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literaryvein-reblogs · 2 months ago

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Hi!! What do I do if I have an idea for a story but can't seem to develop it far enough? Or, I can't decide on how a certain event or setting should play out?

Writing Tips: Developing Story Ideas

Use a Plot Structure

Example: HOW TO TELL A STORY (Peter Rubie)

Once upon a time, something happened to someone,

and he decided that he would pursue a goal.

So he devised a plan of action,

and even though there were forces trying to stop him,

he moved forward because there was a lot at stake.

And just as things seemed as bad as they could get,

he learned an important lesson,

and when offered the prize he had sought so strenuously,

he had to decide whether or not to take it,

and in making that decision he satisfied a need

that had been created by something in his past.

When Writing a Plot Driven Story, Answer These Questions About Each of Your Main Characters:

What is the character’s back story?

What is the character’s personality?

How was the character’s personality shaped by his/her backstory?

How does each scene develop the character?

What is driving the character’s reaction within the scene (based on his/her back story)?

How does your character change within the course of the story?

What is the character’s internal conflict?

What is the character most afraid of?

How would he/she define happiness?

When Writing a Character Driven Story, Answer These Questions About Your Plot:

What does your character want to happen in each scene?

Is there tension or conflict within each scene?

What action does the character take within each scene?

How does this action move the story forward?

How does each scene contribute to the overall story?

What is the worst thing that can happen to your character(s)?

How does your character prevent it from happening?

What happens if your character cannot prevent it from happening?

What key events change the main characters in your story?

Brainstorm Ideas

Use flash cards. Think of a topic. Take ten blank flash cards and on one side of each flash card, write a line about this topic. Use a mixture of emotional detail, concrete detail, and images when writing these lines. Put all the cards face down in front of you. Turn five of these cards over, face-up. What kind of story is this? What questions remain? Experiment with which five cards should be turned up in order to create a story that is both mysterious and clear enough for the emotions to be anchored.

Eavesdrop. Carry your notebook with you as you go about your daily tasks and write down interesting things you overhear. At the end of the day, go over the snippets of conversation you wrote down and, rather than thinking about the content of the conversation, analyze how it was said. What have you learned about the way people speak? Incorporate this speech rhythm into a new story.

Analyze your every move. In the evening, write a list of 20 things you did that day. Use this form: “I washed the dishes, I ate an avocado, I read the newspaper,” and so on. The only rule is: don’t list the things in chronological order. Review your list of 20 activities and see if any of them spark the beginning of a story. Try to make use of one of these seemingly mundane activities to write a longer story.

Free write. Take your notebook and give yourself 10 minutes to simply write whatever comes to mind, not letting your pen or pencil leave the page, and not revising. After 10 minutes have passed, review what you wrote. How do the subject and tone change from the beginning to the end? Is there anything you might want to lift for a new story?

Explore Your Surroundings

Find inspiration in your environment and everyday activities:

Take a walk. Go on a walk and bring your notebook. Look around and write down observations on what you see: a tree, a person, a neighborhood. Try starting a story by using some of these descriptions.

Find an interesting object. Whether you’re in an office or a kitchen, a park or a library, choose an object you can see and describe it. Does it evoke personal memories? Does it have cultural implications, or elicit a certain emotion? Try starting a story with this object and its associations to guide you.

Play With Setting

Transport your story idea to different time periods and locales:

Write a few lines setting a scene that is easy to accept. Think about the example of snow on pine trees or a dog lying under a hammock. Establish a scene of your own. Then have your story take a twist. Take your reader and yourself somewhere very different—spatially or thematically—from your original scene.

Subvert the norms. Don’t censor yourself. Don’t feel that you have to be serious, or even sincere. You can be playful, even sarcastic in your stories. Think of a subject that may seem outside of today’s literary decorum and write a story about it.

Look Inward

You are the greatest muse for your own story. The following exercises require you to mine ideas from your personal life:

Does your personality make its way into your stories? Think of what kind of social person you are and consider the feedback you get from others about your personality—from family, friends, and others. Write a story that is spoken in your natural speaking voice. This story need not exhibit your best self. Try allowing the story to be controlled by a voice other than the one that shows you off. Write a story that lets the ruggedness of your life drive the voice.

Start a letter to someone you know, would like to know, or once knew. The rule is: assume that they won’t see it. Start this letter by addressing this person directly (think “Dear X”). After you’ve written a few lines or sentences, try to incorporate this as dialogue in your story.

Imitate Writers

Imitation is the best form of flattery. Look to writers you admire for inspiration in your own writing. The following writing exercises borrow concepts from other authors:

Mimic voice. Think of some of the writers or stories you admire. These could be books you’ve discovered in this course or longtime favorites. Pick one of these and read it over and over again, noting the methods the author uses to achieve his or her voice? Notice how the story develops stage by stage. How does it find its way through itself? See if you can write a story that follows a similar style of organization or path of development. This is more than an exercise; it’s a way of opening yourself to the influences of other authors.

Create tension. Use space to create suspense, putting the reader on the same level of knowing and not knowing as the speaker. Write a story that describes one large action and uses spacing as a way to force the reader to pause, creating tension and suspense as the action of your story progresses.

Use a Writing Template. Examples:

A 7-Part Book Development Template. Take your story from a vague book idea to an impactful first draft.

Plot Planning Worksheet. Acts 1-3.

The Story Circle by Dan Harmon. A basic narrative structure that writers can use to structure and test their story ideas.

Sources: 1 2 3 ⚜ More: Writing References on Plot ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Hi, here are some tips and templates from previous posts, a few were modified to better answer your questions. Choose which ones you would like to try and see which works. You can find more tips in the sources. All the best with your writing!

#anonymous #writing tips #writeblr #literature #writing reference #dark academia #writers on tumblr #spilled ink #plot #writing prompt #creative writing #light academia #writing ideas #writing inspiration #templates #writing resources

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hiiikiko · 4 months ago

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𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕖 : [9]

“so what, am I your muse?”

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

casual m.list | tlou m.list

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

Since that night at practice, things had been tense between you and Abby. After practice, she’d brush you off and quickly shove her things into her bag, she would reply to your messages with one word texts, stopped offering you rides, and.. she was just being a major asshole. You get it, she hates Ellie but why is she making things tougher than they need to be? It’s not like you’re John Lennon and Ellie is Yoko… right?

You groan and slump over in your stool, resting your forehead against the counter. You’re supposed to be organizing some new CDs that arrived last week but your mind cannot stop reeling from Abby’s drama and Ellie’s drama.

“Gross, are you dead?” you hear Ellie’s voice chuckle softly and she nudges your foot with your own.

You sit up and brush your hair out of your face, “Nope.”

She leans against the counter, “Good, then put these away,” she nods at a large stack of CDs on the counter, “then come see me after you’re done, ‘kay?”

You hold back a sigh and nod, “You got it, boss,” you pick up a small stack and begin to organize them once more.

After you’re done, you dust yourself off and walk towards Ellie’s office, you knock once.

“Yeah, come in.”

You come in and close the door behind you, kicking it shut with your foot, “What do you want?”

She leans back in her chair, her shirt riding up a bit and revealing a sliver of skin and her belt buckle… today, it’s a spider-man one, “Now, is that anyway to talk to your boss?” she scolds you but there’s no real seriousness behind her smirk.

You laugh and lean against her desk, “Come on, what is it?”

“You’re performing t’night right?” her eyes do a quick once over around your figure, a small smirk tugging at her lips when they land on your thighs.

“Yeah, we got some new material,” you cross your arms and pinch your brows together, Ellie wasn’t exactly the type to ask about your band, given that she thought her band was way better than yours, “Why?”

(Psst, that’s a lie, Ellie tracks your band’s social media from a burner account and she takes screenshots of every story and every post, especially the ones with you in it, and then she sends them to Dina and Jesse, saying shit like ‘posers’ and ‘they sound like a paramour knock off,’ but she also secretly listens to all of your songs, though she isn’t sure if it’s because she likes your voice or it’s her simply scouting the competition.)

Her smirk widens slightly, “Can’t I just ask, huh? I wanna know what my rivals are up to.”

You roll your eyes, “Yeah, yeah okay.”

She chuckles and scoots her chair closer to you, her eyes flicking up to your face, “Maybe I’ll stop by.”

Your stomach flutters at the idea of her coming to watch you play and you have to suppress a smile at the thought.

“So I can see how horrible this ‘new material’ is,” she chuckles.

God, she always knows how to ruin a moment.

You scoff and slap her shoulder, “At least we have new material, when was the last time you put anything new out?”

Ellie puts her hand to her chest in mock offence and with a deadpan voice says, “Wow, you really got me there.”

You stand up and go to leave her office, “I got some work to do.”

“I’ll see you tonight, Hailey Williams wannabe.”

You scowl and shut the door, though you can hear her chuckling at her own joke and even hear her say ‘that’s a good one, ellie.’

What a dork.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

You had long since grown used to the loud environment of bars and familiar feeling of butterflies in your stomach before a show but these were different.. this time, you knew for a fact that Ellie would be in the crowd, her eyes burning holes into your figure from a corner of the room. It was intimidating, knowing she’d be there, what was even more intimidating was the fact that you’d be debuting some new material.

“Come on, Owen, can’t we change the set list, huh?” you groan and tug at his sleeve.

“I already cleared it with the tech guys, Y/n, sorry but it’s too late, besides we go on in a few minutes.”

You groan and pull away, folding your arms and trying your best not to scowl.

Of all times, Ellie would be in the crowd, she picked the ONE time when you’d be singing a song.. a song about her… a song about you two having sex.. a song about her being a bad idea..

You run a hand through your hair and grab your guitar and make your way out of the ‘dressing room’ (it’s a pantry lmao).

“Next up, here comes one of the newest and hottest bands in Seattle, the Wolves!” the announcer yells in a cheesy WWE announcer kinda way.

In front of you Abby leans over to Manny and chuckles, “Fuck this guy, ‘newest’ as if we haven’t been around for years.”

Manny chuckles and slings his guitar over his shoulder.

The four of you make your way up to the stage, you take deep breaths and stand front and center, your hand shielding your eyes from the harsh stage lights.

“We’re the Wolves, uh, tonight we’ll be debuting some new material, hope you like it,” you mutter against the mic.

ELLIE’S POV:

She walks onto stage, Y/n seems confident as always and looks fucking hot as always, Ellie thinks to herself, a small smirk playing on her lips.

Ellie takes a sip of her whiskey, the strong taste permeates her tastebuds and causes her nose to scrunch up slightly.

“What a bunch of Hole wannabes,” she laughs dryly against the rim of her glass.

Fuck, they’re actually kinda good.. not that’d I’d ever tell her that.

As the set comes to and end, Ellie grabs her phone and her keys, assuming that it was already over, “New material my ass, that was only seven new songs.”

“We have one more song,” Y/n’s weary voice rasps into the mic, she takes a few sips of water, “This next one is c-called ‘Bad Idea,’ i-it’s about well… a bad idea.”

The crowd chuckles at that and focus their attention back on her.

Ellie takes a seat again, intrigued by the name of the song and the way Y/n stuttered about it, it seemed like she was nervous about singing it.

The song starts right off the bat, the lyrics echoing throughout the already loud bar and into Ellie’s ears.

“You push me up against the wall, threw my clothes down on the floor,” Y/n pushes her hair back and her eyes flicker around the room.

Ellie notices the way her eyebrows pinch together, a habit that she only does when frustrated or nervous… not that Ellie cared to notice, she just happened to…

“It was a bad idea calling you up, was such a bad idea, I’m totally fucked,” Ellie’s own brows pinch together as she notices Abby looking over at Y/n, her expression is almost a scowl.

Ellie’s smirk widens, “Ah, I see what this is about now,” she chuckles to herself.

“You put your hands under my shirt, undid my bra and said these words—.”

“Darling, you’re so pretty it hurts,” Ellie sings along softly, her smirk now a wide and goofy smile.

YOUR POV:

After chugging a third water bottle, you wipe your mouth and crush it, throwing it in the trash can and missing, “Fuck, I fucked up that fucking song, it was so fuckin’ easy! What the fuck is wrong with me! Fuck!” You groan and kick the alley wall, then immediately grabbing your foot and cursing another ‘fuck’ from the pain.

“That the word of the day or somethin’?”

God, you had really hoped that she wouldn’t have come today, hell, you even prayed that her teasing from earlier wast just that, a tease.

You let go of your foot and look up at the Auburnette, “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“I told you, I wanted to see you perform tonight,” she chuckles and leans against the wall, fishing around in her pockets for her lighter no doubt.

“Thought you were joking,” you mutter and stand up straighter, glancing down the dark alley so you wouldn’t have to look at her face when the lighter illuminated her pretty features.

Ellie chuckles and you hear the flick of her lighter and then smell the harsh scent of the cigarettes she smoked, you swear she had to be smoking the exact same cigarettes that those gnarly looking truckers smoke, her lungs had to be made out of iron, how the hell can she even sing like that..

Your thoughts about Ellie’s lungs are quickly interrupted by her voice echoing once again through the alley, “I liked that song, ‘bad thought.’”

“Bad Idea,” you snappily corrected her.

She chuckles, “I know, I know, how could I forget the title of a song that you wrote specifically for me?”

Your eyes widen and you turn to face her but you’re greeted with a puff of smoke in your face, you cough and wave your hand to clear the smoke, “Oh my god, you really are full of yourself aren’t you?”

“Am I wrong? Is the song not about me then?”

You open your mouth and shut it again, it really is infuriating that you can’t lie to her sometimes, “Just shut up..”

She laughs and takes another drag, “So what, am I your muse or somethin’?”

You can’t quite make out her expression but you can feel the annoying aura that comes alongside her smirk, “Gross, you wish. No, I simply write about things that happen to me, alright? You just happened to be that week’s thing.”

Ellie chuckles, “So you wrote a song about us fucking?”

Your cheeks heat up and you inwardly curse yourself for even writing the song in the first place.

She continues her bullying, “Your place or mine?”

“Yours.”

“Alright, let’s go,” she flicks her cigarette into a nearby puddle and grabs your hand.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

[a/n: so i’m alive :D anyway stay tuned for smut in the next part, you filthy perverts, if you want a hint, listen to bad idea! by gir :P]

taglist: @elliessweetheart @bready101 @elliecoochieeater @sevyscoven @rosepetalsonthestep @a-little-bit-of-everybody @thatgiraffefromtlou @liasxeatt @autisticintr0vert @cirrusdoll @firefly-ace @nerdyjeansblog

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one-flower-one-sword · 1 year ago

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"You came from a renowned school, an orthodox sect that never traversed the deviant path. Growing up in that sect, you were always told that ascending was the ultimate thing to strive for," Jun Wu continued. "It is very difficult to give up that sort of goal. Falling in with the Ghost Realm was an unfortunate circumstance, an act born of helplessness. Of course you cannot say you are satisfied with your position in the Ghost Realm. It was never what you wanted in the first place."

Yin Yu didn't have enough confidence to deny it. He said weakly, "Chengzhu has shown me grace. He saved me -"

"I know," Jun Wu said. "He even helped you pacify and send off Jian Yu's vengeful spirit after he died during your banishment, am I correct?"

"...Yes," Yin Yu confirmed. "So whether or not I am satisfied with my current position, it's all -"

"That is dissatisfaction," Jun Wu noted. "You are bound by his grace and have nowhere else to go. You are in denial." Yin Yu hung his head and didn't reply.

Vol 7, page 144-145

One of my favorite relationships throughout the novel, even though we get so little information about it, is Yin Yu and Hua Cheng's. Even the above tidbit is mired by the way Jun Wu is trying to manipulate Yin Yu's emotions and how Yin Yu at times responds genuinely and at others plays along to try and find a way to escape.

Once I had finished the novel, I was left wondering why there are so many fandom jokes about Yin Yu being exploited by Hua Cheng when the text seemed to paint a much different picture of what Yin Yu's life and work environment as a god was like versus as the highest ranking ghost city officer. So in this meta I try to examine and compare the two as well as try to draw conclusions about how Yin Yu felt about it all and why.

First of, I think that Yin Yu's longing to return to becoming a god is genuine, since this is what he says after he stops playing along with Jun Wu's manipulation because he's by then gotten enough spiritual energy to attack him:

"I do want to return to the heavens, I do want to be ranked in the top ten!" Yin Yu continued. "But it's completely meaningless if I don't do it on my own! I'm unlucky, I accept that! Admitting that I can't compare isn't that hard!" Vol 7 page 152

Which is interesting, considering this is what he felt like when he was still a god in heaven while Quan Yizhen hadn't yet ascended:

A good while later, [Quan Yizhen] said bluntly, "I don't like it here."

Yin Yu said nothing.

"They think I'm annoying, but I think they're even more annoying," Quan Yizhen continued. "Before, I could train at least sixteen hours a day. Now half the time is taken up by talking and listening to nonsense, by greeting and visiting people. There are people who yell at me and hit me for no good reason, without apologizing, and I can't even fight back. This isn't heaven. I don't like it here."

Yin Yu sighed. "I don't like it here either."

"Then let's go back," Quan Yizhen said.

But Yin Yu only shook his head, "Even though I don't like it here, I want to stay."

Quan Yizhen couldn't understand. "Why do want to stay if you don't like it here?"

Yin Yu was stumped, and chuckled in spite of himself. He didn't know what to say, unable to explain it to him. How could he convey to Quan Yizhen that reaching the Heavenly Capital was the dream of so many people who sought the path of cultivation, the ultimate end goal? Or just how difficult it was for someone his age to achieve ascension?

Vol 5, page 271-272

Yin Yu essentially seemed to be struggling with sunk cost fallacy, where he put his everything into ascending to heaven and so wants to stay there even though it's making him increasingly unhappy. It's interesting that Jun Wu accuses him of being in denial about his unhappiness in the Ghost Realm, when Yin Yu in the past seemed to be in denial about his unhappiness in heaven. Especially since this is what he was being treated like as soon as his power and influence were in decline:

Yin Yu and Jian Yu were seated next to the "Earth Master." Their assigned seats were considered the edge of the banquet. Yin Yu wasn't eating or talking to anyone. [...]

At the other end of the banquet, there was already a large crowd of heavenly officials fighting to greet Quan Yizhen. The surrounding crowd had completely blocked the person at the center from sight. It appeared that this was soon after Quan Yizhen ascended and established his own palace. He was at the height of his popularity in heaven, in contrast to how he was disliked by most of the present court. Although the two were both Martial Gods of the West, he was significantly more prominent than Yin Yu. The attendees all swarmed over, leaving the table where Yin Yu sat quiet and empty.

Vol 5, page 273-275

I've talked about this in my Yin Yu & Quan Yizhen meta as well, how Yin Yu tries to get by in heaven by conforming and submitting to the elitist power structures it's based on:

Quan Yizhen kept going. "They cussed at me first. I don't even know them. They said I was a low-ranking heavenly official and yelled at me for no reason, then they laughed at me and told me to scram and not to block their way [...]" "Are low-ranking heavenly officials below other people?" Quan Yizhen asked.

"No," Yin Yu replied. Was that true? It was obvious he didn't believe his own words, and Quan Yizhen noticed.

Vol 5, page 271

and how it starts to chip away at the kindness and the moral backbone he showed while still in his sect:

"Shidi, the things you're all saying aren't right." The crowd was taken aback. "I'm going to say something unpleasant," Yin Yu continued. "No matter what path we cultivate, talent truly is an incredible thing. And he is not only talented, he is willing to work hard. If you really think Shifu is playing favorites, then let's work harder to keep up with him - maybe even overtake him. And then things like training halls and supplements will naturally be open to everyone. Rather than wasting time being angry at him, your priority should be training harder. Am I right?" [...]

"You really don't need to mind them. You didn't do anything wrong. It's fine like this." Anyone with clear eyes could see that the other disciples couldn't stand Quan Yizhen. They found fault everywhere, and it wasn't because of his big appetite, or because he wasn't a morning person, or because he was inconsiderate and a poor teammate who only cared about showing off. At the end of the day, what they really couldn't stand was this: he was the last to enter the school, but he received the most. Quan Yizhen nodded. "I think so too." Yin Yu patted his shoulder. "Go train! That's what's most important. Don't think about anything unnecessary." [...]

After watching the two scenarios, Xie Lian praised Yin Yu. "San Lang, that subordinate of yours really is a rare character. What a good heart."

Vol 5, page 262 + 264

Everything Yin Yu and Quan Yizhen already struggled with in their sect - the jealousy, the bullying, the competition for resources - is even worse in heaven, which actively encourages the endless competition for devotees and subordinates as well as the exploitation and mistreatment of those of "lower rank". No matter how hard Yin Yu tries to conform to these structures, they steadily wear away at both the way others see him and also how he sees himself:

After closing the gates, Yin Yu's voice grew louder. "Don't say any more! I don't want to hear it! It's very normal for an ascended heavenly official to establish a palace, so he didn't do anything wrong. Since you get irritated just talking about him, why must you constantly bring him up?" "Please don't think that I'm speaking out of turn, but someone must remind you. Yin Yu, the west is only so big, and there are only so many devotees. He's already taken so much. That wolf yao kill should've been yours, but he stole it! Look at the state of you now - your domain's shrinking smaller and smaller. How much do you have left? Can you maintain your standing if this keeps up?" "How is what he's done theft? It's not like he's forcing anyone to worship him at knifepoint - everyone's willing. Besides, that wolf yao..." Yin Yu sighed and said frankly, "I couldn't have defeated it. It was useless praying to me, so of course they went to him." "I just... I'm worried that if this fight continues, he'll win and leave us with nothing," Jian Yu said bitterly. "Fuck, even those lower-ranking officials only care about their own advancement - each one of them coming up with empty excuses to quit and slipping away to serve under other heavenly officials. What a bunch of no-good asshats!" Yin Yu sighed again and sat down on a prayer cushion. "What fight are you talking about...? Why care for such things? Those who want to leave will always leave in the end, and those who want to stay will naturally remain. I didn't ascend to fight for power with anyone, nor squabble over domains, nor quarrel, so why can't you let this go?" Vol 5, page 277

This is a stark contrast not only to the kind of standing he had while he was still in his sect:

Yin Yu pushed them away, urging them to leave. He sighed. "You said yourself that he's insane, so why bother with him?" It was easy to see that Yin Yu's words held weight with his peers at this point in his life. Although the crowd was still upset, they left as told. Vol 5, page 257

But especially to the kind of authority and respect that his position in Ghost City offers him:

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the ghost crowd. They immediately parted, forming a path, as if someone of importance had arrived. Xie Lian came to his senses and saw a tall, black-clad figure walking straight toward him through the path created by the mob. That person yelled, "Settle down. Let him go!" The black-clad figure, like most of the ghosts on the street, wore a mask. It was a funny mask, with a face that was contorted as if it was smiling woefully. The mob muttered under their breath, "It's the Waning Moon Officer!", and they released their hold on Xie Lian at last. It seemed this black-clad figure was someone significant in Ghost City. Vol 2, page 99

It's also worth mentioning at this point that I think people forget that Yin Yu does not always necessarily work alone and has to do everything by himself but that he has his own subordinates:

After taking a moment to contact his subordinates in Ghost City, Yin Yu meticulously reported the general directions of each sighting.

Vol 7, page 48

Another very important thing to take away from the argument between Jian Yu and Yin Yu is that while still a god in the heavens, Yin Yu had no confidence that he'd be able to fight a wolf yao, yet in the amnesiac extra, he shows no signs of hesitancy or fear when Hua Cheng orders him to go after the monster that stole Xie Lian's memories:

He was still trying to process what he'd learned when he heard San Lang say, "I need to attend to him right now and can't leave. Catch that monster before tomorrow night and bring it to me." "Yes, sir. Shall I leave it one last breath?" the man in the ghost mask asked quietly. San Lang put down his brush and glanced at what he'd written, which he then crumbled up and tossed away, apparently unsatisfied. "Leave it a few. Make it spit out what it swallowed, then crush its worthless head to dust. Make it slow and painful." His tone and expression were both quite frightening, yet Xie Lian didn't find him repulsive or alarming. The man in the ghost mask acknowledged San Lang’s order and was about to take his leave, so Xie Lian quickly dodged away and hid. Vol 8, page 226-227

Which leads me to another important point - the amount of trust Hua Cheng shows Yin Yu by the kind of missions he sends him on. If he didn't have a high opinion of Yin Yu's abilities, he would never send him after something like a monster that had eaten Xie Lian's memories, given how incredibly important Xie Lian's wellbeing is to Hua Cheng. There's many other examples too - like how Hua Cheng trusted Yin Yu to help with tricking Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian into saving "Ming Yi", or how he entrusted the Earth Master Shovel to him. But Hua Cheng also does not ask the impossible of him - when they're all trapped in heaven and Yin Yu started to dig tunnels with the Earth Master Shovel to try and free Xie Lian and the others so they could recover and become strong enough to escape, Hua Cheng cautions them against it because he correctly deduces that "you'll be seeking your own deaths if you try to break out under Jun Wu's watch." (Vol 7, page 130) Even though Yin Yu is with Xie Lian, Hua Cheng doesn't expect him to get Xie Lian out on his own, because he knows how powerful and ruthless Jun Wu is.

For extra emphasis, let's compare Hua Cheng’s regard for Yin Yu and his abilities to the way Jun Wu never even deemed to speak to Yin Yu while he was a god because he was so very much "beneath" him:

"My dear Yin Yu, I do not think I have ever chatted with you like this before. Isn't that right?"

"I guess not..." Yin Yu replied cautiously.

Even back when he was the martial god who ruled the west, his base of believers wasn't strong, his merits were few, and his rank wasn't impressive. He wasn't the lowest ranked of the heavenly officials in the Upper Court, but he was still below average, so he'd had almost no opportunities to interact with the Heavenly Emperor - the highest of the high.

Vol 7, page 142-143

Keeping all of that in mind, it's very interesting that Jun Wu tries to tempt Yin Yu to his side by offering him the position of his right-hand man:

Finally, Yin Yu asked, "In the Upper Court, I... What... would my position be?"

"Ling Wen will be my left hand, and you shall be my right," Jun Wu said. "There will be none above you besides me."

Vol 7, page 149

When that really is a position Yin Yu already holds - he's Hua Cheng's right-hand man. Now, one could argue that Yin Yu does have less power and prestige in the position of a ghost realm officer than he would have as a god - there's no believers worshipping him - but I think the point is that he doesn't answer to anyone but Hua Cheng, that there's no one else competing with him for that position, no one else among his subordinates that Hua Cheng puts this much trust in, and that there's no one else besides Hua Cheng himself who is demonstrated to hold so much authority and respect in Ghost City. And with all of the above, it's really important to keep in mind that Ghost City is the one single autonomous place in all the three realms and that its Chengzhu is the one single being whose power and influence is rivaled only by the Heavenly Emperor himself.

And said Heavenly Emperor damn well knows Yin Yu is Hua Cheng's right-hand man, which is I believe a big part of the reason he tries to flip Yin Yu by dangling this exact position in front of him. As I've talked about before in other posts, Jun Wu hates Hua Cheng deeply for various reasons. There's the whole thing where Hua Cheng is the unmistakable proof of a believer that never leaves their god, the very thing Jun Wu felt entitled to but didn't receive. But in this case I think him wanting to tempt Yin Yu away from Hua Cheng's side is about how bitter and salty Jun Wu feels about the fact that Hua Cheng holds more sway over all three realms than he does - evidenced by the way Hua Cheng doesn't just have followers in the Ghost Realm but the Human Realm as well, and even the gods, while they fear him, also can't help but admire him and strike deals with him in secret (Vol 1, page 157-160). That Yin Yu, a banished god, would (just like Xie Lian) rather be loyal to Hua Cheng than Jun Wu - that must have angered him a lot because it's something he'd take quite personally.

This is, I think, also the root of why Yin Yu has so much trouble seeing his position in the Ghost Realm for what it really is and why he still longs to be a god despite how unhappy he was in the heavens and how badly he was treated there - he can't see past the prejudices about the Ghost Realm in general and Ghost City in particular that he has internalized. Prejudices that Jun Wu actively weaponizes every time he speaks to Yin Yu, by repeatedly insinuating that being a ghost city officer is a shameful thing to be:

"Surely you do not actually like being a mere pawn in the Ghost Realm?" [...] "Falling in with the Ghost Realm was an unfortunate circumstance, an act borne of helplessness." [...] "You are bound by his grace and have nowhere else to go." [...]

Vol 7, page 144

Which makes it all the more satisfying when Yin Yu tricks Jun Wu (or attempts to, at least) and ultimately rejects both his offer and his authority, and also calls Jun Wu out on the way he tried to manipulate him:

"My Lord... My... No, not My Lord! You! Why must you keep reminding me of that?! Why do you speak like you actually understand me?!"

Vol 7, page 151

Jun Wu is deeply enraged by his defiance and rejection - in general, but also because it reminds him of Xie Lian's defiance against him:

Jun Wu turned around with a casual sweep of his hand. "Exhilarating. You and Xianle must get along well."

Vol 7, page 152

This brings me to my final point - which is that choosing kindness and righteousness even in the face of criticism and rejection, of personal loss and suffering, is what Jun Wu hates the most, and what ties Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, Quan Yizhen and Yin Yu, and Yin Yu and Hua Cheng together. Hua Cheng was drawn to Xie Lian because Xie Lian chose to treat him kindly when everyone else abused and rejected Hua Cheng and pressured Xie Lian to do the same. Similiar things can be said for Quan Yizhen and Yin Yu, since Yin Yu was the one to ask his sect's shifu to take Quan Yizhen in when he came across him as a seemingly abandoned child, and who repeatedly defended Quan Yizhen from the other sect members' judgement and bullying, even though this earned Yin Yu their ire as well. Yin Yu, too, values kindness very highly:

Yin Yu sobbed. "If I wasn't destined to be perfect, I at least wanted to be perfectly kind. But... I couldn't even manage that." (Vol 7, page 156)

Therefore, though we get very little information on their first meeting, I think kindness is also what drew Yin Yu to Hua Cheng, what made him stay loyal to him even when tempted/threatened by Jun Wu, and what made him go right back to working for him after the events of the main story. Because while we get only this one mention, I think a great deal can be gleaned from it:

"Chengzhu has shown me grace. He saved me - "

"I know" Jun Wu said. "He even helped you pacify and send off Jian Yu's vengeful spirit when he died during your banishment, am I correct?"

Vol 7, page 144

It's not just he helped me, it's he saved me. And not only that, Hua Cheng, in a sense, saved Jian Yu as well by helping him move on, which I would assume was simply because Yin Yu wished for his friend to let go of his resentment and not become stuck as a vengeful spirit. What I think is really important to keep in mind here is that not only was Hua Cheng under no obligation to save Yin Yu, he had, objectively speaking, nothing to gain from it. He Xuan was already in the heavens by then and giving Hua Cheng intel. and Hua Cheng didn't show off that he had a banished god working for him either - he let Yin Yi wear a mask, and for years, no one (except apparently Jun Wu) knew where Yin Yu was or what had happened to him, evidenced by the way Quan Yizhen kept looking and kept asking about him to no avail (Vol 5 page 235).

We don't really get Hua Cheng's side of the story but I think the fact that he doesn't speak about it speaks for itself - aside from keeping things close to his chest in general, he tends to not talk about the things he does out of kindness and/or his own sense of justice. We see this for example when Xie Lian only finds out why the group of cultivators is after Hua Cheng when he overhears them saying that Hua Cheng chose to shelter both the pig spirit and the prostitute ghost who had chosen to take revenge on humans who had used their positions of power to hurt others (Vol 5 page 28-29).

This is therefore more speculation than analysis, but I can imagine that this whole scenario - a god with a good heart who gets abandoned by the heavens with only a vengeful spirit by his side - even though the exact circumstances that led to it differed, might have held enough similarities to what Hua Cheng personally witnessed of Xie Lian's banishment that it would bring out that same urge to help and protect in Hua Cheng. The fact that Yin Yu says Hua Cheng saved him really can't be overstated in my opinion, considering that Hua Cheng, understandably, has usually nothing but feelings of either indifference or hatred for all of the gods aside from Xie Lian and the Rain Master.

To sum up - the power structures in heaven encourage workplace harassment, bullying, and endless competition for resources and support, and this causes Yin Yu not only increased stress, isolation, and unhappiness, but also puts a strain on his inherent kindness and righteousness as he starts to give in under the pressure to conform. By contrast, his position in Ghost City is dependant on nothing but his loyalty to Hua Cheng, on Yin Yu's own choice to stay with him, and offers him an unprecedented amount of respect and trust. It is heaven, really, that is repeatedly shown to mistreat and exploit its officials, especially those of lower rank, not Hua Cheng.

#tgcf #re-reading tgcf #yin yu #hua cheng #jun wu #i started working on this in february before my friend died #so if the structure is messy that's why #i kept thinking this was finished and then i and another thing'ed myself repeatedly #also i kept overthinking stuff so now i'm just gonna hit post

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tojivu · 2 years ago

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# OFFICE HOURS ‣ GOJO SATORU

✰ — author’s note i feel so guilty bc gojo is literally the only character i write for LOL anyway this is an old draft from months ago. idk why this is so long im so horrendously down bad for this fucking snowman.

✰ — cw / tags arrogant ceo!gojo x secretary f!reader, sfw, not rly enemies to lovers bc gojo has fat feelings, gojo satoru being a billionaire playboy

✰ — playing death & taxes by daniel caesar.

✰ — word count ~3k LOL

nothing about gojo satoru really strikes you as the serious type.

even in a professional environment, your boss always has a carefree demeanour. his laugh is so nauseatingly loud that you can hear it from outside the office, and you wonder how someone as busy as him manages through his day; much less with a positive attitude. you take one look at his schedule, and you want to vomit with the way you hardly see any gaps between appointments.

you suppose you could learn that from him. it's his only good quality.

you admit that he's likeable, on surface level. there's a reason why you detest him, though: as his closest colleague, you know him way more than you would prefer. most people would think such a well to do man like satoru would have a wife by his side, but that's unfortunately not the case. you almost feel more miserable than him—because now you're forced to be the listening ear and comforting hand at his beck and call.

you think he'd be just fine if he was just a little more humble. he has a nice face. it's his fault for being so stuck up. you know how many women ask him out—painfully aware, actually.

'they just aren't suited to my taste,' he would say to you. 'i need someone that makes me feel alive.'

one time, gojo even asked you to bail him out of a date—something about the way she held her fork and knife disturbed him, and you were expected to show up at the restaurant and act as if there was an emergency.

'i'm so sorry, sweetheart. i have to go, duty calls.' his disgustingly charming tone made you want to slap him then and there.

she called him again the following week, and he completely forgot who she was. he didn't even save her number.

the sheer number of people asking him out had stroked his ego so hard that gojo firmly believes no woman is deserving enough. he rambles on and on to you about how snobby some of them seem, and it takes everything in you to bite your tongue when he does. 'takes one to know one,' you would say, if not for your job at stake.

you think gojo satoru is full of himself. you are a strong believer of that. a witness, as well—it's not like he didn't try his way with you, too. unlike the women he ranted about, you turned him down every single time.

it's been a long while since any of that has happened, though. the most recent ordeal was months ago, but that didn't inherently mean that people stopped asking him out: it just meant that he was rejecting every single offer.

it's a thursday morning when you find yourself eating a sandwich you purchased on the way to work, at your desk—wondering when the big boss will finally arrive. the clock read 9 a.m., and you're expecting an extravagant "good morning!" to surprise you any moment now.

just then, you notice mr. conceited walk in: except something is different. he has no stride in his step. there was no good morning. there was no playful teasing directed at you as he walked past your desk and into his office, not that you were complaining—it was just strange.

you stand up, a mouthful of your sandwich still being chewed. you take a big sip of water and fix your skirt and blouse, making sure your hair is presentable—before swiftly making your way into his office.

──────

"i cannot believe this." he mumbles. you're standing in front of his desk, but he's not facing your direction.

gojo's chair is turned to the giant window that overlooks the business district, and he's gazing out of it thoughtfully. you think this is the cheesiest thing you've seen him do.

you can see how disheveled his hair was, even from where you were standing. you don't want to irritate him further, in case teasing you was still on his to-do list that day.

"what is it, mr. gojo?"

he swivels his chair around, and he is a mess—just what could have he been up to?

"i woke up late today."

"you're the boss, mr. gojo. you can come in any time you want—"

"not the point." he interrupts you. "i forgot my lunch. i was in the car, with the driver, on the way here already. . . and then i realised i left my donuts at home."

gojo's face is absolutely distraught. he looks like he's gone through a divorce and had his house set on fire with how he stands up dramatically—his hands now on his desk. you open your mouth to speak, but he shuts you up by talking again.

"i didn't want to inconvenience him. i'm too thoughtful, miss y/n."

you want to scoff, but you bite your tongue and hold back.

"so i got out of the car and ran back for it," gojo recounts. "i arrived home after the treacherous journey—only to discover that my donuts are gone."

you feign an expression of shock, just to humour him; he gives you an 'i know right' look, and continues his nonsensical story.

"the maids threw them away, miss y/n."

you can't help yourself: you let a small giggle slip through your lips. you quickly use your hand to cover your mouth, thinking of a quick excuse.

you cough. you pretend to, at least—but gojo satoru is not stupid.

no, maybe a little. though, not enough to be convinced of your terrible acting.

"nothing about this is funny."

you nod, looking down at the floor. "i apologise, mr. gojo, but it's just a few donuts. i'm sure someone in the office could fetch some for you."

"yes, i agree." he says, and you shift your gaze from the marble tiling of his office to his face. his hair is a mess, yes—but he still looks revoltingly handsome. his eyes are piercing through yours, and pieces of hair cover his face in just the right places.

you're staring a little too long and gojo finds his pulse quickening with the eye contact—but the spell he has you under is soon broken when he clears his throat.

you quickly look away, embarrassed that you were caught staring at your boss, by your boss.

"you'll pick some up for me, yeah?" his smooth and silky voice echoes through the empty space of his office.

you look at him again, and there's a gentle smile on his face; one you're all too familiar with.

you're aware of satoru's charismatic nature, his playboy-ish attitude, and all sorts of tricks he uses to make women fall head over heels for him. that didn't mean you were completely resistant to them, though—you find yourself playing with the sleeves of your blouse, your ears beginning to redden. "of course," is all you manage to say.

at least you were self-aware.

your mind was rational. should gojo satoru try to hit on you for the nth time—all it took was some self discipline to say no, and you'd like to think you had plenty.

you think the conversation is done with the way he doesn't speak another word, so you turn on your heels and make your way out of the office.

just as you touch the handle of the door, your boss adds: "i'll come with you."

you turn back to him, confused. you didn't need your boss babysitting you for a donut run, you knew his favourite flavours—it's all he ever insists on buying for lunch. "there's no need for that, mr. gojo."

satoru shakes his head in disapproval. "you don't even know my favourite flavours, miss y/n."

that was a blatant lie. he knew you knew. you were his personal donut grabber for a few months up until august, and it was only october. you suppose that it would've continued on if not for your complaints about the long lines in the morning.

nevertheless, you don't argue with him. gojo satoru was the type to get what he wants, when he wants, if he really wants it.

you smile at his disregard for the months you spent as his errand runner, and how idiotic the excuse he just used was. satoru knows he's lying through his teeth, and your smile makes him more nervous than your eye contact.

so nervous, in fact, that he takes back what he just said. "unless. . . you're fine by yourself."

you're surprised that gojo's confidence is dissipating, or that it could even fade at all. you can tell with the way he's avoiding your eye contact, exactly how you evaded his earlier—the red on the tips of his ears are much too obvious in contrast to his hair.

"i don't mind," you respond a bit too quicker than appropriate. "mr. gojo."

gojo curses himself mentally, thinking about how stupid he must sound. he's usually the one making people nervous, but he doesn't know why it's different when you look at him like that.

──────

the atmosphere is deafening in gojo's favourite bakery. you always knew he had a sweet tooth, so you expected his choice to be a spectacular one—and you weren't disappointed.

you had personally visited this bakeshop before, and the confectionery was truly as good as people made it out to be; it proved evident in the amount of people crammed into this small establishment. though, you can't tell if it was for the food or for your boss, with the way most pairs of eyes are turned in his direction.

you two spend a good five seconds looking at the menu before gojo states his order, which was exactly what you thought it would be—the lady at the cashier smiles a bit too long at satoru, before asking: "eating in?"

you want to open your mouth to say something, but he beats you to it. "of course."

it was still very well your work day. he (or maybe you and him, considering you helped him plan seventy percent of his appointments) had a meeting in 3 hours to prepare for. you think this donut adventure is already unnecessary enough—but here he is, suggesting to waste even more time eating the donuts in the bakery itself.

"we have a meeting in a bit, though. you could eat it in your office."

he looks at you with a confused look, as if he forgot that there was a meeting at all—because he did forget. gojo gasps, turning back to the lady and retracting his previous statement.

──────

gojo eats his donuts agonisingly slow and no conversation is initiated.

you're alternating between staring at both your laptops and the swirls on the wooden desk, unable to say anything because you didn't plan for such an occasion: an eating donuts with your admittedly handsome boss that makes you nervous while simultaneously planning for an important meeting occasion.

"miss y/n, you should try some."

you shift your eyes from the table to gojo, and he's holding a small piece of his donut to your lips: the powdered sugar practically calling your name.

"it's fine, i ate earlier," you decline his generous offer. "you should eat."

"i'm not asking you to eat all of them, miss y/n." he smiles at you. "just a bite. it's really good, y'know."

you sigh, reaching for his hand to take it from him—but he swiftly pulls it away and shakes his head. "open your mouth."

you feel the tips of your ears burning, blood rushing to your cheeks and you wonder how the girls he takes out manage themselves when he's like this—you've worked with him for so long, yet you can't recall a time when his gaze wouldn't make you shudder.

you think you'd stutter if you spoke one more word to him, so you save yourself from the embarrassment and bare with his request.

he feeds you the piece of sugar-coated donut, and you're sure you have powder on the corners of your lips with how it's width barely fits into your mouth.

you chew and swallow, feeling the residue of sugar on your skin.

"do you have any tissues?" you ask him, a serious expression plastered onto your face.

gojo tries to suppress the chuckle itching to escape his throat—the sugar on your lips and cheeks catch him off guard, and after a few seconds he can't help but let a small laugh slip. you stand up from your chair, scanning the room for any boxes of tissues you could lay your hands on.

he stands up as well, shaking his head—still giggling.

"it's not funny," you frown, and the smile on his face only grows wider—you're too cute for your own good when you sulk. "stop laughing."

you're not sure if you want to punch him or let him giggle to himself. for some reason, seeing you embarrassed is a great cause of joy to him. you can't bring yourself to tell him to shut up; you always imagine doing just that, it's strange how you couldn't muster the courage just when you needed it most.

"it's quite funny," gojo's laughter eventually calms down.

he leans closer to you and his right hand gently holds the side of your jaw—he uses his thumb to gently wipe the sugar off your cheek, and then your lips. "i got it."

his thumb stays on your bottom lip after dusting the sugar away. his pupils are locked onto the surface of your lips, which were glossy in the harsh light of his office: they looked so soft.

before long, they trail up your face until he's looking directly into your eyes: and this time you're not nervous, you don't look away, and your heart is completely calm.

satoru's fingers are easy on your skin. he handles you like fragile glass, as if he doesn't want to break you: and it's the same for the way he looks at you. gentle.

you're reluctant to speak because the way satoru has his thumb on your bottom lip sends shivers down your spine. you feel breathless.

you don't want this feeling to leave, not just yet.

a few seconds of tension pass. his hand moves back to your jaw, and your nervousness returns when gojo satoru leans his tall figure even closer to you; his head tilting ever so slightly.

it's a random thursday morning when you discover a few more good qualities gojo satoru possesses: his lips and his hands. maybe the way he kisses, too—it's slow and precise, unlike his attitude. he tastes sickeningly sweet and it makes you want to savour this moment even more.

you promised yourself you wouldn't fall victim to gojo satoru. yet, you just can't pull away: instead finding yourself slithering your arms around his neck and your chest pressing against his.

gojo's hands are wandering down to your waist and he's desperate to have you as close to him as possible, showing in the way he tries to close the already small gap between you two.

it takes only a fraction of a second for a small thought to form in your mind: just how many women have been in this position?

you quickly forget about that thought, though—you think it's pointless to regret it now, gojo satoru kisses you too good to be full of remorse.

gojo thinks he could stay like this: kiss you all morning, afternoon and pay you overtime if it meant he could be this close to you for just a bit longer.

there's hints of neediness in gojo's touch—as if he'd been waiting for this forever, wanting to relish it before it ends. his few seconds of bliss don’t last very long though, because you're soon pulling away—gasping for air.

he sighs mockingly, his hands sliding down from your waist to your hips. "can't last longer than 10 seconds, miss y/n?"

of course he would say some cocky shit like that—you'd forgotten for a minute that this was the same, arrogant mr. gojo you always knew, and no kiss (however heavenly) was going to change that.

"i'm sorry that i don't go on dates with every man that breathes."

gojo smirks at you after you say those words. "come on. just because i go on dates with people, doesn't mean i kiss them like this."

"sure you don't." your jealousy shows a bit too much in your reply, and he finds himself smiling even harder.

"is someone jealous?" he teases you again, rubbing circles with his thumb against the flesh of your hips.

you feel flustered, knowing that you're definitely done for now—he saw right through you. "nobody is jealous, mr. gojo."

"stop it with the formality. just call me satoru."

"it's still office hours. it's only polite."

gojo rolls his eyes, sighing in the process. you grin a little at him, knowing that this was the first thing you denied him of today—complying with the donuts and the kissing was already spoiling him enough.

"then i suppose there's only after work," there's his nauseatingly charming voice again—low and smooth. he knows exactly what he's doing to you, and you know it too. "i'm off after 6."

you think long and hard about whether you want to be mean and add this to the list of things you've declined to do for him. the ratio was starting to get really unbalanced—but you remember the way his hands touch you and how his lips greet yours so lovingly: and you think that there's no point turning back now.

"my boss doesn't let me off until after 8, though." you try to poke at his buttons—you put on a fake pout, knowing you’ll accept his invitation anyway—but gojo satoru is eternally patient when it came to things he sincerely desired.

"fuck your boss." he says, "he'll be fine with it."

you laugh at his response. you never thought you would see the day gojo curses at himself, after all, he's so self-obsessed: but you suppose you've seen—and tasted—parts of him that you never knew existed.

"then i'll see you at 6, mr. gojo."

what was the harm in discovering more?

230323 — i kinda hate this but.. wtv… anyway i couldn’t be bothered to proofread have my brainrot of gojo in a suit Mmmm yumyum

#jjk fluff #jjk x reader #jjk x reader fluff #gojo x reader #gojo x reader fluff #gojo fluff #jujutsu kaisen fluff #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader fluff #jujutsu kaisen #jjk imagine #jjk imagines #gojo imagine #gojo imagines #gojo x y/n #gojo x you

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undeadoracle · 7 months ago

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Would love to hear your thoughts on Emmrich being autistic if you don’t mind sharing? I hadn’t really considered it myself but I’m curious

Sure! to be fair, emmrich being older means he’s had a lot of time to grow into himself, develop confidence, and cultivate his personality traits in ways that work for him in his environment. But here’s a few things that stuck out to me as rather neurodivergent of him:

-he’s typically very tidy and organized. we see that he keeps inventory of what he brings to the lighthouse, and does not like things messy, even though he as a LOT of stuff; Sylvia Feketekuty herself described him as “fastidious.” he gets upset about assan coming into his space, getting into things and making messes, he doesn’t want taash to use his bone tools, says he’s glad he doesn’t share an office with neve because she leaves paperwork everywhere, etc.

-deliberately precise use of language that he considers a point of pride. He tells rook, “I always choose my words carefully,” and we see that to be true in the way he speaks to others, as well. Autistic folks often use language very meticulously because they want to be specific, and to avoid being misunderstood.

-he sometimes (perhaps even often) gets distracted at inappropriate times by things that are relevant to his interests and has to be guided back on track by rook/other members of the party.

- he’s is an extremely polite & courteous person, of course, but that’s not the same as being socially intuitive. In fact, autistic people often gravitate to being extremely polite because social conventions are rules that can be followed in order to ensure a Correct Social Interaction; they don’t require interpreting nuanced cues or reading between the lines. Emmrich often does not immediately pick up on the other companions teasing/poking fun at him; it takes a few exchanges back and forth for him to catch on, if he does at all. It’s not because he’s dumb or naive, he obviously isn’t, he just is inclined to take people at face value in a way that’s common for folks on the spectrum. See also: him getting tricked by the guy selling fake charms in tevinter. Even when he gets revenge for that, it’s less about being embarrassed on his own behalf and more a righteous indignation that someone would lie about something like that, it’s dangerous don’t you know!

- in the same vein, he’s totally bewildered and caught off guard by the flirting (at first), and wants to confirm it’s intentional and serious on rook’s part by communicating very clearly about it. Which is a good and mature thing, of course, but it’s also him clarifying that he’s interpreting rook’s overtures correctly.

- he simply cannot stop himself from constantly infodumping about necromancy and botany, his most dearly held interests. He will happily spend all day with these subjects, then talk about them some more, then read about them some more before bed. He never seems to get tired of absorbing more of them or talking about them. Most people, no matter how passionate about their work, don’t have that level of commitment in their off time. Even the fact that he wants to become a lich, which very few members of the mourn watch are willing to do, is indicative of how deeply he’s entrenched his life in necromancy. And when talking with someone who doesn’t care about either of those things, or actively dislikes them, he tends to flounder and cut the conversation short.

- furthermore, he doesn’t really know how to set people at ease with necromancy; he thinks if he just talks more and more about what he finds beautiful and valuable about it, eventually people will “get it,” even if they’re clearly uncomfortable. See especially: his conflicts with taash, some of his conversations with lucanis, etc. you could chalk this up to cultural differences, but I think most people in his position would approach the subject with a little more discretion when dealing with foreigners who definitely have different perspectives on the subject.

- he and bellara (who is deliberately neurodivergent coded) get along very harmoniously. he has no trouble keeping up with her, and they’re very much able to tap into each other’s wavelengths. Conversely, taash (also neurodivergent coded) has all the opposite traits: very unemotive, struggles to articulate themself aloud, special interests he doesn’t care about, etc., and they get on each others’ nerves without even trying. He can’t figure taash out because he can’t read between the lines of their behavior, but when it's finally made clear to him that taash is afraid of his necromancy he immediately switches gears, because he’s no longer trying to guess what he's done to offend them.

- being empathetic towards nonhuman creatures is a very common experience for autistic folks, and he’s deeply empathetic towards spirits, moreso even than other members of the mourn watch. He says they were his companions growing up, despite having other humans around that he could’ve turned to for comfort and companionship after his parents’ deaths, and he displays a degree of understanding and compassion for them that is really only on par with like, solas, as far as other characters of the franchise go.

- Sylvia also described him as “a man of large emotions,” which is a big mood, pardon the pun, for neurodivergent folk.

- obviously being homesick in and of itself isn’t unique to autism, nor is not being well traveled, but he clearly misses his personal routines; he’s thinking about how he misses his old norms and schedule when rook asks him about homesickness, and later when rook talks with him about his youth he says the repetitive rituals of the mourn watch were exactly what he needed to heal from the loss of his parents. Spending their entire life in the mourn watch could feel confining or limiting to many people, but emmrich gets away for the first time in a long time and immediately misses it. You could also link this desire to have consistency to his conflict with harding about camping; the idea of getting to see fereldan is exciting to him in theory, but having to change his regular routine (leaving behind his books, dressing gown, shaving kit etc.) upsets him. It’s not about being spoiled—he grew up poor, after all—it’s about having to give up his regular habits.

#also i'm SO sorry this took me so long to answer!#i have had a lot going on but i wanted to take the time to give a thorough response #dragon age veilguard #da:tv #emmrich volkarin #dragon age

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pixie-winged-fangirl · 15 days ago

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Ace Attorney Hanahaki thoughts (happy ending)

First, I need to preface this by saying that I see Hanahaki disease in a different way than most. The way I see Hanahaki is as a disease that develops based on perceived unrequited love and is linked to the intensity of the yearning the affected individual has. Hanahaki is developed when a person is in love with someone else but truly believes that their feelings are not returned. This means that two people could truly love each other, believe that the other doesn't love them back, and as such have Hanahaki. In terms of severity, as I said earlier, it is linked to the yearning felt. It can range from as little as a petal when a person thinks of the one, they love, all the way to filling the lungs and throat to the point where one cannot breathe, however, this would only happen in extreme cases where they are constantly intensely yearning for the person.

Now that the explanation is out of the way, now onto the dumb gay lawyers.

Phoenix developed his Hanahaki a month or so after Miles left to live with the Von Karmas. He would send Miles letters, hoping to get responses, but he never did. This led him to believe that Miles no longer wanted to be his friend, and that truly hurt him. Phoenix didn't understand at the time that the feelings were romantic, as he was just a kid. One day he is sitting on the couch watching Signal Samuri while his mom cooks dinner. The show makes him think about Miles and suddenly he feels something in his chest. He starts coughing profusely and his mom comes in to find him holding a clump of chrysanthemum petals in his hand. She talks with him and figures out that the reason is Miles, and she explains the disease and what it means. She helps him learn to manage it, and eventually it has all but gone away. That is until one day Phoenix sees an article about a certain demon prosecutor. Suddenly he starts coughing as he brings his hand to his mouth where he catches a chrysanthemum flower.

Miles developed his Hanahaki a lot later. It was after 1-4 when he got home from going out with everyone and he was thinking about Phoenix. He thought about everything that Phoenix did and how much it meant to him. He felt a melancholy smile form on his face before he starts coughing. He runs to his bathroom and coughs into the sink, seeing clumps of yellow petals laying there once he can open his eyes again. Miles' developed because he is so traumatized that he could not fathom Phoenix ever loving him back. Miles tries to put Phoenix out of his mind but fails miserably as everything seems to remind him of the man. After 1-5, he eventually decides to leave, partially because of everything that had happened, and partially because he thought separating himself from Phoenix would help. It did in fact help for a few days, but even in the new environment, there always seemed to be something that reminded him of that defense attorney.

Years later, Trucy is practicing a magic trick when she hears her dad having a coughing fit. She finds his leaning over the sink coughing profusely. She pats his back and looks in the sink to see chrysanthemum flowers. She immediately knows who it must be, as he has just shown up again. After Phoenix stops coughing, Trucy starts to talk to him. She has known Miles for a while, as he would come visit every so often, or they would go visit him. She has seen how he looks at Phoenix and how he talks about him. So, she encourages her dad to talk to Miles. He is hesitant, but he agrees.

A few days later, he is standing in Miles' office, nervous as hell. He is struggling to breath due to the flowers that have made themselves at home in his lungs. After a while of talking in circles, and a very confused look from Miles, he eventually confesses his feelings. Miles looks up at him is shock, but then he stands up and rounds his desk to stand in front of Phoenix. Phoenix's heart is beating a mile a minute as Miles grabs his face and kisses him, and Phoenix feels his lungs clear as he melts into the kiss.

#ace attorney #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #wrightworth #dumb gay lawyers #narumitsu #hanahaki

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silverthehedgehogcharacteristics · 9 months ago

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Silver the Hedgehog Characteristics

Justice - Driven by a strong Sense of Justice. Very confrontational because of this(Has zero tolerance for injustices and things like breaking promises, will take on anyone to right wrongs or help his friends(Mario & Sonic 2020)). Seeks to settle scores(Sonic Forces) and get back for those that have been wronged(or himself if you mess with him). Sometimes grapples with doing the right thing. His wish is to maintain peace, not to eradicate evil(Sonic & Silver).

Hope & Optimism/Positivity - Embodies hope and does not give into despair no matter the circumstances(fought through the Iblis future in the hopes of seeing a blue sky). Believes “There’s always hope as long as you don’t give up”(JP Sonic Forces quote). Inspires hope in others in the darkest moments(Sonic 06 last episode, Sonic Forces, helping Elise through her performance anxiety in Otherworld Comedy). Has an “Honest, unpretentious and kind demeanor”(Sonic Channel Staff Column Wallpaper) and an Enchanting Smile(His smile fills Elise with trust and joy during their performance in Otherworld Comedy and a recipient he serves apple slices to can’t say no to his smile even though they're full already in Wallpaper Comedy 2022). When he is down it does not take much to bring him back up(Sonic Rivals 2). “His way of life inspires people and makes them want to watch over him and cheer him on forever”(Sonic & Silver).

Kind - Is an Altruist with a strong desire to help others. “Does not want to use his powers for himself but to help others”(Sonic Channel Otherworld Comedy). His kindness is the only thing that can make him drop his mission as he can’t say no to a sad face and will stop to help those in need(Amy in 06, Soleanna Post Office in Sonic Pict). Actively goes out and does things like serve apple slices, deliver Christmas presents, play holiday mascots and engage in Cheerful Activities(Sonic & Silver). Wants to become a hero because it means being someone that can ‘protect smiles’, wants to “protect smiles” and make people happy because he grew up in a world where everyone lived in despair(Sonic & Silver).

Peace - Lives and fights for World Peace. Greatly empathetic to the world around him so his feelings reflect the state of the environment. Destroyed environments sadden and upset him while Beautiful Scenery and places with people prospering/living happily leave him breathless(in contrast to the apocalyptic suffering, darkness and devastation he’s experienced). Blue Skies make him feel at peace and people’s Smiles make him smile. Peace, blue skies and smiles are very important to him and he is vicious to anything that threatens them. His head quills are in the shape of a Japanese Red Maple Leaf which represents peace and prosperity.

Determination - Determined to protect peace. Arguably the most determined character. Doesn’t give up easily(got exact hedgehog apple slices after 40 tries) no matter how badly he’s hurt or how hopeless the situation. Has no regard for pain/massive pain tolerance(Kept fighting undeterred after being kicked in the head by Shadow and skipped across the street like a rock by Sonic in Generations, endures "pain beyond description” caused by his powers in Sonic & Silver).

Forthright - Straightforward and Honest(Sonic & Silver) to a fault, he cannot tell a lie(Sonic and Silver) though he can change the subject(“Circumstances have changed”, ending of Rivals 2). Is direct, blunt and wears his heart on his sleeve. Like his namesake he is said to have purity(Sonic & Silver). Is straightforward, outgoing and blunt in contrast to Blaze being shy and reserved.

Brash - Described as “Young and Immature” by his creator Shun Nakamura. Is juvenile(indicated in the Japanese terms that describe him as “young”). So straightforward and honest that he’s Rude and Blunt. He has no filter and will call you an idiot to your face if he thinks you’re an idiot. So straightforward and blunt that he often manners and social customs(Sonic Rivals 1/2, how he approaches NPCs in 06, even Sonic says that he has an attitude in Sonic Rivals). Abrasive and quick to insult both enemies and competition(mocks Sonic after beating him in 06, sneers at competition in Rivals 1/2 and Riders Zero Gravity, insults everything that gets in his way in Rivals 1/2, insults Eggman after stopping the Eclipse Cannon in Wallpaper Comedy 2021). Has a snotty attitude towards anything he one ups(“Can’t you do better?”). Prone to sarcastic remarks(“What am I doing?” when traveling with Amy in 06, "They think THAT is what the future is like? Please." in Colors DS). Headstrong(Offended when treated like an amateur in Otherworld Comedy Act 8, explodes at Jet’s provocations in Mario and Sonic). Has a Mischievous Side(Commemorative Illustration Series). In Japanese he uses informal/rude impressions “Ore”(I) and “Anta”(You)(instead of the polite “Anata”), points directly at people talks to(confrontational rude gesture) and crosses his legs while sitting(roughly the Japanese equivalent to putting your feet on a table). Informal overall in contrast to the polite mannered Future Trunks.

Naive - Has a Black and White mindset/Innocent in his ideals(06). Expects people to believe him when he says he’s from the future or explains outlandish situations just because he knows them to be true(Which causes people to think he’s crazy). Can be unfamiliar with things in the past. Can sometimes take things literally(has an angry “What’s so funny?” attitude when he doesn’t understand things. Says “Yes, why?” when Espio says “you want me to believe that?”).

Sentimental - Appreciates little things and finds great beauty in nature and simple parts of the world that most people take for granted(Calls Dusty Desert beautiful, comments on the beauty of a beach in TSR). This side of him ties into his peace themes due to his ability to appreciate beauty and serenity(also what a maple leaf represents) in various forms. Enjoys sightseeing and going on journeys(Colors DS, Olympic Games, Sonic Pict) because of this. Can be Introspective/contemplative(sits paused on his mission to destroy the Iblis Trigger to think about the morality of his actions in 06, thinks heavily about his worries about Dodon Pa in TSR). Says his favorite moment in racing is “seeing everyone come together and giving their all for a single objective”(Team Vector Interview).

Emotional - High-Spirited and Hot-blooded. Emotionally immature and unregulated. Feels joy and rage loudly but sadness and contemplation quietly. can get loud and carried away when riled up(06 design docs, Mario and Sonic 2020). Puts his all into what he gets invested in(I’m giving this everything I’ve got!). Easily angered(Gets indignant when Soleanna officials don’t listen to him in Sonic & Silver)/has a vindictive temper like Blaze(he’ll twist you up if you mess with him). Needs to be calmed down/held back at times(2012, 2020 Olympic Games, why he has stoic partners like Blaze, Shadow and Espio). Dead quiet when contemplating his dilemma and the loss of Blaze in 06 or thinking about his anxious feelings in TSR. Can deal with things too head-on or take on everything himself because of the strength of his feelings(Sonic & Silver) which can make him Impulsive and Reckless(such as when he goes to fight Ifinit in Sonic Forces ). Is passionate and controlled by his emotions while Sonic and Shadow are calm and cool(Sonic & Silver).

Warrior - fought and struggled for half his lifetime in the hellish Iblis future(Sonic & Silver), constantly fighting against Iblis, Iblis monsters and putting out disasters including Flame Tornadoes to bring peace to the world(06). Shadow describes him as a Fighter in Team Sonic Racing. Enjoys Fighting and can be quick to start fights(Fights almost everyone for both in Rivals 1+2 and Infinite in Forces, almost fights Blaze in Colors DS and Otherworld Comedy and Bowser Jr and Jet in the Olympic Games). Extremely Brave(Self-sacrificial, no regard for his own safety and will sacrifice himself at a moment’s notice(Sonic Comic Pumpkin Trigger), Instant fight response when surprised in Sonic Generations, does not back down in the face powerful threats like Iblis, Infinite or large disasters, fought Iblis monsters since he was Cream’s age). Values bravery and dislikes cowardice/cowardly tactics(Rivals 1+2, Colors DS, Team Vector interview). Has high aggression, determined expressions and aggressive body Language during anything he's focused on. Often makes fists, punches things when he’s frustrated and gets up with his fists in Sonic Forces. Due to his backstory he is deeply appreciative of peace and prosperity but also has a violent personality(Colors DS).

Focused - Is Focused on saving the Future(06 design docs). Very serious and focused when it comes to his mission or dealing with potential danger(Team Sonic Racing). Calls himself a realist in the English version of Sonic Forces and rallies the Resistance to focus and move forward after Tails disappears. Very proactive in dealing with things as he was the only one actively trying to defeat Iblis and change the world(06) and the only one trying to find the truth of Dodon Pa and Eggman(TSR). Has a Straight-To-The-Point mindset(doesn't care what the plan is called, only that it works in Forces) and doesn’t like things getting in his way. Very goal focused(even during competitions, he says the Jade Wisp Ghost ability is the only item he likes because it lets him “disappear and focus on racing”(Team Vector interview)). Takes things much more seriously than Sonic and sometimes gets mad at Sonic for not taking things seriously or messing around(JP TSR, Famitsu Magazine comic). Has pointed angular shape eyes like Sonic’s other rivals which represent intensity, danger and seriousness in character design.

Can be Ruthless - “sometimes calls forth great power without mercy”(Sonic x Silver). Opens both his fights with Sonic in 06 by trying to sneak attack and snipe Sonic with psychic energy balls. Has fought dirty(Played possum to hit Sonic in 06), tried to assassinate Sonic, snuck past Soleanna guards. Mugs Tails in Sonic Rivals 2(he’s okay with stealing), has no qualms with fighting kids like Tails or Bowser Jr. Leaves his enemies to die even if they beg for life(Sonic Rivals 2/IDW Sonic). Has the pragmatic “get-it-done” mindset of Future Trunks/will do whatever it takes to save the future.

Intuitive - Solves problems by using his mind in all his major game roles including figuring out how to revive Sonic(06), being a detective(Town Mission 13), uncovering Eggman/Nega’s plots(Rivals 1+2, TSR) and solving various puzzles. Very perceptive(Sees through Eggman Nega’s disguises by noticing small details), turns his fight with Sonic into a race to collect Chao to advance his mission(Crafty). Intuits Blaze trying to control great power when seeing it for the first time(Otherworld Comedy). Not trusting(Didn’t initially believe in time travel, Immediately suspicious of Dodon Pa in TSR, questioned Mephiles’ mission even as Blaze reaffirmed it as their only option, takes time to work with others in the Rivals series). Eggman is unable to deceive him the same way he does Knuckles in Team Sonic Racing.

Challenger - Enjoys challenges and seeks out ways to test himself(Climbed Tokyo Tower, disappointed when Orbot and Cubot don’t pose a challenge). Very Competitive(Almost fights Blaze when they start one-upping each other over who could deal with Orbot and Cubot on their own in Colors DS). Self-confident and has a smug attitude about his abilities but is otherwise pretty humble(doesn’t think of himself as a hero but rather someone just trying not to mess up the timeline in Sonic & Silver, has a humble attitude when befriending Donkey Kong in Mario & Sonic). Cherishes his friends and strongly believes in/very grateful to those who help him. Regularly trains off screen like Sonic’s other rivals and is said to make Steady efforts to improve(Wallpaper Comedy 2022). Bold and undeterred by any threat(“We can take them all on!” when facing Eggman, Knuckles and Rouge in Rivals 2, “I’ll just destroy him everywhere at once” when facing Solaris). Will take on anything for what he believes in or to help his friends(threw himself at Iblis and Infinite, took on Wendy for Tails and Luigi). one of his catchphrases is “I’ll take you on”.

Curiosity - Has a certain curiosity and likes seeing new and different things(“Interesting”). Can praise or call things cool as much as he can insults others as he has no filter(Sonic Runners). Might have a weakness for cute things(Has a soft spot for/plays with Chao in Sonic Rivals 2 and an official magazine comic).

Skills - Powerful psychic with various super powers(Sonic Runners). Like Sonic’s other rivals he has various skills including car racing, acrobatics, fighting near the level of Shadow(they were both out of breath during their fight in 06), sharp shooting among the best in Soleanna’s 1500 year history(he takes offense to being treated like an amateur for a reason). Has been a detective, delivery boy, butler, top ranked ice skater and “genius” skating coach celebrity that helped taught others and helped Elise through her anxiety(Sonic Channel). Fly/Skill-type character so he specializes in more technical sports like ice skating and drives a car with high balance(TSR, Team Vector Interview). Can be sharp as he was able to turn his fight with Sonic into a race to advance his mission in Rivals 2 and is noted to be very perceptive by Eggnan Nega. Eggman fails to deceive Silver the same way he does Knuckles in Team Sonic Racing.

Polar Opposite of Eggman Nega(Blaze’s best friend, Pure, Young, Honest, Rude, Empathetic, Impulsive/Reckless, Naive, Practical/Focused, Altruistic, wears blues themed with white, desiring Peace and Happiness and willing to die to protect the world opposed to Eggman Nega being Blaze’s arch enemy, Twisted, Old, Deceitful, Polite, Psychopathic, Calculating, Sophisticated, Petty, Egoistic, wears red, themed with black, desiring Chaos and Destruction and willing to die to destroy the world)

Enhancer-Emitter - Enhancer is someone that is determined and simple, never lies, hides almost nothing, is straightforward in actions and thinking, whose words and actions are often dominated by their feelings and is very focused on their goals. Emitter is someone that is impatient, not detail-oriented and quick to react in a volatile manner but can also calm down and forget easier

Lives in the good future when not helping Sonic in the present the same way Blaze lives in her dimension. Thinks things in Sonic’s time are dated(sometimes, in Sonic Rivals and Colors DS). Often implied/shown to like apples(Ate apple flavored calorie bars in the Iblis Future according to Sonic Pict) and to live in Soleanna(He was originally going to be named Venice because he lived there, he may be Italian coded as his counterpart Galahad uses an Italian Cinquedea as a sword).

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melonsodasprite · 12 days ago

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NPC!Dollie :3

Epithet might still be workshopped, but! Works for now!

Some Thoughts on how she'd function under the cut :3

Generic Intro:

Born and raised in a privileged environment, only to have it all come crashing down around her in her tweenage years, Dollie has spent the past few years social-climbing until her fingers bled to try and regain what she sees as having been lost. She's a bit hard to connect with, keeping most of the town at arm's length (I mean, wouldn't you?) - but there's a mischievous side to her, if you play your cards right.

As an NPC:

There are a couple ways to encounter her - Niki's Studio is the most reliable, as she is often either modeling or assisting with shoots, but she can also be met in the pub after 11pm on Thursday nights. - She cannot be first encountered at the Brothel - she works under a different name, and takes some precaution to secure her identity, lest her night-job interfere with her day-job. - To trigger her Brothel encounter, you must already have met her and have her Love at or above 20%. Afterwards, she can be found at the Brothel after 9pm on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The Encounter begins by trying to go to Briar's office during these times after her Love threshold has been met.

NSFW scenes only available following Brothel encounter; until this point, she will behave in a mostly professional manner as Niki's assistant.

As her Love is raised, she may become more teasing during photo shoots she is present for, and may even suggest certain changes to the shoot which, if selected, can raise both her Lust and PC Arousal. These can become more scandalous following her Brothel encounter and after raising her Lust past 40%, at potential Trauma cost to the PC. - If her Love stat enters negative territory, she may retaliate by spreading 'behind the scenes' photos; these will increase Exhibitionism Fame by a small amount until she is either Dismissed or amends have been made. This event is required for her Dismissal; reporting her behavior to Niki rather than confronting or apologizing to her can begin this quest chain.

As an LI:

If the player has had the Brothel encounter and raised both Dollie's Love and Lust to 60%, she will suggest doing a photo shoot together to Niki and the PC; if the PC agrees to this, she will ask them to wait for her after the shoot. She will compliment the player, and suggest they should work together more often - and, with a wink, that they should meet up more often to better their on-camera chemistry. - The player has an opportunity to agree, refuse, or to flirt back - the third option will have Dollie will pull them back into the studio for a consensual encounter. As long as the player did not refuse her, Dollie will now be available to select as an Love Interest from the Attitudes menu.

Her bonus stat is Vanity - raising this will open avenues for more Exhibitionist encounters and make her overall more bold; she will be more likely to ask to do shoots alongside the PC, for example, and may even attempt to initiate on-camera encounters at both High Dominance and High Vanity. - Her Dismissal Event requires her Vanity to be either below 15% or above 85%.

As with other LI's, she will open up more to the player with higher Love; her personality will become more playful and she will be more affectionate. The player will eventually hear her describe her family's downfall, as well as her own motivations. - Notably, she is rather publicly affectionate - Exhibitionism 4 at minimum is recommended, as Dollie will often want encounters to be filmed or photographed - even solo sessions. Telling her you'd rather no cameras were involved in one-on-one encounters will result in - - - Love and - - - Vanity, but will not stop the encounter.

Dollie is possessive, but displays it... somewhat oddly. At High Love and Mid-High Dominance, she will proudly flaunt the PC - however, if the player has made an effort to keep her Dominance low but encouraged her Vanity, her insecurities can spiral. - High Love, High Dominance, High Vanity runs the chance of Dollie attempting to sabotage other dates - there is a small chance that Dollie will interrupt a date with another LI and attempt to steal the PC away. Agreeing will have Dollie engage in some level of intimate display, the level of which depends on her own Lust, before she rudely dismisses the other Love Interest. Rejecting will garner a - - Love penalty, but she will not persist, simply pout and walk away. - High Love, Low Dominance, and High Vanity can net you the not-so-sought after achievement of being cuckolded - Dollie will begin to schedule other duo shoots for herself, and may make conspicuous appearances with nameless NPC's around town. - All of this is to say - keeping Dollie's Vanity from getting too high is recommended. Unless you're into that kind of thing.

#dol pc #pcverse #spritesketch #dol pc art

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heartsandstars34 · 1 month ago

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Joel Miller Story Chapter 1

Note :

Hi everyone! This is my first time writing a fan fiction since I was like 13, which was 9 years ago! I do not have a title for this story yet, nor an endgame for it so I'll appreciate any feedback! The picture is what I imagined Joel's main picture to be

Synopsis:

After years of failed dating experiences, you decided to try to find someone a bit more mature for your liking.

Content Warnings: Mature themes eventually, but this chapter is safe.

Word Count: 3k

You give up. You believe that you're going to be alone forever.

Ever since you were 18, dating apps have been your best friend. Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, you name it. However, you never found success. You've been on plenty of dates. Some were good, some were bad, and some landed you in their beds for the night.

Men suck.

All of the relationships you've been in have ended for various reasons, but there was one common denominator you discovered.

Maturity.

None of the men you've been with were mature enough. All of them just wanted to relive the college party days, even if they were years behind you. You just turned 30 for gods sake, you're ready to settle down.

You are lying in bed when the ringtone of your phone breaks your deep focus.

"Hello?" you groan

"Tell me all the details from last night girl!"

Sam, your best friend since freshman year of college. You and her have been through all the ups and downs of young adulthood together. You always let her know about any and all dates you go on.

"Terrible! He reminded me of that Jason guy from that one fraternity junior year."

"Ew gross! He was like a walking STD! I wonder what happened to him?"

You shake your head and sigh out a big breath. You decided to tell Sam about the wondering thought that has been going through your head the past week.

"Hey, I need to get your opinion on something and please don't judge me."

"Girl, when have I ever judged you? You can tell me anything!"

You take another deep breath before spilling everything.

"Well, I've been thinking a lot about my dating life and the maturity issue. And um, what's your though on me going a bit older?"

"Older? How old are we talking about, like sugar daddy older or-"

"Oh god no gross!" You cut her off. "I was thinking more like late fourties to early fifties."

"Oh good, I was getting worried there for a bit!"

You shake your head at her even though she cannot see you.

"I think it's totally fine! You know my parents have a 9-year age gap and they are so happy together!"

"That's true." You start to seem a bit hopeful.

"Plus look at all the celebrity couples with age gaps!"

"You're right. It definitely is more normalized."

"A hundred percent! Don't let other people tailor your taste! Plus a touch of grey on a man is pretty sexyyyy"

You laugh at Sam's comment.

"That is true. I think I'm gonna go for it!"

"Go for it! Let me know how everything goes. I gotta go but best of luck!"

You thank her before you hang up. You open up Tinder, your dating app of choice, and click on your dating prefences. You move your age slide from 26-33 all the way to 45-55. You pause for a moment, finger hovering over the save button. You take a deep breath before hitting save.

Alright, here we go.

You start swiping on profiles but no one catches your eye. You decide to take a break and come back later, hoping for some fresh results.

You go about your day doing various tasks around your shitty one bed one bath apartment. Laundry, dishes, and tidying up. While wandering around, you stop to look at your calendar and big red letter your wrote stood out.

RENT DUE MAY 1

"Shit" you whisper to yourself.

You recently quit your office job of 5 years due to terrible work environment. You've been thinking about a career change to make yourself happier. And because of this, you've gone about a month without pay. Which also means you are going to be basically broke after paying for this.

Note to self, look for new job.

Finally at the end of the day, you sit down to eat dinner and open your phone to watch videos. However, your mind and body pull you towards Tinder. You open the app and there he was.

Joel, 50

You take heavy interest in his profile, scrolling through his pictures. He's got beautiful, almost sad, brown eyes with matching brown hair. And grey streaks through it.

You don't even need to see more before you swipe right and that green light illuminates your face.

IT'S A MATCH!

#joel miller fluff #joel miller #the last of us #tlou hbo #pedro pascal #joel x reader #joel x you #joel miller fanfiction

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fernpetals · 6 months ago

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Good Cop, Bad Cop VII

Masterlist

Part 1 Part2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Yandere Tom Ludlow x Reader

Warning: Implied stalking and misuse of police authority

GIF is not mine, credit to the owner of the GIF

Unedited Piece

You do not go out often, but it has been a while since you got to catch your breath and you needed to unwind. So here you are, at the bar with your friends, without a care about the world around you, because you are not the one driving tonight. All you need to do is make sure that your wallet does not weep and that you are not wasted drunk. Just, tipsy-drunk maybe?

But the drinks flowing in, some food and the laughter grows almost hysterical. For once, you let yourself believe that the world is a happy place to be.

By the end of the night, Lenna remains the only relatively sober one in the group. You are not oblivious to the environment, but you walk cautiously, hoping not to fall into a puddle and embarrass yourself.

The road back to Lenna’s place is relatively quiet and without much traffic—-it’s a sleepover and you are tired.

“Hey is that—” Lenna’s words are cut off by the loud siren behind the car. You blink away the sleepiness and sit up, alert.

“Were you speeding or something?” You ask her, glancing at the backseat, the rest of the bunch are barely awake.

Both of you flinch at the urgent knock at the car window. It takes you a while to adjust your vision to the flashing of red and blue and the tipsy haze. But you cannot hold your gasp at the sight of Detective Ludlow outside the car. He gestures for you to roll the glass down and without a second thought, you do.

“Eh—Officer Ludlow?”

He ignores you and glances at Lenna instead “Are you drunk-driving, Miss?” “No?”

That sounds convincing.

“No? Seriously? Shall we test then?” “Officer, she’s—-”

You are cut off by his glare shifting to you.

“You should always have your guard up, I told you specifically to let me know if you are staying out late. And you stay out for so long, without updating me when there are—” He stops himself, glancing at Lenna before his hardened stare finds you again “And driving through these roads, clearly drunk. None of you are sober, it takes me a whiff to know.”

“Okay, okay. We are a little drunk, but we can drive fine. I’m sorry, officer. It slipped my mind. I thought I updated you.” You try to dissolve the situation.

“And yet here you are.”

“I—I thought you had a desk job?”

“I can take up any shift I please, that is not your concern.” He responds curtly and sighs, shaking his head “Come out, we can discuss this on our way back home.”

“Excuse me? I–I am going to my friend’s—”

“You are going back to your home, get out of the car.”

You blink. Are you hearing things?

“Sir, I have plans for tonight.” You try to emphasise but he raises an eyebrow and leans closer.

Maybe the glass should have stayed between you two—your heartbeat spikes at the proximity. He is not even that close—why are your cheeks warm?

“You either come out, or I am booking your friend for drunk driving.” He whispers and you realise that he is close enough for you to feel his breath.

You open your mouth to counter but his stare tells you that he will follow through his words.

“What is happening?” Lenna asks you once you unlock the car door.

“Drive home safe Len, we will talk tomorrow, okay?” You nod at your confused friend before getting out of the car.

“But wait–(Y/N)...”

“I need to go home, I will call you tomorrow, promise. Drive safe.”

With that, you muster up a smile for her and shut the car door behind you before letting Tom lead you into his vehicle, still trying to wrap your head around what transpired moments ago. ****

The road scene has been inspired by Excessive Force. If you are suffering from a Ludlow brainrot like me, this is one of the best fics to eat up.

#yandere tom ludlow #tom ludlow #yandere tom ludlow x reader #tom ludlow x reader #street kings #keanuverse #yandere cop #yandere cop x reader

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violetdawn001 · 1 year ago

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What is with the Dreamers' Houses?!?! Part 3.0 Lurien's Spire

Okay, we can all agree that Team Cherry put a LOT of thought into crafting the backgrounds and environments of Hollow Knight. But why is nobody talking about the designs for the Dreamers' houses?! Especially compared with their base forms? Well, let's start talking about it!

The Last Dreamer, Lurien the Watcher! A.K.A. The guy who is responsible for this whole essay.

His design is the simplest among the three Dreamers.

Taken from Hollow Knight - Lurien the Watcher

A design so simple that it leaves the fans in relentless debate on what species of bug he is.

So tell me, why is HIS HOUSE the one with the most freaking complicated design!?!?!?! It's as if Lurien is living in a cathedral here!

Okay, Lurien living in a cathedral might be an exaggeration, but take a look at complicated his Spire is! Look at the floors! Notice the window designs! The hanging banners! The lanterns! And goodness gracious, the dude has wallpaper throughout his whole Spire!

Did I forget to mention the wallpaper?!?!!

The insane amount of detail!!!

And we haven't even gotten to the fact Team Cherry went out of their way to incorporate 3D into a 2D POV! You can clearly see it in this window here.

As we start the walk here…

We can't help but notice…

How the pillars framing the window "move" as we do.

Could you believe that a team of four people made all of this? Team Cherry truly wasted no detail in the Watcher's Spire, from the simplest wallpaper to the famous Telescope.

And here is the Telescope! In all its very-difficult-to-draw glory! Speaking of it, the design clearly costed tons of geo. The cost paid off, however, as the Telescope still works despite the lack of maintenance due to the Infection.

Of course, that can be easily seen by anyone who played the game in a rush. In terms of Lurien's character, the fan can see how he earned his namesake, Watcher.

Yet...has anyone stopped to consider how Lurien set up his office? In particular, how Lurien can position his Telescope anywhere in his main office? Check out all the windows!

Did you all notice it? Every single window is open, yet each window is nicely framed with the glass plane. And before you all comment, “what about this window? It's closed!”

The window design is different from the ones behind Lurien's bed…and matches up with the window where the Telescope is currently at. This implies that this window can open up at any time should Lurien wish it. As the Telescope is NOT facing that direction, there is no need to keep that window open. Lovely for us, as that window keeps Lurien's butler in. If you need proof, check out the photo where the Telescope is again.

With this in mind, what does the Telescope and open windows tell us about Lurien's character?

First, Lurien is very dedicated to his duty as the Watcher, so much so that he will spend as much money as needed to craft the best tools he needs.

Second, Lurien favors practicality as seen by how every window is either open or has hinges to open it. The Watcher must watch over the WHOLE City of Tears, not just the left side (or commoner side).

Third, Lurien loves beauty. It is not enough to have the windows open; goodness, Lurien could have not added windows at all! But he insisted on a lovely window design that framed the view into the City. And we're not even talking about the pillars and the curtains which frame it as well.

Fourth and finally, Lurien was able to get both practicality and beauty in the same window. I cannot stress this enough as Herrah and Monomon choose practicality over beauty. Yes, there are beautiful details here and there, but when push comes to shove, both ladies choose practicality with a dash of beauty on the side. This really makes Lurien stand out amongst the Dreamers.

I hope you enjoyed part 1 of Lurien's Spire. Unfortunately, I must stop here as this is merely 1/4 of Lurien's section of the essay. Please feel free to comment and reblog as much as you would like. It's fun reading your thoughts.

If you wish to read more of the Essay, click one of these links below.

Part 1.0: Herrah's Den : Here

Part 2.0: Monomon's Archives: Here

Part 3.0: Lurien's Spire (You are here.)

Part 3.25: More of Lurien's Spire : Here

Part 3.5: Lurien's Spire: Pillows and Patriotism: Here

Part 3.7 Lurien's Spire: What is wrong with Lurien's Office?! Here

Part 3.8: Even, even More of Lurien's Spire: Secret Room: Click here

Part 3.9 Watcher Knight Boss Room! Here

Link to essay on Ao3: Here

#please come back for more #we are not done yet with Lurien's windows #hollow knight #lurien the watcher #herrah the beast #monomon the teacher #hk monomon #hk Lurien the Watcher's butler #hk lurien

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