#emile leaving it’s about to get even worse!!!!

[granitxhka]

spotify wrapped is about to be diabolically bad

[unproduciblesmackdown]

omgg lol [guy who won't stop going "more like scapeGOATED" voice] now hold! on!! lmao [same guy just saw encanto voice] Hold on!!!

[cemetery-irises]

No thoughts just Emil having to take care of a very distressed Luca because he's refusing to leave Andrew's side or sleep or anything and they just want him (and Andrew) to feel better

Maybe putting bandages on Andrew to alleviate Luca's delirious worries of the (completely healed) wounds opening again, or just making sure that both of them are fed to the same standard because even if Luca feels too sick from stress to eat he has to get nutrition somehow so that "Andrew won't worry about you when he wakes up!"

(I think Emil would say a lot of stuff like that to convince Luca, though it doesn't stop him from looking absolutely terrible by the time Andrew DOES wake up)

ough absolutely. luca is out of his MIND with worry (rightfully so but i digress) and emil doesn't want luca getting worse (especially with what just happened to andrew) and uwaah

[chaotic-history]

Outside of V and Emile/Fritz what’s your fav relationship V has?

Ok I warned you that this was going to be a long answer, and idk if you meant specifically a romantic relationship, but I'm going to pretend that you didn't so that I can yap about my absolute favorite V relationship, which was with Claude Philippe Fyot de la Marche. And I have to yap about it extra since only one bio I've read has ever mentioned him, and even then, it was only to get facts wrong about him :/ (thanks Pearson).

V and la Marche were students together at Louis le Grand, and we have five letters from 17yo V to la Marche after la Marche had left the school early. There's.. a lot in those letters: (italics are originally in Latin)

"Please disabuse me of your perversity [la Marche had evidently called himself an Epicurean, and V wasn't having it] as I disabuse you of the opinion you have of my virtue, and make me a confession as sincere as the one I make to you. I know that it will cost you more than me, but I don't believe you want to hide your true feelings from me; this will be for me a lesson which perhaps I will not benefit from and will content myself with admiring; I see and I desire the better, I follow the worse. I finish with this line for fear that in continuing the picture I will make it so true that you'll believe me as insincere as you are when you speak of yourself."

And here's the context for the quote V said he couldn't finish w/o la Marche thinking him insincere:

(From Metamorphoses):  "Medea, you struggle in vain: some god, I do not know which, opposes you. I wonder if this, or something, like this, is what people indeed call love? Or why would the tasks my father demands of Jason seem so hard? They are more than hard! Why am I afraid of his death, when I have scarcely seen him? What is the cause of all this fear? Quench, if you can, unhappy girl, these flames that you feel in your virgin heart! If I could, I would be wiser! But a strange power draws me to him against my will. Love urges one thing: reason another. I see, and I desire the better: I follow the worse. Why do you burn for a stranger, royal virgin, and dream of marriage in an alien land? This earth can also give you what you can love. Whether he lives or dies, is in the hands of the gods. Let him live! I can pray for this even if I may not love him: what is Jason guilty of? Who, but the heartless, would not be touched by Jason’s youth, and birth, and courage? Who, though the other qualities were absent, could not be stirred by his beauty?"

There are multiple ways you could interpret this ofc, but also... gay

The rest of the letters are a combo of similar to the above and just depressing; V was super broken-up about la Marche's leaving. He also keeps trying to set up a time for them to meet in Paris, but there's no record of anything ever coming from that.

And then, in 1761, a monk murdered someone in Ferney and V wrote to la Marche's son about it since he thought it wasn't being investigated thoroughly enough and Marche fils was a magistrate at one of the parlements, and through that he and la Marche got back in touch and it's so 🥺🥺🥺

"M. de Ruffey, sir, made me shed tears of joy when he told me that you wanted to remember me, and that you resume the exchange of letters in which you have always been charming. My heart is still moved in writing to you. To think that it's been almost sixty years that I've been attached to you! My hair has gone white, my teeth have fallen out; but my heart is young: I am tempted to cross the mountains and the snow that separate us, and to come embrace you. I'm ashamed to admit to you that I consider myself in my retirement as one of the happiest men in the world; but you deserve to be so more than I do, and I warn you that I shall cease to be if you are not. You are honoured, loved, I know you have a very beautiful soul; a charming, fair, enlightened, sensitive soul ..."

And then eventually la Marche came to visit V at Ferney, and helped supervise the printing of the engravings for V's Corneille book that he was raising subscriptions for Mlle Corneille with

I think la Marche is my favorite just because all the letters are so sweet, and for the longest time I thought it was just the five early ones and then I was legitimately so fucking happy to find out that they did meet again in person. I also really wish there was more written about him, cause even if he's not super important historically when writing about V, V clearly cared about him a lot and la Marche was important to him

[micia-posts-stuff]

The absolute double standard of saying Damian is more mature and doesn’t need to be change aged up when we have writers have him still treating Anya like if he was an 6 year old with a crush, lashing out at her and sometimes insulting her and treating her even worse, and it is worse because he should know better by then. Not to mention have him be openly ashamed of his feelings for her and have Anya still fall for a immature manchild like this, because it’s okay is not what he really thinks anyway :/

Alright, since I'm receiving a lot of asks on this subject, I want to preface this by saying that I haven't read a lot of Damianya fan fiction. The reason why in my previous asks I always go back to the manga is because I don't have that much experience in Damianya fan fictions and I don't want to seem like I have more knowledge on the subject than I actually do 😅

Also also for how many pet peeves you, me or anyone else might have it's important to remember that authors and artists do this for free and under no obligation, so I try to keep a "if you don't like it, don't read it" kinda vibe, or read it anyway if you want to explore a different interpretation, but keep in mind that it's ok if it doesn't align with what you have in mind. This is to say that I'm trying to answer these by just speculating my personal interpretation of Damian and Anya and their future, not to police anybody.

With that being said, from what I've seen a lot of aged up Damian and Anya are still teens, so I think it's ok if he's still embarrassed of his crush, because teens are awkward, so Damian has the right to be an awkward teen. Even if they're already adults a bit of "I can't believe I fell in love with you" can be funny, it's the classic "you're an idiot" "Yes but I'm YOUR idiot" situation. The same way I said I think Anya would still have a bit of childhood wonder I also think Damian might keep some tsundere-tendencies. I do agree that I'd like to see Damian stop lashing out to Anya and definitely not treating her worse, especially because I think he's already making progress in the manga, apologizing and dropping the act when other people aren't around, he still has work to do, but he's getting better. Tho I also think a bit of playful bickering is funny. It's even a recurring gag in the manga that their bickering is seen as normal, with the other kids, including Becky, Ewen and Emile, leaving them to go to class. Also when Damian thinks he has crossed the line in any way (even when he didn't mean it and it genuinely wasn't his fault, like when Anya told him she got a dog) he immediately apologies and tries to cheer her up. Like the way this kid cannot stand Anya being upset and crying is honestly so cute and funny, one of my favorite things about their dynamic. So in conclusion I think they would still bicker a bit, but never to be hurtful, because Damian can't really stand making her actually upset. But also, if a fic or a comic wants to explore a moment when one of them said something wrong that's also fine, because sometimes people say stuff they don't mean and writing about fictional characters doing the same is ok.

If you think my take is pretty lukewarm is because it is, I really don't want people to feel like they HAVE to write characters a certain way.

[inkbitten]

Could I please request a Sinclair x reader where the reader is extremely upset about it being their turn to face their past and Sinclair tries to calm the reader down?

SINCLAIR COMFORTING YOU DURING YOUR BOUGH.

consider leaving a tip! https://ko-fi.com/leviathanluvr#linkModal

( the reader is based around lapvona. it's not classic lit but it's what i could think of. so..!! )

emil sinclair has always been awkward with his affections. when reaching towards you, his hand would always linger in the air, unsure of himself.

he timidly watches you from his peripheral as mephistoles pushes down familiar roads. he doesn't miss the way your breath hitches, shaking pupils unable to tear away from the window. if nobody offered comfort during his canto, how can he trust anyone to help you?

his hand firmly plants on your shoulder, “ l—— let's not.. keep looking, ” he suggests with a placid smile.

“ i.. i can't, ” you croak, guilt swirling in your guts as memories flow.

seeing all that you've left behind makes you feel sick. is your father even on that farm? you remember him on the day when you'd been invited to join limbus company. the man——made drought was getting worse, and worse. he was struggling to put food on the table, and feed the lambs.

when the job was offered, his eyes had lit up. he quickly shoved you towards (REDACTED), eager to get rid of you.

your chest burns as the bus drives through farmland. you burst into tears despite yourself, sinclair pulling you into a proper embrace.

“ i don't.. i don't wanna.. ” you sniffle pathetically, lips trembling.

the other sinners sit awkwardly. rodya and gregor offer you pitying glances as sinclair gently rubs your upper back.

“ it's okay, ” he murmurs, unsure of how to deliver further comforts.

he wishes he could pull the sorrow from your chest like the string from an older sweater. he's sorry. he's sorry that he cannot do anything to relinquish you of this sadness, this fear. for now, he'll just settle on holding you.

[thai-with-booty]

Update - I am still at jibs home, been nice in a way to get away from my home life but does feel a bit like I gone from one madness to another. My neighbour messaged asking when I'm back, guess he hasn't had his dick sucked well for a couple of weeks and is missing it lol. I am meant to fly on the 2nd of January and I don't really see the need to hang around here causing more trouble. The time so far has been nice with Emil, there has been a lot of chatting and catching up as well as sex, I kinda wish I handnt started the whole thing with Oliver, it's causing me to be quite anxious.

So Friday night me and jib met some other friends and had a girls night out, it was great fun, I hadn't been out partying like that for ages and was nice, no men around for a bit and can relax and drink, drink too much, was calm at first but then start mixing drinks and doing shots. Me and jib get a taxi home, I help her to her room and she's pretty much passed out, she's still wear her dress and just laid on her back sleeping, I go to my room and get into bed with Emil, he's sleeping already. I got a message on my phone from Oliver, he wanted me to come down, I was tired and drunk and didn't want to, so first time I said no, there was a bit of back and forth and ultimately he sends me a really long message which was quite mean, even if it was true at parts. I get he was frustrated but writing a message like that was hardly going to get me to come down to him. Luckily for me I cuddled up to Emil and missed him lightly on the face, he wake and responded and we started kissing and leading into sex, we had sex and it felt better than usual, I think it was the alcohol and feeling shit with Oliver then being made to feel wanted. After he came I kept kissing him and basically in the moment I asked him to date me, looking back it was bad timing and not a conversation for then, he was saying not to discuss it now but I took it badly and know I was being dramatic, but I cried, and left him. He didn't bother to come after me, it was probably better, fortunately too Oliver wasn't around, that would have made it worse. I dramatically packed all my stuff and was sure I was leaving the next morning, I was feeling terrible about Oliver and now about Emil, I wasn't to get out. It took me a while to calm down but with my suitcase packed at the foot of my bed I fell asleep.

I woke Saturday morning to Emil bringing me some juice, he came to apologise, I did the whole feeling stupid, we talked and basically made up, we won't be dating, he still lives in Denmark being the main thing, but also he's studying and needs to focus on that and has a gf, though he doesn't mention her with me. We had sex, I felt ok at the time, I think I was still drunk, he left and I slept a little longer before waking with a hangover that pretty much wiped out all of Saturday. I kinda needed a day with nothing.

Oliver didn't really speak to me, though I was not around much during the day, he was watching football in the evening but I didn't go near, I stayed with Emil. I can't help but feel something is going to happen with Oliver, but hopefully he can just stew on it and I'll be gone soon. Jib and Oliver are hosting a big new year's party that they do every year, hopefully I can get a little lost in the crowd.

[hythlodaes]

kiss prompts! 24: as a reward (dare you to make it emileo) 🤡

also tagging @lilas ! since you both asked, here’s a little bit of modern au emileo xoxo

Leofard wakes to the sound of the shower running.

He opens his eyes for a half moment before closing them again, dragging the blanket up over his shoulder. Emile must be back from his morning run then, always up before the sun. Leofard is surprised he didn't hear him leave—usually he'll wake him when he gets up, untangling his body from Leofard, a little clumsy despite his grace on the football field.

Fooling around with the quarterback of his college team has its drawbacks as much as it has its perks.

Or whatever they're doing. It’s been months since they started hanging out, but Emile has spent the summer in Leofard's apartment. He has workouts or practice most afternoons, and Leofard has a job that he shows up to most of the time, but they always end up here at the end of the day. Leofard didn't even realize Emile wasn't going back to his dorm until he saw his guitar propped up in the corner of his room.

Neither of them have acknowledged it—the same way they don't acknowledge the framed photo of Raimille on his bureau, or how Emile goes silent whenever one of his friends brings up Varlineau.

It’s not like Leofard doesn’t think about what it means. They spend so much time together that it could be a given conclusion, if that’s who they were, if they hadn’t already agreed to keep it casual. After all, it would be such a simple question: Can I call you my boyfriend?

He’d laugh at himself if he didn’t want it so much.

The shower turns off and the apartment is quiet again for a moment before Emile enters the bedroom. He's careful at first, but then the sound of his footsteps draws nearer and he nudges Leofard’s hip over the blanket.

“Leo,” he says, his voice just above a whisper. “Are you awake?”

“Trying not to be,” he mumbles.

“Let’s go out for breakfast.”

Leofard pops one eye open to the still dim room. Emile stands over him, brown eyes bright, wet hair curving around his chin. He's still shirtless, and stray water droplets cling to his skin,trailing down to the jeans slung low on his hips. It’s hard to be annoyed with him when he looks this good. It’s not fair.

“What time is it?” Leofard asks, closing his eyes again.

"Are you hungry?"

"Emile."

“I don't want to go by myself.”

“Emile.”

“It’s early,” he admits with a soft laugh. A moment later, the weight of his body dips onto the bed, and he settles over him, thighs bracketing his hips, chest along his. Leofard lets out an annoyed sound at his wet hair dripping onto him, but Emile just says, “Come on, I’ll even pay.”

“You can pay in a couple hours.”

“I’ll kiss you,” he offers, and Leofard feels his lips graze his neck, nose brushing along his jaw as his breath ghosts against his skin. It’s hard not to react, pinned down like this with the warmth of his mouth so close to his. Leofard tilts his head blindly towards him, waiting for him to kiss him awake, but Emile pulls away completely and sits up.

“Breakfast first.”

He opens his eyes to a smile tugging at Emile's lips, and Leofard sighs, ignoring the way it sounds like a laugh. “You’re lucky you’re so damn cute.”

They dress as the warmth of the day settles in, and at the door, Leofard covers his yawn with one hand while the other presses his car keys into his palm. Emile doesn't gloat in his victory, but he does bend his head to kiss him, mouth open and soft against his.

There are worse ways to start the day.

"You're still paying, you know," Leofard says, but the words are murmured against his lips. When they part, he gives him a crooked smile. "I'll pay you back later, baby."

[moonlightazriel]

Dancing with flames /// Eris X F!Reader

Summary: You were the one being left out, no one in your family cared about you, until you caught the eyes of a very mysterious fox.

Warnings: Reader's family being a bunch of assholes

Word Count: 1,5K

Notes: It's like that Cinderella movie with Hilary Duff only worse. I decided to put the inspiration for the dress and mask to help the visual. This was supposed to be a Halloween treat for you. Hope you enjoy.

Main Masterlist

Being from one of the whealtiest families from the autumn court was hard, people had high expectations of you, you always have to behave and be quiet, playing those little games, everyone hungry for power and waiting for the slightest mistake to treat you like trash. Thats why my parents never liked me much, i never was polite enough, i never bowed on the right angle, i ate too much for a lady, my appearance wasn't flawless enough, there are always something to complain about me, i wasn't perfect like my sisters. They always got better clothes, better training and the love from our parents, this led me up to build a mask, that i wore whenever i was around them, i made my mission never show them how much they affected me.

The high lord announced the anual masquerade for the members of the court, in honor of the most successful harvest of the year and to find his heir a wife, the autumn prince was old enough and his father decided it was time for him to find someone strong and form alliances, i remembered my parents saying. They were really excited for this, preparing my sisters to fight for Eris, with one another if they needed, obviously, they didn't even bother saying the same to me, they were clearly counting with the family beauties to marry him, not me. Never me.

My parents really put a lot of effort and money for our gowns, my mother wanted to impress, and it required all of us for this, so i decided that if they wanted us to wear something fancy and expensive, i was going to. The dress the tailor made was red, the big skirt soft like cotton, was beautiful, the corset had shoulder to shoulder straps, and red flowers adorning it, flowing to the skirt as well, on a beautiful design, since it was a custom dress, it fit perfectly, unlike the other oversized dresses i was forced to wear before. For the mask i ended up choosing a bunny one, one of the ears was broken and one of the eyes was ripped, it looked dirty and had golden details, and surprisingly, no one complained about it.

On the day of the ball, i ended up getting ready on my own while my sisters were being taken care by professionals, at this point i didn't even care anymore and just learned how to do these kind of things on my own. Slipping my heels on, i got out of my room, getting downstairs, my father was there, he looked at me and nodded.

“You finally looks decent, you can’t ruin it tonight. It’s one of yours sisters big chance, behave or you won’t like what will happen to you.” I nodded, feeling a shiver, remembering all the times he didn’t think i was well behaved and punished me.

⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆

The music was softly playing in the background, the sound of people chatting and glass here and there, my sisters were starting to get impatient as they couldn't spot Eris anywhere, Macy was on her third dance with some lord, Emil was dancing as well, but i could see the annoyed faces both had on, suppressing a laugh, i was startled by a hand lowering until it was in front of my eyes, looking up a male was on the end of the arm, he was wearing a red tunic, golden leaves sewed on the fabric, he was wearing a fox mask, with fur and some feathers, he was absolutely handsome, even if i only could see part of his face.

“Can i have a dance?” His voice was deep and powerful, i felt my body melting as it reach my ears. My mother elbowed me and i got up, putting my hand on his and allowing him to lead me to the dance floor. He pulled me closer, his hard chest pressed against mine, making me sighn like a fool, his hand on my waist, held me tightly and we started dancing, spinning around. “I saw you as soon as i arrived, you caught my attention little bunny, you know a fox can't resist a lonely bunny. What’s your name?” I looked at him deep in the eyes.

“Well, this makes you the first male that paid attention to me.” I giggle trying to joke but i could see the look on his face behind the mask. “I don't wanna be myself tonight, so you can call me Bunny.” He smirked at me “And what about you my lord?”

“Since we're pretending to be other people, call me Foxy.” He said, pulling me even closer, inhaling his scent, i felt my heart flutter, he smelled like fire, the same fire burning in my veins.

We danced, again and again, i felt this strong pull towards him, it was impossible to pull away from him, i had some males courting me before, but notting was compared to this, the feeling of finally being seen, of being important. At some point he led us outside, the cold air making my bones chill, we ended up under a tree, my back pressed against the wood while one of his arms cornered me, i felt my cheeks blushing as he leaned closer, his lis capturing mine, my hands were resting on his face, his tongue pressed my lips, and i opened them, he entered my mouth, exploring every bit of it with his tongue, my whole body reacting naturally to him, it felt so right, even if someone caught us right now, i wouldn't care, opening my eyes, i saw my mother looking for me, i pointed at her, he turned growling.

“You have to go?” He seemed sad.

“If i don’t want to get punished, i have.” He nodded, and we walked back inside, when my mother’s eyes landed on me, she marched furiously to where i was standing.

“I was looking for you.” She grabbed my arm harshly. “That damned prince didn't even dare to show up, we're leaving before one of yours sisters start to cry.” I couldn't believe that i had to go home just because my sisters weren't able to control their emotions. Looking over at Foxy, he had a smirk on his lips.

“I will see you again.” i whispered to him while my mother pulled me away.

⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆

It was 1 week later and my sisters couldn't get over the fact that the prince didn't showed up, it was kinda rude but it didn't matter. Me on the other hand, couldn't get over Foxy, i dreamed of him every night, felt his lips on mine, i tried searching for him but it was useless, Macy and Emil were making fun of me, saying i had invented him, i was starting to believe them if it wasn't for the current situation.

My father got home saying that the high lord requested that our family attended an event that night. Entering in the high lord’s mansion, my sisters were completely excited, maybe the prince showed at the ball after all. When we entered the throne room, the royal family were all present, Beron was on his throne, his wife standing on his left side, while his children were on his right side, the oldest to the youngest.

“We called your family here because my heir, Eris Vanserra, said he choose his future wife.” The high lord voice was loud like a thunder, turning my head into Eris’s direction, i felt something weird on my chest, like a spark, burning as bright as fire, he shifted on his feet, looking directly at me. I wasn’t paying attention to what was being said, all i could focus was on the burning string on my chest, tugging at it, more than once, Eris caught my eyes again, and i watched how he’d react as i pulled the thread, he was trying to supress a smile. It couldn't be, as the realization hit me, he stepped forward.

“I decided that i will take one of your daughters as my bride.” I could see my sisters shaking nervously, Macy, the eldest, had a convinced smile on her face while Emil stuffed her chest, making her breasts seem bigger, i rolled my eyes trying not to laugh at their efforts. “Y/N, would you like to marry me?” He asked, and i could feel my sisters burning rage as they looked at us.

“I would love to.” I said, my whole body was shaking, and i felt like i was going to fall at any moment. He grabbed my hand, kissing it, and pulling me closer.

“I waited for you, my mate, my bunny.” He whispered in my ear and i blushed. My family looked at him like he was crazy and i was afraid that they might start try to convince him to take one of my sisters instead. Lady Vanserra stepped forward, a gracious smile on her face while she clapped happily.

“Looks like we have a wedding to plan. Welcome to the Vanserra family darling.”

[rusakkowrites]

I was tagged by @wurzelbertzwerg – thank you for the chance to ramble about my fics! <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

47.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

168,990.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, mainly the Jane Austen fandom (particularly Pride and Prejudice and Emma).

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

In (not so silent) indignation (Pride and Prejudice): Mr Collins times his visit to Longbourn a few weeks earlier, altering the events of the Meryton assembly.

A Timely Intervention (Pride and Prejudice): When an attempt to evade Mr Collins’s proposal puts Elizabeth in an uncomfortable predicament, Mr Darcy’s appearance on the scene obliges her to re-evaluate his character.

Misconduct and Misdirection (Pride and Prejudice): Mr Gardiner’s business obligations are resolved more favourably than in canon, and Elizabeth’s trip to the Lakes goes ahead as planned. When the news of Lydia’s elopement arrives, a longer journey back allows time for recollections and realisations. Meanwhile, the rumours about a Miss Bennet’s elopement have spread as far as Derbyshire...

Blossoming Affection (Pride and Prejudice): It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young man afflicted by the lovers’ disease must be in want of a handkerchief. (A light-hearted Hanahaki AU.)

A Very Good Scheme (Emma): When leaving the Christmas party at Randalls, Emma recruits Mr Knightley’s help to avoid a tête-a-tête with Mr Elton. As a consequence, the events of the following weeks unfold rather differently than in canon.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I love getting comments and always reply. The only exception is when someone reads through one of my finished multi-chapters and comments on every chapter. In that case, I just reply to one or a few so I don’t spam the commenter’s inbox with a dozen “Thank you!” messages.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably A murderer’s hands, which is just an angst fest overall.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of my fics have at least moderately happy endings, but I think A Timely Intervention takes the prize. It has a happy ending for the protagonists, the antagonists suffer nothing worse than a slight romantic disappointment, and significant angsty canon events are avoided.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven’t received any so far, and I hope it stays that way. I’ve kind of braced myself for negative comments with certain Jane Austen fics featuring non-canon ships, but fortunately the haters have left them alone.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Not very often, but when I do, it’s not very explicit and usually either bittersweet or very humorous.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Occasionally. Sadly, I haven’t written any particularly crazy ones, but I do think that my two-part Sense and Self-Interest series is pretty fun!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know. I think the Amazon fic thieves in the Austen fandom generally target novel-length fics. My stories tend to be on the shorter side, so maybe that has helped keep them safe.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! The Family Business, Rowan flower and Much Cause for Contentment have all been translated into Russian. The translator of The Family Business even added some helpful translator’s notes explaining various Finnish and Nordic cultural references, so they really went the extra mile!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

A friend and I once played around with ideas for a coffee-shop AU of the film Halloween 6, but it never progressed beyond a few unposted snippets.

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

Such a tough question! The first ship that I really became obsessed with was Lalli Hotakainen/Emil Västerström, and I’ve also read lots and lots of Yuuri Katsuki/Viktor Nikiforov and Eric Bittle/Jack Zimmerman fic. Lately, my two big obsessions have been Emma Woodhouse/George Knightley and Aral Vorkosigan/Cordelia Naismith. However, if I have to pick just one, I think I’d have to say Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy because I’ve been into it for such a long time and it’s inspired so many of my fics.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

My “Kitty thinks Darcy is evil” AU, a very silly post-canon Pride and Prejudice fic. Other plot bunnies always seem to take precedence over it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I’m pretty good at characterization, humour and Austen pastiche.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Actually getting anything written. I’m a procrastinator and a bit of a perfectionist, which is a terrible combination. My writing progress tends to be very slow.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

It can work well (and be a fun Easter egg for multilingual readers) if done in a way that makes sense. Otherwise it’s just annoying and confusing for the reader. In my opinion, it can be a good way to signal that other characters are speaking a language that the point-of-view character doesn’t understand, but just a few words are usually enough. After that, it’s better to just specify in the narration that “the angry little girl in red and the white, furry hippopotamus continued to squabble in their peculiar language while Mr Darcy looked on in puzzlement” (or whatever is appropriate to the story and the situation). I included the occasional word in Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian or Icelandic in my old Stand Still, Stay Silent fics, but never anything that the reader really needed to understand.

Also, a plea to anyone who’s reading this: please, please don’t machine translate dialogue into a language that you don’t know and slap it in your fic. You have no way of knowing if the output is correct and/or sounds natural. I’ve seen this done with Finnish and Swedish, and it was such a pet peeve of mine because the “translations” were usually terrible.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Stand Still, Stay Silent.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

This is also a tough question because I’m unashamedly proud of all of them. But if I had to pick just one, maybe A Very Good Scheme. I feel that the premise is really fun and that I managed to tell the story in an entertaining way. I’m just really happy with the way it turned out.

I will tag @storytilly (if you are so inclined) and anyone else who sees this and wants to play.

[goron-king-darunia]

Rank the ships from dotnw?

All of them? I'm not sure I could even name all of them, there are so many characters and so many possible ships. I'll just go with the ones I've seen and if you want another one or some other ones to be included, ask for them specifically.

Emil/Marta: E for Effort. This is clearly the main and intended canon ship. They tried. I could theoretically write a version of Marta and Emil that I might find appealing, but I generally just do not like them together. 0/10. Never seen a fic about them staying together that I enjoyed. I can see why it's popular because in a vacuum, the two have an interesting dynamic, but none of the canon materials ever made me see anything good between them. (As with other judgements, these are subjective. If you like this ship, no shade, just saying this is a NOTP for me and you will not be able to talk me into it. I have seen the fics and talked with the fans, I just cannot stand Marta as she's written.) Ratatosk/Marta: C for Chemistry. There's substance there. As much as I don't understand, Ratatosk clearly likes Marta and wants to keep her safe, even though she doesn't treat him with the same kindness as she does Emil. At least Ratatosk can stand up for himself, though. So I wouldn't feel anxious of Marta taking advantage of him like she would for Emil. 2/10. Could be excellent with a competent writer or the most toxic stuff you've ever seen with an incompetent writer (though you can't do worse than the Crestoria Writers who made Marta the literal worst when she says IN FRONT OF RATATOSK that she can't wait for him to leave so that she can fuck Emil.) Richter/Aster: S for Sexy. Top Tier unofficial canon ship. Buff awkward introvert nerd who is desperately trying to stay sane and twinky confident extrovert nerd who was never sane to begin with is such a delicious dynamic. 10/10.

Richter/Emil: S for Sad/Angst and also Sexy. You can make this work ANY way you want it to. Tragedy, love against all odds, starcrossed lovers, destined lovers, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers. The literal bread and butter of the franchise. You can turn it into anything and it will be good. Always gotta have a pinch of conflict since Richter clearly sees a bit of his younger self in Emil and wants Emil desperately to grow and be better. But, like, the sad/angst is what makes it juicy. 10/10. Richter/Ratatosk: P for Potential. I can see this working with enough setup or with a soft enough Ratatosk. Canon Ratatosk would take FOREVER to get to the point of being soft enough to work with, but Richter can live for 1000 years so that can still work. Delicious for PWP or for a long, drawn out enemies to lovers fic where they fight and they fight and they fuck and they fight until they form a reluctant softness for each other and then absolutely cave into each other because they're too similar and too different and as much as they anger and bewilder each other they're also the only other person to understand each other. 7/10. Needs good writing to pull it off but very juicy.

Richter/Aqua: W for Wasted Potential. The manga clearly wants us to think there's something there but they don't do anything with it. I'm not opposed to it, but it needs the right setup and context and Aqua needs to chill the fuck out and start as Richter's friend. 3/10. I can definitely think up some juicy stuff for them, but I prefer Aqua as Richter's queer platonic BFF who crushes on him but understands she can't force him to like her back and just wants him to be happy, even if it isn't with her.

Aster/Rilena: D for Dynamic Duo. The manga suggests in one line (that may or may not be properly translated) that Aster and Rilena were engaged. I think this was to lampshade how Rilena knew Aster had a birth mark in a place you wouldn't see in his normal clothes because he wears a high collared coat and shirt. I don't buy that for one second. If they WERE engaged, I 100% headcanon it as Rilena agreeing to be Aster's beard so Aster could be gay for Richter and Rilena could be very asexual in peace without getting hit on buy other guys and girls. 10/10 for chaos scientist buddies where Rilena has all the braincells and common sense but is equally as willing as Aster is to ignore her better judgement to pull off crazy shenanigans. Richter is the cautious member of the bunch but he trusts Rilena before he trusts Aster, even when it's clear that they're both taking insane risks. If she had gone with them to the Ginnungagap, Aster would have lived for sure and Sheena would have been there to help make a pact with Ratatosk. 1/10 for a romantic or sexual sort of relationship. I can see how that dynamic could work, I really do. Of all the straight couples so far, Aster and Rilena would be the healthiest and most realistic/easiest to envision. I just do not buy it for one second that they're anything other than BFFS with each other.

Emil/Lloyd: H for Huh? I guess people just like shipping the protags and because Zelloyd was a popular ship, people easily swapped to Emil/Lloyd for another dose of enemies to rivals to lovers. I do not see the appeal other than the fact that it's a yaoi ship and they both have some relatable struggles of being protagonists and some good angst fodder for Emil having to come to terms with his anger even when he finds out the Lloyd he was mad at was actually Decus. 0/10. Not saying it's a bad ship, just saying it's definitely not a ship for me and I do not see the appeal. As with Marta/Emil, this is functionally a NOTP for me. Emil/Aster: A for Absolutely. Introvert shy boy with identity issues and extrovert goofball who is very secure with himself both gush over how cool they think Richter is and foster a mutual affection for each other. 9/10. No notes. Just some good blond boys exploring the world with each other.

Emil/Ratatosk: C for Crackship. Absolutely love the self-cest vibes and potential here. Again, I prefer a softer Rata than is canon, but I absolutely see the appeal. Something something self love and something something loving the self through loving the other. 7/10. I'll read it from trusted sources but it's not a very popular ship and I can see people either taking it way too seriously or way too cracky and ending up with something unreadable for my tastes. But excellent potential. Richter/Aster/Emil: O for OT3. Excellent and impossible unless we get really wiggly with the rules of the canon very quickly. Still. Love it. 12/10, no notes. I am willing to break canon for this to happen and also so thirsty for AU. Real Emil/Richter and Real Emil/Aster and RealEmil/Richter/Aster: I for I'm the only one thinking about this. Depending on how you interpret the canon, game Emil and Real Emil are either two totally different people or the same person through weird soul absorbtion means. Ratatosk's powers are more concrete than Verius's powers but still INCREDIBLY WIGGLY and while it's heavily implied that Emil is just Ratatosk's kindness made manifest and his old personality splitting off from his new, grumpier one, I 100% see where some theories come in stating that some of the things game Emil knows about Real Emil are too coincidental to not indicate some sort of memory convergence. I personally consider Emil to be a part of Ratatosk that essentially became his own person who just happens to use Aster's body and Emil Castagnier's name, so the potential for a world in which the Real Emil didn't die and got to be part of the party working to save the world is just so juicy. We know very little about the Real Emil too, other than some JP only journal entries that were on the DotNW website that were thought to be written from the Real Emil's perspective. He was still a soft boy and seems to have considered Lloyd and the rest heroes, but other than that, he's a blank slate. So he's incredibly fun to play with. 8/10. I'm the only one I know of working on a fic like this and I am loving the hell out of it. I really should get back to writing and finish it though! Alice/Decus: P for Problematic (affectionate). They are perfect for each other and I mean that in the most affectionate AND most derogatory way. Absolutely toxic foundation for a relationsip. 0/10 real life recommendation. Do not emulate. But also profoundly romantic in ways that a healthy relationship simply cannot be. The codependence, the willingness to kill for each other, the toxic and blatant onesidedness, the palpable sexuality. Again, 0/10 for real life emulation but 8/10 for the fucking drama and romance in the purely fictional sense. Aster/Ratatosk: S for Science. I have only seen this very rarely and at least one of them was a sort of PWP angst story my partner wrote that was definitely not meant to be romantic. But Aster is fascinated by Summon Spirits. And Ratatosk is one. And Aster is an optimist and idealist who sees the best in everyone. So 100% I can imagine Aster getting weirdly freaky with Ratatosk "for science" just to see what sex with a Summon Spirit is like and what a summon spirit is capable of. 7/10. Some juicy potential there, but as ever, I'm pretty sure I enjoy a softer Ratatosk than most for these things. Richter/Aster/Emil/Ratatosk: F for Foursome. Just the sheer number of bodies involved has potential, especially if Ratatosk can shapeshift at will. Absolutely crazy and carnal. Not exactly an OT4 for me, but I definitely see the potential and I would not mind some fics of this type more often. 8/10, but I would probably only enjoy it from trusted sources because, again, if Ratatosk is too abrasive, I don't like it as much.

Richter/Colette: C for Crackship. They get one interaction but I can 100% see a whole lot of potential there. If I could see Richter as preferring women or not having the option of Emil, I would 100% see this as a good candidate, though I am 100% basing this off of their one offscreen interaction. Crack to the max but I'm a sucker for Richter with a woman in this case and this case alone. Colette is like a puppy dog. Even if you don't really like dogs, you can't help but love her. Richter is not immune to this I think. Would definitely take a slowburn to establish more than just that one interaction and build chemistry, but I am here for it. 9/10, but only to me. Alice/Marta: T for Toxic (affectionate.) I have mostly seen (and utilized) this ship to just get Marta out of the way, but, like... They're so toxic that I can somehow see them fixing each other.

Ratatosk/Mithos: T for Toxic (derogatory.) Absolutely vicious and catty exes that WILL fight CONSTANTLY and will not give a single shit about any collateral damage. 10/10 for drama, 0/10 for something I want to see on screen as a main focus.

And that's all the ones I've seen! If you want me to rank any other specific ones!

[bestocship]

Neo and Emil (@beautytopia)

emil met neo back in highschool. they started out as friends who shared similar interests (namely music), but after emil was disowned by his family, he started living with neo. while living together, neo’s feelings for emil took centerfold, and one night while emil was in tears over the overwhelming experiences he’s endured in a short span of time, neo leaned in and kissed him. a kiss neo would regret. a kiss emil would always remember. their relationship started there.

despite their very rough start, neo and emil stuck to each others sides. they depended on each other greatly, one couldn’t go long without the other, and from an outsiders perspective that was fine. even in each others perspective they thought that was fine. why wouldn’t i want to be with my partner all the time? i should have them by my side constantly, right? i’m nothing without them and they’re nothing without me.

as emil and neo age things got much worse. in light of mybeauty!’s (mybeauty is their band) scandal. their bandmates, who were their closest friends, left one by one. leaving neo and emil with each other, only each other. as emil continued pushing away people more than ever, neo’s guilt involving emil (specifically what caused them to date in the first place) intensifies, neither of them are happy with their codependency.

one night they realize they just can’t keep going on like this. they’re going to destroy each other if they stay together. so they decide to separate for good. years pass and they both have paired up with different people, and even though emil and neo definitely had a rocky past with each other, they continue to be friends who only ever wished for the best.

flop era boyfriends ftw

Dean Davis and Philomena Bishop (@aerosolar)

They are divorced <3 They are both in their 50's, have been married for around 20-30ish years, and their relationship just slowly declined due to Dean's negligence and him being just...Not a good husband or person. Mena wanted a divorce, Dean refused to sign any papers because he was in denial, and then before it could progress any further Dean got isekai'd into Minecraft. No, that's not a joke.

While in Minecraft he met many new people from other universes who were also trapped in here with him, and he's slowly began to learn to be a better person and care about other people. This is helped slightly by the fact that he ate a brain parasite that made him part of a hivemind with one of the other people in the group (long story) and in doing so that person unintentionally influenced him. Now he's nicer and also questioning his entire identity (both his sense of self and also Oops he might be bi and nonbinary now ruh roh)

Now that he's becoming a better person, he wants nothing more to get back home and back to his wife and win her back. But whether or not he'd actually be able to do that is a whole other story <3

They are the doomed relationship of all time. They love each other but not the right way, not enough. She loves him more than she loves herself but when she finally learns to love herself that draws away the love she had for him. He loved her like a prized possession and when he finally learns to love her like a person he's already lost her. They are divorced they are married they are in love they hate each other they will never get back together they will never be able to be apart from each other. Also they're both bisexual and both found this out after the divorce.

Neo/Emil art by @/doiduh on instagram

[gildedcageif]

hello!

I just wanted to tell u that I'm so excited for the demo!

I like the premise and all the male ROs hooked me!specially Emil,his supposedly daring smile is so enchanting Ig, also it's not much you see an artist RO and that's quite exciting to look forward to so, I think I will go for him first then Selim, he is just my type anddd -the Sultan will be the last since I don't like that he is having a Harem and all but he is still interesting and his endings seem good enough ( I do like the idea of my son ruling over)so yup.

also on a not important point,I really like happily ever after kind of endings so I'm just asking to see if you will have one of those . if not then it's totally okay ,i will play it either way!

anyway, I really can't wait for the demo and to meet them and I can also tell I will annoy you with lots of fan arts for this IF so be prepared !>;)

so yeah that's all,Good luck with your if!

I am literally crying at the moment😭 that was so sweet! I am working on the prologue and I hope not to let you down.

ROs

I am glad Emil is getting some love! He is a little shit (affectionately) and I love him for it. Him being an artist will come up throughout the game. For example at the beginning he has been sent to oversee a renovation/painting the walls of the harem, which is why he is allowed in there when usually only eunuchs are allowed inside. He will also get a 'paint me like your French girls' scene later in his route and if you get a high enough status later on, he paints a portrait of you so that later generations will know what you look like. He also canonically fills his sketchbooks with the MC when in love.

Selim is also a little shit, but he is a different kind. Emil hides his worse traits behind his smile while Selim is very honest about not being a good person and not wanting to be one. He very much has a bigger fish eats smaller fish kind of mentality. He only treats the people he cares about nicely (which the MC can become one of, though his route is a slowburn).

While Ahmad does have a harem, it is important to be noted that his route separates in two parts. One where you accept him having a harem and so he just continues doing his thing with you becoming the favourite and receiving the title of Haseki. Or... you can ask him to enter a monogamous relationship and by doing so break like half a dozen traditions and customs*. Which he will do because if you get to that point in his route, my man is fucking whipped. Everyone else will be really pissed at you both cause you just kind of fucked over the whole structure of the harem but like what can you do?

Keep in mind that the harem will not be officially shut down because it serves a practical purpose besides producing heirs. Most servants in the harem don't even meet the Sultan and mainly function as maids and all that cause someone needs to keep this place clean. They even get a salary for it! They are also often gifted to Viziers and Beys as tribute so they provide diplomatic benefits. The difference is that Ahmad won't be sleeping with any of them and basically cut all contacts, apart from his kid cause like that's his son and he lives in the harem so you need some contact. This is the equivalent of dismissing the Supreme Court in all but name for this world basically so he is already stirring enough shit.

Happily Ever Afters

....kinda yes, kinda no?

Here is the thing. It largely depends on what your MC/you ultimately desire. Fairytale 'everyone is happy and singing' endings are not a thing, but you can definitely be happy.

The Zephyran Empire is brutal. The harem even more so. To some extent, you will have to always fear for your life and that of your loved ones because you never know when someone might decide to poison you. The higher up you climb the ranks, the more protection you are afforded, but no one is truly invincible. Not even the Sultan.

The endings that kind of approach happily ever after in the typical sense typically entail leaving the Zephyran Empire. But even then depending on how you leave, if you run away for example, you may live in constant fear of the Zephyran hounds tracking you down and tearing you apart. And some routes don't even give you the option of escaping.

That does not necessarily mean you can't be happy. You can for example romance your RO and then stay happily together for the rest of your lives, till death do you part. You can change the system in positive ways to make the lives of others better. You can have a very good quality of life. You can be a beloved public and historical figure. You can have kids and grow old with them.

You can be happy, but you can't ever be 100% safe. And if you are, that probably means your hands are stained with blood and that is something you will also have to carry with you.

TLDR: you can have happy endings, but not really happily ever afters. There will be some give or take, whether that is always having to look out for schemes or being forced to do immoral things for the safety of the ones you love.

I tried to explain it as best as I could, but do ask me for more clarifications if I did not explain it well enough.

Fanart

Yes, please. Gimme all the fan art in the world. I am probably going to cry over each and every piece like the overly emotional idiot I am🥺💖

Thank you for the ask and all your support!!! You are the best💕

[r6-unifiedlands]

The Confrontation

[Remington "Espion" Harmonics & Gerald "Deimos" Morris]

Summary: Finding out that your uncle took the lives of your boss and your parents sucks. What's even worse is that after all this time, Espion still couldn't help but miss him as someone she'd dearly seek comfort from.

A/N: My friends on Discord horrifiedly watched me on VC every day, late night to morning to write this

Reth couldn’t sleep.

Ever since Deimos’ capture, she’d been watching the interrogation process from behind the glass, along with Sebastien and Gustave. It was the usual matter of Eliza trying to pry off the lid of the former Rainbow agent, and the other would avoid telling her.

 There were times when another operator barged into the room – weapon in hand, to kill this man – but got stopped by other operators.

For herself, she didn’t know how to process this newfound information.

Gerald “Deimos” Morris was the one who killed her parents.

It’s tiring. Her brain felt like short-circuiting, but she kept trying to pay attention to the ongoing attempt to squeeze out the needed information. However, the information dripped slowly from the current situation, and Rainbow had limited time to keep him for long.

Not much progress had been made. The Rainbow’s unwearable patience was currently being tested. And most importantly, Deimos’ existence in this base felt like a drop of lethal poison in a drinkable water source.

Emil and Jamie became restless, Kana couldn’t even stay still, Julien was struggling to keep himself from breaking his promise to Gustave about keeping the criminal alive, and more.

She didn’t want to think any longer. She craved a place she could call home once again.

[The previous place she once called home was gone a long time ago.]

A click of a tongue snapped her from delving too deep into her dark mind, and she saw Eliza strutted out of the interrogation room. Another failed attempt of the interrogation. Reth wondered why they didn’t bring Taina into the room before remembering the demise of her victims after the end of her interrogation.

“Put him back in his cell,” there was a pause in her sentence, “while I’ll dig more into his background.”

The other two men cussed in their mother language. “At this rate, we’ll lose our source of info.” Gustave gritted his teeth. “I don’t know what to do at this point. We tried a lot of tactics, and he doesn’t budge ‘til this point.”

She couldn’t keep up with the rest of the conversation. Her mind was afloat, detached from her own body. None of her attempts to refocus were successful.

Instead, she saw another figure in her stead of controlling her body. 

Someone that looked like her, but was dressed in her Nighthaven R&D uniform. Her hair was tied into a small bun, and the supposed Nighthaven emblem was ripped off, leaving an uneven patch.

She watched as her body moved on its own, using the current frustration of the other operators as a cover to approach the interrogation room’s mic and turn it on.

“Uncle Gerald. It’s been a while.”

Those two words worked like a charm. Deimos’s cocky expression was replaced with a more surprised look, knuckles turning white by how hard he squeezed them. The rest of the operators stopped their quarrel and stared at her with mouth agape.

Her tone was almost devoid of life. Almost.

Deimos adjusted his seating, now facing the one-way glass. “You’re supposed to rest, sweetpea. I know you’re currently recovering from your injuries.”

Sweetpea. The nickname that his uncle gave to her when she was little. When both he and her father were close to each other. 

Her teeth clacked together, anger in her eyes. “After all this time, you still call me that,” her breath became more ragged, “after you took my parents away. Taking my dreams away. My brother had to let go of his dream of becoming a rocket engineer, and we had to survive with their insurance money.”

“I had to work as a weapon engineer in my father’s stead. I studied so I could get more chances to be accepted into higher-paying jobs. I put myself on the line in the military so I get a sense of purpose in life.” Reth let out a breathy laugh. “I flew myself too close to the sun on purpose to seek something other than this pang of guilt in my chest. All because you took the only thing that could keep me grounded and safe.”

Despite her body being tugged by the older operators, she didn’t budge. Her eyes were fixated on the man in an orange jumpsuit. The prisoner of this place.

A sob escaped from her lips. “At least,” she whispered, “tell me what my father’s last words were. I wanted to hear his words one last time.”

Deimos' hardened face softened, and he leaned back onto his folded chair. Silver handcuffs glint under the fluorescent light. His expression now looked more like that of his old uncle whom his father had gently scolded because he fed them pea snacks outside the scheduled mealtime.

“He wasn’t supposed to die.” He started, and Gustave quickly set up a voice recorder to contain the self-confession. “Keres Legion was trying to reactivate Rainbow, and they needed a switch. So they targeted someone that could be bait for it. Ivan Kovalyov was the perfect candidate for it.”

“I put together a plan. It took me weeks because I didn’t want Ivan to die on me, but I perfected it. Your family wouldn’t get harmed, but the casualties would be enough to satisfy the group.” He bit his lips, dark eyes now looking down to the ground. “I forgot that Ivan was the most selfless person in Rainbow. He wouldn’t fall onto the safety net I gave him.”

[The gas canisters were planted in several hidden spots, strategically placed to fill the stadium within a short amount of time. His undercover, disposable crew helped him with his whole plan without knowing there was a small air pocket being left out in the crowd.

Deimos didn’t wear his mask to make himself blend better with the civilians. Kids were running around the bleachers to get their seats while the adults were purchasing food or souvenirs.

Too bad most of them would be part of the casualties.

The security guard’s uniform fit him perfectly, with his fake ID card displayed right in the pocket. He still pulled down the cap to cover his face, though. Old habit dies hard, or something like that.

Should he recheck the canisters? He could’ve asked others, but he’s not sure if they would do their job properly or–

“Excuse me, can you help me locate this seat?”

It was a familiar, warm voice, laced with the signature thick Russian accent on the top that made his head snap its way towards the voice’s direction almost instantly. Deimos’ dark eyes widened. 

Ivan Kovalyov. The supposed target. His old friend whom he’d still cared for to this day.

It took him all of his willpower not to drag him away from the incoming chaos of the place. “I…could try.” Deimos stared at a piece of paper the man was currently holding. “I’m unfortunately a security guard, but I could help ya with this.”

The other man froze in his tracks, the greenish-blue eyes glued to him.  “Repeat that again?” He asked, leaning closer to him. Deimos internally cussed to himself.

Ivan always paid attention to people’s voices and accents.

“Did I do something wrong?” He forced his voice to squeak in a high-pitched tune, and it felt like a lump clogged his throat.

‘Gerald’ would never squeak like this, and he hoped this would throw the Russian man off his trail.

Ivan blinked, before backing away from him. “Apologies, I was…” he sighed. “I didn’t take my meds today. I thought you were my old partner.”

Partner. His chest tightened and felt like it was about to burst out, but he prevented himself from doing anything stupid using the little willpower he had left.

Deimos took a deep breath and cleared his throat. Calm down. “Don’t worry, sir. People have been saying I have a very recognizable face.” His tone was higher than the usual baritone one, expression beaming with a wide smile, too wide for his taste. God, his face would cramp the next day. “Do you still want the direction? I can ask my friend to cover up for me.”

The Russian gave him a small smile. “Ah, American hospitality. Good to know they exist!” The passive-aggressive comment made him laugh. Good to hear his voice, still. The same warmth in every word contrasted with the cold exterior during their times in Rainbow and until now.

He wished they could stay like this forever.]

It was the first time Rainbow got a major breakthrough about Keres Legion. The planned assassination of a former Rainbow operator, their past motive, and even how they carried the plan. They never expected to get this information without having to use any force. Ash and Sebastien scrambled in and out of the interrogation room, looking around the archives to verify the claims.

Listening to his uncle’s voice also helped Reth ground herself up. Soothing baritone, the same one when he sang lullabies from his hometown to her and Polar.

Deimos stared at the glass – right through the youngest operator’s soul. “At that point, I was ready to execute my plan. To get this over with.” He fidgeted his thumbs. “But I want him to enjoy his time watching you, even if I have to keep postponing the time.”

“You know you wouldn’t be placed in that situation if you didn’t join Keres Legion in the first place.”

A fist slammed onto the table, making the young operator’s heart jump from her chest to the throat. “Staying in Rainbow would be worse.” He growled.

She’s not going to be intimidated by this man. Not this time.

“Did you know how bad my father coped with your fucking shenanigan?!” She slammed her fist onto the glass barrier, and that made Deimos cringe a bit. “He couldn’t sleep, ate far less, and almost died during most of his missions until the time Rainbow got disbanded. He dug too deep, making deals with multiple PMCs to try and track you down. Meds and your jacket that you never picked up from our house were his only solace in getting at least a shuteye.”

Deimos remained silent. Both of them knew he wouldn’t say anymore today.

Unless…

“Fine, have it your way.” She backed away from the mic, purposely letting the mic on. “Doc, mind telling me the next mission? Or should I ask Cav for it?”

A sharp gasp came out from Gustave. “Non, you’re still recovering–”

The young operator slipped her hand into her chest pocket and pulled out her phone. “Oh, no need. Zero would probably help me with training. Maybe I can negotiate my way with Cav if I did well on it.” Her fingers danced across the screen of her phone as she typed a short message, Mr Fisher’s phone number displayed above it.

“Mon ami, you’ll get in danger once again–”

“I’ve done my physical therapy, Doc. You were there when the hospital let me return to my duty.” A soft chime came out from her phone, and she gave him a shit-eating grin. “I couldn’t just stay here and sit on my ass. I gotta go do my duty as a soldier.”

Her statement wasn’t for Gustave. It was for the one behind the glass, eyes now widened in slight horror.

She’s waiting for what he’d do later on.

————————————

“He asked me to get him involved in our field operations in exchange for more information.”

Jordan clutched his head, pulling his hair out. “No. Fuck no.” He growled, hatred in his eyes. “He almost crippled me, ‘Liza. He fucked up our assets. We lost multiple recruits in Korea because of him!!”

Taina raised her hand. “It’d be better to pull the whole operation from the root down, Trace. You don’t cut the leaves to make weeds disappear.”

“Agreed with Ms Pereira,” Gustave added, “we should make use of this chance to get more intel. We got a breakthrough this week, and we will spend it wisely.”

“This is the first time I disagree with you, Gustave.” Yumiko crosses her arms. “His presence in this base is already impacting Rainbow’s morale. Remember the last time Kana managed to slip past our defenses and attempted to murder Deimos? Emil has been wandering around the hallway like a ghost already.”

The team leaders sighed out loud. Once again, they’re in the middle of an impasse.

Jordan glanced at Jamie, furrowing his eyebrows. “James, waddaya think? You’re the one who knows him personally.”

Reth and Jamie were unfortunately dragged into this meeting as soon as the news of them being somehow related to Deimos came out. So far, only a handful of people know this fact. Limiting access to the information was mainly for the siblings’ safety, especially those who had a grudge against the detained man.

“God, Jordan, you would be disappointed in me.” He gently nudged at Reth. “She’s the second closest one after Pa. I’m not that close to him.”

All eyes went straight to the young operator, expecting her to say something about the matter. She didn’t like the feeling of pressure on her. 

“Well, he’s my godfather.” She tucked her hands onto her thighs. “My father wanted his daughters to have someone that we could look up to, and Uncle Gerald was his closest bud during that time. Really, really close buddies.”

“He visited us a lot, went to family holidays together, and even took care of us when he was on solo missions and mother was outside town. He taught me circuits and stuff related to electrical when I was around… six? Seven?” She let out a hum. “At that point, I saw him as a parent. Another family figure. Thus, the name ‘uncle’ came out.”

“James wasn’t close to him. At least, not as close as me.” Her eyes glanced at the taller operator beside her. “Still, Uncle Gerald tried to be close to him. I remembered him getting James some books about applied physics on one of his birthdays. He’s like a stepdad who was trying to get his new stepkids to like him.”

A gloved hand nestled onto her messy hair, and Reth tilted her head upwards to see Seb's familiar neatly trimmed beard. His gentle scalp scratches made her purr. “I have an idea now that we have his relatives.”

Gustave raised one of his eyebrows. “Go on.”

————————————

Reth couldn’t sleep. Again.

Lack of sleep had its consequences. Gustave had warned her multiple times, but she kept ignoring him. In exchange, her hyperawareness to her surroundings has increased tenfold.

The atmosphere was too humid. Oxygen in the air wasn’t enough. The fluorescent light made the room too hot. She could feel her own throat tightened as if her own body wanted her to suffocate.

Calm down, Espion. Sebastien’s plan came first after her own need.

Her trembling hand held onto a cup of black coffee, pushing her focus onto the comfortable warmth of the mug. Sipping the dark liquid, the bitter yet robust taste filled her mouth and snapped her out of the tiredness for now.

Door creaked open. Shuffles of footsteps. Chair shifted away a bit. Breathing noise.

“...It’s been a while, sweetpea.”

Familiar deep voice lulled the young operator away from the discomfort around her, with the same soft tone he would use whenever she threw a meltdown tantrum during her childhood. She could hear the smile in his expression. A genuine one, she hoped.

She put down the mug on the table and finally took a good look at the man right in front of her.

Deimos, now sitting down across her. Smiling warmly at her.

As if he didn’t kill her parents and her boss.

Deep breaths, Espion.

“Yeah, it’s been a while.” She hid her hands under the table, now trembling from the brink of exhaustion. “Did Ash treat you well? I think Rainbow’s containment cell is still humane enough.”

“They provided me with a couple of my favourite Russian poetry books. Good to spend my time reading them.” He tapped the plastic table in a rhythmic pattern. Dark eyes remained sharp. “But I know you’re not here for idle chat. Especially since the last time we’ve met.”

Of course this man knew the motive. Ever since that situation, Eliza kept Reth away from the area. Might be out of fear, or maybe because he could use her to negotiate his way out. Her sudden appearance here would be for something.

To be honest, she wasn’t so sure about Sebastien’s idea. Using her as a so-called ‘bait’ to extract more information on his motive and upcoming plans. And most importantly, the Keres Legion itself. Deimos wasn’t that stupid.

She yawned while keeping her mouth closed and exhaled it out of her nostrils. “I’m just asking a bit of questions, personally made by me.”

“Uh-huh. And they talked you out for this?” He squinted, unconvinced.

“Coming here on my own will.” Fuck, her consciousness was slowly dipping out. “Let’s get this over quickly. I still have a bunch of paperwork to fill.”

Deimos hummed a bit. Something was in his mind. “If the papers are related to Rainbow’s self-report on personal damage, you’d get compensation for the injuries.” His feet lifted up and settled down on the edge of the table. “I hate Rainbow, but this organization gives fair pay and has its own life insurance.”

“First, the compensation money was spent on my whole recovery. I was planning on filling the mission one, actually.” Reth glanced at the one-way glass barrier, smiling at the people on the other side. “It’s a soldier’s duty to save lives. And I’m a soldier myself.”

The calm expression in the former Rainbow operator changed, replaced with irritation. “Soldiers have their time to retreat after a failed mission.”

“Like the time you put me into a coma?” Dominic’s blunt and sarcastic influence on her came out. “You don’t have the right to tell me what to do.”

Nothing beats the satisfaction of seeing the supposed enemy flinched, hurt written all over his expression. She sneered, pushing herself back onto her seat, as silence grew between both of them.

[Comatose wasn’t a fun experience. During that state, she could still listen to the people beside her bed. From Mr Fisher’s weekly visit to tell her about Jamie’s condition, to Gustave checking her vitals and aiding the medical workers to see if they did what he’d told them before.

The constant beeps and whirrs of multiple support machines were the ones that kept her mind intact when people weren’t talking around her.

The silence was the malicious accomplice of her flashbacks.]

He opened his mouth, about to say something, but seemed to hesitate. “...At least,” Deimos’s voice broke the layers of ice between them, his voice now softer than usual. A small hiccup came out of his mouth. "Let me protect you all, like Ivan’s final wish.”

“...Huh?”

Another silence filled the room. This time, it wasn’t because of the other’s lack of cooperation or hostile tension between them.

Right in front of her, the ‘Deimos’ persona seemed to melt away. Like an iceberg chipped away with a small chisel and leaving trails of puddles. Sunlight passed through the clear ice, creating a familiar pillar of light that radiated warmth.

That’s how she felt when she saw his uncle, vulnerable right in front of her. Pleading at her to fulfil her father’s last wish. To let him return to their remaining family.

Her lips trembled. Her whole body shook visibly. Exhaustion has finally caught up to her, whether she liked it or not.

“...I’m tired, Uncle Gerald.” She squeaked out. Warm tears trailed down her puffy red cheeks. “Because of you, I lost a place called home. Because of you, all of us had to go our separate ways to thread our own paths. I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing myself back into the chaos that happened that day. To see my father’s body in the middle of that stadium’s grass field.”

[His body was cold when she finally found him. She was too late.

Young Remington screamed at the sky, and her small body tried to drag her father’s massive physique. Was this because she had beaten those American kids on the track? Was this because God wanted her not to throw more meltdown tantrums? What did she do wrong to make God hate her??

She prayed. She promised to be kind to her classmates who pushed her around. To eat her vegetables without gagging. To hold back her tantrums. All for a miracle.

No matter how loud her screams and prayers were, her father remained limp on her body, dragged away to safety by his own daughter.]

“I wish,” Reth’s voice now barely a whisper, her consciousness slipping out, “you were there when I needed you.”

“I missed your warm hugs. I missed you.”

At this point, her hyperawareness was almost nonexistent. All she could feel was the dark spots dancing in her sight, and her body grew heavier, refusing to budge from the seat. She didn’t notice the sound of the chair skidding against the floor and a pair of light footsteps moving toward her.

Warm fingers gently touched her reddened cheeks, wiping off her tears. “I’m here now, sweetpea.” Deimos softly cooed. “Do you wanna take a nap, kiddo? I can try hugging you while you’re asleep.”

It only took her a small nod for him to smile — the same smile he had when she was still under his care.

[Jamie was about to burst into the room and grab his sister, but Sebastien pulled him aside to calm him down. The Canadian felt that if he disrupted their moment, Deimos would rip open a new hell in Rainbow. Currently, the only thing that seemed to keep the former operator from doing exactly that was the petite woman wrapped in his embrace, quietly snoring her exhaustion away.

Choosing her to do the interview was a good idea.]

[autisticwriterblog]

Fandom 50 Post 7

My sixth piece of Alan Wake 2 meta. This one is about Initiation 3.

Initiation 3: Haunting

What happened in this chapter?

As he leaves the Overlap, Alan emerges back out at the subway entrance. Alan heads toward Parliament Tower, the place where he and Alice lived in New York City, but gets distracted by the payphone ringing again. Once again, he receives a phone call from the stranger, who tells Alan that they’re closer to getting out, and to visit his apartment.

Alan enters the lobby of Parliament Tower, finding another echo of Casey. The echo talks about a cult using Alan’s words as part of what they do, wondering if Alan is part of their plan, or just having his words used as part of their crimes.

An elevator door opens seemingly automatically, and Alan enters it. When the doors open on his floor, Alan is startled by a large camera flash—it turns out that a camera was set up facing the elevator, primed to take a picture when the doors opened. And then Alice’s voice cries out for someone to leave her alone.

Alan explores the apartment, searching for Alice. He doesn’t find her, but he does find her camera set up to play something. After locating the memory card, Alan is able to watch the video—part of a documentary made by Alice called ‘The Dark Place’. She talks about meeting Alan, and how Alan’s art made money and hers didn’t, although he did find her work whenever he could. Alice then talks about Alan hitting a really bad block and his behaviour changing, and how she decided to book at trip to see a doctor in Bright Falls. And then Alan disappeared, allegedly drowning in the lake. Alice then reveals that, a few years ago, she began hearing noises, and some sort of ‘monster’ who looked like Alan was haunting her. But she decided to take photos of these events to turn the horror into art.

The scene then shifts to the Writer’s Room, where Alan finds another version of himself dead at the desk, having been shot in the head. A title page of a manuscript called Return is on the desk, but the writer’s name has been scratched out. Suddenly, a dark shape appears behind Alan and attacks him, seemingly killing him.

My Thoughts

Even though I know it’s coming, I still get jumpscared by the camera flashing as the elevator doors open. It might just be me being easy to scare, but I find the scares in this game to consistently be very effective at terrifying me. Which is a compliment, because horror games are meant to be scary.

I love finding out what Alice has been doing for all this time, especially because we learn the story through her own words on the documentary she made. Her story about doing photography but not her photography is the sort of thing that probably resonates with a lot of artists. She also feels a lot of guilt about bringing Alan to Bright Falls (so she could take him to see Emil Hartman to see if he could help Alan—although players of the first game will know that Hartman is a bad doctor and would have made Alan worse if he thought he could use him) and even though it isn’t her fault, her survivor’s guilt is incredibly believable. She is also incredibly badass to have experienced a series of hauntings from Scratch, surely a traumatising experience especially after losing Alan, and not only taking photos of the figure haunting her, but also turning those pictures into an art exhibition. She’s a very impressive person, is what I’m trying to say.

The ending of this chapter is incredibly confusing, the sort of scene that only makes sense in hindsight. Such as when we later see Alan storm into the room and shoot another version of himself in the head because confusing time loop stuff, mistaking him for Scratch.  ‘Confusing time loop stuff’ actually describes a lot of this game, doesn’t it?

[local-lamppost]

After Ending E

After killing the Shadowlord/saving Yonah/curing Kaine/resurrecting Nier, I like to think our merry band sticks together.

Nier finally has the time to find stable work. He still kills the ever growing number of frenzied Shades when needed, but I like the idea of him becoming a fisherman. He did train with the best and a food shortage is a background detail throughout the game, so his wares are in high demand, and since Seafront has plenty of their own fish he can avoid having to return. As for his body, I like to think he ages a bit faster. Remembering the events post time skip rapidly ages him for better and worse. Although he would probably not become as disheveled now that his family is safe and he has time to just live a little.

Kaine, I think, would become the new Nier. She’s the go to Shade killer/whatever manual labor needs doing. I think she would also start a flower garden, her magnum opus being a field of Lunar Tears where her grandmother and she lived. Without having a shade in her, she is able to freely travers villages(I don’t exactly think her being intersex would be very noticeable, it’s public information that died with the Aerie), and she is regarded as something of a hero, as the memory of Nier is still a bit fuzzy to most people. 

I think Kaine and Nier would get together, much to the delight of everyone. Yonah’s happy that her brother has found someone to take care of him, as well as gaining a sister, while Emil is happy his basically sister has someone that finds her beautiful inside and out. He still has a bit of a crush on Nier, but Emil never reveals this fact. Kaine might figure it out, but she’s not going to force Emil to talk about anything he doesn’t want to.

Yonah, after many years of isolation, becomes the face of Nier’s fishing business. She’s the one who takes the fish to market for sale, and makes a mint doing so. While they do tell her most of what happened, I think they would leave out Devola and Popula’s betrayal.

Emil’s just happy to have a family. Wherever the group settles down becomes his hub, as-while everyone takes time to help him search for a cure for his body-he will occasionally go off on his own for a few days. For the most part however, he acts as Yonah’s shadow when she goes to sell fish-especially if she travels to another town to do so.

Wiess is in the afterlife, human body returned to him, watching over his son comrade and friends. He will guffaw at them all fondly over tea with Rubrum. Perhaps he even finds Shadowlord Nier and his Yonah, or maybe even Nier senior.