#but i refuse to delete all of that after writing it all out so you'll all just gave to deal

[philtstone]

#7, 13, and 22 for the Psych ask game?

7. Favorite Gus moment?

ooooh this one is so hard! burton guster my forevergirl ... he has so many iconic and Big Ticket moments that stand on their own and aren't related to other characters, but the biggest hallmark of gus's character to me will always be how good of a friend he is -- and so all of the scenes that popped into my head are a bit more subtle. it's a tie between the scene in the thornburg virus episode where gus bursts into the hospital room to make sure shawn doesn't confess his feelings to juliet for the wrong reasons, and the scene in "one, maybe two ways out" when gus immediately calls shawn out for being unfair when shawn says its bothering him that juliet is with declan. something about those two scenes really exemplifies why i appreciate gus so much; he's not here to be nice, he's here to be a good and honest friend who values the people he cares about three dimensionally, and sometimes that means not giving them the easy way out. that's not an easy thing to do. for all that gus runs away when the murder and chaos gets too much, he's incredibly brave and forthright when it comes to his personal relationships, more so than any other character on the show. he's the kind of friend i always try to be, and so those moments always stick out to me the most.

an honourable mention to the entire cold open of "office space", though. also the line "goldilocks was a crazy blonde shorty shawn", which makes me fall to pieces laughing every time

13. Favorite secondary character?

who counts as a secondary character??? can i say henry?? can i please say henry??? henrys secondary enough right??? my henry apologia knows no bounds. favorite disaster father in the history of television, no question

22. How did you get into the show?

good question!!! its a very convoluted story lol so i;ll try to speedrun it. also sorry because this is going to get a little bit sentimental and possibly too sincere

i very much subscribe to the "sometimes you encounter a story when you Need It Most" theory and i think my relationship w psych really exemplifies that idea. so once upon a time, years ago, i tried starting it when i was still into brooklyn nine nine -- this was like, 2017 i want to say? and i was kind of immediately put off and never got past episode 1. because i was expecting b99, which psych is absolutely not. its characters are a lot more morally gray and the show's narrative structure isn't a sitcom -- it's a parody of a crime procedural, which i wasn't used to. lucky enough for me, the beloved people in my life made me sit and watch the highlight episodes a few years later, and of course i was charmed, because psych is nothing if not charming and i grew up reading sherlock holmes mysteries as a kid. holmes and watson are kind of inherently a hit. but i think i never really saw it as it was meant to be watched: gradually, and with the breathing room to really understand the characters in the subtle way the show reveals them to you. i also don't think -- and this may sound weird -- i was old enough to appreciate the Point of the show

when i saw it for the first time, the main characters were still Adults to me -- a nebulous concept for sure, because i was just 22 and they technically weren't that much older than me, but it didn't feel that way at all. they looked like grown ups, especially because i was mainly watching later seasons. i was also stuck at home, with my whole family surrounding me, and hadn't really faced the question of "well what the fuck am i supposed to do with my life now?" yet

this last year, i moved really far from home, permanently, for the first time. i am very close with my brother, and for the last 2 years had been lucky enough to be roommates with one of my best friends, who in turn had basically become like a sister to me. in the first few months after moving, i did live with family, but because i was working remotely from a house in the suburbs without a car, i was alone in the house all day. i started putting psych on as background noise because i remembered enjoying it, and it was something the two people i missed most loved ... and i very quickly realized that shawn and gus were 1) basically the same age as me, and 2) one of the few dynamics i'd ever seen on tv that accurately reflected what it felt like for your Person in life to be a sibling.

it was so comforting to have on in the background. it felt like my own siblings were in the room with me, trying their best and making me laugh! and the more i watched, the more i realized that psych, at its core, is a coming of age show .... about what to do when you hit your late twenties, look up, and realize you have no idea what you're supposed to do next. and it takes your hand, and says gently, "well, it's ok. you have time. you don't have to leave what's familiar behind, but you also need to be brave enough to go after something new. it'll be hard, but you'll figure it out with the people you already love, and meet new people you'll love on the way, too."

that oversimplifies it for sure -- but something about that just hit home so unexpectedly. its been so strange moving into this new phase in my life and feeling terrified that i'll be forced to leave the people most important to me behind because Thats Just What Happens When You Grow Up. to encounter this story that was so fun and clever and sincere that showed again and again the opposite of that sentiment was such a balm to my homesickness and truly made moving away a lot easier than i ever expected.

and its just good -- well written and funny and extremely creative, and while it has its imperfections, it sticks the landing at the end, which has always been the most important thing to me, really. so anyway. now im here 5 months later and i think ive dragged like 6 people down with me in the last month, lol. theres probably more to say here but suffice it to say that because of all that, there will always be something very special about this show to me

[headcanonenthusiast]

COD characters x virgin reader headcanons

This was made with gender-neutral readers in mind. (For most of them, anyway. Valeria's is fem leaning, but everyone else is neutral.)

This will include König, Simon Riley, Valeria Garza, Rodolfo Parra, Alejandro Vargas, Alex Keller and Kyle Garrick.

Yall I accidentally uploaded this when it was halfway done TWICE and in my panic to delete it the first time, I didn't copy everything 😭😭 I'm crying rn/j

Anyways it's a very snowy day, I'm all nice and bundled up, so it's time to write >:)

(I completely understand that this type of content is not everyone's cup of tea, and that's ok! But, please scroll and ignore if this type of content isn't your thing as opposed to leaving any sort of negative comments.)

NSFW under the cut.

Enjoy!

Alejandro Vargas

-Romantic? Romantic. Let me tell you that every part of your first time with him is so passionate and romantic, it's nearly like a fairytale.

-He won't just dive right in, nononono, like I said, he's a romantic lover. Therefore, to "set the mood", he's either taking you out to a fancy restaurant or cooking dinner for you.

-Then, he's going to give you plenty of foreplay to ensure that you're ready.

-Very passionate sex. Tries his best to go slower for your sake, but something about him being the one taking your virginity raises his ego by 500%.

-"Thats it, mi chula/o (My girl/boy). Just relax, let me make you feel good."

-Will still be sure to leave hickeys on you, though, even if it is your first time.

-In his mind, his hickeys are proof that you're his.

-"There we go, that's better. You look so gorgeous/handsome covered with hickeys."

-Chuckles softly in your ear if you complain about the hickeys. He'll kiss you apologetically and refrain from leaving them. (this time, anyway.)

-Oh, and he refuses to edge you during your first time. He's actually determined to make you cum at least twice. If he hasn't, he's failed you.

-Aftercare includes you being bedbound at least until noon the next day. Alejandro does NOT want you straining yourself, even if you aren't sore. He'll get whatever you want, whether it's food, drink or the remote. The only time you're getting out of bed is to shower, which he'll insist on joining you for.

Valeria Garza

-Really? She's your first choice? Praying for you rn my friend/j

-Okay in all seriousness, as rough as she is during sex, she'll do her best to be gentle. Doesn't want your intro to sex to be a bad/painful one.

-Just because she's being gentler than normal doesn't mean she still isn't gonna boss you around, though. Will ALWAYS be on top, no matter what.

-"Stay still, stay still. You're basically asking me to make it hurt. Is that what you want, hm? To make it fucking hurt?"

-If you listen to her (God forbid if you don't), she'll nod in approval and press a kiss to your clit.

-"There we go, corazón (sweetheart). It's not that hard to listen to me, now is it?"

-If you don't listen to her however, she'll go a bit harder with her strap/fingers. Not as hard as she normally would, but you'll probably be pretty overstimulated.

-"Don't start with that bullshit. I told you to listen to me. If only you had behaved yourself like I asked. Dios, eres imposible (God, you're impossible.), not obeying me yet getting all whiney when I punish you for it."

-Surprisingly doesn't edge you, even if you haven't been listening. In fact, she encourages you to cum on her fingers/strap.

-"Shit, you're gonna cum? You wanna cum? You're lucky I'm feeling generous, especially after how you've been acting. Go ahead, muñeca (doll). Cum all over my strap/fingers."

-Aftercare includes her pressing gentle kisses to your temple and brushing your hair out of your face. You're welcome to do whatever you want after that, but not without Valeria lingering close by, just in case her pretty girl needs anything.

Rodolfo Parra

-Gentle and loving sex? Gentle and loving sex.

-He'll praise you SO MUCH. You could do the smallest thing and he'll just shower you in compliments.

-"Do you have any idea how beautiful/handsome you are, cariño? (Honey/sweetheart) This body is fucking irresistible. What an amazing woman/man/person you are, amor (love.)"

-Moves deathly slow. He's so careful not to hurt you that the actual process of stretching your pussy/ass out takes forever.

-Whispers praises and compliments the entire time, though.

-His hands gently rub your hips in an attempt to soothe you, constantly asking if you're okay.

-"You alright, amor? (Love). Yeah? I'm not being too rough, am I? Good, good. Let me know if it hurts."

-Oh, and his lips never leave your body. Your neck and face especially.

-Aftercare includes the most heavenly massages imaginable. He'll massage you anywhere you want, your shoulders, legs, anywhere you want to be massaged, he'll do it. Similarly to Alejandro, you're also bedbound. Rudy would rather die before letting you do anything after sex, especially your first time.

-And like I said earlier, Rudy has a voice kink. So, hearing you talk afterwards makes him happy. Talk to him about anything and he'll listen so intently while he massages you.

Kyle Garrick

-Like Rudy, constant praise.

-Seems so fixated on the fact that this is your first time, so he's very concentrated on going slow. (In the beginning, anyway. May or may not get a bit drunk off the feeling of your pussy/ass around his cock.)

-The slowest thrusts imaginable. Starts out very shallow, but he'll carefully go deeper into your pussy/ass. Ensures you're ready before, though.

-He also suddenly gains the best hearing in the world. If you make even the slightest sound of discomfort, he'll stop and check in with you.

-"Christ, you alright, love? Too fast?"

-And even if he's going slower, sometimes he'll get so lost in how good you feel that a bit of communication is in order to ground him.

-"Right, sorry, baby. Here-why don't I go at a few different paces and you see which one's the best, yeah?"

-Never makes you feel like you're taking away his enjoyment if you speak up about something you dislike/like. It's only enjoyable to him if you like it, too.

-There is NO such thing as too much talking with him. Please show how much you like/dislike something, and he'll keep it in mind for the rest of his life.

-"Oh, yeah? You like it like that? I'll have to do it more often, then."

-Aftercare also probably includes some chatter. Maybe a quick order of the most delicious food possible while binge watching your favorite show/movie. Oh, and yall are definitely cuddling all night long, too.

König

-So, König is big. And he knows he's big. That's why he's honestly a little anxious to fuck you with his dick during your first time.

-Bro is probably pacing around the room like a depressed zoo tiger for a bit before he sits you down and has a talk with you.

-"I'm sorry, darling, but I don't think you could take me. Especially not as your first time. Are you sure you want to do this?"

-If you ensure that you'll be okay, the foreplay will be insane. He's going to slowly stretch you out over his fingers, gently rubbing your clit/tip with his thumb while making you repeat a chosen safeword.

-"Say it again, liebling (darling). Can you be louder for me? Good, that's a good girl/boy. I want you to say that the moment it starts hurting, okay?"

-He's also gonna eat you out/suck you off as well. Like I said, lots of foreplay.

-And when he does finally start fucking you? He's barely gonna put four inches in. So fixated on not hurting you that he barely realizes that you're moaning softly in approval under him.

-When he does hear those moans, though, he's gonna give you a small smile and ask if you're okay.

-"Aw, listen to those moans. Does that feel good? Mhm, good. Just let me know if it hurts, liebe." (Love)

-Won't even cum inside you the first time if you finish first. He doesn't want to overstimulate you at all. Besides, you're always welcome to watch him jerk off (or even help him out 🤭)

-Aftercare includes you using this behemoth of a man as a bed. You're gonna lay on top of him and act as his personal weighted blanket for the night. Then, the next day is all about you. He's gonna do WHATEVER you want the next day. No food, clothing nor activity is off limits for his perfect liebling ❤

Alex Keller

-If he's your first choice, then congratulations. You have amazing taste.

-Might be biased here bc I find him so unbelievably fine, but Alex would be great as your first time.

-He's just so gentle and attentive, starting by carefully stroking your cock/rubbing your clit to calm you down.

-"Its okay, dolly. I know, I know it doesn't feel good right now. How about I just stay still for a bit, and you tell me when you're ready again, okay?"

-And when you do give permission for him to move again, he's kissing your cheek while praising you.

-"Mm, you're so damn tight. Could spend the whole day in this little pussy/ass and never get tired."

-Ensures that his thrusts are shallow and slow, only going to just behind the tip of his cock and seeing how you react.

-So unbelievably sweet. Makes you feel like the most special person in the world.

-Oh, and he holds your hand. Both physically and metaphorically. He entwines your hands together, talking you through each and every step.

-"Can you spread your legs a little farther, please? Good, that's a good girl/boy."

-Tries his best to make sure you cum first, and when you do he'll carefully fill you up, slowly pulling out to watch it drip out of your hole.

-"Ain't that a pretty sight. You okay, darling? Yeah? Did that feel good?"

-Aftercare will consist of a warm shower/bath together before returning to bed to cuddle all night long. Oh, and Alex is totally kissing the back of your neck as yall spoon, whispering praises and sweet words in your ear.

Simon Riley

-Like König, I feel like he'd be a little hesitant to take you. Not necessarily as anxious as him, but he knows that once he's inside you, he probably won't be great at going slow.

-"Look, love, it's not that I don't want to, it's just that I know myself. I'm gonna have a hard time being gentle."

-He can't resist you for long, though. Eventually he does decide to give it a try, but not after the addition of a safeword and physical signals to show if you're uncomfortable.

-Although Simon's unsure at first, he's actually able to keep a clear head and not get drunk off how good you feel.

-Does his best to listen for your safeword or any physical signal that you wanna tap out.

-Because of this, he's more quiet than normal, but he can't help but grunt softly in your ear with the occasional praise for doing so well.

-"You're takin' me so well, love. Good girl/boy, I'm proud of you."

-Because his mind isn't as foggy as he thought it'd be, he's only putting in a few inches. He's sure you'll be able to take all of him eventually, just not right now.

-"Just the tip, baby. No, not puttin' anymore in. It'll be too much for you."

-Gently rubs your clit/tip to soothe you, even if it doesn't hurt much.

-When you cum, so does he. Ghost proceeds to stay there for a little while, doing a quick check in before pulling out and watching his cum drip down your body.

-"Shit, you see what you do to me, baby?"

-Aftercare is similar to what my headcanons on him said. And although he's tired, he makes sure you go to sleep first this time, just so he can admire his gorgeous girl/handsome boy/etc for a little while longer.

YALL ITS FINALLY DONE 😭 I accidentally uploaded this unfinished TWICE and this is my quick attempt at a rewrite. I tried my best 🙏

And I'm sure you can all tell that I had fun w/ the Alex headcanons. I'm sorry but he's just so..😍

Let me know who I should do next!

[crusty-chronicles]

sorry if this is a bad time to request and feel free to put this off till whenever or even delete it if you're sick of airheaded stronk s/o asks

I was wondering, could you do short headcanons about how hiei and/or kurama with a stronk/airhead s/o would react to someone random or even a minor antagonist actively being rude their s/o while they're in earshot

[for a more specfic example maybe that eyeball at the gate of betrayal calls their attempted sacrifice foolish or the pretty boy purple guy from the dark tournment says smth like "it's a shame such a pretty face is wasted on such a brainless oaf" which has the added bonus(?) of sounding underhandedly flirtatious.]

again no pressure to write this quickly or at all. i just figured i'd throw it in your ask box incase it interested you at all.

Also entirley seperate question but would you be willing to cover roroanora zoro in your stronk/airhead s/o series?

BONUS AIRHEADED S/O DRABBLES: How they react to someone insulting their S/O

An: Of course I don't mind! Never be afraid to request things, it just might take me a little bit to get to them but really I enjoy doing them!

--------------------

Kurama:

More than likely it would be a comment from Yomi or Kaito that would make him lose his cool. For this instance though, we'll go with the latter.

🦊🦊🦊🦊

It was a little after Botan got her soul stolen that Kaito decided to run his mouth. You having been kidnapped with Yusuke because where one went, the other followed. Much to Kurama's dismay.

"You've got me curious, playing house with a human I'd figure would be so far below you. Do you find them amusing? Maybe think of them as some sort of plaything? A way to keep yourself entertained?"

The taunt was an attempt to make the fox demon slip up. And it seemed to be working judging by his glare and increase in spirit energy.

"Did I strike a nerve? Don't tell me the great Yoko Kurama is actually infatuated with a human. And not a very bright one at that." There was a smirk on his face that only grew seeing Kurama manipulate the plants around him. Knowing he couldn't physically hurt him at the moment.

"You should have seen them. Getting all worked up over Urameshi being immobilized, only to fall for the exact same trap. It was almost too easy. Even when being told moving was useless, they still struggled. Yelling out curses and promises to...what was it? Oh yes, 'kick out asses' I believe. I never would have pegged you as the type to go after a stupid brute."

His cackling was soon disrupted by the sound of Kurama's voice. Speaking up at last with a tone so cruel, it temporarily frightened Kaito.

"You should hope I don't find a loophole around your no violence rule. Because if I do, you'll regret every last word." Eyes glowing an eerie golden.

When he finally bested the snarky human, he half thought to just crush his soul. No only because he put his friends in harm's way, but he also insulted you.

Insulted his relationship with you.

Buuuut, Kurama wasn't exactly allowed to end a human's life. And he refused to stoop that low anyways.

No, he'd just leave Kaito the way he was and focus instead on getting you and Yusuke back safely.

Overall he's petty about it, but not angry enough to lash out. He'll let it go for now....But if it happens again all bets are off.

----------------------

Hiei:

For Hiei it is most definitely Shishi that gets to him. I feel like maze castle is a little too early for him to get mad at someone making fun of you. Maybe a comment of 'A foolish sacrifice and yet you're the one who's dead'. But if it's during the dark tournament on the other hand 👀👀👀

⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️

Kuwabara had just gotten teleported to who knows where. Leaving you, Hiei, and Kurama left to fight. It was just your luck that the die landed on your name. The other once again on Shishi's.

"Oh great, another bumbling idiot. At least this one is easier on the eyes." The demon commented as you made your way onto the arena.

Already Hiei could feel his blood start to boil. Disliking the way Shishi seemed to look you up and down.

"Perhaps defeating you will boost my popularity. Just don't die so quickly. I want to be able to entertain my fans."

You were already getting tired of this guy yapping. And it didn't help that he made your best friend vanish into thin air.

"I wouldn't be so sure about you beating me."

But at your comment, he only grew angry and snapped.

"Are you delusional or just that stupid? You think I would let a mere human beat me? Especially one as klutzy as you."

You were not a fighter to be underestimated. Hiei knew that firsthand. Yet you continued to let that cretin berate you as you fought.

For some reason that made him furious. Wanting to both put him in his place and let you teach that bastard a lesson. He took a step forward. Already deciding that if you did indeed lose this fight, he'd be the one to beat that egotistical demon.

A firm grip on his wrist stopped him from taking another step forward.

"Refrain from doing anything foolish. I know you care for them, but you'd only be damaging their pride more by stepping in." Kurama scolded.

The words temporarily snapping Hiei out of his protective thoughts.

"Tch, I don't care for them."

Hiei is absolutely ready to throw hands on your behalf. Yes you're foolish, but you're his foolish human. The only one allowed to insult you is him.

------------------

MASTERLIST

[elucienweekofficial]

Elucien Fanfic Crossword Answer Key- Smut Day Two

How did you do? It's our hope through this week of puzzles that folks are able to find an existing fanfiction that speaks to them! Consider these a small masterlist filled with recommendations from the community itself. Below you'll find every fanfiction recommended attached to the author who created it, added in the order they were submitted! Fics were also categorized to their best of our ability. Check them out below!

[please check all tags before engaging!]

My Name, Your Confession by @ofduskanddreams

Elain and Lucien are both determined to ignore the bond at Nesta’s mating ceremony, but their ideas backfire as the bond chafes and they reach a breaking point.

Elain refuses to say Lucien’s name when he’s around—Lucien vows to make her scream it before the night ends. Is it really recklessness if it’s fate?

Previously titled: “He Who Must Not Be Named”

Desperate Measures by @separatist-apologist

Day Court keeps Lucien busy.

Lucky for Elain, Lucien knows just the way to rectify that.

we'll always have paris by @beesays

"Someone might see"

"So let them"

Or Elain has an exhibitionist streak and Lucien indulges.

Like A Survivor by @reispinkoveralls

Elain suggests a rather creative solution to overcome her PTSD involving Lucien and a set of chains.

So Long, London by @shadowisles-writes

"You swore that you loved me but where were the clues, I died on the altar waiting for the proof."

After the war with Hybern, Elain is welcome back into Graysen Nolan's estate to marry him. Elated to live the life she dreamed of, Elain learns to glamour herself to fit in among the humans of their village. Unable to keep away on her wedding day, Lucien paces outside until the very last moment he can interrupt to beg her to reconsider, except the scene he walks into is anything but a wedding.

Push Me Up Against The Wall by @xtaketwox

It's been 6 months since Elain's world was turned upside down by Graysen's cheating. Vassa knows just the thing to help Elain move on: Lucien

Separate My Soul From My Body by @crazy-ache

“I am Elain Archeron, sister of the High Lady of Night, Feyre the Cursebreaker. I’ve come to demand the release of Lucien Vanserra back to the custody of the Night Court.”

"And why would I do that?" The High Lord of Autumn demanded.

“Because he is my mate.”

When Lucien Vanserra is held captive by his father in the cruel depths of Autumn, there is only one force more powerful than politics that can save him—his mating bond with Elain Archeron. She must make the choice to save him, even if it means binding their souls forever.

Solstice Traditions by @infinitefolklore

Lucien comes to the River House on Winter Solstice eve with another gift for Elain. He is pleasantly surprised by her reaction.

Where's My Love by @shadowisles-writes

After getting the smallest taste of what being close to her mate might feel like, Elain can't help but need more. This is pretty much just smut.

Little Dove by @infinitefolklore

Human!Elain and Fox!Lucien

This is a slight canon divergence deleted scene.

After Feyre is taken to Spring Court, Tamlin sends Lucien to go check on the Archeron Estate. Lucien finds Elain all alone and offers her some company. Elain discusses her upcoming betrothal to Graysen, and Lucien tries to convince her to change her mind.

Kneel Before Me by @zenkindoflove

Lucien arrives at the House of Wind, only to be drawn into a sparring match with none other than the Inner Circle's own Shadowsinger. Things get out of hand and Azriel discovers whether he really can defeat Lucien easily.

Post-ACOSF, Elucien.

All Roads Lead To You by @annaskareninas

When Elain Archeron decides to travel the Continent, the last thing she expects is to run into Lucien Vanserra, her almost-mate, at a wine bar in the capital of Montesere. In fact, the only thing she expects less than that is to get extremely drunk, go skinny-dipping, and sleep with him.

The next morning, Elain flees Montesere. But it seems fate has other plans for her, because wherever she goes - Scythia, Xian, Rask - Lucien just keeps popping back up. Can she truly resist her destiny?

The Camping Trip by sunnyzoya

"Does that turn you on? Thinking about someone watching as I fuck you?"

I Think I Saw You In My Sleep by @zenkindoflove

The dreams of him come from the mating bond, but Elain wants them to stay. Elucien one-shot. Post ACOSF.

I'm Betting It All On You by @xtaketwox

Lucien is tired of living in limbo. He has a proposition for Elain. One kiss and if she still doesn't want him, he'll leave her alone forever.

Call Me When You Need by @whatishowedyouinthedark

Elain doesn’t mean to sleep with Lucien. The first time.

The Longest Night by @southsidestory & NextToSomething

The Winter Solstice is a time for gift-giving, love, and new beginnings. Elain wants none of those things from Lucien. She didn’t choose to be his mate, no more than she chose to be High Fae, and she’s not used to either yet. The only way to guard her heart is to keep her distance. But then a blizzard hits Velaris, leaving Lucien snowed in at the town house. And whether Elain likes it or not, she’s spending the night with her mate���the longest night of the year.

(A Court of Frost and Starlight canon-divergence.)

Emissaries With Benefits by @velidewrites

When diplomacy fails, Prythian courtiers Elain and Lucien like to resort to a steamier kind of negotiation.

[sarcasticgaypotato]

Hello sarcasticgaypotato, just stopping by to say I read the Resurrection Project for the first time after my most recent play through of the Portal games and how much I loved it and how GLaDOS’ journey to humanity and self-acceptance - and her realisation that her first big step on that road was saving Chell’s life way back when - made me feel SO MUCH. Thank you for it, it made my week.

Hello!! Gosh, thank you! I love hearing about the experience people have reading my work, especially which point touched them the most.

If you'll permit me to gush for a moment about GLaDOS- She's such an important character to me, and I wanted to make sure that her arc in The Resurrection Project did her justice.

One of the things that frustrates me the most with Portal fics is when a post-Portal 2 fic writes GLaDOS like the events of the second game never happened. I hate wasting time forcing her and Chell to arbitrarily be enemies again just so they can make up a second time.

The issue isn't 'oh no, can Chell and GLaDOS EVER be on the same side?' because we know they can! That has been resolved already. The issue at the end of Portal 2 is GLaDOS's outward refusal to accept the idea of having humanity in her, and with that, human emotion. She makes a big show out of 'deleting Caroline' because she can't stand anybody (even herself) seeing something human in her.

In Portal 2, GLaDOS attributes the surge of emotion she felt while saving Chell to Caroline. The Resurrection Project was all about her coming to the realization that she can't blame those feelings on a dead woman.

Chell has always been the thing that makes GLaDOS feel alive.

[thefiery-phoenix]

Hello. How are you? I hope I'm not bothering you. I'm so sorry your old blog is gone. But I believe you can start over. I wish you the best of luck on your new blog. Can I make a request if requests are open? You shared it once. I wonder if you can do it like part 2? Can you share more for yandere husbands Pollux Black, Cygnus Black, Orion Black, Alphard Black and Severus Snape ? Please

Don't worry you're not bothering me dear, and thank you for the kind wishes for my new blog, I really appreciate the love and support I've received from all of you during those difficult times. I was pretty dejected when my blog got deleted for no reason but it's okay, I'll start over, a fresh start and sure, let's get into this

I'll have to write only for Pollux and Cygnus unfortunately, you've requested for too many characters 😭 Please request for not more than 2 or 3 characters at least for a scenario next time, it gets overwhelming to write for more. I sincerely apologize 😔

Pollux Black: Pollux might love you and be obsessed with you but if you dare to act up in front of him he's not going to appreciate it. As much as he cares for you he's really not above using the Cruciatus curse on you when you misbehave with him and demand for silly things like your freedom and wanting to see your friends and family. He's your family now, you're supposed to be content staying with him, he's already providing everything for you despite your constant tantrums and protests which he's willingly and patiently tolerating, and yet you say you don't want to be with him?

As soon as those words come out of your mouth, you'll be wishing you'd never said that in the first place judging by the dark look that's now plastered across his face. After he's done with torturing you for a while, he'll lock you in a room and ignore you till you apologize to him by literally begging him to pay attention to you, which is what he wants. You better hope and pray to whatever God you believe in because this deranged lunatic will hunt down every friend, family member and person you've come in contact with at least once in your lifetime and murder them right in front of you

If it's a random stranger who bumped into you on some random day, even better as he'll taunt you for having the blood of them on your hands and gaslight you by saying how all this is your fault because you refused to love him and reciprocate his feelings back. This is why I called him a deranged lunatic. When you finally do apologize, his personality will change drastically, like going from a zero to 360 in just a matter of seconds. He'll gently kiss your hands and tell you that you've been a good little darling for him as he patches you up, this bipolar MF 😒 All in all, just be good and you won't have a hard time dealing with this lunatic and try not to make him jealous by mentioning other people in front of him, things will get messy

Cygnus Black: Cygnus is quite fond of books and if you're a writer, lady luck just graced you with good fortune, however of course, as usual there will be consequences since well, is a Black after all. Cygnus will allow you to pursue whatever interests and hobbies you have after he's taken you because he knows you'll be lonely staying cooped up indoors all day long without magic. If you're fond of art, he'll get you the best art supplies galleons and knuts can buy from a reputed store. If you're fond of reading books he'll gladly join you when you're reading as he slowly wraps a protective arm around your waist and pulls you in closer to him while the two of you read. He won't really mind it if you decide to lay down on his lap, he'll be thrilled that you're finally trusting him after so long as he secretly basks in his moment of victory and gently runs his fingers through your hair

This man is territorial and possessive, you can't do anything without taking his permission first and unfortunately that rule applies to you wanting to get your books published for everyone else to read. You decided to ask him about this one day during dinner. He noticed there was something on your mind and you were unusually quiet, at first he thought of using Occlumency on you to find out what you were thinking about, however he decided to be generous and gave you the chance to explain yourself. He'll most definitely use his Occlumency skills on you later though, you know, just as a precautionary measure to make sure you aren't thinking about anything silly like trying to get away from him

"You're quiet today...quiet than usual, I can tell there's something on your mind" he said in a nonchalant voice as he sipped his Earl Grey tea and surveyed you with a calculating look in his eyes, silently trying to draw an answer from you. You slightly fidgeted with the hem of your robes and spoke "I was wondering if I could publish a few of my works to the public..." You were greeted with silence in return as you mentally winced at yourself for coming up with this idea in the first place. You could tell he didn't appreciate the question you've just asked him judging by the way he was starting at you with an unreadable expression on his face

He got up from his chair and strode towards you as he lifted your chin with his finger. "Dear, why would you want insignificant pathetic vermin to tell you how good your work is when you already have me? Is my presence for you not enough?" You were struggling to think of saying something that wouldn't anger him as he continued to speak. "Your writing is one of a kind my love, the others... they're like mere flies who have no experience when it comes to writing, they don't know how creative and beautiful your mind is when you imagine something and put those very thoughts on a parchment. And yet some of them dare criticize you, your work is reserved for me and ONLY me, they don't know you like I do.... the sooner you get rid of this silly notion of yours, the better" as you nodded your head silently and kept eating your dinner

Sure enough he kept a close eye on you whenever you wrote something to make sure your writing didn't go public. Part of him was worried that you'd include some secret message in your writing and then he'd lose you, no.... he couldn't lose you.... he won't lose you, you're his and he'll make sure people pay dearly if they dared to take you away from him

[ma3mae]

Love has no bounds!

Summary: Obstacle after obstacle refuse to let you and your beloved knight love each other in peace. So how do the both of you handle the biggest hurdle that has ever arrived?

Genre: fluff, angst :((( bit drama too :( also a bit smexy

Warnings: heartwreck 😭 legit teared up writing this 😭 also it gets very steamy at the end HEUEH

A/N: IM SORRY, ANON!! accidentally deleted the ask bc i posted it even tho i wanted to put it in drafts :') hope you'll see this tho!! Also only a tiny bit proofread, oops

Knight!Suehiro Tetchou

"Please, Princess! You mustn't delay your reply any longer!"

Hurried footsteps following your every move, various attempts in shacking the neighbouring empire's messenger off simply failing.

"I have already replied plenty of times and my answer remains the same!"

Turning around the corner, you hurriedly kept making your way towards your room, wanting nothing but peace.

Where the hell are the knights when you need them?!

"And stop following me already! I have been courteous enough to ignore your disrespect towards me but maybe I'd have to cut your tounge off after all!"

A hand clasping your wrist stopping you in the middle of the hall, the booming voice of your mother behind your form, echoing through the empty hallway.

"Stop with your tantrum already! That behavior is more than unbefitting of a princess!This is more than just about you. You could endanger this whole empire thanks to your foolishness!"

Deep breath, Y/N.

Deep breath.

"Why can't they just take one of my many siblings, huh?! There's a reason why you've got so many of them. Isn't it, Mother? Why must it be me, who gets married off to some tyrant who probably kills his wives off after having fulfilled their purpose as a simple birthing machine. "

A scoff is the only answer you got before feeling frail fingers grab your jaw and forcefully turning your head, seething eyes locking onto yours.

"I have been too lenient on you after all. Letting you take in sword lessons on the knight training grounds even though that is highly unbecoming of a princess. Yet your fool of a father remained stubborn, saying that a bit of self defense wouldn't hurt you. Or how you'd sometimes randomly sneak out at night, only to return at ungodly hours and miss your morning lessons. But I let you do it because I thought that maybe it would be good to let you enjoy your freedom while you can."

Wincing as the grip on your jaw tightened, she leaned in closer, her voice turning into a mere whisper, yet it only frightened you more.

"But as it seems, I've let it get over your head. That is my responsibility and you will remain so until you have joined that Emperor's side. Till then, I suppose a bit of time at home should suffice as a lesson to get your head straight."

Disbelief surging though your very core. Shaking your head at her words only seemed to spur her further into abusing her power over you again and again.

"Will you just stop solving your problems by merely showing off your power, please?!"

"If it helps correcting your ways, then yes."

"You can't just-!"

"Knights! Put the princess back to her chambers!"

As if on cue, two knights blocked your view of your mother, them putting their hands onto each of your arms.

"Please, Princess. Let us take you to your chambers."

You could hear the pleading voice of one of the knights, their grip only tightening slightly as they noticed the sharp gaze of the queen behind their backs.

"And make sure she stays in there."

With a huff you let them take you back, mind already formulating a plan on how to avoid being married off to your inevitable death.

.

.

.

Night time had arrived.

A light breeze greeting you under the moonlight, a slight shiver running through your body as you sat down onto the railing of your balcony.

"Isn't it a bit cold for you, Princess?"

A soft voice accompanied the night's wind, making your heart leap at it's sound.

Gazing down from your spot, you couldn't help but return the smile from him.

"If it concerns you so much then why not protect me from it? It is your job after all."

He merely blinked at your words, a question rising in his head.

"Is that an order?"

Tilting your head at his question, he could see the amusement dance in your eyes as a cheeky tone accompanied your reply.

"If you want it to be then yes."

With the help of a convenient placed large tree reaching your balcony, it only took mere seconds for him to reach you.

You let him approach you, admiring how the gentle light of the moon illuminated his beauty underneath it.

Eyes like the morning sun looking into yours as he took your hand into his, lifting the back of it onto his mouth before pressing his soft lips against it.

"I greet you, my princess."

Chuckling at his habit, you welcomed the warmth it brought onto your face.

"You don't have to greet me like that when we're alone, Tetchou."

He merely hummed at your words as he intertwined your hands together.

"But I like the feeling of my lips on your hands."

"I know you do."

A comforting silence accompanied the night as he sat down next to you.

Leaning your head onto his shoulder, you were glad for the lack of armor at times like these, knowing full well you'd be the only one to see him like this aside from the other knights.

Slowly but surely, you felt a lump form in your throat as you thought about the events of earlier.

The shaky exhale and tightened grip around his hand were enough for him to confirm his concerns, remembering the gossip of his knight companions inside the barracks.

"The princess seemed pretty distraught earlier. I think you might want to visit her later, Suehiro. Not like you'd do it anyway but I think she needs a shoulder."

"Why, what happened? Did she get into a fight with the Empress again?"

His companion and good friend, Tatchihara could only shake his head in frustration.

"Ugh, yes but this time it was worse. Had to drag her off to her room by her Empress's orders. Honestly a surprise that she hasn't run away yet because I definitely woul- OW HEY?!"

"Utter these words louder and you can kiss your life as a knight goodbye. Or your life in general."

Glaring at the redhead, he hissed at the feeling of a forming bump on his head.

"Yeah but it's the truth! Imagine you'd be married off to that mass murderer of a emperor in that shitty empire of his!"

Freezing at the words of his friend, he could only watch the interaction in shock, Tachihara seemingly not noticing his reaction.

Tetchou flinched at the sudden hand on his shoulder, yet the familiar ringing of a bell telling him who it was.

"If you're already gonna badmouth him then do it properly by stating it's correct name."

"You want me to be all fancy and refer to it as" Night Wandering Empire?" Nah, shove that up your ass. We call it" Port-shit" in the barracks for a reason."

Scoffing at the know it all attitude of his colleague, he slinged his bag over his shoulder and made his way towards the door, ready to hit the bed after vigorous training.

Tetchou didn't fail to see the sympathetic glance towards him before the shut of the door ripped him out of his thoughts.

"He really needs to work on his temper but I can understand his anger. Just thinking about the country run by such a barbaric man already leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't know how the people can follow a man who has killed his way onto the throne." The king died of an illness"? Give me a break. "

"I have to go."

Quickly taking his bag, he made his way towards the door, not caring to even glance at his friend. His mind too focused on one thing.

"And what are you gonna do? Whisk her away like the shining knight you're supposed to be? You know that there's no escaping it. You'll get caught from both sides. Either the Empress will banish you or that lunatic Emperor Osamu might just kill you and declare war on us after all."

The only answer he got was the slam of the door, a sigh merely escaping his lips as he frowned.

"What an idiot. He'll get himself killed before he knows it. His skill has been helping him this far but against two empires? He'll be dead for sure."

"Just let him be, Jouno. You know how important the princess is to him. She saved him after all."

"Doesn't mean he's got to gamble with his life like that. He knew what was coming yet still couldn't stop wearing his heart on his sleeve. Don't even know how he was able to survive that long om his own..."

The grip on the strap of his bag tightened as he stood infront of the door. Refusing to listen it any further, he made his way.

He knew he was just worried for him. Rightfully so.

He knew of everything. The consequences, the already existing conflict betweent the two empires.

Yet how could he let it be?

How could they just ask of him to let it be?

Wasn't the world already cruel enough?

'Just thinking of that king would leave a bad taste in his mouth'?

What was he supposed to say?

Every time he thought about it, he could feel his inside twisting and turning, his mind turning mushy and his breath stuck in his throat.

It didn't help that he knew that he was the only one who refused to let this happen.

He knew that your crafty mind would come up with a plan and he didn't care how bad it might end up.

He'll do anything if it means he'll be able to spend the rest of his life with you.

He'll forever be knight to protect and love you, just like now.

So as he gently cups your face to look into your with tears glistening eyes, he asks.

"Do you want to get out of here?"

A nod from you is enough to bring a smile on his face.

You let him wrap his arms around you, his smell reminiscing of his training.

Training to be stronger like he had sworn to become.

To protect the people of this country.

Yet ultimately, to protect you from anything that might harm you.

His embrace never failed to convey that promise, he had made years ago.

And it never failed to not make the tears run down your cheeks as he'd always be there to wipe them away.

Just like now.

"I'll help you. Anything that's in your way, I'll remove it. I won't stop until all of your worries are gone and until you're happy."

Burying your face into the crook of his neck, you couldn't stop the tremble in your voice.

"What if I'm only happy when I'm with you?"

"Then I'll make sure to be with you. Even after death, I'll be there."

The dam broke inside you, the waterworks unable to stop as the first sob unwillingly escapes your body.

Yet the lips on the crown of your head and the tightening of his arms, only spurred you further into letting everything out.

"I-I don't want to marry him. I really don't! Why is it that everyone won't let us be together?! Why do I have to be the one?! So many of my sisters and yet my mother chose me?! I've done everything to not be chosen and yet! And yet!"

"I know, Y/N. I know."

You felt him gently rock you back and forth, the sobs only slowly but surely subsiding after what seemed like hours.

"You don't have to hold back. If you aren't done with crying then don't stop."

Reeling in from your breakdown, you shook your head.

"I-I can't. If we want to get out then I'll have to get it together. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

Lifting your head, a wave of embarassement came over you as the stain on his collar was clesrly visible even as the clouds covered the moon.

"Are you in need of a new shirt?" You sheepishly asked as you wipes the tears away with the sleeves of your nightgown.

"No, it's alright. A wet shirt is nothing compared to the burden you carry. Also..."

He took your hands into his as he put them on each side of his face, letting them cup it in the end.

"You shouldn't rub your eyes so hard or else they might get itchy."

He mirrored the beautiful smile that etched itself onto your face at his yet as always caring words.

"I know you'd still find me beautiful even if they were red from all my crying but I'd still like to avoid that."

"If that's your wish then so be it."

You felt his grip on your hands tighten as his gaze held a serious look in them.

"If you wish to escape then it is best be done as soon as we can. Just like you said."

"How do we know for sure it will work? My mother knows about my random escapes at night. There will be more knights stationed around the gates."

"Then we'll find another way. The bigger the place, the more escape routes there will be."

You couldn't help but chuckle at his words, reminiscing of the time before he had become your knight.

"I keep forgetting that you actually used to be a thief."

"I only stole from bad pe-"

Pecking his lips, you gazed into his eyes, feeling the heat on your hands as the warmth spread across his face by your sudden action.

"I know, I know. You only stole from bad people and gifted your stole goods to the poor ones. Just like Robin Hood."

You felt him tilt his head at your words.

"But I'm more good looking than him. Atleast that is what you said."

"These were indeed my words and now I'll let this thief take me away, just like I'm taking him away. And it will all happen-"

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

Smiling at your words, you sealed the deal as you pulled his face closer to yours, letting your lips lock and enjoy the warmth of each other.

You wrapped your arms around his neck as he hooked his arm under your legs and one to steady your back, successfully sweeping you into his embrace as he walked towards your bed.

Roughly shoving off his boots, you soon felt the soft mattress hit your back, the yelp escaping you making him deepen the kiss as he slid his tounge in.

You could feel the heat build rise between your bodies as he let out a groan at the taste of your mouth and slid his knee between your legs, pushing it against your very core, a wet patch already forming in mere seconds.

Slowly the need for air became stronger for the both of you, making him to be the first to break the kiss.

Forehead against forehead, his gaze bore into your eyes as your flushed faces and the knee rubbing against your spot didn't help to calm you both down at all.

"Shouldn't we sleep to have enough energy for tomorrow?"

A smile made its way onto your flushed face, as even intense moments such as these never stopped him from not putting your wellbeing first.

"We've got enough time and more importantly, this could be the last time we'd get to enjoy it on such a nice bed like this."

"Then only a little."

He spoke before letting his lips trail from your face down to your neck, gently sucking on your plush skin as he let one hand knead the soft flesh of your body, worshipping it's every curve and promising through his touch to mark every inch of your body.

"Only a little." was your only reply, fully knowing that was the only promise he'd always be willing to break for you.

That night marked the beginning of your freedom with danger lurking ahead but at the end of the day, you knew you'd be safe.

Just as much he'd make sure to protect you, you'd make sure to do it as well.

Because tomorrow would be the day.

Tomorrow would mark the death of the Princess and the birth of you.

Y/N.

DAMN, this got long but if this gets some good reactions then i'd def make a part 2 of this <3

[alj4890]

OK, so I decided to send some Tobias writers a Jesse GIF and ask them to write a little fic based on it. Feel free to play along if you like (or delete - no pressure!)

Okay 😂 Anyone who knows me on here knows I can NEVER resist a picture/gif prompt. This one you sent me @jerzwriter is not only perfect but also has made me think of so many different fic ideas. From the fluffy sweet to the angsty, I think I'll go with one somewhere in the middle 😉 So while I'm stalled on my OH series and all the others 😬, this at least got the inspiration going again.

@jerzwriter @hopelessromantic1352 @choicesficwriterscreations @trappedinfanfiction @twinkleallnight @tessa-liam @kyra75 @coffeeheartaddict2

Masterlist

What Might Have Been

"Hey? Do you hear that?"

Tobias opened his eyes. He blinked at the darkness while a feminine form curled against his side. Though the previous night was foggy from overindulging in both top shelf whiskey and then the actions he'd gotten up to with the woman in his arms, he knew without looking that the hair that tickled his chin was a deep, rich red in color.

Her soft curves nestled up against his body brought back flashes of heated kisses and clothes being thrown about his townhouse.

His mind then slowly registered the sound of someone knocking at his front door.

One quick look at the nightstand clock revealed that it was a little after four in the morning. He couldn't think of anyone who would come to his home at this hour, especially one who would persistently keep knocking.

"Wait here." He whispered.

Getting up, he slipped on a pair of pajama pants and softly padded down the stairs. Stumbling over his discarded shoes and shirt at the foot of the stairs, he peeked out the window to see just who was determined to wake him up at such an ungodly hour.

His heart dropped at the sight of the woman at his door.

Swallowing, he turned the door handle. Seeing her standing at his threshold caused the previous night's events to come flooding over him.

*****************

Donahue's, mere hours ago...

"Come on!" Chris playfully shoved Tobias. "One more round."

Tobias chuckled as he refilled both their glasses with whiskey.

"Alright Chris," he smiled at her, "but this is the last round. Some of us don't want to fight a massive hangover in the morning."

She snorted in her laughter. Her gray green eyes sparkled as she looked at him with mock impatience. He couldn't think of anyone more adorable than her when slightly tipsy.

"Maybe you'll get lucky." She teased. "I might say something I haven't done that you haven't either."

"Uh huh." He rolled his eyes. "Given my age and my history, that seems highly unlikely."

Tobias unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. After agreeing to play this Never Have I Ever game with her, he'd drunk more than he had in a very, very long time. He thought the game was asinine at best but he could never refuse a chance to spend time with Chris.

She'd claimed this would be a more fun way for them to get to know one another. He'd been satisfied with their typical nights of sharing stories and yet, he loved seeing her playful/never willing to lose side show up at random times.

"Never have I ever..." Chris began.

She tapped her fingers on the bar. Her lips puckered with eyes narrowed in thought. He snorted softly to see her trying so hard to think of something that he probably had done at some point in his life.

She huffed with irritation when she came up blank with something to trap him in.

"Give up?" He taunted.

"No!" She exclaimed, unable to stop smiling at him. "I'm merely stalled."

"Thank God." He pushed his drink away. "Now can we hang out like normal people?"

"For now." She took a long sip of her drink. "But I will find something to win this game."

He winked at her. "I have no doubt that you will, Chris. I've learned to never underestimate that mind of yours."

Chris beamed at him for that compliment.

He made himself tear his eyes off her face. It was getting harder and harder for him to simply be her coworker turned friend. His flirtatious nature was dying to use everything within him to win her heart.

Chris was an attraction he didn't want to keep fighting against. It'd been about two years now since he'd joined Edenbrook's, famed diagnostics team and that was two years too long of holding back his ever growing feelings for the tall red head.

He knew why he kept holding back. One glance over to the opposite side of the bar revealed the man who had been in the very situation Tobias found himself in. From the bits and pieces both Ethan and Chris had revealed in his time at Edenbrook, Tobias knew the danger of falling for someone you worked closely with on a daily basis.

Unlike Ethan though, Tobias wasn't hesitant to actually be with Chris because of work. His was a worry more so in losing what they already had between them. Given his track record with women, he knew Chris could never be a simple notch on the old belt.

She was something infinitely more.

Eyeing the glasses, he picked his up, took a large gulp, and decided there was no time like the present to say what needed to be said.

"Don't look now," Chris whispered, "but someone has their eye on you."

Tobias looked around until he made eye contact with a woman with long, red hair. Her gaze was fixated upon him and a sultry smile played about her lips.

Chris's smile dimmed once he refocused on her. "Go on. I understand."

"Nah. I'm good." He set his glass down.

"Come on." Chris's laughter lacked its earlier joy. "Even I know that woman's a sure thing."

"I'm not interested in her." He folded his arms on the bar, angling his body towards Chris. "And I thought of a Never Have I Ever."

"Not interested?!" Chris narrowed her eyes in concern then felt his forehead. "Hmm. No fever."

"Hah, hah." He nudged her glass towards her. "Are we playing or what, Valentine?"

Chris hesitated, glancing back at the woman he was turning down.

"Okay. Hit me with what you got."

Tobias picked up his glass. His eyes lowered to the amber liquid swirling around and around while he drummed up the courage.

"Never have I ever," he took a deep breath, "admitted to the woman sitting next to me how much I want her."

Chris's glass landed on the table with an audible thud.

"That's not..." she blinked back a sudden rush of tears, "...Tobias, that's not funny."

"It wasn't meant to be." He reached for her hand. "I'm serious, Chris. I've wanted to tell you for a while now, but given your on and off again history with Ethan, I thought the timing might not be right."

Her stunned silence encouraged him to continue.

"I'm tired of waiting for the right moment, so this is it. I want to be with you."

Chris bit down on her bottom lip. Her eyes searched his for the truth.

"You sure it isn't the whiskey making you think like this?" She prodded. "Because if you're looking for a one night stand, that woman who's been checking you out all night should be the one you use this line on, not me."

A couple of tears spilled out. She quickly dabbed them away with her fingertips.

"I'm tired of not knowing what men want from the beginning. And," she took a deep breath, "I want to be someone's only significant other for a change."

"That's what I want." He gripped her hand. "I want you and me to be together, as a couple."

Chris glanced over her shoulder at the man who had entangled her heart from the moment she met him.

"I need to go talk to Ethan."

Tobias felt his heart drop. He couldn't believe that this was the outcome of his confessing his feelings for Chris.

His fingers clinched around hers before slowly slipping away.

"Wait here." Chris told him, sliding off her barstool.

"Sure." He mumbled.

Tobias downed the rest of his drink, then finished off Chris's.

He watched Chris whisper to Ethan. The two of them headed outside to the back patio to talk. He refused to sit and wait on her returning to tell him she preferred Ethan over him. Why should he make himself even more miserable?

He pushed away from the bar and encountered the red head who'd been eyeing him all night.

"Hi." She cooed, smiling up at him.

His eyes drifted along her striking features. Though she was pale and had red hair like Chris, her eyes were a warm brown and she was a good deal shorter than the one who'd just broken his heart.

But...she was interested in him.

"I hope you weren't leaving without saying hello." She teased.

"No." He forced himself to smile at her. "I was instead going to see if you wanted to get out of here."

Looping her arm through his, she tugged him out the door.

*******************

Tobias's home...

"Chris." Tobias rubbed his hands over his eyes, hoping this wasn't real.

He'd been so certain he'd brought her home when he first woke up.

"You, Dr. Carrick, do not wait well." Chris teased as she brushed past him. "I'm sorry it took so long with Ethan. We had more to discuss than I thought when I told him about us."

She took her coat off and hung it up on her way to sit down on his couch.

"You told him what exactly?" Tobias glanced up the stairs at his open bedroom door and silently prayed the woman in his bed didn't come down to investigate.

"I thought it only fair to tell him we are now a couple." Chris explained. "I never was really certain what he considered me as, so I wasn't sure if our discussion would be more of a breakup or a rehash that Ethan and I never really got the timing right."

"Oh." Tobias sat down beside her. "Are you okay?"

"I am now." She snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Once I realized you'd left, it took me forever to find a taxi."

"I..." his heart stopped when he heard the familiar creak of his fourth stair.

"Hey." The woman he'd brought home said timidly. "I uh, I think I should get out of here."

Chris whipped around, eyes wide, at the sight of the person who'd been at the bar.

The other red head gave a quick, apologetic wave then darted out his front door.

Tobias tried to keep Chris in his arms.

She shoved him away, scrambling to her feet.

"Chris!" He chased her into his entry hall. "I thought you were choosing Ethan! I didn't know--"

"Why in the hell would I tell you to wait on me if I was choosing him?!" She jerked her coat on. "I can't believe that I was stupid enough to actually have thought someone like you would want what I wanted."

"I do!" He shut his door when she wrenched it open. "Please, just--"

She pushed him away and ran out his door.

"CHRIS!" He yelled out, chasing her down the block. "PLEASE, DON'T--"

**************

"Tobias!"

He jerked awake, gasping for air as if he'd been drowning.

He reached over and flipped the lamp on, heart pounding in fear of the woman he'd see in bed with him.

"Hey," Chris wrapped her arms around him, softly kissing him. "It's okay."

He hugged her close, burying his head against her neck.

"No more thirty-six hour shifts for you." She teased, easing back some.

He gently cupped her face. His attention drifted from Chris to the platinum wedding band glistening in the lamp light that resided on his ring finger.

"Bad dream?" She caressed his cheek.

"The worst." He settled back against the pillows, pulling her within his arms.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked.

"No." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Let's talk about something happy."

"Like what?" Chris laid down next to him.

"Tell me our story." He said softly.

"Our story?" Her lips curved as she snuggled closer. "Okay. How far back are we talking?"

"All the way." He slipped his arm around her to tuck her more against his side.

"Once upon a time," she began. "A young doctor--"

"Exceptionally beautiful doctor." He corrected.

"A young, exceptionally beautiful doctor decided to have breakfast at a cafe with a friend. She saw a man--"

"Devastatingly handsome man." Tobias corrected once more.

"I was talking about the man Aurora and I helped." She poked him in the ribs.

"The devastatingly handsome man approached you afterwards." He continued.

Chris propped herself up on his chest. "Am I telling this or not?"

Tobias began to smile over the memory. "I asked you out right then and there."

"You did." She conceded. "And since you were cute, I said, yes."

"I fell for you right then." He murmured, exhaustion begining to take its toll.

"I fell for you too." She pressed a tender kiss to his lips. "And so the couple dated. The devastatingly handsome man turned out to be a brilliant doctor who saved the exceptionally beautiful doctor's life."

"They married." He yawned, eyes closing as peace fell upon him once more.

"And lived happily ever after." Chris whispered.

Tobias's slow breaths allowed her a chance to relax once more beside him. Hugging him close, she fell into a deep sleep.

[magicaldragons]

writing.

things i've learned throughout the years

speaking from personal experience, writing, whether it's for a fic or an original work, is a process that comes to everyone very differently. which is also why it took me a WHILE to figure out what worked for me.

you've definitely heard this one before, but: 1. do not worry about making your first draft perfect. it will seem terrible, and that's ok.

it's the most common writing advice i've always heard as well, and i always understood what it meant, logically, but it was a piece of advice that was very hard to follow.

the second i gave myself permission to suck, though – the moment i said "i'm going to write trash," is when everything started flowing so much more easily.

it helps IMMENSELY to just push ahead and write whatever comes to you in the moment. do not start searching up synonyms. (yeah, i see you) and if you hate a word or phrase, put a *** next to it and come back later. chances are, you'll change your mind after seeing it from a new perspective, or be able to come up with something to replace it with.

it's always easier to edit than write from scratch, so give yourself material you can edit.

2. write for yourself. write what you love – what you would read.

it definitely draws people in more than any formula you think works or a piece you deliberately craft for a specific audience.

3. as long as your writing is comprehensible, grammar means little in front of the emotion your work conveys

i've read so many works that have left such a profound effect on me, solely because i could feel the amount of heart the author poured into it, it's always easy to look past minor mistakes, as long as what the writer says makes sense.

4. most importantly, when you're starting on that path of developing your writing skills, don't show your work to anybody. hear me out:

i've written about seven stories (for various fandoms) that will never see the light of day – not because i dislike them, but because i now realize, i had to write them for me.

and these stories (and the evident progress in my storytelling skils across all of them) are what give me the most confidence when i doubt my skills.

you can always share your works in the future, but the first couple of times you venture out with a vision in mind, make yourself your audience, it prevents you from diluting your ideas with expectations of other people's perceptions.

+ and finally, a bonus point:

a lot of the writing process, is just discovering yourself, in various ways

i always used to hear writers say:

"my characters did this on their own" or "the story just wrote itself like this"

and i never understood, because MY characters never did anything of their volition, in fact, they refused to do what i intended for them to and it would be a struggle to write a scene sometimes

and again recently i had that same problem, where i couldn't for the life of me, figure out how to describe a character performing a particular action. i waited for days for any sort of inspiration or logic to strike me, but it wasn't working.

i surprised even myself though, when i highlighted the whole section and deleted it.

but as soon as i let go of writing that one scene the way i'd planned it, a completely new option presented itself, and writing THAT scene was so much easier.

so no. my characters never tell me what to do, but they tell me what they don't want to do, and the realization that common experiences in writing will manifest differently in different people, really made me realize that writing is something you should follow your instincts in.

technicality-wise, you will always keep learning and improving. growth never stops.

so it's important to do what feels true to you, and do it in a way that makes YOU feel comfortable, whether that includes taking risks, being spontaneous, or starting small.

that's when some of the best things are created.

[arcanemadman]

How exactly is Subhuman lyrical character assassination for Dante?

Ok. I'm not looking forward to writing this but…

So you've probably seen that there are some mixed opinions on this particular song, so allow me to clarify. I would like to preface this by stating that Subhuman is one of the few things in the world that I feel genuine hatred toward, which is either amusing to think about or outright pathetic. I actually can't listen to any part of the song without feeling anxiety or anger. As such, I have avoided listening to the song again.

First of, lets talk about the original version of the song. The original was sung by suicide silence, who at one point a popular deathcore band until the death of their main vocalist, after which they spiraled into disaster and alienating their fan base. Their version on the song, without exaggeration, sounded like pigs squealing. High pitched, badly mixed music by a washed out band who's new main vocalist also happened to be a pedo. These factors culminated into the song, upon being released, getting over 13,000 dislikes before the video was deleted from YouTube. Seriously, when people first did listens like you do they were, at best, laughing.

So they replace the vocalist, problem solved right? No. This is actually the second attempt by composer cody matthew johnson at a theme for Dante, the first being a remix of Devils Never Cry for Marvel vs Capcom Infinite, and is largely considered the worst and only bad version of the song. And when advertising this song on his website, he advertised it as the theme of "the foul mouthed anti-hero" Dante, AKA reboot Dante.

In other words, he made it for the wrong character. Johnsons reaction to the backlash was to throw a tantrum and saying he's "happy to stir the pot", ignoring the fact that the original version was actually painful to listen to (this isn't hyperbole, seriously don't take my word for it and listen to the original version and you'll get what I mean) and the fact that it was sung by a pedophile. Recently he also related the backlash he got to the abuse targeted at actress Lily Gao for her performance in the Resident Evil 4 remake, which is deeply insulting considering she was subjected to racist abuse and harassed off social media.

And even then, the song itself good for what it's supposed to be. As a character theme, it's character regression for Dante. It's an angry, spiteful song that goes on about how Dante struggles with this evil inside him, how he hates all demonkind and how he's a rage filled monster that tears through everything in his way. But that's not Dante. At one point, Dante did have anger towards demons and hate that part of himself, but his character ark in Devil May Cry 3 was accepting that part of himself and growing as a person. DMC3 is a prequel, mind you. In universe, he got over those feelings over 25 years ago.

When faced with demons, he often offers to show them mercy even if they don't accept, because he knows that just as any human can do evil, any devil can do good. He spares Trish in DMC1, a demon created for the sole purpose of killing him, and in turn she becomes his trusted friend. In DMC2, he refuses to let Lucia kill herself because her fear of hurting humans proves she's not a monster to him. In the anime, he's hired to kill a demon called Brad and instead finds him in a bar, talks with him to figure out what his deal was, and then helped Brad protect his human girlfriend and kill his demonic master. In fact, he's far more merciful to demonic enemies than his human ones, who he kills without ever offering mercy, because at its core those that give up their humanity are worse than those that never had it to begin with.

That's mainly it. The thesis statement of the entire series is this - The human ability to care for others, to love someone, be it family, friend, or romance. If you care enough to cry, THAT is what makes you human. Dante is powerful not just because of the demonic power of his father, but because of the human heart of his mother. He is the son of both Sparda and Eva, and he's proud of that. But the very title of subhuman contradicts the entire point of the series. It implies he is less than human, but he's not more human or more demon, he's both, and that's the point of him as a character. Vergil rejected his humanity, while Dante embraced it. He's reached an equilibrium in his soul and grown as a person, embodying both worlds as a devil with ability to cry. Subhuman doesn't focus on Dante's humanity at all, it's all about how he's inhuman.

You remember how in Devils Never Cry the harder and softer lyrics are separate and initially clash, representing his demon and human halves, but in the end they come together into a singular song, representing Dante's acceptance of both sides of himself. There's none of that nuance in this song.

And removing the character assassination, it's just not a good representation of Dante. As I said it feels angry and violent, but Dante is charming and stylish. Of course he does have some resentment to aspects of his life, at times wishing he could have a normal life, but he enjoys what he's got. With the other character themes, the lyrics feel like something the characters would say in battle; With Devil Trigger, I can see Nero smirking and shouting "Bang, bang, bang! Pull my devil trigger!" as he throttles his sword as his enemies charge at him. With Crimson Cloud, V talking in poetry all the time so "Saviour! Bloodstain! Hellfire! Shadow! Heaven on a landslide!" sounds like something he'd read out to himself as his demons tore up the battle. And with Bury the Light, Vergil would totally proclaim "I am the storm that is approaching!" before unleashing a devastating attack.

But with Dante, who taunts by throwing a rose at his enemies, laughing and pointing, and playfully beckoning at his enemies to keep trying their best, I can't see that person screaming at the top of their lungs in fury "YOU CANNOT KILL ME!" Dante isn't someone who feels the need to prove anything to himself or his enemies. It's part of his charm that powerful demons will fight him, expecting a respectful battle with the son of the legendary Sparda, but instead they get their ass beat by an idiot more interested in seeing what he can do with a hodgepodge of weapons than taking things seriously. And when he does get serious, it's more quite, closer to "you've got my attention and I'll make you regret it." It's too insecure. A better line would be something like "Just try to kill me!" but even then, it's still screaming. There's no subtlety here.

None of this is helped by the fact that the song is so plodding. The low BPM makes it feel plodding, and while I'm certainly no expert on music that sort of feeling hurts in a game as fast as DMC, especially for Dante, who while not as fast as Vergil is by far the most chaotic character to play as. Teleporting, swapping guns, swapping weapons, swapping styles, Dante has over 100 potential actions that can loop into each other freely. Subhuman doesn't capture how chaotic it feels to play as Dante. It's going for the power fantasy of Kratos, an unstoppable juggernaut as opposed to the power fantasy of a stylish showdown. You don't play as Dante to strike fear into demonkind, you play him to see just what bullshit you can get away with even in the most dire situations.

That is ultimately why Subhuman fails and betrays Dante as a character.

I'll admit, from my personal experience I tried everything to get myself to like the song. I listened to every edit trying to salvage it, every version that changed it up, all hoping that Dante would get the theme he deserved. But I think that's why I hate it so much now. I desperately wanted it to be good. But at it's core, the song is fundamentally flawed it what it sets out to do, represent Dante as a character, and it needed a full overhaul that was never realistic within the time frame of it being revealed to the public and the games release. Honestly, after what he did to Devils Never Cry they should never have given Dantes theme to someone as inexperienced as cody and his works before and since have been middling at best. But he was the real thing that killed subhuman for me. Anyone that listened to the original version knows it was BAD, but he acted like he was a visionary who was too smart for the rest of us and ignoring all criticism including, need I remind you, HIRING A PEDOPHILE. The recent thing with Lily Gao I find particularly infuriating because what she has been going through is unquestionably awful, yet he made it about himself. As if a white composer who complained about the whole thing on twitter suffered the same abuse as an asian woman who was chased off social media. That inability to self reflect on anything and blaming everyone that disagrees with you is just arrogance in the end.

I always get really angry whenever I think about this song. If I had the same passion for writing things I actually cared about I'd be an acclaimed author by now. I don't like how much I think about this song so much. As I said at the state hating a song this much is either amusing or pathetic. But Dante is a character that holds a certain importance for who I am so I care more than I should. I know not everyone had the same experience I have, or don't really care about the music so long as the game is fine, but the music in Devil May Cry has always been spectacular, and the character themes have been brilliant ways to prove who the characters are deep down. So for Dante, the face of the series, to be stuck with the worst one in the entire series in the grand return of the series until the next game comes around… it's fucking infuriating.

[seraphim-adina]

Hello, you wished to see me~? 🐇

Adina is a Seraph, member to one of the higher courts in Heaven. She is the curious sort, eager to seek out secrets to better position herself among the hierarchy of the Seraphim. She is not above using any tool in her arsenal to her advantage and sees lesser choirs- especially Exorcists- as little more than mouthy tools.

She is the lover of @your-favorite-spyho.

Read more about her here!

Mod: @joyerisjoy

Adina's Story

Backstory

Past with @seraphim-sarai and @exorcist-ava ( you'll see! )

Past with @seraphim-perach

RPs

Arc One

Meeting @exorcist-milan420

First meeting with @your-favorite-spyho ( 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 )

Encounter with @ask-lute

Leedina ( 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 )

Ruining things for @seraphim-sarai and @ask-emily-em-emmy ( 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 )

SERAPHIM SHOWCASE ( 1 | 2 )

BEACH DAY ( 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 )

GIRL’S NIGHT

Paint 'n' Sip ( 1 | 2 )

Talk with Perach

Milan tells Adina off

Agreena in the Envy Ring ( 1 | 2 )

SAVING NESSIE ( 1 | 2 | CURRENT INTERACTION!!! )

Bunny refuses to be friendly with @sinner-peyton

Lutual Statement

After a pretty rough week with a lot going on, the Lutuals have decided that moving forward we will be a bit more selective regarding certain things. We love sharing our characters and developing new and interesting storylines for people to read and interact with and want to continue doing so while protecting ourselves and our mental health. Please see below on the things we expect moving forward.

Asks, anon or not, will be deleted on sight and the sender blocked if they fall into any of the following categories:

NSFW - finding the characters hot is fine! Telling the mods what you want to do to those characters sexually is not!

Violence - show typical violence may be part of storylines or backstory to inform characterization! Graphically describing violence you would like to see done to the characters doesn’t! To vent frustrations with characters, please throw a bible at them; the mods will get the message just fine.

Hate Speech - the Lutualverse is a fun spinoff of the Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss settings and isn’t the place for social or political commentary. We’re just here for the various shades of queer relationships; if you’re not, kindly move along.

Spam - many Lutuals utilize their queues for asks and submissions; if you sent it once, we probably got it and will answer asks and post submissions in due time. Sending more than once will just confuse Tumblr and annoy the mod.

To better form a cohesive, consistent universe with multiple storylines, the current Lutualverse is a set roster you can find here, all of whom have been vetted as 18+. As the blogs, storylines, and shows are 18+, it is recommended that minors do not interact. We are not accepting applications at this time to join the Lutualverse, though individual mods may respond to starters at their discretion; these events will not be canon to the universe.

It has also come to our attention that some blogs are claiming to be part of the Lutualverse despite not being official members.

While we appreciate that people enjoy our work, we DO NOT appreciate being impersonated or having unaffiliated members claiming to be part of our canon.

At the time of writing, the ONLY Lutuals are as follows:

@joyerisjoy

@able-juice

@silvireal

@texanredrose

@kambiteydragon

@moreaustars

@hazbin-hoe-tell

@canibalistic-brownie

@greybazzy

@seecatrun

@pseudobun

@atttwoood

@paperroxas

Any new blogs or members will be announced by ONE OF US and will be LISTED on the Lutuals roster.

Any unaffiliated users claiming to be part of our verse WILL BE BLOCKED.

Again, we would like to stress that we enjoy the interaction and support. This is to protect us and better craft compelling stories. Thank you for your understanding.

-The Lutuals

My commissions are always open, so feel free to DM any time about them!

If you like what I do, consider supporting me on my Ko-Fi!

Any amount is appreciated!

[vonpharma]

“handwaving genuine, good-hearted concrit, to refusing to even engage in the conversation at all, to constant changes that make the event less fun for a huge chunk of us”

Do you mind if I ask more about this? I’ve also participated in sicktember (casually) and I haven’t really noticed anything that fit this, so I just wanted to ask more about your experiences if you were comfortable elaborating. I’m mostly curious what changes were made that made the event less fun (other than delay in prompts released I heard about that)

yeah sure! right off the bat i wanna say that this is not something i was like. PISSED OFF or intending to start any drama about, just some stuff that made the event less enjoyable for me.

i also wanna say that you haven't noticed it because sicktember is very very careful to not publish anything that makes them look bad. they do not engage with any of their replies or asks unless they can spin it in a very sanitized, pr-friendly manner. try creeping through the tags and replies on some of their posts, and while a lot of shit is deleted or lost, you can still see traces of it, some of which i will link to here.

the prompts becoming more delayed. i wasn't here in 2021 (when they dropped in early march), but in 2022 they dropped in mid may. that was awesome because it gave us all lots of time to prep--my favourite thing about sicktember is how accessible of a prompt event it is! the prompts don't all drop like a week before the event starts, you have all summer to write so if you have a full time job or responsibilities you can still participate. this year they made it very clear the prompts were ready to go in may but didn't drop them until mid-june.

when people started sending asks about this, they responded thusly. they maintain this weird kinda... pr-friendly, stepford smiley vibe whenever anyone tries to open a dialogue with them? and it just comes across as so dismissive of anyone trying to make genuine points.

here they say that "many things go into planning prompts" but don't elaborate on that at all. for context, the night before this ask, they had made it clear that the prompts were all ready to go. the hand-waving comes in the form of all the "suggestions" they offer here--"well, you don't have to do every prompt!" (but i want to. it's fun. it feels good. and that's what i've done in the past) "you can write after september!" (i did that last year. it was kind of miserable. i like posting with everyone, it feels like a big celebration!) "we give you like 100 days!" (that's cool. but you could give us more at no detriment to yourself. a lot of us didn't make the deadline last year.)

check the notes on this post and you'll see several disappointed contributors/fans who are trying to open a dialogue with the event runners, all of whom were ignored. several people have reached out to me saying that their asks about this were ignored.

2. last year, they said they would only be accepting fills on the sicktember blog through submissions, and only posting 10 random ones a day. in the past, sicktember has reblogged every single fill directly from the writers.

here's why this is shitty:

when you submit something to a blog, the blog owner then becomes the one who effectively "owns" its engagement. that means any notes, reblogs, comments, follows, etc. all go to sicktember. they do not go to the person who MADE THE STORY. if you, the author, want to see what people are saying about your work, you have to pull up the sicktember window and obsessively check it. if you want to respond to any comments, you give sicktember more notes.

this is just more work, especially if you still want those notes. you would then have to make TWO posts, one on your personal blog and one on sicktember's. and people are probably disinclined to reblog a story twice. it is not exposure or engagement to do this, it actively robs authors of engagement.

sicktember might not even post your fill. they pick ten random ones a day. this is because...

they literally admitted that they lose followers when they reblog every fill. they said aloud that it is all about engagement for them. maintaining followers means more to them than highlighting the contributions of all the people who are making their event what it is. they are quite literally trying to maximize followers and stealing engagement from their contributors. it's kind of fucking insidious.

the only valid point here is the thing about reducing mod workload. still, they could've just... opened apps for another mod? inquired for some extra help? lord knows i would've jumped at the opportunity to curate! i'm sure others would've too.

contrast this to whumptober, who religiously reblog every single fill despite being a much longer running event than sicktember.

this is why i started @sicktemberfeed. with permission, but the mods were even weird about THAT... i asked if it would be ok to make, and they said "well, it's not like we could stop you." weird fucking answer. it's fine to say no.

3. i didn't speak out about point 2, but did speak out a little bit on this blog about point 1. @yes-i-am-happyaspie's husband (@spaceninjas42) dug through my blog, somehow found my untagged critique (it was not vitriolic or cruel, just a plea for an open discussion) and started getting on my case for talking about it on my personal blog. there was a second, much more vitriolic reply that he left but i was a dingus and blocked him as soon as i saw it, which means it's now marked deleted and i have no way of getting it back or proving it. that's kind of a "just trust me bro" situation.

4. the prompts this year were not very good. that is a purely subjective opinion i have, but a lot of us agree that they really stray from the concept of sickfic. we have a lot of heavier whump events floating around and the appeal of sicktember is that it is for fluffier, more low stakes stuff. seeing "cardiac arrest" and "anaphylaxis" and "medieval treatment" on there had me and a lot of others scratching our heads. their response to this is always "just sub it out!" but when we start running out of alt prompts because so many of the main ones are not what the audience is vibing with... there is room for critique there. there is room for a discussion.

i can't stress enough that the problem isn't necessarily these changes--they are not dealbreakers! the problem was sicktember's attitude. every single time anyone in the community tried to say 'hey, i think this idea could use work/tweaking' the response was basically just, again, the happy-go-lucky stepford smiler pr voice "we'd like to remind you that blah blah blah! happy writing, authors!" and absolute refusal to talk to their community at all. as i've said many times, this is not a dichotomy--where one side is "we fold to any criticism! our fans control us!" and the other side is "you're not entitled to anything! we run this event for free despite our busy lives!" like you can very much find a happy medium there but they just. do not.

none of that is a deal breaker, genuinely. i was still planning on participating up until the very end, and i obviously am now.

what was a deal breaker was them posting harry potter shit.

[slocumjoe]

do you think you'll ever do fnv or fo3 requests too?

TDLR; No for both, because I like New Vegas enough that I don't feel like it needs dissecting, and because I don't like Fallout 3 at all.

warning for cringe nv circlejerking and fo3 negativity...which shouldn't surprise anyone, given other things I've said on this blog

If one could take a good, long look at all the fandoms I've ever been in, the one consistency is potential. This could have been incredible, this almost was a fascinating story, this had everything to be a masterpiece.

For example, Fallout 4. It has so many different aspects that could have made a good game and story...they just didn't flesh any of them out.

The Commonwealth is under the totalitarian, but shadowed hand of the Institute, a hidden organization that treats the land and its people like playthings, for unknown goals. Their latest venture; the synth. A man made of flesh and bone, made as if he were mere machine...and made in the image of anyone. Someone you love, your settlement leader, you. Whatever the Institute had planned, it is at the cost of what remains of humanity, and you must stop—wait, sorry, hold on...yeah, no, Todd says we're going back to the baby thing.

You are a pre-war Vault Dweller, frozen for centuries, when a mysterious man cracks open your spouse's cryo pod and steals your infant son from their hands. Now, you must journey into a land so familiar, but completely alien, to find him, and figure out what forces took him, and for what purp—wait, wait, nevermind, actually we're gonna...those aforementioned forces made androids and have been replacing people with them, go figure that out, decide what color flag you want on their blown up hideout.

The Minutemen are an interesting concept, too, as we haven't really seen a purely altruistic faction, really. If we have, they've escaped my memory at the moment. Say NCR/Lyons and I'm deleting Tumblr, the website. But the Minutemen are treated as nothing more than barebones context for why you would engage with the settlement building.

Railroad...ugh. That's a whole essay. A reference to a historical organization, made purely in response to the Bladerunner reference, and then put together with tape and soda box cardboard. Ugh.

Brotherhood...reused because Bethesda has little imagination of their own. The Brotherhood doesn't do anything, they just hang around and say stuff about containing technology. They lack substance in a different way than the other three factions.

The Institute has some bones on it. You could get something out of the idea of, even after the bombs, there being a shadow government controlling the Commonwealth and its people. Instead, it exists purely because of a throw-away reference to Bladerunner in Fallout 3, and Bethesda tripped over itself trying to justify it.

So, Fallout New Vegas...

Lots of themes, pulling from real history and philosophy without dickriding it and refusing to look the current in-universe reality in the eye.

Fallout New Vegas wasn't something that left me thinking. Wondering what it could have been. There's a psychological phenomenon that, when you put down a task or puzzle, your brain doesn't let it go. It keeps that tab running, so to speak. Fallout New Vegas, the story and writing was so complete, that when it ended, I didn't have anything else I wanted to know. No questions, no feeling of dissatisfaction. The puzzle was finished, everything was exactly as it should have been.

NV has more potential, yes, but not because it failed or pulled its punches; they didn't get enough time or resources to work on it. Even then, what they were able to do, they made sure it wrapped up nicely and had enough meat to satisfy everyone. Any discussion I take interest in is political or philosophical; I don't feel like any characters were shafted. They all felt realized, crafted rather than slapped together.

But...Fallout 3 was literally nothing.

Fallout 4 has aspects that could work. Fallout 3's plot is just...so uninspired, constantly yawning as it tries to be grandiose and sentimental. It's about this about this one kid of this scientist. This kid's dad leaves the Vault for some reason, the kid fucks around doing busywork so people tell them where he went, they find him, he dies, stuff with Eden and Autumn, the kid dies pushing some buttons. Yay...I'm so invested in this teenager, this old dude who is nothing but 'dad' and 'scientist', and the two brotherhood of steel ladies who take over telling me what busywork to do...

So, yeah. The killing blow is that I didn't like any of the Fallout 3 characters.

First Companion I met was Jericho. I learned he was a rapist and I killed him. The game told me I lost karma for murder...despite giving me karma for killing the Tenpenny guy in the bar five minutes ago. I killed everyone in Paradise Falls and got good karma. No desire to recruit Clover. I only traveled with Dogmeat and Fawkes. Butch's archetype is boring and Charon...fine, I guess. Stoic, maybe? Honor-bound, as he says. Sure, that's something. I had to Google the other companions.

And I think that demonstrates the problem with Fallout 3 companions. People never say they like Clover, or Jericho. It's Butch and Charon. I saw Star Paladin Cross mentioned by another human being once, IRL. Once. Do you really want to know what Jericho would do for Halloween? Do you really care about what RL-3 would think about the Lone Wander finding a baby and keeping it? Does the thought of Star Paladin Cross wearing a tanktop on weekends thrill and excite you? No. Why would it? Do you even remember Cross's gender? What Jericho looks like? What weapon Clover uses?

I don't feel like writing New Vegas because I don't see anything to write. They're good characters, good writing, I was happy with how it all turned out.

I write Fallout 4 because that puzzle never finished for me. I never got to see the likable, interesting characters reach their full potential, and it got me wondering.

I won't write Fallout 3 because there wasn't anything I found redeeming in it. I finished the puzzle and I was happy only because it was over.

[strangefable]

I have been through some similar situations. They hurt deeply and in some ways still plague me on the worst days, but here is what I've learned:

1. the minute people start pulling clique-y, backhanded, mean girls games, block them. remove them from your field of view. you don't owe them anything.

2. turn. off. anon. 'some people are shy' is so often sold on this, and i too have severe anxiety. but i am still adult enough to put my name to my words in an ask. too many people use anon features to bully without recourse. just turn it off and live guilt-free.

3. if they still send you rude asks with sockpuppets, report for harassment. block them on ao3, block them on tumblr. block, report, delete. do not engage, do not respond. do not get sucked into the games, shut it down, walk away.

4. keep writing the things that make you happy and bring you joy. you don't even have to post it, just write it for yourself. if you then later feel like posting, do it! set your account up so you're in control. put comments on moderation or turn them off! you do not have to deal with other people's responses until you're ready.

5. find your tribe. your people. i promise you, there are people who will like your ideas, who will have similar sentiments about that blorbo. sometimes, they will be people who aren't in the same fandom as you. or they share one fandom with you, but are more active in another. the key though, the real key here is this: make friends first, fandom second.

it is hard to reach out and make those first initiations and yeah, a lot of them won't pan out. but eventually, you'll get one friend. then you'll get another. if you keep engaging and sending asks, leaving comments, and putting yourself out there, you will attract good people to you. and then, even when you're talking about blorbo beebus and they don't even know who this guy is, they will still read your work and cheer you on anyway.

this is what happened for me. finally. it took time. it took talking to a lot of folks i didn't end up working out with. there were even some bad interactions. but still. i found one friend. then more. and now i have more mutuals than i could've imagined. all of whom are creative and brilliant and funny and supportive. regardless of whether we're in the same fandom or not. we still show up for each other.

but i had to learn to set my own boundaries first, and block the people who treated me badly. small fandoms are so hard because there's so few people already, but living in fear of the three people who think they're BNFs isn't worth it. block them, and do your own thing. the more you put out into the world, the more of the right people who'll start showing up.

the people like the ones you experienced here? they're the kind that get so caught up in the power and politics and in-group mentalities that they end up othering anyone who comes in with different ideas. they start thinking in hierarchies instead of remembering that all fans are equal. it's a them thing, not a you thing. which can be really really hard to believe, i know, but it is the truth of any place where humans gather.

I'm in my 40s too, anon, and I'm not going to lie to you, it can be tough these days! But fandom is full of so many kinds of people, and the ones you'll click with are out there, but to find each other, you gotta put you out there so they can recognize you. from your story, you did nothing wrong. you were writing your thing, and they chose not to stay in their lane. you are allowed to have different ideas and ships. there is room for everyone in fandom; that's pretty much the point of ao3 specifically. so look after you, protect your boundaries, and do you. enjoy the things you love loudly and passionately, block those who refuse to stay in their lane, and i am telling you, your people will find you.

Feel free to delete this, but: in light of all of the stuff about creative envy/jealousy lately, I'm wondering if you have any advice for a person whose creative self-esteem has been completely destroyed by negative fandom experiences. I greatly appreciate your blog and I'm not sure where else to turn at this point. I am an older person in fandom (I am nearly fifty) and in a conservative career path, and I have nobody IRL I can talk to about fandom-related business for fear of judgment, retaliation, or just "making things worse".

I've been writing fanfiction for around fifteen years, mostly in several video game fandoms. In 2022 I started writing for a smaller fandom (like, <1000 works on AO3 kind of small), which is what got me to finally join Tumblr. Right away, I realized it was the same three people (over and over) in this fandom who seemed to organize all collaborative projects and just sort of "hovered around" everyone. One of them was a very popular author, and they both wrote a popular ship (we'll call them "X/Y"), whereas I preferred to ship X with Z. I generally kept to myself and did my own thing. I occasionally wrote smut with these characters, but mostly just supernatural dramas and humor rated M or below.

My writing, of course, was not popular (because of the ship, I'd presume - which, mind you, was two consenting adults), and the lack of engagement/feedback was really shitty (but manageable to a degree). But then these people who seemed to hold all the social capital in this fandom started coming after me. It started with passive-aggressive vagueposting, and it ended with one of them messaging me out of nowhere (while I was at work) to tell me I was not allowed to submit any work to an "anthology" they were curating because my work made them all feel "icky", while one of the others refused to interact with me at all despite not even knowing me (which another person told me was over shipping, too). I was also told nobody wanted to do fic trades/prompts with me because my work was "too out there" and was "causing discomfort". My work isn't kink/fetish, gore, pro-bigotry or anything like that - it's just a minor-character ship that people got their undies wadded up over for a reason I still don't understand.

I ended up so crushed by this backlash that I stopped writing anything to do with that game and unfollowed/blocked most content related to it as well. And now I want to write something new, and share something new on AO3, and I just...can't. I'm so scared that this will just happen to me again, I'm convinced the problem is me, that I'm a terrible writer, that I'm a reject and a freak, that I brought all of this on myself by doing something unpopular/different, and I'm just...not sure how to abort this creative self-hate spiral I've gotten stuck in, and I'd appreciate any thoughts you could give me, because time and space and touching grass aren't fixing it.

Oh anon, I'm so sorry you went through that 💗 None of that was your fault, and none of it was deserved. You were being bullied by a group of mean-minded individuals who decided to target you over, presumably, which two dolls you liked to make kiss.

None of their behaviour was actually about you. Nothing you did was actually wrong. You're not a terrible writer or a reject or a freak. You're a human being who was treated horribly by others. Those fans who were bullying you have a lot more to be ashamed of than you do.

I totally understand why you'd feel the way you do, anon. The tactics that they used convinced you that you were the problem instead of them. But bullying is always about the issues that the bully isn't dealing with. Their ego, their insecurities, their need for power or control.

I'm sorry that you don't have a support system you can talk to, and I'm glad you reached out. If you have the ability to, I'd recommend seeking a counsellor or therapist that you can talk to about it more. People in those roles shouldn't be judgmental in the way you're fearing, and they might be able to give you that support that you don't have anywhere else.

I hope you do continue writing, since it's something that brings you joy. And when you're ready to post on AO3 again, make sure you use the tools available to protect you from bullying again. You can restrict comments to just registered (logged-in) users, and if someone starts harassing you, report it to the Policy & Abuse team. Restrict asks on tumblr so that you don't allow anons - or even turn your ask box off altogether.

I can't tell you with 100% certainty that this won't happen again, unfortunately. But what I can tell you is that people like that are a tiny minority in fandom. While they might end up accruing power sometimes and even become BNFs, there will always be people who see them for who they really are.

In the end, whether you write and post again or not, I just want you to know that you're not a horrible person, and you're not a freak. You're a fan who was writing about something you love, and you didn't deserve to be treated like that. 💗

[letterstooldpeople]

to Christopher--2024/07/17

Hi Christopher,

There is so much I want you to know, but I don't want to talk to you because I'm a coward.

Just writing this puts pressure in my eyes, even though you'll probably never see it, unless I die in a freak accident that is posted all over the local news and some tumblr troopers do internet sleuthing and find this. But here is all the news I have for you.

To be honest, I thought I was getting over you, because even though you did pop up in my thoughts now and then, I wasn't really inclined to write them out in these letters and work on processing my feelings, i.e., the feelings I have for you are not as strong any more.

I remember last time you told me about how you were sad that you and Irish don't talk anymore. And I thought about reaching out. But then, I remembered that time where we sat in your dark car after getting Cuban sandwiches in SODO and you told me how Aimee had reached out to you, but that you had just ignored her. I imagined that if I had reached out, you'd be with Kitana, sitting in your new tan car, telling her how I had reached out but that you weren't interested in responding back to me.

Sometimes, when I go to Bellevue with my friends, I'm worried that I might bump into you. I don't know what I'd do.

When Suraj and I accidentally bumped into each other at SBP shortly after we ended things, true to my cowardly nature, I pretended not to see him, so he did the same.

I know that if you saw me, you'd say "hi" and wouldn't let me off the hook in pretending not to know you. The possibility of this situation gives me anxiety. I do want to be acknowledged by you. But, I feel like if you did, I would spontaneously start crying and embarrass myself.

I saw on LinkedIn that you got a new role at your company. I guess you passed that first CFA test. Congratulations, Christopher! I know you tried really hard on studying for that exam. You're one step closer to your dream job of managing larger portfolios at Blackrock. I'm so, so proud of you.

I did see that you updated your Instagram profile picture to one of you and her. The way it happened was that I had accidentally given myself food poisoning on July 2nd. I ate a couple TUMS you had bought me a while ago. To distract myself from vomiting and stomach pain, I downloaded Instagram to see if any of my friends had been up to anything new. When I saw you with Kitana, I felt really pathetic: here I was, alone, vomiting the mid broccoli beef I had made yesterday, and there you were, both of you looking really good. I guess you've really moved on. So in addition to vomiting, I started crying--isn't that hilarious?

The next day, I talked to my friend about it and felt better afterward, but then I woke up to your text the next day saying "I hope you've been doing well."

I genuinely wondered if you were just drunk/lonely/horny because Kitana had gone back home for the holiday. In my defense, you did text me at 2AM on a nonwork night.

One thing I learned from you is that someone would actually want to hang out with me just because I am me. I don't think I've experienced that before.

In our last Facetime together, I refused to say good bye. But, I think now is the time. In one of my birthday cards to you, I lamented how it seemed like we never had enough time to enjoy each other's company. To think that that limited time is now over! I guess it's time to delete all my pictures of you and unfollow you on Instagram and delete your contact on my phone.

At this point, sometimes I wish that we hadn't happened, because at this point you've become a stranger to me, and the cognitive dissonance of knowing you so well and not knowing you at all is killing me. But I think I'm getting over it, slowly but surely.

Maybe, even if we end up in the same room in the future, you won't be able to recognize me because I will have changed a lot too. Maybe we will just pass each other without noticing each other's presence. We will have reverted back to strangers once more with only our memories of our 26-year-old selves to cherish.

Even if I don't text you back, I hope you understand that I do care about you, Christopher. I hope you forgive my cowardice. And I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

You are a goose. But, I love you still.

With lots of love, goodbye, Christopher.

[khoipyan]

how many photos would he have of you? (REMASTERED)

how many photos would octavinelle have of their s/o?

warnings; none, also this isn’t meant to be seen in a creepy way! it’s actually meant to be romantic and cute! reader is also implied shorter than floyd in his part, but there's no actual description of HOW MUCH shorter you are in height.

notes; you can tell how much i love writing for these fish men omg. also this is a rewritten and reuploaded fic that i previously wrote on my deactivated acc! same general idea, but i want to put it back up for people who want to read something similar again.

notes2; *cutely searches up synonyms for photos..* anyways this won’t be worded the EXACT same as my precious one, but the general idea will! thanks for the support btw, 3 days and already 26 followers?! 😭 ily guys /p

notes3; i feel like this one was longer than the original one bc i added some stuff... but it's all generally the same idea ok have fun reading

azul ashengrotto

okay. unfortunately, he’s not going to put photos of you publicly like in the vip room in mostro lounge.

he’s not embarrassed of you! he just doesn’t find the need to display you everywhere (as much as he wants to).

however, he’ll definitely have a small photo or two of you in his wallet. one of the photos is just you, and the other one would be a photo of him AND you.

(my definition: he gets to carry you around like a pocket chibi in his wallet /j)

can't really see the guy having pics of you plastered all over his walls, if somebody walked in and saw that he would absolutely DIE (which is why he can't do that).

but on his nightstand beside his bed, he'll have a small framed photo of you. azul always wishes you a goodnight everytime he heads to bed, wishing that both you and him have the sweetest of dreams.

he may or may not give you a goodnight kiss... but you didn't get this info from me.

jade leech

i can't really see him as the type of guy who takes many photos. he's more of the, "spend time together for memories" instead of "take photos for memories" type.

however, if you want him to take more portraits of you, he won't exactly be opposed. after all, he does enjoy making you happy (as well as having memories that he can actually look back at)

jade probably does have a photo of you in his wallet, but the problem is that it's probably hidden behind several cards and receipts, so he'd likely never get the chance to even see the photo while opening his wallet.

but what he DOES have a framed photo of you on the wall. it's not tremendously large, but it's average sized. of course, framed with silver and pearls as decoration. you deserve to look beautiful on his wall!

but that's it.

hey, you guys should have a photo of each other so you can be matching...

floyd leech

has 3 to 5 photos of you on his wall just above his desk (they're fairly small). that's it!

just joking, this is floyd we're talking about. do you really think he wouldn't take so many photos?

they're ALL on his phone, and he has a LOT too. from the extremely blurry ones from his chasing you, to the really good quality ones, you name it! they're all entirely in his gallery.

he likes specifically taking photos from the top angle (you know how you hold your camera above your head and look at it?) because it makes you look much shorter than him. you could even be 1 centimeter shorter and he'll still take those photos just to emphasize how small you are to him.

refuses to delete any of the bad shots if it includes you in it (unless you're the one asking him to). what do you mean he doesn't need 24 blurry photos of you running away from him?

anyways, he has the most photographs out of the trio. simply because he takes away too many photos, needed or not.

friendly reminder to not let him steal your phone or else you'll have 56 photos of him goofing around by the time you get it back.

— due to be edited at anytime —