#fol stuff

[folightening]

Every so often, Nations need to be among their people. To recharge their humanity. To remind themselves what it is to live. It keeps the human part of them intact and stops them from becoming the monsters they could be.

[the-sleepy-silurian]

Another low-quality meme before the new chapter this week....

[one-little-nerd-stayed-home]

H-hey do you want to think about something that's kinda fucked up?

Tarragon copes with her past as a Hexblood by becoming a Peace Cleric.

Corbeau copes by trying to convince people to question authority. He wants them to question their beliefs.

So. What happened because Corbeau followed orders without question?

[groggygrimalkin]

Fan art I drew of Kuprum and Folykl dying in a glue trap

Original post

[folightening]

You're very welcome ❤️

The idea was simply: That last section came to me while I was doing something else and I decided Arthur had to be a dragon for it. Then I thought of that opening sentence and the rest followed.

I love Prince Portugal, and Arthur has a few traits that I find fitting for him being a dragon so it just felt right.

You wanted some Engport, and I've got a wip... Forgive the choppiness and any odd phrasing, it's very unfinished.

---

The dragon had a human form: shorter than Afonso, thin in body, and overall plain. Still, it was a more welcome sight than the dragon.

"Do you have a name?"

The dragon now human startled and looked at him and the sharp vibrant green of his eyes showed that yes this was indeed the dragon.

"What does it matter?"

"You appear human, does that not mean you want to better interact with me?"

The man scoffed.

"There are some things I can only do in this body. Now if you don't mind, I was busy."

Busy. Drinking tea and... Embroidering?

"Embroidery isn't something I'd expect a dragon to do."

He glanced at Afonso but didn't respond. Afonso sighed and pouted, casually walking over to lean on the chair and take look.

There wasn't enough on the fabric in his hands to answer Afonso's question.

"Do you do this often?"

"Don't you have some better way to spend your time?"

Again pushed away and unwanted. Afonso pushed off the chair and made his way across the room.

"You would know how little I have to do around here. But I can take a hint."

The door closed more gently than Afonso thought was deserved. It wasn't the first time he'd been pushed to the side. His own parents had discarded him to this dragon guarded castle to wait for... Whatever it was he was meant to wait for here. His death most likely.

He was fine. He had been fine for years. This didn't change anything.

~~~

Watching the rain beat on the glass wasn't entertaining, but nothing was in the lonely castle he was prisoner in. There were ocassions where he heard fighting, but what reason did Afonso have to get involved with that? No human could kill a dragon.

The dragon strode in, human once again. Blood adorned his clothes and there was a look in his eyes Afonso wasn't entirely certain of.

"You may call me Arthur."

"Arthur." Afonso tried to keep the frown but couldn't resist smiling. "You couldn't pick a better one?"

"So my name bores you as well Prince? Come. I wish to dance."

"If I say no?"

"You would rather stare at rain?"

Afonso stood and followed Arthur to the grand ballroom. Filled with nothing more than Arthur's treasures, it was a room Afonso had no use visiting.

Arthur took his hand and led him to the center of the floor. Music started from somewhere and Arthur wasted no time in starting to lead Afonso around the glittering room.

As they danced Afosno relaxed. Letting Arthur lead him through a simple waltz was far better than anything else he had done in quite some time.

"That's better," Arthur said.

A few more steps passed before Arthur spoke again.

"I am accustomed to being alone. Comes with being a dragon. It's easy to forget how much interaction humans require." Arthur paused "Prince Afonso, I apologize for the way I have been treating you."

"Where's this coming from?"

"The way you walk around looking so... You may be prisoner here, but it is also our shared home." Arthur scowled. "I have been less than hospitable to you."

Afonso laughed

"You're the dragon meant to keep me here. I wasn't expecting any hospitality."

Arthur sharply scoffed but didn't say anything. He did stare at Afonso, his vibrant gaze piercing him.

"I believe a start over is in order."

Arthur released him and stepped back into a bow.

"My name is Arthur."

"Prince Afonso."

The small smile on Arthur's lips was welcome and easy to return.

"Never forget who you are," Arthur said. "Now I believe we have a dance to finish."

Afonso laughed and pulled Arthur

~

Afonso quickly learned that Arthur couldn't be trusted in the kitchen. His primary cooking skill was burning everything. Which his lack of patience certainly helped with; but how often did a dragon cook their food before eating it? Instead he watched Afonso and gave his unasked for, uneeded, but amusing commentary.

~

"Arthur," this was hard. Afonso had never begun to imagine such a thing could happen.

"What is it Love?"

Love was precisely it.

"Yes, that. I." Afonso scowled at the stars. When Arthur's concerned expression blocked his view Afonso's scowl relaxed. "I love you."

"Do you?"

Afonso nodded; "Definitely."

"Oh thank the heavens."

And then Arthur was kissing him. Afonso's eyes widened at the desperate press of lips. Arthur's hand cupped his cheek, he tilted his head to fit their lips together better still and Afonso closed his eyes to let the moment wash over him. Lips parted, breaths were stolen and shared between them as Arthur pressed in close - closer, until he lay comfortably atop Afonso.

~

"One day, someone is going to come and take you away from me."

Afonso leaned back into Arthur more.

"Don't let them."

Arthur's chuckle was a pleasant rumble

"That would be difficult to do once they have killed me."

Afonso frowned and twisted around until he was comfortably facing Arthur, arms around his midsection and face squished on his chest.

"I forbid you from being killed."

Arthur laughed

"It's going to happen eventually Love." He ran his fingers through Afonso's hair. "The one who is to rescue you from here will come, slay me, and free you--"

"I don't need freed."

Oh I LOVED THIS! I'm intrigued how Arthur is the dragon or why and why Port is te prince. I'd love to know the idea because it's really interesting how you took Arthur for been the beast! Also when he said "it's our shared home too" it was like AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!

Thanks for sharing me this, I hope you can finish this story! I'll be looking foward!

[max1461]

I was correct about the FOL stuff and [person who was arguing with me about the FOL stuff] was, well, not wrong, but not successfully demonstrating that I was wrong.

[cheswirls]

oh the hotel arc is starting it is here

[folightening]

Spain has been weird about him forever. But Romano needed someone like that once upon a time, so he didn't mind too much. He still doesn't mind. Romano revels in Antonio's attention. Basks in the knowledge that he's the one Antonio adores. He doesn't know what he'll do if he ever stops being Antonio's favorite person.

[woahjo]

katsuki rarely drinks. it's not something he enjoys. but one one night, he shows up at your once-shared apartment, smelling like liquor. something sweet and fruity, liked he'd tried to wash a bitter taste from his mouth. to someone who doesn't know him the way you do, a tired sobriety may be assumed. he's that sort when he drinks.

he smiles when he sees you, a bashful kind of smile, despite not having spoken with you for months and you realize that maybe he's forgotten. maybe he's forgotten the last few months when he moved his stuff out of your place, the period of time after the break up where no one would bring up your names in front of the other.

"katsuki? it's the middle of the night," you say to him through the half open door. "what are you doing here?"

katsuki looks at you, clearly tired, and he swallows thick before opening his mouth and closing it again. you wait for him to find his words.

"i wanted to see you," he says.

"you don't live here anymore," you remind him gently, though you're not sure why you assume that he believes he does.

katsuki glances at the ground and then uses the doorframe to steady himself. you can tell that he's trying not to scare you, trying not to use the sheer size of his body. there's something cautious and equally careless about his motions and you tilt your head.

"katsuki?"

"why don't we talk anymore?" he asks you, swallowing again. you wonder where his friends have gotten off to and at what point int he evening they'd noticed that he wandered off.

the question tugs at your heartstrings as you stare at the man in the doorway. it's a pathetic sort of feeling, a weak longing in your chest. you're not sure how to answer. after the break up, things just sort of... fell off. there was nothing to say anymore.

"I want to talk to you," he admits.

this is a side of katsuki that only you are privy to. a quieter, gentler side of him. one where he can openly admit his wants and faults. an exposed bleeding wound that katsuki has never really been able to sew shut.

you shake your head a little.

"talking's hard," you tell him. you're being honest. talking to him is hard. there is so much history there.

"we used to be friends," he reasons, almost as if he's reminding himself.

"yeah," you nod, "we did."

"and now we're not," he adds. "and that fucking sucks."

you nod again.

"it's late, katsuki," you say to him. "you should get home and sleep this off."

katsuki nods, but he lingers. his eyes wander past you into the inside of your apartment, almost as if he can picture himself wandering in. you keep the door half shut.

"we'll talk soon?" he asks, something hopeful in his voice. this vulnerability makes you ache.

"yeah," you respond. "we'll talk soon. fix things."

katsuki nods and then, as if something sobering has come over him, he straightens his back. you furrow your brows as he looks at you, a pink tinge over his cheeks, and wait for what he has to say next.

"sorry to- sorry to bother you so late," he says, a little less gently. he's let a mask slip carefully over his features.

"it's fine," you shake your head. "get home safe, okay? do you need me to call someone for you?"

katsuki shakes his head insistently. "no, no," he says firmly— soberly. "i'm good. i'll see you around."

"okay."

he turns from your step and you watch his back for a moment before quietly shutting the door to your apartment. it feels too quiet now, and you briefly miss the light from the street as you turn back to the empty, darkened rooms.

you wonder if he'll remember coming to your door tomorrow and kick himself for it. you wonder if he'll wake up in the morning, his head pounding, with the mortifying memory of having shown up on your doorstep, telling you that he misses you in a set of different words. or, you wonder if he'll forget. will he wake tomorrow with no memory at all of the first conversation you've shared in months?

it's probably best if he doesn't remember it. then, there'll be nothing to follow up on and nothing to apologize for in the sobering light of day. you won't have to talk to him and be reminded of just how painful every aspect of this is. you have no intention of keeping your promise to talk soon, as much as you might like to fix things. it's best, for the both of you, if you let him fade into the background. then, you can meet him again as strangers—friends of friends—and pretend that the history between you both never happened in the first place.

[alkelkha]

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐓. chapter three

relationship — jinx/powder x fem!blk coded reader

contents&warnings! : wc: 2.7k | post season 2 | lower-case indented | fluff | angst and i'm not comforting you this ch | lowkey unreliable narrator (jinx) | sexual tension if you squint | swapping spit with candy | beach episode | reader is implied to have big boobs | author attempt to write bpd splitting | reader and jinx get into an argument | not everything is sunshine and rainbows, friendship takes work and patience | not beta read | yes i am making this up along i go | PLEASE GIVE ME IDEAS FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS |

❛❛ OF COURSE, WE'RE FRIENDS ❜❜

WEEK ONE

after the two of you ran until the sunset it was awkward from there. jinx felt guilty— which she knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help it. she practically begged you to be her friend and now chickening out like a pussy every time you get close.

she didn’t know how to be a friend. what does she do? give you hugs? scary!

you on the other hand?

you got comfortable immediately, going to the shop every day, hanging out with her rambling, and asking questions on her latest projects. jinx tried doing the same but there was this twisty turny feeling in her stomach when she tried. she was scared of how you would react.

she wants this. she wants your friendship, she needs it.

maybe it was because she finally cared what someone thought of her. someone that wasn’t silco or vi or isha.

she had to be vulnerable. 

fortunately, you didn't have any of it. you were the type of person to confront the problems ahead. communication was important to you which jinx hated, but appreciated simultaneously. it was beyond uncomfortable. at least it told her how much you valued this friendship between the two of you. you were willing to work things out.

“what does this device do?” your hand ran over the contraption, and with one move, you were covered in glitter. you slowly turned to jinx, looking at her with a deadpan, “don’t laugh—“

jinx nearly falls off her seat from laughing.  

this was painfully new to jinx. being called a ‘friend’, calling someone else her ‘friend’ was treading on unknown territory.

the way bubbles that formed in her heart the day she said yes burst every time you smiled at her as she ranted. that was sweeter than any candy you've given her.

you listen to her when she talks. you laugh at her dumb jokes. you walk with her around the plaza. you stay with her while she works on one of her (harmless) gadgets when you don’t have work. 

she was starting to understand the hype around having a friend. who knew sharing meals with someone made food taste even better? having a friend meant she could talk for hours on end and be met with a voice that wasn’t tearing her down.

is she doing it right? maybe. she isn’t sure herself.

grabbing a cloth, you wiped down your face. it didn’t help much. powder’s laughter wasn’t any help either. 

“you’re helping me clean that up, sprinkles.” powder tosses you a broom with a grin on her lips.

WEEK TWO

stalking your friend is totally normal. there’s nothing wrong in making sure your friend gets to work safely, especially when there’s a gang after her. besides, is it really stalking if she’s hiding in plain sight? she just so happened to blend in with the colorful scenery of flosnum. much like herself, flosnum loves colors.

pink and orange powder that you can get from kicking plot plants. beautifully painted murals. colorful homes. it was a colorblast.

and just like the good friend she is, she knows your schedule by heart!

you wake up around seven am, ready for the day at about eight-thirty, do a bunch of random stuff after that, and show up at her house or shop at eleven am to hang out. on weekends and wednesdays, you work the afternoon shift. mondays and fridays are your days off. the rest you work at night.

you can't blame her for it, she has no idea what she would do if you got hurt. she’s finally settling down, and that took 10 mental breakdowns.

sometimes, while following you, she'll get distracted and end up at the ice cream truck. after trying out all the poor old man could offer, cotton candy became her favorite.

what was she doing again? oh yeah!

your work was demanding, which is odd because she’s been at bars. hell, she grew up at one. she knew what they were like, and it certainly wasn't supposed to be what you were doing. she had never seen a bartender work so hard. powder was pretty sure the job wasn’t supposed to be this intense. 

SEVEN CHIMES was just like its home flosnum with a mature air. paper lanterns that would illuminate a variety of colors and shadows of white stars on the ceiling some days. weekends it would be packed and that was one of those days. 

you were exactly the same while you worked. the customers loved you. even if they were drunk, the only type of handsy they would get is an arm swing around your shoulder. 

your coworker, stella is what you called her, kept your eyes on you a bit too long. stella’s eyes trailed your body up and down before meeting powder’s.

they locked eyes. 

with a smirk, stella broke the contact eye.

.

.

.

okay, what the fuck was the smirk about?

powder slumps down in her seat from the corner of the bar. she already knew she wasn’t going to like her. who the hell did that girl think she was? does she want to fight? because powder will! feeling her eyes twitch she looked down to slip on her pink fuzzy drink.

“baby blue?”

jinx's eyes shot up to the voice. it was you! in all your glory, the blue light hitting your pretty dark skin, wearing that smile the same way you wore the stupid bronze turtle necklace around your neck. pretty.

after she was done checking you out a frog got fixed in her throat. she's been caught. wait! it’s not the end of the world yet. she could just brush it off as a simple visit! perfect plan.

“why did you tell me you were here?” you sit down on the opposite side of the table as her. “stella told me 'a certain blue-haired girl' had been 'keeping her eyes on me.'”

ohhhh, so that’s why she smirked.

snitch.

“just wanted a drink.” powder shrugs and keeps sipping down her drink. 

“you could’ve said hi, ya know? now i feel bad for you sitting here all alone.” you frown.

“you say that like i’m going type of loner!” powder scoffs. you raise an eyebrow as if you’re saying ‘are you not?’.

she furrows her brows, “i am not!” she defended herself.

“i never said—“

“you were going to!” 

you leaned back and sighed. that struck something in jinx. she’s got you annoyed.

shit.

now you were probably thinking of breaking it off with her and never seeing her face again. she should’ve known. she shouldn’t have gotten attached. “I’m sorry—“

“come on blue,” you interrupt her, getting out of your seat. “my shift just ended, and i’m starving!” you take her cold hand in your warm one, pulling her out of the bar.

WEEK THREE

blue was mysterious— was.

this girl bounced off walls. no filter. talks back to old mean people who gave you a hard time. she had to be constantly doing something or doing nothing. no in-between. you adapted to it.

she's unlike anyone you’ve ever met. 

the shop you gave her? now her hideout. she completely renovated it in her own style. remember that broken illuminating sign? now the sign had no words it was a…

monkey?

you think it was. you saw it often in her work. you’re guessing it was her signature. 

you liked moments like this. standing behind her, brushing her short hair mindlessly. her hair grew really fast, it was almost to her shoulders now.

jinx tinkered on the glitter bomb that exploded in your face three weeks ago. her tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth in concentration.

it was odd. her hair. not that it was bad, she somehow pulled it off amazingly, but you can’t help but think that this was a recent cut. “why did you cut your hair this way?” you asked.

she pauses her work and looks up, leaning back in her chair to get a better look at you. “what, don’t like it?” your heart jumped at the sight of her.

she was so cute. wide pink eyes, blue eyeshadow, dark lipstick, and glitter stains on her face. 

“no, just curious,” you spoke softly. powder’s eyes trail away from you as she thinks about whether she should answer your question.

in the meantime, you noticed some dark grease on the corner of her mouth. it was nagging at you, she was dangerously close to eating it if she were to lick her lips.

taking your thumb you lick it and then wipe it off of her. the action caused her to scrunch up her face a bit but she didn’t pull away. “it was a weakness.” she answered your question, “my hair was wayyy too long, practically dragged it on the ground.” she shrugged still looking up at you. 

“plus, i needed some change.” jinx made her hand into a gun and slowly raised it up to you, “pow.” she pretended to shoot you. 

“shooting me now?” your voice amused, raising a brow at her.

“you should’ve dodged it,” she shrugs, looking back down to her work. she set it down on the workbench and spun her chair around, “now you’re dead,” she got up from her seat to get another tool. "sucker."

“i thought you liked me!” you grumble, her back was now turned to you. 

“just a little.” she plays into it and turns around. 

her eyes widened to see you point a sucker to her head, with a smirk on your face, “now, you’re dead.”

“oh, so that’s how you wanna play, princess?” she puts her hand on her hip.

“you started it, cutie.” you unwrap the sucker, placing it in your mouth.

she narrows her eyes at you with a frown. a cute frown. you could tell she wasn’t really angry. she takes the sucker out of your mouth and places it in hers. 

your breath hitched. this should not be affecting you the way it is. the heat that coursed through your body went straight up to your face. jinx leaning closer didn’t help, you could envision her tongue swirling around the candy.

oh fuck.

WEEK FOUR

the warm softly grainy sand slipped between jinx’s toes as she stood barefoot on the beach. the beach was bustling. children darting around, teenagers around playing volleyball, and locals dancing to the music that filled the air.

she sits down on the blanket you placed down. “you’ve gotten tanner, blue.” you say as you just finished applying sunscreen on yourself.

she didn’t even know what sunscreen was until she crashlanded her. “you used to be a ghost, now look at you.” she wasn’t tan, she was still pretty fair, but she wasn’t as white as a ghost the first time she got here.

you sat on your legs in front of her with your hand lathered up with sunscreen. you slowly approached her giving her the time to pull away. she didn’t. you applied the sunscreen on her tattooed arms.

jinx didn't need you to do this. she could’ve done it herself, but your touch was nice…

also because of the view it was giving her. “now, where have you been hiding these bazongas!?”

"I've had these the whole time" you deadpan at her, get up and crawl away to the other side of the blanket.

"never out in the open like this!" she bursts out laughing at your reaction. “wait, wait! come back, pretty lady!” she grabs onto your wrist, pulling you closer. 

she was terrifyingly strong for someone so thin. “you’re no better than a man!” you yelp but don’t pull away (not that you could). 

“can a girl appreciate some beauty?” she huffs, wrapping her arms around your waist and pulling your back to her chest. “not my fault they’re right in front of me.” she pokes at them. jinx bit her lip to contain her laughter.

the clear blue water shimmered in the sun like it was a jewel. jinx clung onto your back, arms around your neck, and legs wrapped around your waist. fun fact! jinx can’t swim. “you’re such a baby.” you giggle, she puts her cheek on yours.

the both of you spent the time in the ocean teaching her how to swim or trying to kill each other by splash wars (you almost went blind because of her).

it was sunset. the both of you laid down on the blanket under you, looking up into the now pink sky. powder held onto your hand and you gladly held it with the same intensity.

“i like this, toots.” she turns her head to you but you don’t seem to notice. your eyes were fixated on the sky, you hand slightly loosened your grip.

your face drops into an annoyed expression, “i like this too.” foolishly you let out a tired sigh.

jinx's mind swirls.

she lying to you! she doesn’t mean it, do you see the way she replied? you’re such an idiot for trusting her. she’s probably only hanging out with you out of pity.

jinx shook her head, “you sure? you don’t sound like you did.” her voice offended.

you finally looked back at her. “sorry, baby blue. i’m just tired—“

she scoffs. “tired? tired of me? i thought we were having fun!” she sat up.

taken aback by her reaction you quickly backtracked what you said. you didn’t want to make this any worse. you got up to level with her, “no, no. of course not tired of you. i love hanging out with you, baby blue.” with that you seemed to get through to her, her face relaxed.

she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you. she’s tired of you.

jinx’s jaw clenches. why would you be tired of her? that doesn’t make sense! she’s made sure you had fun this whole time. yeah, at the beginning of your friendship, she chickened out a bit but you forgave her. yeah, she would pull stupid pranks but you love them. so why would you be so rude?

she looked into your warm eyes. “you’re lying to me!” she rips her hand away from yours. why are you lying to her? jinx’s eyebrows furrowed, jaw tensed and her forehead held creases.

“i’m sorry, blue. i just got stressed—“

“if you were stressed why would you come here in the first place? if you’re not having fun just say so, you didn’t have to fake it and lead me on the whole day.” she stood up and you did the same.

“what?” like an idiot, you laugh at the situation happening right now. “i never said all of that. honey, if you let me finish my sentence you would understand.”

now she’s laughing at you, she’s not even trying to hide it!

“shut up!” jinx shouts and you quickly pipe down. her breath came out in heavy pants. hands trembling over her ears. her mind was in overdrive. she was thinking about everything. about how you hate her. about how this was doomed from the start.

she should’ve known, no way someone would actually want a genuine connection with her. it’s not like you could ever understand her.

she points her finger out accusingly, “you think this is a laughing matter? you think i’m a joke!” 

your voice got caught up in your throat. this was insane. she was insane. she was just making up things on the spot to play the victim. you suck in a breath and shake your head. “what’s wrong with you?”

those words left like a gunshot to her heart. 

told ya.

jinx. 

not that you had to work hard to get to this point. wasn’t like she liked you to begin with.

hot, frustrated tears welled up in her eyes, her nails dug into the palm of her hand, letting blood drop freely onto the blanket under the two of you. an uncomfortable silence hung in the air, thick and stifling.

her glare at you intensified, a flicker in her pink eyes of… betrayal? a step back, followed by another, soon, she left you alone on the beach.

this was a mistake.

TAGLIST: @millie2point0 @powderbomb-jinxed @velvetinkbym

[folightening]

9 people you want to know better. Just realized I was tagged by @starsmadeinheaven. Thank you!

Last song I listened to: Jeremy Soule Oblivion — King and Country Homework Edit for typing. It didn't help much this morning.

Currently watching: I actually don't watch shows much, but I have been thinking about rewatching Lord of the Rings.

Currently reading: Whatever fanfic catches my interest and Hetalia when it updates.

Current obsession: Spamano, Portswiss, and oc!Brazil. Constantly rotating between them.

Tagging: @sorvete-de-pacoca @pom0dorini @purrsia @th3chuckinator If you want to.

9 people you want to know better xoxo

Tagged by: @girlwithakiwi , thank you!!

Last song i listened to: Carpenter Brut - Looking for Tracy Tzu

Currently watching: Bob's Burgers for the 1,000,000th time

Currently reading: nothing rn, I have some books on my wishlist but I haven't gotten around to them yet!

Current obsession: I'm suddenly all about synthwave again lately?? Polar also has a strawberry watermelon seltzer out right now that is A+++

No pressure tag: @kvietka, @radioactivehydronerd, @crumpled--notes, @mexashepot, @k3llyb3an, @aphladydane, @pandabaozi, @tempestuousserenity, @whimsicalmeerkat

[tip-top-cloud-surfer]

The Danger Zone (Part 9) - Hangman

Pairing: Hangman / Fem!Bradshaw!Reader | OC

Word Count: 4.2k

This work, all my works, and my entire blog are 18+ ONLY

Warnings: Unplanned Pregnancy; Background Relationships; Use of "You," No Use of Y/N, No Set Physical Description

Summary: You and Jake tell Phoenix and Coyote about the baby and spend some more time together.

Series Master List

Master List

After telling your brother, Coyote and Phoenix were next on your list. And after they knew, then you could stop hiding it from everyone, so you and Jake were both anxious to finally get to that point. The secrecy was more stressful than anything else, and you were ready to be free of it. 

So, the day after the dinner with your side of the family, you and Jake headed over to Phoenix and Coyote’s house for lunch. 

“You can handle this one,” you told Jake as the two of you got out of Jake’s truck. 

“You sure?”

“Coyote’s your family. And I’ve had enough of telling families this weekend,” you replied softly. 

Jake led the way up to the side door and opened it without even knocking. Holding it open for you, Jake followed you inside. The two of you made your way into the kitchen. 

“You know, where I come from, people knock before entering someone else’s house,” Phoenix commented as she stacked some plates.

“Where’s Javy?” Jake asked in return, causing Phoenix to roll her eyes. 

“He’s outside at the grill.” 

You nudged Jake in the side and gestured at the stuff that Phoenix had clearly stacked up to bring outside for lunch. Jake helped Phoenix carry all of the stuff outside and handed you the roll of napkins before you could reach for anything heavier. Javy stood at the grill and grinned as the three of you stepped outside. 

“I knew I heard your car.”

“And I’m remembering why we didn’t give him a key,” Phoenix stated, setting the plates down. 

The four of you, though it was mostly split between Jake and Coyote and then you and Phoenix, made conversation as Coyote finished up. But when the four of you sat around the table, the topic of conversation shifted. 

“So, you guys are back together then?” Coyote asked, glancing between the two of you. “When did that happen?”

“Not too long after we talked,” Jake replied, taking the lead.

“And did Rooster finally find out about you guys?” Phoenix questioned, causing you to nod. “How’d he react?”

“Like I knew he would,” you stated, leaning back in your seat. “Poorly.” 

“Well, you knew that was coming,” Phoenix pointed out, causing you to shrug your shoulders.  

“Yeah, we did,” you agreed, turning to Jake.

“He wasn’t exactly happy about our relationship. And then he found out that she’s pregnant and he wanted to kill me,” Jake explained, dropping the information bomb on top of Coyote and Phoenix casually. 

“You’re pregnant?” Coyote asked you suddenly, looking shocked at the news. 

“I knew it,” Phoenix stated at the same time.

“How did you know?” you asked confused. 

“I didn’t see you drink during the wedding,” Phoenix started off with. “Then Rooster mentioned that you were throwing up a lot. And then you started wearing a lot of dresses and loose clothes and things with big patterns. You were clearly hiding something.”

“And you didn’t tell me?” Coyote asked, causing Phoenix to turn to her husband. 

“I wasn’t going to say anything until I actually knew that she was pregnant,” Phoenix stated as if it was obvious. Shaking her head at her husband’s playfully offended expression, Phoenix turned back to you. But when the two of you locked eyes again, her expression noticeably softened. “So, how do you feel about it?” 

“I’m doing a lot better,” you replied, nodding along. “It feels nice to finally share it with everyone.”

“How did Mav take the news?”

“Well, Hangman’s still standing, at least,” Coyote joked, causing Jake to scoff. 

“Mav it took pretty well, actually, all things considered,” you explained quietly.

“How far along are you now?” Coyote questioned, turning to you. 

“About fifteen weeks now,” you stated, folding your hands over your abdomen.

“And you and the baby are healthy, right?” Phoenix added, causing you to smile. 

“Yeah, we’re fine.”

“Well, congrats.”

Coyote grabbed three beers and a ginger ale for you so that the four of you could celebrate. You clinked your drinks together and shared smiles as Coyote made a toast. 

“To Baby Ser—Brad—” he cut himself off twice, realizing that he should have asked beforehand.

“Bradshaw-Seresin,” you suggested, sharing a look with Jake, who nodded in return. 

“To Baby Bradshaw-Seresin!” 

The four of you finished up lunch and Javy got up first, dragging Jake with him inside to put away the food. But it was clearly a tactic to split you and Jake up for a moment so that Coyote and Phoenix could actually speak freely to both of you. 

“So, you’re having a baby with Hangman,” Phoenix stated, causing you to nod slowly. “And he looks pretty calm, actually. And happy.”

“Who, Jake?” 

“Yeah. Has he been calm the whole time?” 

“Pretty much,” you replied softly. “Why? Were you expecting him to freak out?”

“I think most guys would freak out in this situation,” Phoenix commented, taking a sip from her beer. “And you guys broke up.” 

“Well, can you break up if you were technically never together?” you asked Phoenix.

“And are you together now?”

“Yes and sort of no.”

“What the hell does that mean? Has he asked you out or not? Have you put a label on it?”

“Co-parents?” you suggested. 

“Alright,” Phoenix sighed, letting the question go. “Well, what couple-y things have you two been doing?”

“We’re thinking about moving in together, to Jake’s apartment, once my lease is up.” 

“That makes sense,” Phoenix agreed. She paused for a moment before asking, “Have the two of you guys . . . you know . . . since you found out about the baby?” 

“Have we what?”

“Fucked,” Phoenix stated bluntly.

“Jesus Christ, Nat!”

“Well?”

“No, we haven’t,” you stated honestly, looking down at your fingers. “We haven’t even kissed.” 

“And?” Phoenix asked, reading your expression.

“And what?”

“Do you want to do that with him?”

“I . . .” You glanced into the house where Jake and Javy were talking before turning back to Phoenix. Biting the inside of your cheek, you lowered your hands to your lap. “Well, you know how pregnancy impacts your hormones?”

“Obviously.”

“And do you ever feel more . . . pent up at certain times of the month?” you asked, your cheeks growing warm. “Well, it’s sort of been like that.” 

“Oh shit,” Phoenix stated, causing you to hold your head in your hands with embarrassment. “How bad?”

“Well, it’s not great,” you huffed, picking your head up. “And I mean, if we’re going to move in with each other, I can’t just be . . . taking care of myself in our bed when he’s right next to me.”

“I might have a solution.”

“What?” you asked, perking up. 

“Ask him to help out,” Phoenix stated, making an obscene gesture with her hands. 

“Nat!”

You grabbed her hands from across the table, causing her to scoff at you. Lowering her hands, Phoenix shot you a look. 

“Just talk to him, for fucks sake. He doesn’t seem like the type to say ‘no’ to that.”

“What if it complicates things?”

“You’re already pregnant with his baby. How much more complicated than that can it get?”

“I don’t know,” you sighed, holding a hand to your head. “It's just starting to run smoother. I don’t want to ruin that.”

“You know that if you or Hangman need anything, we’re here for you guys, right?”

“We know,” you assured her, shooting her a small smile. “Thanks.”

“And I can try to talk to Rooster if you want.”

“I think Emma’s got it handled,” you stated, causing Phoenix to nod with a proud smirk. 

“I’ll leave it to her to have that conversation with him.” Phoenix took another sip from her beer as her smirk dropped. “But, word of advice? Have more serious conversations with Hangman sooner rather than later.”

“Why?” you asked, confused. 

“There’s talk of some of us being deployed soon.” 

“Oh,” you replied softly, rubbing your small bump to soothe yourself. “I guess you guys are sort of overdue, now that I think about it.” 

“I didn’t mean to freak you out or anything.”

“No, I know,” you assured her, forcing a smile. “Just more . . . complications.”

Meanwhile, inside the house, Jake and Coyote were across from each other at the kitchen island. Coyote stood tall, resting his hands on the counter top in a way that showed that he was steady and strong. But Jake, on the other hand, was sinking a bit further into his seat the longer that he sat there.  

“Are you okay?” Coyote asked quietly. “Really, are you okay with all of this, Jake?”

“I’m fucking terrified,” Jake replied, picking his head up slowly.

“It’s a big step.” Coyote glanced towards where you and Phoenix were sitting. “What happened after we talked?”

“I went over to her apartment to talk. Rooster and Maverick were there and I had to sit through the most awkward dinner of my life. And then when I went to the bathroom to try and calm down, I found a wrapper for prenatal vitamins.” 

“That’s how you found out that she was pregnant?”

“Yeah. Really shitty isn’t it?” Jake replied dryly. “And then I freaked out and left and she came over to my apartment the next day. We talked, she invited me to her appointment, and we’ve been focusing on telling her family and trying to get to know each other better.” 

“And how’s that been going?”

“Sometimes it feels natural, sometimes it doesn’t.” 

“Are you guys getting married? Moving in together? Actually getting together?” 

“We’re not getting married.” When Coyote looked at him with a knowing expression, Jake continued, “We’re going to move into my apartment together once her lease is up. And we are together. Just not like a lot of people are.” 

“So, you guys haven’t done any . . .” Javy trailed off, earning a look from Jake. “It’s a relevant question! You had to do it to get her pregnant in the first place.” Javy reached over to grab his phone. “Which reminds me, I need to pick up more condoms.”

“No, we haven’t,” Jake stated, ignoring Javy’s gaze.

“And do you want to?” Jake shot Coyote a look, causing him to raise a hand. “I know, I know, stupid question.” Coyote straightened up some more and asked, “So how did the dinner go with her family?”

“Rooster was ready to knock my teeth out.”

“Not shocking.”

“No, but he was acting like a little bitch. At least the secrecy is over, but I have a feeling that he’s going to be a little bitch for the rest of his life.”

Jake tapped his finger on the countertop, his mind wandering to something that Rooster said yesterday. Jake turned back to Coyote with a more withdrawn expression.

“What do you know about Connor?”

“Connor who?”

“Her ex.”

“Oh, the fiancé,” Coyote drawled with a bit of sass. “Why the hell do you care?”

“Rooster mentioned that they were together for five years.”

“And?”

“That’s a long time.”

“So? He’s not here. And she broke up with him. And I doubt that she’s even reached out to him since.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s been running around with you.” Coyote reached for his beer, “And from the little comments that Nat told me about him, he’s not someone that you should be stressing about.”

“Because?”

“He was a boring prick who tried to tell her what she wanted—Nat’s words, not mine—which is why she broke up with him.”

“Alright, alright, I get it,” Jake sighed, reaching for his own beer. 

“And have you told her about them?” Coyote asked after a moment.

“What do you think?” 

“Jake,” Coyote sighed, causing Jake to look away from him, “you have to tell her some of it.” 

“Why?” 

“Because you’re having a baby together,” Coyote stressed. “That’s a huge commitment. Literally, the biggest commitment that two people could make. You’re tied to each other for the rest of your lives.” 

“I know that, Javy,” Jake replied back forcefully.

Coyote picked his head up and moved to speak when the door opened and you and Phoenix headed inside. And the conversation ended right then and there when you and Phoenix walked over. 

~~~~~

Once Phoenix and Coyote were aware of your pregnancy, you and Jake stopped hiding it. You wore clothes that accentuated rather than hid your bump. You got a lot of unsolicited advice, as did Jake, but you were quick to accept Sarah Kazansky’s advice when she offered it. And you and Jake started the process of moving in together. 

“I guess that I can get rid of a lot of this crap,” you commented, digging through your apartment. “I won’t be needing them.” 

“You don’t want to put them in the storage unit?” 

“No, I think that between Mav’s little house and Bradley’s house, we won’t need it anymore. And besides, half of this crap is stuff that I just bought on a whim,” you replied, tossing some more things into cardboard boxes. “And you already have your own sets of stuff and if we move into a house together, we could just buy new ones together if we really wanted.” 

Tossing some old decorations that you didn’t even remember having, you looked up to see Jake wrapping up your framed photos.

“How was work today?” you asked conversationally.

“The usual. Your brother’s still avoiding me.” 

“I guess that’s better than the two of you fighting,” you sighed, turning back to the closet. Pulling out some more crap, you stared down at your hands. “Any talk of deployments or anything like that?” 

“Not today, no,” Jake answered honestly. “But Cyclone seems to be in the middle of planning something.” 

“Do you think you’ll get called up?” you asked, turning around to face him. 

Jake looked up from the photo that he was wrapping, which just so happened to be one of only three photos in existence of the full Bradshaw family before Goose died. Seeing the nerves under the mask that you were forcing yourself to wear, he gently placed the photo down on the table and turned to face you. 

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I mean, I’ll try to avoid it, but . . .” 

“I understand,” you assured him quietly. “I grew up around the Navy. I get it.” 

Jake nodded slowly, wincing at the defeated tone in your voice, before glancing down at the photo that he was wrapping. He had never really seen a photo of Goose before, minus a small one in his file, but Jake felt like the man was staring him down through the glass. Turning back to you, Jake finished wrapping up the photo. 

“Was your dad deployed a lot?” 

“Yeah, of course,” you replied, sorting through some smaller boxes. “He was deployed when I was born, actually.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, my mom ended up giving birth alone,” you commented, reaching up to grab more stuff down from the shelves. “My grandma had to watch Bradley and my dad was gone.” Keeping your gaze focused on your task, you missed Jake’s expression change. “The first time he met me was when we came out to visit him at Top Gun.”

Oh, Jake could really feel Goose’s gaze burning into him through the glass and from beyond the grave. 

“So . . .”

“Yeah,” you replied simply, glancing up at Jake for a moment. “I mean at least I have a photo with him. That’s what I always said whenever people tried to convey their condolences when I was a kid.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It happened a long time ago,” you stated, turning back to your sorting. 

“No, not . . . I mean . . .” You looked up as Jake trailed off, working on his words. “When we were training for the mission, your brother and I had an argument and I brought up your dad. And I’m sorry about that. And of course the whole other—”

“—Jake,” you told him, saving him some rambling. “I know about the whole fight.”

“You do?” he asked, confused. 

“Mav told me. I asked him about why Bradley would have asked me to stay away from you before the wedding and he mentioned it.” You wore a calm expression as you added, “I didn’t love that, obviously, but you saved Bradley and Maverick a few days later and so I thought it canceled out.”

Jake nodded slowly, watching as you turned back to the closet. And when he saw the shelf that you were trying to clear, he quickly walked over. Grabbing the box for you, despite your huff at the action, Jake put it down on the table for you to look through. 

“I’m not crippled, you know,” you stated, walking over to the table. 

“Still, I’m here to help you,” Jake responded, pulling down some more stuff from the higher shelves. “So, what are you doing with the stuff that you want to keep for now?”

“Putting them in the corner, I guess. What else would I do with them?”

“I mean, we could bring them over to my place.”

“You sure?” you asked, looking up at him. “Do you have space for them?”

“I’m not a hoarder. And I’m used to living bare bones so that I can pack up and move quickly,” Jake stated, causing you to nod. 

“Okay. Then I guess we can bring them over.” A moment of silence passed before you turned back to him. “Actually, that reminds me. I was wondering if I could sleep over at some point before I officially move in. You know, to see how it feels and everything.”

“Do you want to stay over tonight?” Jake offered immediately.

“You don’t mind?”

“I wouldn’t have offered it if I did.”

“Okay,” you agreed softly. 

You and Jake sorted through some more stuff before loading the boxes of your keepsakes into his truck. You took two cars since you would have to go to work from Jake’s apartment, but you picked up food along your way as a thank you. The two of you put the boxes into Jake’s closet, which was completely empty minus the vacuum and a box of trash bags, before sitting down to eat dinner together.

You and Jake finished up dinner and spent the rest of the evening walking around his apartment, taking stock of things that you needed to bring and buy, and where you would put everything. Especially with all of the baby stuff that was going to come at some point. Making a list on your phone of all the measurements and things to get, you and Jake decided to call it an early night. 

You changed in the bathroom, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. Pulling on your usual sleep shirt and shorts, you brushed your hair and your teeth before walking into Jake’s bedroom. Jake was sitting up in bed, scrolling on his phone when you stepped out of the bathroom. 

You were wearing a large worn gray tee shirt that had ‘NAVY’ stamped across the front of it and a pair of silky sleep shorts. And Jake was trying to figure out if you knew that the shirt that you were wearing belonged to him, as noted by the oil stain on the left breast of the shirt, or not. And even though it was loose on you, he could still see your bump under there as you moved around. And then his thoughts started to wander. 

Shifting awkwardly on the bed, Jake turned to you. 

“Did you find everything fine?”

“I have been here before,” you reminded him, setting your phone down on the nightstand. You turned to shut the light off before climbing into bed. You laid down and moved to get comfortable, locking eyes with Jake. “Let me know if I’m taking up too much space.”

“You’re fine,” Jake assured you. “Take whatever you need.” Shifting to lay down as well, Jake rolled on his side so that the two of you were staring at each other, your faces illuminated by the moon. “I’ll probably be gone before you wake up. I’ll try to be as quiet as possible.”

“I’m a heavy sleeper, so don’t feel stressed about it.” Nuzzling your head into the pillow, you closed your eyes. “Night, Jake.”

“Night,” he returned softly. 

Jake moved to go to sleep himself, but when he heard your breathing even out and slow, he opened his eyes. You had fallen asleep quickly, the tension gone from your body, and your lips slightly parted. Jake’s eyes trailed over your face and down to the blanket that seemed to naturally curl around your bump. He reached out and gently caressed the curve before going to bed himself. 

~~~~~

Jake woke up before his alarm, like he always did. But this time, he didn’t wake up alone. 

You were curled into his side and he seemed to have shifted naturally to accommodate you. His right arm was lazily wrapped around your waist with his fingers brushing against your bump. His arm was a little numb from the position but he couldn’t have cared less. Your legs were slightly tangled with his own and your head rested against his shoulder as you continued to peacefully sleep. 

Instead of getting up early, Jake laid there and took in the moment and the feel of you against him, brushing his fingers along the curve of your abdomen.

He would have laid there all day but he still had to go to work. Slowly untangling himself from you, he slipped out of bed and headed into the bathroom to get ready. 

You woke up to the sound of the shower running. Blinking, you rolled over to see the bathroom door closed. The bed beside you was still warm and he had tucked the blankets back down to keep you insulated. You shifted around, trying to get comfortable again. Closing your eyes and trying to go back to sleep, you paused when you heard the shower shut off. 

Opening your eyes slowly, you sucked in a breath when Jake opened the door in nothing but a towel wrapped low on his waist. 

You’d seen Jake in less than a towel. More than a few times. But there was just something about how he stood there that felt all kinds of new. All kinds of ways that made you want to get up and drag him down into bed with you. 

The steam in the bathroom behind him added a glow to his tan skin. The water droplets marked trails down his chest and abdomen down to his towel that you wanted to chase with your tongue. He told you that he sometimes shaved his chest but you preferred the layer. It made him look more . . . rugged. Biteable. Something that you wanted to get your mouth on. And, of course, the man had such strong V lines that you could map them out perfectly in the dark without fail. And you had. 

“Sorry,” he called, pulling you out of your thoughts. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t wake me,” you replied, sitting up more. 

“Did you want breakfast?” Jake asked, walking over to his closet. He grabbed his uniform from the door and walked back into the bathroom. 

“I’ll be fine. I can grab something on the way.”

“You sure? I’m already making eggs and toast,” Jake offered, stepping back into the bathroom. He shut the door enough to give him privacy but still allowed you to talk to him. 

“Um,” you stammered, wincing when you heard the towel drop to the floor, “sure.” Getting up from bed, you walked out of the room. “I’ll get it started.”

Jake went to work earlier than you, so you were in no rush to get ready. Pulling out his toaster and setting it up, you glanced up as Jake walked into the kitchen with his perfectly pressed uniform and wet hair slicked back. You kept your gaze down, hoping that Jake didn’t notice the color in your cheeks. 

You ate your toast and excused yourself to change your clothes. Walking out to wish Jake well with his day, you offered him a small smile. 

“Thanks for letting me stay over.”

“This’ll be your place too soon,” Jake replied, pulling the strap of his bag over his shoulder. 

“Right.” 

“I gave you a key, so you shouldn’t have any problems locking up.”

“Yeah, I should be fine.” Shifting your weight around, you turned back to Jake. “When will I see you next?”

“Whenever you want. I have to go help Javy with something at the house eventually, but I can do that whenever.”

“Tomorrow?” you suggested softly. 

“Tomorrow,” Jake agreed with a nod. 

Jake turned to leave but instead of walking to the door, he walked around to where you were standing. You looked up at Jake with wider eyes as he leaned in closer. He pressed a soft kiss to your cheek before pulling away. 

“Text me if you need me.”

You could only nod as he walked around you and headed out the door. Standing there for a moment, you let out a long sigh.

“Fuck,” you breathed out, holding a hand to your head. 

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[thewardenisonthecase]

About the Lucanis Romance

(this is a long ass post ok so bear with me)

So I've been meaning to adress some of the complaints/criticisms of Lucanis's romance and I was thinking on how to do it and I finally figured it out. While I don't like making comparisons because I think they're somewhat unfair, but this time, I'm gonna do it to show why I have some many complaints about the Lucanis romance.

And I'm gonna compare it to Fenris's romance arc in DA2. The main reason for that is that 1) they're both very troubled man who brood and went through A Lot tm and 2) considering DA2 also doesn't allow you to just talk to the companions whenever and doesn't have a spam kiss button and is a shorter game, it feels the fairest comparison.

'Lack of reactivity when it comes to the flirting dialogue options'

One of the biggest complaints when it comes to Lucanis romance is his lack of reaction to the flirting dialogue lines. I've seen the argument that 'oh but he's awakward, he doesn't know how to react'. I'm not the biggest fan of this because there are ways to better portray a character being bad with flirting than having 0 reaction.

During Switch and Bait, the quest where Fenris is recruited, you can flirt with him. And how does he react? He gives a nervous laugh, because he's not used to do. But that conveys that he listened to the flirt line and is responding to it, even if he doesn't actually say anything. There are other moments where his reaction is looking away, smirking, and a few times he does flirt back.

Even if small, I never felt that Fenris wasn't reacting to what was being said. Meanwhile, Lucanis has a painful moment where Rook tells him "I'm here" and he, with the straightest face ever, responds with "We need to talk about Ilario". And this is not the only time where it feels like there was no response to the flirting, its just the most egregious of them.

So, while I can understand what people mean by the fact that he's awkward, there are better ways to portray this. It's important to remember that this is a video game, which is an interactive media, and on top of that, it's an RPG. The player HAS to feel like what they're doing matters, because if it doesn't, it's easiert to just read a book.

'Not enough romance scenes'

I think this is a criticism that has been misunderstood by many people. Romance scenes do not mean just sex. I'm asexual, the sex scenes are the thing that least matter to me. Like, Fenris only has 1 sex scenes and it's a fade to black where he immediatly dumps Hawke after, so clearly, sex is not what I care about.

What does matter are scenes that establish a connection between the two character.

And while Lucanis has them, and I think they're great (the coffee scene and the almost kiss one are the highlights for me), due to the way these scenes are spread out, it feels like there's something missing.

DA2 also doesn't have a shitton of romance scenes, and considering the fact that Fenris breaks up with Hawke halfway through, its understandable. But the difference is that DA2 is a much shorter game than Veilguard, or, at the very least, Act 2 of DA2 is waaaay more concise than Act 2 of Veilguard, which is where most of the romance is happening.

That means that, even if there aren't that many romance scenes, they are better splayed out, so you don't feel like you're missing stuff. Another thing that I think happens is that you can really dive in and just ask the companion a lot of things.

Take Fenris's Questioning Beliefs quest in Act 2, which is a really important scene for the romance. Much like veilguard, its a scene that doesn't begin as a romance one but if you have been picking the flirting options, it can turn into Fenris and Hawke discussing about being intimate in the future. And in this scene, Fenris confesses to not having been with anyone in long, and doesn't remember if he actually ever has been with anyone.

This can be made so much longer by the fact that Hawke can ask multiple follow up questions from there, and that helps in both creating a connection between the two and also establishing the romance. Even if they don't do anything then, Fenris will say 'another time'.

And this happens in the act 3 version of Questioning Beliefs, which has the culmination of Fenris's and Hawke's romance, where their relationship is rekindled. And I think they do what Veilguard should have done: they let the player adress Fenris leaving Hawke.

One thing that bothered me, and that other people have brought up is that after Lucanis's runs away from the almost kiss, it's never adressed again. And I think if they could have had a moment where Rook and Lucanis talk about this, it could have been great to understand Lucanis and his history with relationships, how he feels internally about what's going on with them, heck maybe even apologize. Just something to feel that that wasn't a random scene, that was something important that happened.

Also, because you can interrogate Fenris so much in those scenes, the feeling that he was yearning for Hawke but all his trauma was stopping him felt more natural/real/explicit. I remember getting to the endgame portion of Veilguard and Lucanis pulling out the 'when i wanted to be with you but was scared' and thinking this is a lovely sentiment but why it hasn't been shown before? Because yes, the almost kiss is a good way to establish this, but if it had been actually delved in, that feeling could have been made more explicit.

I also wanted to add that, while the gift giving in DA2 is nowhere near the mechanic it was in DAO, it still helped with establishing that connection, and it gave even more chances for characters to flirt, and if DATV had used this opportunity, it could have helped a lot, instead of just having the character go "for me? thanks"

'Banter'

I'm gonna adress two issues here at once. The first is Neve.

Out of the gate, hating on Neve just because she flirts with Lucanis and gets with him if you don't romance either of them is weird, and at the very least, sexist.

So, what I want to talk about is that if you're romancing either of them, for some reason, their flirting banters still trigger and that can be uncomfortable. It sure is weird to be romancing a character and have them still flirt with another, because it comes across as 'oh maybe the choice to romance them doesn't change much' which isn't good for an RPG.

DA2 also has a couple that flirts through banter and gets together if Hawke doesn't romance them, and those are Isabela and Fenris. The difference is that, if you romance either of them, those flirty lines of banter do not trigger. At all. So much so I had no idea they got together because I've only romanced Fenris so far in DA2, so i never even knew of these banters until I looked at the wiki.

So, truly, lucanis and neve getting together is fine (i think neve should have been with bellara but that's another story) but these flirting line should not trigger if either of them are being romanced by Rook.

Still on the topic of banter, maybe I was unlucky and didn't get it to trigger often, but I felt as if, even though everyone was living together, the fact that Rook and Lucanis were in a relationship was not really ever addressed by anyone else? Like, I know these banters exist because I've seen them online, but I feel like there were just too little of them?

In comparison, the DA2 characters have a LOT to say about Hawke's choice of partner (and again, I'm focusing on Fenris here). Merrill adresses the romance through banter ('you make sad puppy eyes whenever Hawke looks away'), Varric, Isabela and Anders have specific scenes where they talk to Hawke about Fenris and give their opinions on the two of them together. Heck, in Aveline's quest where she gets with Donnic, she can briefly mention the two of them. And these all of them also have banter in which they adress the romance.

And its this sort of thing that really helps filling in the gaps of the romance scenes but also showing that these characters know what is happening. And the DA2 gang doesn't even live together!

And for Lucanis in specific, if there always was going to be less scenes with him due to how he is a person, having a few scenes where the other companions talk to Rook about it would have helped bridge that gap, in my opnion. Again, considering you can't directly talk to this characters (as in, click on them and start a dialogue), this would have been a nice touch.

And now a very personal complait of mine

'Kisses and the Commit to Romance scene'

While I stated at the very begging that I don't care about sex scenes, that is another story when it comes to kissing scenes, and I'm sorry, but it's WILD to put the ONLY kissing scene in the romance AT THE ENDGAME PORTION OF THE GAME.

Give it or take, kissing is an intimate act and it can be used, in my opinion, to show that a character is comfortable with that sort of physical touch. And for a character like Lucanis, who is just so troubled, maybe one kiss before the grand finale would have been really fucking welcomed. In fact, I know the scene they could have added that - the one in the café after Ilario is taken down.

It could have been a short, sweet kiss, that was just a follow up to the almost kiss scene. Just something to hammer in more that these characters are together.

Because let me tell you, it is not a good sign when people say they thought the game was bugged after the dessert scene.

That scene, while lovely on its own, does a bad job of making it clear that yeah, these characters are dating now, and that's due to the fact that that is not something really said out loud.

I'm rewatching this scene as I type this out and at no point, is it made clear through dialogue that Rook and Lucanis are agreeing to being together. In fact, Lucanis says that what he's doing is not enough, and Rook disagreed with the sentiment and says they're easily bribed. That's it.

Meanwhile, in DA2, not only in act 2, do Fenris and Hawke lowkey make plans about being intimate at a later date, and Fenris explicitly says he wants Hawke, but in act 3, he once again makes it clear that he wants to be with Hawke, and I feel like this only really happens with Lucanis at the endgame portion of the game.

This is all to say that: The Lucanis romance is lacking, and that Bioware has done something like this before and they did a better job then than now.

[ninii-winchester]

You’d never know (Part 3)

Pairing : Dean Winchester X Reader

Word count : 1.2k

Warnings : angst, spoilers s13, canon level violence, injury, language, not proofread.

I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO COPY MY WORK, TRANSLATE IT OR POST IT TO ANY OTHER PLATFORM. REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED.

Y/n walked over to the Impala and picked the lock of the trunk to get her stuff from it. She knew Dean would be pissed when he’ll find, she knew he couldn’t get angry at her even if he tried but then her mind reminded her of the events that took place the night before. The small smile that appeared on her face disappeared as soon as it came.

With a deep breath she grabbed a few guns, and a knife blade. She didn’t know what they might get into, so better safe than sorry. She closed the trunk with a loud thump and turned to the girl gang.

“We don’t know what we might be getting into, so be careful okay?” Y/n said loading a gun, her grip firm on it.

Donna had provided Patience and Alex with guns, while Claire had her own and had taken upon herself to protect Kaia.

“Alright girls, just stay put here. We’ll go in and check.” Jody said gesturing to Donna and Y/n.

“What? No! I’m coming with!” Claire argued. Jody went to retaliate but Y/n interrupted her, shaking her head at the older woman. She knew if she they refused her, she’d rebel and that might cause problems. If they’d take her with, they’d be able to keep an eye on her. Keep her safe.

“Jody, you, me and Claire will head inside. Donna if we’re not back in 10, come look for us.” With that the three of them went inside.

With hasty steps, the three of them carefully made their way inside the boatyard. There were loud noises coming from upstairs. Gripping her weapon tightly, Y/n led the two upstairs. There were a lot of those unearthly creatures. A lot more than they could handle on their own. They immediately shot at them and stalled for a few more minutes. Whilst fighting Claire’s gaze dropped at the rift that was open in the middle of the open space.

“Y/n!!” She called out and pointed towards the rift. Y/n saw the open portal and she knew she had to go in there as soon as possible and bring them back but she couldn’t leave them there. She had to wait for Donna to show up.

The moment she thought of her, the blonde sherrif ventured in yelling and shooting at the creatures, Kaia, Alex and Patience hot on her tail.

“Jody?” Donna yelled.

“Up here!!” Jody yelled back over the loud noise of shooting bullets. Donna had Patience with her while Alex took Kaia upstairs.

“I’m gonna go.” Y/n yelled to Jody.

“I know where they are. I’ll help you.” Kaia said with a shaky breath. Though she was scared to go there she wanted to help.

“I’ll come with you.” Claire yelled.

Y/n half expected Jody to intervene and tell her no, but she told her to be safe. She begged Y/n with her eyes to keep her safe and the latter nodded. The adrenaline pumping in her veins made Y/n forgot about her fall out with Dean.

Y/n went in first and Claire grabbed Kaia’s hand and jumped through the portal. The place was dark and gloomy, eerie and strange sounds could be heard. Howling of unfamiliar creatures.

“This way!” Kaia pointed towards clearing and the two followed behind. Y/n could hear grunting noises coming a bit far from where they were. Y/n overtook Kaia and followed the sound, she could recognise it as Dean’s.

As she ventured further she saw Sam and Dean, they were struggling to fight a creature. Y/n grabbed her blade from the back of her jeans and threw it at the creature, making it drop to the ground. Sam and Dean turned to look at Y/n, relief washed over their features. Dean took big strides towards her and grabbed the back of head pulling her close, he smashed his lips to hers.

Y/n’s brain haywire at his actions, she didn’t know whether to kiss him back, push him away, or slap the daylights out him. Before she could react he pulled away and gripped her hand tightly.

“This way.” Kaia said running towards the rift, Sam following behind. Claire was right behind Sam. Dean dragged Y/n along with him. Y/n’s senses were hyper aware after the kiss. They were a few feet away from rift. Bright light was emitting from the portal. From her peripheral vision she saw a creature creeping in towards Claire with a spear in his hand. She promised Jody she’d keep Claire safe, so she did what she felt was right.

As Kaia and Sam jumped through, leaving Dean’s hand, Y/n quickly covered Claire’s body with hers. She felt the sharp pain of a spear piercing her side, with whatever energy she had left she managed to push Claire through.

Y/n placed her hand over her wound where the spear went through her body, her hands wrapping around the gash, to prevent more blood from gushing out. Dean froze as he watched her cough up blood.

“Go.” She whimpered. He was two steps away from the rift and she was a bit far from it. “Dean.” She growled.

“No can do, sweetheart.” He said rushing to her side.

“Don’t waste my effort, you dick,” she coughed up more blood. “The rift might close any minute now.”

“Stop speaking.” He ordered picking her up in his arms. He took rapid steps towards the rift and the light was dimming quickly. With one quick step he reached the portal and jumped through. The rift closed the minute he stepped out. They had barely made it.

“Y/n.” Sam exclaimed rushing towards his brother as he laid Y/n down on the ground.

“Sweetheart, stay with me.!!” Dean begged, tears dripping down his cheeks. He didn’t care if any of them saw him cry, he didn’t care if anyone thought he was weak. He just wanted her to be okay, he couldn’t let her die, at-least not until he had apologised, not until he had made it up to her. Not until he had spent a lifetime with her.

Sam quickly took his shirt off and pressed it over her wound, gently holding it there to stop the blood rush. “Jody.” He grunted gesturing her to take his place. The others watched with anguish lacing their features.

“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry, baby please stay with me.” Dean begged. “Sweetheart hit me, curse me, be angry with me just don’t leave me.” He pressed his lips to her knuckles, over and over again.

There was so much Y/n wanted to say, she wanted to be upset, be angry, ask him why did he say what he did. But all she could do was try and breath. To stay conscious.

Y/n felt her eyelids grow heavy as it was getting harder for her to keep them open. She reached out her bloody hand to touch Dean’s face one last time. He covered her hand with his own, placing a kiss over her palm.

“No, no, no!!” Dean muttered as he felt her hand go limp, her eyes fluttering close.

From behind him, he heard a loud gasp. It was Patience. But he could care less. He held Y/n’s hand trying to feel her pulse but it was there. Her heart beat was weakened and diminished. But her heart was beating nevertheless.

“I just had a vision.” Patience announced.

Tags:

@spnfamily-j2 @galway-girlatwork @deangirl96 @queensilber

@s0urw00lf @monkey-d-hoshizora98 @deans-baby-momma @fullbelieverheart

@riah1606 @xx-spooky-little-vampire-xx @hobby27

@starkleila @suckitands33 @m3ntally-unstable @kanekilovelove-blog @candy-coated-misery0731

[cuties-in-codices]

Congrats on the bachelor’s. Ang good manuscripts about justice, torture and execution? Its for my end of studies project lol

sure! it kind of depends on what you're actually looking for though. i could point you to hundreds of manuscripts that portray gory martyrdoms, torture in hell, fictional executions etc. in some shape or form (see my latest compilation of isaiah being sawn in half!). those aren't necessarily indicative of real-world practices/norms of justice though, if that's what you're interested in. anyways, here's some stuff i had to think of that might or might not be relevant to your question. keep in mind i'm not an expert on the contents of these manuscripts, i just collect images. :)

1.) the livre de la vigne nostre seigneur (france, 1450–70) is, imo, the place to go if you're looking for cool depictions of hell, demons torturing sinners etc... as for real-world methods of execution, scenes like the one on fol. 30r might be somewhat insightful (christians being persecuted and tortured by the antichrist in various ways):

Oxford, Boudleain Library, MS. Douce 134, fol. 30r

2.) as for justice, i had to think of the sachsenspiegel, which "is one of the most important law books and custumals compiled during the holy roman empire" (wikipedia). here are some impression from a 14th c. edition, one of the first/original ones. every page is composed of the legal text on one side, and matching illustrations on the other. so, for example: at the bottom of the first image here (12v), there's an illustration for the law that said that pregnant women should only be penalized/tortured in a relatively mild way (penalties "on the skin and hair"):

Heidelberg, UB, Cod. Pal. germ. 164, fol. 12v and 20r

3.) here's another manuscript that contains illustrations of henchmen of the antichrist getting creative with torturing people (bavaria, c. 1440):

Berlin, SBB, Ms. germ. fol. 733, fol. 6v and 7r

4.) now this one's niche, but i personally really really love this 15th century (bavarian) series of images depicting ways in which various sinners/sins receive different eternal punishments in hell. each miniature is dedicated to a different cardinal sin or violation of one of the ten commandments. to give you an impression, here's a selection of sins and their punishments:

unchastity and gluttony:

envy and wrath:

adultery and false testimony:

Nürnberg, STN, Cent. V, App. 34a, fol. 114r-123r

regarding medieval ideas of justice, i feel like this series illustrates the same concept that can be found in dante's divine comedy: "the punishment of souls by a process either resembling or contrasting with the sin itself" (see contrapasso).

so those were just some manuscripts that came to mind -- maybe some of this was useful to you, either way best wishes for your project. :)