#commentary time babey!

[bokettochild]

This excerpt from Cider and Cocoa (one of my ultimate comfort fics) for the DVD commentary ask!! Idk if this is the right number of words because I Could Not count them.

  That night, they curled up on the couch with mugs of cider and cocoa, silently enjoying their final night together.  

  In the morning, Mr. Hero loaded him up with apples and spice, and Ravio scoured his bags for every last trace of chocolate to stock the hero’s cupboards. Neither would last forever, something that niggled the backs of both of their minds, but both sought to drown the thought with checking over house and bags respectively one last time.  

  The goodbye was tearful, both from the princesses and Ravio himself as he flung himself into Mr. Hero’s arms, blubbering and sobbing in a right mess, but Mr. Hero only sighed, shoulders trembling slightly as he’d gently patted his back (arms tight enough around him that Ravio could hardly breathe) the softest of sniffles sounding from his friend as the hero let him cry out all his goodbyes on his shoulder.  

  That night, in the big, stately, but painfully lonely and uncluttered, kitchen of Lorule’s castle, Ravio made apple cider. It didn’t taste quite like Mr. Hero’s, a far cry indeed, but that may have just been the salt in it.  

Honestly, I don't care that much about the word count. You could probably sneak 1,000 in and I'd still just be happy to talk about my fics!

Okay, so, the thing about Cider and Cocoa is that the fic sort of jumped out of nowhere. It's one of the ones that's charm lies in it's simplicity and the fact that there are so few spoken words, and rather the vague impression of speech, which lends it a dreamy, story-book sort of feel (or so I think) that makes it the perfect thing to read to help soothe troubled hearts and ease little sisters down to bed. It's one of @apparitianhanako's favorites to beg me to read to her for that reason, and my main inclination for hoping to one day record read-alouds of the stories, if only so she can always have me reading it to her whenever she wants, no matter what may happen :)

The passage you selected seemed to be the natural progression of the fic when writing it. I wanted to capture that serene sense of slowly warming up to each other, settling into orbit and finding a home where it's not expected. Unfortunately, according to LU cannon, Ravio didn't stay at Link's house, as many prefer to portray it, but instead went home. In the story I was establishing though, it seemed that such a parting would naturally be quite difficult for both of them.

One of the main focus points I had in mind was the severe contrast Ravio would be nearly overwhelmed by from having gone from working (and living?) in a castle, to suddenly being inside this small house with no servants and no silent halls and just... no opulence. Link's house is the picture of simplicity; a little cottage on a hill surrounded by apple trees, a garden and bee hives. The contrast is stark to Ravio, but also a relief; Link's house is a safe haven, both for Mr. Hero and himself, and feels like it's own little pocket of the world, seperate from nearly all else. Link likes it best this way, and Ravio grows to adore it.

Hence why leaving it is such a painful thing.

It's painful for both of them, as they've become awfully attached to one another. It's also why the two of them exchange recipes and why they heap upon the other the necessary tools to make them; both of them know they'll probably never see each other again. However, them being the stubborn bunnies they are, there's a part of them that wants to hold on as fast as possible, to believe that as long as the other one has even just a taste (quite literally in this case) of their time together, that they won't forget them.

Just the same, there's the hope that if they can have that taste of their time with the other, they won't be nearly as lonely once they've parted.

The goodbye itself was interesting to write, because its displays, I think the best of almost anything, the contrast between them. I always enjoy writing a contrast between heroes and princesses that I think I encapsulated best in A Royally Awful Prank, but also touched on here.

Link (Legend) is harsh in his words, in the way he wants the world to see him. It's a mask as we all know, but one raised defensively to protect a tender heart. Ravio, in contrast, has not been faced with the troubles to make him raise such shields, so while Link is trying to remain strong, for not only Ravio but also Zelda, Ravio himself is giving free rein to tears and sorrow.

Ravio sees nothing wrong with expressing himself honestly, whereas Link (Legend) feels the need to be the one offering strength, to bear the burden of the others' hurt as best he can to make their lives and struggle easier. it seemed something the hero would most likely pick up on, and for a hero like the Hero of Legend, who serves not his country, but to help people in need, it seemed in character to make him want to still be strong.

That said, losing Ravio is heartbreaking. Link (Legend) has lost so many people before, but this was the first time he knew it was coming, and knew how it was going to happen. it almost makes it harder because he was mourning it before it ever even happened. So when it does, yes, he's barely holding it together. When he gets home after that scene, he sits himself down in his orchard and just cries.

In that moment though, he's trying to shield his emotions by not speaking too much or crying, but unfortunately, he can't manage to not cling to Ravio for just a moment more, because he too has cherished having someone around in a place that feels like home who just... cares. Link and Ravio may have been using each other to an extant in order to save their homes, but they both knew it all the while and when it comes down to it, they saw all the worst and best of each other in that time. So letting go of the person who sees you for who you are, and not only accepts but cherishes that person, is so, so hard for both of them; Legend physically and Ravio more emotionally.

The last paragraph really focuses on the point I made to open: Lorule castle is big and lonely to Ravio. This is the first glimpse the reader gets of it, but it's a sharp contrast to the cozy home life that Link and Ravio had to share. In the castle, you can miss running into someone on complete accident, whereas the cottage made it to where they could hear each other all the time, no matter where in the house they went. To go from warmth and someone who understands, appreciates and accepts you, to a big, empty place where you're just a piece in a divine chess match is quite painful for Ravio.

Still, our merchant tries to make it a bit more like the house he now thinks of as 'home' by making Link's cider. it doesn't work though, because (as we learn in the next chapter, and as my sister happily brings up every time) Ravio messed up the recipe.

I didn't want to just end it there though, it felt so... disengenuine, so I added the last line.

"It didn’t taste quite like Mr. Hero’s, a far cry indeed, but that may have just been the salt in it."

I remember ditehring over this line for a while. i considered adding more, clarifying that Ravio didn't strait up put salt in cider, that he's crying so hard he might as well be drinking tear-water tea, but the open-ended nature and freedom of interpretation; letting the reader put it together themselves, seemed more appealing. it's not often I can do that without unnecessary confusion, but here I feel like it was well placed and easy to read.

Honestly, this is one of my favorite fics all around, and definitely the one that's stood up the best to time out of all of them. I'm really glad you gave me a chance to blather about it!

[icewindandboringhorror]

Various images from the past year or so... posting my evil little photo diary collections once again..

[bucknastysbabe]

idk if your taking requests but I’m in desperate need of more modern AU Jace fics. Maybe if he was a cocky hockey player with his giant dick I need smut 🙏

Rating: Explicit

Tags: Hockey player!Jace, Actress!Reader, fake dating trope, my not sly commentary about parasocial fangirl behaviors and pressure on women in high profile industries, she has honkers and he has a horse cawk match made in heaven, Jacey is a little sweet babey always, real kittycat eating hours, teasing, pnv!sex, v!fingering, fast burn, lots of banter :)

Taglist: @arcielee @aemonds-holy-milk @targaryenbarbie @valeskafics @fallingintoyourlilaceyes @fairysluna @sugarpoppss2 @lovelykhaleesiii

The contracts were to be signed today. Jace was to be in a PR ‘relationship’ with this break-out actress. He was a star himself in the NHL, winning the Hart Memorial trophy for being the most valuable player his rookie year. He played centre, covering the ice and passing to his teammates to make a goal. He got a huge deal in the aftermath.

Suddenly his world was much more glamorous.

He wasn’t sure who sucked whose dick but he agreed to dating the starlet. He flew down from Toronto to the upscale management office in New York to meet the chick. He’d heard her name, couldn’t put a face to it, and certainly didn’t look her up. The brunette hoped she was a looker like his manager said.

He was pleasantly surprised, shaking her manicured hand. Jacaerys grinned as he introduced himself, poorly hiding his leering gaze on her tight little body. The actress was smoking hot. He wondered if she would be down to fool around. He had no desire for romance outside of planned sightings. He wasn’t much into that at the moment. Jace dated his high school sweetheart Rhaena until he’d gone big time.

She didn’t acclimate to fame and his constant absence. Jace understood why she broke it off. When they were seen— reporters interrupted. Pictures of fan girls crowding around him surfaced all the time. She deleted her socials due to harassment. He was saddened but figured it was a sign to let loose. So let loose he did.

Jacaerys had fucked plenty of puck bunnies, professional athletes, and the occasional hook-up with famous names by now. His brother called him cocky, and his mother snapped to not let the fame get to his head. He listened, truly, Jace loved his family and wanted to make them proud.

But honestly? When he was accomplishing everything he dreamed of and the money was flowing in, Jace couldn’t help but feel a bit over-confident. He knew he was talented, handsome, and a good fuck. He’d learned from a young age that his…dick…was different. In layman’s terms, he had a horse cock. By God, he was proud of that thing too.

They sat down in adjacent chairs, waiting for the agent to come to debrief them on the terms of the relationship. Jacaerys' brown eyes flicked over to her bored face, down to her busty chest, and back up. She scoffed “You haven’t seen my tits on the silver screen?”

He grinned, asking “I don’t get around to movies much. Care to enlighten me?”

Her lips turned into a frown, posture stiffening up. The actress shook her head, pulling out her phone to text rapidly. She was likely talking shit. Jace prodded, “What? Am I missing something? I’m playing hockey year round babe.”

“I literally am up for a Golden Globe for leading actress in a drama,” she grumbled, “Apparently you don’t read either.” She turned back to type on her phone again, lips settling into a pout. The athlete was a little taken aback by her attitude. He liked it. It appeared she was used to cinephile sycophants and co-stars trying to get a piece.

He hummed a laugh, spreading out in the wide chair. They waited, her nails clicking on the cell phone beginning to irritate Jacaerys. He absently asked "You like hockey? It's pretty fun to watch live."

"I don't really pay attention to sports, I act year round babe."

Jace's eyes widened in surprise. She was a spitfire under the glossy hair and now placid expression. He knew better than to irk her more, his mother taught him to respect women. The athlete was drawn in, he wanted a reaction, the attention whether it was negative or not. He smirked at her, leaning over, "Why did you pick me then? Don't like hockey, don't seem quite fond of me."

Her own lips curled a bit, the woman tucking a loose lock of hair behind a jeweled ear. She stated, "I got a list, you were single and cute. Word on the street was that you were a bit nicer than who I am sitting with now. Don't worry, it won't be too long, you'll be back to railing your way through Toronto soon." Her smile was thin, a blank look to her eyes.

Jace's chest fluttered a bit, guilt seeping into his mind. Before he could apologize the door opened. A man in a suit briskly walked in, setting down some papers. He eyed the pair to ask "Ready for the terms?" They both nodded, and Jace noticed her frown grow deeper. Damn. He felt like an asshole.

"Alright Jacaerys Velaryon, you'll be 'dating' my client for three months minimum. If you two hit it off, good job, enjoy your relationship. You two must be seen in public at least bi-weekly, my client will be at your games, and maintaining PDA is required. I'd recommend going out with your friends and playing the part. We'll sign an NDA and get this show on the road. Sound good?"

"Sure."

"Can't wait," she deadpanned.

They scribbled their names and exited the meeting. The actress ignored Jacaerys as she left, answering a phone call, pointedly looking away. He eventually cornered her up to exchange phone numbers. The pair had to exit the building at separate times so as not to draw attention.

Jace decided to read up on his faux girlfriend for the flight home. The actress was talented, the same age as him, and booked for the year. He decided to shoot her a text, damned lingering guilt eating at him. The hockey player was soft at heart, always had been. He could play the part of a cocky athlete but he truly hated confrontation, upsetting others, and general dickishness. That was for his uncles.

"Sorry about being a dick. Going to watch your movie tonight. Should I start with your small role in that sitcom?"

His dark eyes raptly watched the typing bubble. It disappeared, reappeared-- finally a response showed up. She had replied with an emoji rolling its eyes. "God, please don't, I look like a freak. The movie is much better. Then you can tell me about my tits. Apology accepted. See you next week in Toronto, make sure to clean the thongs outta your place."

Jace grinned, excitement coursing through his veins. He ended up making a big show picking her up from the airport. He grabbed the luggage and put it in his new sleek car. A couple of people had stopped her, even Jace for some autographs. The brunette made sure to hug the actress-- pulling her in for a searing kiss. His hand possessively splayed across her lower back, fingers grazing her pert ass.

He opened the door to let her in the car, cameras flashing now. Jace leaned in to whisper, "I have to admit, you have a beautiful body." She flushed and pecked his lips again, shooting him a smile. The hockey player climbed into the driver's side and off they went. He snuck a look and added, "I didn't really find any thongs but everything is pristine, Miss Golden Globe Nominee."

"Good, Mister Hart Trophy Winner."

Jace couldn't help but smile. He enjoyed her banter while they headed to his place. The woman was witty and playful, her icy facade melting as he listened to her. Jace carried her bags into the luxury apartment complex, while she had a roller bag. He teased, "You got boulders in here?"

"I'm staying for a bit, need to be prepared. You can run around in a tracksuit and no one bats an eye. If I look like a slob the tabloids are going to wonder if I'm a drunk or something. You won't believe the 'inside sources' I apparently have."

Jace frowned, scoffing, "That's bullshit. They put so much pressure on women in the industry."

She gazed at him, eyes softened as she thanked him in a reverent tone. Jace felt his cheeks heat up. He was beginning to wonder if he was having a moment of weakness or simply struck dumb by her looks and powerful presence. "At the least, I'm not a model."

Jacaerys snorted. He's had his fair share of models. He assumed they were all a bit nutty from the coke, not the horrid pressure from their nigh-impossible standards of beauty to uphold. "Good point," he conceded.

She stared around his loft, lips quirking up. The woman placed her bag down and strolled to the huge windows overlooking the city. Casting a glance back at Jacaerys she marveled, "It's gorgeous Jacaerys. Much prettier than LA." He smiled and replied, "Wait until you see it at night, I never get tired of the view."

Jace liked the way she said his full name. Maybe too much. He felt his cheeks begin to burn again. His animal hindbrain tittered "How would she sound moaning that?"

Awkwardness settled over the pair, her turning back to look out the window. Jace stated, "I'll put your things in the guest room, it's got a big bathroom and all."

"Thanks hun," she hummed. She followed along to place the luggage down, flopping onto the bed. Her big eyes followed Jace's form as she commented, "I highly doubt you decorated the place but it's nice. Very...Feng shui."

"Mom did all of that, I do try to keep it clean. I fear she'll appear and scold me. You could lick off the floor at my place growing up."

"Ha! I wish! I'm cluttered as all get out."

Jace gave her a faux glare, "Better keep it tidy, babe."

"Uh-huh, sure, what's on the docket for today? I want a tour and a cocktail to cap it off at dinner."

"You mean the club?"

Jace couldn't stop his cock from twitching when she smiled at him coquettishly, sparkling teeth gleaming as she purred "Of course stud, let's see what the rake of the Maple Leafs is putting down. I wanna see you dance!"

Oh. He was in quite deep. Jacaerys Velaryon might have developed an infatuation faster than he could pass a puck.

They held hands walking around Toronto, catching lunch as he showed her the sights. They rested on a bench in a park, Jace's arm slung around her shoulders, their heads close together as they spoke. The pair of them stared at her phone, giggling. The actress read off the Instagram post, "Starlet dating hockey star Jace Velaryon?"

"They're quick with it, for the love of god don't look at the comments."

Her pretty eyes rolled, "They call me an industry whore, nothing new, let me see this." Her red lacquered nail clicked on the comments. She guffawed, lips spreading into a smile. Jace raised a brow and looked over. He shook his head in annoyance-- how could 'fans' of his be so angry? Wouldn't they want him to be happy?

'Please, this won't last a second.'

'Pr relationship so obvious.'

'Jaceeeee whyyyyy she's such a bad actress.'

"A Golden Globe nominee is a bad actress? God, don't listen to that nonsense," he grumbled, tightening his arm around her shoulders. She shrugged and clicked on a fan page of her own. Jace seemed to settle at the more uplifting comments. He laughed out loud at one, 'Loveeee get it mother!' Jace outright guffawed at the second one, 'Be careful babes, don't get split by his infamous horse dick!!!'

"I like my fans better. I'll have to check out your fan cams at some point."

Jace rolled his eyes, helplessly grinning. His eyes flicked to a camera shuttering. Ah great, paparazzi, he thought. The brunette was planning on intentionally kissing her. He glared at the person and sniffed, "Come on, let's head back to my place for a bit." She cooed "What? Don't want your pic taken Jacey?"

"Nope, we need nap time before hitting the nightlife."

"I hope we see Drake. That would be cool."

Jace laughed his ass off. When they got into the elevator he crowded her up, hands on her waist. She inhaled, eyes widening, full lips quirking up. He murmured softly, "You're so...I can't find the words." Her arms loosely linked around his shoulders, soft lips so close. She whispered, "Actions speak louder than words pretty boy."

Next thing Jace knew her legs were locked around his hips, the pair making out as he blindly keyed open the door to his loft. Kicking the door open, the brunette pressed her against the wall, mouthing his way down her neck. The actress' nails dug into his shoulders as she moaned, breasts heaving in excitement. He nipped at her collarbone, mumbling, "Lemme eat you out, fuck, please."

"Bed now," she demanded in return.

He deposited the beauty on his bed, wildly jerking at his clothes. She was shimmying off her leggings, the sweatshirt she borrowed hitting the wall. Jace climbed atop her in his underwear, grinding against her pussy, mouth latching back onto plush lips. She whined under her breath when he lapped into her mouth, calloused hands playing with peaked nipples.

They grew sloppy, Jace finally kissing and sucking his way down her tight body. He grabbed one of her legs as he sucked on the thin skin of the hip, dark eyes blown black with arousal. She gripped at his hair, breathless, "Fu-uck Jacaerys, please, please." Jace grinned, rumbling, "I gotcha baby, screw the club, I'll show you a good time tonight yeah?" He was hopelessly earnest, swollen lips hovering above her mound.

"Yes yes baby, want it all, please, you're killing me." Jace could lose his mind at the way her voice cracked into a whimper, brows pinching in agony. She even thrust fruitlessly upwards-- Jace's other hand keeping her hip pinned. He grunted, "Spread em' sweetheart."

He tongued at her engorged clit off the rip, hands digging into the soft meat of the thighs. The actress cried out, back arching all gorgeous, tits bouncing with the movement. Her hand tightened in his curls as Jace suckled, eyes watching every little move. He snuck his fore and middle fingers up and across her sopping slit, smirking.

He delved them into her cunt as his tongue joined, playfully lapping as the excess slick, moaning at her natural taste. She whimpered again, thighs tightening as Jacaerys crooked his fingers up into her g-spot, flicking his tongue upwards and back to her clitoris. He paused to groan, "You feel good pretty girl?"

She moaned his name and babbled nonsense, pussy throbbing and drenching his fingers. Jacaerys' smiled-- she moaned his name just as he imagined. He had a rhythm alternating between teasing jabs of his tongue and suckling on the bundle of nerves. She was growing frantic, tossing her hair around and practically howling in pleasure.

He sped up the pace, relentlessly working her pretty pussy until the darling shrieked his name, clenching his hair. Her thighs twitched and clamped around his head, body arched as she heaved and cried. Jace groaned at her gushing around his fingers, long lashes fluttering in pure want. He needed to fuck her, now.

He pulled down his briefs as she laid back, panting, pretty face dazed and flushed-- a light sheen of sweat had covered her naked body. He climbed atop her, pleading, "C'mon sweets, think you can take it? Take me? I'll give you another orgasm, too goddamn perfect not too, god."

Her lidded eyes widened at his cock. It was flushed and heavy, too heavy to do anything but hang between his impossibly toned thighs. The actress rasped, "Give it to me, I can take it, ease it in." She kissed the brunette open-mouthed and wet, shaky legs pulling up to cage his hips in.

Jace's breath stuttered as he guided the fat tip of his cock into her soaked pussy, feeling the stretch immediately. She clung to him, pouring herself into his lips, nails digging into his shoulder blades. He slid in another agonizing two inches, gasping, "Fuck you're tight."

She responded by sucking blooming marks into his tensed neck, eyes rolling up when the thick middle of his cock spread her wide open. "Jacaerys, Jacaerys, you feel so good- so damn big baby!" He kept pushing against the slight resistance, settling as deep as he could.

His brown eyes clenched tight, she was like a silky glove around his cock. Hazily he felt her stomach, eyes lolling around at the bump from his cock. She was mewling wetly at the junction of neck and shoulder, non-stop babbling about being so full. Jace panted, "Mm, yeah, lookit' you, stretched your pretty pussy out."

He began to fuck in earnest, chasing a high. Her cunt dragged and clung to his fat cock, ridged insides sending sharp arousal up his spine. Jace lost himself in the moment, mouthing at a pert nipple, heavy balls slapping against her ass. She cried and yelled, worthy of a fucking porno. He knew he wasn't going to last long. But the way she was practically shivering and fuck-dumb, slurring her words of nonsense, she was right with Jace.

"M'gonna cum baby, you on birth control?"

"Fuck me, jus' keep fuckin' me," she rasped. Plan B was always an option when her mind returned to non-mush. Jace kept fucking her as instructed, groans growing desperate and guttural. His balls were drawing up, aching from how needy he was to cum.

He kissed her one more time, swallowing her noises before pulling back to pant against her cheek, hips beginning to stutter. He snuck a hand down to her cunt, thumbing her clit. Just when he thought it couldn't get any better-- she shrieked again. A gush of her slick engulfed his cock, wet noises filling the bedroom. Jace cried her name, shoving himself deep and filling her up.

He might've sent her into another orgasm but Jacaerys was whited out from pleasure. All the athlete could do was pathetically groan as his cock twitched and pumped his heavy load into her cock, thickening the slick coating on his prick, collecting around where they joined. It was delightfully filthy. He came too with a deep inhale, sliding out with a mewl and flopping away.

Overstimulation was a common theme with the girls he fucked-- Jace knew to give some space in the immediate aftermath. It wasn't too long before she complained, "Why are you flopped over there? Get over here, you just fucked my brains out."

He grinned like a sap. How did she have yet another moment where he found himself deeper in desire for the woman. Jace murmured, "My bad, my bad, didn't want to overheat you or anything." She retorted, "I'm a cuddler Jacaerys Velaryon, you should remember that about your girlfriend." He chuckled, jerking her into his embrace, tucking a chin on her shoulder.

"They didn't lie about your horse dick. Hate to tell your fan girlies that cock belongs to me now."

Jace smirked, pressing a gentle peck to her skin, "It's all yours, believe me. They can find the next rookie of the year to be their online boyfriend."

[queeenpersephone]

omg!!!! i’m so happy you are still alive in the ironwidow fandom and THANKYOU so much for the sneak peak of king of my heart - i am so looking forward 🥹🥹💞💞💞

& when inspiration strikes, here are some drabble ideas from me <3

— Morgan & tonynat drabbles,,,, i read your endgame drabble about them and thought it was sosososososos cute and would love love more of how nat has interacted with morgan through the 5 years and made their little family ( i love domestic fluff and i think nat and children is always just so 🥺 ) + optional appearance of Pepper and Rhodey to complete the iron fam (i don’t ship pepperony but i love pepper and i really appreciate how you write her in your fics <333)

— Nat with young peter drabble!!! i love (how many times have i said love im so sorry there’s no other way to describe my feelings ㅋㅋ) your ao3 fic about nat adopting peter and rasing him, would love to see their little spider family through the years from babey peter to teenage peter and + maybe their little family after the addition of tony 🩷

BUT YES! that’s all from me <3333 have a great day <3

hi hi!! sorry it took me so long to get to this but thank you so much for the prompts - this drabble is adjacent to your first one. it's not exactly on point but it's part of a larger fic ('so it goes') that i'm getting close on finishing up that does have actual morgan&nat interactions! this is just the lead up to that. it was going to be that but then tony and nat started talking and they have a mind of their own lol. still, i hope you love it as much as i love you for this super sweet ask <3

this takes place in this drabble's universe where tony and pepper break up (but changing it a little so it's after they have morgan) and tony and nat get together about a year and a half after infinity war. you don't have to read that one to get this one <3

-

At first, he doesn’t realize that he’s keeping his two lives separate. 

Natasha comes upstate often, but sporadically. They don’t speak of it, but he knows that she’s running operations for the Avengers. Sometimes, he wants to call up Bruce or Clint or Thor or, god, even Steve, and demand to know why it’s Natasha who has to keep the world together while the four of them wallow. But then he’d be a hypocrite because he’s wallowing too, and that useless conversation isn’t compelling enough to open up a line of conversation that he wants to remain closed. Plus, it would violate the unspoken agreement between Nat and him that their time is sacred, separate, and private. 

It takes him about eight months to realize that she never visits when Morgan is with him. 

Initially, he’s grateful. Morgan knows about Natasha, but only as Daddy’s friend who visits him sometimes when she’s not there. He certainly talks all about Morgan to Natasha, who easily keeps up with the proper commentary, questions, and advice when he gushes or worries about his daughter. 

Morgan, as the brilliant three year old she is, is the one who throws a wrench in things when she finds Natasha’s jacket on the couch. When Tony tells her that his friend must have left it when she was visiting a few days ago, Morgan collapses on the couch and immediately pouts. 

“Auntie Nat?” She demands in the cutest toddler voice he’s ever heard. Tony has never really liked kids, but this one? She’s amazing. He nods in response to her question. “She was here?”

Tony smiles. “She’s here a lot, munchkin. Who do you think has been helping me with all your pretty flowers?” 

“You do the flowers with her?” Tony’s brow furrows at the disgruntled tone. Is she jealous? He opens his mouth to reassure her that he loves planting flowers with her the most when she speaks again. “I wanna do flowers with Auntie Nat!” 

“You don’t even know Auntie Nat,” Tony points out, crouching down in front of her and tucking her hair behind her ear to see her face. 

“Yes I do! Mama said she’s your friend, and Uncle Rho says that they ‘venge together. Daddy, I want to ‘venge with Auntie Nat too!” 

Tony chuckles, lifting Morgan into his arms and pressing kisses to her cheeks until she giggles. “There will be no avenging, but maybe there can be flowers,” he tells her. “No promises. I have to talk to Auntie Nat first.” 

A few days later, she runs into her mother’s arms, chattering about Natasha and her red hair that she saw in pictures and can she have red hair like Auntie Nat’s or Mama’s? Pepper raises an eyebrow at Tony, who shrugs. 

“It’s about time,” she says, kissing his cheek in parting before getting into the car and driving off. It used to hurt, this part. But it doesn’t hurt anymore, because Morgan’s departure signals Nat’s arrival. 

For the first time, that idea of that separation makes him frown. 

The frown lasts for another few hours, when Nat pulls up in the 1965 Shelby Cobra, one of his favorites that he’s permanently loaned her. Not like he has to drive anywhere. He tries to put on a grin for her, but she sees right through it. 

“What happened?” She demands immediately, before even greeting him. Her eyes scan their surroundings, as if looking for a threat.  

He just shakes his head at her, holding out his arms. “Get out of the Compound mindset and into the cabin one,” he cajoles. “Kiss me, and I’ll explain.”

She caves, pressing a gentle, domestic kiss to his lips, the one he loves that makes him feel like they’ve been together forever. When she tries to pull back, he resists, holding her close for a beat longer. She allows it, sinking into his embrace in return. 

“Okay,” he sighs after another thirty seconds, leading her into the house, “I’ll tell you everything.” 

“If only it was this easy creating treaties with aliens,” she drawls, spotting her jacket on the couch. “Oh, I was looking for this one.” 

Tony ignores the second comment, turning to her with wide eyes, affecting the most offended look he can come up with on the spot. “You’re telling me you’re out there kissing aliens to get them not to destroy the Earth?” 

Natasha spots the joke from a mile away, but she plays along. He’s sure she knows how much he’s missed verbal sparring with the team. “I’ve never kissed an alien,” she retorts, but then, almost as an afterthought, something flickers in her eyes, and she turns quickly to grab the jacket. “I’ll just put this with my things upstairs, so I don’t forget it again,” she adds, walking toward the stairs. 

Spotting the flash like a seasoned veteran he is of understanding this particular woman, he narrows his eyes, following after her.  “Wait wait, what was that?” He accuses, making his way up the stairs. They creak with each of his steps, even Morgan’s light steps, but never Natasha’s. “You’ve kissed an alien?” 

“I haven’t kissed anyone since we started this,” she soothes, entering his room and hanging the jacket up in the closet space he’s left for her. She’s clearly hoping to drop the subject.

Oh no. Tough luck. He’s not really upset, especially not with this new, roundabout admission that they are exclusive, but he’s not going to let this go. “Who?” He pushes, fighting to hold back his grin. He stays in the door, bracing his hands on the frame. Not that she couldn’t get past him easily. She shakes her head, pursing her lips. “I swear I will never bring it up again, I solemnly swear, but if you don’t tell me, I’m going to keep asking and asking… better yet, I’ll ask the only alien we really know-”

The skin around Natasha’s eyes tightens just a little, but it’s enough. 

“Thor?!” He shouts, before rubbing his hands over his eyes. “Agent Romanoff… You - how - when -” 

“A mission,” she explains, short and sweet. “Before Ultron. For a cover. That’s it. Are you done?” 

Something in her voice makes him pause. “Yeah, Nat. I’m done.” She moves to leave, and he drops his hands to let her. 

The house is silent for a little while before he goes to find her. She’s on the bench on the dock, listening to the wind whistle through the trees. It’s getting dark early now, a sign of the approaching winter. The trees still have some color, though, and it’s beautiful. 

He doesn’t waste another second. “Look, honey, I’m sorry. I touched a sore spot. You know I don’t think less of you for what you’ve done, right? Because if I haven’t made that clear, I’m making it clear here and now.” 

She sighs, patting the seat next to her. He sits so that their legs press together, and she leans her head on his shoulder. 

“It’s not that,” she says. “I just… I saw Thor last week.” Tony stays silent, waiting for her to continue. “I want to respect your feelings on this, Tony,” she adds finally. 

He squeezes his eyes shut, then opens them. “Tell me,” he requests, and she does. 

She keeps it brief, but even brief, it sounds terrible. Tony had never been close with Thor; he was always going off-world, doing his own thing. Tony would never admit it, but he’s always been cautious of the demigod after realizing that it was his brother who terrorized New York. And then, during Ultron, Thor had choked him, gone off on his own again, and hadn’t really come back for any substantial amount of time afterwards. Sure, Tony’s well aware that he hadn’t tried to understand the life of a god king, but then Thor hadn’t seemed to think much of him either. 

He really hadn’t thought Natasha to be all that close with Thor either, and from her words, he hadn’t been wrong. But she’s been making efforts, and all of those efforts have been going to waste as Thor sinks deeper and deeper into a depression of which none of his friends, people, or the Avengers can cure him. 

“I didn’t want to tell you,” she says, reading the horror in his expression. 

He wants to tell her that she can tell him anything, that he’s willing to help, that he can go see Thor or Thor can come here because Tony himself is happy now, is content, is willing to help, can save the world again…

“- Hey, Tony. Tony! Listen to me, solnyshka, count my heartbeat. One, two, three, breathe.” 

He opens his eyes. He hadn’t even realized that he had closed them. “Natasha, I’m sorry,” he breathes. 

She shakes her head. Are those tears in her eyes? “No, I’m sorry. You had something to tell me?” 

“Nat, Thor-”

“No,” she says, final and serious. “No, Tony. Tell me what you wanted to say.” 

He caves. He’s afraid to admit he caves because he wants to. What kind of superhero is he? “Morgan wants to meet you,” he offers. “She saw your jacket.” He chuckles a little wetly, but Natasha is too kind to comment on it. “She’s jealous that I get to plant flowers with you and she doesn’t.” 

Natasha is silent for a moment, then: “and you want this? Pepper is okay with it?” 

This time when he laughs, it comes out clear. He can feel her relax next to him. “Of course I am,” he tells her. “You two are the best parts of my life.” Natasha smiles. “And never worry about Pepper. She saw this coming far before you or me.” 

She turns into him, burying her cold nose in his neck. Perhaps she is protecting herself from the cold autumn air, but he thinks he knows better. “With Pepper’s brains and your good looks, that kid is going to go far.” 

“What about my brains?”

“I know what I said,” she retorts, but he can feel her smiling against his neck. 

He sighs, but he’s grinning when he wraps his arm around her a little tighter, turning his face into her hair. “You’re not as inscrutable as you think, you know,” he whispers. An offered truth. 

She inhales, and they watch the lake for a while before she returns the favor. “I know. I’m not trying to be inscrutable with you,” she confesses.

[kafus]

file too big for tumblr so you get a youtube video but HIII I DID IT!! I BEAT THORTON!!! I GOT THE GOLD PRINT BABEY I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS TO HAPPEN TONIGHT!! months of on and off grinding and then 3 days straight of doing this nearly all my waking hours and losing so many streaks and I DID IT!!! this is one of the hardest things you can do in gen 4 ever i think i'm losing my mind. pthgss battle factory does NOT fuck around

some commentary below the cut if you're interested in my thoughts/strategy while doing this

when i saw whiscash i swapped into scizor because i thought it was safe and i wanted to preserve weavile's strength, speed, and fake out for later... and i did my calcs wrong. i've been hunched over calculators and spreadsheets for hours to have the best odds of winning this streak and somehow i was calculating doubles damage instead of singles so EQ was stronger than i expected. embarrassingly i didn't notice this until someone pointed it out to me after the fact LOL. i don't even know how i didn't catch it, of course EQ does more damage, it's STAB!! so that was actually a pretty damn dangerous switch! but he missed stone edge i am BLESSED stone edge more like stone MISS AHAHAHAFSDKFSDAL

anyway after whiscash was down i let entei take out my scizor because scizor is slow and was already on low HP, if i tried to preserve it it would probably just get outsped and die to a legendary or something later. and entei had two dangerous sets in particular it could possibly be so i really needed to scout its fire move. tbh when i saw entei my heart sank, i knew my team was really weak to fire and that it could be a problem but i just never found any good pokemon to swap while climbing round 7. i just hoped that garchomp resisting and having earthquake would suffice... but the entei had a shuca berry (halves a super effective ground hit) so outrage actually did more damage. if entei crit me at any point it would have been over but otherwise it would have been impossible to take out garchomp in two hits thankfully. and i had a persim berry if outrage ended in two turns and confused me. but didn't end up mattering!

my heart SANK when the focus band proc'd on latios (a 10% chance) but then i was like YES!! THIS IS WHAT WEAVILE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR!! THERE'S NO WAY IT PROCS TWO MORE TIMES IN A ROW RIGHT?! because weavile using fake out would give me a chance, and then if focus band proc'd again, the flinch from fake out would let me get a second turn and weavile outspeeds that latios SO it was pretty safe unless i got insanely unlucky. AND IT WORKED OUT!!!!

i dunno if i deserved this win because my round 6 (the round before this one) was INCREDIBLY lucky, like, i got the round 7 staraptor in my draft and it had choice band brave bird and just decimated EVERYTHING except a couple bronzongs which i had a strong vaporeon for, so... it was basically a freebie and then round 7 had some close calls but also i got garchomp from trading with the literal first trainer (who i almost lost to but shhh) and then all the stuff with scizor/whiscash... BUT. it's been long enough i'm TAKING IT

anyways POGGERS

i'm probs gonna upload this battle video to the dns exploit server later but i gotta wait for my parents to go to bed so i'm not interrupting them using wifi by turning on the gen 4 compatible guest wifi lol

(btw if you want to do factory yourself please look up smogon's resources on it and use calcs and stuff i promise without it it will be a living nightmare 10x more than it already is)

[ultraternative]

Muddposting old art 6 (I think?):

Couple a scrinkles

Commentary under the cut

It's back babey! Not too many in this group just cause I didn't do as much at the time.

The first image, in case it wasn't obvious, is just a silly little guy. Essentially an ad for a plush that doesn't do much.

The second image was because valentine's was the day before and I wasn't putting either of my characters in a relationship then.

The third was because I spent years of my life on reddit and thought "Yeah I can share this accomplishment." Yknow, because that's where I was before.

The fourth image was because pokemon scarlet/violet had been announced earlier and sprigatito aka weed cat had taken over the internet. Figured I'd do a funny with these new little guys.

I did also make an unrelated character around this time that was basically just vague shape of black cat with eyes, but much like scrinkles it didn't really go anywhere. Gotta post the next one of these soon though so the first image can still be valid.

[utilitycaster]

I don't know if you've looked over the new UA, or if you're planning to, but i've always loved your commentary on the strengths of the warlock and the pitfalls of the sorcerer (and also debunking of a lot of the whining about pre-tasha's sorcerer subclasses), so if you do end up looking over it, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the mechanical changes to the classes!

I haven't been keeping up for a while but I have returned for the most recent list so here's a very cursory list of thoughts. Sorcerer and warlock stuff in depth is bolded for your ease of finding.

buying a drink for whoever came up with the "if you fucked up which spells you prepared as a wizard? BURN A SLOT BABEY". this person gets it.

I don't love eldritch blast only scaling by warlock level but making it free does help; there's also no way to really like, reward people for playing warlock/paladin and point and laugh at them for playing warlock/sorcerer and shrug at them for playing warlock/bard so like, I get it I guess.

sorcery incarnate is great at making sorcerers suck less because it really is like. once you're out of sorcery points? you are just a wizard who is less smart, with worse spells.

Barbarian rage updates seem very good - the taking damage thing has always irritated me, and I agree, it should be what you do, not what happens to you. Also a fan of the Primal Knowledge.

NGL I'm obviously a huge caster main and I have to look up how you calculate your weapon damage every time so I will return to weapon mastery on the weekend when I am well-rested, theoretically.

Sorcerer: wow this class doesn't suck here! Increasing the number of spells is really the biggest thing, but moving metamagic to level 2 makes muticlassing into sorcerer an actually feasible option, and making it something you can change on a long rest is HUGE, particularly because metamagic is very much a case of "if you have the exact correct metamagic option it will save your ass but if you picked wrong at level 3 you are dead." Sorcerous vitality is good and in general I think sorcerers should gain abilities that make them more self-sufficient [insert Critical Role Campaign 3 joke here]. In general the always prepped sorcerer spells are good. Arcane Apotheosis is unhinged but in the right and proper way of high level characters so that's fine.

Warlock: I'm sorry but warlock should not be permitted to be wisdom based. If you were wise you'd make better choices. Int is fine though obviously since wizard stupid/hubris is frequently true of other mages. Anyway. Moving the spell slot progression to half-caster systems is probably wise given that once a warlock hit level 9 it became Time To Exploit Things but I do have a soft spot for pact magic; mechanically this is good, emotionally this is eh. Medium armor by default is good because warlocks are frequently in situations. Moving Mystic Arcanum softens the blow a bit, and moving the pact boon to level 1 along with the patron will hopefully help people understand the warlock narratively better (iykyk). Contact Patron, and getting Hex at will at L18 are both great. My only argument is that pact weapon should, like the others, last until dismissed or until you die; like, realistically, what is going to happen is the player is going to say "just assume I fucking cast it each morning and also each night to ensure I have weapons at the ready if we're attacked in the middle of the night" so may as well cut out the middleman. The invocation changes seem fine; Hexer is hilarious and perfect.

Wizard stuff is great, big fan of the Academic feature.

[elderwisp]

i spent the last hours reading tessellate from the start so i just wanted to drop a little love because eeeeeee i like it so much!!! first off all ur characters are a hit!! dynamic personalities, and they all mesh with one another really well in interesting ways. it all feels like a little peek into the lives of random people and sometimes that all you really need babey! i'm excited to see where you go with things especially with atlas, dan (my beloved), also the way that there are multiple storylines/ a large cast of characters yet i never feel overwhelmed <3333 and ofc visually, the post are lovely. the one juxtaposing frances and atlas coping...u know you ate with that. that last closeup with ares and dan with the lighter and frances's recital?? so pretty!! stapled in the brain.

on a less serious note, frances and icarus SAVE ME i like their dynamic so much their interactions seem very organic and fun. a friends to lovers (would they fall under that category..ik he's her boss but they're friendssss) for the ages. i feel like with a name like icarus things are destined to get messy between them and im afraid of it but also im not....but also i need only good things to happen to frances always, tu sabes. and its so funny that i finally read this after you mapped out their first kiss scene, bc i would not have survived the irl four years of building their relationship up godbless <3 also BEEE!!! sorry i just remembered i love bee and i hope she stands up to her boss at work one of these days (and gets whatever she wants for the rest of her life despite how inadvisable it may be at the moment :) )

hope this all isn't too weird, but i had thoughts to share and who better than with the author. tldr: your story brought me joy at 1:15 am and i appreciate it!! also everyone has such cool names??? what a slay. ty and take care <3

live footage of me reading this:

this seriously made my evening i think i reread this about ten times!! i honestly had to retype this message several times because just being able to receive commentary like this is everything. a lot of these characters have been with me for such a long time so to be able to share the little dudes livin their lives AND have people enjoy it??? AWESOME! a lot of the scenes you mentioned are also seared in my mind forever LMAO especially the scene between frances and atlas. i think the week i was gathering everything to shoot it, i completely scrapped the original and the parallels post was a complete spur of the moment thing but i'm glad it happened GAH i'm so excited to share more in the future <3 also with icarus and frances, they're actually my most difficult pair to write for simply because initially (in my ts3 days) icarus was supposed to be such a small part but they had such a good dynamic i had to expand that! so he's a fairly new character for me!

anyways thank you so much! i hope you have a great day! :D flowers is for u <3

[syrupsyche]

⭐ i'd love to hear your director's commentary on how marius won the hand :D

THANK U for the ask!! You probably already read my dir. commentary on Ch. 5 and Ch. 6 of How Marius Won the Hand [...], so I'll jump back and do a commentary on Ch. 4 of the fic!

I confess: I had no idea what to name Courferre so I picked the two names I feel I've heard the most often when it came to fan-assigned names. And not to give any spoilers, but Courfeyrac's name will come into play again in the future!

Also not to pull a Hugo but I wanted to emphasize how pretty Cosette was lol. Needed to give her and Enjolras some physical similarities first (beauty, etc.) before some spiritual similarities later on in the story!

Cosette canonically loves to tease Marius! See:

Ten years later, with the love of Marius in her heart, she would have answered: “A pedant, and insufferable to the sight! You are right!” (4.3.7)

“Monsieur, you are handsome, you are good-looking, you are witty, you are not at all stupid, you are much more learned than I am, but I bid you defiance with this word: I love you!” (4.8.1)

“Don’t cough, sir; I will not have people cough on my domain without my permission. It’s very naughty to cough and to disturb me.” (4.8.1)

And so I needed Cosette to have her spunk here as well!

Ninny mention!! *cue cheers and applause* Wanted the Valjean reveal to be Hugo-esque ("omg who could this mysterious old man be 🤭") and I'm glad ppl noticed it! Also, Valjean hates Marius so much that I NEEDED to include it, though I suppose Ch. 6 is a lot more obvious with it.

Pilf wrote an excellent post about what Valjean's dynamics with the Amis would be like. Though the context in this fic is quite different (Courferre + Marius having to gain Valjean's favour) but I still think it fits! Courfeyrac would be far too Courfeyrac-ish to gain Valjean's immediate liking, in contrast to Cosette who would love Courf immediately (which only just worsens Courfeyrac's standing). Combeferre, however, is able to stick to safer topics! They're just Two Polite Men. This fic has also only just hinted at Enjolras' and Valjean's father/son dynamic so far but it's very close to Pilf's post on it too. They do not talk to each other at ALL; they will sit in silence together for hours and enjoy it. That's their father/son bonding time babey!

A call back to an earlier part of the chapter when Marius tried to make sure that "his palms were not slick with sweat". Mission failed!

I like to write Courferre stumbling over each other trying to impress Cosette. Idk I just feel like they have that sort of energy à la Tulio and Miguel from The Road to El Dorado.

I'm really glad ppl liked this scene ehe. How did Marius drink soup with a fork? Just part of his Pontmercying shenanigans I suppose.

Cosette being shocked at Enjolras taking her hand is the same energy as someone getting shocked when a particularly introverted cat suddenly comes up and sits on their lap. I hc that Enjolras isn't a very tactile person (which could be canonically derived from his only-two-kisses moment), so Cosette appreciates any physical displays of affection she can get!

I argue that the main thing Marius lacked in canon that could have given him a proper 'character development' was the belief that he could have a solid support system outside of bourgeois circles. He was so close to connecting with Les Amis de l'ABC but he ultimately fell back into a self-deprecating hole once his world views were challenged. In this fic I hope to get Marius to reconnect with Les Amis on a personal level first (via Cosette and Enjolras) before attempting to push him towards connecting with them politically (and he's already beginning to, in Ch. 5!).

And it's no surprise that the first person he reaches for when he realises that he DOES have actual friends is Courfeyrac! Writing this fic and rereading les mis letters has got me in my Courfius feels; Courf was such a good friend to Marius and (fic spoilers?) is definitely deserving of being his chief groomsman!

—

And that's it for my Ch. 4 analysis! Sorry for the late answer lol; immediately after reblogging the post I got thrown 5 different assignment deadlines.

If anyone wants any other fic analysis (or even an AU analysis as a whole!) feel free to ask! I'm only one message away from blabbering like an idiot <3.

[prettyflyshyguy]

Ok place your bets how angry am I going to get at spn for their handling of S4 Sam because Dean's right.

"So far all you've told me about is a manipulative bitch who uh, screwed you, played mind games with you and did everything in the book to get you to go bad."

Yeah babey I'm tired, it's my day off, and I've braved myself up to tackle the tumultuous S4 because it's giving mixed feelings!!!!

You know the drill. Unhinged thoughts, commentary and screaming under the cut. I've been in full media analysis mode for the last week so it might get a little academic too, who knows.

A warning - I'm not enjoying the Heaven x Hell sub plot. I know, I'm sorry (not really.) I will persist as long as I can but you can't rip seasons 1-3 out of my cold dead hands because I'm clinging to them too strongly. They just hit the spot near perfectly. World's biggest fandom member disappointment, and proud, over here.

Anyway commentary bellow!

S4E9/10 - I Know What You Did Last Summer & Heaven and Hell

Ok so, this is a real topic, and I'm going to tread lightly here, but I appreciate the sinister undertones of Ruby coming onto Sam and him actively pushing back - he's vulnerable, abusing a substance, and she's actively taking advantage of that and doesn't stop after he makes it clear he's uncomfortable the first time. A boundary is broken and pushed through. Very icky. I have seen spoilers for Ruby's character (unfortunately!) and like, have to say, she got me. But I think I'd start to really clue in with this episode that something is deeply not ok - based on that one scene alone.

I am however, deeply worried, that the emotional manipulation is not going to be handled with the consideration it needs (especially with regards to a woman coming onto a man and being too pushy) and it'll be played off lightly. I guess we'll find out. But I'm getting defensive already. Appreciate that Dean clocks it immediately however.

On a lighter note - go psychic boy go

Anytime Dean makes this face I go mental. He looks like a concerned version of the Eyes emoji. Top 10 expressions I have too much fun trying to replicate in art. Buddy being dead for 6 months must've sucked you've missed so much Oh No.

Supremely embarrassed that it ONLY JUST CLICKED that they're doing a whole Sam's with the Demons, Dean's with the Angels thing.

I'll focus in on the most specific shit and then something so blunt will fly over my big idiot head. Amazing.

Ironic of course, and clearly intentional that its cause Sam was always appointed the 'better one' but that's only cause Dean purposefully inserted himself as the moral-fall character as a way to try and protect Sam. Obsessed with that concept, not so much with the heaven v hell stuff.

REGARDLESS, two angels rocking up and Ruby's immediate response being to turn on the demon eyes makes me wonder - is this intentional - did she choose to do this, was an otherworldly force compelling her to do it?

No I'm not just asking these cause I'm cooking up ideas for Sam to get more demonic nooooooo what're you talking about noooooooo

Hilarious that Cas and his mate rock up like "Hello we are literal fucking angels, we want this human woman please we're going to kill her now, please hand her over"

like they can't just yoink her regardless.

And this is starting to stray into "Why Shy really isn't enjoying the heaven-hell stuff in spn" - which I should save for an entirely separate post, but most of it boils down to the stakes don't feel serious anymore, the comparative power levels of character's feels unbalanced, it takes away ANY weight to Sam's personal faith as a character trait, and--

I'm sorry I just cannot get behind any of it. Really dislike it. Unfortunate. Oh well. Sozzles.

Heaven and Hell was a real hard episode for me to watch for a number of reasons and overall, I deeply disliked it, but the ending scene of Dean breaking down was extremely well done so huge props for that. Fantastic writing and acting all through. Much to consider!!

S4E11 - Family remains

The summary for this one looks. Fun.

"And what am I running from?"

"What you told me. Or are we pretending that never happened?"

OUGH. OUGH. AUGH. OOMF. ACK. AUGH.

I appreciate that unlike every ghost hunter I've watched on youtube, this show recognises that EMF readers cannot be completely trusted. 10/10 thank you supernatural. One small little line about the needle being wacky, and Dean noting that there's power lines right next to the house. Love it.

Nice.

I can sense I'm going to enjoy this episode.

I LOVE A GOOD GHOST-HUNTING EPISODE!!

Also love that this episode forcibly made the boys reconcile with the confliction of killing humans vs killing creatures, but the humans were in a way like the creatures (monsters), the same way the monsters can be like humans.

Anyway, tonal whiplash, yet again with this show:

S4E12 - Chris Angel Is a Douche Bag

The Winchesters need worksafe inspector fake ID because It'd be perfect for this episode specifically

I LOVE the three older magician characters. These guys are great.

WHAT

Anyway this is a good bit. This is a really good bit.

Yeah Sammy what kind of kool aid are you drinking?????

That was.... A weird one but a fun one.

Anyway I'm really starting to feel like I want to cherry pick eps but I'm going to hold off. Till I hit S5 at least.

Like I rabidly consumed seasons 1-3 like a starving animal and now I'm reluctant to watch episodes cause I know there's good shit in here, and each episode has some important development moments for characters, or relevant plot that I want to know about so I don't feel like I can start picking and choosing episodes based on descriptions yet. But damn. Lot more misses than hits for me this season. Seriously considering buying a dvds of just S1-3 cause GODDAMN. Loved almost everything about the first three.

[itmustbek8]

Everyone takes their shirts off this time because why not. It's Yakuza babey

Commentary for the Yakuza: Like a Dragon stage play, act 2

[bokettochild]

Really hoping for the dvd commentary. From Chapter 2 of Kintsugi.

Another blink, this time with that same flicker of silver hues as they watch him, that hint of a smile that is so often reserved for those younger. It looks like Link’s, like that of the skeleton only hours ago left behind in a world destined for destruction. “The sharpest arrow of the goddess’s quiver does not lack power for its speed and shine,” Dei recites, like some ancient proverb or forgotten verse. It’s unknown to him, but the significance of the word picture doesn’t evade him.  

‘Flen’ the deity calls him. Flen; that which flies straight and true to its target to cast destruction upon either that which harms or that which, by its death, will provide. ‘Flen’ a word foreign to those of Hyrule’s higher classes but known and spoken well in towns bordering the forgotten forests where fairies whisp through trees and linger to share their stories and mischief.  

‘Flen’, a word which means ‘arrow’ to those raised where language turns rough to protect against words rougher from those of higher class.  

“If you seek Hylia’s sharpest, I think you’d best look to your Kit, his tongue by far out does my own, and as for speed-”

The deity does not stir, watching.  

Warriors sighs. A hand ploughs through hair just beginning to curl again at its ends clutching at the roots with a sigh before his gaze returns to that which bears down on him. “FD, I’m no deity.”

Holy crap I forgot Kintsugi even existed! I swear I saw this in my inbox and straight up stalled going....what story is that? What is it about? When did that come out? Did I write it or are...but Kintsugi is my motif....nvm

And then I read it and remembered.

So! DVD commentary (which believe it or not I love listening to!)

The point of kintsugi as a motif is to show the strength of that which has been broken, which of course Warriors personifies to the extreme. Warriors in this story is a broken man who's been torn down, torn apart, and watched everything in his life, including himself, shatter. The use of kintsugi to represent his becoming stronger through his suffering was meant to be a main point of the story and this scene in particular was going to foreshadow that.

"The sharpest arrow of the goddess’s quiver does not lack power for its speed and shine" is implied to be a quote from poetry or something. The Hero of Warriors is, in a way, the sharpest arrow in the quiver of the goddess. The heroes are meant to be the 'arrows of the goddess' which itself is sort of a play on how the holy weapon that all Zelda's use is a Bow of Light. Each hero has his own qualities and strengths, and Warriors, as the soldier of the group, is one of the sharpest and harshest of the group, because he didn't only face monsters, he faced men.

What Dei means by his words though is that even if Warriors' strength lies in his sharpness, in his blade, he's not in any ways limited to that as his only strength. 'Lacking power for speed and shine' means that he's not just fast on the field and pretty to look at, he's also a powerhouse in his own right, he just doesn't know it yet.

The use of the arrow to represent Warriors is something which I included since the beginning of the story. "Flen" is I think the Old Norse(?) word for 'arrow', and is Dei's distinguishing name for the captain since the first time Warriors put on the mask. Using arrow imagery to tell Warriors he is more powerful than he thinks is sort of the theme of the next few paragraphs.

‘Flen’ the deity calls him. Flen; that which flies straight and true to its target to cast destruction upon either that which harms or that which, by its death, will provide

This basically just means arrows cause chaos, prompt chaos or provide where there is a need.

The next bit though, talking about how the word is foreign to the average Castletown dweller, is meant to remind of Warriors' heritage as a man who was raised in the poorer parts of the world. It's a nod to him being something rough and lowly, but crafted and sharpened from a common thing to an arrow for the goddess' use. He references that the language that the nickname comes from is one that his people use to hide themselves and protect themselves from those who only speak Hylian, thus separating themselves and further establishing the contrast between who he once was, what he was raised to be, and what he became.

“If you seek Hylia’s sharpest, I think you’d best look to your Kit, his tongue by far out does my own, and as for speed-”

This is Warriors trying to deflect. He's basically pointing to Legend ('kit' is Dei's distinguishing name for the vet) and saying "you want something great? look there!" and then continuing to try and point the finger to everyone else to point out their strengths. Earlier in the piece, there was a lot of emphasis placed on Warriors' feelings of mediocrity in the face of his extremely powerful brothers and team-mates, and this results in him continuing to look at them rather than looking within as Dei is asking him to.

Dei isn't having it though. Dei knows Warriors is more because he has seen Warriors unlock his own godly strengths. he's not going to stand for Warriors talking himself down, because the more the captain does that, the less Warriors will be able to see what Dei is trying to show him, the fact that Warriors is, in fact, a demi-god.

The thing is, Warriors isn't a deity in the same strain as the others. In the previous fic, First (Dei) and Legend actually have a discussion about something related to this.

(First is speaking here): “A guardian. Your soul,” He motions to the other. “I may not be the goddess, but any good soldier can be perceptive. You and yours all have souls that sing to a tune. Time.” He motions to the armored leader. “The sea, storms and wind.” Wind. “Light.” The goddess’s youngest, (Hyrule) lightning dancing on his finger-tips as his mother watches with faint laughter. “The elements, the building blocks of life.” The Four heroes who are somehow one. “The forest, the wilds of the world, nature herself.” The goddess’s eyes set in the face of a young boy who spins shadows on his fingers (Wild). “The night, the shadows and the lost and wandering.” He motions to the rancher, to Twilight who sits and watches the others with a gaze dark and yet bright, a contradiction, a shadow that is somehow full of light. “War.” The captain who stands polished and pristine yet who’s very spirit seemed to sing on the field, who’s blade swung stronger with every drop of blood fallen. “Life.” He turns to Legend.  

The other takes a moment to catch onto the fact that he’s stopped, that he’s staring at him, and when the lad does see it, his eyes widen slightly. “Life?”  

“The living; the breathing earth, the trees and animals, the people . You live to give life and preserve it.” His smile is crooked, he knows. “It is your calling. Forgive my boldness, but I dare say we are the same on that front; we live to preserve what they bring to fruition.”  

Except that Warriors does not live to bring things into fruition (which I couldn't clarify without derailing that conversation) but rather, he also lives to preserve. Warriors' very existence is to preserve and unite things, thematically speaking. So yeah. Warriors is different from the others, which prevents him seeing his greatness, but Dei, who is basically the same, can recognize it.

The whole scene you selected- the whole chapter in fact! is about Dei trying to provoke Warriors into realizing his power. As we saw though, it failed :(

[icewindandboringhorror]

Daily Log 4

Trying out (probably just temporarily) making short daily-ish notes about things, in an attempt to see if it helps me be more reflective or productive lol.

Activities: Woke up late because I went back to sleep with a headache briefly, then kind of struggled to focus all day ToT

Worked more on the aforementioned tapestry/painting type of thing. I've done the base layer of painting for the main image, now I'm lining in darker outlines. I wanted to finish the center art before getting into the intricate borders. Still haven't translated the text lol..

Made a small bowl and also a little box with a lid out of more avocado pits. Still just with random nail cuticle tool things and kitchen knives, as I don't have proper carving tools.

Finished editing and proofreading the new poll adventure post!! I don't have time to post it tonight because I need to get to sleep early but.. I have it Completely 100% Ready.. finally..

Also washed the clothes I got together yesterday. Called about the bloodwork. Sent an email to a doctor.

Reviewed some writing documents to get back into my game maybe?? (basically, I started working on a visual novel type game a few years ago, decided it was a huge project so kind of put it on the backburner for a while in favor of things that were more easily finishable/tangible. then later on a game website I play (similar to neopets or something, there are collectable little creatures, etc.) there was an opportunity for me to design a pet on site, so I made a smaller shorter visual novel centered around that, where people on the site have to play the game in order to earn the pet, and I have a google form for them to answer a few short questions about it. All of the feedback is quite positive (reached 200 responses a while ago! though still only like 4 comments on the itch.io page lol.. Mandatory Form vs. Optional Comments evil showdown), but sometimes I get commentary that's really enthusiastic and inspires me to start back working on the OTHER bigger game. The small game was kind of like, a proof of concept that was safe because I had a guaranteed audience, that has helped me gain more insight for the larger one.

Anyway, since I've abandoned the Main Large Game for so long, I have to re-read and review/probably rewrite A LOT of things just to pick it back up again as A Thing I'm Actively Working On, so it's another one of those tasks that I do maybe 45 minutes of and then realize it's going to take days and days and get discouraged lol..

Notable sights: Saw two cats in windows. No clovers. It rained a little today but I didn't get to go outside and see it. One of the pieces of asparagus in the fridge was like the size of a carrot, comically overgrown downright ridiculous looking asparagus. Maybe I'll get taller after eating it.

Goals moving forward: Consistent sleep schedule. Focus on social activities, finding new friends in the places I want to move, communicating with ones I have. Physical therapy exercises. Plant nasturtiums. Finish and upload videos, edit costume pictures & etc.

Notable foods: ASPARAGUS AGAIN BABEY.. yeaAAAAGHHH asparagus squad !!!!!!

[thequiver]

Inspired by @thrakaboom here’s my Spotify top 10 with commentary

1. The Mountain Song - Tophouse

Okay first of all I got to see them in concert and hearing this live was magical. Second of all this is first dance at a wedding material and I adore it. And thirdly I am debating using this for a fic with my X-Men OCs.

2. Cast the Bronze- Reyes

This song FUCKS, I am genuinely surprised that this wasn’t my #1. I’m obsessed, everyone go listen to it now.

3. Riot- The Scarlet Opera

Okay so the scarlet opera is SO GOOD and this is SUCH a good song it’s so fun. It’s catchy, the harmonies are great, and it has some lovely hook lyrics. Also just great vibes 10/10.

4. Rule #33 Pyre - Fish in a Birdcage

TOM CASSIDY SONG OF ALL TIME. Oh the parent issues feels that came with this…..cried the first time I heard it.

5. Warrior of the Mind- Epic the Musical

I cannot explain why but I get like Billy Kaplan animatics in my head when I hear this song and they’re always lovely.

6. Dial Drunk- Noah Kahan

It’s a good song. The song is good. “In the name of someone I no longer know” as something applied to the self fucks me up.

7. Alive- The Scarlet Opera

This is such a feel good bop? Encouraging? Upbeat? Beautifully sung? 10/10

I’m not usually a happy music person but this - this is good.

8. Delta Dawn - Home Free and Brooke Eden

For the life of me I can’t tell ya why I know Sam and Paige Guthrie consider Delta Dawn their song but every time I hear this cover I think of them.

9. He Set Her Off- Emily Ann Roberts

Paige Guthrie anthem of all time babey. “Thought she was fragile like a flower but she’s fragile like a bomb.” Country songs about killing terrible husbands are always good approved family fun.

10. I Am Appalachia- Josiah and the Bonnevilles

I’ve been goin through it with my accent this year…….

[essektheylyss]

#16, #18, and #20 for the ask meme! :)

16. What is your most underrated fic?

Okay, I've written some niche fic, so I tried not to pick one that was just, "No one read the short, gen one-shot offshoot of an already niche longfic! Who could've predicted this!" because, let's be real, I knew when I posted them that was gonna happen. (Even though I think some of them are really lovely.)

HOWEVER I do push let the earth humble you withal as often as possible even though I also knew it was gonna be niche content (it's, yanno, about grief) because I think the writing is pretty and cathartic and quite fun in a ghost story kind of way.

18. What is a line/scene you’re really proud of? Give us the DVD commentary for that scene.

DVD commentary for this question: I reblogged this list VERY scared someone might ask this, because I have written so much and I have forgotten most of it. My entire writing process is probably best described as a sort of exorcism, and the demons just keep coming, babey.

ALAS, I picked the very last scene of chapter 10 of what luminous worlds await, which is the culmination of two chapters worth of really messy memory amidst a quite literal mental conflict with Deirta, who ends up broken down in a dreamscape having realized how much her family has hurt over everything she's tried to do for the Dynasty. And Essek... I wouldn't say forgives her for it, but gives her the space to move forward from it. It's a lot about having to take certain steps as a child that you feel the parent should take, and no longer expecting things of them that they're never going to offer. And sometimes you get a little bit of those things, in the moment you stop expecting them.

I love that scene so much, and I was fucking terrified to post it.

Mostly I was worried that people were going to be pissed that it was settled that easily, and that she's given that grace, and... you know. Deirta is a very polarizing figure despite having one mention on screen, lol. And a lot of that fic was actually my own processing of growing up in my mother's very large, insular, Catholic family, so it was already pretty close to home.

But god it was so cathartic to write. And it worked really well and people seemed to really like it! I think in part because the second person POV does so much work in that chapter and for Deirta in particular—there's a three-part unraveling of a memory from her perspective in that chapter that made it all come together.

Also, hilariously, I have genuinely had a much better relationship with my mom since writing that fic specifically, so, you know, miracles can happen! Not hating your mom, nor absolving her, but a secret third thing (recognizing that she's a real live person with flaws who is as much a product of her own varied history as you are of yours)

There are many lines from that scene that I love a lot, but I picked one: "This is not a strength built of centuries of stoicism; this is the strength of being ripped open and finding oneself more whole than expected. You are familiar."

20. What’s your favorite minor character you’ve written?

I went through like every member of the Thelyss family before I was like, it's Abrianna. Duh. She's a delight. I write her like a composite of all of my (numerous) great aunts plus my very eclectic AP World teacher, who I discovered recently was once investigated as a communist, which was utterly unsurprising. (That woman was ending the Pledge of Allegiance with "liberty and justice for some" at a Catholic school in 2010, so, you know. Ahead of her time. This is not relevant to this question but I do love her for it. )

At least like.... twelve of the reasons I am the way I am has to do with that teacher, probably. Also unsurprising that I keep throwing Abrianna at Essek as some kind of mentor/thorn in his side.

[ask me behind the scenes writing questions, if you'd like!]

[dakotalawyer]

T minus 44 hours til my dissertation is due, and this is the situation:

Second draft completed ✅

Now writing up my final version from the second version, one chapter at a time. Copying and pasting one paragraph at a time and making edits accordingly

Then I need to do my footnotes so far. Thankfully I have written them as I go along, there are just some areas where I need to add the footnote in and some where the footnote needs checking

My Queer History chapter is incomplete 😩 I stopped writing it part way through about a week ago bc I wanted it to be perfect and it was delaying the rest from being written. So I need to pick up where I left off and finish summarising the legislation

Need a significant amount of discussion and original thought added to the Queer History chapter. Max word count is gonna be around 2000 words for the full chapter, so probably maximum time this will take should be around 4 hours, given what I already have.

Slightly more original commentary needed around my case studies. In writing my final version, this may happen naturally (point two), so chances are there won't be too much left to add when I get to this point

Then I'll go over every sticky note that's accumulated in my room during the diss writing period because whenever I've had a random thought I Do Not Want To Forget, it's ended up on a note. So I'll go through all of them to see if any of The Thoughts were good enough to still be valid and needed

Conclusion and Intro babey!! I have versions already written up, but will likely need to re-jig and add to these

Final footnote check! And copy + paste it all into a bibliography

Check there's no highlight or notes to self left on the document, check all chapters are there, check my contents page adds up, page numbers, font, sizing, spacing etc etc

Acknowledgements :') I can't wait to write these, so I'm leaving it to the end as a reward. Omg I'm so excited :D

Then I can submit it!! It's a lot of work and I'm going to be at this for the next 2 days with little snack and sleep breaks, but I just know it'll all be so so worth it in the end :)