#everything you write is amazing and i'm blown away again

[teddybeartoji]

HIHIHIHIHHIHIIIIII HELLO SPRING MORNING TREAT!!!!!!!

ARI MY MOST BELOVED LITTLE IRIS MY ANGEL MY SWEETHEART HIIIIIII!!! I'M SORRY IT TOOK ME A MINUTE BUT HERE I AM NOW AND I AM SO FUCKING READY!!! it's relatively early.. by relatively early i mean it's 2pm but yk.. i have my coffee and i'm in bed and i'm ready to melt away<33333333 there's no sun here today so this'll just have to be the new sun i guess!! i know it will.

ok i'm one line in and i just already need to say that you're so right about suguru belonging in the kitchen it's the mother instinct in him yk i can just see him there soooooo clearly wahhhhh AND I CAN HEAR HIM HUM AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HE WOULD ALWAYS HUM WOULDN'T HEEE very long dreamy sigh i love him so much

a tenderness uprooted, a fondness watered and trimmed, a hungry plant only satiated at the sight of this; the back of his head, raven locks cascading down his broad shoulders in obsidian waves, hair put up into a lazy half-down bun. a little messy, a little too breathtaking for words. wearing a black turtleneck that hugs his waist just right.

mickey found dead in a ditch i need an emoji that has it's tongue out with x's for the eyes silly ahh emoji but that's just how i feel okay "a little too breathtaking for words" yeah thank you for saying that this is what i feel every time i read your art thanks for understanding me

WAITTT SUGU WITH GLASSES???????????? SUGURU??? WITH GLASSES????????????????? ARI???????????? SUGURU GETO WITH GLASSES???????????? YOU PUT GLASSES ON HIM??????????????? MICKEY FOUND DEAD IN A DITCH PART TWO THIS IS A DIFFERENT DITCH BTW THIS ONE IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE OTHER ONE

he enjoys taking care of you, all three of you. always has.

😭😭😭😭.....................don't tell me i have to do another counttt😭

GRUMPY LITTLE SHOKO😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭FUCKKK THAT'S SO FUCKING CUTE SHE'S A LITTLE ANGRY LOOKING KITTEN OK

you got to see them, be with them. that alone would’ve been enough.

love is stored in Just Being you know................ time spent together is never wasted time IT'S ALWAYS ENOUGHHHH THESE FOUR LOSERS ARE ALREADY KILLING MEEE OH TO JUST SPEND A MORNING WITH THEMMM😭😭😭😭😭

SUGURU LOOKS WELL-RESTED WHAT IS THIS ALTERNATE UNIVERSE :00000000000000000 no i'm so happy for him he deserves the sun and the moon and the stars and the planets and the sky and the milky way and a maybe a snickers bar too........

i think a forehead kiss from him would fix me i would never complain about anything ever again. please suguru.... just one smooch....

the kiss is chaste, familiar. warm, warm, a faint heat that simmers in your chest, a tiny firework of a feeling. + his thumb rubbing tender circles over your forearm. practiced, memorized, that familiar waltz of motions.

noboy writes about love the way you do. NOBODY!!!!!!!!! it's just so fucking warm and tender and soft and it always makes me wanna melt into a puddle of Something. you're insane and i love you

okay what the fuck my heart just stopped....... sugu calling you "love" 🥴🥴🥴🥴no i am not okay by the way LOVE IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING TO CALL YOUR BELOVED BC THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OK STOP AND NOW HE'S MAKING YOU DRINK THE COFFEE??????????? 🥴🥴🥴🥴 when i said that he can fix me i meant that he's gonna fix me and then take me apart again

now you really are pouting. he shifts, until you're standing chest to chest, and kisses it away. twice, for good measure.

HE'S KILLING ME ACTUALLLYYYYYYYYYYYY ARIII WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUUU (VERY FUCKING AFFECTIONATE) HE KISSES THE POUT AWAY😭😭😭😭😭TWICEEE😭😭😭😭😭

it gives him an excuse to run his fingers through it. even when shoko whines for him to cut it out, and satoru purposefully shakes the branches to make the tiny white petals even harder to find. he must like having his hair ruffled like a misbehaving dog. 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA STUPIDS TOGETHERR!!! you write them all so beautifully yes i think satoru liking having his hair ruffled like a misbehaving dog is incredibly fucking beautiful

SUGURU WILL MAKE MARMALADE??????????????😭😭😭😭 HE'S THE BEST WIFE IN THE WORLDDDD you always add the sweetest little details into everything and wahh you're just so amazing

WORLD'S OKAYEST BOYFRIEND??????? ASJHASHAGSSJAGSDJASDGJAGSDSA

PLEASE I'VE NEVER NEEDED SOMETHING AS BADLY AS I NEED THIS FUCKING MUG YOU'RE SUCH A LITTLE GENIUS ARI

suguru making sure that shoko's coffee won't be lukewarm:(((((((( bc she hates it sm:(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( i love them i really love them HER CUTE LITTLE FROWNNNN:(((((((((((((((((((((((((((

satoru can’t sleep without hugging someone, and suguru can’t fall asleep unless he knows you’re all sleeping well. shoko isn’t picky, but you know she feels safest when she’s linking elbows with you, or touching pinkies with suguru, or snoozing on top of satoru’s chest like a weighted blanket.

ari i think your brain is getting too big i just might need to kiss you stupid a little YOU UNDERSTAND THEM ALL SO WELL IT KINDA MAKES ME MADDD LIKE WDYMMMMM HOW ARE YOU LIKE THIS HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD i just know you spent ATLEAST one of your lives with them

obviously i love all of them but satoshoko dynamic is just... something special..... they mean so much too me satoru sneaking into her room to make sure she'll sleep???????? i'm gonna cry again i think their dynamic is just soo good too wahh i wish we could see more of them overall:(( but yk thank fuck we all have you!!!!! idk what the fuck we'd do without you smhhh. die probably.

SHOKO CLINGING TO SATORU YESSSSSSSSS THIS IS WHAT I MEANNNN THEY'RE EVERYTHING TO MEEEEEEEEEEE<3333

and shoko is silent, blinking drowsily, twitching when his loud voice buzzes in her ear. she makes no move to push him away. 

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭THEY'RE IN LOVE AND I'M GONNA CRYYY YOU KEEP DOING THIS TO MEEEEEE

SHOKO. I. SHOKO- I. I CAN'T THINK. WHY'D YOU HAVE TO MENTION HER THIGHS WHAT THE FUCK ARI WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE ON LIKE THIS??????????????? AND THEN OH????? SHE KISSES YOUR CHEEK???????????????????? BROOOOOOOOOOOO????????????

satoru giving out a loud ass mwah! he's just like me

their heartbeats mingling together.

ari the poet you mean so much to me this is such a beautiful line i wanna eat it

MEOWWWW CATORU IS HUFFING AND PUFFING HE'S SO CUTEE

”unbelievable. and during women’s history month, too!” ”you aren’t a woman, satoru.” ”i could be.” 

ASAJGSUAIWDWJADUWAKHDADWAGHJ STOPPP THIS MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUDDDDD HE'S SO FUCKING STUPIDDD WHY DO WE LIKE HIMM it's unbelievable how much i like him i would not have a chance if i ever actually met him the ego boost he'd get from me????????????? oh dear god i think i'd have to be locked away just for doing that i love him so fucking much

RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH AND WE HAVE ANOTHER FOREHEAD KISS I'VE YET TO RECOVER FROM THAT LAST KISS MY HEART CAN'T TAKE IT. OH AND HIS DIMPLES AND HIS FRECKLES AAAAAAAAAAA HE'S MY BABYYYYYYYYYYYY HE'S PERFECT HE NEEDS TO BE HELD AND KISSED AND LOVED AND I AM READY TO BE DOING ALL OF THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SATORU THE SUNSHINE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA YOU'RE KILLING MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YOU'RE KILLING ME ARI HE'S SO SWEET AND SO BRIGHT AND HIS SMILE CAN CURE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

yep yep yep yep reader is very real for folding. i'd fold too if he'd look at me like that. my love for bullying is fading away as i type..........

see and there you go again with the little details that make me go even more insane bro i can hear the institution calling my name they're gonna take me away if you continue on like this WDYMM HE'S PULLING YOUR CHAIR CLOSER TO HIM AND CURLING HIS LEG AROUND YOU AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

shoko being a bit shy about getting called a "doctor" :((((((((((i love her so much and pls satoru having to kiss the both of you after taking a SIP of your coffee he's so unserious (and i love him)

ANOTHER SUGURU WITH GLASSES MENTION THE CROWD CHEERSSS YAYY YIPPEEPEEE YAYYY (hehe peepee)

...the.... silver.... in... his....... lip piercing....................... they're having a moment buT I'M HAVING AN EVEN BIGGER MOMENT WAWAWEEWA SUGURU WITH A LIP PIERCING OH HOW I LOVE YOU SOOOO ARIII KISS KISS KISS C'MERE YOU DESERVE SO MANY KISSES FOR THIS

he’s smiling, and he’s looking at you like you’re spring personified.

sigh you already know i lost my mind at this too............ i cannot catch a fucking break the love is overwhelming

but they’ll be waiting once you get back — and tomorrow, you’ll have breakfast again, just like this. forever and ever. you never want the coffee to run out, never want the apricot trees to wither. you want to stay greedy for a long time to come. 

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭WHY ARE YOU SO GOOODD😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭WHY DO YOU WRITE SO FUCKING BEAUTIFULLY😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭WHY ARE YOU THE SUN IN MY SKY😭😭😭😭😭

the sun lets her golden hair flow throughout the city, melting rivers and warming benches. she falls across shoko’s lecture hall, sneaks into satoru’s classroom, kisses her way up suguru’s neck. you let a sigh slip past your lips, and the sun breathes it in again. a vein of joy awoken, slumbering inside your veins; and you smile.

WHAT DID I JUST SAYYYYYYYYY I WILL NEVER BE NORMAL ABOUT YOU EVER. NEVER EVER. I JUST CAN'T. I DON'T HAVE IT IN ME I SIMPLY CANNOT. "THE SUN LETS HER GOLDEN HAIR FLOW"???????????????????????????????? THE SUN CONNECTS THEM ALL EVEN WHEN THEY'RE NOT TOGETHER FUCK MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I PROMISE I'LL BE A GOOD HUSBAND OKAY I'LL BE SO GOOD TO YOU YOU'LL NEVER HAVE TO WORK EVER AGAIN YOU CAN JUST READ BOOKS AND WRITE AND SUNBATHE AND EVERYTHING WILL BE GOOD BECAUSE YOU JUST DESERVE IT YOU DESERVE IT AND YOU WILL GET IT

diabolical. every post you make just changes me. i am not the person i was before reading this. i've been altered. for good. i'm gonna be on my death bed and i'm gonna be fucking quoting your art. trust. granpa mickey grandma mickey what the hell are you saying?? be quiet child this is a love story and you will fucking listen actually this is a story about love those are two different things and this author will teach you tell you all about it

this was just so sweet and so real. i know i've said it before but your writing always ALWAYS feels so fucking real sigh it's perfect. they're all in love and i wanna be there with them i hope we can all feel this kind of love one day actually i know we will let's not be stupid here

i love you so bad. my heart feels so warm. i am making tiny sentences. because i feel like i'm floating rn. and it's kind of hard to make sense of what i'm typing. thank you. for writing. and thank you. for being. idk what the world did to deserve you but i'm so glad you're here. here's a good old sloppy loud mwah! i hope your day has been good to you i hope you slept well i hope uni isn't bullying you too hard. eat well, drink well!! i love u<333333333333333333

dear spring, stay forever ; satoru gojo, suguru geto, shoko ieiri

synopsis; just another mellow breakfast shared between you and your partners. (you don’t think you’ll ever get tired of it.)

word count; 3.8k

contents; sashisu/reader (poly relationship!!), gn!reader, all of u are whipped, lots of petnames, literally just breakfast fluff, it ended up kinda sugucentric on accident (not my fault btw he just really loves making breakfast for u that’s on him), also ended up kinda sappy at the end (that’s on me), implied no curses au, they’re in their twenties but it isn’t specified, everyone is eepy and in love <33

a/n; a little breakfast fic bc i love mornings and i love them :33 (tagging my beloved sashisu soldiers @catchuuu @staryukis i am making breakfast for both of u btw ☕️🥞) pls listen to spring thief by yorushika it’s the most sashisu song ever

as always, suguru is the first of you to make it into the kitchen.

he’s humming. it’s soft, a low lull of his voice, beckoning you closer like the call of a siren. sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms, fiddling with a pan, sizzling and simmering and breathing in the scent of pancakes; it pairs well with the espresso steam from the coffee pot to his right, the vase of hydrangeas by the windowsill.

it’s a sunny morning. the perfect setting for the start of your day, an atmosphere you can savour, like the gradual sipping of your soon-to-be morning cup of coffee. somewhere outside your vision comes a morning symphony, chirps and songs by cicadas and robins. splotches of sunlight splatter against the windows, the kitchen table, the floorboards — illuminating the man in front of the stove.

something in your chest constricts, when you look at him. a tenderness uprooted, a fondness watered and trimmed, a hungry plant only satiated at the sight of this; the back of his head, raven locks cascading down his broad shoulders in obsidian waves, hair put up into a lazy half-down bun. a little messy, a little too breathtaking for words. wearing a black turtleneck that hugs his waist just right.

you should be used to it, by now. suguru has always been an early bird, always the first to rouse from his slumber, only ever contended by shoko and her occasional bouts of sleep-deprivation. he’s always waiting for the three of you, just like this — in front of a sizzling pan, adjusting his glasses by the kitchen table, cooking or reading or simply reminiscing. content to stir in the peace and quiet of the morning hours, before the world wakes up. 

and he’s always taken to preparing breakfast for the four of you, always ready to greet you with a smile and a cup of freshly made cappuccino. he enjoys taking care of you, all three of you. always has.

(it wasn’t any different back when you were kids. suguru was always the first one in the dormitory’s kitchen, messing with the rusty french press or making a grossly bitter smoothie for himself. he was snarkier, more roundabout — but no less thoughtful. grumpy little shoko would always get the last bitter pumps of espresso, and sleepy little satoru would get a french toast if he asked nicely enough. and you? 

you got to see them, be with them. that alone would’ve been enough. the steaming cup of cappuccino left on the kitchen counter — a little too tailored to your taste to be a mere coincidence — was always nothing more than an added bonus.)

the soft humming falters, for no more than a beat or two. suguru shifts his weight from one foot to the other, and suddenly you can’t resist the temptation.

with clumsy steps, heavy feet weighed down by a sleepy sense of numbness, you stumble towards your target. it’s a familiar waltz, five steps to reach him, a warmth that spreads throughout your body in tandem with the curl of your arms around his waist. slumped against him, cheek squished against his upper back, you hold your breath.

silently, you wait. one, two, until you hear the familiar roll of his breath; a delighted little sigh that slips from his parted lips.

when suguru cranes his head to get a glimpse of you, his amber eyes are leaking adoration. a sense of liveliness, a joyous spark — like a firefly, the flicker of a rusty lighter. he looks well-rested, dark circles long faded, only the dimmest remnant of them still visible beneath his eyes. 

he holds your gaze, steady and kind, and then he’s leaning forward; eager to press his lips against your waiting forehead. glasses slipping ever so slightly down the bridge of his nose. the kiss is chaste, familiar. warm, warm, a faint heat that simmers in your chest, a tiny firework of a feeling. even the metal of his piercing feels warm on your skin. 

you melt into his spine, fingers searching for a pair of hands that find yours first — his thumb rubbing tender circles over your forearm. practiced, memorized, that familiar waltz of motions. he lingers against your skin, breathing in satoru’s favorite strawberry shampoo. you’ve been stealing it for weeks now. 

suguru’s lips curl up into something amused, still not quite willing to part from you. 

but then he does. turning towards the stove, reaching for the coffee pot with one hand, the other securing your own and lacing your fingers together. he gives them an affectionate squeeze, still resting on his lower stomach. a silent greeting that he always ends up voicing anyway.

”g’morning, love,” he croons, a little raspy, but sweet and nice. honeyed and deep, sending pleasant shivers down your spine. you hear him pour something into a cup. ”how did you sleep?”

all you can give him is a tired grunt, stretching your limbs out, blinking sluggishly to shoo away the drowsiness. suguru knows what to expect; he simply smiles, endeared, pouring steamed milk into your favorite cup. with a clink of his spoon against the ceramic, he adds the foam, stirring it carefully.

then he’s shifting his weight, angling his face towards yours, and pressing the rim of the cup against your lips — not before blowing on it gently. he watches as your eyelids flutter, waiting for the hum of contentment he’ll hear once you have your first sip. and he gets it. the rich aroma stirs you into a more awakened state, and a single taste of the creamy foam has you standing up a little straighter, humming in sleepy delight. suguru smiles, crow’s feet hidden behind his glasses. 

you accept the cup with a grateful squeeze of his palm, and he makes sure it’s steady in your hold before he faces forward again. another sip, and your throat feels a little less dry, your mind a lot less sluggish. so you answer his previous question. 

”… slept well,” another tiny sip. it’s hot, warming you up from the inside. ”i would’ve preferred waking up to you, though...”

a low chuckle bubbles up in your boyfriend’s throat. it makes you want to pout, but you smile instead. traitorous lips. 

he’s looking at you again, unable to help himself, reaching over to brush some loose strands of hair away from your face. ”aw, ’m sorry,” he coos, teasingly, sickeningly sweet. ”but then you wouldn’t have woken up to a fresh cup of coffee, hm?” 

now you really are pouting. he shifts, until you're standing chest to chest, and kisses it away. twice, for good measure. he must be in a good mood.

he usually is, at this time of year. when the air starts smelling of honeydew and snowdrops, and he’s awoken by barking dogs, luscious sunbeams splattered on soft bedsheets, the pitter patter of sudden spring rain. when the apricot trees outside your apartment complex begin to bloom; a flurry of sickly-white kisses pressed against your windows, sticking to the locks of your hair. it gives him an excuse to run his fingers through it. even when shoko whines for him to cut it out, and satoru purposefully shakes the branches to make the tiny white petals even harder to find. he must like having his hair ruffled like a misbehaving dog. 

they make suguru sigh and sigh, exasperated, but there’s always a smile waiting somewhere out of view. he’s not very good at hiding it.

(he likes the apricot trees. likes watching them change shape, colour, likes waiting for them to wither and blossom and turn into fruit.

once they’re ripe enough to pick, i’ll make marmalade for us.)

the morning waltz continues. while suguru continues to flip his pancakes, you sleepily decide to set the table. fondness erupts behind his eyelids at the gesture, small as it is. you stand on your tiptoes to reach the highest shelf, just to grab satoru’s favorite mug; one you all got him for his 19th birthday, a heartfelt message of world’s okayest boyfriend etched into the front. it was meant to make him pout and whine, but you’ve never seen him drink out of anything else at home.

you place the cup on the table with a soft thunk, along with plates and cutlery. suguru has already brought down a cup for shoko, seated on the kitchen counter next to him, soon to be filled with the same rich espresso he always drinks. he’s waiting until she joins you both, so it doesn’t end up going lukewarm. there’s nothing shoko hates more. you can practically hear that grumpy scoff, see her cute little frown.

your sleep schedules differ from day to day. suguru is always up early, satoru always sleeps in. shoko fluctuates between the two. you usually end up rousing from your slumber whenever the bed starts to feel a little too empty — a fact you doubt they’ll ever quit teasing you about.

that differs from day to day, too. sometimes you sleep with suguru, sometimes the other two, sometimes all three. you have your separate rooms, but always end up with your limbs intertwined one way or another; even if one of you comes home late or falls asleep on the couch watching tv. satoru can’t sleep without hugging someone, and suguru can’t fall asleep unless he knows you’re all sleeping well. shoko isn’t picky, but you know she feels safest when she’s linking elbows with you, or touching pinkies with suguru, or snoozing on top of satoru’s chest like a weighted blanket. as for you… 

you’ve gotten way too used to their touch to ever go without it. last night, you ended up in suguru’s room, tucked underneath his chin, while satoru snuck into shoko’s bed to convince her not to pull another all-nighter. you’re assuming it worked.

”mm, smells good. you makin’ pancakes?”

a bubbly, groggy voice spills into the air, just as a light breeze flits in through the window. soothing, refreshing. you turn your gaze towards its source.

and there they are. sleepy satoru, and grumpy shoko, the former clinging to the latter like an overgrown koala. satoru seems to be in high spirits, calling out to you with a smile, blue eyes glimmering like a sunny sky; but you can tell he’s tired by the way he’s stretching out his limbs, only wearing a pair of pyjama pants. and shoko is silent, blinking drowsily, twitching when his loud voice buzzes in her ear. she makes no move to push him away. 

suguru gazes at them with a smile, in tandem with you, nothing but fond. loving, in the way the amber of his eyes gleams and swirls with promises of something everlasting. he’s a little intense, honestly. but you wouldn’t have him any other way.

and, admittedly, your sleepy little partners are a sight for sore eyes. 

shoko meets your gaze, and finally decides to shake off the man with an arm over her shoulder. said man huffs, but makes no move to follow her when she stumbles into your arms. 

her limbs find their way around your midriff, her chin to the curve of your shoulder. her hair is loose, almost as long as suguru’s, messy and brushing against your cheek. your hand goes to smooth down her back, the fabric of her oversized shirt, soft and laced with the scent of laundry detergent. she yawns, right by your ear, lips jutted out into a small pout, and something in your chest returns. a hungry plant, drinking up her raspy voice, the glimpse you get of that mole beneath her eye. her stretch marks, when she pulls away and her shirt rides up enough to expose her thighs. little lightning bolts.

”morning,” you chirp. she presses a tiny kiss against your cheek, dangerously close to your lips; sometimes you think she does it just to tease you.

”hey, how come i didn’t get a morning kiss?”

shoko turns her head, finding satoru’s accusing stare. he’s pouting, tilting his head, already making his way over to suguru. but she only rolls her eyes.

”you’re such a baby.”

”you know you love me!”

suguru stifles a puff of laughter, leaning back against the kitchen counter, elbows resting on the marble. watching his partners with barely contained delight. satoru notices, grinning softly, throwing his arms around his boyfriend’s neck.

satoru’s kisses are always sloppy. you hear that drawn out mwah! even without looking at the pair, even without seeing his lips against suguru’s jaw. a phantom warmth sprouts on your skin. 

”good morning, handsome,” he purrs, low and rumbling through his chest, pressed flush against suguru’s — their heartbeats mingling together. soft skin against smooth fabric. there’s mischief in those aquamarine eyes, something teasing, and it makes suguru want to return the favour. 

”good morning, baby,” he presses his lips against satoru’s cheek. voice muffled against his soft skin, silky and deep. ”you kinda smell.”

a moment passes. the calm before the storm.

satoru blinks, barely registering shoko’s dry chuckle from behind him — and then furrows his eyebrows together like an irritated cat. a scandalized noise builds up at the base of his throat, and he glares at the man in front of him, frustration only growing when he notices that suguru isn’t returning the favour. his gaze is still fond, like an artist admiring a marble statue, drinking in his pouty boyfriend’s fluffy hair and droopy eyes and rosy lips. flattering, but the damage has been done.

”oh, i see how it is,” he withdraws his arms and takes a step back, crossing them with a hmph. ”bullying your sweet boyfriend first thing in the morning, huh? have you no shame?”

”sorry. you just look really bulliable today.”

another offended little noise. he turns on his heel, messy strands of hair swaying with the movement, glaring at shoko instead. ”unbelievable. and during women’s history month, too!”

”you aren’t a woman, satoru.”

”i could be.” 

you huff out a breathy laugh, taking a seat by the kitchen table while your lovers bicker. sipping from your cappuccino in silence, soaking up the mellow morning mood. until you feel satoru staring at you; eyes like marbles, big and bright, rich with mirth. his pout fades away, and he closes in on you with a smile. troubles forgotten. 

before you can greet him, he’s leaning down to leave a fat kiss on your forehead — messy, uncoordinated, but loving. a coo on the tip of his tongue. when he’s this close you can see his dimples, those tiny freckles that only come out in the light of the sun. 

you feel him smile against your skin, pulling back to speak. parting his pretty, glossy lips. ”and good morning to you, my dearest.”

he’s silly.

your lips bloom into a sweet grin, honeyed nectar on your teeth. he’s illuminated by the light streaming in through the window, a little disheveled, with his cute bedhead and bare chest exposed. a giggle slips from your lips, and your voice carries a melodic lilt, coming out as a soft croon. ”good morning, sunshine.”

satoru blinks. just once, before the telltale signs of his excitement start to show; his face brightening, breaking out into a cheshire grin, something sweet in the way his eyes crinkle. like folded origami, like messily cut fruit. citrusy and smooth.

before you can protest, those strong arms are reaching around your waist — hoisting you up into his arms with a coo of c’mere. he spins you around, just once or twice, and chuckles at the way you let out a sleepy yelp. even after stilling, he doesn’t put you down, only guiding your legs to wrap around his middle; his naked chest and muscles pressed flush against you. he’s warm, one large palm on your back and the other on your thigh. he touches you like it’s muscle memory, every ridge and dip, every part of you he’s already long mapped out.

honestly, you don’t understand how he can get so overcome with joy so early in the morning. but who are you to complain when it means getting smothered like this? 

”oh, and i smell great, by the way,” he suddenly huffs, directed at the partners behind him. he’s quick to smile down at you, tilting his head and searching for approval. ”don’t i, baby?”

for a second, you’re tempted to join in on the teasing. some part of you wants to. unfortunately, it loses against the parts of you still mesmerized by the splotches of white inside his pretty eyes, those cute little freckles. so you nod.

”yeah,” you breathe. inhaling, taking him in, sunlight and strawberries and laundry detergent. ”you smell like spring.”

his smile continues to blossom, turning sweeter by the minute. brighter than the sun. he throws a victorious glance behind him, delighting in the simultaneous roll of their eyes — before finally putting you back down. he wastes no time in plopping down on the seat to your right, dragging your chair closer to his, until they’re pressed against each other. curling a leg around yours. so clingy in the morning. 

suguru and shoko are quick to join you. they blink slowly, sipping on their cups of espresso, a rich aroma spreading throughout the kitchen. it blends well with the plates of pancakes suguru scoots towards you, drizzled with the syrup satoru likes. he’s attentive, making sure you’re all comfortable, rising to his feet when shoko asks for a single cube of sugar. she’s started to mellow out a bit, no longer as grumpy, soothed by the bitter taste on her tongue. and satoru keeps your leg locked in place beneath the table.

it’s hard not to feel nostalgic, like this. when spring is blooming just outside your window, when all three of them are just the same as you remember. some things have changed, sure, but they’re still so unapologetically them. loud voices, rude eye-rolls, teasing comments and all.

they munch on their pancakes, sip on their coffee, and you chat about what to do when you all get home. what movie to watch, what food to order, what food to make because suguru doesn’t think you’ve been eating enough homemade meals lately. bickering and bantering. smiling.

(it feels like high school every day.)

shoko is the first to leave. she glances at the clock on the wall and stutters out a string of curse words, a mutter about being late. suguru plays dumb when she accuses him of not reminding her on purpose. she kisses you again, right under your jaw, and lets her clingy boyfriends give her one kiss each on the lips — despite her protests that they’ll mess up her lipstick. then she’s heading out.

”goodbye, doctor!” satoru calls, cheery even as your girlfriend rolls her pretty eyes.

”don’t call me that yet,” she snorts, adjusting her scarf. ”there’s still a good chance i’ll drop out. or cheat my way to a doctorate.”

so she says, but you all know her. you catch that glimmer of amusement in her eyes, something smug in the way she straightens her back. a little embarrassed, maybe. but the faith you have in her makes her glow.

then it’s satoru’s turn. he’s whinier, about it, ignoring the alarms on his phone on purpose. suguru has to bribe him, promising him kikufuku and take-out and an extra tight hug when he gets home. only then does he get up from his seat, untangling his leg with yours.

”do i have to?”

”yes, you do,” suguru tuts. ”the kids have an exam today. be responsible.”

another pout. but he listens, slipping on his sunglasses, putting on a coat and stealing a sip of your coffee that only makes him grimace. he has you both kiss the taste away, and you indulge him, because he’s silly and stupid and yours. 

and then it’s just you and suguru. he has a day off, and you don’t have to leave until later. the kitchen falls silent, back to a mellow morning rhythm, that quiet waltz of motions and sunshine. suguru pours you more coffee, gazing at you from across the table, and you thank him with a smile. he adjusts his glasses and flips through the morning newspaper; absently, you wonder if shoko and satoru would’ve teased him for it if they were here.

what the four of you have is an odd arrangement. but that’s what all of you are, anyway; a little odd. 

and as you sit there, serenaded by cicadas and morning birds, senses caressed by cappuccino foam and apricot blossoms and a hand holding yours over the table… you think to yourself that even if everything shattered around you — if the earth stopped spinning or the stars crashed through the roof of your apartment — you’d probably still keep on living. you’d do it, if only to continue chewing on these memories, these mornings, like savouring the faded flavour of an old piece of gum. over and over again, until you can’t tell where your teeth end and where the gum begins, so that you’ll always be able to taste it on your tongue. for the rest of your life.

it’s melodramatic, yes, but they are too. you’re sure suguru is pondering a sentiment even more dramatic, right now, even heavier with devotion. something so sappy you’d have to hide your face in your hands and beg him to stop talking. 

and, lo and behold, he suddenly speaks up. 

“are you happy?”

the question breaks you out of your silent stupor. you look up from your plate, his amber eyes already taking you in, drowning you in fondness. he’s smiling, and he’s looking at you like you’re spring personified. the silver of his lip piercing catches the light of the sun. a couple apricot petals are stuck in his hair, woven between his raven locks. 

you blink. inside your chest, something unfurls, twists and turns, grows and withers all at once. a whole garden of love, just for them.

you lean forward, elbows on the table, and brush through his bangs. petal caught between your fingertips. when you lean back, you’re smiling.

“yeah,” you answer, truthfully. inhaling the scent of spring. “i’m always happy when i’m with you.”

a breeze caresses your cheek, your hands, and the whole apartment smells of apricots. suguru seems pleased, returning to his cup of lukewarm coffee, a little clink of ceramic against porcelain that strikes you as distinctly heavenly.

soon, you’ll have to leave. you’ll have to manage without their jokes and banter and touches, without them, for a grueling number of hours, one tortuous lecture after another. but they’ll be waiting once you get back — and tomorrow, you’ll have breakfast again, just like this. forever and ever. you never want the coffee to run out, never want the apricot trees to wither. you want to stay greedy for a long time to come. 

and you’re sure they feel the same.

the sun lets her golden hair flow throughout the city, melting rivers and warming benches. she falls across shoko’s lecture hall, sneaks into satoru’s classroom, kisses her way up suguru’s neck. you let a sigh slip past your lips, and the sun breathes it in again. a vein of joy awoken, slumbering inside your veins; and you smile.

it’s springtime, now, a little warmer. 

(here’s to another year together.)

[emeryhiro]

My Thoughts on The Book Of Carol Ep 4

Firstly, I just want to say that I absolutely adored this episode!! Every second of it was spectacular, and I now rank it as my favourite episode from the entire TWD series.

!!!Spoiler warning for The Book of Carol Episode 4!!!

Carol and Isabelle:

What an amazing way for these two to meet! Carol saving and taking care of Isabelle was such a beautiful scene. And I have to say that I'm sooo happy that they did because I really wanted Isabelle to see who Daryl was talking about when he said that he had his own home to get back to. And how far that home of his is willing to go to save him. And the look on Isabelle's face when she realised who Carol is made it absolutely clear that she understood this.

Caryl Reunion:

I WAS MIND-BLOWN BY THIS SCENE! I had full-body chills and could not hold back my tears. I didn't know how they would manage to upstage the Terminus reunion, but they did it.

The way Daryl was fighting through the walkers and soldiers, and how in the background you can see a blurred figure coming down the opposite end of the corridor, shooting their way through walkers and soldiers as well, until there's no one left between them. You can hear Carol's sob, Daryl dropping everything he's holding, and immediately running towards her. The tears streaming down both their faces. Daryl pulling away for a moment and holding Carol's face in his hands just to make sure that it's really her, that she's actually standing in front of him and in his arms, that all of this isn't just a dream, and that she came all this way just to find him again.

I'm crying again just writing about it.

Isabelle's death:

This moment was so heartbreaking to watch. Not only because Daryl was losing someone he cared about, but also because you can see the look of confusion and surprise on Carol's face. She didn't expect, and wasn't prepared to see that Daryl had grown to care about someone that much, and in that moment she couldn't really tell what they meant to each other.

But there was such a beautiful moment here: once Isabelle had passed away, Daryl turns away and looks to Carol, grateful that she's by his side and silently asking her for her support. Carol, of course, immediately understands what Daryl needs and moves closer to him, placing her hand on his shoulder to comfort him and pulling out her knife to do what needs to be done so that Daryl doesn't have to.

The shift in Daryl's behaviour:

One of the first things that stood out to me again was the massive shift in Daryl's behaviour when he was with Carol. The way that only she can calm him and make him think clearly even when he's paniced and overwhelmed. How he trusts her completely, maybe even more than he trusts himself. And this part is a little sad to say (sad for Isa), but the speed at which he moved on from her loss and shifted his focus to Carol was so telling of the difference between how he feels about Carol vs how he thought about Isa. Yes, he may have grown to really care about Isa, but, as I have said before, as soon as he was reunited with Carol, she became the centre of his focus and brought light back into his life.

Even when Daryl worried about Laurent, his focus stayed on Carol. He always kept an eye on her to make sure she was right by his side, that she was okay, and that he was standing between her and any danger that they may be around.

Dépaysant: 

He uses the same word that Isabelle did, "Depaysant", and explains the meaning of it to Carol, which leads to Carol visibly trying to hold in her laughter and teasing him for speaking French. But what was most interesting here is the difference between Daryl's behaviour in this scene and the parallel scene with Isabelle from episode 2. With Isabelle, Daryl's face was serious, his body rigid, and their kiss felt cold, while with Carol, Daryl is smiling, watching her with tenderness on his face, laughing as she teases him, and overall, his body language is completely relaxed.

The Dance:

What an insanely beautiful moment! The way Carol and Daryl looked at each other when Theo said "My Love" to Dede and then the way they looked at each other again when Theo and Dede started dancing... If this isn't foreshadowing canon and an upcoming dance scene between Caryl, then I don't know what is!

"I never, ever, stopped trying to get home to You":

This scene was the perfect follow-up to the earlier scene where Carol told Daryl that if he ever wanted to explain it to her, she'd be there. And there's just so much to unpack here.

I think one of the main things that prompted Daryl to open up to Carol and explain everything about Isa and Laurent was that they had just watched Theo lose Dede, which reminded them of how close they were to losing each other as well.

It's also so important to note that Daryl intentionally said "home to You" he didn't say he never "stopped trying to get home", which would have been a completely reasonable thing to say, instead he intentionally said he "never, ever, stopped trying to get home to [Carol]" because he wanted and needed her to know that she's the one he wanted to get back to and that she was the home that he'd fight for.

And the way Daryl looks puzzled when Carol says, "You loved her", and the little smirk on his face right after. The way I interpreted that scene was that Daryl was initially confused as to why Carol said that and what made her think that, but then he realises that maybe she's a little jealous and starts to tease her a little with a smirk because the reality is that he didn't love Isa, at least not in that way and he would have thought that Carol's reaction to it was cute.

Additional thoughts:

The start of the episode had me on the edge of my seat, and I was blown away by how much Carol had to go through just in that one day to find Daryl. How many times during her journey has she been seconds away from death?

The love that Carol & Daryl share for each other, as Norman said, is truely "cosmic". They'll move heaven and earth to get to each other and nothing can get in their way.

I loved watching the sequence of Carol fighting her way through Mont Saint Michel and the tactics she was using to fight through all of the soldiers.

The constant bickering and teasing between Carol and Daryl was absolute perfection. I loved the way that Theo picked up on how they were acting like an old married couple, and how Dede looked towards Carol and intentionally said that she knows what real love looks like.

~~~~~

Overall, I can't help but give this episode a 10/10; there was not one thing that I didn't love about it, especially the many little details that clearly foreshadowed Caryl canon.

Thank you to everyone who read through this! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the episode as well, and I can't wait for episodes 5 and 6 to be released as well so that we can all discuss everything in detail ♡

[madrone33]

I don't know what to say. Thank you. Thank you Jorge. Thank you everyone who sung, and drew, and edited, and worked on EPIC: The Musical because you have all given me something that I will always - ALWAYS - remember and cherish.

I've been on this journey for over a year now, since Halloween 2023 when WolfyTheWitch posted a random short of Poseidon with the coldest musical lyrics I've ever heard. Ruthlessness brought me to this project, to this fandom. I was in all the events my timezone could reach, posted and messaged and freaked out with fellow fans on discord and tumblr and youtube and tiktok and twitch. I scoured the whole internet to find every piece of music, read the interviews, watched every livestream - most notably of which were the Ocean Crowdcast stream, the Circe Stream Crash of 2024, the Policy Violation Stream, and the IRL Odyssey streams XD

I got my family into it and was able to gush and rant and ramble to them about it; I've made so many friends because of this, and entered so many other fandoms too: MHSG, Udad, PJO, Hadestown, JCS, Lucids, DEH, and so many, many more; I've made essays and graphs and spreadsheets and analysis, discussing and picking apart the themes, characters, music details, motifs, lyrics; My voice has grown leaps and bounds because of how much I sing out loud now, I learned the songs on the piano, I started drawing?? I've written almost 112k words of fanfic for Epic, it's insane (and also not written down so much more LMAO). I even went out of my comfort zone and posted some of my writing and my covers which is CRAZY and nerve wracking and really fun!

Each saga I was left completely stunned and awestruck. Each saga I thought "surely, nothing can top this" and yet EVERY TIME I was blown away again the next time. The writing, the singing, the voice acting, the visuals, the orchestration, the lyrics, everything is just- !!!

Jorge. Miguel. Rivera-Herrans. HOW?? It's so good! It's SO GOOD!! And everyone's voices?? Everyone, just everyone is just talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same- THIS MUSICAL IS PURE ART, A MASTERPIECE OF A LEVEL HITHERTO UNKNOWN, THE LIKES OF WHICH MAY NEVER BE SEEN AGAIN. The fact that I was born in this spot in time, able to experience and appreciate and bask in the light of this glorious concept musical?? I am unfathomably lucky, and I thank the musical gods that it is so.

This past year has been one hell of a journey. I laughed a lot, I wrote lmao while actually only internally laughing a lot, I was tired and comforted and excited and anxious, I cried which I'm almost never able to do with media; Every day I would wake up and immediately check my phone for an upload notification, which is how I caught the Livestream today instead of missing it, so phew; I felt burned out sometimes, but managed to catch it and diversify my activities a bit, sinking into something else for a while before coming back refreshed and even more excited; My entire music wrapped this year was Jorge, Epic cast members' independent music, and greek mythology musicals; I watched the fandom grow even more, all the art, the fanfic, the theories, the memes, the friends.

I still don't think it's fully sunk in yet, but the entire musical is out now. It's done. I'm watched from saga three to nine, from Ocean to Ithaca. I've been here, every day, for a year. This is something that I don't think I'll ever experience again. I am so so thankful.

Thank you, Jorge, for bringing this into the world. What would it be, five and a half years now that he's been creating EPIC? He should be so proud, because I'm sure as hell proud. Odysseus finally made it home. The story is over.

But still, as Jorge said - This not the end of the journey, this is just the end of a chapter; the journey goes on!!

And I'll be here, taking that journey with you.

[not-poignant]

Hi, Pia! A year ago I discovered you through the Mysterious Skin fanfic, which truthfully has helped me in so many emotional layers till this day (and always will). After that read, I jumped on your profile and was blown away by the world you have created with your own hands. You really inspired me to publish my first fic in AO3 recently (for a random fandom), but sadly I've been having a hard time with it.

At the beginning I was relieved that fear didn't stop me anymore, but then it happened again, it came back, in another form, hitting me harder. I don't know how to explain myself, it's just that I think I'm not good enough, that there are better stories with better characterisations and when I read one of those I think: "This is perfect, I could never achieve this level, I don't have this voice, I should just delete mine, I don't have nothing to say, I can't make people feel this way" and I hate to have those feelings because I think it breaks down the true meaning of writing in general (to help people, to connect, to make a tribute, to have an emotional journey), but at this point I have lost my mind. My dream was always to be a writer, but I left it behind for so many reasons, now I thought things were changing inside me, but I guess it's not the case, I can't even deal with a fanfic...

I just wonder if you have ever feel this way before. How did you start writing? How has it been for you? How do you deal with these things? Feel free to answer me only if you're comfortable with that, I don't wanna put pressure on you as if you were my spiritual guide, but, for all the thoughts and things you share here, I think you are a wise person.

Sorry for the long text, I don't have people in real life to talk to about these issues. I'm really grateful to you already because of your story, it's always in my heart, it's part of me. Btw, I hope you are doing well, keep the amazing work. ❤️

PS: Sorry for the mistakes, not a native English speaker here.

Hi anon,

Congrats on posting your first fic! That's really huge. Even if it does open us up to The Insecurities, it's still a massive thing to do in the first place and I'm so happy for you.

As to everything else, oomf, let's get into it.

So the first thing is there is no writer out there who doesn't get assailed - literally assailed - by insecurities and massive feelings of self-doubt or even self-hatred over their writing (if there is, I haven't met them).

There's no point in writing at which they stop, and if you overcome some, new ones come in their place. I think that's just the nature of the beast - both wanting to (ideally) please at least some of our readers, and also offer something decent to read.

It can help to realise this is a normal part of writing and the experience. Obviously at its most severe, it might require therapy support, or professional support of some kind, but getting assailed by The Insecurities is part of being a creative person.

I don't know how to explain myself, it's just that I think I'm not good enough, that there are better stories with better characterisations

So yeah, this is true. Hear me out! This is true for me too. This is true for every writer that exists. Even the ones who win Pulitzers. This is going to sound blunt, but this is true for every story in the world. I know when I post my works that there are better stories with better characterisations out there. And there are stories that I consider perfect to me. But this last part is really important! I don't get to determine what's perfect for everyone. I'm not allowed to make that choice for them. And also people don't read in order to find The Most Perfect Story Ever, they read for many many many reasons, and that one often isn't even on the list! That's just on our list, when we feel beset by The Insecurities.

Like, yes, better stories exist. That's very subjective. They're better to you, they might not be better to some of the readers who read your work, and unless your only goal in writing is to be 'the best ever' (this is not a great goal imho because it's unattainable) sometimes a simple 'oh...yeah I mean it's true there are better stories according to me, but that doesn't mean that people won't enjoy mine, or that people won't think my stories aren't the best, and I'm not even writing to be the best in the world, so I don't know why I'm listening to this because it's not even what my values are in writing.'

But I also need to make it clear that your insecurities will never leave you 100%. They find new ways to come back, and they do keep coming back. We get periods free of the worst of it, often have low-key doubts in the background fairly frequently, and sometimes feel really good about writing. That's...writing. You haven't done anything wrong in your writing or in yourself when you have new insecurities coming in, and you've acknowledged yourself that things have already changed, because these are new or different insecurities. Think of it like an upward spiral, you circle back to feeling insecure, you have to if you want to keep going up.

You won't stay there forever, but the circling is part of the process. It can help to remind yourself of some cognitively true facts - what you think is perfect in writing is someone else's 'worst story ever' if they read it. What you love to read is not necessarily what you end up writing, and that doesn't mean it can't be someone's favourite story. And yeah, someone has already done something better by our standards, because I don't think there's any point on this journey where we go 'that's it, I've done it, I've become the best writer ever, insecurities begone!!!' (It would be nice, but it's not how it works).

So when insecurities come back it's not 'oh god I've failed at writing and/or keeping the insecurities away' it's - this is normal. You can go 'oh I'm being a regular writer right now, in the hard part of it.' I know this. It sucks. It probably means I need a break when it gets really bad, and I need to recharge a bit. I can keep improving, and my writing doesn't have to be anything other than entertaining. I've pretty much struck perfect from my vocabulary. It's too subjective.

I just wonder if you have ever feel this way before.

Anon, about twice a year I feel so bad about my writing I become convinced that the only answer is to delete all of it off my AO3 accounts. And on a regular basis I go between what I consider fairly normal insecurities (is that closing okay / is this arc good / will people like this character / have I pushed this too far / oh god my engagement is down am I terrible at writing), to pretty intense ones (idk why I do this nothing I write is good / how have I convinced these amazing people that this is worth their time / I wish I could write like (insert X author here) instead of this absolute mid shit etc.)

It helps me a lot to know that some of it is mental illness, but most of it is actually just normal. I'm a writer who wants my readers to have a good time and who wants to write something I can be proud of, and sometimes my brain won't let me feel proud of anything I've done because I made it, and sometimes I don't like myself very much. It means I should work on liking myself more. It doesn't mean I should stop writing.

I started writing as a kid, to cope with fairly awful life circumstances at home. So I was lucky that insecurities didn't matter because no one was seeing my writing except for me, I already hated myself (because people who were supposed to care for me, hated me - there's a reason I write the stories I do!) and I was literally trying to survive something that some people don't survive.

When I started sharing my writing, The Insecurities came. And...idk, I learned how to recognise it as a normal part of the process. It took a long, long time. It's normal to feel like there's something unique about how much we suffer over not liking our writing or feeling like it's bad, that the insecurities say something really true about our writing or even our integrity as a person.

Most of the time they say nothing at all except about the state of our mental health and how tired we are. For example, it's more normal for artists and writers to hate what they create during times of government unrest, or increased oppression, or in abusive households, because it's a way to redirect a lot of very unpleasant feelings to something we think we can control.

Sometimes it just happens because we're tired and the wave crashes over the dam we have in place that says 'go away insecurities.' Like you'd be amazed how much food, staying hydrated, getting good sleep / having good sleep hygiene can actually keep the worst of The Insecurities at bay.

Sometimes we need a break! Too much of a good thing in writing can lead to our brain trying to tell us we're terrible at it so we'll just walk away and watch some movies for a bit! The best way to prevent that is to take a break before we get there.

The good news is, you're a writer feeling something very normal for us writers. The bad news is that it feels bad. It can help to step back a bit, and also to join some writer's groups online maybe, ones that focus on support and lifting people up.

I wish I could say you one day hit a point where the insecurities never come back, but if anything, I don't think you can do these sorts of crafts without them. At their extremes they're not good for us, but the extremes of anything aren't good for us. You're not alone, I promise. The worst you've felt about your writing, is the worst many people have felt about their writing. It's just...often such a lonely process and many writers don't talk about it, but it's there, and it won't last. It's part of the spiral. Over time, you might find it easier when you know it's normal, and temporary, but frankly, there are times it's just really, really hard.

You will move past this, and then one day you'll touch on this again, and then you'll move past it again. Sometimes we spend longer in it than we wanted to, sometimes we need to take a longer break than we meant to, sometimes we write more than was good for us with how tired we were at the time.

It's not perfect, it's not supposed to be perfect, but it is part of the journey, it just means you're a writer like the rest of us writers, anon. I hope you can find your way back into writing more soon! And I hope you can be compassionate towards yourself. You put yourself out there, and have been writing, and honestly that's fucking amazing. I think you're awesome.

[wintersoulwitch]

Right so fucking hell this may be the greatest thing that's ever happened to me? And I'm going to do my own rambling now... You have been warned😅

Me going insane over @silverview's a better son / daughter is what lead to me starting to write and share my own fics - the first one basically being a fanfic of that fanfic because I couldn't get the story out of my head - and that was the motivating factor for me resurrecting my Tumblr account and starting @unreesonable as a place to archive all my digital data hoarding.

Recently I've been having a tough time with my mental health and dealing with lots of anxiety/overwhelm. And part of that was feeling completely unable to create anything, and that everything I did create was crap bla bla bla etc etc. And even though she has been nothing but gracious and encouraging, I was feeling very awkward and self-conscious about treading on silverview's toes and being overbearing and taking over this story that she'd started. To the point where I was thinking I should never have carried on with it, I should have quit while I was ahead, I should just delete it.

Thanks to S/F I ended up spending time with silverview IRL for two Saturdays in a row 😅 And she was again very lovely and complimentary and told me she wanted me to carry on writing about Blake and Drew. So on my epic 8-hour coach journey home I tried to use the time to go through my notes and pick up some half-written scenes and commit to getting another chapter up.

And then while I was trying to push through the final doubts that were keeping me from hitting the post button, I got a really lovely comment from @dangerliesbeforeyou and it was so timely. Like, ah, OK, there's someone else who might like to read this. So I posted, and then I got the most fucking epic comment from silverview on ao3 😍and THEN today I open Tumblr and see a post from @not-xpr-art and was like "Hey! That's Blake and Drew!" And then... OMFG. The title is from a line in one of my fics. Something I wrote inspired this. And there are details in this image that I straightaway know come from words that I wrote. Words. That. I. Wrote. What. The. Fuck. Ahhhhhh.

Like earlier this week I was thinking about people who have statements in their profiles about giving permission for people to make fanart/podfics of their writing and I was like "Ahhh that would be so cool. But no one would ever make fanart based on something I wrote." AND THEN THEY DID. (And then I sent them a billion messages freaking out about it 😅😅😅😅)

And it's so good - did I say it's so good? I loooove the echo of The Kiss and the Fallen Angel tear, I love the brushstrokes on their clothes and the sheets, I love the way you've rendered the hair (Drew's curls 😭), and the echoes of Andrew Powell (who is, of course, my mental reference for 22-year old Drew) and the reference to Drew's outfit in the actual Trolley Problem ep (makes a note to mention argyle patterned boxers in an upcoming chapter), and the whole trapped vibe comes across perfectly.

Seriously nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I am blown away. And this post is a lot more open and vulnerable than the stuff I usually share but that's the fucking point of making art and putting it out in the world, isn't it???

[dearasteria]

Major Gale romance SPOILERS below, so please DO NOT read and watch if you don't want to get spoiled.

I was REALLY worried about how romance with Gale would go, especially after talking to him right after he gets Karsas' book. My Tav wanted to believe and trust him, but something didn't feel right. At the end of Act II, when Tav tries to convince him not blow himself up for his ex's forgivness/to save Faerûn, it can be summed up with that one gif from Grey's Anatomy: "So pick me. Choose me. Love me" 🤡. Honestly, she asks not only to choose her, but also not to kill her and the rest of the team. Gale is so easily swayed and tells Tav that he loves her, even more than Mystra. Tav should be happy, right? But I'm like WAIT A DAMN MINUTE, it was faaar too easy, I mean, no protests from him, I didn't even have to use persuasion to convince him. At that point, after the trauma that Bioware had caused us with Anders and Solas, I'm getting paranoid. Gale doesn't love Tav, he's definitely hiding something. But I'm thinking to myself, "Okay, calm down, he just doesn't want to die, super understable. Maybe he really loves her and he needed to hear it? He needed reassurance that he has something to live for? Yes, it must be it". But then I go to the quest journal and see this:

DAMMIT GALE, you snake 🐍 My poor baby Tav (especially since the romance scene in Waterdeep was so warm and tender). She's so in love in him. Now I'm convinced that he will definetly betrey us, stubs us right in the heart.

At the beginning of Act III, he becomes obsessed with a book called The Annals of Karsus that may help him learn more about the crown. He becomes obsessed with how powerful he can become. When Tav gives him the book and says, "We already know the crown's dangerougs. Wouldn't that make things worse?" he replies:

"Worse? It could be the best thing that ever happened to me. To us."

After all this, Gale tries to convince Tav to help him reconstruct the crown. We have this beautiful scene on the boat and when I tell you my jaw dropped. HE CHOOSES TAV, listens to her concerns and simply chooses her.

The way he says it, the way he corrects himself… damn. For Tav, it's like a bucket of cold water. And I'm like, "Here we go again" 🤡

Furthermore, when we visit the Stormshore Tabernacle in Baldur's Gate and interact with Mystra's statue, he seems to feel so uncomfortable, he doesn't want to be there. Tav starts to think he's definitely hiding something. She would like to hear Mystra's version of what happened between her and Gale (I hope we can talk to her at some point in the game, it would be very interesting).

My Tav, however, disagreed, and Gale replies, "I hope you're right. I truly do. Godly power, perhaps I can live without, but you? You're everything". Has the curse of dating mages that leave players heartbroken been broken?

But I have to admit, when he said: "With you, I forget my goddess. I love you. Tell me you feel the same way. Tell me you want what I want. Please" - OH GODS 😳. I was so close to agreeing to this madness. The VA did an amazing job (side note: so many talented VAs in this game, it's mind blowing), the writing is amazing, the music is incredible, I was blown away, really.

Next day, after the boat scene, he's so adorable and full of love for Tav. Then I remembered his gratest flaw (for me it's more like his biggest fear) from the scene with Zethino in the circus: "He thinks he, and the world, might be better off if he were dead". At the time I thought he was lying, manipulating Zethino and his answers. My distrust of mages in games… Yes, I have a problem 😅

I haven't finished the game, but I have high hopes for a happy ending. No spoilers please, thanks :)

What a rollecoster of emotions, I love it, I love Gale. It felt like I was playing Dragon Age: Origins for the first time, way back when I was a teenager. It's really insane how this game makes me feel, how much I care about its characters and story.

EDIT: Okay, so we have an audience with Mystra, I mean only Gale, but we see the whole conversation between them. My only complain is that Gale doesn't mention Tav when Mystra asks him why he defied her 💔 The outcomes are different depending on whether you do it before or after the boat scene. Personally, I think doing the boat scene before meeting Mystra is much better. I get the impression that Gale is abandoning the plan to reconstruct the crown solely for Tav and his love for her. And the drama 👌🏻 it gives me life.

[ian-galagher]

✨Weekly Tag Wednesday ✨

Thank you for tagging me you lovely people! 🥰🧡 Jess @jrooc Michelle @michellemisfit Gigi @sgtmickeyslaughter Pie @gallapiech

Alice @spookygingerr Rory @roryonic Comet @spacerockwriting

Name and A03 handle: Willow & IanGalagher

Current Location: the couch, very comfy.

Favorite picrew (don't have one? you can skip this or do this one)?

I went through my folder of picrews past and I love the ones with a feather and Nemo for Africa reasons.

the last two are funny because I made those before playing bg3 and people in the know may be in on a joke, there 😂

What's one thing you want in a picrew? I love it when there's an option to hold any kind of animal 😂 also trans / masculine options!

Favourite thing you’ve created (or seen created) for the fandom? Darkness comes before the Dawn with the most amazing art by Nosho @creepkinginc and magical words by Sky @transmurderbug and help from Julia @blue-disco-lights

Why is it your favourite? I love everything about it! Mute Mickey speaks to me (pun intended) and I love the raven & fox metaphor for Mickey & Ian. Also, that art, I'm STILL blown away by it, really.

Did it come easily or was it hard to create? the deadline was something I'd rather not repeat 😂 the story itself just came to us, that was amazing 🥰

Last ao3 fic you commented on? The Circus, Hysterical Light, Angel Of Music, Guide And Guardian (Grant To Me Your Glory) - all wonderful and amazing fics! 🧡

Biggest WIP heartache you’ve ever experienced? Reckoner but I have NO doubt at all that it will be concluded one day! 🥰

Favorite trope or head cannon you like included in a fanfic? when they have pets! also any kind of mystical and magical world will draw me in any time.

Least favourite? not a fan of anyone dying.

Secret or surprising kink or trope? is it a surprise that I like them being softies? no? then I don't have an answer for this one 😂

Describe how you feel after you’ve created something new? right after I'm glad to be finished but when I post it online and all stays quiet I convince myself everyone HATES it and I'm a terrible terrible writer who should never write again 😂 anyway, support WIPs and leave comments everyone! 😁

Top hype man you have that always helps you get across the finish line: my besties, Nosho & Sky, Julia always, the discord crew, Alice, Comet, Pie, Nora, Jess, you all help so much!! I'm very lucky to have you all 🧡

It's been a bad day, you turn to the fandom and you _____? talk to friends. you guys are my rock, what would I do without you 🧡

Tags and the questions below the cut!

@stocious @look-i-love-u @energievie @deathclassic

@sweetbee78 @vintagelacerosette @depressedstressedlemonzest

@suzy-queued @lee-ow @francesrose3

@transmickey

Name and A03 handle:

Current Location:

Favorite picrew (don't have one? you can skip this or do this one)?

What's one thing you want in a picrew?

Favourite thing you’ve created (or seen created) for the fandom?

Why is it your favourite?

Did it come easily or was it hard to create?

Last ao3 fic you commented on?

Biggest WIP heartache you’ve ever experienced?

Favorite trope or head cannon you like included in a fanfic?

Least favourite?

Secret or surprising kink or trope?

Describe how you feel after you’ve created something new?

Top hype man you have that always helps you get across the finish line:

It's been a bad day, you turn to the fandom and you _____?

[flufftober]

I’m curious, do you recognize some users because you’re reblogging them so often?

Thank so much for this event, I loved every minute of it and it made me write 80k words. I’ve never done that before and I really can’t believe it yet. Thanks for everything, you guys 🧡

Hey there 😊 thanks for your ask.

And yes 🥰 yes we do. Some participants have been with us for a few rounds now, and every year it's like meeting an old friend again. Don't know about my mods, but I can honestly say that at the start of every Flufftober, I usually go, "Ohh, hi XYZ, love to see you again," reblog 😂

Then, of course, during the month, we quickly learn who our regulars are; we notice who sticks to one fandom, maybe even one ship - or who's absolute chaos (affectionately) with another ship every day, maybe even another fandom.

So yes, just know that we see you all and that we love you 🥰

Now, that being said:

What an AMAZING accomplishment, wow!! I'm blown away, that is so impressive 😍😍

We hope you all had a great time and that you are ALL proud of yourself, no matter how many entries you had in the end 😘

[mandiemegatron]

ミ💖 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮 💖彡

𝐀 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭

𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 (𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐭)

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 : 𝐆

𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴, 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵. 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶!

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

A/N : HELLO MY LIL TANGERINES!!! Here it is! Finally, my birthday piece for my husband, I love him so much and I had so many feels writing this 😭😭😭 I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did writing it, I love you all so much !!! (If u see any errors.... no u don't 💖)

𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒚 ; @baka-tsuki // @baka-tsuki-2 ♡

Law was not a fan of his birthday.

The Heart Pirates knew to keep to themselves for the day, even though deep down they wished for nothing more than to celebrate their amazing Captain. Years flew by in the blink of an eye, his birthday passing over and over without so much as a cake or gift, except for the ones given by Bepo, Penguin and Shachi.

Then Y/N came along.

Waking to a good handful blown up balloons wandering around his office, his brows furrowed with a deep frown across his face in confusion. Glancing at the clock, he realized he'd only slept about three hours, and by the amount of balloons that were floating around-

His thoughts stopped as his door creaked open slightly and a gift bag was shuffled in, a familiar hand quickly pulling back and closing the door. Law narrowed his eyes at the gift with a low sigh, hearing the rapid footsteps leaving his door.

Laws hands clenched into fists as he stared at the gift bag, forcing himself to take a deep breath before he finally walked towards it. He bent down slightly and picked it up, giving a soft hum in surprise at the weight.

Slowly making his way back to his desk, he flopped down in his chair tiredly, a tattooed hand running through messy hair with a loud yawn leaving him at the same time. He simply stared at the gift until the door opened and in came Bepo, a fresh cup of tea in his paws.

"Good morning, Captain!"

Law gave his best friend a withering look, accepting the mug with a nod of thanks as he sighed down at the gift once again.

"...I don't think anyone told her."

Laws eyes flickered back to Bepo at his meek voice, an almost anxious look on the Minks face as he took in his Captains state.

"... it's fine."

Bepo quickly gave his report before giving a salute, murmuring quickly, "Happy birthday!" before running out the door before Law could retort with a snap. The Heart Pirate Captain grunted in irritation and huffed as he threw his face into his palms, rubbing at his aching eyes roughly before pulling away with another huff.

Glaring at the card taped to the simple paper bag, little Heart Pirate crests hand drawn all over it, he ripped it off the bag and opened it, wanting to get it done and over with.

His motions slowed as he took in the hand-made card, his fingers gently running over the front with another deep-set frown. He could tell the love and effort Y/N had put into it.

Opening it, his heart slumped through the floor as he took in all the loving words and signatures from everyone on the ship, the thought touching Law, though he gave a low "Tsk," a hand covering the lower half of his face as he read everything over.

His eyebrows furrowed again as he realized Y/N hadn't signed it, giving the card a flip over and he felt tears prickle his eyes as he took in the words she'd written on the back.

Law,

I'm so proud of you for doing your best to be okay.

I'm proud of you for waking up and trying.

I'm so proud of you for being here today because I know some of your yesterday's were really hard.

You are going to get through whatever you go through, because you're not alone anymore.

I hope you fight for yourself when no one else does and I hope you know you are worthy of your wildest dreams.

You are someone worth fighting for.

Keep going.

Love always,

Y/N. ♡

Throwing the card down on his desk a little more aggressively than he meant to, he sat back in his chair with his arms crossed tight across his chest, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall.

He absolutely loathed how hard her words hit, his heart both racing and sinking in his chest, his hands gripping his arms as he chewed the inside of his bottom lip.

He stewed for a good hour, his eyes never leaving the card. It was like it was made of poison and he would get sick if he touched it again, but it felt like his hands burned to touch it once more. He fought with himself over and over until he finally went for the gift, pulling out four individually wrapped items.

Ripping the first one open, he let out an almost inaudible gasp, his hands brushing over the cover of a First Edition of Sora : Warrior of the Seas. Opening it to the first page, he noted with pure excitement that it was not only number 4 out of millions of copies, but it was signed.

Child like excitement ran over him as he held the book to his chest, an overwhelming feeling of gratitude encompassing him. His hands shook slightly as he put the book down, his fingers almost not wanting to leave it in case it burst into dust under his touch.

He finally went for the next gift, opening the smaller package and giving a shaky, soft laugh as he looked over the Commemorative Collectors Coins, four of them in total.

Alabasta, Logue Town, Fishman Island...

Flevance.

Wide, teary eyes took in the coin, slightly dented and marred from its years of being traded; he noted it looked recently polished and he immediately broke down, his free hand covering his face as he silently wept into his palm.

He didn't know how long he cried for, the coin tight in his fist and indenting his skin to the point of almost bruising it. When his eyes finally stopped shedding tears, he looked back up and gave a watery sigh, picking up the next gift, the coin still in his other hand.

He smiled softly at the new pen, turning it over and chuckling to himself as he noted his name etched into the side of it, along with a new, lined journal. He flipped the book open and hummed softly, taking in the small words Y/N wrote on the first inner page.

For when things just don't make sense... write it out! ♡

He opened the last gift and immediately threw it on, the handmade scarf black and yellow striped with his ensignia embroidered on both ends soft against his neck. His hands ran over the high quality yarn with an amazed look, surprised by how well it was made.

A knock on his door caused him to jump, quickly throwing everything back into the bag and gently placing it under his desk, though his hometown coin remained on his desk, just off to the side.

"Come in."

Y/N poked her head in and his heart leapt into his throat at her expression, sadness and worry written across her face as she stepped in. She closed the door behind her and walked the three steps to his desk, sitting down at the chair in front of it and immediately opened her mouth to speak, only to stop at Law raised his hand.

"I have something to say, first. If you don't mind."

His words grew quiet by the end, almost nervous as he took a breath and slowly continued,

"I... had a very... wild childhood, as you would put it. How you knew about my hometown..."

He shook his head as she went to reply, anxiety clear in her eyes.

"I don't know who told you, but I am incredibly grateful to you for what you gave me. This is an irreplaceable gift, Y/N."

His eyes softened as he continued a little quieter,

"A very thoughtful gift. I am incredibly thankful."

Reaching down, he pulled out the book and pursed his lips into a thin line, unable to contain his excitement as he then asked,

"How did you find this? Do you know how rare these are?"

Y/N gave a relieved sigh before laugh lightly,

"Incredibly rare. It's uh," She scratched her cheek as she looked of to the side, her cheeks tinted pink. "It was mine. I have number 4 and 5, and who better to give the signed edition to but Sora's biggest fan?"

Law clutched the book to his chest again, his inner child literally screaming and running around in his head at her words.

"... What did I do to deserve such kindness?"

Turning her eyes back to him, she gave him a wide, genuine grin as she cheekily replied,

"You may not like your birthday, but I like your birthday... and I think that's reason enough to celebrate."

Smiling back at her, he placed the book down on his desk and rose from his chair, moving around his desk and gently grasping her hands, pulling her from her own chair and into his arms tightly.

The two were silent for a while, her head on his chest and arms around his waist as his arms cradled her to him, his cheek resting on the top of her head comfortably. After a few moments, Laws voice suddenly rumbled out softly,

"... I think I can deal with that."

Y/N chuckled into his chest, the sound and feeling causing his heart to dance in his ribs like a wild drum.

"For the rest of your life?"

Law laughed slightly, grinning into his hair as he replied,

"I, at the very least, think I could handle another year with you."

Y/N was silent for a moment, simply squeezing him lovingly before she finally murmured out,

"... Happy birthday, Law."

[ritualofcirice]

🐑 ♡ Here's one letter fresh from Sup-port, addressed to the Vox specialist ♡ 🐑

Dear @macabr3-barbi3,

Never has Vox been so flawlessly executed than in your works. From the moment someone enters the world of your stories, they are sucked into a torrent of beautifully written, steamy romance. Perhaps it's that hot flatscreen heating everything up?

You've got us tuned in no matter what! Everything you craft is a testament to your skill, and you are learning at a rapid rate how to improve upon perfection. Speaking of perfection, you've mastered the art of being a total sweetheart.

That can only mean you're getting a letter of Sup-port to show you the same sweetness back! Thank you for sharing all of your stories with us, and thank you for being the CEO of spicy stories!

Wishing all the best, and sending all of our love,

The Sup-port Team xo

Let's see what other letters arrived for you!

From @dewdropdinosaur ♡

"Hey Barbie,

I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how truly amazing you are. Not only are you an incredible writer, but you're also one of the kindest, most genuine people I know. You were the first to welcome me into the Helluva Discord server with such warmth and a smile, and that meant the world to me. You've been a pillar of our community, always lifting others up, offering support, and sharing your creativity in ways that inspire us all.

I treasure you with my whole heart, and I'm so grateful to have you as both a friend and a part of this community. You're a rare and special person, Barbie, and I’m lucky to know you.

With all my love, DINO"

From @fraugwinska ♡

"I have so much I could say about Barbie. Almost a year ago we started to talk - She knew my fic and commented reghularily. I read Dream a little Dream (of me) written by her and was amazed at the imagery and immersive writing, the creativity that I've seen. Ever since then, we are writing history. Not a day goes by where we don't talk, laugh, joke, quib, comfort and praise each other. Barbie is like a sister I always wanted. Even though we never met, I feel like I've known her for much longer than the fleeting months since April 2024. And I never get tired of singing her praises: What a good noodle she is, how funny and witty, clever and insightful, artistic and creative. She is a natural cestpool of talents, she writes beautiful music as well as amazing stories, all while humbly celebrating the people she adores wholeheartedly. Barbie is always coming up with such capturing fics that I can't believe she isn't already on the New York Times besttseller lists. Which she might as well be someday, when her fantasy novel will be published - and you best believe I'll be on the start of the long lines in a book store, obnoxiously telling them that my best friend wrote that book.

Not even a year, and yet, I don't want to miss her friendship for the rest of my life."

From @reinthechaosdeer ♡

"Dear Barbie, why I can only say so much about your work til it becomes repetitive as I’m sure so many have told you. I love your writing and how you bring things to life. My favorite work is your “Call It a Night” for reasons I’m sure you can guess. Haha

The way you set up the scene with Alastor being calmly playful and mildly amused whereas Vox is just a mess and freaking out cause ”oh no hot deer + one bed = glitching whhhheeezzzeeee” I’ve read it sooo many times and it just gets better and better. I’m currently reading through a few of your other fics again. So watch out Call it a night may get it’s very own dub by yours truly."

From @hyuccubus ♡

"Barbie!!!!! It's been a great joy to get to know you better and better as the months go by. I've always cherished the connection that we fostered based on our love of creating music (I'm still blown away by what you created for the Regency collaboration), and on top of that, your writing skills are amazing, too! I'm impressed by how consistently you put out quality, novel smut, both as a fan and as a peer. I always perk up seeing you jump in to chats, and I have so many fond memories of those chaotic early months in the Orchard. I can't wait to make more with you, dear, it's been such a pleasure to be your friend.

-Remy"

Barbie's Advice To You

"I'd say my best advice- both for writing and just in general- is to give yourself grace. You're not always going to get something perfect the first try, and it's important to know that it's okay to take a step back and take a breather before continuing to work on something. The people that love and support you will almost always be more concerned with you taking your time and taking care of yourself than forcing out something that you're not happy with. Take your time and be patient with yourself!"

Want To Write A Personal Letter?

Barbie's official Sup-port tag is #fromsup-port2macabr3-barbi3

♡ Is it your first time picking up mail at Sup-port? Find out what we're about here ♡

[sequinsmile-x]

in a big ian doyle storyline phase rn and i check in on my fav hotchniss writer (you) and see you just wrote one last souvenir from my trip to your shores !!! phenomenal, adore it your writing everything THANK YOU

if you’re open to any requests along similar lines i can’t get out of my head how awful doyle could’ve potentially treated her undercover and how vulnerable she really was under her lauren persona if you want to take that in a post-doyle hotchniss hurt comfort direction ?! up to you, your work is so brilliant i know however you interpret this will be amazing

Thank you so so much <3 I am so pleased you enjoyed One Last Souvenir, I'm genuinely a little blown away by how much people have enjoyed it!

And I do find her dynamic with Ian interesting to write about from a retrospective point of view. I'm going to stick the rest below the cut as I will be talking about domestic violence, and want to give people the chance to scroll away if they want to!

We know Ian used violence as a form of control, so to me it doesn't feel like a stretch of the imagination that Ian was violent with her too. I have touched on this in a few fics before (both AU and canon compliant hotchniss) and would definitely be up for exploring it again if people wanted to read it.

I do have an idea for a fic where she has an old scar that Aaron asks about, she initially lies about its origin, but eventually tells him it's from when she was with Ian and she got in between him and Declan when he was trying to 'discipline' him.

[storytellingbadger]

Just wanted to send you some love because I have been following your Celestial Phenomena Series for a while and I'm just, like... really happy that you made it. I can't really put into words how much it means to me that you've created not just an amazing story but you've inspired a lot of ideas, headcanons and love for Solar and Sun and you're just really REALLY amazing and I wanted you to know that! I'm a big Eclipse fan as well and I'm been blown AWAY by your characterization of him! I don't know how it all will end but, if there was one thing I'd hope for it's that Eclipse doesn't die! xD Really want that man to struggle some more with not just the consequences of his actions but the messy, nitty gritty journey of establishing a healthy bond! That's what I'd LIKE but you're an amazing writer and I TRUST what you've got cookin'! Thank you for your contributions to this fandom and I hope to be able to keep reading your stories!

Hello! This is ever so kind of you, thank you so much. I truly appreciate it. What was just a silly little comedic one-shot morphed into a beast. I'm so lucky to have people like you reading and commenting, it makes my day and motivates me to continue. So thank you.

Eclipse is a complicated, selfish, ruthless character and I love writing him. Everything was always so easily justified in his mind before, and now he's been punched in the face with consequences he didn't foresee. Man's got stuff to do.

I'd love to hear about what ideas and headcanons the series has sparked, if you're willing to share? No trouble if not, of course. But definitely curious!

Thank you again.

[subwaytostardew]

Hello! I’ve been following this mod for a little while now and I want to say!! How absolutely impressed and blown away how amazing it is!! The story and world building is so much fun! And the sprites and the amount of effort you put in each animation is phenomenal! The pokemon look so good and I adore how you made emmet and Ingo’s walk cycles different, and just the! Writing and seer amount of programming done is just! Amazing! Super bravo! You two so clearly but so much thought into (1/?)

First off, I'd just like to say thank you for taking the time to type out all your messages! It really means a lot whenever we get feedback like this!

Kade is brilliant on the world-building aspect of things and coming up with ideas... She sent me a whole google doc with a draft of their schedules a day after I managed to get Emmet in game. Really helped give this project a sense of direction!

I wasn't too confident regarding writing and pixel art at first, but having her take charge with scripts really helped me stay on track towards a higher state. After so many events, I feel like we have a good idea as to how to write their characters. Making Emmet's sprite first did make Ingo's a bit of a pain to draw (since he does not walk like that) but I'm glad I committed to the bit from day one.

I've been staying up late (I get too excited working on the mod...), but I'm making sure to sleep in to account for that! It'll be a while until we get around to releasing platonic versions of their routes (don't get me wrong, it's first on our patch priority- especially since so many people following this are aromantic! We just still have a long way to go regarding the base mod.), but I'm glad what we have is still enjoyable for now. Emmet's part of Ingo's 10 heart event is still one of my favorite things I've written. It wasn't in the original draft and was only added in during the coding phase, but everything is constantly evolving!

As for Chandelure and Ingo, they can understand each other, just not in the way the farmer can understand Pokemon. We actually discussed the logistics and capabilties together but I don't believe we've ever published it in a post. The farmer understands Pokemon as if they were recieving instant translations to English from the noises they "speak". Farmer has a bit of telepathy in a sense because sometimes, they're just making noises, but they can read their thoughts in words. (When writing Joltik, I don't actually have any text in my head... it's just babbles of "bah" and "wawwawawawawa" in my head. Baby noises.) Farmer also has an absurd ability to eavesdrop, so they can just tell if a Pokemon is thinking/saying anything.

Ingo and Chandelure have their souls bonded, but Ingo can't quite decipher what Chandelure's chimes mean exactly in words. He reads her through a mix of tone, how her flames burn, charades, and any visions she transmits into his mind through active effort. In the tunnel, she's just transmitting what she wants to say into the farmer's mind. Ingo can't pick up on that. When Chandelure communicates with Ingo, she has to will his perception, and it's only in images. If Ingo had the image of hand-holding with his crush flashed into his mind, he would just get flustered and eventually assume it's his imagination running wild again. He does get caught up in his ideas, so Chandelure can easilly gaslight him into believing it's his own train of thought rather than her fault.

In that same line of thinking, Chandelure could convince him that he's super down bad for the farmer with enough suggestions since she kind of wants to win a bet with Grandpa saying that they'll get married in three years. Ingo feels haunted about having a crush for a reason.

▷ Station Steward Thylak

[peachy-panic]

For a while now, I have been thinking about making a whump blog. Because I've been following the whump community from the sidelines for some time, and it seems like such a lovely place full of mutual support and encouragement. I've been writing for a long, long time. For decades now, actually. Stories, RPs. The likes. So I wouldn't even go in without some sort of experience, I thought. Then I stumbled across your blog and read your stories and I'm absolutely blown away by how beautifully and well written they are. Now I feel totally insufficient and find myself thinking: "What the hell could I even contribute?" I SWEAR THIS IS A COMPLIMENT, BECAUSE YOUR WRITING IS JUST SO GOOD AND CAPTIVATING IT MAKES ME QUESTION EVERYTHING I HAVE WRITTEN LATELY! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! <3 <3 <3 <3 And now I'll crawl back into my cave and will continue to watch from afar... Have a great day, and thank you for your writing!

This is very very kind to me, thank you. BUT—it is not very kind to YOU.

You absolutely should not let comparison be the thief of joy. One thing I’ve learned for certain, being in writing communities like this one, is that every amazing writing I know has experienced impostor syndrome when it comes to their writing ability.

I truly cannot stress enough how self-deprecating I get about my own writing.

I mean, to the point where I feel nauseous and anxious reading some chapters back and start spiraling about how I’ll never be as good as so-and-so, so what’s even the point.

But I keep writing & posting anyway, because I love these stories, they bring my genuine joy to hold inside my head and put down on paper, and somehow I’ve found my own little audience that seems to enjoy them too.

Give yourself a chance! Nothing you post here needs to be perfect. We do this for free. If you believe in your stories, that’s all that matters. Your audience will find you.

Anyway, once again, this was very nice of you to say and I’m really glad you like my stories. ❤️

[modgryphonrambles]

I love TAOCC so much!

It is 5-6 in the morning, and I'm feeling emotional and affectionate. So I'm gonna ramble about how much I appreciate people. Apologies if you don't want to be tagged in this or if I'm not making any sense because I'm sleepy.

@silhouette-anon Soup, thank you so much for running the Gangle blog, if it wasn't for you, I would never have found this silly little RP community. I was so scared to interact for so long, I lurked and only sent a couple of unsigned anon asks, but the way you interacted with your regular anons gave me the confidence to also try and become a regular. You were just so kind to everyone, and it was wonderful to see. Love your art, love your RP, love how you make me smile in one moment and then make me cry in the next.

@sh4tt3rg1rl Basil, Soup may have been how I found TAOCC, but you are the reason I wanted to get involved with actually RPing in it. I don't remember how I stumbled on Mix's blog, but he was the first non-canon character in the group that I followed. I just loved his story, his design, the way you RPed, everything. Again I was too scared to actually approach you, instead I watched for a few weeks without making a single RP post. And even when I did start RPing, I was still a little intimidated by how amazing your writing was, so even though I still followed your blogs, it took me way too long to finally ask if I could interact with one of your characters. And of course your art blows me away all the time!

@the-moth-from-elsewhere Elsie, you were the first person in TAOCC I actually RPed with, though I never intended that. But I was so intrigued by Aoki's interaction with Mix, he seemed like such an interesting character, and I was blown away with how you RPed him. I wanted to follow that OC, but I didn't know what his blog was. I just knew yours. When I asked you if you had a list of OC blogs, you not only gave them to me, but pointed me in the direction of Dusk as a nice OC for me to introduce Grif to. In a rare burst of confidence, I sent an actual RP ask. I haven't looked back since. Your art style is so adorable, and you kinda scare me with how many characters you have, but I'm impressed by all the thought you put into TAOCC and I could listen/read your rambles for hours!

@shot-of-hopes-and-dreams Hope, I've already told you before how much I appreciate you for being the first person to send a character ask to Grif completely out of the blue. But I don't think I ever told you that you were also the first person I DMed to ask about joining a plot. DMs always scare me, I think because of how private they are, and it took me a good few days to work up the courage to send the message, but I'm so glad I did! Every time I get a message, or ask, or @ from you, I get excited, and sometimes a little nervous, you do love being evil after all! You surprise me a lot, keep me on my toes and really make me think when we RP together, and it's a ton of fun! I do love your sketchy art style too, and in my opinion it doesn't get nearly enough attention.

Star, Feiar, and everyone else that I've talked to outside of RPing (including the people I singled out above), thank you for all being so sweet and kind and welcoming. I really do struggle with social stuff especially voice calls, I always feel a little awkward by how I'm mostly non-verbal, and I often avoid calls because of it, but just you guys being so understanding has really helped me get over that fear!

And for everyone in TAOCC whether I've talked to you before or not, thank you for being such awesome creative people, you've given me so much joy over these past few months, I am so glad I found this community! Whether it's the writing, the art, the silly little memes, all of it makes me so happy (or breaks my heart in a good way when you decide to be angsty). All of you, never change, keep being such wonderful, amazing people!

[halfmoth-halfman]

the end of march is here, so we've got a new monthly fic rec list!!

just like last month, this is only for fics that i read and were also written this month. if you wanna see more of my fic recs and favs, i have em all organized on my recs blog, here!

and as always, if you have any fic recs of your own, feel free to send em my way here or on my sideblog - i love finding new fics and writers!

Alex Keller

blood on my hands - @uselsshuman

✧ two of my favorite things: alex keller and emma's fics! alex being a great caretaker and having friends everywhere is amazing. this is the perfect fic to scratch my alex itch!

Joel Miller

to think i'd forgotten - @mvtthewmurdvck

✧ i don't think there will ever come a day when i am not completely blown away by just how good anything jo writes is. doesn't matter the fandom or character, everything is absolutely top tier and this joel fic is no exception.

John Price

the five times - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ a fic i couldn't put down and even after i finished it, i had to read it a million more times. i already love price, but this fic only made me love him more and the writing???? i literally have no words for how good this is.

a handful of birthdays - @mvtthewmurdvck

✧ one of my favorite price fics ever. such a cute and fun way to show a relationship evolving over time and written so beautifully. this is definitely a fic i reread whenever i need a pick-me-up.

in dreams - @yeyinde

✧ the day i don't immediately fall in love with one of lev's fics is the day i die. there should be a museum dedicated to her fics because every single one is a piece of art.

gravity - @soapskneebrace

✧ drunk shenanigans are always a fun time, and price being a gentleman at the end is the perfect cherry on top of this well-written sundae.

afternoon coffee - @lunarvicar

✧ another spectacular addition to the mothiverse! price being a mother hen is too perfect and him demanding moth lick the spoon again even more so. i may be a bit biased, but the mothiverse is one of my fav price series and every addition just makes me love it more and more.

John "Soap" Mactavish

sweet melodies - @johnnytavish

✧ everything i've ever wanted and more. i'm a sucker for singer!reader and this is so perfect. the teasing from her and the rest of the 141? amazing. the reader being a siren on stage? fantastic. this entire fic? perfection.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

gossamer silk smiles - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ whoever the anon was that requested this is doing the lord's work because i have never read a more perfect gaz fic in my life. perfect doesn't even begin to cover it. i love this fic with every fiber of my being and every piece of my soul.

kiss prompts || kiss 39: last kiss before dying | kiss 3: forehead kiss | kiss 13: morning kiss - @cowboybxtch

✧ do you want to have your heart broken into a million pieces and then put together with the cutest and most wholesome fluff you've ever read? then these kiss prompts are for you! i know i say fics are beautifully written a lot, but there's no other way to describe this little series. they're beautiful. gorgeous. stunning.

König

overflow the stars - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ listen, i'm not a könig girlie, but this fic right here? chef's kiss. i swear, there isn't a single character that hal can't make me love. everything she writes, every character she writes for is so well done, her talent floors me.

Leon Kennedy

in my veins - @uselsshuman

✧ did i create a resident evil section in my fic recs just for this fic? yes, yes i did. and i have absolutely no regerts because i love this fic and i will never be normal about any of the amazing stuff emma writes.

Multi Characters

141 sleeping headcanons - @maes-chocolate-cookie

✧ this is so cute and i love it. they fit the characters so well, especially price sleeping with a thick blanket no matter the temperature. i feel that on a deep level.

Simon "Ghost" Riley

sassy series || grocery list | cough - @peachesofteal

✧ i saw the words soft dad!simon and was immediately sold. then i read the rest of the fic and felt my heart clench at how goddamn cute this entire series is. "Simon is a good partner and dad I will be taking no questions." you're right, peach, and you should say it.

something tells me, i'm going to love you forever - @mvtthewmurdvck

✧ no words, just this:

your blood on his hands - @vesper-tinus

✧ i had to take a lap around my living room after i read this. this fic killed me. it destroyed me in the best way possible. "Maybe in the next life." how dare you do that to me but also i love it so much.

happiness series || a late night last minute request | four - @lethalchiralium

✧ more for one of my favorite family man simon riley series! the interactions between simon and his kids always get to me, this is such a soft and wholesome series even when it hurts.

pi day - @kioplama

✧ went in for a cute little fic for pi day, came out blushing and tearing up over "Professor Riley". really, really cute and the reaction to simon pulling out a ring made me laugh.

about someone, that isn't you - @mvtthewmurdvck

✧ this fic killed me. absolutely wrecked me. completely destroyed me. jo is too good at the angst and making me feel and getting me all caught up in my emotions. i don't know how she manages to create such stunningly painful fics, but it's a skill to be admired. i don't think I'll ever get tired of how good her fics hurt.

you wake up together - @ninetailedfoxmanchi

✧ lazy morning fics are the best. something about the pure domestic bliss and reading about ghost being calm and happy just sends my heart sailing.

untitled - @blackssuunn

✧ a lovely fic with simon being a big softy. as someone who mostly writes and reads fluff, this is top tier, grade a, perfectly written fluff and all i want to do is curl up and reread this fic over and over.

cuddlebug - @saltycurry

✧ self-indulgent tooth-rotting fluff? sign me tf up. i am absolutely here for it and i loved every word of this fic. i know there's a theme of super fluff in these recs, but i won't apologize for it when i get cute fics like this to read all day.

a good man - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ this is gonna be another picture because i can't find the words to explain how much i adore this fic and i feel like my emotions are best described like this: