You wish you could. You only roll your eyes at her comment before she stops in front of you, cheeky smile as she leans slightly forward toward you.

“You look stunning, as usual.” You say, grabbing her arm gently and pulling her cheek to your lips. She lets out a quiet huff before looking over you. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”

Her eyes settle on your chest for a moment before reaching out and readjusting your bow tie then looking up at you.

“Ready?” You ask glancing toward the cameras that are already flashing. “Almost,” she mumbles before leaning up on her tippy toes — the heels giving her a little more height but not enough — and grabbing the sides of your face and pulling your down a little.

The kiss is gentle yet passionate, the feeling sending tingles down your body as you feel yourself melt in her grasp. All thoughts of having to protect her gone and making it feel like she was the one who had to protect you in your bubbly state.

She pulls away slowly with a smile on her face before nodding. “Now I’m ready.” She says smooth out her corset before patting your jacket.

You laugh lightly before holding out your arm for her and she takes it immediately. You pull your sunglasses down as you make your way out the doors, the cameras flashing quickly as you both pass, yelling things and asking you to turn slightly but you continue on toward the car.

————

You giggled quietly as you walked Jenna out of the doors, she stumbled around slightly before gripping your arm tighter to steady herself.

She seemed to have a lot of fun, especially once to alcohol hit her system and she would wander off without you.

You didn’t need to follow her though because you knew no one could hurt her inside and away from the people so you let her do her thing and find you once she was done with whatever she was doing.

Occasionally she would come back to find you, check on you with a little light flirting you fed into before getting distracted and going back into the crowd leaving you to go back to drinking and conversating with the dates of others.

Now, you kept a firm hold around her waist as she leaned into you, trying to keep herself up right.

She suddenly slightly pushes off of you once the cold air hits and begins walking on her own. You laugh lightly as you follow closely behind her.

“Where are you going?” You ask matching her walking rhythm as she looks around slightly, ignoring the paparazzi and waving toward her fans.

“I’m going to the car,” she says looking back at you with a mischievous smile you had grown fond of even if it lead to unexpected things. “I can walk by myself, I’m a big girl.” She sticks her tongue out teasingly as she continues to walk confidently in no real direction.

“Okay,” you laugh out before stopping and turning slightly. She sends a glance back at you and slows her pace, a confused look setting on her face as you begin walking in the other direction, resembling that of a lost child.

you can’t help but stare in awe at the sight, fighting the urge to follow back after to her.

“But as a big girl you should know that’s the wrong way.” You call out and through your hand up to wave toward her.

It takes her a moment to process, looking back in the other direction then back toward you before hurriedly walking after you.

You stop a moment to let her catch up, afraid she’ll fall in her heels if she moves to quickly and allow her to slide her arm through yours.

“Oh?” You hum out as you begin walking again, amused by the situation given to you on a silver platter. It was always so fun to watch drunk Jenna, even if she was a little tipsy. “I thought you were a big girl.”

“I am,” she argues quickly, sending you a warning glare when you bark out a laugh. “Big girls can use a little help sometime though, especially if it’s from people like you.”

You look toward her with a raised eyebrow but she doesn’t see as she raises her chin and closes her eyes, small smile on her face.

“Like me?” You ask and look forward to make sure you both don’t trip and fall.

“Yes, breathtaking people like you.” She gives you a doe eyed look, clearly intent on making you flustered. It works as your cheeks heat up and your smile grows to a wide one. You cover it up by snorting quietly and shake your head.

She had always had this effect on you, even before you started dating and even now when she’s half drunk and doesn’t know where she’s going. Especially now.

“You’re the one whose breath taking, I’m just in a simple tux as usual.” You shoot back and she lets her face fall, unamused. “I like your ‘usual’ tux, it makes you look sexy.” She grumbles and pinches your arm.

“Ow.” You laugh out as she lets out a quiet huff as breeze passes by causing her to shiver lightly. You frown lightly before wrapping your arm around her shoulders and she immediately leans in.

You loved little moments like this. Moments where you didn’t have to worry about getting her from one place to another or dragging her about. Moments where you didn’t have to worry about someone picking her up and trying to kidnap her. Moments where you could just relax a little.

It was nice to have a peaceful moment to breath and take in each others presence every once in a while. Sure, it was just like this in the privacy of your home far more open inside but it wouldn’t kill you to also be able to go out and stretch to do the same.

Jenna suddenly breaths in heavily before letting out a sigh of content. “You smell good.” She mumbles and you smile. “All the more reason big girls need help.”

Her comment makes you roll your eyes with a laugh as you pull away from her reluctantly, nearing the large group of people nearby.

She lets out a whine as you grab her arm, you felt the same. You didn’t want to let go of her but you also needed to get passed everyone without any problems.

You pull your sunglasses down as the flashing of the camera begins and Jenna becomes a little more sober, though still stumbling around her faces goes back to the one she keeps up in front of the people.

The second body guard opens the door for you both as you cross the street and near the car.

He nods you to you as you gently lead Jenna inside and make sure she doesn’t hit her head. “Enjoy yourself?” He asks with a smile. The question was meant to be a teasing one, he knew how you didn’t like being near snobby celebrities who put on a face to seem like something your not.

But the evening had actually been good, especially after the few minutes you got to walk with Jenna.

“Very much so.” You smirk before following after her hearing his chuckle before the door shuts behind you.

As soon as you take your seat she presses her body against you, arms wrapping around you to the point where she practically sat in your lap.

You chuckle lightly as you slide your arm around her waist and allow her to rest her head on your shoulder.

“I’m tired.” She mumbles lowly, sinking further into like she had just fallen asleep after saying the words.

“We’ll be there soon, don’t fall asleep.” You reply, rubbing her back to sooth her a little but it only makes her more sleepy. “Or you can just wake me up when we get there.” she mumbles, burying her face further into your neck and taking a deep breath in.

“Big girls should wake themselves up.” You taunt before feeling another pinch on your arm. You look down to see the sleepy glare she sends you before smiling.

“Well this big girl needs you to wake her up,” she huffs out before going back to her original position. “After all you need to do what I say, you work for me.”

You hear the teasing tone in her sleepy voice.

“Oh, is that right?” You ask, challenging her slightly and she nods. “Yes it is, as my body guard you have to do what I say.”

You resist the urge to laugh out before she speaks again. “So, I’m telling you you have to wake me up.” She states matter-of-factotum as her breathing begins to slow down.

“And if I don’t?” Her face scrunches up lightly before it relaxes again. “Then I’ll have to fire you and lock you away.” She mumbles slowly in response before her breathing evens out signaling how tired she was.

You smile lightly before brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear to get a better look at her face. She didn’t have much make up on, not that she needed it. She was more than beautiful without it. She was a goddess. Your goddess you had to protect like the good little follower you were.

And you planned on doing so until she got tired of it.

You kiss her forehead lightly before resting your head back against the head rest of the seat to get a better look at it.

“Yes ma’am.” You mumble quietly taking in the view she oh so graciously gave you.

A/N: once again another short one but oh well

NOW REQUEST DAMN IT… pretty please

[mingiatz]

Summary: Jiwon, a reserved biotechnology student, never expected her quiet late-night study sessions to include Kang Yeosang—an idol hiding from the world. What starts as an unlikely friendship slowly turns into something deeper. But with secrets, insecurities, and the pressures of fame between them, can they truly belong in each other’s worlds?

Pairing: Kang Yeosang x OC (Jiwon)

Trope: Idol x Fan

Genre: Romance, Slice of Life,  Angst, Software & Awkward First Love, Fluff

Featuring: Ateez, OCs, late night walks, Lots of Fluff and Awkwardness

This Series will have multiple Chapters with around 2000 words. I hope you like it. Please be kind this is my first Fanfiction and English is not my first language. (I am open for constructive criticism). I will try to upload a chapter everyday.

Masterlist

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Chapter Two

Yeosang’s POV

Yeosang had barely stepped into the dorm when he noticed that something was different.

For one, the living room was full. Mingi was lounging on the couch with Emilia curled up next to him, and Jongho sat comfortably beside Hana, listening to some inside joke that had them both grinning.

This was normal.

What wasn’t normal, however, was the extra person standing near the kitchen, casually pouring himself a drink like he had been there a hundred times before.

Yeosang raised an eyebrow.

Noah.

He had seen him a handful of times before—not often, but enough to recognize him as Emilia and Hana’s brother.

He didn’t know much about him, other than the fact that he was the kind of guy who never seemed fazed by anything.

Yeosang hesitated for half a second before making his way toward the couch.

“Yeosang-ah,” Noah greeted casually, handing him a water bottle like they had been friends forever.

Yeosang took it, still slightly wary. “Hey.”

Noah’s gaze didn’t waver. “So. I heard you’ve been going to the university library.”

Yeosang froze mid-sip.

What.

A few heads turned at the words—Wooyoung and San, in particular, looked way too interested.

Yeosang lowered the bottle slowly. “Where did you hear that?”

Noah tilted his head, unbothered. “From someone who studies there.”

Yeosang frowned slightly. Was this a trick?

“Someone?” he echoed, buying himself a second to think.

Noah’s lips twitched. “Jiwon.”

That name sent a jolt through him.

Jiwon.

So that was her name.

Yeosang had wondered, of course. He hadn’t asked when they first met, and after that, it had started to feel awkward to bring it up.

But now—now he knew.

Jiwon.

He turned his focus back to Noah, who was watching him carefully.

“Relax,” Noah said smoothly. “She didn’t make a big deal out of it.”

Yeosang exhaled through his nose, setting his water down. “Then why are you asking?”

Noah shrugged. “Curiosity.”

From the other side of the room, Wooyoung’s grin was slowly growing.

“Wait, wait, wait.” He pointed between them. “What’s going on? Yeosang, you’ve been going to a university library? And you met someone there?”

Yeosang’s jaw tensed. He should have known this was going to happen.

“It’s not a big deal,” he muttered.

San chuckled, leaning forward. “If it’s not a big deal, why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because it’s not worth mentioning.”

Noah looked far too amused by the conversation unfolding. “So you just keep going back for fun, then?”

Yeosang knew what he was implying.

And he didn’t like it.

“Like I said,” Yeosang said carefully, “not a big deal.”

Noah didn’t push further, but there was something too knowing in his gaze.

And now that Yeosang knew Jiwon’s name, he couldn’t get it out of his head.

Jiwon’s POV

Jiwon had expected a quiet night.

She should have known better.

She was halfway through reviewing her notes when a shadow fell over her table.

She already knew who it was before she looked up.

And sure enough—there he was.

Same hoodie pulled low, same calm but amused expression.

Yeosang.

Jiwon raised an eyebrow, adjusting her glasses. “Back again?”

He smirked slightly. “Told you, I like the atmosphere.”

Jiwon rolled her eyes but didn’t bother arguing.

Then—

“I know your name now.”

That made her pause.

Jiwon looked up properly, tilting her head. “Do you?”

Yeosang leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. “Jiwon.”

She didn’t react—at least, not outwardly.

Instead, she set her pen down. “Let me guess. Noah told you.”

Yeosang nodded. “He mentioned you.”

Jiwon let out a short laugh. “Of course he did.”

Something in Yeosang’s gaze shifted.

He studied her for a moment before speaking. “You don’t seem surprised.”

“I’m not.”

Yeosang raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Jiwon smirked, propping her chin on her hand. “Because Noah’s the type to observe everything before bringing it up at the most inconvenient time.”

Yeosang couldn’t argue with that.

He glanced down at her notes. “Same topic as last time?”

“More or less.”

He nodded. “Mind if I sit?”

Jiwon didn’t even hesitate.

She gestured to the seat across from her.

Maybe this was becoming a habit.

Yeosang’s POV

Jiwon was interesting.

Yeosang had already figured that out, but the more time he spent at her table, the more he realized how different she was from most people he met.

She was confident, but not in a loud way. It was more like she didn’t care what others thought, and that intrigued him.

And now that he knew her name, it felt strangely personal.

Jiwon.

It suited her.

After a long pause, Yeosang leaned back in his chair, watching as she worked.

“You always study at this hour?” he asked.

Jiwon hummed. “It’s quiet.”

Yeosang smirked. “You said that last time.”

She glanced at him over her glasses. “It’s still true.”

For a while, they fell into silence.

Yeosang didn’t really understand why he liked sitting here. But he did.

And he had a feeling he’d be back again.

♡♡♡♥︎♡♡♡♡♡♡♥︎♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♥︎♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Yeosang didn’t even pretend to question it anymore.

At this point, it had become routine—his feet carried him toward the library without him even having to think about it.

It wasn’t just about the quiet anymore.

It wasn’t even about hiding from fans or the fact that this was the only place where he could sit down without feeling like an idol.

It was about her.

Jiwon.

It had only been a few days since he learned her name, but somehow, it felt like he had known it all along.

And so, when he walked into the library again that night, he wasn’t surprised to find her already there, in her usual spot.

She didn’t look up immediately, but the moment she noticed him standing there, she sighed.

“Let me guess,” she muttered, adjusting her glasses. “The atmosphere?”

Yeosang smirked, slipping into the seat across from her. “Obviously.”

Jiwon shook her head, tapping her pen against her notebook. “At this point, I think you’re just coming here to annoy me.”

“I wouldn’t say annoy.”

She shot him a look.

Yeosang chuckled but didn’t push it. Instead, he let his gaze drift over her study materials.

“Still on genetics?” he asked.

Jiwon nodded, flipping through a few pages. “I have a research deadline coming up. Can’t afford to slack.

Yeosang tilted his head slightly. “So, you’re one of those students?”

She glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“The ones who actually care about studying.”

Jiwon rolled her eyes. “I take my work seriously, yes. Some of us can’t just dance for a living, you know.”

Yeosang let out a quiet laugh. “Fair enough.”

For a moment, they both sat in comfortable silence.

Then, Jiwon leaned back slightly and crossed her arms. “Noah mentioned you the other day.”

Yeosang’s interest piqued. “Oh?”

She smirked. “He said you looked confused when he brought me up.”

Yeosang exhaled through his nose. “That’s one way to put it.”

Jiwon tapped her fingers against the table. “He likes to test people.”

Yeosang gave her a knowing look. “I noticed.”

Jiwon shook her head. “I should’ve expected it, honestly. Noah’s always been like that—he doesn’t talk much, but when he does, it’s usually because he’s already figured something out.”

Yeosang hummed in agreement. “He asked me why I kept coming here.”

Jiwon raised an eyebrow. “And what did you say?”

Yeosang smirked slightly. “I said it wasn’t a big deal.”

She snorted. “That’s a very evasive answer.”

“It’s a very true answer.”

Jiwon didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she studied him for a moment, as if trying to figure him out.

Yeosang didn’t know why that made his heart skip a beat.

After a moment, Jiwon sighed and stretched. “Anyway. I think I’m done for the night.”

Yeosang blinked. “Already?”

She arched an eyebrow. “I’ve been here for hours, Yeosang.”

He hadn’t realized.

Maybe because for the first time in a while, he wasn’t paying attention to the clock.

Jiwon packed up her things, pushing her glasses up her nose.

Yeosang hesitated for half a second—then, before he could overthink it, the words left his mouth.

“I’ll walk you home.”

Jiwon froze mid-movement.

Slowly, she looked up at him. “What?”

Yeosang shrugged, keeping his tone casual. “It’s late. You shouldn’t walk alone.”

Jiwon narrowed her eyes slightly. “You do realize I’ve been doing this for years, right?”

“I’m still walking you home.”

She studied him for a moment before rolling her eyes. “Fine. But don’t expect me to wait for you if you get tired halfway.”

Yeosang let out a quiet chuckle. “Noted.”

The night air was crisp, and the streets were quieter than usual.

Jiwon walked beside him at a steady pace, her bag slung over her shoulder as she kept her gaze ahead.

Yeosang wasn’t sure what compelled him to offer, but now that they were walking together, he realized he didn’t hate the idea of being here.

He stole a glance at her from the corner of his eye.

Jiwon wasn’t like most of the people he met.

She was calm, but not in a distant way—more like she was completely comfortable in her own world.

It was different.

And Yeosang… liked different.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” Jiwon said suddenly.

Yeosang smirked. “Depends on the company.”

Jiwon glanced at him. “I take that as an insult.”

Yeosang chuckled. “Not an insult. Just an observation.”

She hummed. “Well, you’re in luck. I don’t particularly like small talk either.”

“Good.”

A beat of silence passed between them, only the faint hum of streetlights filling the space.

Then—

“So,” Jiwon started. “Since I never asked… how does an idol even end up at a university library?”

Yeosang exhaled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“You really want to know?”

Jiwon raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”

Yeosang thought about it for a moment.

Then, he glanced at her and smirked.

“What do you think?”

Jiwon rolled her eyes. “Don’t turn this into a game.”

Yeosang chuckled. “Fine.” He looked ahead, inhaling slowly. “Honestly? At first, it was just because I needed to hide.”

Jiwon hummed. “And now?”

Yeosang hesitated for a split second.

Then, he glanced at her again.

“…Now, I don’t really know.”

Jiwon slowed slightly, watching him carefully.

Yeosang sighed. “It’s just… different. It doesn’t feel like work. It doesn’t feel like I have to be anything. It’s just… quiet.”

Jiwon didn’t respond right away.

Instead, she watched him for a long moment before speaking.

“So you keep coming back because it feels normal?”

Yeosang met her gaze.

Something about the way she said it made it sound less like a question and more like a realization.

“…Yeah.”

Jiwon exhaled, shaking her head. “You’re a strange one, Kang Yeosang.”

Yeosang smirked slightly. “I’ve been told.”

Jiwon chuckled.

For the first time that night, she looked genuinely amused.

And for some reason, Yeosang liked seeing that expression on her face.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♥︎♡♡♡♥︎♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♥︎♡♡

When they finally reached Jiwon’s building, she slowed to a stop.

Yeosang followed suit, glancing up at the entrance.

“Well,” Jiwon sighed, shifting her bag. “This is me.”

Yeosang nodded. “Get inside safely.”

Jiwon tilted her head slightly, as if studying him.

“…You know, for someone who’s supposedly bad at talking, you’re oddly easy to get along with.”

Yeosang smirked. “Don’t get used to it.”

Jiwon snorted. “No danger of that.”

She stepped back, offering him one last glance before heading inside.

Yeosang watched until the door closed behind her.

Then, with a small exhale, he turned around and started walking back.

And for some reason—

The night didn’t feel as cold as before.

 

Masterlist

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Disclaimer:This is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and scenarios in this story are entirely fictional and not intended to reflect the real lives of the members of Ateez or any other individuals. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes.

[maccreadysbaby]

Project: Killcode

batfamily + oc insert

tw: graphic violence, death

wanna read more? here’s the table of contents!

want to read the first fic in the hundred days series so you understand what’s going on here? here it is!

so... redemption arc???? yes???? does he even get a redemption arc???

part fifty-one

❝ VICTIM ❞

MONDAY — OCTOBER 31 — 12:02AM

“WAKE UP, BABYBIRD. LET’S PLAY A GAME,”

Bentley blinked rapidly when he was suddenly forced back into consciousness against his will. He was surrounded by white — but it wasn’t the white abyss where the Secret Keeper took him. It was a room; with walls and a floor and a ceiling, all white, and a big metal door off to the side that had two keypads next to it.

Bentley, with a jolt of panic, jumped upright and looked down at himself. He was in one of the white jumpsuits from the facility, and both of his wrists were shackled to the floor on opposite sides of the white room by big, thick chains.

He couldn’t feel the water. He couldn’t see anything but the walls. He was trapped.

"No," He muttered, pulling against the chains, which did nothing more than make noise. "No!"

His head was absolutely pounding, throbbing with every passing second, and he felt like passing out and throwing up and dying.

“Good morning! Glad to see you’ve finally woken up!” The Secret Keeper’s voice chided, sending a stab of pain through his already throbbing skull. “I’ve made up a game I think we should play. Y’know, just to pass the time. It’s called: guess which of Bentley’s friends is going to die first!”

Bentley squeezed his eyes shut, shifting around on the white floor until he could pull his knees up and bury his head in them. He couldn't move his hands very far, so he rested them on his legs. “Leave me alone.”

The Secret Keeper laughed. “Don’t you wish it was that easy.”

And suddenly, a feeling came, almost like vertigo even though his eyes were closed. The brightness of the room changed against his eyelids. He forced his eyes to stay shut, forced his body to stay eerily still, forced his focus to remain on the legs of the jumpsuit he had balled up in his hands.

“Let’s introduce our contestants, shall we? There’s a whopping ten of them! I didn’t know Bentley Whittaker was able to make so many friends!”

“Wayne,” He corrected quietly.

“Look up!” The Secret Keeper suddenly roared, and Bentley felt a tug in his chest that drew his head up even though he didn’t want to. The chains were suddenly gone, and he was standing. He was standing in… the hallway of Gotham Academy? It was empty, and all the doors were closed but one, a few feet to his left. “Our first contestant, the obvious fan favorite, the one and only of the ten who’s been with you even longer than myself… Asten Evans!”

Two pillars of smoke were kicked up in the hallway, spinning for a few seconds before they became people. One of which Bentley would’ve been thoroughly pleased to never see again.

Jesse Todryk.

“Looks like someone found the Wayne. Doors open,” Jesse said, glancing back at whatever minion was following him with a smirk. His voice was louder than Bentley remembered, and it sort of echoed. He remembered him saying that exact sentence. Way back when Jesse had-

“Probably Damian,” The minion replied.

Bentley stepped forward, glancing into the open hallway door only to see… himself. His little self — what was he, ten? Eleven? — trembling on the floor of the school’s closet. Nico was right by his side, holding his arm but panicking all the same, his wide blue eyes stuck on-

Asten. He looked a lot younger. (How old was he when Bentley met him? Twelve? Thirteen?) He was on Bentley’s other side, but he rose slowly from the floor, moving for a nearby shelf and sliding a thick, heavy textbook off of it.

Jesse Todryk stopped in the doorway, spotted Bentley and Nico, and laughed sinisterly.

“Well! Isn’t it little mister-“

Bentley saw his little self flinch hard when Asten swung the book with absolutely no hesitation, the spine colliding with Jesse’s head with a terrible thunk.

“Vá queimar no inferno, seu filho da puta!” (Go burn in hell, you son of a bitch!)

Bentley watched in silence — his now self and his little self — as the bully slammed into the closet door and hit the floor with another thump.

“Jesse!”

“Oh my God, you’re going to get so suspended!” Nico exclaimed, still holding onto little Bentley, looking at Asten like he might cry.

Asten shrugged, letting the textbook thud on the floor. “It was self defense.”

“He wasn’t hurting us!”

“He was gonna!”

“The first friend little Bentley Whittaker ever had who was willing to hurt someone for him,” The Secret Keeper’s voice chided, sounding sickeningly sweet. “How cute, am I right?”

The school scene faded into a large swirling mass of smoke, only to be replaced with… the woods?

Bentley did a spin, glancing around. He was standing in a forest, a dark, nighttime forest. Smoke spun in the distance until it became people. Three of them, running full-speed through the trees, right at him.

He stepped out of the way when they got close — it was them. Little him, and little Asten, and little Nico. He and Nico were both bawling their eyes out, and looked like they were on the verge of absolute panic attacks, while little Asten was ushering them on from behind.

Was this when they were escaping the cabin? Didn’t Asten get caught in a-

Bentley flinched when a resounding metal SLAM! came, and little Asten hit the forest floor behind little Bentley and little Nico with a scream so shrill and agonized it still made his skin crawl even today.

The other Bentley and Nico rounded on him immediately.

“Oh my God!” Nico shrieked.

Asten, bear trap clamped down tight on his leg, only muttered under his breath: “Get it off.”

Bentley watched himself self stand uselessly off to the side, before dropping next to them, holding Asten up to the best of his ability.

He remembered being shocked that Asten wasn’t crying. If he had known back then just how much Asten cried to him now, how much closer they were, that they’d become brothers and lived together-

“These are freaking illegal-“ Nico muttered. Big and little Bentley watched him fiddle with the trap with nearly identical cringes on their faces, blood absolutely everywhere, coating everything.

That’s when the beam of a flashlight started panning through the forest. Glancing up, big Bentley saw a figure that looked freakishly like Dr. Keene stalking through the woods. (What would’ve happened if they were faster? Or if Asten had missed the trap?)

“Oh my God, oh my God,”

“Just…” Asten mumbled Portuguese under his breath. “Just take it out of the ground, and… and we’ll get it off later.”

“You’re going to drag a bear trap on your foot where? Onto a bus? A taxi maybe?!”

Bentley watched Asten pull the crowbar out of the tool-belt he’d been wearing and hand it to the other Bentley.

“Bentley,” Asten said seriously. “When he gets here, beat the hell out of him.”

Little Bentley stared at the crowbar with his eyes blown wide.

“The first friend to ever trust Bentley Whittaker with his life,” The Secret Keeper cooed. “Asten Evans was a lot of little firsts for you, Babybird. First partner at school. First sleepover.”

The forest faded away, and he was left standing in the white abyss, alone.

“But the question remains: will he be the first to die?” She giggled sinisterly. “He dies in so many ways across all of your futures, Bentley. Which do you want to see? Maybe simply freezing to death in his cell?”

Smoke swirled in front of his feet, spinning until it turned into Asten, laying on the floor, his lips purple, skin white, green eyes staring but unseeing. He had chains on his wrists that disappeared into the white, and a jumpsuit that matched Bentley's.

“Or maybe he’ll die right next to you, when they start extracting all of your blood to get what they need out of it,”

A stretcher appeared next to the frozen Asten. A stretcher with him laying on top, his eyes wide but unseeing, both of his arms hooked up to machines that were whirring, sucking blood out. They were spluttering now, like there wasn’t much left. There was a heart monitor off to the side, sounding a steady, long beep.

Bentley’s eyes started burning. He’d almost gotten them out of that place, but he didn’t. Then he’d almost gotten them out again, but he didn’t. What if this was really it? What if everyone really was going to die now? What if he'd failed for the last time?

He looked down at the white floor, distorted through the tears that gathered at the bottom of his eyes. “Please stop.”

“What? We’re only one contestant in! Let’s move on!” Both of the Asten’s swirled into smoke and vanished. “Why don’t we jump to… Valor!”

The white around him melted away, replaced by the blissful campus of Redwood Academy, outside of their building. The fountain and willow trees that he’d talked to Chloe under were there, in the distance, far enough that he could see it, but couldn't hear the water running. Smoke swirled on the benches there until himself and Valor took its place.

“All he ever wanted to do, all he ever did, was be a support system. He cares too much. Always has,” The Secret Keeper chided. Bentley watched Valor rise off of the bench and turn to past-Bentley. That Bentley stood, and Valor held out his arms. (Why did he think it was so stupid back then?) Valor hugged him.

“He was the strong one. The protector. You never got to see what went on behind closed doors.”

Suddenly, the campus moved and swirled and changed colors until it became a really fancy house, bustling with teenagers and loud music and bright lights. There were kids everywhere. It took a moment for Bentley to find Valor in the chaos, but he was there. In the home’s lavish living room, on the floor with his back pressed hard against the side of the couch, his wings wrapped around himself… shaking. The music died down and faded into the background so Bentley could hear the way he was gasping for air, the way he kept choking and coughing on sobs that no one else in the massive place seemed to hear. He was trembling, he couldn't breathe, couldn't seem to gather himself. A panic attack?

Bentley almost stepped forward to him, but she continued-

“He was the first friend to ever take a bullet meant for you,”

The scene swirled and changed to when they were in their dorm a short week ago, Valor standing in front of everybody with his wings outstretched as a shield against all the white-armored men. One of said men shot their gun, and Bentley hadn’t noticed then, but he was peeking out at the armored guys around Asten’s head and if Valor's wing wouldn’t have been there, it would’ve hit him.

“Maybe he’ll die when his blood gets drained,” The Secret Keeper started, and the scene faded away and the white nothing returned. A stretcher that looked just like Asten’s appeared, but with an unmoved Valor on top, staring, with the beep of a flatline next to him. “Or maybe he’ll go down fighting. That’s more his style.”

Another Valor appeared a few yards away. His wings were solid red and wrapped around himself, and the deafening, constant bam, bam, bam of assault rifles came, hitting his wings and ruffling the feathers. Blood was going everywhere. Bentley couldn't see who was shooting him.

His wings finally seemed to give out, and they fell completely limp, leaving his whole body exposed. For a second, he looked scared. He was already covered in blood and scrapes and bruises, and his jumpsuit was crimson. And then this... expression crossed his face. Something like realization. Like contentment.

Bentley looked away and covered his mouth when the sound of the assault rifles came back, more than one of them, sending probably over twenty or thirty bullets directly into his exposed body with no hesitation. Bentley flinched hard when he heard the thud. Valor’s whole body turned red in his peripheral.

Bentley choked on his own sobs, not even trying to make the tears stop flowing now. (Were they all going to die because of him?)

“Please stop," He choked, and his legs seemed to stop working, his knees buckling so he ended up on the white floor again. "Please stop."

“Let’s move on, shall we?” The Secret Keeper completely ignored him. “Contestant three — Summer!”

The Valors melted away again, and the white morphed until Bentley was sitting in the hall of Redwood Academy.

He blinked the tears down his face and hiccupped, trying to get ahold of himself. It was getting kind of hard to breathe. This wasn't real, she was just scaring him. This wasn't real, it wasn't real, it wasn't-

“Poor little Summer. What a precious little girl,”

Two pillars of smoke spun far off in the Redwood Academy hall, and past-Bentley and Summer appeared there. They were the only two in the corridor, and she was touching his face, gently. “All she ever wants to do is save.”

The scene swirled into a different Redwood hallway, but Bentley and Summer were there, too — it was near the art classroom, after Tyler had attacked him.

“Wanting to save will be her fatal flaw. It always is with people like her,”

Bentley watched her move just like she had that day — gently touching his wrists, his neck, asking if he was okay. He lied to her. Why had he lied to her? Why wasn’t he just honest?

The scene melted away and changed to one of Summer running down the halls of the facility they were trapped in, kneeling next to various bodies and students laying around, healing them one by one, telling them where to go to escape and to yell if they needed her. She was crying, too — because lots of the kids she tried to heal, she couldn’t get to wake up.

Her blonde-ish hair was a wreck, half stained with red, and her hands and jumpsuit were, too -- though she wasn't injured. Maybe it was the blood of everyone she was trying to heal. She knelt down next to a limp girl on the floor, in a jumpsuit, too, and touched her, moved her hands around. When after a few quiet moments, the girl didn't move, she stood up with a defeated scream of: "Shit!" Muffled and thick with tears.

That's when four armored men rounded the corner into the hallway, where she was standing, alone.

They wasted no time.

Summer didn't even have time to turn and look at them. One of them lifted a pistol, and BANG!

Bentley closed his eyes when the bullet hit her right in the left temple, and a few seconds later, there was a sickening thump that made Bentley gag.

“She never gives up,” The Secret Keeper said. “She always tries to make everything better. Like you.”

Bentley sobbed into his hands, wiping rigorously at his eyes, trying to force the urge to vomit away. “Why do you have to torture me when... I’ve already lost?”

“Because it’s fun!”

Suddenly, the scene died away and the Secret Keeper materialized in front of him, sick and twisted looking, alone with him in the white. She reached down and grabbed his hair, forcing his head up to look at her. “Because you’re the reason my family keeps failing! You’re the reason my father is in prison! I’m not going to leave his goals to rot when I could be carrying them out myself!”

She was screaming merely three or four feet from him, but he hardly paid any attention, just looking at her from where he was sitting. Crying quietly, trying to make sure he was still breathing, quieting the urge to throw up on her shoes.

“You ruined my life! You took my dad away!” She roared. “Contestant four — little Vera Levante!”

The Secret Keeper shoved him so hard he almost fell over, vanishing from his sight again. Their surroundings changed without his consent -- the white room slowly becoming their dorm. His and Asten’s bedroom.

“You two certainly have something special,” The Secret Keeper's voice crooned, sounding especially twisted now. “No matter how much you want to deny it. No matter how innocent and inexperienced and detached from it all you claim to be. I can read your mind, Bentley. I know parts of you that you don’t even know.”

Bentley said nothing as his and Asten’s bunk beds faded into view. He and Vera were sleeping in his bed, her arms closed around him even though he’d been a disgusting sick disaster back then.

“You saw each other at some of the lowest, hardest times,” She continued, and the dorm fizzled away, replaced by another dorm. An empty one, where he and Vera were sitting on the couch, taking a selfie. “She’s the reason you’re here. The reason you met your friends.”

The dorm melted away.

“The reason you’re going to die,” She chuckled. “Maybe she’ll die protecting you. Maybe I'll kill her myself, right in front of you, just to torture you even more."

Three pillars of smoke swirled and spun in the white a few yards from Bentley. Two became him and Vera -- and the third, a little ways away from the others, became the Secret Keeper.

Vera was in front of him, between him and the Secret Keeper -- she was twitching oddly, like she'd been electrocuted. Was Vera in her head again?

Vera was in a white jumpsuit, too, her black and purple hair in a half-fallen ponytail that kept brushing the other Bentley's face. Vera's hands were behind her back, and it took him a second to realize its because she was holding both of his.

The Secret Keeper only twitched for a second.

Then, with a laugh that sounded more like an animalistic growl, she stalked over to them and grabbed Vera by the face, and her brown irises turned a sickening amber.

"Stop breathing," The Secret Keeper muttered.

"No!" The other Bentley shouted.

Bentley looked down at his hands when Vera started to choke, tugging at her clothes and clawing at her throat, trying to get whatever was blocking her airway out. He saw the Bentley in the scene trying to help in his peripheral, but it didn't seem to work. And that Bentley just held her until she choked to death.

The real Bentley, the now Bentley, the only Bentley, sobbed pitifully, bringing up his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, burying his head there to cry.

Everyone was going to die because of him.

"Everyone's going to die because of you!" The Secret Keeper screeched, probably reading his mind. The scene disappeared, leaving just her and him together in the abyss. "Everyone you love is going to die and there's nothing you can do to stop it! It's all your fault! LOOK AT ME!"

Bentley's head was forced up again. The Secret Keeper turned away from him and began to swing her arms wildly, in a manic, almost psychotic manner. Smoke began to billow and blow everywhere, and hundreds upon hundreds of little scenes began to materialize as far as the eye could see. Hundreds of little scenes of people... dying. Varian getting stabbed. Koa getting shot. Asten jumping in front of a bullet. Bellamy getting drained of his blood. Damian falling off a roof. Valor getting his head beaten in. Rockie getting his blood drained out. Bruce getting in a crash in the Batmobile. Jason getting his throat slit. Layla getting thrown off a Redwood Academy balcony.

Gently, someone grabbed Bentley's hand.

He flinched and whirled around, choking on his own tears and panic. Charlie was there. Crouched a mere foot from him, and as soon as their eyes locked, she lifted her finger to her lips in a shh motion.

Bentley stayed quiet, forcing his sobs down, his gaze flicking to the Secret Keeper, who was still flailing wildly in the distance.

He turned back to Charlie, her blue eyes only meeting his brown ones for a split second before she lifted her hand, a small tornado of smoke materializing in her palm.

He watched it spin there for a moment before it floated away from her, settling only a foot or two in front of him, on the floor. It spun and warped until it looked exactly like him, exactly like he did now -- sitting on the floor in his jumpsuit, crying, head tucked in and knees pulled up.

"I'll simulate your thoughts and reactions to stall her for as long as I can," Charlie said softly, reaching forward and grabbing Bentley's face to force him to look at back her. To lock eyes with her. "There's not much time, Bentley. He's coming." She said quickly.

"Who?" Bentley hiccuped, bringing a hand up to grab her arm. "Who's coming?"

Charlie looked up at the Secret Keeper in a panic, like she was waiting for her to turn around. "Listen to me, Bentley. He's coming, okay? I'm going to let you out of here. He isn't a bad guy, you have to trust him, okay?"

"Trust who?!"

"Just promise me you'll go with him, Bentley!" She shouted, frantically, eyes flicking back up to the Secret Keeper. "Promise!"

"I promise!"

As soon as he said that, he jolted back into reality with a small shout of terror, the white room coming into focus around him.

He was choking on his own sobs and could hardly breathe, forcing himself to sit up off of the white floor. It felt like forever that he coughed and spluttered and sobbed and choked and cried until a slam came from his door.

He looked up at it, dread pooling inside of him. Was this who Charlie told him to trust? Or people coming to kill him? Was he about to die or was he about to be saved?

Slam!

He forced his breaths to slow, his heard to calm. He forced his tears to stop and he sat still in the center of the room. If someone was coming to kill him, he'd have to fight back. Somehow, he'd have to.

Slam!

He couldn't let everyone else die because of him. He wouldn't. He was going to get out and he was going to get everybody out and everything was going to be fine.

Slam!

The screen next to the door, the one that scanned keycards to open the cells, suddenly glitched out, the screen malfunctioning and flickering a bunch of different colors until it finally went black.

The door slid open.

Bentley wasn't sure what he expected. He wasn't sure if he expected some random scientist, under Charlie's influence, or one of his friends that had been captured alongside him, or an armored guy coming to shoot him, or Dr. Keene's brother, or Batman, or The Secret Keeper herself. He didn't know who was coming, or how much longer he'd be alive, or if he was going to be tortured, but...

The person that came inside was the last person he ever thought he'd see again.

Bentley's eyes followed him carefully. He had a fire extinguisher in his hands, and he quickly made for the screen that opened the shackles on Bentley's arms and beat it and beat it and beat it with the metal canister until it was nothing more than a useless heap of metal on the wall. The shackles let go of Bentley's arms, hitting the white floor with a clack.

He rounded on him, then, his inhuman green eyes bright in the whiteness of the room. "Bentley..."

Bentley forced himself off of the white floor, every emotion he'd just shoved away coming back full force as he all but throttled himself forward, hugging Rockie so tight he thought he might strangle him. "I hate you!" Bentley sobbed into his shoulder.

"I know," Was all Rockie said, his metal-gloved hands coming up and holding onto Bentley, too. It felt so good at the same time it felt so... so...

"I hate you!" Bentley all but sobbed, choking on his own tears, balling up the back of Rockie's black hoodie in his hands. "I hate you... I hate you..."

"I know,"

Bentley couldn't even begin to comprehend everything happening inside of him. The sheer rage he felt being next to the one who betrayed them, the overwhelming relief that washed over him when he learned Rockie was okay. The far off urge to punch him across the face, and the more prominent one to hold onto him and never let go ever again.

"I'm so sorry," Rockie muttered, voice thick, muffled from the shoulder of Bentley's jumpsuit. "I fucked up. I picked the wrong side because I'm stupid, but I'm back now. I'm back now and I promise I'll get you out of here. I'll die to get you out."

"I hate you," Was all Bentley could manage to say, dissolving quietly into a crying disaster, and Rockie only held him tighter.

"I know,"

--

tag list that KINDA works lmao

@fleur-alise @sarcopterygiian @gayboss-too-close-to-the-sun

@xiaonothere

@skylathescholarly @flyrobinflyy @bookwarm0-0

@custommadeazula

[studiorat]

Studiorat. I am so sorry. Honestly, I'd go as far to say I am devastated. I never meant to come across as anything even *resembling* mocking, and I despise myself a bit that my carelessness could potentially have negatively impacted your writing or muse in any way.

To clarify, I was recently tagged in a post with a screenshot of one of my bookmarks that mentioned you and some of your fics on ao3, and it was brought to my attention that it had been a foolish thing for me to do.

Honestly, - and I know this is a failing of mine and that I should know better by now - I just don't tend to think of myself as noteworthy enough to have such an effect, and as a result, I'm not as careful as I should be; especially so when I am drawn up in my emotions about something. I *should* be mindful that anything I post online might be seen by anyone, and easily be taken the wrong way, and I *will* endeavor to be more careful going forward.

Again, I am so sorry about this. I could go on and explain why I wrote that, and indeed, I had typed it all out, but really it doesn't matter.

What matters is that I'm sorry that something I said would cause hurt to some of the people that I would *least* want to hurt. I am so incredibly sorry, and I deeply apologize.

I’m going to be honest here: I was devastated to see that bookmark. I had treasured your comments on both the Branches and Fate and Nothing Emboldens Sin So Much as Mercy series which I have been working on for ten years of my life through tragedies both personal and public. I write fic and original stories because I must, my spirit requires it. I post fic because I want to share and talk about it with others, and I hope in some small way these little gothic tales can give light and catharsis and hope where they’re needed.

Had you ever asked a question that could be answered I would have done my damndest to answer it. As a writer, it’s my job to make sure every choice and feeling and growth arc and misunderstanding that I ascribe to the cast is supported and given proper context on page.

That said.

I am well aware the things I make are complex and nuanced. I tag it accordingly. Just like I can’t draw cartoon styles, I don’t write YA, and never will. I have every respect for those genres, they simply aren’t me. I will use big words, I will use metaphors and allusions, and crumbs left in chapter 3 will matter in chapter 30, and 300. Nothing - not one detail on the page - is ever there “just” for flavor.

My work is not written to be skimmed. It is written to be read, and it is written to give the reader even more if it is read again. When you flip past the quiet moments, you will not have the context to understand the Big Flashy Actions.

Many, many readers struggle with the ending scenes of the first five pieces of Branches and Fate — you are not alone in this. Nor is it a flaw in any reader. The pulling back of the camera, denying gritty details in those moments so the emotions (and everything leading to that moment) takes center stage is a feature of the style.

I don’t give a good goddamn who is behind any username or how many people they think they do or don’t influence. Each and every person who takes time to look at my work and let me know I somehow managed something of good with this disaster is a treasure. I keep on my studio wall a private comment I received on Demons when the last page went up in August of 2015 and I wasn’t sure I was going to even make it to the end of the year. That person has never said anything else directly to me, but they don’t need to. Their words have become part of the tether keeping me on this earth all the same.

Discovering that instead of the enjoyment claimed in comments that have helped me to continue working on the manuscripts through some of the hardest years of my adult life in search of enough consecutive prose to resume regular posts for free for other fans you found only pain and tedium? And wished you had instead only read the work of someone who crafted a highly readable fast-paced adventure tale while actively hating the ship?

It was and is devastating.

I fear always that my work is not good enough to share, that there is no audience for the kinds of worlds I weave, that no one will ever love my cast or my worlds but me. I have come to terms with the fact my work will never be popular. I ask only that others do me the courtesy of following don’t like don’t read and crit requires consent.

To be clear: I’m not demanding anyone love the work or praise me for it. Just… don’t lie. And don’t tell me I ought to be someone I’m not.

And don’t use me as your cautionary tale to praise someone else.

[nitewrighter]

"That is not Melinda, that is someone else"

Okay first I want to preface this by saying, I'm actually a big fan of the "reincarnated lovers" trope. Not necessarily soulmate tropes, it just feels kind of lazy to say, "The universe is just plonking you together" whether it be by a red string of fate or a word on your wrist or what-have-you. But reincarnation tropes fascinate me because there's so much potential for past angst and heartbreak, the idea of having a history with someone that is beyond your control as you know it, their potential for repeating cycles, the idea that you may have seen the person you love die over and over, or you have died in their arms, the questioning of your own identity vs who you have been before and before and before--I love that stuff. But I do think that from the beginning the show has kind of set up for Emma/Melinda to break out of this love triangle and come into her own as a person, and the love triangle itself is more of a metaphor for the two very different directions Emma/Melinda is being pulled in by virtue of her two warring souls.

I remember at the beginning of the series, people were all like "I'm Team Emma, Melinda has no right to just take over Emma's body!" like Melinda actually has any choice in whose body she gets plopped into. Emma/Melinda's struggle this whole season hasn't been a "Who will she choose" but rather "Who am I" and like... look I do think Emma did have a right to her wedding, did have a right to her future with Winston, but sometimes the universe yanks the rug out from underneath you and how you deal with that is how you come into your own--so you can either go on and on about how unfair it is, and how much you want things to go back to normal, or you can rise to meet the challenge. And I think that was highlighted in the previous episode--As Emma/Melinda was explaining to Winston that she was neither Emma or Melinda, but someone new, she was looking at Edred. I think in that moment it was this acknowledgement that basically since Emma and Melinda have impacted each other so heavily, neither of them will ever be fully Winston's or fully Edred's again.

Another interesting aspect we see of Emma/Melinda is that she actually becomes more of a leader as she accepts both aspects of herself. In previous episodes, and indeed, previous incarnations, Melinda's basically just... the team's missile. She's the powerhouse. She gets in there, screams, does the big FOOOOM black fire thing, and knocks the evil back for presumably another reincarnation cycle. But with Emma and Melinda merged together, you see her actively pepping the team up, focusing them towards their goals when fatigue of fighting in the cosmic realm has definitely taken its toll on Merlin. She cares about the Warriors like they're her family, and she basically uses both Melinda's experience and Emma's kindness to push the team forward even when hope seems lost. And that's also why we have this big heel-turn in the final battle, when it becomes not about 'defeating the evil' but saving Melinda's mother. That's a shift from confrontation, to compassion.

Emma/Melinda is someone who needs both Emma's compassion and Melinda's sense of bravery and duty to save the world.

In conclusion:

:)

[theheisenblog]

Showtime!

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Heisenblog! Before we go any further, I’d like to set up some groundwork and tease what I'm looking to cover!

For those unfamiliar, Breaking Bad follows Walter White, a timid, underdog chemistry teacher who gets hit with a life changing lung cancer diagnosis. Working two jobs to make ends meet and feeling deeply dissatisfied with his prolonged lack of agency in life, he decides to use his chemistry knowledge to synthesize the purest meth on the street in hopes of paying off his treatment (as well as fulfilling more personal needs regarding his ego). He partners with ex-student and delinquent Jesse Pinkman, deeming his knowledge of drug dealing to be valuable for their business operation.

I’m also going to be discussing Better Call Saul, a prequel set four years before the original series that focuses on Jimmy McGill, A.K.A Saul Goodman, Walt’s lawyer who uses underhanded tactics to keep the meth operation afloat. Less explosive than its counterpart, BCS takes a more subdued and psychological approach in its storytelling, detailing the nuances of Jimmy’s transformation into the criminal and comedic lawyer we know him to become. If you’re curious about either series and haven’t watched yourself, my posts should still be digestible, provided you don’t care about spoilers! 

The focus of my blog will be analyses of the themes, characters, and symbolism of both series. Breaking Bad delves into a range of themes including greed, family, change, identity, and masculinity, with its characters acting as vessels of exploration for such themes. I think my personal favorite to explore is masculinity, due to the real world irony of the show’s fans largely being men who…missed the point. A man provides, “even when he’s not appreciated, or respected” as series antagonist Gus puts it in the episode "Más". But when does the adoption of this outlook dip into toxic masculinity, the over-conformation to masculine stereotypes to the point of destructive behavior?

Another big theme I’m looking to cover is identity, as it strongly permeates both series. BB and BCS oversee a transformation of the protagonists from their original selves (Walter White, Jimmy McGill) into their alter egos (Heisenberg, Saul Goodman). The earliest definition of an alter ego describes a “trusted friend”, though at what point do either character’s alter egos serve them as a friend, versus destroy them from the inside? The etymology of alter ego is derived from Latin: “another I.” In a similar vein, at what point can these alter egos be considered “another,” instead of one in the same with the character’s true self? 

The beginning of Walt’s split identity in particular is cleverly illustrated with the use of a chemistry lesson on chirality, when mirror image compounds are non-superimposable. This is an example of symbolism used to illustrate an overarching theme and to flesh out a character. I find the use of chemistry to be the most interesting, so I’m looking forward to expanding on it.

I’ve gone on long enough for an introduction, but I hope I’ve given an intriguing taste as to what’s to come! Whether you’re a dedicated fan, casual watcher, or just someone passing by, I’ll do my best to make this an enjoyable read!

[creepercraftguy]

My Thoughts on JOKER VS GIORNO

Once again, we come back to another Death Battle review, where I share my personal thoughts on what we saw.

Unlike Omni-Man Vs Bardock, while I was excited for that matchup, as someone who is a MASSIVE fan of both these characters and their respective franchises, this one was one that I was really looking forward to, even though I knew the fallout for it, regardless of who wins, is probably gonna keep me off the Death Battle internet community for a week at least.

Before I do or say anything on this matchup, I know this sort of thing goes through one ear and out the other, but can we please be respectful in the chat? It's super lame to start a war and to hate on the DB creators just because their opinion on a matchup isn't the same as yours. Let's just try to be good people, please?

Everything is under the cut as per normal, because I will be spoiling the episode:

In case it wasn't obvious how my previous review ended, this was a matchup that I was very excited for. But on top of my excitement, I was also...kind of scared.

I won't comment on my personal opinion of the JoJo fanbase and the Persona fanbase, but one thing that I cannot forgo talking about is that both sides are...intense.

Which is to say they love their franchises and their characters deeply, so while I, as someone who likes both Joker AND Giorno, and their respective series (though I do have a preference for Persona 5 and Joker) am not looking forward to the fallout that this episode brings, because Death Battle are probably about to make half their fanbase very, very angry.

Well, I mean, what else is new? But this time in particular, even more than Omni-Man and Bardock could have.

The analysis portions were actually very good. They touched on a lot of stuff, some of which I even forgot about, but I do have two pretty big qualms with them.

First of all, for Joker's segment especially, though Giorno's suffers from a similar problem, I'm pretty sure I could have made a bingo card of obvious jokes they could make about the Persona series and Joker and the Phantom Thieves, and...yeah, I would have definitely gotten a bingo.

Akechi's pancakes, Mara, the fact that you can date your teacher in the game and that Joker likes older women (although admittedly when I saw that in his intro card, it did make me chuckle), and the idea of never hanging out with your friends again once you max them out are all very commonly appearing jokes in the Persona fanbase, and Death Battle would not have missed an opportunity to mention pretty much all of them.

And then Giorno as well, though not as common, does have the drinking piss joke and the like. Although, I will admit, I think Boomsticks point about Jesus being a JoJo was done in a way that was pretty funny.

My other big issue with the analysis, and this carries on in the post analysis, is showing that Golden Experience Requiem could counter Pucci's stand, and then later, be negated by The World Over Heaven. Feats that come from video games that aren't exactly canon.

In the end, I don't think it really matters that much, because the points they made still stand, but can we maybe get a fact check on whether or not we can use these abilities? Because I'm pretty sure you'd have to take into account the feats of other JoJo's in past matchups, specifically Jotaro, who has the same ability by the end of that game.

Maybe Eyes of Heaven didn't come out when Jotaro Vs Kenshiro did, so I guess I'll give it a pass? Either way, it bothers me, and I really don't know why, because it doesn't amount to much; just that it's used to explain a point they were trying to make.

Other than that, pretty well-stylized analysis portions, and I don't have any complaints. They did well to sell the characters, and honestly? Up until I saw them, I was pretty ready for Jokers loss. Leading up to the fight, I started to change my tune. And after them, I changed sides completely and went back to supporting my boy.

I do somewhat feel guilty for how it ended though. Speaking of which, the fight.

I'm gonna be honest, the fight was cool, but it wasn't perfect. The teaser that was shown on the DB cast looked fire as fuck, but then when the actual fight started, it didn't live up to what it was selling.

Which is not to say that the fight didn't fuck, because it did. The sprites of the characters, Giorno especially, are just a little clunky, static, and very obviously a sprite puppet rig, that's all.

It also felt...a little fast paced? It's weird because the buildup to GE:R and Satanael was well-handled and cool, but for most of the fight, it just feels like the abilities are being thrown around rapid fast, and there's not much time to soak all of it in.

Also, I'm pretty sure Die For Me is an instant kill move, so maybe they should have saved that for when Requiem came out. Just my opinion though. I mean, Die For Me isn't 100% accurate, and doesn't work on bosses, so hell, maybe Giorno either dodged it, or is a boss.

I mean, he IS a boss, but...Well, whatever.

But again, my overall issue is that despite the similar framing, the animation budget just...hasn't quite hit yet. Maybe that's the price of being independent, but I'm REALLY holding out for Moro next week to absolutely smash the next match.

And again, this fight was NOT POORLY animated. Just that there have been sprite fights that were WAY better. Like Dio Vs Alucard for instance.

Speaking of which, this fight is actually pretty similar to that fight in that the penultimate winner of the fight spends...quite a lot of the match just getting bodied by their opponent until they're successfully able to turn it around. Dio did it against Alucard, and Joker did the same to his son in the end.

One more point I want to make on the fight itself is the voice acting. Kieren Regan, who voiced Giorno, is someone who I'm actually familiar with. He's the voice of Shikanoin Heizou in Genshin Impact, and this is his first time working with Death Battle. Honestly? His voice for Giorno is pretty good, even if his tone is a little more whispery than Phillip Reich's rendition of the character.

But OH MY FUCKING GOD, I swear, during the build up to this episode, I seriously thought that Xander Mobus himself was the one doing the voice of Joker! He's actually voiced by Kevin Rivera (Who most would know from the dub of Undead Unluck) who previously voiced Alex Mercer and Dimitri in the last season, but my lord, his impression is SPOT ON! 10/10, no notes!

If I had to give an overall highlight of the fight, well...It'd probably have to be the beginning portion of it that was shown in the cast. The intro to this fight was solid as hell, and if I had to pick another moment in the fight that I was pretty pumped about, it was the sequence when Giorno uses his ability to turn Joker's grapple shot into a snake, and then Joker shoots the snake which reflects the damage back on him. Then the bullets that Giorno turned into bees earlier returned to Joker, destroyed his gun, which gave passage to the ultimate climax of the fight.

That portion was pretty sick.

And then the way the fight ends, while stunning, I do kind of wish it had been more climactic than a single bullet, but...then again, a single bullet put down Jaldabaoth, so there's no need to oversell that, and neither Joker, nor Giorno, are really known for anime screaming or fighting tooth and nail (well, Giorno is sort of) so I can't exactly claim it to be out of character to end this way.

And as for my last note, I think I'm gonna have to give the fight track by Therewolf and Brandon Yates a listen on it's own when it drops, because it's hard to analyse the lyrics and tune while the fight is going on, because it very rapidly changes with each side's sporadic moves.

BUT the vocals in the track are done by Saoirse, the same person who did the vocals for Phantom's Game, the track that Brandon Yates made for a Joker Vs Neku commission he did, and...yeah, that's brilliant, because I loved the vocals of that song, and she's a brilliant singer on the same level as Lyn Inaizumi for these tracks, so yeah.

Final score for me? I give it an 8.5 out of 10. Not perfect, and not quite a 9, but definitely close.

Next week is Eggman Vs Bowser, as I suspected it would be, so let's get pumped for this match, because it's been a long time coming.

[a-little-revolution]

i hope you're well!! i'm a huge professional wrestling fan and, today, i saw an article detailing the announcement of a docuseries on a wrestling promotion of LP! i'm personally really excited and hopeful for this program, and will definitely be watching when it's out. here's the description from the article (which i'll link below):

"“Big Little Brawlers” focuses on the Micro Wrestling Federation, described as “one of the most successful little person wrestling leagues in the world.” Set in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., the series revolves around “Pinky Shortcake” and “Syko,” who are both parents and wrestling partners. There’s also “Ivar the Micro,” the announcer/hype man who hopes to become a wrestler himself. “Lil’ Show” is the veteran wrestler still aiming to support his wife and children. “Hot Rod” is the up-and-coming wrestler looking to prove himself.Despite internal dramas and frustrations, Micro Wresting Federation CEO Jack Darrell Hillegass encourages the group to work together as a family as they approach ‘MicroFest,’ the biggest micro wresting event of the year,” reads the show description. “As they attempt to achieve their piece of the American Dream, a group of remarkable little people athletes with larger-than-life personalities are forced to overcome ego, injury, and the limitations imposed by society."

pro wrestling has not been kind to Little People and, while this is my opinion as someone who does not have dwarfism, i haven't seen a lot of reconciling, reparations, or progressiveness when it comes to LP in wrestling. especially not compared to how (some) other marginalised communities have been able to reclaim their right to dignified, self-directed representation - while i obviously acknowledge there's still a long way to go. i'd never even heard of the MWF before today and i'm looking forward to learning about their history and watching matches.

the quoted article: https://wrestlingheadlines.com/big-little-brawlers-wrestling-series-coming-to-discovery/

i'm curious about your initial opinion on both the show and the MWF itself conceptually/in execution if you have more knowledge about the promotion, as well as any thoughts you have on LP in professional wrestling in general. Nd no rush to respond - i know you're busy! be safe, be well, stay warm, we will see a free palestine in our lifetime, and i look forward to hearing your thoughts!! thank you for all your insight and activism

Hello!! Thank you for your patients, as I've taken quite a while to get back to you!!

LP wrestling, though it can be reclamation to many, still holds lot of weight as it's historically been a way for able bodied people to openly mock, objectify, and hold power over little people through public humiliation and display.

I recognize my bias as someone who is not passionate about wrestling (or sports in general) but the activity still fills me with worry. I see these incredibly talented, strong, charasmatic athletes, but then I turn to a predominantly abled audience and fear that amongst those who genually appreciate and respect the wrestlers, there are still many who get a sick sort of ogling entertainment out of it. Overall, I'm mixed on the subject, and pretty seperate from the wrestling world.

What I will say is that all those involved need to have an understanding of wrestling history for little people in order to keep it a safe space.

- Elliot (they/them)

[godotdotdot]

I watched the end of evangelion in theaters last night. The last time I watched EoE was a near spiritual exp; I had been going thru a lot at home and needed catharsis, because I was personally grieving a lot of close relationships that had been hurting me, and could not stop feeling shitty for how I hurt my loved ones.

While that evening I had had the entirety of Eva fresh in my mind, and had sobbed accordingly to my heightened understanding and empathic ability, last night I did not. I had not prepared by rewatching the series or Death and Rebirth. It was a last minute chance that I took. I felt I had not "done" the experience properly.

I noticed so many details I hadn't before, thanks to the big screen: the name KAWORU printed on the EVA Series' S2 drives; how fitting it is that Kaworu (the ideal Shinji, the replacement for Asuka, the parallel of Rei) eviscerates Asuka. I also realised why Asuka has the bandage on her arm in the last scene, because her arm... ripped in two... and how insane is it, the arm that is iconically extended with "I'll kill you, I'll kill you" to be the same hand that reaches forward, as she's dying, to cup Shinji's cheek as he strangles her. I saw my favorite character, Rei, commit her revolt against Gendo. I absorbed everything on screen with greater clarity than I ever had before. The big screen magnified the details, the emotions, everything; and I realised with satisfaction that I was watching the movie the way it was supposed to be watched.

And as such, I think the most significant moment was in the actual theater itself. The scene in the film where they're in instrumentality and talking about dreams vs reality, and they pan to the irl audience of one of the first screenings of eoe? It hits different when YOU are in the theater. It's YOU on screen. I remember feeling like an individual and not at the same time. I realised that everyone in the movie theater was there for the same reason as me: for virtue of being human, having a deep connection w the series like me, having their own reconciling with the awe of seeing it in theaters; after all, all the young kids had streamed this movie on the phone like me, and all the older fellows had not been to an Eva screening in North America. We WERE the first audience seeing the movie, just like in the film; we had all gathered here with our rei plushies and our t-shirts and our cosplays like the audience in 1997. But would we be sitting there confused, like that initial audience was?

As it was, there is no sense of confusion in as an eva fan, not after the End. As the film ended, Shinji crying, Asuka still, Disgusting, and then the end card, there was a full 15 seconds of silence as the lights slowly came on. No clapping. No discussion. No laughter or sniffling or breath. The lights came on, and still, I was silent; I was both praying no one would break the silence as I needed it and observed it. I was completely processing the gravity of being the first (N. American) audience (ever!) since the show aired nearly thirty years ago; and with that weight, how SHOULD you react? And then, the silence broke as I heard people take shaky exhales like they had been crying, chuckling nervously, and then more comfortably laughing to their groups, beginning lore explanations--- someone had a beer snuck into the theater that I only noticed when I looked in front of me--- and everyone re-became themselves, imdividuals with lives and problems and things to be excited over. A couple was still crying and were not holding hands. I saw them outside, twenty minutes later, smiling and taking pictures with the poster.

It seemed strange to me that Eva had become such an emotional thing to such a crowd of people. I didn't realise that I was not the only one who cried tears of horror, who cried tears of disgust, who cried tears of sorrow. I had been excited to go to this movie and was left feeling... normal. It was life-changing, but also, not. I was just a person in a theater, and yet, I understood the movie because I had studied it. And so had everyone else, and we were still crying. At the same time, having reflected on my more private viewings, I still thought I hadn't cried enough.

I think to the things Hideako Anno has said about eva; how it's him on screen, his disdain for certain kinds of anime fans, his passing interest in things that people hyperanalyze. I think about the dedication he notes to his team of workers and five women in his life. Who are those five women? What kind of women are they? Why that descriptor, if you're separating them from your work?

I think the most appropriate explanation for my absurd reactions to the film are because the film itself is an absurd experience; I'm trying to assign it an aura (a la "art in the age of mechanical reproduction") but frankly, I believe it is impossible. Perhaps my theater wasn't right. Perhaps my company wasn't. Perhaps I was not. Perhaps the film was not. And most of all, perhaps it was okay for me to be there, because I wanted to be there, and I wanted to go on.

It was a really beautiful experience. The movie is absolutely meant to be played on a big screen, in a theater. I'm so glad I was there, and I'm so glad I got to be apart of eva history. It was not the perfect exp I wanted, but it was such a special occasion that I don't mind too much. One day I will keep going and maybe I will make that experience perfect for myself.

[joes-sha-la-la-la-girl]

When Love and Hate Collide: Chapter 2

Series Masterlist

Assuming it was her luggage being brought up, Y/N hurried to the door. However, as she pulled the door open, she was greeted with the smiling faces of Phil and Rick.

Phil spoke first as he stepped forward slightly, “Wanna join us for dinner?”

“I’m not sure, I was just going to order room service.” Y/N told them. Despite her gentle refusal, Rick and Phil wouldn’t take no for an answer. 

“Come on, we all want you to join us.” Rick encouraged. Noting the sceptical look on her face he soon added, “Joe’s not coming.”

Y/N sighed and looked at the two men’s faces. Knowing that Joe wasn’t going to be there both settled her and upset her. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable around his band mates, so him not attending relieved her slightly. Though, she couldn’t shake the disappointment that he wouldn’t be eating with them. 

In spite of his apparent disdain for her, Y/N still wanted to get to know him. Something about him intrigued her and predominantly, she wanted to know why he didn’t like her. She remembered Rick’s words, but a part of her knew that it wasn’t just because she was new that he didn’t want to talk to her. 

Realising she had been quiet for a long time, she quickly slipped on her heels, which she had previously discarded by the door, and followed the two men down to the hotel dining hall. They all made small talk as they walked and soon enough she was greeted with Viv and Sav smiling at her. 

Phil pulled her chair out and allowed her to sit down before moving to his own chair next to her. Greetings were shared again although it had only been an hour or so since she had last seen them. They all ate their meals and conversed. Y/N found herself fitting in with the crowd and realising that they were just normal men who happened to be famous. 

Saying goodnight to them all once again, Y/N went up to her room. As she stepped out of the lift and onto her floor she almost ran into someone.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry.” She apologised as she looked up at who she walked into. She was not prepared for it to be Joe scowling down at her. Clearing her throat, she wanted to apologise again, Joe being the last person she wanted to annoy, but was stopped by him talking first.

“You really should watch where you’re going, Miss Y/L/N.” 

Y/N quickly nodded at him. “I am so sorry.” 

Joe just looked at her and carried on past her, not giving her another word. Y/N released a breath that she didn’t know she was holding in and went to her room. She knew there was a time difference but she decided to call her best friend. Picking up the hotel phone she dialled the number she knew off by heart.

“Hello?” Y/N heard Bonnie’s voice on the other end.

“Bonnie, it’s Y/N.” She smiled hearing her friend’s voice for the first time in a few days.

“Y/N! Hi, how's LA?”

“Well I haven’t seen much of it yet but my hotel room is great.” Y/N joked. Bonnie let out a playful scoff.

“Okay then. How's the band? Are they as hot in real life as they are on the posters?” 

Y/N let out a laugh. Of course her best friend would come out with something like this.

“Well, I don’t want to objectify them but yes they are.”

Bonnie giggled for a second before turning to a slightly more serious tone. “How are they all treating you?”

“Sav, Vivian, Rick and Phil are all really lovely and have made me feel really welcome.”

“And what about Joe?” 

Y/N sighed. She should have known Bonnie would ask about Joe. She was a big fan and he was her favourite member. 

“Well… I haven’t really spoken to him much, but every interaction so far has been less than positive.”

“What do you mean?” Bonnie asked her, sensing the slight sadness in her best friend’s voice. Y/N went on and explained the entire day to Bonnie.

“I mean I know he just went through a nasty divorce not long ago but that doesn’t explain as to why he doesn’t like you.” 

Y/N released another sigh. “I didn’t know about the divorce but you’re right. It’s hardly my fault. I‘m just a tour assistant. Rick did say something about how it is because I’m new but it feels like more than that.”

“Try not to overthink it, Y/N/N.” 

Y/N nodded, despite knowing that Bonnie couldn’t see her.

“How are you holding up otherwise?” 

Y/N automatically knew what Bonnie was referring to. Last month Y/N walked in on her boyfriend Scott cheating on her and since then had been struggling with wondering as to why he had done so.

“You know it wasn’t your fault he cheated on you don’t you?” Bonnie asked when Y/N had been quiet for some time.

“I know but I can't help but wonder if I could have done anything differently.”

“Y/N, you are perfect, he was a tosser. He had you and he lost you and that is too bad for him. Go and live your wonderful life while he sleeps around and you will end up happier than he could ever dream of being.”

Y/n smiled at her friend's use of the insult and yet again nodded before she verbally agreed. The two talked for a while longer before Y/N decided to get some rest. She also knew it was early morning in England and didn’t want to keep Bonnie up any longer. Although they did both have insomnia and it wasn’t the first time they had been up all night together. 

Y/N decided it would be best to avoid any interaction between her and Joe and just do her job. There was a huge lump in Y/N’s chest when she thought about avoiding Joe but she pushed it aside. She knew that the only thing she could do was go to sleep.

*

The morning came and after Y/N got ready for the day she went downstairs to meet the band for breakfast. She noticed that the group travelling together occupied two tables and there was one seat left available. Next to Joe.

Making her way to the table, everyone but Joe greeted her and she returned their pleasantries. Even swallowing her nerves and greeting Joe. It wasn’t until he heard his name that he lifted his head and nodded once before looking away again. 

Once they had eaten Y/N had taken the opportunity to take out a notepad and get the band to make a list of food items they wanted her to buy for the bus. She made sure that there were vegetarian options as well. The only person who didn’t make an input was Joe. Making a note of it all, Y/N put away her notepad and the group got up moving towards the lifts so that the band could get ready for soundcheck and she could get ready to go shopping. 

On the way out of her room she saw that Joe was getting in the lift again, on his own. Y/N debated waiting for the next one but once Joe turned around he spotted her. He held the door open and waited for her to get in. She hurried herself and entered the lift hoping that she wouldn’t be alone and another band member, or any hotel guest, would join them

However, the doors closed leaving just the two of them in the lift.

[enchantedchocolatebars]

A small snippet from Chapter 2 (A Prayer To The Titan) of my big chapter fic "A Winsome Witch And A Happy Human" (Fic is very canon divergent)

Commission cover art here.

Cover art poll here.

Chapter titles here.

A fun piece.

Chapter 1 here.

Sherlyn Clawthorne strolled through the Bonesborough marketplace on a busy day, her favorite book and school papers secured under her arm, while her green eyes roved around the bustling atmosphere.

It was difficult to resist gazing at the sights as the market was always so lively, even in the mornings.

Shifting her attention forward, Sherlyn accidentally collides into someone, causing both their papers and their singular book to fall to the ground, along with hers.

Instantly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she apologized to the stranger and quickly bent down to pick up their papers.

Reaching for their book, she noticed the title of the hard cover, and her eyes widened as she internally screamed.

"A Lying Witch And A Warden" was such a highly underrated and highly underappreciated book series, so Sherlyn found it surprising, yet also amazing, to find someone else sharing her rare reading taste.

Upon seeing her edition of the book being reached for by hands, Sherlyn looks up at the person, and his visage is instantly etched into her mind.

His green almond-shaped eyes, which were the same shade as Sherlyn's, were so deep and expressive that she couldn't help but get lost in them the more she gazed.

The boy, still looking back at her, shined her a shy smile as he stood up and asked in a sweet-toned voice if she was okay.

After Sherlyn gave him a small nod, he offered a hand to help her up.

Once the boy apologizes for bumping into Sherlyn and the two exchange papers and books, he introduces himself as Charles.

Charles then explains to Sherlyn that he's on his way to Hexside, a new school that he's attending, but admits to her in a sheepish tone that he's unsure if he's going the right way.

Shrelyn, having been a student at the school since kindergarten, smiles brightly at Charles and happily tells him that she's on her way there right now.

She's more than willing to lead the new witch to the magic school without hesitation.

Continuing side by side down the marketplace, Charles and Shrelyn begin to enthuse about "A Lying Witch And A Warden" like excited fans of a series would.

They agree on plans to meet up after school and read the book together.

While walking, the future couple's shoulders touched, and a sweet and sincere smile spread effortlessly on their faces.

...

Shrelyn, now an adult who also went by Miss. Clawthorne, stood by her bookshelf in her sitting room with a soft smile on her face as she read the title of the familiar book in her hands.

Her feminine fingers began to dance lightly over the title printed on the spine of the book as she remembered quite fondly how crisp the corners of the hard cover used to feel under her soft touch.

Opening up the book, she flipped to a passage and began to read it to herself.

Her mind became flooded with positive and heartfelt memories of the past, along with the silly escape methods that Edna, the main witch in the story, used to escape the wrathful wardan.

Suddenly, Charles, now an adult who also goes by Mr. Clawthorne, stepped into the small sitting room with a smile on his face upon seeing his wife with the book that was near and dear to both of them.

[cericreatively]

Oh I just have to ask about The Destiny Duo, I used to ADORE the Geronimo Stilton books as a kid, and this sounds like such a fun premise

:DDD Oh sweet!! Oh man, where do I begin about this...

I was also a big fan of the Geronimo Stilton books as a kid -- especially those special edition Kingdom of Fantasy books with the hardbound covers. As someone who was a sucker for fantasy stories (especially ones where people from the modern world would go back-and-forth in a journey between our world and a fantasy world; like Narnia-esque stories), I was especially drawn to these books, and their lovely illustrations.

And over time, I thought... but what if? What if instead of our favorite mouse man Geronimo being called to the Kingdom of Fantasy... what if it was human ocs instead?

Which brings us to the protagonists of the Destiny Duo au concept: the two Sebastiani siblings.

(in this drawing, Fernanda is 15, and Paola is around 10. I drew this around 2023 btw.)

These two went through a lot of changes, as I began to create them when I was really young, like-- 12-13 years old. They had different names in the beginning as well, but overtime, as I revisited them, their names and nationalities kept shifting, and changing, until I eventually settled on making them Italian (to reflect the roots of the Stilton books, as they were all written by an Italian author and were also originally published in Italian), and giving them names that fit both their background and their personalities.

Here's some info about these two, btw:

Fernanda is the usual elder-sister archetype, always trying to be the voice of reason and looking after her younger sister. People say she takes after her dad in looks, but her mom in personality. She's the shining star of the family (good grades, an excellent athlete, etc.), but as an aspiring dancer, she wishes to be something more. After enough adventures in the Kingdom of Fantasy, many have seen her as a knight-like figure, naming her The Unyielding Mind

Paola is wide-eyed, imaginative, and creative. Some might say she's prone to getting lost in her own worlds, getting her head stuck in the clouds a lot, always fascinated with the fantastical and unreal. So it's no surprise that, when she and her sister find a mysterious music box in their house's attic, and get transported to the Kingdom of Fantasy, she's immediately enthusiastic about exploring it, and the one most attached to it. She eventually becomes known for her skill in storytelling, and gains the moniker of The Undaunted Heart

I also ended up developing their family members as well, but that's a story for another time ahahaha.

So yeah, these two are the protagonists of this oc-centric story. They go through a lot of ups and downs together (typical sibling interactions, arguments, perilous world events), but they're very close-knit, and would be willing to give their lives for each other.

It should also be noted that, they do end up aging throughout the course of the book series, so that by the time we end up reaching the 13th book in the Kingdom of Fantasy (and a major turning point in their character journey), Fernanda is 21 and Paola is 15.

(left is them in their modern-day wear, right is them in their Kingdom of Fantasy attire, also drawn circa 2023.)

In case you can't tell, I really wish to draw more outfits for these two, especially throughout their journeys. I'm especially looking forward to using their outfits as a sort of visual storytelling, showing their character growth and stuff as well!

And as a bonus, here's some Paolas! :DD

the little story-spinner, who's grown so much! :'DD