#but like i get it. if he doesn't have the breakdown at the tavern then there is no plot

[kaeyapilled]

i rarely enjoy the idea that kaeya like drinks himself half to death at the angel's share nearly every day because while Yes, he is definitely an alcoholic, i just don't think he would drink at the tavern if he wants to be depressed about it. especially if he's being depressed about diluc and etc. kaeya goes to tavern for 1) getting information from criminals and anyone else who might know things while still indulging in some alcohol to take the edge off, 2) be a bit of a menace during his free time with his fellow knights and annoy his estranged brother if he's present. if he wants to have a real breakdown i think he does it at home. you will never catch kaeya showing that much emotion in a public place

[tcustodisart]

What are some cute moments that occur throughout the different acts that aren’t necessarily in the game but live in your head rent free?

Oh, this one is going to be a long answer, because there's a lot of squatters in my head and there's a lot to be unleashed. Let's start with this doodle with the boys playing lanceboard at camp and continue under the cut. Lots of cringe and brainrot incoming, so brace yourself.

Act 1:

Connie is constantly bickering with Astarion over him stealing his journal. Gale suggest to cast arcane lock on it, but Connie knows it won't stop that gremlin from reading it so why bother.

This sad pile of rugs is where I imagine Connie sleeps in Act 1. Additional Astarion line: "Damn darling, you live like this?"

During the first romance scene Connie tells Shart about his family, about how he and his brother know the city inside and out, about his parents and the tavern they run, about the trap incident. It's the most he talked to someone who wasn't his family or his crow in years. He wishes that night would never end.

Connie sends letters to his family via Faust, he stops after entering Underdark.

Act 2:

I mentioned it before that Connie is not taking the Shadow Curse very well. He misses the sun, misses the grass, he's unable to contact his family, Shart has distanced herself from him. Karlach notices it and tries to cheer him up. They end up having long talks almost every night. That's the moment their friendship evolves from just friends to besties.

When Connie finds the second warding bond ring, he wishes he could give the other one to Shadowheart, but finds the moment inappropriate. He ends up giving her the ring at the beginning of Act 3.

Act 3:

I have a lot of stuff for this act.

This is inspired by one of Jaheira's lines: "'The Cub and the Crow'- sounds like a cautionary tale. As it probably should." Connie draws her a mock up cover for a kids book. Jaheira sticks it to the traveling chest (I mostly store food there, so to me traveling chest = fridge).

Connie goes through a serious breakdown at the start of this act (after a companion is abducted), he ends up crying and saying that for the first time he doesn't believe they're going to make it, that he'll never hug his mom, never hear his brother sing again, won't be able to tell his step dad that he saw Darkmaw the Wicked. He's being comforted first by Jaheira and then by the rest of his party.

His favorite armor gets damaged one time, he's very upset about it. But the next morning he finds it magically repaired (Astarion fixed it, from the start of Act 3 they become besties).

This wip that I'm very slowly working on happens during act 3. Connie makes some flower crowns and talks about how his mom taught him to do that. I'm not going to say more, because I really want to finish that comic.

Connie has a deal with Popper that he'll pay him double for every night orchid he finds (I actually did that in game, I bantered him more money for the flower than he asked for, I love that little guy so much).

This one is more funny than cute but when Connecticut Tav was younger and still lived in Baldur's Gate he used to visit Sharess's Caress pretty regularly because it was the best way to practice drawing people. He really enjoyed talking with the workers there, he eventually convinced them that maybe creating an union isn't such a bad idea. He ended up being banned from entering the brothel because of that. So when the party approaches it to meet Voss, he's very nervous that the owner will remember him (she does). There's a dialogue in my head but it would work better with some visuals, so maybe one time I'm going to draw it.

In my head, the cottage they end up living in is Connie's old hunting hut. So after the conversation with Shadowheart about her plans for after defeating the brain, he suggest that it would be the perfect place to go. He then draws the house to show her how it looks like, tells her that it's surrounded by a forest, there's a lake nearby, a small stable that can be turned into a barn if needed, and that he's not sure about the quality of the soil, but he did grow some herbs there, so maybe it's going to be good enough to grow flowers.

At the end of the game Connie decides to stay in Baldur's Gate for a while to help his family fix their tavern (which was heavily damaged). He tells Shart to go the house I mentioned before, because he wants her to start her new life as soon as possible + because it would be better for her parents. He stealthily puts his journal in her stuff with a note attached to it saying that he finished it this morning and she can read it if she wants to. He also gives her Faust so she can write him letters whenever she wants to. After 2 tendays he arrives at the cottage with some gifts (night orchid bulbs and a pamphlet about how to take care of them, there was supposed to be another gift, but he wasn't able to find it just yet, but that's for another story).

Epilogue party (because I'm that insane):

It's been sitting in my wips for more than two months, so I don't know if I'll be able to finish it. But during the party Connie and Shadowheart take 10 minute brake to visit the place from the first romance scene. They have a very similar conversation like before, but their roles are reversed now - It's Connie asking questions about Shart's current life. "Tell me something about yourself, but no tadpoles, weird artifacts, petty goddesses. Something about you."

[currently-evil]

Headcanon that When dreams and nightmares need to be remade, they initially come back as infants. They need time to learn their new bodies, new powers which usually means that for some time they are just literal defenseless children. It takes them some time to fully develop their new shape. Most of the time it takes them a few hours, some more carrefour take a few days, a week or two max. 

And Dream as their Lord, Father in a way, takes upon him the responsibility of taking care of them in this delicate time. He makes sure they grow into their new responsibilities and abilities, makes sure they are comfortable in their new bodies.

I believe after his first remaking, after the news that it is possible and that is something Lord of the Dreams will do for his creations, lots of Dreams and Nightmares went to him asking for a change. Enough that poor Lucien had to make a list, a queue. 

I like to believe that this event somehow overlapped with his reunion with Hob and subsequently when he promised to visit Hob more often, as they are now friends.

Lord of the Dreams would never go back on his promise nor would he neglect his duties to his people. 

That’s why eventually he started showing up on meetings with Hob with infants in his arms. (Just one at the time. Dream wouldn't start the process of the remake of another Dream until the previous was fully formed and fully content with their new form.)

Imagine Hob surprised when his elusive friend just casually plops down next to him in Tavern with…. with a kid! Of course getting answers from Morpheus is like pulling teeth, but he eventually asks if he is a father of the kid and Dream blink at him and looks down at the infant.

“I am his creator, yes.” Weird way to put it but ok, It's his Stranger after all. Hob knows he has to be satisfied with just that.

But then two weeks after that Dream shows up with…. Different kid??? What???

He indulges Hob in some questions. Is it also his kid? Yes in the same way the previous was.

Where is the first kiddo? He doesn't need Dream to this extent anymore. 

Like????? What does that mean??? That kid was just an infant??? He wouldn't just casually grow up and move away in two weeks!! (Little does Hob know that he would actually.)

I’d like to think when Dream shows up with yet another, entirely different child, Hob is on the verge of nervous breakdown. Like what happened to the rest of the kids??? Where are they??? Is Dream trafficking them?? Is Dream really the father of all of them?? What is happening? Dream is his friend but if he is doing anything shabby to kids Hob will have to intervene. And of course Dream didn't explain to him yet his nature.

Sooner or later Dream is forced to explain some things to his friends. He is reluctant to give up his true nature, but he gave him bits and pieces. The kids aren't human in the same way Dream isn't human. Yes, they're really ok and yes, they really don't need Dream anymore. He even calls upon one of the Nightmares to show up and Hob almost had a heart attack when he recognised infant Dream initially brought to their meetings in the young man that was standing right in front of him.

And well Hob is forced to accept this weird occurrence.

When the worries are gone from his mind and he can watch Dream with the kids freely he has to admit he is a good dad. He talks with Hob at the same time, softly bouncing the kid on his knee, almost without thinking, like this motion is natural to him. He talks with his kids as he would with adults, asking them questions and nodding sagely when they answer in baby gurgles. It's so adorable. Few times he is witness to Morpheus cradling fussing infant in his arms and lulling them to sleep. He watches transfixed as his friend sways from side to side whispering in his deep voice  softly “Rest now Little Dream” pressing kiss to the crown of the kid's head and feel emotional, hormonal. He feels baby fever like never before. His mind spun fantasies about Dream lulling to sleep Their child, in Hob’s home, in the dim light of Hob’s bedroom. 

These are definitely not friendly thoughts. 

And oh, Hob is in love with his Stranger. 

Bonus Corinthian under:

I’d like to think that because Corinthian was Dream’s masterpiece when Dream finished remaking him, he was one of the few who needed a longer time to get ready and so Dream took him to a few of his “dates” with Hob as opposed to all other dreams who usually saw Hob just once. 

And Hob could see that this one, this little trouble maker was definitely Dream’s favorite. The kid would sit in Morpheus' lap, but any time he thought his Father wasn't looking he would stretch his little body trying to catch the knife from the cutlery set in front of the Dream. And Hob could see how Dream was pretending not to see, how he was still indulging Hob in conversation but any time a kid in his lap was becoming brave his lips would softly curve up. 

Hob himself had to hide a smile in his hand as little dream would try to catch the knife only for Dream to move it - just slightly out of reach, centimeters before the kid could catch it. How his little face would scrunch in irritation, how his little sunglasses would jump on his nose from the scrunch he made.

Hob even get to hold him, when one time Morpheus spotted Raven outside the window and not wanting to stop Corinthian from the coloring book he was deeply engrossed in, asked Hob if he could watch his, and upon getting agrement - softly plopping his little masterpiece in Hob’s lap.

Hob was babbling nonsense to a kid who is much more interested in crossing out all people's eyes with red crayon. He is so into it that he leans over the table so much his little sunglasses fall off his nose.

And upon first seeing his face fully Hob does that

And the just sit in silence freaking out.

[callmelyc]

What if a not so standard Klance beauty and the beast au? Stay with me here we got a lot to breakdown: Keith is a prince that hunts to protect his people and Lance is a shape shifting nymph with a horrifying natural form.

Keith doesn't always hunt but when he does it's to protect the kingdom his parents had loved so dearly so when the villagers on the outskirts come to him begging for aid he can do nothing but listen to their tales

It's fantastical. It's mysterious. Keith isn't sure he believed them that this thing lurking in the trees is a monster until he sees it on patrol with his own two eyes

It's eyes glow in the dark, the form is solid but moves as if it's liquid, it can shift with the light and smells like the lake mud.

The villagers complain the beast drowns their crops, haunts them, and keeps them awake at night with the stench and stress alone. Keiths mission goes from patrol to a hunt. He goes for months trying to catch the beast and fails every time.

It's in a tavern after another failed hunt that he meets Lance. Lance who cheers him right up, Lance who challenges him to a stupid game of darts, Lance with eyes bluer than the enchanted lake.

He's everything Keith could want and more. They end the evening with bickering and challenges. They run into each other in every crowd and every street.

Seeing Lance every few days quickly becomes the highlight of Keith's days. The hunt is put on standby as the sightings dwindled and Keith finally finds the time to fall in love

Their romance is a whirlwind, one that all the folks of the kingdom fawns over. Where there is Keith there is Lance, where there is blue there is red. Before long they are engaged and Keith knows above all else he wants this to be the rest of his life, lance and a family of his own.

It's as they get ready for the engagement ball that he thinks of the beasts again. How foolish could he be, trying to start a family when a monster like that still roams free?

The hunts start anew and it starts with a vengeance. Keith is determined to end this before their ball so he goes out every evening to hunt with his knights.

Lance always refuses to go, he looks worried but never says why. Keith figures it's the danger of it all, but he should've known better.

They fight about it, him and Lance. It's the worst fight they've ever had, bad enough that Keith fears Lance will actually leave. Neither is able to talk it out and it's lance that ends it all with fierce eyes and a deal "end the hunt and I won't leave. I'll stay forever if you end the hunt Keith."

"I have people to care for Lance!"

"Then put up a fence! O-or a barrier! This thing you're hunting has never hurt anyone. Whatever it is belongs to the forest we can't anger the forest." Lances voice shakes through his conviction, so passionate in his belief. He looks down at his feet on the ground, clenching Keith's hand in his "if we leave it alone it'll do the same. We shouldn't fear something just because we don't understand.....please."

Keith can't bare to say no, not when his heart is so distraught over this "I promise, I'll stop the hunt I promise."

The engagement ball goes off without a hitch, all eyes on them and the love between them. If only it'd last forever.

Keith sees the beast when coming back from a trip, it's further than the original sightings were and much closer to the castle his fiance resides in. He knows he promised Lance but how would he know, now was the time to free them all from this thing so they'd never have to worry again. He aims the enchanted arrow made specially for things that reside in the enchanted forest and his aim is true.

The arrow strikes clean through the beasts chest it shrieks in pain, writhing and clawing at the ground. Keith follows as it tries and fails an escape ending clear in the castle gardens where Lances roses reside.

The beast weakly collapses, finally giving up as Keith approaches the creature. What he never expected was for it to transform. Right before Keith's very eyes the creature shifts into his beloved. Into his Lance.

Wind gushes, growing angrier with every shallow breath Lance takes and Keith collapses as his side "what-"

His beloved begs to the wind for Keith to be unharmed as he bleeds into his very own roses but the god of the forest is furious his son was harmed like this....

"lance please don't go- please don't leave me I'm sorry!"

That he was feared like this....

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry please-"

That he was deemed a beast like this....

"You've treated him like a beast when he loved you, for that you will know the same fate."

Keith sobs, holding his loves dying body in his arms and at Lance's final breath the castle is swallowed by the forest, overtaken with roots and trees. Plants and vines.

Lance becomes a monument fueled by the magic within the enchanted arrow that shimmers gold in his heart.

The knights are turned to stone and Keith, the Prince of the Galra....is turned into a beast.

"Only love can save you."

~*~

No one remembers the kingdom, no one remembers the Prince nor his family but hundreds of years pass and in a small village is next part of the story.

The McClains are a family of 6, a Merchant father with his two daughters and three sons. The most beloved of them is their youngest, Lance.

Lance is known as their free spirit, a dreamer, a lover at heart. Everything he does is to make someone smile. So when his father leaves on a trip through the forest the only thing he request is a rose.

The village doesn't grow roses, any that try fail. every variety dies here it's a tale spread far and wide. The legends say they fail to grow because of a lovers betrayal. No one knows what the betrayal was but it was deemed so cruel that the gods forbade anyone else to have roses. Why? Well, no one is sure, it's speculated that roses were born from these lovers and at the loss of their love the roses died with it.

Either way, legends or not, it's popular for those that travel far to bring some back as proof of the journey and Lance wants nothing more than to see the beauty of one.

With a smile father goes, saying goodbye to all his childrenwith a list of things his children want.

Veronica asks for new books, Rachel for new fabrics. Marco and Luis ask for new bows and arrows and Papa McClain finds all this and more when he stumbles across an abandoned castle.

There's riches in the dusted rooms. Books in themassive library. The armory holds more bows, arrows, swords and daggers than he'd ever seen before.

Most of all, there's a flourishing rose garden.

The roses are so red, so perfect that Papa McClain can't believe his eyes. They are fragrant in the way stories describe them and he knows this is something Lance would love without a doubt.

He briefly considers taking a whole array of them for each of the children but settles on just the one. He can bring Lance back one day and they can all enjoy the garden as a family.

Just as he cuts the thorns away from a rose a deep sound echos. It's one he can feel in his chest, it rumbles and crackles in ways he can't identify. Unlike a lion, unlike a bear, the form that radiates the sound unearthly looms in the bushes.

Papa McClain drops the rose, drops the basket full of things for his children and he begs this creature to stay away.

The beast circles him and in the dim lighting he can't tell what this creature is. But, it's sounds are enough to tell Papa McClain that it's dangerous.

"You've touched his roses..." The voice rumbles, unpleasant.

"i-im sorry I didn't know they belonged to anyone-"

He watches the beast lean down to pick up the rose that had been dropped. Though the appearance of a monster, the clawed hands hold the discarded rose so softly

"Get out..."

Papa McClain didn't need to be told twice he gathers his wits and runs through the forest, through the trees and the thorns and he doesn't stop until he reaches home.

Through his tale to the children and through the night he can't help but think: the beasts looked sad at that plucked rose.

~*~

They we're forbidden from going through the forest after what their father told them. Yet when a merchant trip requires passage back through their father takes Luis with him.

None of them expected Luis to run back alone saying that father had been taken prisoner.

"T-the beast it was that beast from father's tales! It claimed he'd returned to harm the roses again and took him captive!"

"What do we do?" Rachel asks nervously, watching Marco gather the hunting supplies "we can't just go, what if we're captured too?!"

"We have to do something rach! We can't just leave him there."

Veronica scoffs, annoyed "well, if it's over roses then why doesn't lance go get him? He's the one that asked-"

"Don't start the blame game! It'll only cause more problems"

"Well WE didn't ask for something that got out father imprisoned Marco!"

"ENOUGH" all turn to look at Lance "I'll go."

A course of "no" "you can't go!" "Don't be stupid lance-" rain down as he grabs his cloak at the door

"Vera is right. I asked for the rose and papi got in trouble for it. The least I can do it help plead his case."

Veronica has the grace to look a bit guilty "just be safe ok Leandro?"

Lance hugs every one of his siblings "I'll be back before you know it. Just you wait." Then he's out the door on his favorite horse, his dearest Blue.

Lance reached the castle by nightfall and by the time the moon starts to fall he has his father set free on one condition

"A life for a rose" said the deep rumble.

And though the sound radiated deep within Lances chest, rumbling in unatural ways, he accepts the terms.

Lance watches his father flee the forest with blue in tow from the tower balcony. He'd agreed to take his father's place but to who....he isn't sure, for he never saw the beast. Lance only heard his voice echo through the abandoned halls.

For days he only feels eyes watching his every move. Watching as he climbs through the tangles roots and vines, watching as he explores the entangled halls and sprawling rooms.

Everyday a new outfit is placed in lances rooms, and every evening he's at a dinner table set for many yet eats alone.

This entire thing is... bizarre to say the least.

The clothes fit perfectly, the food is always to his liking. He's never once seen this beast and it annoys him, it irks him actually.

How dare this thing take him prisoner yet avoid him?? Is treating him in this way a game? Is it to make lance too comfortable, so comfortable, that he won't fight back when the time comes?

Well! Jokes on the beast then! Bc lance? Oh- he isn't giving up in the slightest!

Lance makes it a mission to snoop harder than before, to be more annoying than before. Vera always said he could talk their ears off and into a grave so lance does just that.

He talks.

And talks, and talks....and talks some more.

To the sky, to the walls, to the gardens and the frogs.

all until one day the beast snaps out from those shadows he resides, growling deep and angry "SHUT UP!"

Lance whirls around to stand eye to eye, toe to toe with this beast "make me!"

Lance tries not to flinch back, tries not to scream or flee. Bc for the first time in days he's face to face with his captor, with the beast that started this whole thing.

It's bigger than Lance, clawed hands...or are they paws? Glowing eyes that swirl purple but the most startling is the face. It's not quite a cat, wolf or a bear, yet has large teeth and fangs. This creature is nothing like any animal seen within veronicas research books

It moves as if it isn't solid, the light makes its form shift and dance. There's horns and bone protruding out with the rest of its body looking like shadow that's been scar covered. (Think Elias vibes)

"I could throw you to the wolves!"

At that lance laughs "yeah right! You can't throw the prisoner away that defeats the purpose of having any-"

"Why are you like this!?"

"why are you like this?!" Lance counters and at that the beast pauses, almost ashamed.

He observes the beast for a moment and realizes something "hey, what's ur name big guy?"

A huff "Keith...I wa-am, Keith."

Lance smiles, warily "Keith, who names a beast Keith?"

At that, the beginnings of an odd friendship blooms (possibly something more...)

"I don't know, who names an idiot lance?"

Lance gasps "TAKE THAT BACK!"

[venus-celestial]

Hello lovely Hotd fans the Genderbend Aegon poll ended just a few days ago and while it was close we have a winner so let me introduce to you

Alerie Targaryen

Ahhh I love her so much I decided to put her in a blue like alicent when she was a girl

I think instead of going into the street of silk and taverns I think she'd enjoy going to all the food vendors that are in kings landing I also think she enjoys engaging with the smallfork and this earned her the title The Realm's Sun

Here are some fun facts about her

Some more facts and just general lore about the au

°Otto keeps trying to marry her to lords twice her age (she absolutely despises him for it)

°She also has the bad habits of biting the inside of her cheek until it bleeds and pulling her hair

°When she was old enough she started helping take care of Helena and Aysanne (Aemond) And for the first two months after Danera (Daeron) was born People couldn't tell if she was the queens child or Aleries

° She's very skilled with a sword and has been training with Cole since she was 8 name days old much to the protest of her mother and Otto

° she doesn't care much for her father as he doesn't really pay her or her siblings any mind but that doesn't mean she doesn't have that type of relationship eventually (Harwin Laenor Daemon reluctantly)

° She's kinda touched strived in the sense that no one really hugs her she's usually the one hugging her sisters until her Jace Luke and Joff are born and they and she never goes a day without a hug (It's mostly Jace who makes sure of this)

° She takes her golden girl (Sunfyre Yes I've genderbent the dragon) For long flys over the water mostly at night as she thinks it's pretty and it's Also peaceful

° in general she really likes the water swimming is one of her favorite things to do and she's found a spot in the forest with a big tree that has a deep pound and a stream next to it

° She is eventually betrothed to Jace after his courting her without her really realizing it and Getting his mom and the king to agree to it (Alicent Also Agreed Otto is furious)

And now for some scenarios that I've imagined happening in this au

forgive me if anything is wrong I'm using a translator and the dictionary

Translations

[J: Here's my pretty girl)

[D: Older Sister Older Sister or just Sister Sister)

[A: Hello Sweet girl]

[R: it's ok your ok sweet girl]

[A: Older Sister or again just Sister)

Context for the first two

° Otto has decided to betrothed her to a lord much older then her and who lives quite far from kings landing Alerie is understandably terrified and wants nothing to do with her

° Alerie was upset and uncomfortable during a feast and went to hide away somewhere jace followed after her and decided to cheer her up ending in her flustered and giggling

Context for the other two

° Alerie was returning to her chambers from her lessons When Danera came running with Tessa right behind Alerie Skillfully scoped her up and they had a bonding day in her chambers

° Lrys was being himself and Alerie got so overwhelmed that she just booked it away and had a breakdown in a corridor Rhaenyra found her and brought her to her chambers and calmed her down

(Lrys was not seen for a month afterwards)

And lastly just for some cute details on the drawing

° The necklace and bracelets are from jace

° The chain is from Aysanne she had it made for Alerie's 18th name day

° Helena embroidered her dress and multiple others

° Danera Likes to paint Alerie's nails and painted them gold

Anyways I hope you guys love her as much as I do tell me what you think in the comments and if you have any ideas for this au let me know

[blujayonthewing]

I'm inserting a crisp dollar into the Thoughts About Felix machine, wondering:

What are his sleeping habits like?

What are his coping mechanisms?

He's granted three wishes. What's the fourth thing he would wish for?

How would you describe him, using only emoji?

me @ this ask

Left to his own devices he's naturally inclined to be crepuscular; in his home village it was normal for most people to sleep both in the middle of the night and the middle of the day (though a little longer at night), and for the day to start well before dawn and end well after dark. Since he's kind of a loner and drifter at the moment he can usually still get away with this kind of sleeping schedule even after having left home; people get the impression that he never sleeps, or must sleep really poorly, because he appears to be out wandering around at all hours, but really he's just splitting up his sleep. After spending so much time in human/ mixed cities he has gotten better at being able to adjust to only sleeping at night when needs be, but he gets noticeably sleepy around lunchtime if he's not getting naps in.

He's a pretty light sleeper, partly because his hearing is so sensitive; he likes to be cozy, and preferably somewhere very quiet and dark, but he can fall asleep fairly easily almost anywhere. I feel like I have a lot of OCs who routinely stay up way too late/ refuse to sleep or, like, sleepwalk, or are otherwise Bad At Sleep, but actually his sleep habits are generally pretty good, unusual circadian rhythm notwithstanding, lol.

YELLS IT'S GETTING SO LONG SORRY I AM INCAPABLE OF BREVITY SDFKJHDFKGJ

Coping mechanisms! Small scale/ acute: he fidgets a lot, chews on things. He's mostly gotten himself out of the habit of biting his nails by redirecting to other stuff (he goes through pencils a lot faster than he actually wears them out with use). A big go-to is seeking space to be alone, particularly somewhere high up; as a kid he used to climb trees a lot, and now in aboveground cities he spends a lot of time sitting on roofs.

For bigger/ more ongoing things... it depends. On the one hand, it can feel comforting to surround himself with people by spending time in places that feel crowded without being intimate, like markets or popular taverns, but it stresses him out if people can tell he's Going Through Something, so he ends up isolating a lot instead, or just hanging out with animals and avoiding people (pigeons aren't usually good enough at humanoid body language to pick up on and ask about anything short of an actual breakdown, for one thing, but on the other hand breaking down fully in front of animals still feels significantly less stressful than in front of other people, somehow). He hates talking about himself, and he really hates trying to explain his feelings, especially when he's already having a bad time, so he doesn't really get a lot of support even when he really needs it. He mostly doesn't Journal His Feelings with his sketch/ travel journal, but I think he's more inclined to do so at least a little bit when he's trying to cope with something just because he's got no other good outlet, much less someone he can actually talk to.

In terms of coping beyond the immediate 'managing the feelings' sense, he always wants to understand things as much as possible, so a big part of coping with anything is to try to learn everything about it he can. Like, not that this has happened to him but he's very much primed to be the guy whose loved one disappears/ is killed under suspicious circumstances which sets off a chain of events leading to his single-handedly unraveling some deep convoluted conspiracy-- you know? Something extremely upsetting and Deeply Weird happened to him before the campaign started, and now he's obsessed with making sense of it. Honestly, now that I'm writing this all out, I imagine his interest in studying people and body language and social nuances and motivations came at least partly from a way to cope with not understanding those things intuitively like other people seem to, and being really bad at performing social skills correctly himself 🤔

Lacing my fingers in front of my lips pensively. The wishes question is so intriguing. ...... okay. I have his three wishes. The unwished fourth wish is 'I wish for [people who left him for dead] to forget that I exist.'

the lad in emojis: 🥺🤫🐈👁👁👂🔍🍂💬❔

[catgirlforkaeya]

hello, can i request kaeya comforting gn reader who is overwhelmed because a lot of things happened at once? but at first reader doesn't want to break down in front of kaeya because he's having his time at the tavern so they're afraid of being a disturbance and being a burden to him.

overwhelmed

kaeya x gn!reader

hurt/comfort + tiny bit of fluff at the end + college au

warnings: all lowercase + not proofread + mental health struggles (obvi)

a/n: omg anon i love this scenario sm 😭 i’ve actually been overwhelmed lately too so this is perfect LOL, i hope it’s good! i apologize for how rushed it is i’m very tired 💔

this past week had been absolutely miserable. you had way too much going on in your life and it was all weighing you down. between studying for all the huge tests that were coming up, completing homework, helping a new student, and working at the library in the city you barely had any time to catch a break. all of this was starting to affect your mental health badly— it was already bad due to the lack of light in winter but all of this stress was worsening it. you were trying your best to keep a smile on your face throughout everything but the façade was slowly coming undone.

you and kaeya were out at the local bar “angels share” as usual. a few years ago you two started coming here together to hang out with friends (or sometimes just with each other) and it quickly became a weekly thing. almost every friday you’d spend in the bar. you really don’t have any complaints about the bar— everyone there is friendly. you just were not in the mood for it tonight.

at first you thought you’d be able to pull through tonight and hoped it’d brighten your mood some, but you were completely wrong. you quickly got exhausted and felt like you were on the verge of a breakdown. as much as you wished you could just breakdown right then and there you didn’t want to be a burden to kaeya. you could tell he was enjoying the night and didn’t wish to ruin that.

after a few hours of being there you slowly felt yourself tipping more and more over the edge. that burning knot in the back of your throat had began to form out of the blue, so you slipped out to the bathroom to regain your composure. you were not able to regain your composure though, feeling the knot get even worse. you stood there at the sink contemplating stuff, coming to the conclusion that it was probably best if you headed home.

you walked out of the bathroom and towards where your group had been sitting tonight. you sat down on the edge of the booth next to kaeya, resting your head on his shoulder for a quick second.

“hey, i think i’m gonna head home for the night. i’ve got homework to catch up on,” you said, keeping your voice quiet so the others wouldn’t eavesdrop.

kaeya looked over at you, his icy blue eye meeting yours. “okay, i can head back too if you want— i don’t mind.”

“nono it’s fine, you don’t have to leave ‘cause of me. our apartment is close i’ll be okay,” you responded quickly. you hated denying him like that but you just needed some time alone.

“alright— i’ll be home in like two hours, okay?” kaeya wrapped an arm around your waist as a small half-hug. you nodded and gave him a small kiss on the lips, saying your ‘i love you’s and goodbyes.

you quickly left the bar once you said goodbye to everyone. stepping out into the cool air you took a deep breath. when you were inside you felt like you were suffocating, so finally getting some fresh air was nice. you could see your apartment complex a little bit down the road, so you picked up the pace of your legs. thankfully the sidewalks were bare so you weren’t running into anybody.

the next few minutes were honestly a blur for you. one second you were out on the streets jogging home and the next you were inside your apartment. you knew it was probably from the lack of sleep you’ve gotten lately. you’ve noticed that ever since your sleep started lessening you’d space out more— losing track of time randomly.

your legs were now feeling the aftermath of running. you groaned to yourself and stumbled towards the bedroom. all you wanted right now was to lay down and just cry. you’d been holding in everything for so long now and tonight was the breaking point for some reason. of all nights your brain just had to pick the one night you’re supposed to have fun.

collapsing onto the bed, you shifted so your head was on the pillow. you grabbed an extra pillow off the bed and placed it against your chest, wrapping your arms around it. it didn’t take very long for the tears to begin flowing. it was slow— which was shocking. earlier back at the bar you thought you were going to have a full meltdown— not a few tears here and there. it was better than bottling everything up for even longer though. if you were to keep everything pent up for another few days you’d probably lose your mind.

your mind was going a mile a minute. thousands of unwanted thoughts began to crowd your mind at once. as an attempt to ignore them you just hugged the pillow in your arms tighter, trying to force some more tears out of yourself. you were hoping to just wear yourself out from crying so that you’d be asleep by the time kaeya got home. you really didn’t want him to see you like this. it’s not that you don’t trust going to him for stuff— you trust him with your life at this point, you just felt like you were being a burden even though he’s assured you countless of times that you’re not.

thankfully you still had a few hours alone— or so you thought.

—

you weren’t quite sure what time it was. you hadn’t looked at the clock since you got home. you’d been stuck in the same position, too exhausted to even move. you had been trying your best to sleep but that was failing. your attempt at crying yourself to sleep had failed.

suddenly you felt an unexpected shift in the mattress next to you. you immediately sat up to see what was going on— you had an idea but you’d been so spaced out that it scared you shitless.

kaeya was sitting next to you on the bed where he always is, looking over at you. he gave multiple quick apologies for startling you.

“it’s okay,” you mumbled, looking away for a second to try and wipe off the tears on your cheeks. you hoped it just looked like you were rubbing them since you were tired.

kaeya’s smarter than that though.

you felt him place a hand on your thigh, causing you to look back over at him. “love are you okay?”

“yeah,” you responded quickly, trying to cover up the small voice crack with a cough. there was a moment of silence between you two— kaeya looking at you with furrowed eyebrows as you tried your best to avoid eye contact.

when he reached up to cup your cheek gently is what caused you to break.

all the walls you’d built up to encase your tears in fully shattered. everything began coming out all at once. the tears you were trying to force out of yourself earlier were finally coming. at this rate you knew there was no point in hiding your emotions, so you didn’t give any protests when he pulled you against his chest. you just hid your face in his chest, not caring about all the sobs that left your mouth.

kaeya just sat there with you, holding you close as you let it all out. he didn’t want to interrupt you in the middle of a breakdown to ask what was wrong because he knew it’d go nowhere. for the time being he just gently ran his fingers through your hair, whispering small ‘it’s okay’s and ‘i’m here’s.

once you were finally calmed down a bit he asked you what was wrong. with a shaky breath you started opening up about everything— how overwhelmed you were due to all the stuff you had going on, how you were barely sleeping anymore, how your mental health had plummeted. the conversation turned into a full blown therapy session; you venting about all of your problems while kaeya sat and gave advice when he felt it was necessary. that’s something you always admired about him, whenever you were venting he wouldn’t interrupt you every few sentences with advice. he’d wait until you were done with that topic, then proceed to give advice if it’s needed.

“i’m sorry i didn’t notice any of this sooner hun,” kaeya started, “if i had noticed i wouldn’t have let you get to this point.”

“no it’s okay— it’s not your responsibility to constantly look out for me,” you said, shaking your head slightly.

“i know, i just hate seeing you like this,” he sighed as he took a strand of your hair, gently wrapping it around his fingers. “you should probably get some rest though. i know it’s hard to get it right now but it doesn’t hurt to try.”

you nodded. suddenly kaeya got up and walked over to your shared dresser. he pulled out one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants. you assumed it was for him to wear, but he ended up handing it to you. you sat there confused for a moment— kaeya was always okay with you wearing his clothes but he’d never straight up handed you a pair of his clothes to wear.

“i know how much wearing my clothes soothes you, so hopefully wearing them tonight might make you sleep better,” he gave you a soft smile when he said that. hearing that sentence made your heart melt. you’ve never explicitly said that so the fact that he payed attention to it was enough to make you fall in love all over again.

you gave him a ‘thank you’ as you began slipping out of your clothes. kaeya ended up helping you undress some— even though it wasn’t necessary. he’d place a kiss to your shoulders every now and then, sending small shivers down your spine.

once both of you changed into what you were going to sleep in you slipped under the covers next to each other. your body barely touched the mattress when kaeya had his arms locked around your torso, pulling your body flush against his. you didn’t mind though— you just nuzzled your head into his chest once again.

“i’ve said this a million times but please don’t hesitate to come to me for anything. you’re not a burden to me,” kaeya spoke softly, his chin resting atop your head.

“i know,” you bit the inside of your cheek to stop the few tears that started welling up from his words. “thank you kaeya.”

he hummed softly in response. “i love you more than words can describe.”

“i love you more,” you tilted your head upwards, placing a kiss to his jawline then on his lips the second time.

“i love you most,” he gave you another kiss, dragging it out a bit this time. “now go to sleep, you need it.”

within a few minutes you finally drifted off to sleep. that was the first time you actually got a full night of sleep in almost a month.

© all rights reserved to catgirlforkaeya. reposting, plagiarizing, modifying, and translating is NOT allowed.

[fluffypotatey]

Okay, but the SotRT accidentally revealing the magic to Arthur???

Like, he's aware of Roland "squiring" for Merlin, which is a little weird to him, but she's still fulfilling her duties and reporting for training, so he can't actually complain and he would've knighted Merlin already if he didn't know Merlin would kick his ass so he lets it be until one day Roland straight-up doesn't report for morning drill, which she never does?? And when he catches her in the hall later like, "Where were you? That's not like you? Are you okay?"

Roland: Oh, I'm fine, sire, Merlin and I were at the tavern ;) and ended up staying out much later than we rightly meant to.

Arthur, who thinks at the tavern means at the tavern: You were WHAT?

Roland, thinking Arthur is upset about the Dangerous Mission, not being taken to Ye Olde Nightclub: No, don't worry, it's alright, sire, I stay well out the way, I know Merlin's got awful aim with that Sidhe staff of his, you know he hit a tree with lightning once and made it explode? Ought to have him doing drills with us, sire, you ask me.

Arthur, having three mental breakdowns simultaneously: ......right.

Roland: Mind if I go, sire? I need to get my axe sharpened again. Gnomes got tough damned skin, dull a blade right quick.

Arthur: sure

Roland: *skips off*

Arthur:

Arthur:

Arthur: *walks into an empty chamber and screams into a pillow*

(They all owe Beddy so many apologies)

BEDDY WOULD FEEL LIKE THE SHIT AFTER THIS

Lucan: Yeah, Beds, I don't think that's a good idea

Beddy: Oh??? So we should listen to you, Mister "The King Totally Knew the Whole Time About the Magic"????

Lucan: ....

Feirefiz: The kid's got a point

Lucan: Nobody asked you!

Beddy's plan was actually not the best, but the damage was done.

oh but i'm sure roland would feel really bad about it because that's her mentor and she unknowingly outed him. she would be groveling for weeks. merlin forgave her, but even then she'd feel terrible. and merlin would console her one night being all "yeah, yeah it's ok, arthur and i talked and he's reevaluating shit, so all will be fine in the end."

and when she's still upset, he'll just try and tell her than now that arthur knows they can both use their magic freely around him. but roland isn't a magic user, so she's confused when merlin tells her about all the spells he's saved to teach her. and roland is so touched that she forgets to tell him that she doesn't have magic.

[mxthtea]

i swear this has been in my drafts since the end of 1.5 (before teapot voice line leaks) i didn't mean for this to be similar to his teapot voice lines -

also really self indulgent :> ur friendly bastard is sad at times n needs to make a slight vent fic

venti x gn!reader warnings: breakdowns, physical contact (hugs + cuddling), venti refers to reader as dove a few times, grammar + spelling mistakes, probably ooc venti, tell me if i forgot any description: it's been tough for you in the past weeks to months. everything feels heavy on your shoulders and you don't know how much longer you can keep yourself together. your boyfriend, venti, lets you know he's here for you and lends his shoulder for you to cry on. word count: 809

the day was coming to a close, as was the week too. the dipped down passed the horizon and barely became visible at this hour. the sky was dark and the lights in mondstadt had long been lit. window and blinds were closed earlier to keep out the street lights. it was quiet, nice, but it wasn't like that to you.

sitting in bed, you clutched onto your head and fought the urge to scream. scream in pain from the headache and how icky you had felt. unwanted emotions piling up inside you and a ring of pain being tightened against your head. tears were welling up into your head as the pain from the entire month started to burst.

but it all seemed to dissipate for a few seconds. the door to your room opened slowly as you saw a familiar green figure walk in.

venti.

"venti..? what're you doing here?" you whispered.

"you weren't at the tavern today so i decided to check up on you. you've been acting differently too."

you looked down at your hands. you didn't think you were acting different. everyone around you was treating you the same after all.

"are you doing alright, dove?"

you sighed and curled your knees to your chest, "not really.."

venti sat down beside you and waiting for you to continue.

"this entire month has been hard for me. it feels like the world is against me now. waking up feels difficult and there's always a constant nagging voice in my head. headaches are becoming more normal and they keep getting worse, i want to cry from them alone. my skin feels itchy all the time and everything feels hot."

you sniffled and hit your head on your knees. venti moved slowly closer to you.

"there's a weight on my shoulders no matter where i can go. i'm just so tired venti, but no matter how long i sleep it doesn't get better. i don't know what to do."

you wipe your eyes, headache just becoming worse. the itchiness keeps coming back.

"do you want me to get you anything? painkillers?"

you nodded and held your head again. venti left the room quietly.

he came back a minute or two later with water and painkillers in his hands. the bard offered them to you, which you took immediately. then you two sat in silence again.

until venti spoke up again.

"you know dove, i'm always here when you need me. it doesn't matter when or where, i'll always be there for you when you need me. please don't try to handle everything on your own... i love you. i'll always lend you my shoulder when you need it."

you took your head of your hands and looked up. venti was sitting beside you, a hand on his chest and a smile on his face. he sounded so genuine. it made you tear up and start to cry.

"ah- did i say something wrong?" venti reached his hand out to you.

"no- no you're fine venti. i just- wasn't expect thing that," you rubbed at your eyes as venti started to rub circles on your back.

you really didn't expect him to say that. to be so nice and make such an offering to you despite not being able to give back. your tears continued to be shed and sobs started to erupt from your throat.

venti didn't say anything more. he didn't have to say anything more. he continued rubbing your back while you started to calm down more.

when your sobs died down he spoke up again, "are you feeling better?"

you gave a nod in reply.

"i'm glad. sometimes you have to cry, let out all the pain that's been building up at times. but dove," he looked at you in the eyes. "please, tell me whenever you feel upset. you shouldn't feel the need to bottle up your pain. even if it sounds petty at times please know i'm here for you. you can speak to me whenever you need.

the bard smiled again at you.

you felt tears well into your eyes again and you hugged venti tight. burying your head into his shoulder as he held you as well.

"now, it's been a long month for you. why don't we sleep now?"

you didn't raise your head, only giving a nod as an answer again. venti pressed a kiss to the top of your head and fell back onto the bed. the mattress bounced a bit as you both hit the pillows. the bard letting out a giggle as he wrapped your arms around you again, pressing another kiss to the top of your head.

"sleep well dove, i'll be here when you wake up."

your eyes slowly started to close, already knowing venti was telling the truth with all he said.

[xawkward-ariesx]

soulmate au for merlin perchance?

Ooooohh this is a good one. Okay we're going with merthur for this one.

So people are born with soulmates but it's very rare that people find them and as marriages are more often not political (in regards to the nobles) or for money/status etc so it doesn't even really matter. But a sorcerer decides they're going to screw with Uther's attempt to arrange a marriage for Arthur as well as make the prince suffer as they have suffered and does a spell on him that means he experiences his soulmate's pain.....

Unfortunately, for Arthur his soulmate is an idiot who tries to sacrifice himself two to six times a week and now when Merlin goes missing he's left in excruciating pain. This continues for a while before Arthur comes to two realisations 1) his pain always lines up with whatever new injury Merlin has and 2) Merlin isn't at the Tavern getting into brawls (like he first assumed) and is actually off fighting magic.

Because obviously he's a sorcerer. Now Arthur has to deal with the fact that his manservant is both a sorcerer and his soulmate. Cue Arthur's breakdown :)

Okay this one is fun, I can see myself writing this one. Thank you for the ask darling!

[emerald-echeveria-plant]

Bro I gotta stop making these ocs 💀

Name: Jeremiah Cassidy Shih

Name pronunciation: jeh-ruh-mai-uh Cas-si-di Sh-ih

Personality: non-talkative, hot-headed, secretive, hides his true emotions, and violent

Age: 15

Species: Human

Sexuality: Unknown

Gender: Male

Pronouns: He/Him

Looks: brown hair, blue eyes, white skin, and freckles

Backstory: (Dis is loooooong) Before getting in his past, we first have to talk about his mother, Anne Larson or as her actual birth name Chenguang Shih. Chenguang was the daughter of the notoriously known unhinged pirate, Baozhai. Baozhai ended up having Chenguang completely by accident after she had a one night stand with one of her crewmates. She decided to keep the baby, wanting to start a long line of pirates like her. Baozhai had the baby girl just around when her torment was finally being taken seriously by the royals. Unfortunately, Baozhai ended up passing away on her boat when a cannon caused it to come crashing down. Luckily, Chenguang was safe as she had been taken by Baozhai's right hand man, Ironbeard with her. He did his best to care for the girl, holding up the legacy his captain would've wanted. Yet, he was a wanted criminal along with the other crewmates that survived the crash, so taking care of her was very difficult. But Ironbeard still pushed through.

Unfortunately, Ironbeard and the other were caught by a couple of guards and locked away. A judge sentenced them to be publicly executed by hanging the next. As for baby Chenguang, she was taken away and raised by the captain of the guards. Her full name being changed to Anne Larson just a few days later. When the day arrived for Ironbeard and the others be hung, the guards were surprise to see that they had escaped during the night. Ironbeard swore revenge for his captain and that he would one day return. As for the baby, he couldn't find her and gave up as the guards were on his tail. He regretted to not have fulfilled Baozhai's wish and those guards were going to pay for what they had done.

As for Anne, she was raised to never know of the events that took place. Her adoptive father, also known as Maxwell Larson, had told her of Baozhai and how she was a psychopathic murder that deserved what she got. So, Anne grew up hating Baozhai despite the fact she was actually hating her own biological mother. As she grew, Anne became educated and sophisticated. She quickly rose up to be one of the smartest students in her class. Getting all A's and being presented with awards for her achievements. Anne was asked to join a university of astronomy which she gladly accepted.

While she was attending, she ended up meeting a handsome young man by the name of Aaron Brown. Aaron was the typical bad boy that would rather get into trouble then be in class. He was charming, funny, and very attractive... Aaron easily charmed Anne which made her fall in love with him. Instead of focusing on her studies, she'd often daydream about him. Anne just couldn't get him out of her head. Eventually, Aaron asked her out and they went on a date. Which spiraled into several dates... Which turned into them dating each other. Anne would often ditch class just to be with him. This caused her to fail her class. Maxwell was angry at her for this. He demanded she'd retake the year and to leave Aaron. Anne was too far in love with him and didn't give into what he wanted.

Instead, Anne ended up dropping out of the university to further pursue her relationship with Aaron. They got married a few months afterwards and left their home planet. Anne decided to work as a weaver as Aaron became a marine. A year into their marriage, it all came crumbling down. Anne became severely depressed as she realized she gave up her dreams of becoming an astrologist. Aaron no longer found her attractive and began to pursuing other women behind her back. They argued a lot more than usual and it began to get physical. Finally the rose tinted glasses came off and they began to see how bad their relationship was. Anne wanted to save their marriage because she couldn't bare the thought being alone. Aaron still wanting the good things that came in a relationship while secretly having side pieces, decided to work with her on their marriage. The two came to a conclusion that having a child would be the best way to solve it.

Six months later, Jeremiah was born. Surprise, surprise, their relationship didn't get any better. Poor Jeremiah was now thrown into the picture of a broken marriage. Aaron became abusive towards Anne and didn't allow her to leave the house without his say. She'd get hurt if he didn't listen to what he said. Jeremiah wasn't safe from his abusive nature also. If the lad dared to bother him, he'd be met with a smack to the face. For five straight years had Anne and Jeremiah endured the abuse of Aaron. Anne finally decided to break from Aaron's abuse when something terrible happened to Jeremiah. One night during a drunken rage, Aaron put his hands on Jeremiah and tore out his left eye with a broken bottle. The event made Anne realize how horrible the situation was getting and it wasn't going to change unless he did something about it.

So during the night, she grabbed whatever she could carry and escaped with Jeremiah. Anne went back to her home planet where asked a place to stay with her adoptive father. Maxwell would've turned her away but when he saw the situation she was very distressed. He quickly let her in, where she explained what happened to her over the course of the years she's been gone for. Maxwell decided he would help her get back on her feet and get her son some needed medical attention. With his connections, Anne was able to earn a job as an assistant for an astrologist. She began to focus on her mental health which got better overtime. The same couldn't be said for Jeremiah. His worsened.

The abuse of his father caused major trauma in him that he wasn't able to get over. He became quiet, easily angered by others, and had thoughts about violence. Since he only had one eye now, he was bullied by the other kids once he was able to go to school. This aggravated him and he'd often get into fights because of it. Anne decided to pull him out of public school and into homeschool because things were getting out of hand. Jeremiah was taken to several doctors to see what was wrong with him. Each time, he refused to say anything. Anne stopped trying to help him since he was refusing to help himself. Yet, he was just a child. A child who wanted help but didn't know how to say it. Maxwell, decided to take over for trying to help him. Or what he thought would help him. He sent Jeremiah to a boot camp where he'd be straightened out for his bad behavior. Jeremiah loathed Maxwell for this and promised himself he'd get revenge. Life at the boot camp was utter hell. He was pushed to limits that caused him to have mental breakdowns in private. Jeremiah didn't have any friends. This caused him to be the target of the bullying of the other boys there. Throughout the torment, he was able to find comfort in the tales of well known pirates. His favorite being of the insane pirate captain Baozhai. Something about her unhinged, eccentric personality and her cruel brutality against others whenever the messed with her, manged put a smile on his face. (Baozhai in an old photo: *tearing someone's guts out.*

Jeremiah: 🙂)

At fourteen years old, Jeremiah made surprising a discovery that he was biological related to Baozhai. He had overheard Maxwell chatting with another guard about how he was glad Anne never grew up knowing that she was related to that maniac. Yet now that Jeremiah knew, he was angry that this knowledge was withheld from him. Why would they do such a thing? He tried telling his mother about this... His mother called him crazy... crazy... crazy...

That was the breaking point for Jeremiah. For a majority of his life, he was told that there was something wrong with him and that he needed help. Often being titled mentally ill or not alright in the head... Despite knowing he was, he was just tired of being treated like one.

Jeremiah ended up running away from his home planet by hiding on a cargo ship. He wanted to start somewhere fresh, where he wouldn't be as well known. He also wanted to know more about Baozhai, since most books didn't have enough information about her having a child, other than speculated rumors. For a while, he traveled around places, in search for more knowledge about his grandmother aka Baozhai. That's when he walked into a small tavern. He tried to figure out where else he could ask about her. An anonymous figure in the corner asked why he was wanted to learn about these things. Jeremiah, in the best way he could, explained that Baozhai was his grandmother. The tavern exploded into laughter after hearing him say that. They mocked him for a bit until the anonymous figure silenced the entire tavern by shooting a random person. They stood up and recounted the tale of Baozhai's fall. How she wanted the death of the upper class to continue. It was originally her plan to make a line of pirates to be like her. Then it was all ruined because of the guards. How he admitted that he failed because he wasn't careful enough... It was Ironbeard recounting all of this. He decided to continue with what she would've wanted... If Jeremiah wanted to join him. Jeremiah quickly took the deal, seeing as there was nothing holding him back now. On the outside, it didn't seem he was all too excited but on the inside, he was thrilled to finally be apart of something... And that he'd get to be just like his idol.

Likes: sharp objects, creepy bugs, reading, drawing, smoking cigars, and cats

Dislikes: his left eye, being told he's crazy, others trying to get close to him, physical affection (even though he sorta wants it), and long conversations

Other: Jeremiah doesn't like being called Jeremy or Jerry or literally any nickname to his name. If someone calls him "Jeremy" he would literally rip out their tonsils.

[esperanta-dragon]

WoW fandom definitely misunderstands what trauma looks like all the time. Trauma manifests in different forms and what I actually hate is to see how people see that some character went through a lot and then they eventually break and they become toxic and hateful and all WoW community does is: "OMG dreadlord!" or "Why do they do this? This doesn't make sense!" Characters are not allowed to break down or become hateful for what happened to them. But that's a bit unrelated, I just wanted to write it.

Back to Shadows Rising. I see a lot of issues with that scene in the tavern. And maybe it's because I study storytelling for 10+ years on how to avoid cliché, cringe, how to make characters believable, how to construct the scene so it makes sense, it's connected to the rest of the story, etc. Basically, I know a lot about theory and I can use it.

I had a problem with how pushed the scene felt and it felt really weird to see Anduin like this. And I don't mean that he is not allowed to have a mental breakdown, be vulnerable, not being charming 100% of the time... I just think it could have been shown much better and different and it would not feel this cringe and pushed.

About Jaina, she spent majority of time outside of Stormwind, there are a lot of inns in Stormwind, but somehow these two meet in Lion's Pride. But ok, that's just my writer's guts telling me it was pushed too.

I just don't like how he was portrayed: I don't want to run into Jaina, because I don't want to be scolded. I have to explain myself, I have to excuse myself, etc.

But again, I am unable to not see mistakes in storytelling and how things could be easily fixed. I am a writer and I take writing seriously. What I felt from Roux was that she touched the characters on the surface, not doing deep dive and tried to make it work but these characters do not behave the way they should. Unfortunately, I see things other people don't see and I don't think longer explanation would help, because when I write a deep dive analysis explaining it, it's pretty long and most of the time I get: "You take it seriously, go get a life" so I stopped doing it.

But I hope I at least explained it a bit.

If you don't see what is wrong with that and you don't see the layers, it's fine. I just take writing seriously and I always do deep dive about characters so I see more layers.

Anduin from Golden is Anduin I know and he is giving me the correct vibes. Anduin from Roux gives me completely different vibes and definitely not the good ones.

I didn't read Shadows Rising yet and I probably never will. It sounds like nothing happened there. But my friend gave me to read the part where Anduin goes to Goldshire Inn to "feel normal". I've never thought I would cringe so hard. If people know this Anduin Madeleine Roux has written, I am not surprised why people hate him. That part was cringe as hell. Roux had no clue about the character, not even Jaina felt like Jaina and you can show a character who wants to feel normal without making it look like...

Gosh what the hell was even that.