#do NOT @ me about characterization or anything please... i am new here!

[syoddeye]

reading recs

received an anon the other day that requested fic recs of all ratings, here's a big list of some of my favorites! definitely not exhaustive, definitely forgot people, and i am so sorry in advance for that. please mind the tags on these fics.

SNAFU by @adnauseum11

I've posted about SNAFU before. This is one of my comfort series. Excellent characterization of a retired John Price, navigating a relationship with one of his oldest friends.

Heavy Weighs the Crown by @sentientcave

Newer series, very yummy so far. I love Charlie's characterization of the 141 in this universe, and their writing is delectable.

Rugby AU by @sentientcave

Another banger from Charlie. Reader Ripper is also yummy. Something to snack on. To quote: "I don't know anything about Rugby tbh this is just vibes and thots. Something somethin elaborate rituals."

Nobody by @391780

My gateway fic into Nikto. Without giving anything away, every chapter sends me into a short spiral. The most recent chapters have done heinous (affectionate) things to my brain.

Ursa Major by @the-californicationist

Have you ever been to Alaska? Ever wanted to visit? Honestly, read this fic and let Cali transport you there. Her ability to set the scene and bring it to life is un-fucking-matched. Doc (Reader) is a smart, confident reader-insert that feels like a real person.

Binders and Boyfriends by @pfhwrittes

Trans 141 and Trans Reader supremacy. Another comfort series from the wonderful Parker. Everything listed here is wonderful, but I have a major soft spot for P's Gaz-centric works.

Housemate!Gaz by @pfhwrittes

First, in this house, we hate Reader's roommate. Second, we are Widget fans. Third, could you fucking imagine opening the door and your new roommate was Kyle motherfucking Garrick? I'd faint.

Call of The Jurassic by @stuffireadandenjoy

Another newer series that put me on the edge of my seat. When I first saw that Tats was giving us my favorite fellas and putting them in Jurassic Park, ooooooh, I knew we were going to be spoiled rotten.

Wrong Number Right Day by @stuffireadandenjoy

"Kyle gets a wrong number text but decides to be a little generous that day." Reader's living the dream. Text Kyle Garrick and get cash money for rent? Very excited for more of this.

Price of Pegging by @gemmahale

Pegging and John Price. I could stop there, but I won't. Gemma nails the depiction of a submissive Captain Price. She also captures the dynamic of a couple trying something new extremely well, that gave me some fluffy feelings.

All of Gemma’s WIPs by @gemmahale

I've had the absolute privilege to read some previews of Gemma's work and the WORK and the DETAIL and the CHARACTERS are chef's kiss. Delicious. It's so difficult to pick just one. I love the Feywilds. Useful Girl. Call of the Wild. Do yourself a favor and spend some time in the tags.

Offer Me His Hunger by @kaadaaan

Something about a 141-er and a single mom that's gonna do it for me every time. In Offer Me His Hunger, it's Johnny, and Reader has no idea what she's in for. Jesus Christ, Kadan writes one of my favorite Johnnys, and really nails that obsessive and calculating streak.

The Space in Between by @391780

You will laugh, you will cry, you will love and hate mafia boss!John Price. Reader crosses paths with John and the 141, and gets caught in their wake. Early writes some of the best Reader characters of all time, and this one's no different. This story will get under your skin so fast, in the best way.

The Arrangement by @391780

Speaking of Early, this is THE gateway drug to her work, in my humble opinion. One of the first COD fics I ever read and converted me into being a Price girlie. Sugar Daddy Price x a cute, smart, and fucking funny Reader. Also one of my favorite characterizations of Simon of all time.

Club 141 by @greatstormcat

BDSM and the 141 make a Sy very happy. Reader starts off with a fake ass dom and is quickly properly introduced to BDSM culture with the fellas. Really solid group dynamics. Make sure you read that Price x Ghost post for a good fucking time.

Lamb to the Slaughter by @ohbo-ohno

Probably one of my favorite Ghoap fics of all time. The way my jaw was on the floor for the majority of this should've sent me to the emergency room. It's brutal, it's horrifying, and fuck me running, I loved it, start to finish.

The Pit by @peachesofteal

First, the nightmare of getting into an accident in the winter. Second, having Ghost and Soap find you. Oh boy, The Pit is peak Ghoap manipulation. When I got to the end, I just sat in silence. Stunned. It was amazing.

Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied by tippytulip (if you're on here, pls lmk!)

Another early COD fic for me. A thrill ride with a whip-smart Reader AND it's set in the Midwest. Those are two ways into my heart. The relationship between Reader and Price isn't an easy one, and he gives her a dozen and a half reasons to dislike him. Another ride of a fic, with great action scenes and group dynamics.

Trapper, Keeper by @tinypandacakes

A König fic that makes me screech no less than ten times per chapter. Panda writes a fucking scary König and it blows my mind. So much of it is subtle and manipulative, with few outright (so far, it's ongoing!) examples. I get a knot in my stomach every time I read and I LOVE IT.

DOG by Danceofthesevenveils

Another König fic that features a pathetic loser König, who is also one of the scariest motherfuckers I've ever read. The use of text messages underscores the creepy vibes, and a great vehicle for the Reader x König dynamic early on.

Desire Paths by @ceilidho

Manipulative best friend Johnny, you are iconic to me. Ceilidh writes some of the best nasty Johnny fic out there, but Desire Paths has my heart. Another ending that had me gasping.

Take Me Home, Country Road by @ceilidho

Cowboy Price, take me awayyyyyy. A fantastic Western AU focused on a Reader with a secret and a Sheriff Price that'll make you sit up straighter. Ceilidh captures John's voice so clearly, I can hear it when I read. That porch scene is seared into my brain in the best way.

Tender is the Flesh by @crashtestbunny

Do you like scary Simon? Do you like feeling unsettling and turned on? *slams table* Do I have the fic for you! Connie's butcher!Simon makes my blood run both hot and cold. "Oh she’s a stunner." lives in my head rent free. Also the apron tie bit.

Pornstar!AU by @shotmrmiller

Warning, if you don't smoke, you might start after reading Toni's porn AU. I love this depiction of Ghost, his control and his care. AND there's a threesome bit with Ghost x Reader x Price. It's what dreams are made of.

[beneathashadytree]

HEY GUYS! LONG POST HERE, BUT PLEASE READ🙏🏽

I am genuinely appalled by the discourse ongoing in the LNDS fandom these past few days—but above all, I am severely disappointed in what had started out as one of the most inclusive and sweet fandoms I’ve ever been in. I have a few things to say, so in this post I’m trying to put all my thoughts to words. Apologies if I sound harsh, but I’m genuinely livid. Also, please ignore any typos. I’m not wearing my glasses while word-vomiting.

First off, for a fandom that is composed of mostly adults, you guys have been acting terribly childishly. It’s 2024, and yet people are still unironically shaming others for “switching up on their favs�� as if a person owes 2D characters any loyalty. Let people enjoy things. The novelty of Sylus and how he’s quite literally 6 months behind the other 3 love interests makes people want to catch up on the enjoyment of him all at once. He’s still such a brand new character and concept, so there’s no wonder everyone’s hyped up over him.

I’ve seen people get genuinely mad at other players and writing whole think-pieces about this. I promise you guys, the company making this game is still benefiting whether you’re pouring your money into Sylus or any one of the previous 3. We’re all happy to have an interesting character pop up among the roster now, and we’re taking our time getting to know him. Doesn’t make any of the first 3 any less loved. I genuinely don’t remember this amount of nastiness when solo events for each of the guys used to drop.

In fact, if the popularity thing is worrying you, going off MLQC (the company’s past game) the character who was last added was—eventually, after the initial hype died down—kicked off to the sidelines in most major events and was given the least content, and was the least favorite of fans.

Secondly, and this has my blood boiling, there is an insane amount of entitlement and rudeness I’ve seen on my timeline concerning how people characterize the men—particularly Rafayel.

Absolutely nothing warrants this shitty attitude towards other creators for how they depict characters in their fics. It seems you guys feel protected behind a screen and think it gives you the right to bully strangers online. Fanfiction is for fantasizing about your favs; for letting your imagination run wild. If this were a character analysis, then yes, maybe I’d agree that inaccuracies are aggravating. However, in fanfiction, there are zero rules, especially when it comes to smut.

Sexual preferences are not equivalent to a person’s whole personality—so whether he’s written as a dom, a sub, a switch, or whatever the fuck you wanna call it, this has nothing to do with his kindness, gentlemanliness, passion, power, ruthlessness, snark, or whatever minuscule aspect of his character makes up his lovely whole and matters to you.

I think this circles back to a lack of ability to separate sexual matters and personality, because how else do people interpret fics depicting him in a certain manner as them erasing his character? They might overlap, but they can very well be mutually exclusive. I’ve seen incredibly sweet and gentle men irl who were absolute doms in bed, and I’ve seen powerful and passionate men who were reduced to tears between the sheets. There is barely any correlation whatsoever, and if anything, claiming otherwise is what I consider piss-poor media literacy and reading-comprehension.

My third point is that for some reason, there have been many, many posts and replies on here where I’ve seen people just straight-up spread pure hate for the characters. Maybe this bothered me in particular because I’m an OT3 (OT4 now!) and absolutely adore all of them, but I find no logical reason for “yucking someone’s yum” when we’re talking about liking the characters of an Otome game—a genre of video games which is made to literally cater to the tastes of as many people as possible.

It’s especially disheartening to see when it’s at a time like this, when new content is about to drop, and you find in the replies of every other post/discussion at least a few people spewing hate and disgust at Sylus. Again, so many people are incredibly excited about him. Why is there a need to rain on everyone’s parade, especially in such an unsolicited manner?

This fandom originally started as a safe space for people of all races, backgrounds, genders, sexualities, and personalities to bond over our mutual love for characters. All I’ve seen on my TL lately (in terms of discussion) is negativity, and it’s such a fucking let-down. I hope whatever the fuck has happened to this fandom cools down after a bit. It’s probably exaggerated and very in-your-face rn, cause more and more people are downloading LNDS, so the probabilities of finding people being nasty are increasing. But I seriously don’t want to grow to resent this fandom and find myself distancing myself from it to protect my peace.

Let’s all remember to be kind towards other players, to not act entitled or bratty about the characters, and to try and mind our own business if we see content that doesn’t suit our tastes.

[riofann]

1. tempestuous

Authors Note: I am trying something new. I like this story line please give me your feedback. Only reposts and likes please don't steal my work. XOXO Rose

Tempestuous: characterized by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion.

Sunday March 3, 2019 

This wasn't just some little miss understanding, this was sabotage at its core. It's why you found yourself in a random warehouse strapped to the chair bruised and bloody.

Rio was convinced you had been under cutting him for months, that the money you were washing for him was short for the past 4 months. He claimed you had been purposefully giving him fake money mixed with real money, which ended up with him having Mick point a gun to the back of your head as soon as you walked in your home. 

Any attempts to have him show proof that you were not were thwarted by Nick egging Rio on, unbeknownst to you.

You had mentally prepared for death mentally prayed that your mother and father, sisters would heal from this pain along with the rest of your family. You hear footsteps approaching your heart begins to race. You had memorized his gait along with Mick's, this was it. Your death day was here.

There's nothing said but you feel your legs being untied along with your hands, he made sure to leave the head covering on. 

“Get up!” Mick says grabbing your arm

You're too scared to move but a strong grip on your arm forcefully drags you forward.

You’re uneasy as you walk because you didn't know where you were going,  you couldn't see anything. Mick helps you step in the van. The drive is quiet, you sit with your hands on your lap, body shaking at any given moment you could be dead. All the thoughts rush through your mind, your bar, your family, your house, your future, it's giving you a migraine. When the van stops, your mouth dries up you could be on a bridge over water or a remote land with a shallow grave.  

When you step out Mick removes the head cover and your eyes take time to adjust. 

You stood at the park near your home. There's nothing said, you look behind you as Mick gets in the van and drives away. You take in the scene, you can't think of how happy you are to hear children laugh in the distance or the sound of people talking. 

It's all still a shock to you. You look around and find a bench. Slowly you walk towards it. You sit at the most remote corner, no shower for a week, you’re positive you looked like you were unhoused. 

Moments pass before you let the tears flow. The deep wound of betrayal that you felt wouldn't be healed by a simple apology hell you hadn't even received one.

After a while as the sun begins to set you stand up slowly. The walk to your house would normally be 20 minutes but since you are weak it will take longer,  and staying out at night wasn't your plan. 

With unsure steps you begin to walk home. You’re happy to not see any familiar faces at the park. You couldn’t handle any one asking you what happened or you would have implicated Rio. 

When you get home you type in the key code to  enter and find your home in disarray. You deduced that Rio was looking for the money he claimed you were shorting him on. 

You search for your phone and find it in the rubble dead. Your house doesn't feel safe, it feels surreal, like at any moment Rio could be sitting on the corner chair waiting for you with a gun in hand and Mick lurking right around the corner, ready to shoot.

After a little more searching you find the charger and plug it in.

When it turns on you see the many calls missed your workers, your mom, your dad, your sister, your cousin, unknown numbers 

You make the first call “Hello! Y/N?!” You hear your mom scream through the phone

“Hey mom” you greet

“Where the hell have you been?! We've been calling you for the past week and you just ignore us?! We were worried about you!” 

It's all too much you begin to cry she didn't know,  no one knew about what you were doing but Rio and his crew

You gather yourself “I'm sorry mommy”  you cut her off

She pauses, “What's wrong?” 

You take in a deep breath “I'm sorry I disappeared mom I won't do it again” 

“Do I need to come over?” she lived a few states away in Ohio

You panic “NO!...” you take a deep breath again “No! I just I needed time to myself I got stressed I won't do that again I promise” you master up a calm tone

She sighs “okay, but what happened? Did you get hurt?” 

“You know the bar and life I just got overwhelmed” you lie 

“Honey I'm your mother you call me when things get tough you don't just disappear!” we called the police!" She lectures. “I couldn't sleep! Y/N it felt like something wrong happened!” your stomach drops she wasn’t wrong 

“I'm sorry mom I really am I won't do it again” 

“Well I'm coming to see you next week”  

“Mom you don't...”

She cuts you off “Nope I'm coming, something is wrong I know my child!” 

You sniffed “okay” you looked at your shaking hands 

“Okay well let me call you back I gotta get in touch with the police and everyone else let them know you’re alright” 

“Okay mom”

“When I call you better pick up and don't go missing again”

“I promise I won't!” 

“I love you” 

“I love you too” 

You hung up and go through similar conversation with your sister and the manager of the bar 

When it all ends you drag yourself to the shower and take one of the longest showers you’ve ever taken, you couldn't help but sob the entire time. You scrubbed so hard a week with no shower in a dingy warehouse you felt so dirty. 

All trust had been destroyed so much for this “partnership”

You hope to be able to sleep but you can't. Your body is riddled with anxiety, with every sound you hear your  heartbeat spiked. You couldn’t even bring yourself to drink water or eat anything that's in the fridge. You just want to disappear, move to a small town in the middle of nowhere and figure things out. 

You received a text in the middle of the night 

Rio: Business as usual 

You had stared at it for hours 

Business as usual as if all that happened meant nothing. 

How could you get out of this? What could you do to free yourself from this and him? Maybe offer up the bar? But this is something you worked hard on, this bar was one of the top bars in Detroit you weren’t willing to give it up to him. You had to think about what life would look like outside of the bar and what did you want out of life? 

Slowly over the course of the week you clean up the house, you eat something here and there and you drink water when you remember. You’re not sure how you managed to clean up the house in the state it was left in, must have been adrenaline.  Even after your mother insisted something was wrong when she came to visit you, that Friday you  faked the funk. How could you tell her that you were deeply entrenched with a man who has a whole cartel like of criminals on his side? All the questions that would come from that. You would have to explain how Rio essentially twisted your arm to agree and how you stupidly didn't go to the police.

When you finally show up at the bar the following Monday  everyone teases about your disappearance and you play along but you have things to do, books to manipulate money to wash. You lock yourself in the office while you gather the money. You count over 10 times making sure it's right each time. You don’t trust the machine as it counts you run it through verify by hand run it through again verify it then set it aside. You added extra just for good measure because you didn’t trust yourself either. 

Wednesday March 13, 2019 

As you wait for him to show up at your usual pick up spot, you feel sick to your stomach, no more sitting down and waiting for him. All sense of security between you two had crumbled. A car pulls up and you grip the bag tightly. 

It's a strange face

Your phone pings 

Rio: Got busy, you’ll be dealing with Jamal moving forward

The man walks up to you with a smile on his face. “You must be Y/N” You nod, he hands you a yellow envelope you hand him the bag with shaky hands “Good doing business with you” he comments before turning to leave 

“Can you make sure it's all there?” you blurt out 

He laughs at your ridiculous comment “can’t do that out here in public lady, I’ll let Rio know” 

You nod again and watch as he drives away. 

This is your routine now, Rio never confirmed instead he would just add the extra back into your cut. You adjust to this new norm of life. 

You don’t see or hear from him for months, maybe it was for the best after all, you were angry with him you had every right to be. Well things don’t last forever and nothing is written in stone. 

Tuesday June 4, 2019 

Your stomach drops when you walk into your house that night, you feel the day you were kidnapped replaying itself. There was Rio on the corner chair with Mick lurking around the corner. 

“Not here to hurt you mama” he comments lifting his hands up to show that he wasn't there with malicious intent

You hadn’t left the door, in fact you were slowly inching away

“I wouldn’t do that”

“What do you want?” You ask in a shaky voice

“We need to talk” “You can text it” 

“I can’t” 

You sigh and close the door 

“I need your help” he reveals as you enter the living room. You don’t respond

“All that money I gave you, I need it, I’ll pay you back” 

You place your purse down “Why don’t you go get it I’m sure you know where it is”

He smirks because that was true  “don’t be like that mama” he tries to win you over 

“Don’t be like..” you pause “FUCK YOU RIO!” You scream “YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST SHOW UP AND ASK FOR MY MONEY, THE MONEY I WORKED HARD FOR?! WITHOUT AN APOLOGY WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF WHAT YOU DID TO ME!?” 

He rolls his shoulders back “It's just business” “BUSINESS?!” You stomp towards him Mick goes to interfere but Rio stops him. You glare at Mick “WHAT? YOU DON’T THINK YOUR BOSS CAN HANDLE HIMSELF, HE'S THAT MUCH OF A BITCH?!” When you turn to face Rio a blank stare replaces his expression no longer amused by your anger, guess that insult wasn’t taken lightly “I’VE BEEN YOUR PARTNER FOR 2 FUCKING YEARS! 2 YEARS! AND NEVER DID I EVER SHORT YOU. I ALWAYS MADE SURE THAT THE AMOUNT I GAVE YOU WAS RIGHT! AND YOU WHAT? YOUR FUCKING COUSIN” he shifts uncomfortable that you know the details behind the scenes “YEA I FOUND OUT, THE MOTHERFUCKER YOU CLAIM TO BE UNTRUST WORTHY YOU ALL OF A SUDDEN TRUST HIM?!” 

He says nothing “YEA JUST BUSINESS THIS IS WHO YOU ARE AS A PARTNER HUH? YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT LOYALTY AND PRINCIPAL, FUCK EVERYONE ELSE SO LONG AS YOU GOT YOUR MONEY RIGHT?” You pause looking at him waiting to see any sort of remorse, regret, something, anything! However he says nothing, his face is stoic like you were complaining about nothing important. As the tears stream down your face, you accept that this was pointless, he was never going to admit fault and you were never going to be able to step away from this life unless you were dead or in prison.  You take a deep breath, defeated you say  “You know where the money is go get it” you step away and motion towards the direction. He gives Mick a nod. He says nothing else, and you watch as they both leave. As soon as the door closes a loud scream leaves your body as soon as they walk out. How were you going to get out of this? Maybe fake your death or  leave the country to start over in a small village in the middle of nowhere!

Nothing changes after that day, still dealing with Jamal and still trying to find a way out of things. You receive an invitation from Nick to some sort of  masquerade ball in the city to “raise” funds for local charities. Mayor "duties". You assume not attending wasn’t an option.

Saturday July 13, 2019

The day of the ball arrives, you booked a town car for the night. No point in driving yourself and as far as you were concerned if anyone wanted to hurt you they could because you had no safety net after all. 

You step into the space you have to admit Nick went all out planning this event because it looked like a scene from a movie. You find your table and take a seat. You know no one who sits at your table you take a look around and spot Rio. It was easy,  anyone could spot his tattoo from a distance. A few speeches, the auction, then dinner is served proceeding with the party next. You look down at your watch, you had spent enough time at the event and you were hungry. 

If there was anything you learned from Rio and Nick never trust them so the most you did was nibble on your dinner plate and take small sips of your drink. 

“This seat taken?” you hear from behind you making look

You smile “No”

“Great!” he pulls out the chair 

“Hi I’m Alejandro”  he extends his hand to greet you 

You shake his hand  “Y/N Nice to meet you” 

He bows his head “Mucho gusto cariño (nice to meet you dear)”

“So do you work with Rio?” He takes a sip of his drink 

Not again it felt like you were being set up “Why do you want to know?” you finally take him in a man the same age as Rio and Nick rocking a gold canine tooth with many necklaces and rings on his finger. Gold to be exact. He had a thick accent, you assume somewhere from Central America or Spanish speaking country. 

He waves his hand around his head “Rumors go flying around” You nod still unsure of the purpose of this conversation “And Majority of the women here are plus one to their boyfriends or husband wasn’t hard to find you, that dress you came in all alone, heads were turning” he shamelessly looks you over biting his lip

“What do you want?” this conversation needed to end quickly 

He smiles, it makes you uneasy “Oh I don't want anything....” he pauses “It's a shame that they put you through that” you shift uncomfortably “But now you know who they are, the Serraño family. This is how they operate, they are vicious, they don’t care how many lives they destroy, they don’t operate with any principals...” 

You cut him off “I have come to that conclusion” 

He stops and chuckles lightly “Anyway I’m a much better option, I honor my principals and partnerships. I will have people reach out to you next week. Maybe I can take you out to lunch and we can talk.  You don’t have to stick with them” 

You nod but look past him to see Rio staring at both of you. Even the women trying to engage with him were failing due to how his gaze was dead set on you and Alejandro.

Alejandro looked back following your gaze as an additional ‘fuck you’ to Rio he raises his glass as a toast before turning back to face you “Ooop! I’ve been caught” with that he quickly stands up “Talk to you later cariño” 

You decide that this is your cue to leave and make your way out of the building. 

Authors Note: Please leave your feedback, again please don't steal. Only repost, like, or give credit.

Oh I can also start a tag list just let me know.

XOXO Rose

[beauty-and-passion]

Lore Olympus: a golden mine of bad writing

As I said, one post wasn’t enough.

There is still a lot to say about this webcomic and in this post I would like to talk about how Zeus, Apollo and Kronos have been treated. Here I will focus on the first two acts only, because the third act is not over, as well as the story. And yes, that means I will write another post when this whole thing is over.

I wanted to focus on these three gods in particular because are treated in a way that baffles me and makes me question what did they ever do to Mrs. Smythe. Tell me, Rachel: was it something personal? Did they do something to your family? What happened?

But maybe you don’t understand my point, especially if you haven’t read the Greek myths at all and you think that these three are just “Unfaithful Guy”, “Rapist” and “Evil Villain Har Har Who Also Wants To Rape”. Seriously, what’s with this weird obsession with raping everyone and with sex? Did Mrs. Smythe ever see anything else in myths, besides sex?

So please, allow me to explain why their characterizations are wrong and boring - and no, not just from a mythological point of view. 

_______________________________

Zeus: the walking clichè

Making Zeus an asshole is understandable, even if utterly boring and clichè. Oh wow, he's an unfaithful husband and he's vain. Very original. Groundbreaking, I'd say. I’ve never read about him being unfaithful to his wife, not even once in all the 200 million retellings made during the history of mankind.

It's a shame because Zeus is much more than that. He's a mighty ruler with a strong sense of justice: in several myths, he punished the assholes for their wrongdoings. He's very clever and strong. He's also associated with xenia, the custom of offering protection to strangers, which means Zeus is also a protector of foreigners.

I mean, this information alone offers so many new perspectives about him! Just imagine if, instead of hanging around and doing nothing useful aside from being everyone’s favorite punching bag, Zeus fought against every corrupt system of the mortal realm, in order to protect the foreigners and the innocents. It would’ve been so cool to see a different side of him, instead of the same thing over and over again!

But nope, Zeus = unfaithful husband only. Let’s ignore all the other aspects of him, to focus on the one everyone focuses on. Let’s make him the umpteenth version of the same guy, instead of offering a new vision. This will surely make the story worth everyone’s time!

Rachel, this could’ve worked if I was 12 and had never read a retelling in my entire life. But since I’m more than twice that age, seeing Zeus as an unfaithful husband again doesn’t get my interest. And I’m sure this doesn’t only apply to me, but to everyone who already saw at least two retellings of him. Isn’t this story supposed to be new and original? Then why are we still picking from the same old clichè visions of these gods? Where is the writer’s personality and ability?

_______________________________

Apollo: king of wasted potentials

I am absolutely, completely, 100% baffled at how Apollo has been treated in this story.

It's insulting to see the most beloved Greek god treated as a bidimensional piece of shit. Not only because he doesn't make any sense in the story (why is he here in the first place? Did Persephone and Apollo even interact in any myth?), but also because there are so many different possibilities for him, that seeing him being this is the biggest waste of potential I’ve ever seen.

A brief recap of who Apollo really is: Apollo is the embodiment of the sun. He is the god of arts and crafts. He's the most beautiful god, he embodies the concept of perfect Greek beauty. And he is associated with a lot of cool stuff, like medicine, truth and oracles. Also, like most of the other Greek gods, Apollo had many male and female lovers.

Now, look me in the eye and tell me that, with all of this, your first idea about him is "yeah, let's make him a stupid rapist, so stupid to not realize that hey, maybe forcing a girl to sleep with you will not make her fall in love with you". Oh and let's not forget he randomly decided he wanted Zeus' throne just after the fertility plot point had been introduced Because Yes. And he’s running for president of Whatever-Land Because Yes. Also, he’s currently involved again in another evil plot Because… yeah, you got it.

It’s just so frustrating to see him being the biggest loser of all time, considering how much cooler he could’ve been. Just think about it: we could've had a bisexual musician, who does concerts with his band (the Muses) and has a shit ton of lovers. We could’ve had a heartbroken doctor, who does his best to save everyone because he has not been able to save his own son from death (Asclepius). We could've had a mysterious advisor who can see the future because of his foresight powers.

What did we get instead? A fucking rapist.

Apollo is nothing but wasted potential. He’s an insult to himself, the story, common sense, and the Greek culture. Of all the incredible things he could've been, he became the most insulting of them all. I really cannot bear to see this fucking idiot and his punching-bag face, pretending to be Apollo. He’s not Apollo.

But if there is a guy I can see less than him, then let me introduce you to…

_______________________________

Kronos: Supreme Master of Wasted Potential

First of all: why is Kronos here? Why does this love story need Persephone to defeat a big bad guy? Just to show how cool and badass she is? Considering that their fight was a joke, it didn't work very well.

But okay, let's say we need a villain Because Yes. Kronos is still a huge waste of potential, probably the biggest waste of potential of the whole series until now. He could’ve been an interesting, multifaceted character, but he became a cartoonish supervillain har-har I want power.

Sigh.

But let’s take a step back and talk about the real, mythological Kronos. His story starts with his parents, Uranus and Gaia. The two had a lot of sons, including Titans (like Kronos) and Hecatonchires (monsters with fifty heads and one hundred arms). Disgusted by their monstrous nature or maybe just out of fear of being overthrown, Uranus chained his sons away into Gaia's womb (aka the Tartarus) so that they could never come out again.

Gaia suffered from this decision, so she devised a plan: she made a stone sickle, gathered her sons and tried to persuade them to castrate Uranus.

All of her sons were afraid of Uranus, Kronos was the only one brave enough to do it. And he was successful: he overthrew his father and became the new ruler of the universe, along with his wife/sister Rhea.

However, after becoming king, he didn't free all of his brothers as his mother wanted, but locked Hecatonchires and Cyclopes away once again. And so, Gaia told him that, one day, he would meet his father’s same fate and be overthrown by one of his own children.

Scared by these words, Kronos devised a plan: every time he had a new child, he took the baby from Rhea and swallowed them. Rhea was desperate and, in order to save her last son Zeus, she sought Gaia's help.

So Rhea gave birth to Zeus in a secret place, then handed Kronos a stone wrapped in clothes: he swallowed it, thinking that it was his son. This way, Zeus managed to escape the same fate as his siblings and was raised in secret, away from his father, until he was old enough to come back and fulfill his destiny.

And now, you may think Zeus overthrew his father with a sword and killed him and nah nah nah, myths are not that stupid and predictable. Zeus didn’t use violence to overthrow his father, but intelligence. He disguised himself to reach Kronos' court and, at the right time, he gave him a drink. That drink was an emetic (given by Gaia), that forced Kronos to throw up everything he swallowed, in reverse order: first the stone he thought was his last son, then Zeus' brothers and sisters.

After freeing his siblings, Zeus did what his father would've never done: he released the Hecatoncheires and the Cyclops to help him in the following battle against Kronos and the other Titans, a battle known as Titanomachy.

The war ended with the victory of the Olympians (i.e. Zeus and his siblings). Many Titans were confined in Tartarus, under the Hecatonchires' control, others were not imprisoned and kept appearing in other myths.

And Kronos? His fate differs depending on the myths. In some versions, he was imprisoned in Tartarus. But according to other, more interesting versions, Zeus forgave him after years, freed him and Kronos became king of the Elysian Fields: the famous earthly paradise reserved for the greatest Greek heroes.

Now. Just look at all of this beautiful, beautiful potential.

We have Gaia, a powerful goddess who overthrew two rulers of the universe, without moving a finger. A goddess strong and clever, but also a mother who wanted all of her children to be free - even the most hideous ones. She could’ve been a tragic figure, a master manipulator, or an evil schemer. Or all these things!

We have the Hecatonchires: fighters so powerful, to turn the tide of any battle. They could’ve been scary and intimidating, but also tragic monsters who just wanted to be accepted. They could’ve taught a beautiful lesson about the importance of accepting the ugly and giving everyone a chance to prove themselves.

Then we have Kronos. And Kronos had everything to be the greatest character.

Think about this concept: Kronos has always been afraid of Uranus, just like his brothers. He was just better at hiding his feelings. And that visceral fear is still inside him, it still haunts him after centuries, just like the memory of how he overthrew his father. And that fear takes the shape of paranoid thoughts about his father coming back to take the throne.

Kronos could’ve seen his father haunting him, but he could’ve also dissociated and seen himself as his father. In his altered state of mind, he could’ve been both the king and the one who overthrows him.

That could’ve made him a truly dangerous, unhinged character. A god who can’t see what’s real anymore, obsessed with the ghosts of his past. A god with nothing to lose and everything to gain. After all, if he kills his children again, the throne would be his once more. And, since he sees himself as himself and as his father at the same time, he would think that he is the "true king" coming back to take his throne.

That could’ve been awesome. Kronos could've been complex, desperate and multifaceted, a villain to pity and to be afraid of. A truly new, interesting version to know and love.

And do you have any idea how incredible Zeus could’ve been in this version? We could see him facing Kronos again, still as strong and determined as when he was young. And while everyone would expect him to kill Kronos, he would use his intelligence once again. He would prove to Kronos (and to everyone else) how intelligence is always superior to violence and how he's a good leader, despite his thousands of flaws.

Also, we could've seen Zeus talking to the defeated Kronos and making him the ruler of the Elysian Fields. We could've had a meaningful ending, in which Zeus understands Kronos' fears and shares his own.

I would’ve adored this, because according to the myth, Zeus was also supposed to be overthrown by a son! Hence why he swallowed Metis (his first wife) while she was pregnant.

The myth never truly clarifies who this supposed "son" is, but according to the different versions, Metis was pregnant not with a son, but with a daughter. A daughter who, one day, would be born, full grown, from Zeus' head. A daughter who would become Zeus' favorite child: Athena.

Honestly? I ADORE the idea that there was never a son to overthrow Zeus, but a daughter. And she would not overthrow his father by violence like her grandfather or by intelligence like her father, but by love. Athena doesn't need to take the throne from her father physically, she doesn't even need to sit on that throne: not when her father loves her more than anything else.

And I love the idea that Zeus is aware of that. He knows his daughter is his weakness. He knows that, if she asks, he will willingly give her that throne, because he loves her too much. And I would've loved to see him sharing these thoughts with the defeated Kronos. It could've been a beautiful moment, to see Zeus talking with the fatherly figure he always missed from his life. It could've led to a beautiful, meaningful ending for a dramatic story.

But can you see the problem here? This concept works for a story about Zeus, not about Hades and Persephone! These two have nothing to do with Kronos! Heck, even Rachel Smythe knows it, considering she had to pull a stupid plot point out of thin air, to explain why Kronos would give a damn about Persephone!

In case you were wondering: yes, the fertility-magical-power-battery-thing is bullshit. Gods don’t need a magical battery to be powerful. And no, fertility goddesses are not rare either: Aphrodite, Demeter, Hera, even Artemis are just a few of the fertility goddesses in Greek mythology. Kronos could’ve picked his favorite from a large pool, instead of becoming an absolute creep with Persephone in the stupidest fight of all time.

And speaking of that, two words on the supposed “fight”. First of all, apologies to all fights for being associated with this thing, because this was anything but a fight: it was a cartoonish conversation accompanied by the umpteenth sexualization of Persephone, who first appeared fully naked, then with a dress so stupid to defy the laws of physics and perspective.

And if you don’t believe me, please see it by yourself: this is how the dress was supposed to be, according to episode 75

This is how it ended up. Apparently, the Fates didn’t predict how huge Persephone’s boobs would be and the neckline didn’t grow accordingly: I feared to see one of them slipping out from it anytime during the “fight”

Also, please appreciate how Persephone is turned to the side, but the dress’ stupidly huge neckline is shown from the front, otherwise we would’ve seen her full naked boobs.

And that stupid neckline kept bothering me throughout the whole “fight”, because it kept changing size. Check the episodes and see it by yourself: sometimes it’s smaller, other times it’s wider and it keeps moving in impossible ways. It drove me insane.

But since we’re talking about drawings, please allow me a very brief parenthesis about them too.

_______________________________

The drawings are a joke

I am not an artist. I can barely draw a straight line by hand. But I studied art history, perspective, proportions and colors, so I’m not completely clueless.

But you don’t need to be clueless, to notice how bad the drawings became. If you have two eyes and saw another human being in your life before, then you can notice by yourself how bad they are.

It’s not a secret that Lore Olympus’ art style changed over time. In the beginning, this comic was characterized by a lot of straight lines and geometric shapes, alternating and mixing with gentle curves. There were blur effects, colored outlines, a lot of details that gave an overall dreamy, ethereal vibe to every chapter (like the soft glow that accompanied the gods).

But as the story progressed, these elements disappeared. The geometric shapes gave way to an overall “softness” and roundness. The dreamy vibes and blur effects were replaced by sharper, clearer drawings. A distinct black outline now marks every character.

And speaking of characters, they were the ones who changed more. Lore Olympus always had funny, silly faces but the characters were also able to be serious and look natural. Now all we have are grotesque faces: the characters are a collection of caricatures and no one has a normal expression anymore. Check by yourself, by confronting a random episode of the third act with the first one: they’re two different worlds.

The disproportions were common too, since episode one. But at least they were somehow plausible, while now they’re completely absurd. It’s as if Mrs Smythe completely forgot what a human being looks like.

And this is pretty evident in how all characters became a rough draft of the two protagonists: all women got Persephone’s face, all men become buff and huge, with wide-ass shoulders and teeny tiny heads. This is particularly obvious at the end of season 2 / start of season 3, when we see some of the funniest images ever, like Hades with a tiny head and shoulders as wide as the entire USA

Or this hilariously bad image of Zeus with clown shoes and a head as big as his deformed hand.

No excuse can justify these drawings: no one is running after Mrs Smythe, nor forcing her to draw, and people are paying her real money to work on this webcomic. The least she can do is draw something that doesn’t look like a bad distortion of a human being.

Unless this isn’t her drawing, but her staff’s work. In that case, they are still paid to do their job, right? Or do they think this story is a joke and decide to show how much of a joke it is, by turning everyone into a grotesque caricature?

_______________________________

In conclusion

Lore Olympus is hilarious because of how bad the writing is. It’s a manual example of how not to write a climax for your story. It’s a perfect demonstration of how you can still fail, even with great characters with endless possibilities. It’s a list of all the mistakes you can make as an artist.

If you’re a writer or an artist in general, please check Lore Olympus and study it. Here you will find everything you should never do and all the mistakes you should never make.

As a writer myself, I appreciate Lore Olympus, because I need works that teach me what I shouldn’t do. Good teachers are useful, but bad ones are even more useful, because it’s thanks to them that I can learn and grow and make better stories. Lore Olympus might be a failure from an artistic and writing point of view, but it might also serve as a foundation, from which other people can develop better ideas.

Actually, it already did it! Do you want to read a better story, rose from the disappointing ashes of Lore Olympus? Then check Lore Rekindled and @genericpuff: you will find their work here on Tumblr. They planned everything ahead and it’s pretty clear by reading it. The characters make more sense, the events have a more logical explanation. And the art style is much, much better than the last Lore Olympus.

We will meet again for the third and (for now) final post about this series, a much-needed post about the protagonists of this story: Hades, Persephone and Demeter.

<- Previous post - Next post ->

(How about a coffee? ☕)

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TAGLIST:

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[kurishiri]

02 . . . william & v.s. darius

— this translation may not be 100% accurate or contain creative liberties due to characterization or narrative flow purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don’t repost these or claim these as your own!

— cw: none.

Kate: Wh—? What do you mean, me for a reward——

In response, Will narrowed his eyes, the color of blood, with an alluring smile on his lips.

William: It is a charming idea, although I have no intention of handing our dear little robin over.

W: If I emerge victorious, would you let me do as I like with you, Kate?

Darius, too, wore a smile as bewitching as that of an angel’s, his honey eyes sweetly tempting.

Darius: And should you become mine, I suppose I’d take you back home with me.

D: How about we have so much fun together that returning to England won’t even dare cross your mind again?

Kate: W-wait, hold up, that kind of thing...

This unexpected turn of events sent my heart racing in confusion, when——

The two of them glanced at one another before bursting out into a hearty laughter.

William: Ahaha, it was a joke in good fun, Kate. It’s not in my slightest interest to offer people up as prizes.

Darius: Ahaha, you take everything so seriously, miss fairytale keeper. Color me veeery intrigued.

Kate: Ehh? Okay, that’s enough ganging up on me, you two.

K: That said, though, I am interested in this match, so if it’s alright, could you let me prepare the prize for the winner?

William: What a wonderful suggestion, thank you. Of course I am more than alright with that.

Darius: Agreed, I’m happy with anything as long as you are the one who chooses it, miss fairytale keeper.

Kate: Please leave it to me then!

——From the first throw, the two made a splendid display.

Darius: I expected no less from you, William.

William: I could very much say the same of you. I’ve learned yet another new thing about you today.

Horseshoes were not only heavy, but also bore a shape that made it difficult to throw well,

but both Will and Darius were able to throw them at the stakes they were aiming for with ease.

Kate: Will! Darius! ...You’re both doing really well!

With such clear skill, I could hear exceptionally loud cheering along with murmurs of praise.

“Wow, they make it look so easy,” “I feel like I’m being sucked right in,” “Those two are so cool”...

(They both don’t seem like they’re going to miss a mark anytime soon. At this rate there probably won’t be a winner and... ah.)

It was then my eyes stopped on something a child who had been passing by was selling.

(Okay, that’ll be the reward!)

I chased after the seller to buy the item I had my eye on, and on the way back——

I ran into a store that was selling another thing that could work.

(And with this... it can just be a gift from me to him, not for winning a match, but rather for the memory.)

I went back to where the two were as the match was drawing near the end...

Kate: Here you go! A reward for the winner. ——In other words, the both of you.

I brought out two cups of chilled lemonade.

Darius: Hm? Wait a minute, you wouldn’t know whether the results ended in a tie until the end, yes?

Kate: Ah, about that...

K: From the very first throw, I could see that you and Will were around equal footing.

Darius: ...Ho-oh?

Kate: And I was thinking if there’s no gap in ability, you can only really leave the rest to luck or how strong one’s desire is to win——

William: ...

Kate: But even in luck and desire to win, I felt you two were on equal footing for those as well.

K: So, I took a bet that it would end in a tie, and I prepared two prizes.

Darius: And what were you going to do if it hadn’t ended in a tie?

Kate: Were that to happen, of course the second lemonade would be for me!

William: Ahaha, that is very much like you, little robin.

W: I will graciously take the lemonade then. Here’s to the little robin who has won the bet, cheers.

Darius: I see you have a strong hand in these games as well. Thank you, and cheers.

Seeing the two drinking the lemonade, enjoying it, my cheeks became more lax.

——At that moment.

Something bumped into my back then.

Slightly dirty boy: Be careful where you’re walking!

The boy turned back briefly to spit out those words before quickly leaving.

Kate: S-sorry, you too! Be care——

William: Let’s chase after him.

Kate: Huh?

William and Darius had already begun running after him, and in the next beat I followed after them.

Darius: Miss fairytale keeper, was anything stolen from you, by any chance?

The boy’s back appeared and disappeared among the throng of people, and while chasing after him I checked my pockets, and——

Kate: ! It’s not here!

The present that I had gotten for him was gone.

I paled in realization, and Will, seeing this, whispered in a calm voice.

William: So I see you do hold it. He may be a child with connections to that organization.

W: ——That which is stolen is bound to return to its rightful owner.

Kate: R-right, anyway, let’s get him!

Darius: Hehe, this is just like Fangen.

D: ——Except that the child’s the one who is ‘it,’ I suppose.

The boy skillfully maneuvered his way through, slipping through the small gaps between the crowd of people and wagons.

And I could recognize the route he was taking, so——

Kate: I’ll go around from here to cut him off!

I separated myself from the crowd to block off the path of the boy, who had come out from under a wagon.

Kate: Stop right there!

The boy seemed startled before changing directions, but there...

William: As expected of our little robin.

This time, surprised by Will, he once again changed directions...

...only to run into Darius.

Darius: Seems like it’s your loss. Ah, and over there is the little miss fairytale keeper.

Kate: There’s no use running now!

Now surrounded in three different directions, the boy panicked.

Slightly dirty boy: ...gh, take this!

The boy took a basket adjacent to him and knocked it over.

The plums that were originally stacked like a mountain scattered all across the street, hindering our path.

Kate: Awawa!?

I caught the basket that had fallen with the plums a moment later.

William: Ahh, could you hold it like that, Kate?

Will deftly picked up the plums one after the other, throwing them into the basket I was holding.

Darius: Could you hold the basket toward me as well, miss fairytale keeper?

Darius, too, picked plums up in a carefree manner before tossing them into the basket, not a single one falling back to the ground.

(Wow, these two are really good...)

In that time, the boy had ran into a side street with agile movements.

Kate: Ah, that path——

After the plums were all back in the basket, we continued our chase once again, and as my memory served, we were nearing a place where the path diverged.

Kate: From a distance, it looks like a straight path.

William: So I see. The boy thought to use this to try and deceive our eyes.

Darius: And had you not told us, miss fairytale keeper, we may have very well just gone straight without a drop of hesitation.

D: ——That said, it is also very possible that, on the flip side, he did actually go straight.

William: The boy is also watching the little robin’s movements, after all.

Darius: Then how about we split into two teams here?

William: Indeed. Then you and I can each tackle a path. Which leaves our little robin.

Darius: ——Miss fairytale keeper.

Both of them turned toward me at the same time, and I gave my answer...

to be continued…

will vs darius jude vs nica alfons vs ring

← prev william🌹 → darius🪽 →

full masterlist 🌹🪽

[smehur]

Some Harry/Draco Fic Recs

There is so much great fic in this fandom, I'm struggling to keep track of everything I read and like. I already mentioned some of my early favorites here, but I have since found several more.

In no particular order:

Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by waspabi

In which Harry did not go to Hogwarts, but is instead found by a group of seventh year students led by Hermione, and recruited for the war at the ripe age of 17.

I'm not usually a fan of AUs, but this charmed me within the first few paragraphs with irresistible characterization. Harry is a little different than how I imagine him, but the premise allows for it. And the Harry/Draco romance is possibly the sweetest, softest I've seen so far. 10/10 would read again.

In Pieces by dysonrules

Harry returns to Hogwarts as the new DADA instructor, only to find his teaching efforts thwarted by a very familiar ghost.

When I got this rec myself, I wasn't sure I would like it, because, well, the summary spells it out, doesn't it? But I ended up loving it. It's incredibly sweet and tender and sad and hot. I couldn't put it down.

An Emerald In The Sky by corvuscrowned

The hardest part about shagging an Unspeakable is that they’re not allowed to speak of anything. All Draco knows is that Harry works in Time. Harry works in Time, and while he’s out there in all of that time, it is as unforgiving to him as it is to anyone. Somewhere along the way, Draco realizes he's been thinking in lines, when he should have been thinking in circles.

This story moved me like few others. It's a masterpiece of 'show, don't tell' in that elusive way I have never been able to tap in my own writing. It speaks in images, and the images capture incredibly specific, perfectly chosen details that paint years and decades of slowly fading hope. Just the thing for one who considers their own aging and mortality increasingly often.

Take You Home by lq_traintracks (lumosed_quill)

Everybody’s a little fucked up after the war, Draco especially. What starts as hate sex after a night out, eventually turns into something else, something more like comfort. And even though his friends all tell Harry he’s just being used, all Harry’s doing is making sure Draco gets home in one piece. He’s not falling helplessly in love.

From the author of one of my early favorites (Right Hand Red), a hugely enjoyable read that makes love to a post-war Draco (and his long hair in a man-bun that he fastens with his wand). I gulped this down in one sitting.

Hey, Potter by SunseticMonster

Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 8th year, determined not to let Malfoy get to him. But when the snarky teasing starts up again, Harry finds that returning the jibes with compliments has a far more interesting outcome.

I am in love with this premise. It works so well? While I wished for a bit more shipping and a bit less collateral, I still enjoyed this story immensely and went on to read almost everything the author wrote for the pairing.

An Issue of Consequence by Faith Wood

Draco has woken up in an alternate universe. Or he has woken up utterly insane. Nothing else can possibly explain why Harry Potter suddenly seems to think he's Draco's boyfriend.

The light-hearted summary belies the gravity of the plot of yet another favorite tale from the pen of my favorite author. The POV immersion is so deep that I absolutely did not see the resolution of the mystery until it was revealed, and then I was just as shocked as Draco. Fabulous stuff.

A Doll's Tale by Faith Wood

Harry/Draco, as observed by Draco's childhood doll. Please note, this doll is very self-absorbed.

This... broke me a little, lol. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing (too) heavy, angsty or dark about this story. It's as innocent as they get? But it just clicked so well with the idea I've been brewing in my own (yet to be published) writings, of Draco as this... sensitive boy hiding under the guise of confidence and cruelty. And the plot-twist, Merlin. Was it obvious? Maybe, but not to me! It struck me like a (fluffy toy) train and days later, I'm still recovering. I want to take this fic and hug it when I go to sleep.

Actually, I'm in a bit of a pickle, as my instinct is to list pretty much every single thing written by Faith Wood that I've read so far. But that would be silly, so I'll list only one more, as a treat.

Beholden by Faith Wood

Draco Malfoy might not be a killer, but it turns out he's an effective painkiller. If stopping pain was all Draco's touch did, things might not be so complicated, but either way Harry can't afford to be choosy.

I already mentioned this one in that inaugural post I linked at the very top, but: 1) it's now completed and can be safely binged on; and 2) the only thing I said about it back then is that it deals with chronic pain, which was particularly relevant at the time because I was at the peak of sciatica and could relate to poor Harry all too well. But that's just one of the many merits of this incredible story. Now that I'm feeling better, I'd praise it first and foremost for the patient exploration of the characters' inner worlds and the gradual, methodical and inexorable buildup of their feelings and convictions that eventually leads to falling in love. A masterpiece of slow burn. I plan not only to read this again, but to study it in the hopes of improving my own craft.

Tagging the authors I found on here: @dysonrules @faith2wood @corvuscrowned @lqtraintracks and also my friend @kuraiummei who helped me find some of these gems.

Thank you for enriching my life. ❤️

[lostworldss]

Blades 3 Crack Theory

Hear me out.

In Book 2 during one of Nia’s romance scenes, she mentions praying to Ellara, Nifara, and the Mother of Grey for MC to come back.

Now we saw the Mother of Grey/Ash Empress in Book 2, and we learned all the lore about her, Nifara, and the rest of the old gods. Nifara is likely to be the big enemy for Book 3.

But how much do we know about Ellara?

I am going to preface this by saying that I’m not good at remembering all the lore/history from the lore tablets or whichever, so please correct me if i’m wrong with any of this.

But I don’t remember learning much about Ellara specifically. With Nia’s context here, I thought to believe that Ellara was a deity. Perhaps a New God since the lore tablets spoke of all the Old Gods and she wasn’t included.

After checking Book 2 chapter 8, I verified that Ellara is in fact a New God.

This makes sense, considering that Nia prays to her and she has the Temple near Riverbend named after her that we explored.

Also, in the first chapter of the series, in the very beginning scene showing the battle against the Dreadlord thousands of years ago, we see a character named Ellara speaking with Xaius (Elven king/Other New God). Not much information is given about her in the scene, except for her seemingly being in a romantic relationship with Xaius. According the the choices wiki, she is a battle mage and Xaius second in command.

I’m not sure when exactly Ellara and Xaius became New Gods, was it before or after this battle? I’m not sure if they mentioned it before in Book 1. But either way, we can assume this character is The Ellara.

I’m really hoping Book 3 goes into the lore of the New Gods more, especially after learning about the Old Gods previously. Maybe the New Gods can assist us in fighting Nifara.

But back to the actual theory part. For a brief second, lets pivot to something else.

Who is the only character in the party whose family lineage/parents are unknown? (Kade could technically count maybe, but not him).

Who’s familial background is a complete shot in the dark?

Not MC, they have memories of their parents before the raid on their hometown. They were also given different deeper backgrounds based on their race in Book 2.

It’s Nia. She was adopted by the Church of Light as an infant, and she never knew anything about her actual family.

Now, maybe it’s just a funny coincidence, but does anyone else find it a bit interesting that her last name (Ellarious) sounds very similar to the name Ellara? Hmm.

But perhaps it’s a just simply a coincidence.

We could also assume that Ellara is a mage of light magic, since we know that she was a mage that would presumably be using light magic to counter the shadow magic of the Dreadlord. And we know this was after Nifara already separated the world into Light and Shadow realms, so the elves at this time probably didn’t know about True magic. And if Ellara is a god, she must be really good at it.

Hmm. Is there anyone else we know who’s naturally attuned to magic, maybe light magic specifically?

And just one more thing. What does Ellara look like in that screenshot? What colors is she wearing? She seemed to be dressed in a lot of white and gold, and wearing jewelry. Red hair. Hmm.

If you haven’t guessed my theory that I’m hinting at, here it is:

What if Nia Ellarious is a descendent of/related to Ellara???

And I’ll be honest I remember the name being similar thing being a thought in my mind before but I didn’t put any connection to it in my mind I was just like “oh they both kinda sound similar that’s cool.”

But let me enlighten you on on more thing. The suffix “-ious” in the english language means “having/characterized by/to have characteristics of.”

Nia’s last name literally means “to have the characteristics of Ellara.”

ITS BEEN STARING US IN THE FACE THIS ENTIRE TIME.

Also worth pointing out that when we first met Nia in book 1 chapter 1, where were Scholar Vash and her heading to? The Temple of ELLARA

Like you can’t tell me All of this is a coincidence (it probably is).

[wannab-urs]

The Spreadsheet Digest - Fic Recs | Vol 11

Hi friends!!

I've really outdone myself this week, folks. I read TWENTY SEVEN new fics (including three very long series) + a bunch of updates to WIPs I was already reading. That being said, I'm gonna sort these by character for you because it's a lot to scroll through.

If you're new here, these are all the fics I read this week (except series updates and unnamed drabbles) and my unhinged/unedited ramblings about them :)

You can find the full spreadsheet here, and you're always welcome to tag me in your fics <3

Fic recs below the Pedro <3

Din Djarin

Wherever You Stray, I Follow a one shot by @beskarandblasters

This is one of those fics that makes me genuinely pissed I'm not living in the Star Wars universe. Why can't I run away from an arranged marriage with my bodyguard who just so happens to be a very very handsome man in a suit of pure beskar? It's not fair.

Beskar Doll a series by @justagalwhowrites

Okay so I read 40+ chapters of this in TWO days. The story is so engaging?! Also we all know I love me some angst and the angst in this is so well done. It's believable, it's painful, it's excellent. I'm always hype for reader characters/FMC/OFC that are strong and capable (not that I have an issue with the damsel in distress fics either but...) I am obsessed with the reader/MC in this. She's so fucking cool and strong and AGH!!! There was no part of this where I was bored or wondered why the story went in a certain direction - it always made sense to me and I was completely engaged the whole time. That's pretty impressive for a long ass fic like this. I usually fall off after 20 or so chapters. Everyone should read this, tbh.

Significant a one shot by @softlyspector

AHHHH okay first of all, you gotta read the drabble first so you get a feel for the relationship. This was SO CUTE. I support every choice made in this fic. I don't want to spoil anything, but just know that I love the characterization and dialogue in this. I love how quickly I got sucked into the story and believed their relationship despite it only being 5k. I could kind of imagine a full series around this. It was sooooo cute UGH. (Look at me reading fluff, what's goin on).

Fix it a one shot by @jksprincess10

I love how you've barely written Din before (1 fic) and then you produce this. It's so fucking good. We get helmetless!Din without a fuckton of buildup and like I get that it's not the most realistic, but sometimes you just want Din Djarin to eat you out without 20 chapters of wondering what his face looks like or having to be in the dark. And the tattoos... nad... you gave him tattoos.... I'll pass out and die on the floor right now.

a little attention a one shot by @luckbealincoln

Din has a rough day (haha get it?) and reader knows just how to get rid of his pissy ass attitude. I love love love dom!Din so fucking much this is so hot PLEASE

Best Kept Secret a series by @lincolndjarin

Bodyguard!Din and princess!reader!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this trope so much. I expected the fic to be a little kitschy because I mean... it's a kitschy trope. And I love kitschy shit that's why I clicked on it... but guys! guys!! it's not!! This fic has so much depth, so much emotion. The little glimpses of Din's backstory, the depictions of mental health, that bastard Kodo, my beloved Elaine and Lysa... just... there's so much in this story that I adore. It feels fresh and interesting and it's heart wrenching and wonderful and sexy and....yeah read this one thanks.

Who do you belong to? a one shot by @beskarandblasters

HOT!!!!!!! Possessive!Din is so fucking hot. The smut is.... oh my lordt it is good.

Joel Miller

i can be your pretty girl a series by @walkintotheriveranddisappear

A little innocent reader/manipulative dbf!joel never hurt anyone, right? I fucking love this. And the subsequent part is... even better (worse? more depraved?).

Epiphany a one shot by @jksprincess10

This story hurts. It hits you right in the chest and takes the breath out of you. Worth the pain though. It's gorgeously done <3

I'll Do Anything a one shot by @beskarandblasters

I feel like I've seen some fics that are this trope but in reverse, where Joel is the one making reader pay with sex. I think I like this better tbh. Desperate, needy Joel is everything.

Seven a one shot by @proxima-writes

Starting with the dream was so fucking good! And I really like the choice to not make it a 1 to 1 direct recreation of the actual scene with Sarah. I loved the early interactions with Joel and reader so much. The library scene AHHH!!!! And then fast forwarding through the reallly good smut, the dream that's not a nightmare???? Are you kidding me??? genius. Reader still believing in beautiful things and making joel believe he deserves good things and oh my god just shoot me now this was adorable.

sensational a series by @sinsofsummers

I guess I was on an innocent reader kick this week idk. I love the buildup of the reader's background in this though. She feels like a real person and not just a vessel for actual reader to pretend we're virgins and Joel Miller is teaching us about sex. Like she is that, don't get me wrong, and I love it. But!! She's a real person, with feelings and a backstory and I am a slut for a good story with my smut. Okay and also Joel doesn't feel like a creep in this, which is a little hard to achieve given the premise. I really liked this and I hope we get more. (there's a part two, but like I'd read 10 parts of this are you kidding)

Desire a series by @toxic-seduction

Good ol' depraved smut. I haven't read one like this before!! And the follow up is just as yummy. Highly recommend if you're feeling a little freaky :)

Gimme What I Want a series by @atticrissfinch

Oh my god oh my GOD oh my god. This was so fucking hot?! And the little moments of humor too?! I love the format for this so much. And the attention to detail with the timestamps and everything!! And then part two... I was not prepared. God it was so hot. (and the lil bonus of Joel being awkward and adorable ughhhh). The blend of sexy and funny and a tad bit depraved and a tiny bit sweet... perfect.

Lavender a series by @justagalwhowrites

Hey, it's not nice to break people's hearts repeatedly. There are barely even words to describe this fic. The nanny trope to start out with, meaning that you get really really attached to Sarah and pre-outbreak Joel and you build up all these hopes and dreams for the two of them.... and then... (trying not to spoil things) Joel being a moron and then the outbreak of course and... I always want to know what happens in that 20 years between outbreak and Joel meeting Ellie. I really adore the way that canon content was blended with original content in a way that seems to make Joel's actions make even more sense than they do in canon. Doc is such a cool character also??? And oh my GOD Andrew and Jess... I seriously cannot explain how fucking perfect this is. I could read it forever. Like I hope you carry it on through season two when that comes out, it's that good. I would read 500 chapters of this.

Mine a one shot by @the-scandalorian

How does one write Porn Without Plot, anal at that, and make it profound? Apparently this way. How dare you make me feel anything but a little ashamed and lot horny about an ANAL FIC?! Are you a fucking WIZARD?! Anyway yeah y'all should read this one.

Stay here, honey a one shot by @swiftispunk

This is just porn but I was having that kind of day. dbf!joel + really high chance of getting caught PWP. Wonderful <3

What I need a one shot by @swiftispunk

knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink knife kink. Oh and also a lil bit of sweetness at the end. Yes please

Your Summer Dream a series by @swiftispunk

Look I've only read chapter one and I'm already in love. The set up is so good. Joel seems so sweet and charming and cool and HOT?!? Reader is about to win the rebound Jackpot for real. I'd be jealous if I wasn't,,,, ya know,,, the reader.

exile a one shot by @tieronecrush

Oh hey cool, thanks for hurting my feelings... just kidding you know I love angst. This was so gorgeously written. I love all the descriptions a lot. And also... I read a lot of joel/reader breakups where she just immediately crumbles and takes him back because like wouldn't we all? But I really like how you had her hesitate even though she's clearly miserable. At least one of us is emotionally mature enough to not dive headfirst back into a toxic relationship (couldn't be me).

Javier Peña

a pile of cards a one shot by @undercoverpena

There are very few things I love more than fluffy, soft!Javi Peña. That man has the capacity to be so sweet and caring and kind and loving and AHHHHHH. I really love the way this story is told. A story in birthdays for your birthday celebration... that's so fucking creative I love it. I just... I can't say enough about this fic. Read it!!

not here, not now a one shot by @gracieispunk

Reader gets in trouble with Javi and handcuffs are involved... I feel like I do not need to say more.

(Re)union with Elvis a one shot by @tieronecrush

I've read a lot of these lil accidental marriage fics, and this is one of my favorites so far. I loved getting to see them meet up sober, go through the whole night, experience the silly wedding, the mind blowing sex, and then the wakeup scene is actually so cute? I rarely see one of these without a defcon level freak out about the fact they got married. Imagine telling this story at your wedding? Like oh yeah we've actually already divorced each other and it was before we ever started dating.

Pero Tovar

Xìngjiāo a one shot by @absurdthirst

I finally watched The Great Wall and my literal first move after finishing it was to see if absurdthirst wrote a sex pollen fic for Tovar and she FUCKING DID!!!!! Gods I love sex pollen.

Pero Tovar and his Guerrera a series by @prolix-yuy

This lil loose fit series makes my heart sing. Pero being an idiot? Reader being a badass? Silly arrangement to be able to stay near each other without having to admit feelings? Finally admitting feelings??? Wrap me up in this story and bury me in it, thanks.

Dave York

Stormy Secrets a one shot by @absurdthirst

Kinda randomly got in the mood to read something fucked up and stumbled on this lovely Dave York fic. Murder daddy didn't let me down, this was EXCELLENT. Pretty much checked every box on the list of what I would kill to have Dave York do to me.

Just Your Average Suburban Couple a one shot by @absurdthirst

What if Murder Daddy had a Murder Wife? I know it's a hot take, but I love the fake dating trope so this is so fun for me. Add in badass reader, infidelity, murder, Dave York being soft (in his own way), domestic Dave, and possessive/jealous!Dave? Oh and of course delicious smut. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH

---------

Do y'all prefer it sorted like this or was it fine the old way? This takes a little extra work, but it's not that bad.

-------

Happy Reading!

[absolutebl]

Be My Favorite - Flaming Hot Trash Watch Action

Ready for this?

Adapted from the y-novel You Are My Favorite by JittiRain this is one of those “rewrite the past to change the future.” Starring Krist (SOTUS) + Fluke Gawin (DBK, Not Me). I expect this to be low heat, full of LIES and manipulation.

12 eps of approx 45 min fresh content each, and I guess I am drinking on frigay for the next 3 damn months 

Main tropes: time travel/slip/loop, paranormal, university setting, soft romance, low heat, sunshine/tsundere with GMMTV’s heavy hand on classic Thai BL tropes, product placement, and high production values.

Trailer | MDL

I’m getting some shizz outta my system before I start putting the alcohol into it...

Story issues 

Let’s get this on the table. I have a mixed relationship with Jittirain’s stuff because unlike Mame who is trash to her characters with plot, Jittirain is trash to plot with characters. All characters (what limited characterization there is) will be obedient to the plot and act against personality the moment it is necessary for whatever insanity is required for audience manipulation. We The Watchers WILL feel jerked around by these jerks (but as this is GMMTV there will be no actual jerking). We WILL be lied to, and the characters will lie to each other FOR NO GOOD REASON. 

In addition to Be My Favorite JittiRain is behind: Vice Versa, 2gether, Fish Upon the Sky, and Theory of Love. Mmm humm. Yeah. Drinks are defiantly required. 

Actor issues: 

Krist: Who knew Krist would do a BL again? Like seriously? His career has been riddled with controversy and his skills as an actor widely challenged. Regarding the first, this is not that blog, take that discourse/cancel culture elsewhere. For the second? I will judged his acting based on the usual criteria: this BL, this role, this pairing, this script, and the fact that this is Thai style acting. Okay?

Gawin/Fluke: I will likely slip and call him Gawin because that’s what he used when he first crossed my radar. I have said this before but he looks like an ex of mine. So my baggage with him is all personal. Said ex and I are amicable, but it wigs me out sometimes. They even have a similar voice. I will try to get over this. 

Also the both SCREAM straight. I mean I don’t wanna judge insult or anything but these boys got breeder smeared all over them. 

Okay, so what are we doing here?

Well, as previously established: DRINKING.

AND

A new trash watch! 

Although there is always the (however faint) possibility it will become a praise watch. Sometimes that happens. But this is Jittirain so... I doubt it. 

Ready?

Here we go! 

Episode 1: Sake & Fear 

I have heartburn already. Or maybe that’s the extra chili I put on my noodles + booze + EXISTENTIAL DREAD. 

Kawi = loser, poor, stupid, shy, and friendless (AKA Japan’s ordinary bottom uke archetype) - he’s a downer, this is an issue with this kind of character, not likable. 

Pearmai = the sunshine faen fatale Kawi has a crush on 

Piseang = the tall handsome cute popular perfect seme, plays basketball perfectly (waves at Love O2O), is also a DJ (nash)

Most of this ep was spent establishing this dynamic and some kind of secret santa for college kids, a magic time travel snow globe, and the fact that the wrong couple got together. 

Why is there a dandelion in the snow globe? 

Is it a wishes thing? Do they have that superstition in Thailand?

A 12 year time jump is v Japanese. Which life-point is closer to Krist’s actual age? Ooo, half a bottle of sake and I’m salty af. 

Apparently Kawi still has same problems and the same haircut as he did as a fresher.

Could we please talk about this? It’s in ALL BL. Why does NO ONE change their hair as they age? My hair changes by the week. 

Meanwhile our ordinary bottom has turned into a wild imbecilic tsundere and our seme clearly likes that and I am too drunk for this. So is Kawi. 

You know what, it’s not as terrible as I thought it would be. I don’t like it but I can see the characters becoming appealing. Maybe? Hopefully? Why do I do this to myself?

I’m not a monster, I will give it a chance. 

At least no one has yet picked up a guitar.

See you next week, same Jittirain time, same Jittiran place, new bottle of sake.  

Episode 2: Nigori & Serenity 

The sake I’m drinking tonight is described on the bottle “silky & mild” which is also a legit review of Gawin’s acting. 

WAIT A MINUTE.

What is going on? 

What am I feeling? 

They’re lying on the grass talking to each other in a meaningful way. It’s cute. I am enjoying it. How appropriately collegiate. 

Is this... enjoyment?

Am I enjoying this show?

OMG I AM. 

help 

I ate booze-filled chocolates AS WELL AS SAKE. 

Maybe it’s the double dose? 

Am I becoming silky & mild?

I got a slow down. I can’t do this every week for 12 weeks in a row. I’m not in uni anymore. I might end up being a nice person if I continue down this road. Can’t have that.  

Honestly, I do like the fantasy of getting to re-live your college years as a cooler version of yourself. 

Although, frankly, I did fine with mine. 

(Oh thank fuck, asshole me is back.) 

I don’t know where Max came from but he is officially the most interesting character in this show. 

Also... does he look a bit like a bad boy bunny to anyone else? 

It isn’t actually like it, but I am getting a distinct 2gether vibes from this show. It makes it feel kinda dated for BL. What a fucking crazy thing to say. Ignore me, I’m drunk. 

OOOOO.... Nong teasing. Very nice.  

The over dramatic drunken kiss made me giggle. First time Krist has been properly kissed in a BL.

Sigh. 

What do I do? 

I’m enjoying it! 

Damn it. 

Episode 3: Tipsy Waffling 

I was out at the club, came home faintly tipsy. Frankly I feel a little unwell, so I’m not gonna drink anymore. So this is an unprecedented semi-sober trash watch. I’m not sure if I’m ready but so far this show been beating expectations, and I don’t expect a derailment until next ep so I’m feel okay about my life choices. 

Okay Gawin is good. I’ll give you that . His little moment if realization (and giving up). The “oh shit” look. 

Wait.

That’s Title! 

When did he leave Wabi Sabi and join GMMTV’s stable? 

Look I kinda enjoyed this bit, because it was a joke.

BUT I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE ENDING.

Is this the beginning of the JittiRain of Doom? Or it this just good angsty story telling?

No way to know until next week.

(JittiRain of Doom - see what I did there? Aren’t I a clever little lush dragon?) 

I should go to bed now. 

I think we can safely say clouds are on the horizon and whether this is good storytelling or bad, only episode 4 will tell. 

Episode 4: It’s Happened! The Suck! 

not in a good way @heretherebedork​ said ep 4, can they call it or WHAT?! 

I’m officially calling Kwai’s pink haired Maximum hotness bestie “my café fae” and YOU can’t stop me. I love him. Or I want to be him? Or I AM him?

Difficult to know.

Checks own hair.

Not pick at at the moment. Mostly blue actually.

(I weirdly adore that blue open weave draw-string vest thing he’s rocking. Checks own closet. Wonders idly about turning a mesh laundry bag into a shirt.) 

Anygay... Café fae and I are running away together and not putting up with any of this Jittirain nonsense.

Right? 

Because this beach frolic...?  

Too cringe. Too awkward. I really don’t like all of embarrassment factor for everyone, not to mention humiliation and hazing and older kids picking on younger kids.

I’ve been done with this plot divice since SOTUS. And I’ll take it in small doses from Korea but no more Thailand. Stop it. And...

is that...

A GUITAR 

!!!

NO SINGING.

Oh, I hate this show.

Everyone listening in on the phone while he’s humiliating himself with a girl? This is fully terrible. 

I’m so uncomfortable with this whole episode. 

And yet. Secure. Because finally we are in the territory I was expecting. But ALSO I can’t bear it. 

Please make it stop.

At least Piseng is a decent human being.

And Pair. 

Screw all y’all. I’m eloping with Pair.

Wait.

What about my cafe fae? Hummmm. 

Ah! Got it. Thrupple! 

I’m not gonna lie. That was rough going. 

And I am not OK.

Although I’m digging this thrupple scheme of mine. 

Episode 5: I Am V Drunk

For those of you following the soga of ABL is a lush... 

I got my cocktail! 

Then got distracted by meeting colleagues at the bar. 

Then went for dinner and wine.

Then got another cocktail and finally made it back to the room. 

So by the time I started watching this week’s installment I was... quite drunk. 

Take this recap with a grain of salt margarita salt rim... no... not that kind of rimming, that’s just in KP, sadly... wait... what am I doing? I got distracted. This is GMMTV. Def no rimming. 

So! 

Kawi deserves his new asshole friends (stop it ABL no rimming). 

I just don’t like him. He’s too straight and whiney and homophobic. 

Could we have a romance between Pisang and Max? 

Asking for a friend me. 

Bet there would be rimming. They both seem very game. Just saying.

Different show ABL. Different show. 

Where was I? Apparently I went to the land of Bed Friends for a moment there. 

Why does anyone like Kawi? 

Max deserves better.  

Pear deserves better. 

Pisang deserves better. 

OMG!!! His utter wistful yearning over the happy gay bar. Poor baby. 

Awe don’t run away from Max. We love Max. Max is the best. You NEED a Max in your life. We all do! 

Someone described Max as “tired gay,” and I feel this keenly. 

NO SINGING. 

I DON’T LIKE WHERE THIS THREAD IS GOING. 

NO NO NO NO NO 

SKIP! Skipskipskip. 

Next week look like a classic ep 6 kiss then angst. Whatever. 

It was fine. 

This was a fine installment. 

I’m very drunk. 

Hotel all spinny. 

Hi, bed! Make me a sammitch. 

Episode 6: I Am Less Drunk Than I Should Be

I just wish this were Pisaeng’s story instead of Kawi’s. It would be a lot better. In fact, it is a lot better. Any time we get PS alone or with any other character it’s a better narrative. Any time with him and Max talking it’s the best of everything, That’s all I want on my screen.

In fact, Max is all I want. 

I love his “care bear kpop” clothes. 

This is definitely one of those shows where I don’t understand why anyone likes the central character - his friends, his love interests, his father, his audience, tumblr. 

No one should like him. He started out a loser and he’s only getting worse, and nasty to boot. 

Yes, it’s good we see him apologize, but there’s no logic behind the choices that led him to needing to make the apology in the first place! 

(No one does, honey.) 

We are heading into classic Jitiirain where are the characters are going to betray us and themselves in order to serve the narrative. 

And I’m not drunk enough for this. 

Honestly? I think Krist what is miss-cast as well. 

I’m not in the anti-Krist faction but just imagine... what if Kawi had been played by Khaotung? He has a much softer more dynamic screen presence. I think he could’ve carried even Jittirain’s patented nonsense. KT is... in fact... CUTE. 

Gawin is not an issue. (Which surprises me, since I came into this with a bias against him.) 

Because we can see PS thinks that K is cute even before the script felt the need to tell us this. 

Even when he’s being an arsehole, PS’s eyes are all soft for him. I guess some guys just are attracted to arseholes. 

Heh. 

See what I did there?

Meanwhile I hate PS’s mother! 

She = evil. 

I RECOGNIZE that balcony!

PS’s house/apartment thingy is the same as MaxNat celebrity pad in Y-Destiny. Another one for the location trackers.

That’s it, that’s all I got. 

Only one gay pun for you this evening. 

I have one job to do and I’m blowing it.

snerk

Nighty night. Don’t let the mosquitos bite leave hickeys. 

Episode 7: NO SINGING

I guess Kawi is one of those “straights” who just gets gayer the drunker he is. I know the type. 

Boozing the Kinsey Scale. 

Beer goggle queers. 

Cockeyed. 

Three sheets to the flame. 

Dick wasted. 

What else do we call them?

Oh yeah... cock tease. 

Episode 8: STOP SINGING 

Pisaeng for these last two episodes...

(singing cat never gets old, bite me) 

Good for you Pisaeng for standing up for yourself. Stop letting the straight boy jerk you around. 

(I see you in your matched couple shirts.) 

Omg I HATE Kawi just WHY IS ANYONE FRIENDS WIH HIM? 

Stop. Just this show would be so much better if he weren’t in it. 

I’m glad he lost Pisaeng and I enjoyed watching him cry. 

Even if he still made everything about himself. 

We return yet again to the fact that I love Max. Max and I are running away together. 

Pisaeng is just never Kawi’s priority, whereas the opposite is always the case. Talk about one sided love friendship relationship everything.  

Kawi the coward. 

To little too late. 

I do keep thinking about Big Eden with this series, Kawi just seems so straight no matter what he says or does or kisses.  

Poor Pisaeng he gets what he wants but it’s all out of pity, fear, and desperation. 

And all he wants is a chance to flirt? 

Is he an actual saint?

Fuck this damn show. 

(source)

As always with these trash watches, I update the original post until Tumblr has a brain fry and won’t let me anymore. Then it becomes an updated repost. Life in the dumpster fire is never dull. 

[wren-dy-flowergarden]

Salutations!

So... um... I'm kind of sick and am in desperate need of Sebek Zigvolt fluff.

How about a Fem!Reader who takes care of Sebek when he's sick, please?

I've read your other works and I absolutely love them 🫶🫶

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴ A/N: HIHI! Im crying' over here Im so happy you read my other works too even though they aren't twst fandom. I just love writing. ALSO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE. Ya know I was just going to make it head cannons but here is a whole ass story cause it's super late and I could not stop on this one while writing it. I really hope that the characterization is right, I don't know that much about Sebek. BUT I hope you enjoy and thank you for being my very first request! ✧.*✦ *.✧.* *ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴Sebek x f!Reader *ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴Word Conunt: 2.3k <- yes 2k more so pls enjoy *ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴ Tags: sickies in bed, indirect kissing, ungodly thoughts and confused feelings, slightly hidden fluff, in denial about feelings

───────────✧.*✦ *.✧.*✦ *.✧.*✦ ───────────────

The moment there is enough peace on campus to hear your inner thoughts you know something was out of place.

The first couple of periods rushed through with mild amusement. Grim snoring on your left and occasionally a new note would come from Ace across from you making comments about how 'boring' the lecture is.

The usual, but someone was missing in your day.

Next, lunch went with a suspicious calm. No major fights, a couple forkfuls of food splattered in glory across the table from missing its targets, casual conversation, and nothing more.

Usually, lunch is more...

Noisy?

You couldn't find the answers until you saw Lillia who taps your shoulder out of your daydreams. You let out a small gasp waking up to reality, "Lilia! Don't do that- you scared me half to death."

A small fang pokes out of his smile, "Why I'm only here to deliver a message." He puts his hands up in mock surrender, "The small one Sebek is out with a cold right now. Tucked right into bed."

It was like a lightbulb going off. The boisterous energy that would usually interject into your day leading to ridiculous jabs at each other, Sebek, was missing.

No wonder you felt so off.

"He wouldn't keep quiet when I told him to rest. Saying things quite out of place-" he leans closer to you whispering into your ear in a small voice, "' Where is she? Where is (Y/N)?'"

You can feel the tips of your ears burn but you hope your face doesn't give anything away as Lillia breaks away a little happy smile on his face, "Why it seems he is quite fond of you."

Before you could even retort he quips in, "He's up on the second floor at the dorm. Passed out after I cooked him my famous soup!" He waves walking down the hallway, "Keep well!"

He disappears around a corner and you take a deep breath. Sebek sounds delusional, and you can imagine it has to do with something he ate, especially since Lillia cooked it up.

You hear the warning bell and you scamper off to class.

Later today you give him a visit…

Just to make sure he was alright.

Wallet slightly lighter and a fresh chicken noodle soup you step into Diatom's lounge. You're thankful there is barely anyone here right after school, you are even more thankful Jade didn't even bat an eye when you asked for the rushed order before the kitchen was even open. In fact, he just smiled…calmly…

There was more to dissect on that another day.

Winding up the stairwell, you come to a hallway filled with similar wooden doors all facing one direction. The only difference was a small name plate etched into each forehead of the door. The back of your heel clicked down the cobblestone.

"Sebek, Sebek- ah there, Zigvolt."

A knock for life, you hear a groan like one of those zombies in the movies.

"Hey Sebek we uh-" you think about your words before they spill out how much today actually felt off without him, "I heard you were sick!"

You joke raising the bag of soup up as he could see through the door, "I brought you something a little 'better' than Lilia's cooking!" It was more to test how healthy Sebek was and you did not even hear a response.

Wow, he really must be dying.

You crack the door open peeking your head through. Clumps of tissues were littered on the floor along with some plastic bottles and a different assortment of cups and medicine on his nightstand. What you could assume is a mound of a person was huddled into a little ball underneath the sheets.

You walked through carefully avoiding the snot-filled tissues on the ground, "Sebek, hey. How are you feeling?" You tug the edge of the sheet just to let him know there is a healthy presence of life here, "I brought some soup. Really cost me an arm and a leg (yet),"

A shift of the blanked and another groan escapes him, full of snot he lets out a sneeze. He shifts his body to barely peeking out of the blankets, "You cough you're here?" He says it with no bite, but more of wonderment.

It makes your heart melt just a little.

The two of you have been playing this game recently… where he would make an effort to find you and "train mentally" against you. For what training, you still never understood, but it is a usual constant 'noisy' flow of Sebek. Sometimes he brings you extra lunch saying his enemy couldn't give him an easy win when you weren't having a good day. Other times, he might come to do his homework prideful when gets a question right before you and indignant when you need to teach it to him.

…It was obvious you were playing a game. The shy looks went as you both glance over each other, the constant quarrels that you two would get into and it would slowly fade to each other's company. It was even apparent to Silver, yes Silver that you two have been dancing around each other's toes! He said, 'You two are like the old couples in the valley.'

No, you weren't, this development was by Sebek only! It had nothing to do with you and you became a little closed off and a little more cold and you ignored what was hurt on Sebek's face because how could you recognize that emotion if you did not know him well.

A creak breaks you from your daydreams, "(Y/N)…how cough a human like you is going to get sick." You give a soft laugh sitting by the edge of the bed, "Well, it's pretty incredible you're this sick with your genetics, though maybe it's a blessing that I am human- got to have a better immune system than you."

A gaggle of annoyance, "Not- cough true. You're really cough weak."

You roll your eyes, "Obviously since I'm sick in bed right now. Here you should eat." You step near the nightstand to make some room for the bag gently cracking the tape around the lid of the soup. It smells fantastic.

"Here sit up so you can eat."

He doesn't move or at least maybe he tried to because you hear a grunt. What a baby. You place the soup on the nightstand and reach for the covers of his bed pulling it just to be met by resistance.

"Sebek, come on you have to eat."

"I- no hack la-later would be fine."

"But it's going to get cold!"

"Its! It's fine! I cough like it cold…?"

What a liar. He may be able to lift eight chairs but you have the power of surprise on your side. Your hold lessens on the sheets.

"Alright…then I'll come back later."

He relaxes underneath the sheets, "…really?"

Your grip tightens against the sheets again, "Pshhh NO!"

Sheets wave in the air with also a couple of tissues and oh no was that his phone? It's alright though because you won this one and you look down to hopefully see indignation on Sebek's face but…he's- oh completely naked from the top up.

Strongly lined abs with traces of sweat falling down the lines of etched muscles, the way his pecs were peaking due to the sudden rush of cold air, and his collars dipped nicely really painting the picture of a perfect man. Your eyes meet with Sebek's and he has red forming around the edge of his face from the fever! It's the fever…

The sheets slowly cascade down and messily cover his perfect body his shoulders and head now peeking through.

Was it hotter in here your throat feels more dry as you chide him in fake authority, "You- you should really sit up and eat." You glance at the soup the steam still leaking out, "I'll help you!"

It's only a ten-second break to calm your thumping heart as you balance the soup in your hands reaching for a spoon inside the remnant of the bag. You face back and Sebek is now sitting up slightly against the headboard, sheets tucked in like a modest princess above his chest, the face still red.

You make a place facing him, he won't meet your eyes and to be honest, you really can't meet his. But it's not like you haven't seen guys at the beach before, or even at home when it was too hot of a day. The soup swirls in its paper-like container as you lift the spoon up.

"Here say ah."

He doesn't, mouth still shut, ears tingling red. You knew this look it was when you got the question right first when you won.

But that really didn't matter right now.

You lower the spoon, "Alright. Fine. I'm sorry I took your sheets from you." You don't think about how hot he is and continue on, "It's really yummy soup though. I think that you should have some."

To prove your point you blow on a spoonful and dip it into your own mouth, you try not to think of why his eyes won't leave the spoon. It pops out of your mouth, "See better than Lilias."

His eyes furrowed, "You- you can't say anything about cough Lilia-sama." He nodded towards a half-empty bowl on the nightstand, "See! His food is hack delicious." He really must be delirious because the bowl is caked on black with thick goo hardening in it. You don't fight him though, because this is the first real response you got out of him.

You nod, "Yes yes, then you should be able to finish this too?" Another dip into the mixture, "Say ah."

He looks so reluctant like a cat being sprayed with water, but slowly he opens his mouth, "..ah"

You place the spoon in his mouth and you see the way his teeth are a little sharper than yours clink on the spoon, mouth closing around it before a little pop as you pull out.

Your ears start heating as well, you hope you're not getting sick also.

It's almost done when you can touch the bottom of the soup bowl and Sebek has been quite well-behaved the past couple minutes. After the last bite, you pack the trash and a couple of the tissues are littered around in the bad crinkling it shut.

The air was tight.

"I…I should get going." You try to find any excuse to get out, "Grim- he um- need to be fed! Yeah, so I should go back to Ramshackle."

Sebek knew you well enough to hear a shifty excuse so you believed that was the reason he grabs your hand before you can leave, "Wai- Wait!" he hacks into his other arms elbow, "I want- I-." He takes a deep breath his voice becoming less choppy, "They say I need to say "sincerities" when it's my loss…so cough for a small human like yourself coming here I- hack thank you…"

It's the first thank you he has ever given you and you feel this is more than just a 'thanks for taking care of me'. It felt more about the two of you. In truth and honesty, you were the ones who took the first step away from him, even though you may have something more akin to 'feelings' than the general source of friendship you have with your other friends.

You needed to take the first step.

You gave a small smile, "Oh, the great Sebek is thanking a 'small human' like me." You walk up to his bedside, him still sitting in the same position as before. You're close as you lean down only inches away, "Well then, you're welcome Sebek."

You give a small kiss, right on the side of his cheek, just a peck before Sebek has time to process in his foggy brain.

You are already out the door the time you hear a loud holler from his bedroom. Your face was burning red but it felt nice to finally start exploring these feelings.

A couple days later and Sebek was back in action.

Though, he was with you almost 24/7. Even in the evening, he stayed for extra study lessons, more than usual. It went on like that for a couple weeks.

Of course, you are a little slow to the advances of Sebek and it took Lilia (again) to really make the pieces fall in order. It was just a casual conversation

"I'm glad the dear is a little more open about you, why he was such in denial that he even made the excuse to see you as "mental training"!" Lilia laughs and you do your best to add on the conversation.

"Well he's getting better at math now so maybe he will be teaching me about potions soon."

Lillia laughs even harder now at your response and you tut, potions were difficult alright? He seems to read your face with the knowledge of a sage and wipes a nonexistent tear from his eye, "No you are mistaken dear. He said something across the lines, 'My heart keeps thumping around (Y/N) and I need to fix it!'." He grins, "Why he was such a cutie saying that, so in denial back then- you ask well."

Your face is flush, cheeks a rosy red. And comedic timing comes when you least expect it because Sebek is racing down the halls toward the two of you. He grips your face between gloved hands, your face squished together, "Your face is evenly red… ARE YOU SICK!?"

Your words are muffled together, "Nomhrooo mmmmh fhhine Sebrekkk!" You pull his hands away from you, "I'm fine!"

Lillia looks completely amused by this and just has to open his mouth, "Why Sebek, (Y/N) was just telling me how she felt a little under the weather today."

"What no! I'm fine Sebek, really."

He doesn't believe you of course and that day you're carried in his arms to the infirmary him muttering how a pitiful human like you should be more careful all through a crowded hallway.

God, what were you going to do with the both of you?

[starsyearn]

favorite (hpdm) fics of 2024 'til may.

hi hey hello! this year was the year i truly plunged into drarry and took a deep dive and i love that for me. came on here to show my appreciation for some of the best fics that i’ve read so far this year. let the praise commence for these fics that have caused me immense brainrot!!!

Teeter by @shiftylinguini (E, 10k)

Draco wants to come, Harry has other ideas, and they both might be doing this whole 'casually sleeping together' thing a bit wrong. Excerpt: If he’d been thinking straight, Draco would have guessed that Harry didn’t do things by halves, and that hopping into bed with him would be as exhilarating and impossible to control as anything Draco’d ever felt about the stupid tosser ― but even Draco could admit that keeping a level-head around Harry wasn’t exactly his strong point.

my thoughts: spice with a side of emotional mess, i stan. (reread it like thrice within a week of finishing it the first time because it was so beautiful somehow even though it was pure filth.)

By Any Other Name by @dracognition (E, 8k)

Draco would like to say that when Potter barged into his office at nine-thirty in the morning, locked the door, and demanded, “Are you in love with me?”, he sneered back and said something quite clever and cutting along the lines of please, Potter, I know we’re not trying to kill each other anymore but I have the good sense and, more importantly, standards not to throw myself at you or maybe at least I see your ego hasn’t gotten any more tolerable since school. What he said in reality, though, was, “What? I—what?” He tried again. “Have you gone completely mental?”

A botched love potion makes it so that everyone in Harry's vicinity is madly in love with him—everyone except Draco, that is.

my thoughts: i’m in such a haze ohmygod this was delicious and so fucking good i physically cannot — *clenches fist* these two have my whole and entire heart. AND THE WRITING I AM UNWELL. it’s so pretty!! anyways. read if you want pining draco & oblivious harry dialed up to immense levels of cuteness.

break the bad luck in my life by seaworn (E, 12k)

“Let’s have dinner." “I - what?” “I know a decent Muggle pub that serves adequate food, and it’s very private," Potter said. “‘Decent’. ‘Adequate’. You really know how to sell it, don’t you?” “Phenomenal company,” he offered. ** Draco and Harry are both brooding on Christmas Eve.

my thoughts: oh. my. god. smut with a side of life-altering decisions + christmas vibes = me giggling & kicking my legs up. so lovely. i love powerful harry and snarky draco and how they come together (no pun intended).

No Harm by @tessacrowley (E, 47k)

After a long, bloody war, Draco Malfoy just wants to do something good with his life for a change, and resolves to become a healer. But magical society refuses to make it easy for him, and an increasingly dramatic series of events—all of them instigated by Harry Potter—get him kicked out of med school, force him to live in exile, and threaten to destroy the new life he’s trying so desperately to build. But Harry isn’t instigating anything—at least not on purpose. He’s just trying to work up the nerve to ask him out. His efforts don’t appear to be going great.

my thoughts: this was such a quiet love story that touched my heart and i just. i’m melting. this really showed me how some of the deepest love can be rooted with so much history and pain but also deeply seated with a strong foundation of affection and mutual desire. harry and draco were perfect in this. auror harry/healer draco will forever have my heart now, and i personally feel it fits them so well (i will hear no arguments). their characterizations were so on-point in my opinion because of course it fits them. of course harry’s impatient and rushes into things headfirst but knows his morals and knows who he loves and wants to protect and cherish for the rest of his life (draco). of course draco’s snarky and vulnerable and sassy and penitent about everything that happened, because he was only just a kid. i love how they’re so idiots in love coded, once they get past the initial misunderstandings about how harry was trying to “ruin” draco’s life lol (which was sad in its own way). but then!!! when harry finally starts to “woo” draco, it was just so hilarious and beautiful and lovely. absolutely recommend.

AITA for being “obsessed” with my childhood nemesis? by RainstormRadish (M, 4k)

Alrakis • I [24M] attended a small boarding school in the UK. There was a boy in my year, a couple of months younger than me, and he became my nemesis after we developed an intense rivalry. My friend [25F] told me recently that our dynamic was "weird back then" and that "it’s even weirder" that I still think about him today. She argued that I talk about him all the time, but I believe the amount I talk about him is reasonable. AITA? prongymcprongface • i completely get what you mean. i had a nemesis (like a school one, separate to my other nemesis) and we had a dynamic super similar to what you are describing. having a nemesis is a very cool and normal thing dw about it. NTA In which Draco asks the internet if he's being reasonable. Only one commenter is sympathetic. They start talking.

my thoughts: this was just so funny and cute and surprisingly portrayed a reddit comment section so realistically (i was laughing so hard IT WAS HILARIOUS). again, what draco & harry share is a rivalry ok it’s definitely not a crush. not at all.

Darling, You’re Wiggling by @softlystarstruck, @lou-isfake (T, 5k)

Draco has a secret. Harry doesn’t have a secret, until he does. Then he goes to Claire’s.

my thoughts: in a nutshell: domestic drarry. they had me beaming so hard my cheeks hurt.

Pocket Full Of Starlight (Never Let It Fade Away) by @noeeon, @femmequixotic (E, 46k)

When Scorpius Malfoy and Jamie Potter meet at Quidditch camp, they take an instant dislike to each other. Then they discover their lives are more connected than they could possibly imagine.

my thoughts: scorpius & james parent trap-ping harry & draco? what’s not to like there. the family moments were everything, and this was just genuinely so feel-good even when the angst was angsting that i couldn’t help loving everything about it. anyways drarry are rather stupid here (affectionate) but thank fuck the kids are there to knock some sense into them. also jamie having harry’s recklessness while scorpius has draco’s shyness and coldness is just so lovely i cannot.

something in the static by cloudings (E, 92k)

When Draco Malfoy is sent numerous threats warning of what exactly will happen to him if he returns to Hogwarts, he is assigned a young, handsome Auror as his bodyguard. Harry hates him. He hates how close he stands to Malfoy, how highly he thinks of himself, how he insists on holding Malfoy’s shoulder every time they walk into a room. Really, Harry thinks. He’s the one who defeated the evilest of the evil. He could do a far better job of protecting him than a self-absorbed, shiny-haired prick like that. And you know what? He just might.

my thoughts: probably my favorite eighth year fic by far! the jealousy and pining was so good, holy shit. the tension was off the roof. genuinely so much fun.

Evitative by Vichan (T, 222k)

In the summer before his fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry is drawn to a room in Grimmauld Place. Like the Gryffindor he is, he enters the room without fear. The room is a library, and Harry is surprised to find that he’s eager to learn. Then he gets the bad news: he’s been accidentally expelled from Hogwarts, and he needs to be sorted again. Everyone is confident that he’ll go straight back to Gryffindor, but with what he's been learning, Harry’s not so sure.

my thoughts: this was amazing, addictive, and honestly fucking awesome. from the beginning i got so hooked and literally went “alriiiiight i think we have a winner on our hands folks” cause it really seemed like it would hit. and oh did it. i have no idea how i’m gonna hold out from reading Redivider (the sequel) since it’s a WIP (i think 76k words are done at the moment) and i generally avoid those because i cannot bear the waiting time (+ unfortunately the author doesn’t seem to have updated since may 2022) but like. i miss this world already and i love the way the world-building was done in this AU of Order of the Phoenix. the whole concept of dark arts introduced so many nuances to the original book and i loved this take on it. i also liked how despite characters having ingrained prejudices, they worked to meet in the middle and found common ground. and isn’t that what this fic was all about? insane and crazy plot twists, yes, but also character development in the most spectacular way. the romance is very light but i’m looking forward to seeing it develop more in the sequel!

Lily’s Boy by SomewheresSword (E, 746k)

Before his third year of Hogwarts has even begun, Harry faces three whole weeks of unsupervised time in Diagon Alley. In that time he takes a trip to Gringotts - and that changes everything. Burdened with the knowledge that Dumbledore has been blocking his family magic, and manipulating far more than he ever thought possible, Harry doesn't know who he can trust; but he knows he can't keep going that way. There's a whole world of lore and politics and history to catch up on, and the more he learns, the more Harry realises his true place in the world, and how much is being kept hidden from him. All the while, Dumbledore's twinkling eyes are constantly watching, and Harry can't let on how much he knows. With help from unexpected places, Harry starts on a journey to end the war, and reshape the wizarding world. With how much he looks like James Potter, people have forgotten one important thing about him - he is Lily Evans' son, and she was one hell of a witch.

my thoughts: i have no words to express what this means to me, so i’m just gonna leave it at that. but this was a whole-ass experience, and it’s just so comforting to me.

Turn by Saras_Girl (E, 307k)

One good turn always deserves another. Apparently.

my thoughts: did i ever mention i loved soft, slow stories when i’m in the mood for it (which is pretty much always)? well, i do. and this was exactly that. something so adorable, sweet, softly angsty and character-driven, not even an ounce of conflict from the “world”. it’s more about figuring yourself out, your place in the world, who you are. and fics like these teach me so much about how people try to mold themselves to fit a standard they think they should be upholding instead of saying “fuck the world, i’m gonna do as i damn well please and no one can stop me.” that’s what happened to harry. harry woke up one day and realized the way he was living wasn’t truly him living, he was merely surviving for the sake of it. just existing. the way people thought he was just having a mid-life crisis is just so incredibly sad and funny because those sort of thoughts can creep in at any point in life when you realize you’re dissatisfied with life. it doesn’t have to be necessarily only when you’re young, or at a certain age. i loved seeing these men falling in love, letting down their guard and finally righting the “mistakes” they made in the past. harry was just doing his best™️ as we all are, and i feel like he’s representing all of us in a way. i love that for us and for him.

[the-bitter-ocean]

oceaaaannn hiii! let's go with 3, 5, and 15 for the isat ask game c:

(MAJOR A6SE / 2HATS SPOILERS + FULL GAME SPOILERS AHOY) Thank you for the questions @dekupalace ! Since I’m going to be talking more in depth about the game for one of these questions I’m going to put my responses under a read more:

3- favorite soundtrack?

Oh god that’s such a hard question the whole game has certified bangers. The musicians at Studio Thumpy Puppy were not messing around or pulling any punches. The soundtrack of the game elevates literally every emotional beat. If I was forced to choose only one song out of the soundtrack my favorite track in the whole game has to be “How Can You Help Me, Stardust?” aka the theme that plays when you fight Loop at the Favor tree during act six. Hearing that for the first time while getting the full context of loop’s backstory made me go crazy. It was so fucking emotional and well done. That and it’s just objectively a super intense high energy song that makes me wanna dance around. If anyone deserves the coolest fight theme in the game, it’s Loop.

5- favorite optional event?

Ooh this is also a hard one! I adore a lot of the optional story events because each of them really shed light on Siffrin’s mental state /characterization, as well as gives depth to other aspects like the other character of the world building as a whole which strengthens the themes of the story. Aside from the obvious choice (2Hats Ending/ Act six loop encounter) I think my favorite optional event would have to be the “Who Was Phone” achievement (Change God event). There’s something so fascinating about learning about the Change God. Someone who clearly adores their certified little guy (Mirabelle) and is willing to offer words of kindness and assurance in her identity even if it knows she won’t remember in one instance..and then in the very same breath tell Siffrin that they enjoy watching Siffrin in the timeloop torment nexus because they’re curious to see how they change in a situation where everything is forced to stagnate. It was so genuinely fucked. I will think about it always forever.

15- anything you’d change about the game? be it game mechanics, a new feature, a change in plot, etc

Overall I’m pretty satisfied with the game both in story and gameplay actually. I think Adrienne did a good job writing and expanding on the characters and story that was set up in the prologue. The quality of life in terms of gameplay got improved since the previous game as well ( those who played the prologue can attest to this) . The fact that it was a in universe story reason as to why makes it all the more satisfying (if you want to know what I mean by that please read my mutuals @felikatze analysis about it here.)

I just am happy that Siffrin got to be happy in the end and stay with their family, to be able to talk things out and escape the loops. I know some people didn’t like that or expected a more darker/sadder ending or wanted the gameplay to be more challenging … my response to that is Literally Just Play Start Again: A Prologue. To me it would be extremely reductive to have Siffrin just suffer with no reprieve or escape from the loops (because that’s just a repeat of what happened in its predecessor) or have the group just split off from each other immediately after everything happened. It would have been extremely unsatisfying and ultimately missing the point of the themes of the game as a whole gonna be real lol.

The only things I’d maybe change or add is like it would’ve been cute to see Euphrasie and Claude be together/ reunite on screen in act 6. They should kiss. Lol. (That and just I would’ve personally loved to see Euphrasie in canon expanded on a little more but that’s not necessarily needed she serves her purpose in the narrative. I just like analyzing her and giving her more depth and I like when others do too, but that’s what fanart/ fics and aus are for so I’m not fussed.) 

I don’t mind that the game is sort of open ended and doesn’t answer all the questions. I think that gives artists, fanfic writers, Au makers and people who like to analyze the game more freedom to come up with their own interpretations for things that happened in pre canon and post canon which to me is more interesting. I know Loop disappearing at the end of the game in both endings is sad/ bittersweet but I wouldn’t necessarily change the way that was structured either. I like that their fate was ambiguous because it leads the viewer to come up with their own theories as to where they went. ( personally I love seeing stuff where loop gets to travel on their own and form a new life and identity outside of the loops and learn to heal, as well as post game getting to meet back up with the party and learn to navigate this new life/ change one step at a time. )

[riofann]

4. tempestuous

Authors Note: I am trying something new. I like this story line please give me your feedback. Only reposts and likes please don't steal my work. XOXO Rose

Tempestuous: characterized by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion.

Previous Chapter

Monday October 28, 2019

“Is it all in there?” Alejandro asks

“Seriously? Why am I risking my livelihood for you to question me?” You go to snatch the duffle bag back

He moves his hand away “It was only a question senorita” 

“Well it’s in there now go!” you look around looking for lurkers

He nods, “Carino, I told you we will take care of the Serrano’s!” 

“Uh huh”

He touches your shoulder “I’ll keep in touch” 

“I want my cut in 2 days” you demand

“Por supuesto la jefa” he chuckles before walking away 

Sunday November 10, 2019

You look at the clock as you pass it by on your way to open the door. It was 10:18am in the morning. Who would be at your door now? As always with gun in hand you peep out the peephole and find Rio standing with his hands behind his back

“What are you doing here?”

He shrugs stepping in “I was in the neighborhood”

“Your lovely penthouse loft is on the east side of the city, what can possibly be on the west side that brings you close to my house?” 

“You” he smiles boldly

“What do you want, money or something?” you were irritated you didn’t want to decipher riddles or anything. The expansion had you stressing out and Rio being here wasn’t helping anything

“Nope, it's Sunday. Don’t you go out on Sundays? ” he says taking in your outfit, pajamas with rollers on your head (you were doing your best to stretch out the blowout/silk press you just got)

You roll your eyes “I don’t always go out on sundays plus its too early for that, plus you didn’t come all the way here just to spend a Sunday with me again” 

“Maybe I did”

“Why?”

He shrugs and takes a seat by the kitchen island you sigh and proceed to pour him a cup of coffee “creamer sugar spoon, scones if you want them, bagel if you want cream cheese in the fridge” with that you walk away 

He assumes you’re going to change but when you don’t return for 30 minutes and he realizes he hasn’t heard you moving around he gets up from his seat to find you. He hears the clacking of a key board and follows the sound to your office. 

You look up at him and resume your activities, glasses reflecting the blue light film you had on them. He takes a seat on the chair in the corner of your office and takes it all in. His mind begins to wander.... fantasizing but before he gets too carried away you hear the doorbell ring you and Rio both exchange glances. No one visited you like that. It was only Rio et al and family that visited you and very rarely your friends as you were all busy with life. 

You jump up from your seat and rush towards the front door gun in hand. It's only when you hear your dads voice is when you hide it, stuffing it on the waistband of your pajamas before you open the door. 

Theres a small scream from your mother as the door flies open “AH! Y/N you scared me!”

“DAMN!” your cousin comments  

“Language” your dad scolds 

“We wanted to surprise you were looking for the key and all” Your mother explains 

“You guys, what are you doing here?” you ask as you watch them flood into your home carrying multiple items

“Well honey we want to make sure you’re okay, we are your family and we love you!” 

“Right” you smile, your heart begins to race as you try to figure out what you were going to tell them about Rio

“Oh who’s this?” You hear your dad say as you close the door when you look around the living area Rio stands by the hallway waving his hand

You rush towards them “Oh uh this is Ri-Christopher!” you correct yourself 

“Christopher my father Daniel, mother Francesca, sister Alicia, and older cousin but basically sister Gia” you introduce

Rio goes around shaking their hands before returning to stand close to you. There’s an awkward silence you couldn’t come up with a reason fast enough before Alicia asks

“Are you guys dating?”

“Oh uh...” you rapidly look to Rio for guidance but all he has is this shit eating grin that makes you want to grab his lips and twist them hard “Yes!” how else were you going to explain him being in your home on a Sunday while you had on pajamas and rollers in your hair

“Oh well why didn’t you tell us!?” Gia asks 

“I wanted it to be a surprise you know for Christmas....and all”

“Ohhh well nice meeting you Christopher, we ruined the surprise but now we get to welcome you into the family, Y/N, Alicia, Gia warm up the food we brought while we speak to Christopher” Your mother speaks grabbing Rio by the arm and pulling him towards the couch 

“Oh uh he has to go he was stopping by to drop of something for me I forgot” 

He looks back at you and smiles “Its okay mama, I got time to meet your family, I was wondering when I was going to meet your family so this is perfect” 

“What about Marcus?” You throw out his son, 

It’s quick no one else would catch it a warning sign to you before he resumes smiling “his with his mother he’s okay”

“Oh you have a son? Do tell!” 

You groan internally and turn to go into the kitchen. Alicia and GIa were busy making another pot of coffee

“Let me get dressed, I'll be back.” Thank God you were almost done with admin work for the bar or the next week would have been a nightmare. You quickly email out the schedule and ask the staff at the restaurant to post it in the area it was supposed to be. You send everyone a group message mentioning the schedule was posted and if anything was wrong you would address it tomorrow because today was out of the question. You quickly undo your hair and throw on the clothes you were going to wear while you were doing your sunday reset shopping. 

When you return to the kitchen you find everyone was surrounding Rio taking in all he was saying

“So how did you two meet?” Gia asks

Rio looks at you then smiles “at the bar”

Your mom looks at you then back at him “Oh her bar how lovely you must be a regular!” 

He nods “I am. I love the food, love the bar”

“How long have you two been dating sis?” Alicia asks now all eyes were on you and God that shit eating grin 

“Since the beginning of this year” you keep it vague  

“Almost a whole year and you don’t tell me?” Alicia fakes offense

“I wanted to make sure it was serious you know” you blush looking away

“Girls go help your sister” your dad commands

“Yes sir” they both say in unison 

All the thoughts were running through your head this couldn’t be happening 

“He’s cute” Gia whispers to you as she walks by 

You smile “what did you guys bring” hoping to change the subject you could feel a nasty tension headache brewing 

“You know mom she made potato salad, dad brought ribs for the grill” you nodded “no seriously why didn’t you tell me? Did he know you were missing too?”

You nod “he did and i got a tongue lashing from him too”

“So what's up with that tattoo? I wouldn't picture you to be a businessman if I am being honest” You hear your dad ask 

You freeze 

Rio clears his throat “I got it when i was young, being dumb in the head you know” 

Your dad nods “ever thought of removing it?”

“I have” he glances at you, they have already established what he does for a living? How long did it take you to get dressed? 

Alicia and Gia laugh “this is why i wanted to wait till christmas i would have forced him to wear a turtle neck” you comment

“Its harmless you know how dad is he just wants to show that he is the boss around here” 

You roll your eyes “yea” 

“Is that his G Wagon outside?”

“Yea that is”

Gia whispers “Wow! cha-ching!!” 

Throughout the day you and Rio come up with lies on the spot, sometimes having to step in and support each other in selling the lies. As the day continues it turns to night your adrenaline remains high because at any moment Rio could decide to reveal the truth and you were waiting for that to happen expecting the worst out of him. During dinner he sits by you draping an arm over your shoulder,  at first it shocked you but you played into his hands being cold. 

“You know when Y/N wanted to come here we were so worried about how she was gonna make things work Detroit doesn’t have the best economy but we know that the city is fighting to keep things alive.” your mom comments 

“Yea we thought she should have opened up a fine dining restaurant, that's what she always wanted after graduating college,  she’s good at what she does has she cooked for you” your dad pauses briefly  “I’m sure she has”

“Yea she has talent” 

Your dad continues “We were a little disappointed that she chose the bar route but things seem to be doing well business is always booming” 

You smile 

“Actually she’s thinking of expanding, right mama?” 

You look at Rio stunned 

“Oh really?” Alicia comments

Rio smiles at the group and pulls you in closer “Yea I didn’t know that fine dining was dream of yours mama you can make the second space that and I can help you”

“Oh that sounds wonderful Christopher!” Your mom celebrates loving that you had the support of your very successful boyfriend

“Y/N is that true?” your dad asks noticing the unease in your body 

“Uh yeah! But it's just a thought I’m not sure about logistics managing a bar and restaurant just thinking about it. I was just gonna make another bar but I think I can look into making it a restaurant” 

“With a good team anything is possible!” your dad encourages 

Lifting his glass for a toast Rio adds “Amen to that!”  

“Honey I hope you don’t mind it's late we’ll spend the night then you leave tomorrow is that okay?” your mom asks 

“Oh yea thats fine plenty of room the guest bedrooms are ready for you guys and there’s spare clothes for you guys to wear as well.”

“Great well it’s late I'm sure we are all tired we have caught up on everything met your lovely boyfriend now it's time to sleep”  

You smile at your mother “yea I’ll grab some towels and your clothes for you guys” 

“Dear we should invite him to our Christmas party” your dad comments standing up and going to grab a glass of water from the kitchen 

“Oh right! Y/N You mentioned bringing him around christmas did that include the party?”

“Ohh uh I was just gonna bring him a few days prior so he could be with his son on Christmas” 

“Oh that's right, Mark? Marcus! sorry tired and I’m old” your mother jokes 

“Yes Marcus” he smiles “I can figure something out mama don’t worry about it” 

“Oh are you sure? We don’t want to ruin the tradition you have with your son” Alicia adds 

He smiles at the group “I’m sure” 

There's a comfortable silence before Rio stands up. “Well it was so nice meeting you all its getting late tomorrows a working day” 

Ironically Rio goes around the room giving hugs and saying his goodbye

“I’m gonna walk him to the car” you say as you follow him out the door 

“FUCK!” You exclaim silently  when you two are far from earshot and close to his car 

You hear Rio chuckle

“This is not funny Rio, why did you show up today?” 

“Told you i was in the neighborhood mama” 

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck!”

He opens the door and stands in the space “Alright well goodbye” you couldn’t think of anything else to say your brain was exhausted from coming up with lies 

In a high pitched tone “Our little butterfly just wanted to fly and leave us in Ohio” he repeats the story your mother 

You groan “Shut up”

He smirks looking at you opening his arms “Give me a hug”

You take a step back offended “Why?” 

“Well darling we got an audience so unless you want to go in there and say everything they’ve heard from this morning till” he looks down “11:21PM was a lie I suggest you give me a hug"

You look back and see curtains moving indicating that they were indeed spying on you “Fuck me”

He chuckles and pulls you in by the waist. “It's just a hug I don’t bite”

Your heart races, as you wrap your arms around him, he rocks you both from side to side it makes you hold on tighter to keep your balance. He pulls away slowly “I’ll keep in touch yea?” He whispers close to your ear before leaving a light kiss on your cheek 

You nod “Yea” you take  a step back. You stand back and watch as he pulls away waving one last time when you turn your mother, Alicia, and Gia are all standing by the door

“AWWWW” they say in unison 

“Don’t!”  You scold them as you walk back in

“Your father is in the shower come on we need to have girl talk before im summoned to bed too” 

“Ouch!” You complain feeling the sting of the pinch your mother left “I am your mother why didn’t you tell me you're dating someone?!”

“Yea seriously Y/N” Gia adds

You look up, exhausted from all the questions “You guys I  told you I wanted to make sure it was a serious thing!” you stress 

“He is different from the guys you dated” your mother comments most of the men you dated resembled finance bros 

“I know but change is good, right?” you ask

“Your grandmother will flip over that neck tattoo” she adds 

You groan “I know thats why I was only going to bring him the week before Christmas” 

“Noo he’s so lovely she’ll get over it” Gia comments her fiance had to go through the same thing 

“He treats you right?” Alicia asks 

“Yes” you smile to sell the lie 

“Whats that face” Gia asks knowing you all too well 

“I mean it's a relationship there's always ups and down but yes he does” 

“Okay good!”  

“Does he have a brother?” Alicia asks 

“A cousin but he’s married” 

“Have you met his son” 

You think back to the one occurrence at the park and smile “Yes he’s a cute boy” 

“Nice!” 

“I hope he can make it for Christmas!” Alicia comments 

“Yea so all the aunts can shut up finally” your mother adds 

You all laugh before you hear your dad summoning your mother to bed

She rolls her eyes “gotta go”

Tuesday November 19, 2019 

“So what you wanna talk to me about?” He asks responding in person to your we need to talk text

“Why is my cut short?" You ask standing by your car in the parking lot of your bar

“You keep lying to me I’m gonna start taking cuts till you tell me the truth”

You look at him incredulously “What are you talking about?”

He chuckles “Nah, I’m not playing these games with you Y/N” 

You swallow uncomfortably, it had been a few months since doing business with Alejandro. You should have known it would be too good to be true that Rio had yet to find out. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”

He nods looking around and in the blink of an eye you feel the back of your neck being grabbed and a gun pointed directly under your chin. There's an immediate sting of pain to the back of your neck your attempts to loosen his grip failed. “I told you for this to work you have to be honest with me hmm?” he speaks with gritted teeth

You look up at him eyes wide not knowing what to say, shocked from how quick his mood changed “I thought I was showing good faith, I’m playing fake house with you while you fuck me over and do business with my enemy?” You say nothing still and feel the grip tighten on your neck you instinctively go to grab it “You better start talking Y/N”

“He thre..” before you can finish you both hear a branch creaking to the woods on the side of you. You both look to the sound and see Alejandro along with his goons stepping out guns aimed at both of you. Immediately Rio lets go of you and aims the guns at them

“Cristobal amigo, it doesn’t have to be like this”

Rio scoffs “You really wanna do this?”

“Carino come” he says with an extended hand

You look to Rio then Alejandro “I don’t want this to happen there's plenty of bars you guys don’t have to do this” you plead with both men

“For the best the Guerrero family is willing to go to war”

Rio laughs “You want a war?”

“We want what is ours”

“That aint Detroit”

“Quien dijo eso (who said that?) we will take what we want” 

Rio nods “remember I gave you a warning” 

He turns to you and leans down and whispers in your ear “goodluck” you feel a chill going down your spine. 

Saturday December 7, 2019 

“Good morning Detroit on this lovely Saturday! We at Channel 4 news hope you are all enjoying your Saturday morning getting some coffee, maybe bagels, eggs, bacon, maybe even a nice cup of OJ right Sharon?” 

“Absolutely Zack I’m enjoying my coffee that's for sure.” 

“Alright! At the top of the news City Counsel.....”  You phase out till you hear 

“Body parts have been found in Lake Superior, authorities say that local fishermen in the town of Ontonagon pulled up what they suspected to be a fish but instead it was the hand of a deceased person. The local fishermen alerted the authorities who responded swiftly. We have our news anchor  Ashley on scene now. Ashley to you” 

“Thank you Zack! Investigators have launched a search of the lake here in Ontonagon. As you mentioned, local authorities have indeed responded swiftly, you see police cars right behind me. What you don’t see is that cadaver dogs have also been around sniffing to see if foul play took place close to the lake. From what I was able to get from the local police, this body part of the deceased appears to be a white male. The local police also confirmed that they searched the missing person reports for the surrounding areas with no success, at this moment authorities do not know who the deceased is but are committed to finding answers. The investigation continues and we hope to find answers for the deceased and their family. Back to you Zack!

“Such sad news to deliver on a Saturday morning, we at Channel 4 will keep the family of the deceased until answers have been provided.” 

“Police reported a shooting on the block of........”

Your heartbeat increases ever since that confrontation with Rio and Alejandro things had changed and you can’t decide if it was for the better or for the worst. As of now all business with Rio ended effective immediately after that night.

Wednesday December 18, 2018

You run up the steps as fast as you can when you find his loft you bang on the door. No answer. You bang on it again. No answer. 

“He’s not here moved out a couple weeks ago” You hear from behind you

“I’m sorry what?” you turn to face the older lady

“He moved out sweety, he’s not in there, no one is. Is everything okay honey?” She asks noticing you’re distressed 

“Its fine thanks” you didn’t want anyone calling the police on your behalf

Wednesday December 25, 2019

“You okay honey?” Your mother asks

“Huh?” you snap to look at her

“I said it’s a shame you and Christopher broke up”

You give a half smile “Oh yea, it is” 

“You okay? You’re jumpy all of a sudden, did something happen?”

You sigh “no just stress”

“Well come here” She opens up her arms  “a good nap will do you good” 

You smile and accept her cuddles.

Authors Note: Please leave your feedback, again please don't steal. Only repost, like, or give credit.

XOXO Rose

Taglist:

@katymae12344, @yinmaggiorebass , @flirtyjen, @wnbweasley, @meadows5, @belezaya, @ffenthusiastt, @rio-reid-whoreee

[daily-hanamura]

Hi! Do you have any souyo fics you would like to recommend?

HELLO @littlebalsam OH BOY DO I

as a caveat I consider myself to still be relatively new to souyo, so I haven't read too many fics? but these were some of my favourites and I hope you enjoy them too!

some of these fics may have mature themes (p4 is a mature game after all) so please check the rating/tags!

a doorway back into the life he wants by chash

Rated T; a stardew valley-esque AU that somewhat follows the beats of their original story, but sees the characters as grown-ups dealing with Life (TM), with Yosuke as the manager of Junes and Souji taking over his grandfather's farm in Inaba. There's a kind of mature calmness to the atmosphere here that is both gentle and delicate, and the result is something so very gorgeous.

(and honestly, anything written by Chash has been 11/10)

mr perfect by unsungillumination

Rated G; where Yu has to work on his social stats in order to confess to yosuke - the writing here is SO beautiful and there's something so wonderfully emotional about Yu's pining here (I adore any fic that makes use of game mechanics as a plot point lol)

sharing is caring by hydrocarbon (dontrollthedice)

Rated T; where Souji learns to share (and learns what jealousy feels like when he doesn't want to) - any fic with possessive/jealous Souji is a good fic and this one was so spectacularly well done that I still think about it for days

the boy who leapt through time by MrRee

Rated T; time-travel AU where Yosuke has the ability to jump through time and struggles to create a happy ending for everyone. Yosuke's characterization here is so perfect and beautiful, and the fic is very poignant and emotional during the entire ride, but I promise the payoff is absolutely worth it.

summer lessons by thenotwriter

Rated T; "kissing practice", where Yosuke is perhaps a little oblivious, but he learns something along the way. Yu is so very patient and Yosuke is a very very lucky boy. This fic is sweet, fluffy overload and I am not complaining one bit.

just like the classics by kiwoa (Rinoa)

Rated G; Yosuke finally coming to terms about his feelings. I really love fics where Yosuke struggles a little but also when there's a contradiction between what he says and what he does, and this fic was just so cute about it!

for now (or; how to teach your boyfriend to cut an onion in five easy steps) by tattedmariposa

Rated T; Yu teaches Yosuke how to cook. If you've spent any amount of time on this blog/with me you would know how much of a sucker I am for fics that feature food as a metaphor for love - the playful, knowing banter between them juxtaposes beautifully with the bittersweet tone, and it made me so very very soft.

under cover by chromsama

Rated G; another adorable fic where Yu and Yosuke share umbrellas. I don't recall if I've posted about the umbrella scene before but I've adored it since day 1 and this fic made it something so much more. Yosuke needs a little help arriving at certain realisations, but when he does it's absolutely brilliant. I also really love the way Yosuke plays off with Kanji here, and I love how some thing can be so simple yet so impactful!

gravity's how we got here by ashley-amelie (kitana)

Rated M; same theme of first kisses in the guise of "kissing practice", a theme that I am so weak for and could read a hundred million times. I adore the careful, tentative atmosphere in fics like these, and again, YOSUKE IS A VERY VERY LUCKY BOY.

your loving is all i think about by nedrika

Rated M; yu somehow manages to read minds, and reading yosuke's teaches him something interesting. it's kind of a naughty fic so I won't go into too much detail, but it's great and that's all i'm gonna say on the subject.

and finally, absolutely feel free to reblog with your own additions!!

[the-s1lly-corner]

Welcome to the cringe corner! (Masterlists at bottom)

Here you can find various content for characters of several different fandoms! This is a multi fandom blog, constantly cycling through fixiations thanks to the Admin constantly going through different interests

With that out of the way, below the cut you can find more information about the Admin, as well as the blog itself

About the Admin and Blog

Hello hello! I'm the Admin, I use (they/he/it) pronouns! For years I have read and consumed canon x reader insert content, and decided it's about time I give back to the community!

This is a multi fandom blog, with the blog changing with my interests! by default, though, Creepypasta is what I write when no interest is pushing me enough to right (and will continue to be the default for the foreseeable future, thanks to the fandom playing such a large role in my childhood)

This blog mainly focuses on short lists of headcannons for reader inserts, however occasionally scenarios will be posted as well as general headcannons!

I must say, I am not the best writer nor am I the best with characterization, so please note that some characters may be OOC

Below you can find what I write!

What I will write:

As of 12/24/23 I only take 1-3 characters per ask; any ask that exceeds that number will be put in the wheel to draw names to see who stays in the request

I write platonic, romantic, and found family

I will write most (descriptive)!readers however overly complex readers may be denied depending on the scenario

Typically I write hcs and scenarios!

You can ask for readers that are disabled or have a disorder but please note that while I will do research, I may not be able to get it perfect <\3

What I wont write:

Wont write any of the general no-no topics

This is more of a case by case thing depending on the ask and depending on my mental health at the time of it being sent, but I may not take requests for a reader who has been abvsed or s/hs

^ on the chance I do it will likely only be written as non vague/the harm is not being described in real time in the post + will be written strictly as comfort

I do not write NSFW, at most I will elude to something but nothing explicit

I do not write fics, those are for special occasion

I do not write canon x oc, due to me not feeling I can reliably portray the oc + this is where the overly complex described reader thing comes in, please do not try to trick me into this

As of December 2023 I do not take readers based off of existing media/canon characters unless I already know a character

If theres anything I'm not comfortable with I will let you know be it privately or by answering your ask

How to request:

Only send asks through the inbox, any asks sent through reblogs comments or dms will not be taken

Please only request one fandom per ask, if you want multiple fandoms please send in multiple asks

Please search the Masterlists to see if something similar to your request has been done before

I tend to write things and put them in a queue so as not to spam tags or the blog, so if your request is taking a new days to be posted that may be why! If you want to know what day your request is scheduled to be posted just ask!

Fandoms I write for/have written for! Will try to keep this updated!

Creepypasta (ongoing)

The Amazing digital circus (temporarily open)

Hazbin Hotel (ongoing)

Slashers (limited, temporarily open only for jason)

Overwatch (on hold)

ATSV (on hold, only wrote for spot)

TOH (on hold, only wrote for bump)

FNAF SB (temporarily open, only write for DCA)

Metalocalypse (ongoing and trying to get a hold on the characters personalities!)

Fran bow (mostly itward. Him, morgo, and remor are the only ones I write romantic and platonic for. Rest of the games casts is locked to platonic for obvious reasons)

LIST OF MASTERLISTS

Masterlist of ATSV, TOH, Overwatch and Fran Bow

Masterlist for FNAF SB, Slashers, and Metalocalypse

Masterlist for Creepypasta Volume 1

Masterlist for Creepypasta Volume 2

TADC Masterlist Volume 1

TADC Masterlist Volume 2

TADC Masterlist Volume 3

TADC Masterlist Volume 4

Hazbin Masterlist

The tropes list

[shmowder]

sorry for spamming u with asks but seriously i’ve been binge reading ur recent stuff and i’m sitting here feeling so fuzzy and warm at the cute stuff and it’s distracting me from everything going on atm so thank u so so very much for that! I love how u characterize artemy and daniil, especially how u take their history and experience into account. it’s like i’m listening to someone describe a person they’ve known their whole life, really. and I am a sucker for angst/fluff combos so u got me there haha

speaking of angst: how would the healers react to the reader catching sand pest? esp if it’s their significant other?

lots of love, -🥀

Please don't apologise, your asks have been a delight <3

I'm happy you noticed how I approach their characterization! I take their past into full consideration since the game takes event on the worst two weeks of their life, the side we see of them is a new side they're discovering with us for the first time. the closest the game shows us to their real selves is how they act on Day 1 before the plague hits.

Especially Stakh who is overcome with grief, we could never see what kind of life he led before with Isidor, what kind of person he used to be, what his laughter must have sounded like.

-

The healers find out you've contracted the sand plague

Platonic or romantic for Artemy & Daniil, Clara's part is platonic. Angst.

-

Daniil

His first action is to gather every speck of strength in his body and keep up face, do not fail him now courage.

Do Not Panic. All his focus is immediately put to use to appear as noneffected as possible. He can't show it, not in front of you.

He must seem to be in control in this dire situation. Otherwise, seeing him lose his cool will make you panic, too.

As he sat you down to examine you, wearing his protective gear this time around, akin to a wall separating you two, Denial tugging at the back of his mind.

The pit in his stomach grew bigger, terror gnawing at his guts, hollowing his lungs and closing his throat around itself. The facts were as clear as day, your symptoms matched perfectly, you are infected.

Any progress on the vaccine is immediately halted, all the extra effort he went through to bring you the best of the best when it came to preventive measures, all the precautions he took were for naught and the worst possible scenario actually occured.

His hands are shaking, he busy them with holding something so you won't notice, his lips are trembling, so he looks away when talking to you.

He feels like he failed you–No he knows that he did, he is sure of it as a fact. How can he meet your eyes? He is too ashamed of his shortcomings even when he went above and beyond, he couldn't keep this one promise.

it's fixable, everything is. He will defeat this monster. He will find you a cure no matter the cost. Daniil has to stop himself from thinking about what could happen if he doesn't win, otherwise he'll suffocate.

A panacea, a shmowder, anything god please he will beg on his knees. Take his life, trade his life for yours.

But death is nothing but cruel.

He administers antibiotics to you twice a day, personally attends to you, and disinfects your living space as best as he can. You're under complete quarantine in one of the stillwaters rooms; the hospital is too crowded and risky for your state.

Daniil does his best to embody and play the role of the capable assured doctor. He doesn't hide the truth of your severe state from you, but neither does he show you a hint of panic or fear, he buries his emotions deep down and puts on a brave face in front of you.

When he talks about bringing you the cure, he states it as a matter of fact. It's a matter of when, not if. He will make sure you have it even if it's the last thing he'll do in his sorry life.

-

Artemy

The man is completely distraught, his natural grimce somehow deepens even more, the hardned look in his eyes falters as he scans you over, taking in every detail, desperately hoping you're wrong and this isn't what you claim it to be.

Then... anger.

You tell him not to come closer; he could get infected, it's too dangerous, but he pulls you towards him faster than you can react.

fists clenching against your clothes, head hanged low and buried into your shoulder. The gaint man completely unravels in front of you, akin to a sandcastle crumbling down by the merciless tides.

A storm of emotions brewing inside him, unspeakable rage, unbearable sadness and the pins and needles of exhaustion stabbing deeper into his bruised beaten heart.

Artemy holds you close, as if he can hide you from the world in his embrace. He presses you tightly against his chest as if he can slip you through his rib cage and directly into his heart, where you may remain safe and protected for eternity.

His grip is borderline bruising, he's forgetting himself, almost suffocating as it pushes the air out of your lungs. He's murmuring something, voice deep and rough, a prayer or an apology, maybe both. The steppe words come much more fluently, a thicker accent and faster than you can catch up with.

How drastic it is in contrast to the way he softly spoke to you before, slowly pronuncing each word in an attempt to teach you a phrase or two.

The coughing fit that followed from your end is what woke him up to the bitter reality.

Anger never quite fizzling out but kept under control, the despair in his pale eyes however only grew tenfolds.

Tracing his fingers against your face, you feel like a corpse under his scorching touch. You wonder if he looked at those bodies on the autopsy table the same, if he stroked their cheeks the same as he's currently lovely caressing yours.

The man was already broken. He barely had time to process the loss of his father, and then death comes and attempts to whisk you away from under his gaze?

As much as he wants nothing but to sit down with you and make the most of what could possibly be your only remaining days, he forces himself to pull away and stand up.

He knows how to make the panacea, he has already made one in fact but it... if only had he waited before testing it on himself.

He'll make another, he will find more blood, he will.

In the meantime, tinctures will have to substitute. They work even better than the pharmaceutical antibiotics he promises. Yes, the taste is bitter, but please drink it all up.

It's a miracle how Artemy doesn't contact the plague from how little regard he pays to keeping a distance from you, he still takes off his protective outside gear before touching you like he always did in the past as if nothing has changed.

He still sleeps in the same bed as you, hold you close to him at night... more closely than before. Soothe your back through your caughing fits and bring you water.

Increase your own food portions by giving from his own. He can handle the hunger, it's okay. You need to eat more, you need to stay warm and stay in bed... please just do this one thing for him.

The first thing he does after coming back from that dreaded night in the abattoir, body pulsing with pain, bruises aching all over his body, clothes drenched in blood both his own and from various others–is to quietly set your panacea to brew before waking you up.

Much like a wounded bull still standing at the end of the match, not a single hint of pain in those sunken eyes as blood trickles down his temple.

He doesn't wash, he refuses to leave you out of his sight for even a second as if death will steal you away just when he is so close to the final step.

You two share a meal, he barely touches his food, glancing between you and the brewery machine nearby. Watching the timer going down, refusing to surrender to exhaustion as every joint in his body aches and screams.

Artemy intertwines his fingers with yours, holding your hand and staying by your side. Just a little while longer, endure and survive a little while longer for him.

-

Clara

She can heal you, don't worry, don't cry, please just have faith in her. Look she really can do miracles! please look, look at her hands see? She can do it, she can.

Please... She can...

Her hand grip yours, her eyes are closed.

She knows she can do it, she already healed countless of people. It shouldn't be too hard for her so... why.

Tightly shutting her eyes even more as if it will stop the tears trickling down her cheeks.

She can do it! You don't understand, don't give her that look. She's not a liar, you should believe in her.

Why isn't it working? Why now of all times? Why when you were supposed to have faith in her abilities?

She trusted you of all people, how could you betray her like this.

Clara's fingers dig into your skin as she reattempts to apply her magic over and over again.

Her hiccups grow louder, weeping down as she grips with all of her force.

Nothing happens.

It doesn't take any effort to gently slide her hands away, to take her into your embrace and whisper thats it's okay.

You believe in her. You really do. It's okay. You're still proud of her despite it all, proud of everything she is. Gently reassuring this kid cringing to you that everything will be okay, that you won't ever ask the impossible of her.

That you'll lover her regardless, miracles or not, Clara will always be in your heart, a part of one family.

You hold her with the same tenderness one would with their little sister, you wipe her tears away and smile through the pain because you must be strong for her.

She is torn between running away or clinging to you more.

You weren't part of her sacrifices, you were never an option she even considered. Clara fears that she might just forsake both the town and polyhedron just to save you, her only resemblance of a family.

She fears that she was the one who brought you the sand pest the day you took her in and showed her kindness, that she poisoned your blood and infected your body with this deadly disease by associating with her.

Kids hold narrow views on the world. It's hard for them to comprehend that things could occur with no relation to them. They feel responsible for every misdeed, for every argument and fight between their parents, for every loved one's unhappiness must have stemed from them not being good enough.

Clara is terrfied by that notion; in her eyes, she might have as well killed you by her own small hands.

Her speech is incomprehensible, her eyes are swollen and red. She begs for forgiveness, apologising for anything and everything, the pile in her stomach threatening to rise as acid tethers up her throat.

You attempt to console her, to soothe the lost soul who found a home under your wings. To see her as neither the saint nor the sinner, but a frightened little girl carrying the weight of the world on her brittle shoulders.

She refuses to meet your eyes out of shame in the next days, she almost runs away from home on several occasions but decides against it last moment because who else will help take care of you through your sickness? Who else will bring the cold wet towels to soothe your forehead during your sleep? who else will wait for the kettle to boil to warm up the milk before pouring you a cup?

Clara repays your kindness tenfolds, even sharing her stashed away pieces of candy with you–no she gives them all to you in fact.

She steps over her own dignity and goes to seek out the other two healers in town to ask for help... and maybe "borrow" a couple things they'll surely not miss.

Tinctures from the Haruspex that Sticky smuggles out to her after a heated argument, Protective gear from the Bachelor room that Eva let's her slip into while turning a blind eye.

That sad frown is taking shape on her face, as your sickness worsen, you find that the physical pain pales in comparison to how much you miss seeing her smile. That confident sly smile she wore, endearing even in its most sinister forms as she schemed and plotted.

How scarce that smile has become.

Without her powers to rely on, Clara is forced to act mortal. To bother Stakh and insist that he must check on your health daily, to try her best to comprehend the medical terms and follow the guidelines he left for her.

One thing, however, is that she never stops trying her magic.

Day and night, tiptoeing to your bed, carefully avoiding the creeking floorboards in order not to disturb your rest. She lifts her hand up, presses her palm against your scorching temple as she channels all of her power and energy into this one act, wishing, pleading with the fates to smile her way today.

Clara never gives up, even as her arms grow cramped after holding them up for so long. She keeps at it for hours at a time, whatever moment of her day she could spare is spent by your side as she reattempts the spell over and over.

You realise what a strong kid she is, to get up no matter how many times life trips her down, to walk when she can't run, to crawl when she can't walk, to claw at the dirt and move forward no matter what.

She stays determined, asking you to believe in her. Promising she will cure you, she will deliver, she will save everyone, including you.

Especially you.

Talking about all the places the two of you would visit after you get better, because you will get better, don't you dare say otherwise.

Please you can't doubt her, her magic won't work if you do, please just have faith in her.

You don't have the heart to tell her that you never did, not a single moment of your life have you ever doubted words, her truth is your truth.

Until one day.

It finally works.

You feel her blood seeping into your veins, the antibodies multiping throughout the stream, destroying the ever changing plague and adapting to whatever structure it takes.

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