#despite working all day i stayed up late again to finish this just so i'd have it out as soon as i could. omg.

[wulfwynne]

part of the pack 🌙

[briefcasesnbadges]

Title: The Ball

Pairing: Rita Calhoun x Female!Reader

Synopsis: You and Rita get a chance to show each other off.

CW: None, it's just a bit of fluff.

"Rita, this is stupid. I don't see why this is the year we have to go," you whined, unable to stomp your feet. You had technically been a member of the NYPD for 15 years, and you had not once attended the Policeman's Ball once. Most of the time you had the excuse of being undercover as one of the force's best UC cops.

You had worked with countless units going under, but now you were someone with a fancy title which meant that you had to make appearances. Tucker had been very clear with you about that one, which had led to quite the argument. He had always kind of been a dick to you, but you had always just taken it as frustration for your complete lack of interest in him. Years later, and both of you realized the reason why whenever Rita Calhoun walked into your lives.

"I think it comes with the new job. If it's like a tax for your safety, then it's more than worth it." You hated how reasonable Rita was being about this. However, you knew that she liked going out like this. She liked any excuse to get dressed up, unlike you. You hated the tailors and the fittings and all of the excessiveness that came along with it. If you could, you'd stay holed up in your office all night double checking paperwork instead of going. "Don't be so dramatic, think of it as a way to flaunt your very hot wife around your coworkers."

"You mean show Tucker what he fucked up?" you teased. Rita shamelessly nodded as she signed off on purchasing her dress. You were still being fitted for your suit. Rita wanted you to look perfect, so she was getting your uniform tailored to fit you better. It was quite the process, but your body hadn't changed enough to warrant going up or down any actual sizes yet.

"Oh that is just perfect!" Rita exclaimed as she looked up to see the finishing touches on your uniform.

...

If the fitting had been annoying, the ball itself felt more like hell. You had been through a full day of work, just to get dressed up the minute you got home to leave again. All of the other captains were sitting together in groups like they had known each other for years. Outside of a cover, you had never meshed well with others. Especially not in groups like that, so you avoided that table like your life depended on it.

Rita had been running late, so you were stuck by yourself for about an hour. Unsurprisingly, she absolutely stole the show with her arrival. A good amount of cops looked at her with a look of hatred, something that just kind of came along with her job. Rita still had some friends in other lawyers and judges who had purchased tickets to the ball, but she went straight for you instead.

"If it wasn't for that uniform, I'd think you were one of the first year detectives from the way you're just standing here," Rita teased. You remembered your first policeman's ball, which you had been dragged to with Liv right after her transfer to SVU. The two of you had gone together, despite not yet having attempted your first relationship together.

"I'm pretty sure that I spent that ball pretending to be a prostitute and staking out a drug den. I didn't actually make it here until my fifth year," you told Rita. She chuckled a little, having heard all about that operation. She had still been with the DA's office back then and nearly been roped into prosecuting that case before the really big names were brought in for it.

"Well, you're making up for it now. Have I ever told you how good I think you look Captain?" Rita asked you. She definitely had several times, but you could always stand to hear it a few more times. You pressed a kiss to her cheek as she waved the bartender over for a drink. You had already finished the three that you'd allow yourself for the night, but Rita was just getting started.

There were a lot of eyes on the two of you. People had heard about your past, so you weren't surprised. It wasn't like people were just coming up to you, most of them seemed pretty nervous to meet you. Sometimes you forgot about how big some of the busts you had made were. It had been enough to get you promoted to Captain whenever Rita brought up that you needed to make some sort of change. She wanted another 30 years with you at the very least, and your job had been making that seem impossible.

"Your unit seems to be behaving well," Rita mused. The later that the night went on, the worse most cops seemed to get. They'd drink the free bar dry before moving on to one of the other bars in the city. You knew there would be hundreds of hungover cops the next day, but your unit wouldn't be one of them. You had a good group, ones who had spent enough time undercover in bad areas to understand that certain things really were necessary for survival. You didn't let your guys get desensitized like everybody else did because you knew how dangerous an out of touch cop could be.

"They don't know what tomorrow could have in store, and they need to be ready. Besides, I'm sure that actually seeing you was enough of a shock for the night. I think they forget that I can hear them when my door isn't shut all the way," you laughed. You had overheard your team talking about Rita several times, always speculating about your relationship. Some things they said were accurate, but most of it was wild. You had to admit that you and Rita had a fairly boring life, which was exactly what you wanted. Nights like these were rare, but you'd happily let them believe it was all glitz and glamour for Rita's reputation.

[stellas-et-abyssum-vincite]

Come Home With Me ~ *Neuvillette*

Summary: It's Wriothesley who has to tell you that Neuvillette is sick. You know he's stubborn and won't want to leave work despite feeling under the weather. Still, you have to try!

Pairing: Neuvillette X Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluffy Drabble

Word Count: 946

Warning: Neuvillette is only OOC because he's sick

Masterlist

It was Wriothesly who came to see you, which was a surprise in and of itself.

“Hello?” You called out from your office when you heard you had a visitor.

“Miss Y/n?” He sounded a little nervous as he entered your office, making you stand up from your desk with concern.

“Hello, Wriothesley. What seems to be the matter? It's not like you to come in unannounced, not that I mind of course. I'm just surprised, that's all.”

Surprised was putting it mildly.

He hesitated once more, before he sighed and said, “It’s Neuvillette. He’s sick, but he refuses to leave his office to rest. I was wondering if maybe you could come and convince him to take care of his health?”

“Of course." I nod before gathering my things. "Will you escort me please?"

"I'd be delighted to." He nodded before offering you his arm. He then added, "Thank you again. I've never seen him this sick before."

You shook your head. "I should have noticed sooner. He seemed to be under the weather as of late. I should have asked him to stay home when I knew."

"Ah, he's stubborn." Wriothesley chuckled. "I'm not even sure you'll be able to get him to rest now. But the Melusines wanted me to ask you anyway."

"Well I'm glad they did. I will certainly try my best!"

It didn't take you long before you found yourself at the Palais Mermonia. Wriothesley escorted you all the way to his office where you found him working at his desk. A group of Melusines were crowding around the open doorway, where you could hear him sneezing and coughing.

Sigewinne gasped when she saw you before bouncing to your side. "Monsieur Wriothesley! Mademoiselle Y/n! It's good to see you again! Are you here for Monsieur Neuvillette?"

You nod and pat her gently on the head. "Of course, my dear. I hear the stubborn lawyer is sick and refusing to leave his work. Is that right?"

She nodded, a serious look passing over her face. "He's been ill all day! We've tried to get him to go home, but he refuses to listen."

"Well, we'll see about that." You mutter under your breath. "Now if you'll excuse me, my dear."

"Come on, Sigewinne." Wriothesley beckoned for her. "I'll take you and the Melusines out to get some sweets."

Her eyes lit up at his words. "Really Monsieur Wriothesley? Oh, that would be wonderful! Thank you, thank you!"

As he led the Melusines away from the door, you entered Neuvillette's office and quietly shut the door. He didn't seem to notice your presence, completely enraptured by the documents on his desk. He looked awful, and it made you all the more determined to pull him away from work so he could rest.

Kneeling next to his desk chair, you placed a hand over his unoccupied one. This caused him to jump in his seat before staring at you. “When did you get here, my darling? What are you doing here?”

You smiled. “I’m here to take you home, my love. You’re sick. Let me help take you home so you can rest and take care of yourself, please.”

He shook his head and turned back to the papers before him. “No, I can’t. I’m behind enough as it is with these cases. I need to stay and finish all my work.”

“Not like this you can’t.” You squeezed his hand. “Please, Neuvillette, my love. Please come home with me.”

Again he shook his head, his hand shaking as he tried to write some more. “No, I really can’t. Please, let me stay and finish this paperwork.”

With a sigh, you stood, with your hand still on his. Taking your free hand, you gently leaned his head against your abdomen. “You’re tired, my love. Please, come home with me. I’ll help you with your work when we’re at home, I promise you.”

Neuvillette’s eyes had fluttered closed from your gesture and he hummed in response to your words, “Are you sure?”

“I’m absolutely sure. Now, please, let’s go home.”

“Okay. We can go home.”

Carefully, you helped him to his feet, his body still leaning against yours. Slowly, you let him out of the Palais Mermonia, with the other lawyers and Melusines staring at the two of you in surprise. They had never seen the Iudex like this before. But he was too tired to notice their stares. And you weren't going to tell him, because you knew he would just be embarrassed by the events of the day. You just let him cling to you as you left the Palais Mermonia.

When you were on the streets of Fontaine, you found Wriothesley, Sigewinne, and the other Melusines to tell them that he would be right as rain in a few days. Sigewinne commented about how sweet Monsieur Neuvillette looked in your arms. Wriothesley joked about you being his mother, which earned him a smack from you. Still you asked them not to get sick themselves before leading Neuvillette home.

On your walk home, he snuggled deeper into your neck, making you giggle. “You’re too good to me.”

“Is that so, my love?”

He nodded. “I still can’t believe you agreed to marry me, my darling.”

“Well, who else would take care of you like this? We all know it's not going to be Wriothesley, he's too busy. And Sigewinne means well, but she'd need help too.” You kissed his cheek. “Now, enough talking. Let’s get you home and into bed. We need to break this fever of yours.”

“And do my paperwork?”

You rolled your eyes. “Sure, my love. Whatever you say.”

[hamlets-bootycheeks]

I've been watching LotR the last few days (cause why watch something I haven't seen before from my incredibly long list of things I need to watch when I can watch something I've seen before a ton) and I just want to talk about radical hope.

The story of LotR is bleak. Just. So incredibly hopeless. There are so many points where the characters just genuinely have no hope that they will live, let alone save the world.

During Return of the King, there is a literal darkness that covers the world for days. The only hope there is for success is a couple hobbits. Who are walking through enemy territory. With one thing that would instantly guarantee success to the enemy.

And in the end Frodo fails.

Despite all of this

They kept hoping.

Frodo failed and all was lost.

But it wasn't.

They saved everything.

They didn't make it through unscarred. Many people didn't make it through at all. But they did make it.

But they wouldn't have if they'd given up.

Sam's speech at the end of The Two Towers left me in tears. (It normally doesn't.)

Lately I've been feeling incredibly hopeless. I'm at the point in my life where I'm trying to figure out what I want to do for a living, and I'm currently working towards something that I have so little chance of succeeding in. I'm paying so much money to go to school for this.

Beyond just me, I'm terrified for the upcoming election for obvious reasons. I live in a country where we already have a maternal mortality rate that's way too fucking high and people are actively working to make that worse. I live in a country where there are people who don't think I and the people I love deserve to exist. I live in a country where the highest cause of death for children is guns.

I live in a world where there is an active genocide going on and no one gives a shit. I live in a world where the deadliest disease has a cure, but why would we give them access to that? The people dying from it are poor. They're poor because of us. I live in a world that those in power are slowly destroying.

But I'm here. We're all here. And there's so much bad. But there's so much good.

I went to a convention last month, and it was the most fun I'd ever had. I want to do that again.

I got invited to go to a pumpkin patch with a friend next week.

I just finished rereading Hamlet.

I have motivation to write and tell stories for the first time in years.

I made a new friend this year.

I still haven't finished listening to Welcome to Nightvale.

Alecto the Ninth isn't out yet.

I had a friend help me out yesterday.

I helped out a different friend.

There are stars in the sky.

The leaves are turning colors and falling and it's so beautiful.

I watched a movie that I've seen at least a dozen times before and it made me cry.

It feels so hopeless.

But that's not a reason to give up hope.

We gotta fight for what we've got. I'm going to fight tooth and nail even if all it means is that I get to see one more sunset, read one more book that changes me, meet one more person who gets me.

I don't care if you can donate a thousand dollars to a charity, or if all you can do is just stick around for another day because you know that you will feel joy again at some point, that's what you gotta do.

It might get worse.

We might not see things get better.

But it will get better again. And before it does, there will still be moments of joy. And the chance that we'll see everything get better, the chance that we'll see anything get better, that's worth sticking around for.

That's radical hope.

Sam: It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.

[one-of-many-journeys]

Day 75

Meridian

After my very late arrival to Meridian in the morning, I slept until noon. I'll need the rest. Out to trade fabrics and parts for my armour, then I set to work. The local weapons merchant was more than willing to lend me his space and tools.

I sewed the shield components into the fabric of my old Nora skirt, the one Teb gave to me, and reinforced an undershirt with ribs of machine tubing and plating along the back, tough leather at the front, to which I affixed the ancient armour. The sleeves are full-length, separate leather pieces, lined with fur and stacked with more shield generators. Threaded a ribbon through the headpiece to finish the set. Hooked it all up to a miniature force loader of my own design, synced the system into my Focus, and there it was. A sturdy shield.

Back in Olin's apartment, thinking. A dangerous thing with what might be my final battle just over the horizon. I thought of Rost, mostly. If he'd survived, maybe he would have joined me here, on this battlefield. What's a second exile for a soulless man? I haven't accepted defeat, far from it. I know exactly what Rost would say to that.

I applied his paint. All those years, all those symbols he tried to teach me, which I always ignored, and he never explained the one writ on his own face. Death-Seeker. The Nora believe the machines of the ancients were faithless, soulless things, after all, and that's where I came from. My soul has always belonged to the mountain.

This is my only mission—not just this battle, but all those to come as I forge ahead and repair Gaia, chasing her scattered, conscious subordinates. Chasing who or whatever made them so in the first place.

I was starting to get too deep in my head about it. Stopped by the lodge for a meal, and to show off my armour. Obviously. Then I rode the elevator down to the ridge to see who else had arrived over the past day.

The first I met, impossible to pass by on account of his enthusiastic greeting, was Teb. So he came after all. A little behind the rest, due to his injuries, but here nonetheless. Not fighting on the front, thankfully, but helping stock supply caches around the village and the path to the Alight. I'm glad he's here, despite my telling him to stay away. He was the first person besides Rost to show me any kindness that I can remember.

The next new arrival I met, to my surprise, was Elida. I was glad to see her doing so much better, and she'll likely be safer here than in Brightmarket. Both she and her father made the journey; she was stocking supplies along with Teb, and gave me something of my own. Just in case.

Vanasha and Uthid were making preparations too. I'm glad Uthid decided to join her in Meridian after all. The pair seem to be getting along well; Vanasha a woman of many words and teasing jokes, and Uthid enduring them in gruff silence, not without fondness.

Uthid thanked me again for stopping him throwing his life into the hands of a few greedy mercenaries. He didn't even come here just to seek a glorious death in battle. Not that he wouldn't cherish one if it came his way, I'd wager.

Vanasha actually bared her heart to me, a little. All those years as a spy, it must be novel being allowed to tell the truth she's kept inside. She endured Jiran's reign, the whips of his soldiers, cruelty of its priests and poverty of his people. Then she went west with them, all in service of stopping his legacy once and for all. The cult now marching on the city are the final remnants of the mad king's legacy. She's been waiting for this day for a very long time.

Petra was there too, but I knew she wouldn't miss this fight for anything. Her cannons—which inspired my own Behemoth force loader modifications—would now defend Meridian instead of breaking down its walls. I gave them another test run on a couple of training dummies across the river. She's had them mass-produced; four of them on the ridge and more up on the city walls, along with huge bowls full of bombs for ammunition.

Next I met Nakoa. Still scarred and sun-burnt, but looking much stronger and happier. She found the Nora's new title for me pretty amusing, but expressed her joy that the Matriachs have now opened the border to outcasts. She can return home to her brother and aunt once the battle is over. This fight against the Eclipse was personal to her too. The only raider feared more than Zaid in the Sacred Lands was Helis himself.

Next I spoke to Janeva, here along with his guards and the former prisoners of Sunstone rock, pardoned by Avad in exchange for their service. The king really is wasting no potential ally. Once this is over, there'll be no one left for Janeva to guard. Unless he decides to take prisoners, that is. Maybe his preferred, archaic manner of punishment would be the way to go for them.

By the riverbank, standing apart from the rest—or perhaps just hoping to avoid his former warden—was Nil. I worried for him after I made my departure at our intended arena, but he seemed to be doing as well as ever. Which is to say, not especially. He expressed his usual excitement at the chance to kill without recourse. Whatever happened to staying apolitical? Uncomfortable as his relish makes me, he's a formidable warrior. I'm glad he's here. If he survives the battle, which he's likely hoping he won't, I wonder what accepted enemy he'll turn his blade to next.

Further on, at the foot of the Alight, I met Inatut. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, given he'd proclaimed his intentions to strike out as a Werak of one, but here he was, in the city of the man who challenged the honour of his tribe. The challenge Inatut almost died for. He was still wearing the clothes from a Carja corpse, but seemed more comfortable in them now. Better suited for the climate too. All his life he'd been a fighter, a bringer of brute force. What better way to test himself than in a great battle against a demon just like the one that plagued the Cut?

Closeby was Aratak, here for similar reasons. He'd brought half his Werak with him, all willing to join their former Cheiftain to repay her victory against the Daemon. I know it can't have been easy for them to make the journey—not just because of its length, but because they still bear the scars earned protecting their lands from the Carja. Aratak told me more of Cyan as well, that slowly, he was introducing hunters and Shamans of many Weraks to her and her knowledge. He's come a long way. I know Ourea would be proud of him, though she already held so much pride for her brother.

I made sure to let him know I beat his time at the Hunting Grounds too. He was already well aware.

Aluki was nearby as well, the overeager huntress I met at the Banuk encampment. She believed that I was responsible for restoring the machines' aggression in the grove, and though I tried to explain what had really happened, she thanked me for the service. She's about as Banuk as they come, living only to fight and fight another day. She came for the tall rumours of the Shadow Carja's death machines, as I'd hoped she would. I'm sure she won't be disappointed.

I headed back to the village, eating at the tavern. The village will be cleared out by nightfall, as it has been these past few days in expectation of the attack. Even if we can defend the city and the Spire, I doubt the village and surrounding farmlands will weather the force. And it's such a beautiful place.

Riding the elevator back up to the mesa, I stopped by the palace to check in with Avad and Marad one more time, rain starting up in a light fall as I walked over. Erend was there, looking out over the city. Nervous, I could tell, but he put on a smile and a jovial laugh when he spoke to me. Pressure's getting to him—the Vanguard, the soldiers, the city...Well, try the world.

Avad said preparations were all but complete. Marad's scouts in the west had spotted signs of activity and passed word back from the previous night. Ranks forming, carts of blaze being dragged out of the ravine in the Jewel. They estimated an attack very soon, maybe even as early as tonight. Lucky I returned when I did.

It must be difficult for Avad, here in the palace—and I don't mean any sarcasm in that. He may be safe and in luxury, but to watch the battle raging from his vantage, unable to intervene...He'll just have to trust that all his preparations have been enough. I know he's done all he can to defend the Spire, despite his earlier misgivings. I'm grateful. Of course, the whole world should be too, they just don't know it.

Back in the city square, by the defaced statue of Avad's father, damn cause of this whole mess, the soldiers and Vanguardsmen sat together, eager for my attention, for further news. They'd been instructed by Marad not to let news spread that the attack could occur this very night, but spread it had regardless. It was a tall order; they have families here. The city was swept up in panic, even more feverish than it had been these last few days. People carting their goods back to their homes, calling out for friends and family, whispering their private fears. We have to make sure the fighting doesn't make it this far.

By the memorial in the old Sun Ring, the priests led a hymn to the setting sun, just as beautiful and mournful as the first time I heard it, that first evening overwhelmed in Meridian as the stars came out. When I arrived in this place, its scale felt impassable, something I could barely wrap my head around—and a couple of weeks earlier Mother's Heart had instilled the same feeling of scale and relative smallness. Then I saw the world, that map of landmasses so large neither place was even an impression on its surface. And there are other worlds, or at least other planets. A long time ago, the Odyssey tried to make it to one. All of it, impossibly large, so nearly dead for good. Nearly so again, unless we win.

But what I kept thinking as I listened to the priests, looked around at the altars dressed with the affects of each tribe, with their own strange symbols and stories, was Apollo. If humanity had been given its knowledge as intended, would this mesa still stand empty, just a rock in the desert? What stands on it now, and in so many other niches carved into the new lands, could never be worth the suffering brought on by utter ignorance, but still, there is value in it. There's something here that wouldn't have been otherwise. All tribal myth ever did was hurt me; I thought that was all it was capable of, but what I felt inside the ring was like that brief warmth brought on by the Blessing in Mother's Heart. A part of something, more than I ever could have guessed. What I am is embedded deep into the metal bones of this world.

I wandered off to the temple overlooking the Spire. I watched the city's forces milling around up there, making ready. My forces.

Back in Olin's apartment just after dark. Exhausted, but restless too. It wasn't just nerves—I hadn't killed a machine all day. That's a first in a very long while, especially if you don't count the days I was unconscious in All-Mother mountain. I'm sure I'll more than make up for it once the Eclipse make their move.

I stripped off my armour and once again settled down to sleep in the bed of a man I killed. I kept thinking of Elisabet. More of her journals had been restored, and through them I learnt more about her life at Zero Dawn and Gaia Prime. The constant stress, the overwhelming guilt at the fate she'd consigned all of humanity to—a suicidal battle against an unbeatable enemy. My odds feel almost as slim, and here I've roped in all my allies with me. I would do it alone if I thought I could win.

Elisabet wrote of the Lightkeeper protocol, how 'creepy' it would have been to raise and train a clone of herself. I guess she'd be freaked out by the fact that I exist. I wish she could see me.

I spoke to Sylens through my Focus in a last ditch effort to gain even the coldest of comforts. No response. I wonder if he's still listening. Surely he'll be watching the battle from afar—he knows how crucial my victory will be. Is he closeby, ready to take my place if I fall? Somehow I think not. He has more in mind for himself than saving the planet.

No, I'll face the night alone. Could be I wake up to another peaceful morning—as peaceful as preparations for war can be. Could be I'm dead by sunrise. Less chance of that if I get some rest.

[mdhwrites]

So if Dana said she didn't have any original season 3 ideas, why did she also say on Twitter that she wanted 10-20 half hours for season 3?

Now apparently from the transcript and the like, what was said that there were like one sentence pitches for episodes but nothing concrete or the like. That I believe. After all, it's like taking sticky notes and using them to jot down passing thoughts. But... Ideas don't mean anything. You need to have an actual coherent thought as to how you are going to use those ideas as a creator.

So when she says she wanted those episodes, I believe her. But... Instead of it being so she could have coherently finished her story, something you can feel isn't exactly happening during S3, it would have been to explore her ideas and let it be her mouthpiece. Even as far back as S1, you can clearly see this conflict in the show. The First Day lets her take potshots at modern education and saying kids should have more freedom... At the expense of everyone forgetting that multi-tracking is literally illegal. But the idea was more important than the overall story so in it went.

Besides, when asked about your work that you cherish so much, are you going to tell people you wanted LESS time to do whatever you wanted? Or are you going to say you wanted as much time as possible? Especially since without a solid plan, you can't be like Matt Braley who straight up went "Nope. Amphibia wasn't shortened. It was always planned to be three seasons."

I still stand by the idea that Dana actually wanted to just keep going WELL past S3. Even now, she wants to do a spin off and one of her greatest regrets for what was missed was not being allowed to do more teenage Raeda stuff in the show. A second episode in the past. Expanding on what? Who knows but it's more time spent with the ship that Dana clearly loved.

I am not saying Dana was lying or a bad person but the question that is worth asking is if that time would have been spent actually wrapping up plot threads or exploring characters as they are now. Otherwise, it would end up being like the S2B and S3 we got where we are still getting elements added, refusing to wrap up story elements, and having to drag back plot points from almost entire seasons ago (Willow and Amity's friendship), if not MULTIPLE seasons ago (Willow's lack of power control) just to do something with these characters despite it being way too late to treat those elements as relevant. There is a reason why if I hear that Dana is the lead for another cartoon, I'll probably be staying away. Not when I don't want promising statements to never have a plan behind. Not again.

Expected this to be shorter. I'm rambly though. Also just wanted to clear this out. Admittedly, it's stuff like this that makes it so that if anyone ever told me they didn't trust me as a writer, I'd understand. Not because of me wasting time but because my mental health gets in the way and can cause ideas to die as my brain just refuses to write them. How we as writers use our time with the audience is important. It leaves an impression and for me, Dana's impression is incredibly negative because I care about story, even if characters come first to me.

Sigh.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[no-goodbyes-no-regrets]

I can't with this storyline anymore! I know many people want John to end up as a villain but there are so many villains now. Ruby’s whole story with abuse right after Belle’s is too much! Would Emmerdale really create another villain/abuser so soon? I don't like this whole Ruby storyline. Why couldn't they just write stories for the characters already here? She is so new and always on! Aaron is a popular/veteran character but is never used and when he is it's for a 2-minute screen once a month. I'm so over it.

I mean i'd be ok with them making john a villain (and acknowledge wendy is scum).

I LIKE Ruby (and Caleb) but starting this abuse story when Belle's isn't even finished yet (and has been dragged out beyond belief) is A Choice. Like is it not enough to bring in the long lost daughter? Does it have to be the dad too? Who has cancer AND turned out to have raped his daughter more than once (young Ruby said "not today" - she knew what was coming) and likely fathered his own grandchild. And on top of that she slept with her brother in law (who is dealing with his wife having a brain tumour) and her father will most likely use that to blackmail her into staying quiet about the abuse.

Then we have the Tom nonsense that I'm sick to death of that has everyone plot stupid. First Amelia and Jimmy, now Angelica - just end it already!

Liam only gets screentime because he's fucking Chas. I used to like them, but after the will they/wont they and nonsense with Ella i'm sick of them.

Brenda and Eric split up because he had a flash of insanity thanks to his meds (???) and lost all of their money to bitcoin

Mack and Charity are dealing with Ross coming back

Marlon and Rhona are also dealing with Ross coming back - but via April

whatever the fuck is going on with Kim and Will (I don't really pay attention to that story, they're boring)

Dawn and Billy - the illegal fighting is done? I think? They still have a baby with cancer and constant money problems.

Ella, Leyla, Brenda are all leaving in the next few months (I'm guessing)

Aaron - wasn't at Cain's birthday party, hasn't been involved in any recent dingle nonsense, apparently loves his boyfriend? Not that we've actually seen them together... he's always teaming up with Mack for dodgy deals.

Gail and Ryan - April mentioned them yesterday? but they haven't been on screen in ages, and haven't had a story since... the Oscar thing?

Matty and Amy GOT MARRIED IN MAY, Matty got sent down a few weeks later, then beaten up in prison and magically released again in the span of like - 6 weeks? and then disappeared. Moira having seizures, brain surgery, and now radio therapy... and Amy isn't there supporting her mother in law and her husband? She wasn't at Cain's birthday party, even though he's her husband's step father, and the father of her son.

Vic - no real story to speak of, despite the whole Sugden family revival that was supposed to happen with John.

Jacob, Noah, Sarah, Amelia - apparently Jacob and Sarah start dating soon, Amelia is leaving next week, and Noah... apparently invested money in bitcoin?

Tracy, Vanessa, Suzy, Leyla - No story there. Tracy gets to work in the shop and complain about child care, Leyla is leaving soon, Vanessa and Suzy?? are... still together?? I guess? I don't even remember when Suzy was last on screen.

Laurel, Arthur, Gabby - Arthur got a few lines the other day with April but after the failed hook up with that lad a while ago, he's practically been MIA. Laurel had her fling with Charles and then kind of disappeared again? Gabby and Vinny got together and lived in off screen land ever since.

Paddy and Meatloaf - thankfully very much off screen lately

Jai - the eternal bad guy (and I'm so done with that story)

Charles, Manpreet, Claudette - all mostly off screen thankfully

Rodney - gets to work in the cafe and comment on the Tom of it all from time to time

if they're not Chas/Charity/Cain or adjacent characters, they don't get screentime or a story.

[leggerefiore]

May I ask for ye old misunderstanding trope of reader being somewhat afraid of Ingo and thinking he actively despises them because he just always looks … like that?

I love myself some art where Ingo just has a downturned mouth, but I LIVE for the fanartist that make him look just completly intense and extremly angry all the time. I would just love something with reader insert realizing hes actually a sweetheart despite his absolutely intimidating glare.

cw: fluff, short

▲▽▲▽▲

He was a busy man.

A busy, busy man with a stern face to match. His lips were always frozen into a harsh pout and his eyes narrowed into something like a glare.

Every time you seemed to encounter him, he looked as if he had just left an annoying conversation with someone he certainly didn't like. Not to mention his stuff body language and quick strides, letting him move through the area as quickly as possible. You flinched as he approached you, an assistant brought on board due to their administrative work overload. Ingo gazed at you with his stern expression. What was he going to do?

“… Ah, are those the incident report documents?” His tone was polite, if not a bit too loud, “Thank you. I was just coking to retrieve them.” You politely handed the sheets over to the man, who's firm expression remained unchanged. It felt like an odd confliction. Angry face, yet kind manner of speaking.

You felt faint still.

~

It was another few days before you encountered him so personally again.

You had ended up staying late to ensure that there would not be a backlog of paperwork to finish tomorrow. Another yawn left you as you drank a sip of your beverage, hoping it would give you the energy to finish everything. It was then that the twins' office door opened a door and out stepped Ingo, his coat laying off his arm as he gazed around the area reserved for Depot Agent desks.

His stern expression landed on you. You watched as he tensed up and used his fast stride to approach you, eyes zeroing in on what must have been your soul. Would you start yelling at you and berating you? It was nerve-racking. A soft hand was laid on your desk as he cleared his throat. “It has become quite late, no?” The usual loudness was there, but a certain gentleness was in his words, “I'd feel uncomfortable leaving you here alone. Want to walk out with me?”

Your heart raced, but for different reasons.

~

You decided to broach it.

Stepping toward the older twin sitting at his desk scribbling away at documents, you approached him. His head carefully came up, eyes harsh and frown even deeper than usual. It almost made you want to turn away and run. You would not.

“... You're really kind, you know,” you tell him easily, “Thank you for being so nice to me.” You place a take-out coffee from one of your favourite cafés in Nimbasa before him. Ingo gazes blankly for a moment before his eyes shift into something much gentler and sweet.

“No, thank you,” he turned up to you with an odd smile playing at his lips, “This is a favourite shop of mine. How did you know?” You wanted to gasp.

“It's actually my favourite,” you reply eagerly, “We should go there together sometime!”

Ingo eagerly nodded and quickly gazed over your schedules in the system to see when you'd both have some time off at the same time.

It seemed you had a date.

[m00nlynn]

Winter has arrived in Simeapolis and with it, the snow arrived too. Nora took the opportunity to finish her last work of the week since she would have to take a winter break from her job.

Nysha decided to renovate a space in the house to set up her laundry room and trusted Nora to do it, who gifted her with a painting she had painted herself — and Nysha loved it.

With the paycheck that she received, Nora was finally able to pay her bills. Despite the many works she was doing by the city, the payment wasn’t enough to keep her apartment, which meant that some of her bills were being paid late… But by a winter miracle, she was able to pay her bills early and still have some left over to plan a holiday party!

The next morning, while Nora was texting her friends inviting them to her holiday party, she received an email from the City Council granting her the title of "Décor Debutant" and a payment raise! She was so happy about this! She definitely needed a raise and more recognition for her profession.

Soon after, she received a call from Naoki, saying that he was in the lobby waiting to take her to the Park to see the winter attractions. She smiled at the sound of his voice and promptly got ready to meet him downstairs.

Naoki's old car was covered in snow and it made Nora laugh a little, but inside, the heater worked like a charm. The whole city covered in that white fluff made Nora's eyes shine. When they arrived at the Park, the two started a snowball fight, which Naoki ended up winning and as a prize, he took Nora to participate with him in the pie eating contest, but they both lost!

Nancy, who was nearby, was the winner of the contest. Nora, excited, ended up approaching her friend and told her about the romance that was blooming between her and Naoki, asking her for advice on what to do. Nancy was surprised by the news, since Naoki had broken up with his ex-girlfriend a few days ago, but told Nora to follow her heart: if it's Naoki that her heart wants, then go for him. Well, Nora did follow her advice — and her own heart — and kissed Naoki in front of everyone.

In the evening, Nora began preparing the decorations for her party. Unfortunately, her Christmas tree stayed at her parents' house, so she didn't have the time (or money) to buy a new one. Instead, she decided to hang up her garland and a mistletoe. Her guests arrived with big smiles and delicious food and Nora was very happy to see everyone there.

When Naoki stood under the mistletoe, Nancy pointed it out to Nora, who took the opportunity to play with him. Nora approached him and started talking normally, until she pointed up and showed the mistletoe to Naoki, who was surprised and then smiled.

"Aren't you going to follow the tradition?", she asked him. "What tradition? I don't know any," he joked as he pulled her in for a tender kiss. "That's the one I was talking about!" "Oh, this one?" he kissed her again. "But I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Everyone, please gather around here!" Naoki shouted until everyone paid attention to him.. "Before we open our presents, I want to introduce to you all a person I have been taking great care of lately. This is Nora, my girlfriend." "Hey!" Nora started blushing when she heard what Naoki just said. "But you didn't ask me to go steady! I didn't even get a chance to say no!" "Are you saying you would have declined me?" he made a puppy face that melted Nora's heart. "No!" I'd never decline you, she thought. "I like you! A lot!" "Then do you want to go steady with me?" "Yes, I do", she jumped on him and kissed his cheeks while everyone started cheering.

Well, it truly was a good holiday party...

[understand-that-i-love-you-not]

[Context, after learning about the decay of angels' plan to annihilate in 10 days, Ango comes home to his wife's presence.]

Warnings: slight angst due to Ango overthinking, but very fluffy, very descriptive kiss part, author's first time writing.

Ango came home from work, very late as usual. His mind playing events of the DOA'S annihilation, trying to come up with ways to think 10 steps ahead.

10 days...10 days and the continent of Japan will no longer roam of human lives...10 days left for people to be alive 10 days left...and people dont even know what's coming for them

10 days and....

Ango halted the car he was driving as he realized he drove past your shared home.

Ango sighed taking his shoes off and let out a sharp exhale, he didn't even know how shallow his breathing was, until he recalled what Mushitaro said at Anne's playroom...again...

"Welcome home! i've prepared a bath for you, do you want dinner?"

Ango's thoughts dissipated, it was his wife...

"..."

"...are you good? You look like you just saw a ghost"

"..."

"Ango- eh? Uhm..."

Without a second thought he rushed to wrap his arms around his wife's frame, with his head leaning on top of her's, his arms locking to her torso. His wife attempted to sneek her arms out to reciprocate, sharing their warmth.

After what seems to be 5 mins, Ango lets loose, and cups his wife's face to his warm hands.

"Ango...what is this?" His wife was confused, yet she was greatful

"What is what?"

"All this?" "I don't get what you mean my love"

"Oh uhm...its just that usually when you get home, you finish you reports and go to bed from there"

It just now occured to Ango, after 3 years of marriage with his wife, he never got to cherish his love for his wife much, he was too busy saving the world.

"Ah, I undestand how busy you are, so don't fret about it ok?" His wife reassured, bringing up her hands to touch Ango's that are supporting her face for him to cherish.

This was the women he trusted most, the woman that loved him, accepted his flaws, stayed with him despite his dangerous occupation, and was always there to tend to him after his hectic work and sleep less nights of working.

...and this woman was gonna be taken away from him in 10 days...

"...i love you, do you know that..." Ango asked

"Of course I do Ango, I love you more did you know that?" His wife followed now rubbing circles on his hand using her thumbs.

"What would you do if you had 10 days of living left?"

"What!?"

"Sorry...nevermind that..."

"..."

"..."

"Well...I would say goodbye to my family and friends, then..." She came closer putting Ango 's hands off her face. She then wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling their bodies closer.

"I would spend the remaining days with you..."

Ango flushed red, you can almost compare him to the tomato juice he drinks back with Dazai and Oda.

But despite his bothered apperance he coudnt help but feel rather...sad

"But my love...what if in those days im working? I cant tend to you..."

"Oh its ok im not asking you to take 10 days off, I simply want to wait for you home and cook for you and ready a bath for you, then you're gonna do your reports while I wait for you to join me in bed, thats all, like usual, I'd spend 10 days left with just that, and you." His wife answered.

Ango felt something in his heart, as if something heavy was exhaled out of his lungs. He was grateful of his wife, being content with his mere presence.

"This is very... new of you today" The wife added

"Right... I'm sorry"

"You must be very tired asking questions like that"

"You're right"Ango then locked his eyed to his wife's lips and gave very gentle and sweet peck , he missed doing that to you.

"One more" His wife demanded, and so Ango complied

"One more pleaaase" Ango complied again

"One more pleeease" and again

"One more one more" and again...

"One mo-" Before his wife could ask he kissed her again, this time more passionately, and longer.

He moved his hands to her waist, then arms slid from his chest then clinging to the back of his neck

It was getting more passionate while Ango slightly tilted his head to feel her lips on his more, slightly and just gently adding his tongue

to the kiss.

"Mmm- wait I might burn the pastry I'm baking, ill come to it before it burns our house down haha" His wife pulled away to prevent her baking getting burnt.

Ango sat down on the sofa to loosen his tie. He must admit he missed the most intimate moments him and his wife go through, instead of recalling his dilemma from work, he takes a moment to recall their lovely memories together.

Although it was 10 days left, he suddenly had more hope and motivation to save this home of his, which is his wife from the doa's twisted plans.

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

Its actually my first time writing hehe oops, just a scenario I wanted to share so it was very sudden

[frxncisbelle]

Welcome to Aurora Bay, FRANCIS BELLE! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like COLIN FARRELL. You must be the FORTY-TWO year old SOMMELIER/WINERY OWNER. Word is you’re SUPPORTIVE but can also be a bit GLOOMY and your favorite song is I'M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY by AL GREEN. I also heard you’ll be staying in CRYSTAL BAY CONDOMINIUMS. I’m sure you’ll love it! (@aurorabayaesthetic)

CHARACTER INFO

full name: francis emmanuel belle nickname: franny (by loved ones) // sad guy (by everyone else) age: forty-two birthday: june 28th gender: cis male sexuality: homosexual

p e r s o n a l i t y

positive traits: supportive, faithful, communicative, selectively patient

negative traits: gloomy, pessimistic, fearful, persnickety

l i f e s t y l e

birthplace: cincinnati, ohio

hometown: los angeles, california

education: university of california, berkley

occupation: sommelier / winery owner (kinda sorta a ha ha)

religion: agnostic (catholic)

languages spoken: english, spanish

hobbies: pretending that everything is fine when, in fact, it is not; starting new hobbies and then pointedly deciding to not finish them; vinyl-record collecting; trying new tik-tok recipes but forgetting that every time the phone locks he has to go back and find the video again (he did not, in fact, bookmark the video).

f a m i l y

parents: adam belle (divorced/re-married), elizabeth belle (single/preferrably widowed)

siblings: bebe belle (divorced); chloe belle (divorced); alyssa belle (divorced), gabriel belle (separated); gavin belle (divorced); julian belle (separated); alfie bonas (step-sibling)

children: imagine

pets: one tabby cat and one chihuahua

BIO

born to a father with an impossible dream and a mother with a xanax prescription, francis learned, at a very young age, that people are impossible to please. when he held his mother's hand as she pushed out his first sister — a task typically reserved for a father or father-like-figure — and, subsequently, asked her 4-year-old-first-born-who-could-barely-say-one-word-let-alone-two to name her second-born, francis also learned that people are impossible to know. these unshakeable principles have not only guided him throughout his forty-two years, but they have also cemented him as a perpetual worrier.

his childhood, adolescence, teenage-years, and young adulthood were about as constant and stable as the los-angeles metro system. somehow, despite the years spent desperately trying to cultivate a family dynamic that could make everyone happy, he got caught up in his father's plans. one-day, his father sat him down and uttered two unforgivable phrases: "i plan on divorcing your mother" and "i'd like you to take over the family business one day." the business in question was more of a miracle than a tried-and-true american success story. the finer details are irrelevant (indeed, francis likes to pretend he does not remember the years his father spent unloading burden after burden upon his tender head), but the important bit is that adam belle made a very successful name for himself as a winery/business tycoon.

in his late thirties and early forties, francis found himself realizing that the life he led was not the one he thought he was leading. he's faced with several (believe me, several) options, and he has thought up an innumerable amount of contingency plans, but he just cannot bring himself to do the unimaginable: ruin his family's past, present, and future by giving it all up. possibly, one day soon, he will realize that all he needs to be happy is his own approval and his own peace... but that will likely never happen.

HEADCANONS & FUNNY BITS

...has given SEVERAL grifters a [REDACTED} amount of cash money to avoid conflict.

listens to embarrassing europop before/after work to feel something.

to be updated gradually !!

WANTED CONNECTIONS

to be updated soon !!

i apologize for being scum. as i write this, it is currently 9:45 pm and i gotta go to bed. i will be updating this in the coming days as i have ideas.

[pannman]

Hey can you please do a two shot where Valentino instead of making Angel Dust get Charlie to leave the studio after she accidentally sets the set on fire, makes a 'deal' (read: Blackmail) with Charlie, he will allow Angel Dust to stay at the hotel but she will need to do Angel Dust's job in his place.

for anyone not aware this is part 2 here is a link to part 1

Once A Deal is Made part 2

CW: Angst, Mentions of Cannibalism, Violence, Mentions of Abuse

ok, this one is in Charlie's POV.

Despite growing up in Hell I was exposed to very little of it. I know I couldn't initially tell what was going on when I first stepped into that studio. I knew that Angel's line of work was run by that Valentino guy and that he was an overlord. But I had no idea what he was really like. And no idea what position I was about to put Angel in.

I got Angel hurt. It was all my fault. I should've listened to him. I had to make it up to him and get him away from that guy. I decided to talk to him myself. I overstepped before and although I was worried I was about to do it again at least now I knew what I was walking into and to be more careful. Angel's safety will be my number one concern I thought.

I didn't go in planning to make a deal with him. I didn't hide my desperation very well unfortunately. He told me it would just be for a couple of months and I could still run the hotel. I would just have to write lesson plans and have Vaggie implement them whenever I couldn't be there. What was I going to tell Vaggie? Knowing her she would come in like a knight in shining armor ready to slay him where he stands but if anything went wrong then Angel would pay the price.

I needed to talk to her myself first. I could talk her down. Besides It's only temporary. I'd just work on a plan to free Angel in the meantime. you know while I ran the hotel and... did Angels job... at the same time. Angel was visibly upset but bit his tongue since Valentino was still present.

"please don't tell anyone. Especially Vaggie. I need to talk to her myself. I'll be back late tonight" He agreed. At least I thought he did. I spent the day and into the night learning Angel's job and I don't know how he does it. I'm so exhausted. Valentino puts so much pressure on his workers and I don't know how Angel deals with all this stress. Breaks were practically non existent and the amount of coffee I had to drink to power through was probably enough to kill an ordinary human.

But I was getting ready to leave finally and thinking of just what to say to everyone when I got to the hotel. That's when I got a text from Vaggie. "Can we talk?" I texted her back "Can it wait till I get back to the hotel?" She responded "No" It DEFINATELY sounded like she knew. She continued. "Can you go somewhere private and call me?" I said yes and went into the bathroom and called her.

"Hey babe" there was nothing but care and concern in her voice. "How are you doing?" She asked. "I'm ok" I answered. "That was a very selfless thing you did" Vaggie didn't beat around the bush. "Angel told you?" I was surprised but it was good to hear her voice. "yes. He explained the situation to us" Vaggie sighed over the phone "Listen, where are you?" She asked. "In the bathroom" I replied. "good, stay there and don't come out until you hear 3 knocks. ok? no matter what else you hear." I was bit worried but I agreed.

I sat on the toilet hugging my legs while I heard a crash sound, then screaming, then gun shuts loud enough to vibrate the walls then screaming again. It was probably only minutes but it felt like hours before I distinctly heard 3 knocks and came out.

Vaggie was right there. Behind her was Alastor in some twisted demonic form feasting on someone's remains. Husk was there with a gun and Niffty was randomly stabbing bodies. "It took a bit to get up here but I'm here now" Vaggie said. But I had one worry. "Where's Angel?" Vaggie nodded "He's fine. He wanted to come but we insisted he stayed at the hotel and hold down the fort with Pentious" I was still worried. "What about Angel's deal?" Alastor chimed in. "Let's just say I was persuasive" He pulled the contract out of his coat. "I'd figured we'd let Angel do the honors of ripping it to shreds." I was at a loss for words. I hugged Vaggie and we left at once.

"How did you get Alastor to help?" I questioned. "you didn't make a deal with him did you?" Vaggie reassured me. "Of course not. His job is to protect the hotel and the hotel is nothing without you. But promise me one thing?" I was ready to do anything for her. "What's that?" Vaggie wrapped her arms around me like she was afraid I'd disappear. "That you'll never do anything like this again" I smiled in her embrace "deal"

[the-idols-story-thesecretbase]

【𝑶𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 → 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆】

1. Describe the first date.

Kou:

“I remember it was at an amusement park. Though at the time we didn't really do much since someone was too nervous to get on most of the rides~ It was more of an unofficial first date in that sense.”

Kuron:

“...It was just a moment relived of one of the unofficial dates back then when we were still in some kind of situationship kind of thing—like what he said, the first hang out together, specifically. ”

2. Who wakes up early/Who sleeps in late?

Kou:

“I wake up earlier to prepare..most of the time. But Kuron sleeps in later, since he's always working on things so it's rare to see him go to bed earlier.”

Kuron:

“More like I go for the '5 more minutes' nap before jolting awake to prepare myself a few minutes later before I'm actually late for work—By that time, Kou is most likely all prepared waiting for me in the limo that we used to travel to work every morning.”

“As a teacher, I tend to stay up late to finish my school duties, it's simply inevitable as part of a responsibility that I signed up to harbor.”

3. What was your first impression on each other?

Kou:

“In a few words, a good looking but very odd teacher that came out of nowhere. Though that was before we properly interacted.”

“He was just the kind that at the time...looked weird, talked weird, dressed weird and acted so snobbish and almighty then just butted in on everything I did....at least that was what it seemed like back then hehe~ ”

Kuron:

“If you mean by when we first met...he was that blonde little boy resembling of a doll, beautiful yet abandoned by the world that had saved me during my weakest moment, thereon as I start to view him as my little young master, that I'd like to always be there next to him to protect, cheer up and make sure he never feels lonely with my presence by his side. ”

“Then the next time we encountered each other again...by then, we've both grown up, and he seemed to not recognize me upon my changed outlook. He was cocky, stuck up, narcissistic, conceited, and especially hostile towards me since I was that sudden unannounced new comer inhabiting his house. Though, despite all of that...I still remain to see the existence of the young master and friend that I'd known of in the days of yore, regardless the outward change of attitude and behavior. To me, he'd always been the same existence of light, the hero that had pulled me out of darkness and brought back a meaning to my life, and I could never bring myself to hate him. ”

4. Who initiates affection? Why does the other not initiate affection as much?

Kou:

“I think we do it equally. There's no saying who does it first all the time. Maybe one of us does it more than the other but there's no fix saying who goes first.”

Kuron:

“Its pretty mutual. It's more of a habit than anything since we are both touchy and affectionate when it comes to each other. I like hugging him out of nowhere while he enjoy giving me pecks and kisses anytime he finds the position convenient.”

5. Do you argue often? If so, what are the arguements about?

Kou:

“Ohh there's definitely arguments. But I wouldn't say they're anything serious. More like bursts of fits that we just argue about over the smallest mundane things.”

Kuron:

“They're mostly about serious matters like work, our personal projects and professional case businesses. Kou isn't the most sharpest person out there I don't care what the love struck fans think— So at times of his blanked out moments when I need him to concentrate, it simply strike a nerve or two and I'd end up ranting on him which...would sometimes get a little more nasty than needed, especially during the times when I'm coicidentally more stressed out on that day.”

6. How do they make up/apologize after an argument?

Kou:

“Okay well...for me since when Kuron gets angry, half the time, I'd be buying him tiny gifts, or snacks, or get him a rose...or by acting cute to gain his forgiveness.”

“The other half there's not much I could do since Kuron can be scary when he's mad, so I'll just wait until he calms down and then he likely will take over on his own before I can do more...I would just apologize over and over and cling to him and do whatever he wishes.”

Kuron:

“Simply put, I handle all the work when it comes to comforting and making things right again. Isn't that right, hun? ”

“Meanwhile, I'll do so by doing almost the same thing, since act of gift is one of my prior love language and it just doubles the level if its for comforting someone—well, Kou.”

“Its rather easy to make up to him as all he needs after an argument is to feel wanted and loved again. Most of the time I would excuse myself from work or immediately after a concert to get home or to his place just to comfort him by the form of expected approaches. By hugging him and caressing him in my arms, apologizing and reassuring him again and again that I'd not leave him and that everything will be okay since I'm here now—”

“Once he's calmed down enough, then comes the act of gifting, I'd usually get him an undying bouquet, cook or get him some food, or just spoil him with little gifts and whatever that he wants to do or like.”

7. How often do you say “I love you”? to each other

Kou:

“More times than I can even count. A day doesn't pass until someone says those three words, either vocally or text ~”

Kuron:

“Indeed. To put it simply we never miss a day without saying that to each other—Though more often than other times, I'm the one that initiate it first since I like seeing his reactions whenever I blurt it out of the blue during any kind of moments at all. He's usually quite taken aback by the sudden confessions, but it follows with a soft smile and sometimes a sheepish giggle afterwards, it's cute. It usually comes along with hugs and kisses, I'm general during afternoon or night time cuddling most likely.”

“At other times it happens through casual texting, it's like a habit from me actually—whenever I'm stressed out at work my mind would just randomly thinks of him, and all the stress seems to dissappeared at that instance, so I'll just proceed to send him a random xoxo text of 'I love you' as a way to thank him for appearing in my mind on the jiffy of moment, heh.”

8. What do you love most about the other? Why?

Kou:

“In terms of physically, those beautiful eyes, marbly, reflective...shiny... beautiful. Ohh and Kuron's body is extra warm to snuggle~” “As for non physically, he's the most caring, loving, spoiling and drop dead amazing lover that always goes above and beyond expectations and of what's even normal just to show he cares and loves someone...as much as I don't like him showing that to other people, it's not a bad thing either, because I know all that extra love and care is only exclusive to me in the end anyway ♪ Kuron's just simply the best lover to me and he always makes me so happy...treated like a baby with everything he ever wants~”

Kuron:

“...Hah well...I simply love his eyes, they're the most captivating part of him, looking into them is like looking into different weather of sky, full of life.”

“His hair is also another trait I like, it's fluffy and soft to touch and ruffle, and the bang ponytail trademark of what I call it...the wheat grass, it's cute, I can never get tired of looking or touching it, and the best part is it's only him that has such a weird hairdo like that, this its exclusively part of him.”

“Then...I love...how he can be so unexpectedly gentle...and openly possessive, territorial, flexibly dominant, hardworking, passionate, fun and cute personality. Especially the fun personality, it's so unique and I love that, I love how open he can be when it comes to expressing. I love how he seeks for my pamper and attention, it's cute. I love the fact he loves being gifted and that he'll always openly appreciate it. I love that...he let me be there for him, and always let me love him by my own way without complaining that it's too much or too little...but through the looks of his reactions, just right.”

9. What do they dislike most about the other? Why?

Kou:

“Well I wouldn't call it dislike but it's up there...like his temper. And his insatiable need for perfectionism. It would drive any other normal person crazy or mad just from how much he just pushes things and forces it. Not to mention that he gets angry about the tiny details so easily. He really is the living definition of 'Why so serious' ”

Kuron:

“Eh...I dislike how he can be so forgetful sometimes, or just fail to grasp an important point, it makes me so annoyed...”

“But I guess I can't blame him much for the forgetful part, he's hardworking and got tons of work related matters storaged in his mind just like mine—only that I have a bigger storage and always jot down the more important things because frankly...I'm even more forgetful than him, I'm a mere goldfish due to how much plans and ideas that pour out keep stored and end up overloading my brain to function efficiently.”

“Ah...for just a little bit, I don't really enjoy listening to him grumble and curse under his breath whenever he's upset, it just riles up my anger more and I'll end up making him feel worse than he already was. He can be a little too narcissistic and become inconsiderate of others’ cases, and that's one of the traits I detest about him, though that's no biggie.”

10. Do they share any hobbies or interests? How do these things bring them together?

Kou:

“I guess we have the same passion for music, and cats above all things. We like to travel to see things and foods. What else do you think dear?”

Kuron:

“I like dancing, he enjoys it too. It's one of our hobbies that are mutually favored. Let's see...what else—oh and stage and off stage performances? That's one of the things that we enjoy doing together and bring us together too. Actually when it comes to filming a movie or drama, we often partake on it as a collab project and had fun through all the makings~”

—𝒯ℴ 𝒷ℯ 𝒸ℴ𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓃𝓊ℯ𝒹—

[the-tzarina-alexandra-paracosm]

Vote based on the design AND the backstory

Otto

(The 5 Books of the Immortals - 2015-2016)

Role: side character

He is desperately searching for his lost teenage son, Günther, who ran away because he was ashamed of his being expelled. The only problem is that the boy in question ran from home in the middle of the war. Otto grabbed his bags and set out on a very dangerous and seemingly pointless journey, but he always believed he would find his son again ons day. He endured a lot of hardship and even physical injuries, but he didn't lose hope or faith, and after years, he finally saw his son again (now almost 20).

Vs

Ainārs

(The Land of Eternal Winter - 2019-2020)

Role: side character

He is a teen orphan who never got adopted, și he decided to get a grown up occupation sooner, thus joining the revolution. He befriends Melanija, who's his age. He manages to keep up with the others, until his pretending to be more grown up than he is gets him into extremely reckless and dangerous situations, leaving permanent damage. He ends up wishing he had stayed a child, but it's too late.

Additional info

The 5 Books of the Immortals - 2015-2016

Status: completed (Romanian, typed)

Form: novel

Genre: war story, drama

Lev is a very bright chemistry student. He has the time of his life in college, making close friendships (and meeting the love of his life, Alyona), but the fairy tale is cut short with the announcement of WW2. He goes to war, but Alyona, how his wife, volunteers to join the war, just to stay with him (she's now a medic, being a medicine graduate). Lev's best friend is Zephyr, an uptight straight A student who learned to loosen up thanks to him.

The found family vibes are strong with this one. At some point they find a teen boy who was pretending to be 18 and they all but adopt him. The story has many very dramatic and heart wrenching moments, but also many heartwarming moments. For example, at the end, the boy is finally reunited with his father. It's not a very mature or that logical of a story, but it's my first "masterpiece", and I still find it very beautiful, especially the characters (they all love each other so much!!!).

(I changed the names and details for the purpose of this poll because there were some things that were just plain inaccurate or just that I changed after having finished the novel).

Vs

The Land of Eternal Winter - 2019-2020

Status: complete (draft 1: English, typed, draft 2 in the works)

Form: novel

Genre: mild steampunk, kinda post apoc but mostly drama (and court drama)

Anatoliy is a prince whose beloved father just died, so he assumes it was an assassination. He suspects the neighbouring king and has him killed, only to later realise he was innocent. He is almost completely overcome by guilt and despair, but ultimately fights to do whatever in his power to not only fix the consequences of his crime, but to also mitigate the effects of the much larger conspiracy at work that he found himself an unwitting pawn in. There are very many side characters, each with their own complex stories, which all tie into the idea that ones desire to change the world may be futile, or even become evil, but we must still strive to do good here on earth despite no rewards in sight. I'd say this is my 2nd "masterpiece" work in terms of writing

[thegoddessprose]

Tag Game

Tag 9 people you want to get to know better. I was tagged by @caesarflickermans (Thank you for giving me something to do for today :p)

Three Ships

I'm also honestly "meh" about a lot of ships lately but surely I could pull a few out.

I guess I'll stay on theme the lovely person who tagged me and list an OC/Canon... Not only that, but my own Plutarch/OC ship:

Plutarch/Chiasa: This was not a planned ship, like at all, I even thought of it as crack in the very beginning because these two seemed so different without any deep dives, but now it's a comfort ship for me. I guess because it is centered around them giving one another hope (For her, that there are people brave enough to fight against the status quo and for him, that there are still a handful of people who are good without an ulterior motive), and that they are each other's safe space in a hellish time. It develops over a fairly short time, but at the risk of sounding cliché, they ended up being what the other lacked and needed in life. I do have an AU where she's actually part of the rebels, and thus they're together for a longer time, but I'll stick to the main story in a nutshell, otherwise we'd be here all day.

Now for some others:

Bensler: I love a good ride-or-die, and Benson and Stabler were it for the first 12 seasons of Law & Order SVU. I loved their relationship, I loved their chemistry, I loved how comfortable they could be with each other, what they were willing to do for one another, like, get someone like that. I was devastated when he left the show, and honestly, it hadn't really been the same since then. I was so hyped when I heard he was coming back, and that they were going to cross paths again. Now, I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of Organized Crime, and killing off Kathy was unnecessary (Like, there were a bunch of ways it could have opened... And they could have just been split up, it's happened before), but it was amazing to see Olivia and Elliot back in the same circle and I'm very excited to see if they get together for real. (I'm behind, don't spoil me)

Hayffie: Honestly, I can't really explain this one. Maybe it was their chemistry in the movies? Or maybe it's the dynamic in general that's interesting to me? Or how hilarious Katniss's reaction to them would be? I don't know, I just like these two together. I guess a few things need to be acknowledged, like Effie's line of work literally being to escort innocent kids to a death match and her being okay with it for who knows how long, but it's hard for to vilify her for it for the same reason it's hard to vilify a good amount of Capitolites; this is all they knew, having propaganda thrown at them left and right, and most were kept unaware about what the Districts were really like. The more Effie learned, it seemed the more she turned to the rebels' side, so in my eyes, maybe it could work, whether it's right after Mockingjay or even a few years ahead.

First Ever Ship

I'd have to say Kataang. This was before I knew what shipping was or even the word for it. I think back then, I just thought it was cute, they meshed together pretty well, and not much else.

The first ship I really got into after finding out what it was had to be TamaHaru. I loved the way they snarked at each other, I loved how they genuinely cared about one another despite poking at each other. It was funny how Tamaki had all this wonder surrounding Haruhi's "commoner" life, and Haruhi growing to like a few things about the bizarre world of rich people. I love how they form a genuine relationship despite their clashing backgrounds and personalities and bring out the best in each other; her bringing him back down to earth for a bit, and him teaching her there's a life outside of the grind and she's allowed to have a joie de vivre. Hell, I love them so much, I have an OC/OC pair that's pretty similar to them.

Last Song

Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag by Renee Zellweger

Last Movie

At the time of this writing, I literally just finished watching Chicago

Currently Reading

Katheryn Howard: The Scandalous Queen by Alison Weir. I wouldn't give it points for historical accuracy, but I like a lot of content relating to the six wives and all around just the way these books are written. I also like how Katheryn is portrayed as naive rather than oversexualized like she seems to be everywhere else... There more than likely was some truth to that, at least.

Currently Watching

Ghosts (CBS). I don't really have the energy for a lot of heavy stuff right now, so I decided to start something a little more lighthearted. I have seen the BBC version, which I enjoyed. I wondered how this would go, what kind of ghosts there would be since the US is a much younger country, and I wasn't disappointed. There are a few things I like better, such as deeper lore on how being a ghost works, the husband not being completely useless, and overall a little bit more character growth. Overall, it's a nice show if you want to laugh and like the idea of historical figures discovering the modern world.

Currently Consuming

I had some chips (Or crisps for the Europeans) a little bit ago, will start dinner in a bit.

Currently Craving

Happiness, at the very least some hype. If we're talking food, seasoned fries and a chocolate shake from Red Robin. The one nearby closed a while ago... Maybe that's why I want it so bad.

Tagging: Whoever wants to do this because most of the people I want to tag have already been tagged :p

[vilelittlecritter]

It's baffling to me that it's 2025.

Like, genuinely. This isn't a vent more just a ramble, I haven't done one of these in awhile.

It's been three years since I made this account, three years since I started finding myself and three years since my mental health snapped hard. I think it was playing Omori which made me make this account, I know that it helped me grow a more defined identity in my mind. It's a stupid thing, but despite how I feel about the game now I won't ever deny that it's impact was massive.

I can still remember it, when I really started questioning myself. I had finished the game a couple of days prior and frankly I was reeling from it, it hit chords I wasn't expecting it to strike. The night before I had a severe mental breakdown and I still felt ill from it. It was a hot summer day, there were clouds just dotted about the sky, the sun was intense but I liked it alot. My mum was taking my siblings and a cousin out for a walk to a local field, she suggested I come along. The field wasn't vast, but it was still big, just around the right side of it was a long river which stretched far beyond my city, a wall of trees lay at the edges of the field with houses visible beyond them. But the most striking thing to me was the massive tree in the middle of it. It's trunk was bare for several meters until bursting into a cone of leaves far up it. We sat nearby and for some reason I just felt different, like I had woken up after a very long time. It was a sickly feeling, but a strangely nice one. I think it was change, the tugging in your stomach and the fibres of your muscle, the gutteral feeling that something is different. I liked that day, I promised I'd wander through the field and sit by that tree. Late June of this year I did, it was as peaceful as I had imagined.

I'm not sure I know what I'm saying, in fact I know I don't. But over what has felt like this short period of time, which in reality is massive, I feel like I have fundamentally changed as a person. I look in the mirror and I have to take a moment to ground myself in the fact that the reflection is in fact me.

I like to keep my specific age private, I don't really care now, but I'm turning 18 this year. This year I am going to be a legal adult, and I am so lost, and I am so very afraid. I'm scared, I am so scared. I grew up with all these tales of fancy, about all the great things people did at my age. But I didn't get that, what I got was a rotten mould eating me from the inside out. My teenage years have been marked by isolation, hurt and loneliness. I don't want to say it's my fault, but there is no one really to blame. I wish I did better, I wish I was close and not so reserved, I wish I wasn't so emotional and frankly unstable. But that is the hand i have been given and then dealt.

Again I'm not sure, I'm lost right now, like really badly. I'm moving back in with my parents this year, hopefully I'll feel better. It's funny, I originally stayed at my grandma's for around a week when I was first out on Prozac. I moved in later for college and work, but I still feel like I'm here for illness, for that awful nausea and spinning in my head. I thought going to college would help me work on my self, I didn't. Arguably I might say it made it worse.

I've always had issues with friends, I honestly don't remember a time when I didn't. I've had alot of friends who, frankly, were never my actual friends. Alot of them just thought I was good for the butt of a joke and kept me around I think. But I fall out of touch so easily, and I am so scared reaching out. I don't know why, I really don't but I always have been. I know I have friends but sometimes it doesn't feel like it, it's a horrible thing to say but it's true. And it drives me insane, it's most definitely a problem with me and I hate it.

Okay this is getting way too long and I am very tired. I think what I'm trying to think is that I am very afraid and feel so very alone, and I am only getting older.

The best way to describe the feeling is like I am dying, that everything is fading into a blackness and eventually only I will remain in my own mind.

I miss the past, but I also loathe it. I guess I miss the blind optimism, the phase I had were I tried just being cringe and weird as fuck. I miss logging onto this god forsaken app and having the most god awful fandom interactions ever. I felt like I had a million friends, but I knew that wasn't healthy and frankly as said before, I am afraid of reaching out.

I might delete this later, I don't know. This isn't a vent, I'm not having a mental breakdown or and episode. I'm just tired I guess, but I'll be fine. I've got a counsellor now, and it's a fresh new year.

All I hope is things feel nice again, because to be honest they haven't for awhile.