#hats off to you if you can guess how many arts i have planned

[lvnesart]

Part 1/out of the Many Halloween arts i have planned :333

Also! These can all be interpreted as either just costumes or Actual AUs lol

[stormberry-12]

you look like your name is daryll ~ lando norris x reader

pairing: lando norris x fem!artist!reader

warnings: none...? not edited ig

notes: random blurb to try to get the creative juices flowing. last part of faceless is on its way, just want to make sure it has all the details and is legible lol. have a good one! :)

You stood off to the side in the crowded art gallery, offering tidbits of information to random people. Some asked logical questions about the pieces of art you were selling but most just wanted to know where the nearest bathroom was.

This wasn't the way you planned on spending your weekend but your boss had invited some top dog, rich athletes to promote the museum and insisted you come and help.

It hadn't been all that bad, you were finding a few people who weren't just there for the free champagne, that you could sell some of your work to, making some extra cash here and there. However, you slowly grew bored of standing there waiting for somebody, who actually appreciated the purpose of the gallery, to pass by.

As you slumped onto a bench and pulled out your phone you heard footsteps approach you, looking up at what looked to be an avid sports fan you pointed to your left and said, "Bathrooms that way,"

He gave you a confused look and stared up at your art on the wall, "Uhm, I don't need to go, thanks though."

That made you feel stupid and you felt your cheeks heat slightly, "Sorry, I didn't think you would actually be here to look at art."

"Why?" he asked sassily. Along with the sass he had a British accent, which made your heart flutter slightly.

"Well," you sighed, "you look like your name is Daryll and you wore a smiley face bucket hat to an art museum."

He laughed and scratched the back of his neck. "Try again, it's even more lame than Daryll."

"Uhm, Eugene?"

"Do I look like a Eugene?" he questioned with a small smirk on his face.

You laughed, "Not really,"

He shook his head, laughing with you, "If I can guess your name can I take you out to lunch?"

You looked up at him confused, this was not how you saw this conversation going. Oh, who cares, "Go for it Daryll."

"Y/n?"

You looked at him with wide eyes, "Okay, that's not even funny,"

"You have nice handwriting," he put one hand in his pocket, pointing at your signature on a painting with the other.

"Anyway, I got to get going," he gestured behind him, "can I find you later?"

You chuckled, "Sure Daryll,"

He grinned wider and walked off in a rush.

After your lunch break, you returned to your post. There weren't as many people wandering around anymore. Magnified voices blasted from around the corner, followed by a crowd of people laughing. You followed the noise and shifted into the crowd, looking up at the platform of speakers.

Oh shit. It was your new friend that you had tried to chauffer to the toilet. He was the famous rich guy who was supposed to be giving this place a lot of money.

"What would you be, Lando, if you weren't a Formula 1 driver?" the interviewer asked, the two men pulled out their whiteboards and started scribbling down their answers.

"Okay- actually Oscar let's start with you," he walked over to the other guy who turned his board around. "What would he be?"

"I said a golfer being beaten by Carlos Sainz,"

The crowd groaned and laughed at his answer as the question continued, "And Lando says... a golfer, an artist, or..."

"Only fans," He grinned, and you couldn't help but laugh with the rest of the group.

Lando.

He had a nice name too. He caught your gaze and winked.

[noproofread]

The Painter

"Would you ever try to leave me for somebody who deserves you most?"

Inspired by Million Dollar Houses

Luffy wants reader to sail with him, reader decides to stay.

bittersweet fluff~

word count: 1,262

masterlist here

tag list: @fanaticsnail @vangowithit @dakingsu-blog

You held the paintbrush tightly in your hand as you stared out to the crashing waves on the shore. Your tongue slightly peeking out of your mouth as you focused on the scene in front of you, carefully color matching the bright blue color of the waves before placing the brush onto your canvas. The brush glided effortlessly across the painting, blending beautifully with the base color you had placed beforehand. It was therapeutic for you, you loved painting. And Luffy knew it. As you continued working on your piece, two hands covered your eyes, breaking your concentration. “Guess who?” A cheery voice spoke from behind you, a voice you recognized immediately as the straw-hat pirate whom you had grown to adore. “Luffy! I was working” You whined as his hands left your eyes and landed on your shoulders. You turned to face his smiling face, placing a small kiss on his cheek before turning back to the canvas in front of you. “You’re so talented wow! That looks incredible!” Luffy praised your art, as he always did. He believed you would become a famous artist, he told you that once he became king of the pirates he wanted you to paint a portrait of him and his crew in commemoration.

You were always critical of your art, but you appreciated Luffy’s optimism regarding your career. You never fully believed it as a possibility for yourself. You did believe Luffy would become the king of the pirates. You would watch him train and fight, he was unbelievably strong, and charismatic. He had such a vibrant magnetism that made people like him, believe in him, support him. It worked on you as it worked on everyone on his crew. “I’m going to take you away from this beautiful work of art you are working on because it’s our last night here before we head off to find the One Piece.” His hand found yours, prying you away from hours of work. “You’re leaving tonight?” You echoed his words, you felt a pit in your stomach at the thought of him leaving you. “No, we are leaving tonight. You thought I’d leave without you, silly?” He spoke through a wide toothed grin, running across the beach with you grabbing onto his hand.

You never imagined yourself going out to sea. You were perfectly content living your life in a small town, painting houses for a living and canvases as a hobby. The only excitement in your life came from Luffy. As you approached a high cliff, Luffy wrapped an arm around your waist before stretching his other arm upwards. “Hold on tight!” He exclaimed as you shot up quickly. The wind pressing down on the both of you, you heard Luffy laugh as the two of you fell onto a tree with him breaking your fall. “You’re crazy!” You laughed. He always got you to laugh, it was his favorite sound. “Imagine how many cool adventures we can go on! You have to come with me!” His arm was still wrapped around you. You looked down at him, smiling. You didn’t know if you could leave and set sail with him. “I’ll think about it” You whispered. “No time to think! We’re leaving tonight and you are coming! Come on!” He whined, helping you up. He moved to stand in front of you, hunching over with his back facing you. “Get on! Sanji is cooking a delicious feast and I’m hungry.” You giggled at his request before mounting him. Your arms draped over his neck as he hooked his arms onto your thighs.

“The whole town is throwing us a going away party! There’s going to be music and so much food!” He spoke excitedly. Drool fell from his mouth as he talked about the amount of food he was planning on eating. You nuzzled into his neck, smiling. You loved hearing him talk with so much enthusiasm. You were strongly considering leaving with him. The sea would offer you the freedom to venture onto a life you had given up on. You could quit your job and focus on painting. Being with Luffy would be a bonus, and you would be able to see him become the king of the pirates. You would be there. The scent of grilled meat pulled you out from your thoughts as Luffy let you down. You were greeted by a couple of members from his crew. Zoro barely acknowledged you, being buried in cups and bottles of alcohol. Nami called you over to sit next to her and Usopp.

You turned to tell Luffy but found him already happily chowing down on some food. You giggled to yourself and made your way towards Nami. “Hey! I heard you guys are leaving tonight” You started the conversation, taking a seat next to the orange haired woman. “Yup! The journey never stops!” She exclaimed, looking over at Luffy. “I thought you were coming with us? Luffy told us.” Nami said before taking a sip of her drink. “Ahh. I’m thinking about it” You shrugged. You looked over at Usopp for a moment before deciding to change the subject. “Any new stories to tell, Usopp?” His face lit up at the request. He stood on his chair and began the tale of how he defeated 47 enemies single handedly.

The day quickly turned into night. You were enjoying the party more than you thought you would. Between the drinking, eating, and dancing, you thought about this being your life if you chose to go with the Straw Hats. With Luffy. Luffy noticed you were standing alone and decided to steal a moment with you. He walked over to you, taking your hand and smiling. “Come with me, I have something cool to show you.” You smiled back at him, walking up a small hill located only mere feet away from the booming music. As you arrived at the top of the hill, you could still hear the faint sound of laughter coming from the party. Luffy sat down, pulling on your hand for you to do the same. You sat next to him, looking up at the moon in the sky. It seemed to brighten up the sky much more than usual. You leaned into Luffy, resting your head on his neck as the two of you watched the moon. The silence between you grew thick as you traced circles on his arm as you held onto it. “Have you thought about it?” Luffy broke the silence, still looking up at the sky. You took a deep breath, holding him tighter. “I can’t go with you Luffy.”

“Yes you can,” He argued. Luffy was known for not taking no for an answer. “I would just hold you back. I don’t want to hold you back.” You let go of his arm and looked up at him. “You wouldn’t-” He began, meeting your gaze. “I would.” You reached over, cupping his cheek. You smiled, it was a bittersweet feeling. “And that’s okay. Just promise to come back when you become king of the pirates. I promise I’ll paint that portrait you wanted.” You pulled him in for a gentle kiss. His lips were soft against yours. You pulled away, looking into his eyes. He was sad, but understanding. He wasn’t going to throw you over his shoulder and take you to the sea against your will. He nodded his head, looking over at the sky once again. “I’ll be here waiting for you.” You said, making him smile. “I’ll come back.”

[ifuckingloveryoshu]

I said Id keep all murder on the warp express spoilers till 8/31 but. *BIG Spoilers FOR MURDER ON THE WARP TRAIN EXPRESS AND DISTORTION DETECTIVE*

I originally just wanted to make a horny post but here we are now, Don post. And keep in mind, all of this is speculation all hearsay and I have not read Don's book.

I might redesign and just redo my self insert oc for one if Bloodfeinds have a thing with masks and if the Pinky Finger has blood feinds? Its only heavy spectulation on my end given the scrapes and blood on the finer from Ryoshu's art. Unrelated but the mask make me thing about Jojo and the Pillar Men. Uhh, more speculation actually, maybe all Kindred in their culture, take the mantel of another role or face? For Don, its the valiant hero. With blood being part of their image, their goal is extending their influnce.

Go further, maybe the Mask and Rocinante can be related in the roles they want to play. The Barber was mentioned and I heard the original Don took the shaving thing used to collect hair from the barber and used it as a hat. I'm thinking for Casstti at least, the technology of that mask after getting enough blood would make him look all human.

From Distortion Detective Chapters 41 and 42 before they axed the series, here we have:

For context: Moses is talking to an older Bloodfeind in this fancy hotel because she wants Moses to murder her. For one, yeah they do feed on human but their not overtly evil? It's a hidden evil but tame for City standards. Elena was just a big exception but popular enough to give the whole species a bad reputation.

From Distortion Detective, we get the information that Bloodfeinds like keeping their numbers low.

There honestly must be cultural diffrences between blood feind populations of diffrent Districts. Don might actually be an Elder.

Also, it's not a new plot point with a bloodfeind who doesn't conciously know their a blood feind.

So does the Distortion inside bloodfeinds have to be awaken? I have no idea, but Rocinante seems to be Don's anchor.

When we meet another Bloodfeind, perhaps an elder one, it doesn't seem in the norm for Bloodfeinds in general to do giant blood bag and conversion things. This is a very hopeful reading of what can easily get retconed but my guess is Elder Bloodfeinds just drink a little bit and then normally let their victims go. But again, we never found out if this person was reliable or not because Project Moon discontinued Distortion Detective. Elena is an outliar among bloodfeinds and Casstti is put into a warp train as a blood feind, in an enviornment that gives as much blood as you want.

Wherever Casstti's from, he was running away to make his own 'kingdom' because where hes from was awful. He had no idea how the Warp Train would opperate. None of this was planned, everything was incidental.

My theory on the events: Cassetti hides in the freightcar to escape wherever he is from and hes been hiding there eversince to get enough blood to make his mask so he can blend in with the City residents, hide his bloodfeind features, maybe fuse with his mask. But, the bus woke him up and maybe he was spotted by the multi-armed fixers where he feels compelled to make Sasha a Kindred after her helplessness. Then our gang comes and fights him. Yeah. So many things to look forward to. And if the connection of the Barber in Don's story, a one off thing, Cassetti might be coming from P Corp. Two things i've just seen from Lob Corp's Shelter from the 27th of March and the Library Of Ruina Wiki:

We're off for a ride next Canto, that is certain. Thank you to anyone who decides to read this. If anyone else would love to build off this or correct me, that would be heavily appreciated.

[jinkookspencil]

bts x halloween couples costumes

Description/Tags: Fluff / OT7 Scenarios / No Smut At All / This is an OT7 post that is basically little scenarios of each member and their s.o., but they’re inter-connected - they’re all getting ready to go to a couples costume Halloween party hosted by Hobi and his S.O! I'm sure you can guess what Hobi has planned.... You don’t have to read every member, it’s just that that’s the setting in my head and some members are mentioned in some of the other members’ scenarios.

Author’s Note: I had the idea to write a post on this a while ago, but I completely forgot about it and I just wrote this on a whim. I wanted to try something different! Pretty happy with how it came out, it’s my first time writing like this for a few of the members so I’m at least glad I tried that. I’m sorry it’s taking me longer to post my other WIPs! I’m not that proud of my Namjoon drabble I planned to post but I might just upload it soon. Also I sincerely want to thank you guys for all the love on take off your glasses - i didn't expect it to blow up and i think i reached 2 follower milestones since then, so thank you sm!! (gifs are not mine! can't find original sources, so please lmk if i should just remove them from the post)

namjoon

“Honey, I have a couples costume idea for Hobi’s Halloween party!”

“Oh, really?”, Namjoon asks, walking over to you from his office chair upon hearing you at the door. “I thought you were matching with Jin’s girl? And me and Jin were gonna do a Pokemon one? Wasn’t that the plan?”

“It was… Wait did you and Jin get your costumes yet?”

“No,” he sighs. “It felt weird if one of us was Ash and the other was Pikachu then we just couldn’t decide who got which Pokemon onesie. Now he wants Charmander and I want Bulbasaur, but they only had Eevee and Squirtle and.. forget it. I, of course, want to match with you instead. What’s up, what’s your idea?”, he rubs your shoulder. 

“Okay so, I have two ideas.”

“Of course you do.”

“Shh,” you smile. “The first one is a bug catcher and a butterfly. You’ll be the bug catcher and I’ll be a butterfly. You can wear a khaki or brown vest and shorts with a bucket hat and a net in your hands, and I’ll wear wings and do my makeup all pretty,” you say proudly, batting your eyelashes jokingly before looking at Namjoon to see his eyes in a crescent moon shape due to the wide smile on his face.

“That’s adorable, baby. I love it. My pretty butterfly,” he says, squishing your face. “I’m good with that, it already beats me and Jin’s onesies. What’s the other idea?”

“I think you’ll like this one more.”

“Oh?”

“So…. we’d need some more help with this, maybe Jungkook can come over and help us out since he’s a great painter, but…. What if we were Van Gogh and his sunflowers? We ca-,” you stop for a moment and restrain your smile, taking in the sight of Namjoon’s eyes widening. 

“We can do it in so many different ways, babe. We can both be covered in paint, you’re his self-portrait and I have sunflowers painted all over me. You can just dress as he does in that portrait of his with the hat? Maybe even with the bandaged ear? And I’ll have sunflowers in my hair either way. What do you think?”

Namjoon doesn’t answer, but pulls your head closer to his to meet your lips, sighing against them after a kiss. “I love you.”

“Nice, huh?”

He quickly kisses you again on the lips, staring at you in adoration with a big, heartwarming smile on his. “Amazing. My beautiful genius.”

“So? Which one?”

“The second one,” he laughs. “Is that okay? Let’s leave the butterfly for next year…..” Namjoon’s voice trails off, and suddenly he’s staring at the corner of the ceiling.

“Wh…. You’re thinking of more art costume ideas we could do, huh?”

"There's American Gothic too...." he mumbles before his gaze returns to you. “Have I told you that I love you?”

seokjin

“Seokjin, no.”

“Honey!”

Your plans for Hoseok's Halloween party were set. You and your bestie would match while your respective boyfriends - Seokjin and Namjoon - would match, a genius twist on Hoseok's "couples costume" theme this year. But when she texted you telling you the plans were off and that she’d be matching with Namjoon, you were back to square one and broke the news to Seokjin.

You didn't think it could get any worse..... But he got an idea when he heard that one of their initial costume ideas was a bug catcher and a butterfly.

“Seokjin. I am NOT dressing up as a FISH.”

“Why not?!” he pouts. “You’ll be a fish and I’ll be a fisherman! It’s cute!”

“Seokjin, I’ve been to Hoseok’s parties before, everyone is going to be in their most amazing, creative costumes and I’m going to be a fish? I still have to make a good impression on some of your friends!”

“Honey, everyone already loves you, don't worry about that. And we’ll be sitting in the corner talking to each other and the guys like we always do.”

“But a fish, Seokjin?”

“Yes, what’s wrong with it?” he defends. “You know I love seafood!”

“To eat! But dressing up AS a fish?!”

“You don’t get it, honey. It’s because you’re a CATCH.”

Seokjin’s expression brightens at his own ‘genius’, and you try to restrain a smile - you always admired his ability to make a pun out of every situation.

“But I’d be a FISH, Seokjin. A DEAD and SMELLY CATCH.”

Now it's his turn to laugh, but he erupts rather than holding it in. “Honey, you’d be my favorite hobby! Well, you already are,” he winks, “but you know what I mean.

Put on a little extra of that floral perfume you always wear and we'll say you're a magical fish from a pond that smells like roses and can survive out of water."

“I can’t believe I’m dressing up as a fish for you, Seokjin.”

“Yes!!!!” he cheers, kissing your forehead. “Thank you, honey. Ah, be prepared, I’ll go around all night making that catch joke.”

“Why couldn’t we have been Mario and Peach? We have those costumes in our closets….. Can’t I at least be a mermaid?”, you slump. “Like you caught a mermaid?”

“Honey, that’s not realistic.”

“I’ll find a way to be a sexy fish,” you pout.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

yoongi

“Okay.”

“Okay?” you make sure.

“Yes,” Yoongi nods. “I like it.”

“Tell me honestly.”

“Honestly?,” Yoongi asks. “It’s a bit uncreative for a couples costume idea, darling, but I like it……… But judging by the expression on your face, you don’t believe me.”

You hadn’t noticed your eyebrows were furrowed until Yoongi pointed it out. “You just said it was uncreative, Yoongi.”

“Gomez and Morticia Addams is not a creative couples costume idea! It’s been done, but I like it.”

“Well, you come up with something, if you’re so good at creative costumes!”

“Darling, let me finish. I like it. You know why? Because it’s accurate,” he says.

“Accurate? What does that mean? Because you’re pale?”

Yoongi chuckled before turning his chair to face you completely. “It’s accurate to me and you. I remember watching that Addams Family movie and Gomez was so in love with his wife…. And I’m madly in love with mine. What’s that thing he tells her? ‘To live without you, only that would be torture’? That.” Yoongi blinks. “I like it because it’s accurate. Okay?”

You grab Yoongi by his cheeks and pull him towards you in a kiss.

“What the fuck, Min Yoongi?!”

“What?! I just said it’s accurate! Just draw the mustache on me. Gomez and Morticia Addams…. I like it.”

hoseok

“Wait, what did you tell everyone we were dressing up as?”, you ask your boyfriend from the makeup chair.

“Woody and Bo Peep from Toy Story,” Hoseok replies from the armchair beside you.

“Oh that’s going to be hilarious,” you smile for a moment before instantly suppressing it so the makeup artist couple complete your look. “They won’t see this coming. Are you completely done?”

“Yep,” he replies.

“So are you,” the makeup artist replies with a final stroke of her brush. “Take a look, Mrs. Frankenstein.”

When Hoseok said he’d take care of everything and would go all out, he really meant it. The makeup artist he hired did a great job at somehow making you look both fabulous and creepy, and so did the hairstylist, who gave you permanent white streaks in your hair as per your request, to surprise Hoseok after the party. Even the sort of wedding dress you wore was tailor-made as per Hobi’s insistence, but he let you have a hand in designing it, resulting in an edgy, fitted white dress that was a mini at the bottom to show off your thigh-high boots and a lacy corset on top of a short-sleeved lacy top. You looked like a rockstar version of the Bride of Frankenstein and turning to Hobi as he got up to take a look at you, you realized he looked like one too. Green all over with dark circles under his eyes, but a rockstar nonetheless… Hell, he even made the bolts on his neck look natural and cool. Where did he find this team of artists to put together your looks?! Sure he loved spoiling you, but this was almost too much, even for Hoseok.... and it didn't help that he was fidgeting all day, which he only did when he was incredibly nervous, setting you on edge as well.

“You look so cool, baby,” he smiles, hands in his pockets. “Ready for the party? We should get going now so we can start welcoming the guests in.”

“I think I am... Baby, you look amazing… we look amazing,” you say, taking in your look. “But there's something.... different about tonight. Don't you feel it? You don't seem like yourself too."

As soon as the words leave your mouth, you regret it, because suddenly, it's as if he hadn't had jitters the entire night. "I'm fine, baby. I'm excited! This is going to be the best party I threw, I planned so many things that even you don't know about. How about you? How are you feeling?"

"I can't describe it. I’m kinda nervous or… excited but in a way, I’ve never felt before.”

“Why?,” he laughs. “This isn’t the first time we’ve hosted a party together.”

“I know, but this feels…. big? Different? I don’t know why.”

“It’s nothing, honey. Forget that stuff about it being the best party, it's just another party! Besides that are you feeling okay or is something bothering you?”

“No, I’m fine, it’s just…,” you look Hobi in his eyes, “something feels different.”

Hoseok’s smile grows as he shakes his head. “It’s just a Halloween party with all of our friends, who love us. No reason to be nervous.”

You nod, taking his hand in yours. "I don't think it's nerves."

“Can I tell you something funny to help ease you?”, he says.

“What?”

“I heard Jin made his girlfriend dress up like a fish.”

You and Hoseok burst into a cackle, despite that he already knew of the fact.

“Knowing her, she’ll find a way to make it cool, though,” you say. “That helped, baby. I’m ready.”

“Good,” he smiles, touching over his jacket pocket before grabbing your hand. “Let’s go, my beautiful bride.”

jimin

“Jimin, are you home?” you yell from the bedroom upon hearing the front door slam.

“Yes!” he calls out. “Who else would enter with a key?”, you hear him gush under his breath. His voice and his excited face are too adorable for you to get annoyed…. and you had a pressing issue at hand.

“Baby, hi. So I’m kind of stressed because I couldn’t come up with anything to wear for Hoseok’s party.”

“Oh, right, when is it?” he asks calmly.

“Jimin, it’s Halloween. It’s tomorrow.”

“Oh!”, he gasps. “Then I’m in trouble too. Isn’t it supposed to be a couples costume thing too?”

“Fuck. What do we do?”

“I actually think I still have my Mickey Mouse ears that I got from that Disney trip with the boys…. How about Mickey and Minnie?”

You had discovered that Jimin was even more of a sweetheart than he seemed as you got to know him, but this was damn near one of the sweetest suggestions he had ever made in all your time together. “Mickey and Minnie?!”

“Yes! Do you have Mickey or Minnie ears?”

“No….” you reply shyly.

“Then let me ask Jungkook, and I’ll make a note to take you to Disneyland,” he smiles, but it almost immediately turns into a frown. “Ay, I forgot he got Donald Duck.”

“I can probably do my hair up in little buns?” you suggest.

“You’d look adorable, baby.”

“But what would we wear?”

“Just black? We might look weird, huh?”

“Why did we both forget?! I want to match, Jiminie, you can’t suggest Mickey and Minnie and just give that up, it's too cute but we'll look like Mickey and his weird rat girlfriend instead of Minnie.... but I can’t think of anything!”, you whine with your forehead against his chest.

You feel his chest vibrate beneath your skin, and the sound of Jimin's giggles nearly makes you forget the issue entirely. “Baby,” he giggles. “You won't look like Mickey's weird girlfriend. It’ll be okay, even if we show up in our normal clothes with no costumes and say we’re dressed as us.”

You lift your head up and stare at Jimin. “Dressed as us?”

“Mm,” he says calmly.

“I have an idea," you reply. "What if we dressed as each other?! I know we borrow each other’s stuff sometimes but we still have different styles right'? What if I went dressed as you and you dressed as me?! I think we can use whatever’s in our closets…”. You stare off in the direction of your wardrobe trying to form a mental image of all the outfits you both had. “What do you think?”

Jimin tilts your head so he can look you in the eyes. “I love it. Unfortunately for Hoseok, for a couples costume party, we’ll be the most coupley couple there and we didn’t even have to think about it too much… this is why we’re PERFECT together, babe...." He brings his soft lips to the top of your head. "I love you."

taehyung

“Taehyung, isn’t this a bit of a sad costume?”, you ask your boyfriend while applying lipstick in the mirror.

“What do you mean?”, he replies suddenly appearing behind you in the reflection, in full costume.

“Well, Bonnie and Clyde?”

“Yeah?” he raises his eyebrows.

“Well, you know…” 

“I know…. what?” his eyes widen.

“Well, it’s a real story and I know we’re going off of the movie, but they die at the end.”

Taehyung licks his lips, his eyes darting around the room…. 

“You didn’t finish the movie, did you?”

He cringes, a faint shade of red appearing in his cheeks. “I slept before the ending.”

“And you didn’t even see it coming?”

Taehyung covers his mouth with his hand, biting his index finger. “I’m sorry.”

“Baby,” you sigh, turning around and cupping his face in your hands. “Why are you sorry? It’s a classic couples costume. I just said it’s kind of sad but you know what else it is?” His eyebrows raise quickly in question.

“It’s sexy. Well, not Bonnie and Clyde, that feels kind of weird and wrong to say. But this whole 1940s type of clothing on you, on us,” you say, your hands roaming over Taehyung’s chest before fiddling with his suspenders. “I know you like to wear this type of thing often, I mean, hey, you didn’t even have to buy anything, you just got everything from your closet but…. It feels good to actually wear them, you know? I’m not sad at all. I wanna walk into that party with my partner in crime.”

He brings the tip of his index finger to your chin, slowly kissing you… and as he breaks away you notice a bit of your red lipstick stains his upper lip. 

“Partner in crime, huh?”, he asks, a smug smile on his face.

“Uh-huh,” you giggle, wiping off the lipstick from his lips.

“I like that. Let’s go, pudding,” he jokes in an exaggerated, undetectable accent as he wears his fedora, grabbing your hand too excitedly as he makes for the door in a laugh.

jungkook

“Baby, isn’t Hoseok’s party in like 3 weeks? It’s the beginning of October!”

“And we’re already too late!,” Jungkook complains. “Look, I don’t mean to outshine anyone in that party, especially not Hoseok since he’s got a lot planned, but we need to have an amazing costume, baby, just for our sake.”

“Okay, so, any ideas?”, you ask.

“Too many to choose”, he says. “It’s a couples costume party, right? So I thought about the most romantic place to look for inspiration since I’m so in love with you and this is an opportunity for me to show everyone how madly we’re in love with each other.”

“Oooh, I like where this is going… Let me guess. Something from Jane Austen? Pride & Prejudice?! Or Shakespeare? Is it Romeo and Juliet?”

“Shakespeare? Jane? What? No, that feels like something only Namjoon and his fiancee will understand. No, baby….,” he pauses for dramatic effect. “DISNEY!”

“Disney?” you ask.

“Yes!” he says excitedly. “Do you… not like it?”

For the split second before your answer, you cringe at the idea of you having to wear a Cinderella-like ballgown, or an Aurora-esque dress… It was the first thing your mind went to, and it was the farthest thing from a costume you’d like to wear, but seeing the sparkle in Jungkook’s eyes, you couldn’t say no.

“I like it!” you reply, trying to match his excitement. “Which couples were you thinking? Cinderella? Snow White? Jane and Tarzan? Belle and The Beast”

“Cinderella and Snow White? Me, the Beast? What? Baby.....no,” he laughs. “ Where is your head at today? Imagine you in a Cinderella gown, I mean I think you’re always beautiful but that’s just not you.. Right?” he asks.

….Well this surely isn’t what you were expecting.

“Right…. Then… What did you have in mind?” you ask, more intrigued than ever, which Jungkook could sense, judging by the readiness in his eyes, and you immediately regret the disappointment you felt when he brought up the idea. Fuck, you could never hide your emotions from him.

“Okay,” he continues with a smile on his face, pulling up a collage of Disney characters on his phone. “I thought of many and I did my research. The only one we can’t do is Woody and Bo Peep because that’s apparently what Hoseok’s doing but I have other options. There are many Disney couples - baby we have to do a marathon soon. Anyways, there are some where one suits me and not you, or you but not me. I went through people like Aladdin and Jasmine, Peter and Wendy, Hercules and Meg, Flynn and Rapunzel…. I know some of those are princesses but they seem more like you? Or we could do Mickey and Minnie - we could borrow Jimin’s Mickey ears but it seems like a last-minute costume so, actually scratch that. We could do the Dalmatians? I know Bam will like that! What’s more ‘us’? I think some cool ones might be Mr. and Mrs. Incredible from The Incredibles? Or what about Jack and Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas? Baby, there are so many options and I just don’t know what to do and -“

You stop Jungkook by kissing him on the lips - it takes him a moment before he responds and kisses you back.

“Uhm….”

“Jeon Jungkook…..I love you.”

“I love you too,” he replies shyly. “Are my ideas that good?”

“They’re that cute. I’ll tell you what, you pick your favorite.”

“Baby, that's the whole point of this, I can’t pick - you probably know Disney characters better than I do. Which characters are more like us? Or, actually, which ones are the most in love?”

“I don’t know I guess every couple’s love is different.”

“Is there one that’s similar to ours?,” he asks, eyes wide.

“No, our love is ours, Jeon Jungkook.” 

He smiles. “That doesn’t help. See? Do you see, baby? We need something as romantic as that. I’m starting to think we’re more romantic than Disney movies….”

“I have an idea, baby. Let’s pick a few of the couples, work on the costumes for the next few weeks, and then we’ll see what suits us best. I think you have the charms of Peter Pan, but you have the emo soul to be a good Jack Skellington…. and you’d make a pretty accurate Hercules….”

“Hercules, huh?” he raises his eyebrows. “I’ll show you the strength of Hercules rescuing his damsel in distress”. He begins to tickle your waist, and you instinctively attempt to push his hands away, knowing they were making their way to your thighs. 

“Okay, Jungkook, you really need to watch these movies because Meg says that she’s not a damsel in distress!”, you get out, with shrieks and giggles in between.

“Just let me make out with my princess,” he giggles, finally firmly grabbing your waist and pulling you up to his chest, kissing your lips more sweetly and lovingly than any prince in any fairytale you ever watched or read about.

[pianostarinwonderland]

You guys have no idea how much Azul’s new SSR means to me.

There are things I’m going to be losing from this. Obviously, I’m going to see my gem and key count dwindle because I have no idea if I’m going to be lucky tomorrow. I have exams next week, and this event is going to really affect my concentration horribly. I really can’t afford to not get low scores on these exams since my grades are horrible.

But this card… It’s everything that I’ve been dreaming of for the past two years.

I’ve gone through two whole years of eating crumbs, and maybe that sounds entitled since Azul got his story and SSR really early on. But it’s because his story was concluded really early on that afterwards, I don’t get to hear much from him. I really only look forward to February, I have to seek food about him from other characters (especially from Jade and Floyd), I have to feed myself every day with my own thoughts. Some days, I’ve considered on looking for new fandoms to join because I’ve gotten bored of even myself. But I still stay because of two things: (1) I have friends who still love this game very much, and (2) Azul means so much to me that it’s enough of a reason to stay.

And now, here we have him. A beautiful SSR in the most gorgeous outfit. There are so many things I want to say about this card because it is every single fantasy in my head coming to life.

Like, the setting? I once had a Honeymoon Un Deux Trois phase back in 2020-early 2021. There was something about dancing a waltz with Azul that really made me feel so giddy for months. I would always imagine us under the moonlight, on stone streets and bridges with lamps on, and dancing to that song. I never cared if it was graceful or not, because it was a dance with Azul.

Babes, besties, and bitches, the setting of that card art is exactly the setting of that imagination. Even the lights of those buildings are the same. It’s like Yana read my mind and put it on a digital canvas. The only thing different is the gate behind Azul, but otherwise, it’s everything that I’ve seen in my dreams.

Then Azul’s outfit! I’ve long entertained the idea of Azul in a masquerade outfit since last year. It was so appealing because he hides behind a mask all the time to seem more pleasing to others. It pushed me to plan out and write a (work in progress) fic where Azul is a masked pianist. He’d be decked in black and purple, mostly purple. He’d have a hat with a feather, and he’d be wearing a mask with that same shape you see on the card.

You know in fact, I always imagined since late last year that the next Abema stream was going to be me seeing Azul getting a masquerade SSR. And then I would be screaming.

And 😭 I got it. I got the masquerade card, and his outfit has similarities to what I envisioned for him. I now also know that his hat is called a tricone, and that is really awesome to know.

And to top it all off? His tailcoat. I always loved tailcoats even as a kid. There was something about how simple it is yet the way it billows in the breeze as it trails behind you creates a certain aura about you. It looks classy and almost authoritative. It catches your attention.

And guess what? Azul Ashengrotto comes in with at least 6 tail ends on his tailcoat.🧍This mcfucking octopus.

Anyway, I’m just… I am just so happy right now. 😭 Sundays have recently been my worst day of the week for certain reasons, but I had such a great day today because of Azul.

The gacha is coming tomorrow, which is really exciting but also anxiety inducing xD! I really want to stream for everyone, but I don’t think I can :( I think my stream would end up lagging horribly. But I’ll definitely share what happens here.

This post is really different from how I’d usually scream about Azul. I’ll admit, much of my energy is gone because I have melted down in a vc with friends xD but mainly, I just feel so tender about this card. It’s two years of my dreams put on a screen for the world to see. It’s two years of all the times I thought about him, talked about him, wrote about him, bringing me to a time when I can actually for the first time freak out about his event SSR when I could not do that for Beans Day. It’s two years of loving him, and now I’m here. 🥲 And I’m so thankful and happy right now.

[goatskickin]

Welcome back! When we last left, our heir Faith and her roommate Bettina were in competition over the bigger bed, and their moms were seeing them off to Brainia U.

How have the girls been doing away at college?

      After Bettina and Faith got settled into their charming ramshackle student house, the only thing left to do was get used to living with each other.

“Bettina, shut the computer off. Let’s go out.”

“Just a minute! I only have until midnight to submit this response for class.”

“So? You’ve got hours then! Let’s go!”

“I am trying to get ahead here. I am doing homework. Ever heard of it?”

“Don’t be an asshole. My homework is just different than yours.”

“Oh sure, I forgot…don’t you like have to pretend to be an orange or something? Do a monologue about fading beauty or some crap?”

“I need to print off my monologue for class actually, so let’s go! Let’s go to campus!”

“Fine.”

Faith has tried to make the most of Brainia U’s many student centers, as well as every local hangout.

The actual students at Brainia U are a mixed bag however.

“O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword; The expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mould of form, The observed of all observers, quite, quite down! And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That suck'd the honey of his music vows, Now see that noble and most sovereign reason, Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; That unmatch'd form and feature of blown youth Blasted with ecstasy: O, woe is me, To have seen what I have seen, see what I see!”

“Wow, nothing? That’s the best Ophelia I’ve done all week.”

“Everyone’s a critic.”

“People are idiots Bettina.  Doesn’t anyone know anything about art around here?

…

Aren’t you going to have any chili? I mean, if you want to have some tomorrow once the flavors have melded that’s totally fine…”

Bettina quickly finds out just how often her roommate cooks. Maybe it’s a comfort thing.

But it is almost constant. Bettina never goes hungry.

Bettina approaches college life a little more quietly than her roommate. She has never been away from home, and she’s also never lived without her twin, Wade.

Now that she is living (almost alone), she’s found that she’s the kind of person who finds quiet, solitary activities to be stimulating.

How they spend downtime is not something that Bettina and Faith agree on.

“HEY! It’s 8pm! What the fuck is that noise! I’m reading!”

“Well, in Act 3 of the play I am auditioning for –“

“YEAH maybe you don’t need to do that right now! Thanks!”

Bettina does have her own connections on campus outside of Faith.

“Yah gotta come over. My roommate, she’s kind of a lot to handle, but she makes this bomb vegan lasagna! It’s way too much for two people.”

Given that Brainia U had been isolated for decades, its population has subsisted off the left-behind non-perishables for the college-aged set. Fresh fruit and vegetables are a thing that only Pitstop Valley locals have. There are no resources or plan to get produce to Brainia U.

Thankfully, Faith has brought enough spices, vinegars, tomato paste and nutritional yeast to make any food taste homemade. Or at least less like packaged ramen noodles and canned vegetables.

“Bettina! Where is my microplane!”

“Your what?”

“My microplane! With the green handle? Did you put it in a funny spot?

“What?! You…something about a tiny plane?”

“What?! No, a microPLA – oh, found it.”

“Bettina. Guess who I talked to at the quad today. Guess.”

“Uh, I don’t know Faith. You’re kind of keeping company with a few different dudes right now.”

“Ah, ahHA! HA! You’re so funny. Like, hilarious. But no, guess.”

“Uh…”

“John Choi.”

“Oh my gosh, fuck you! No, you didn’t!”

“I did!”

        Yes, John Choi. This pink-hatted, monocled man is a high-value slice at Brainia U.

“So, John, why pink? Such a powerful color.”

“Pink speaks to me, you know? And I guess it’s speaking to everyone else too.”

“I mean I also saw your friend Skylar on campus, later on.”

“Oh, he’s cute! Why don’t you ask him out?!”

“Oh, I dunno…”

“He likes you Faith! He’s totally smart, and he’s in our history lecture – “

“Oh man, that professor has such a droning voice I fall asleep every time! Why have a lecture right at 2pm? That’s nap time.”

“Ask Skylar to take notes for you! That’s how you can start talking to him!”

“Well, then why don’t you date him, if he’s so great?”

“He likes you Faith! You’re gonna scare him off by being – “

“By being what, Bettina!”

Faith’s keeping her options open. As a Family sim, the end goal is marriage. Obviously.

  “So, you’re not worried about prolonged hot tub exposure and your future sperm production?”

“My…my what?!”

“What do you mean you do use your laptop right on your lap?! Don’t you know that’s a recipe for low-yielding baby gravy?!”

Faith has many options.

All she has to do is choose and make her move.

Provided that all parties agree to the arrangement.

“You calling me a hoe Bettina? Because that’s fine! At least I am putting myself out there.”

Even so, Faith’s not much of a charmer.

So, it remains to be seen if Faith “putting herself out there” will produce any worthwhile relationships.

“Faith you are impossible. I love you. Dumbass.”

“Of course, you do. What about you? What about your dude, that guy from your biology lab? SeaBass?”

“Can you not call him that?! His name is Sebastian.”

“I’m working on him, okay?”

“He’s a warlock, you know? Him and his twin. Like, my mom is kind of old fashioned when it comes to magic stuff, but male witches do exist, they are just like, more rare? And his twin – “

“Ooh, a twin? Should we double date? OOH! Double wedding ceremony?!”

“Listen! I haven’t even like…like, okay I am working on it. I think Seb knows that I like him.”

“He’s just like, shy or whatever. Maybe they do things differently in Pleasantview.”

“Or he’s some kind of freak. Or his dick doesn’t work. Or he’s blind.”

   “My focus is on school. If something happens with Seb, so be it.”

“Okay, sure grandma. But like, have fun and look around. What’s the harm?”

“It’s a numbers game, babes.”

“You failed our 11th grade math class.”

“It’s simple numbers. You cast a wide net and you pull some back. I’m being economical.”

“Um, how? And didn’t you fail economics too?”

“Fuck off! I got a C-.”

“Maybe you should be a little more…selective? Like, I get wanting to see what’s out there, but there’s some real duds dudes Faith. Why waste your time?”

“What do you mean? Like who?!”

“Like that guy you saw at the park on campus? Komei?”

“Ehh…shut up…”

“HA! How did that go down exactly?”

“He was nice enough! But he moved way too fast for me.”

“But! I also saw this other guy. Leo?”

“The guy with the shitty beard?! EW! Faith!”

“What! You are so judgmental!”

“I’m not committed to anyone right now. I have lots of options.”

“Marriage is the goal, though.”

Talk of boys aside, there is only one boy who has all the girls on campus losing it: John Choi.

No one can resist him, and boys want to be him. For some reason.

John Choi is more than “kinda okay”. He’s hot stuff!

Faith wants to talk to him.

As do all the other ladies on campus.

Fortune favors the brave!

“Gosh *blushes* I wish that were me!”

“Gosh, John Choi is so smooth.”

“Gosh…I wanted to hit on that blonde girl…”

No luck for Tempe. John Choi has claimed yet another First Kiss from a lucky dormie.

Faith is not deterred; she’s a practical gal and takes the opportunity to chat with the competition. She finds out from Blonde Dormie the coffee shop Mr. John Choi frequents and takes Bettina along for a scouting mission.

“Shit, she was right, he’s here!”

“Shh! Let’s get an espresso.”

Bettina ends up having a front row seat to this scene, however. John Choi to the rescue.

“Balls. Look at that. We will never have a chance with John Choi now…”

“Lucky bitch.”

Tina Sell is the lucky bitch in question.

“Well, we still got coffee and the day is young. What next?”

“Don’t you have to like, go to class or something Faith?”

“So…your hair feels like wool, right? Can I touch it?”

“Never mind Bettina. Let’s fucking leave.”

      Luckily, Brainia U is full of marriage prospects for Faith. Like Skylar here. He and Bettina are pals. They met engaging in some after class activities. 

Somehow, against all odds and logic.

Faith nabs a First Kiss from Skylar!

Skylar’s a pragmatic guy, it turns out.

“So, your plans after school are to try and make it as an actress?”

“Or a singer. Or both! I could always fall back on modeling too, I suppose.”

“Hm. So, what’s Pitstop Valley like? I’ve never left Bluewater Village until I came to school.”

“Uh, I don’t know it’s fine, I guess? Small town, nothing to do, but my parents live there.”

“Hm. So kind of a landing spot until you figure things out, yeah?”

“What’s with all the questions, Skylar?”

“Just thinking about today’s history lecture. I mean, we are the first class that Brainia U has had in 65 years. That’s only because of the work that your mom and your aunt Mercy did. Getting the school set back up for students, getting the students here, getting faculty – “

“What the fuck? Did you just come over because you wanted to kiss the girl with the semi-famous mom? That’s kinda – “

“Don’t you worry about the future? About the future of Pitstop Valley? You guys have an active militia, everyone can go to school, you have an athletic team! You guys have actual fruit and vegetables – you know not everyone has that, right?

I’m just saying, Pitstop Valley has the potential to do even more. Don’t you think about that? Don’t you want to be a part of that? I would.”

“Uh, I’m going to dance class. See ya Skylar.”

“I don’t think that Faith likes me, Bettina.”

*zzzz* - “..wha? Oh, she does Sky, she just has a funny way of showing it.” *zzz*

     Faith is a complex young lady. She spends a lot of time on campus husband hunting, but she also is a huge fan of the campus Cinema. She considers it research, but also a way to meet people.

“Hey, can I sit here?”

“No.”

“What I am saying, is if multiple scenes in a row are shot at Dutch angles, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of what a Dutch angle is supposed to mean? If it’s all Dutch angles, then is the spooky and unsettling tone of the scene actually the ‘norm’ of that universe? You know?”

“What do you mean! Give me an example.”

“Well, like in Battlefield Earth – “

“What, that piece of trash! You can’t – “

“Just because a piece of art is bad, does not mean it can’t be a part of a discussion about how an art form is portrayed. Like, if – “

“Faith, what about – “

“Shut up Tempe. Anyway – "

“What, so we should take a critical lens to every romance novel and kids movie? Is that what you’re saying?!”

“No. What I am saying is that movies, books, plays, whatever – it doesn’t have to be ‘art’ to be viewed with a critical lens.”

“That’s bullshit!”

“I can’t say I agree. Art reflects the time it was made in. Pop culture is important.”

“Yeah right!”

Not everyone likes healthy intellectual debate.

“Ugh, is this a commercial for perfume or a new Terrance Malick movie?! Someone get me the remote.”

Bettina has a weekly call with her mother, on Tuesdays after her Biology lab.

“Hey ma! This is Brainia U calling.”

“Hiiiii baby! HI! Oh, it’s so good to hear your voice! What’s new? How’s the semester?”

“Oh god, I adjusted my microscope too fast in my biology lab today and totally cracked the cover slip and the slide beneath it. Total rookie mistake, so embarrassing.”

“Aww, well I am sure you didn’t mean it!”

“I sure did not! Embarrassing though…anyway, can I ask you a witch-related question?”

“Baby, of course! Are you finally thinking about following the family tradition?!”

“Haha, maaaa, when you say it like that it makes me not want to tell you about this, haha.”

“Oh! Ha, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll shut up. What is it?”

“Well, I know that you know that clean up spell? For cleaning? I’d like to learn it.”

“Oh of course hun! But you know, it’s really more for water-based messes. Can I ask why?”

“Well, I wanted to know about that spell kinda for selfish reasons.”

“Faith makes a lot of food in our house, but she leaves behind hella dishes! And I’m tired of it, sometimes I don’t want to have to wash a fork, you know?”

“I mean, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the food. Like, who makes pancakes that as leftovers that taste good! I’m not complaining.”

“Good! You’d better not complain. That’s my grandpa Patrick’s Crème de la orange pancake recipe. You’d be some sort of tastebud-less freak if you didn’t like it.”

“Is that Faith? Tell her I said hi! Gosh, she still has quite the mouth on her. Has she heard any news from her mother?”

“…wait, what? What do you mean ‘news’?”

“Well, I love our weekly calls, I just love hearing from my baby girl! But you know, I don’t know what the relationship is like with Faith and her mother? So, I was just wondering, since she’s left, if Faith has heard from her at all?”

“Ma, what are you talking about? She left? What do you mean ‘left’?

“Oh! So, Faith doesn’t know about this. I’m sorry Bettina! I thought that Faith knew! Does she not know?”

“MOM. What are you talking about? What happened to Genesis?”

“Well, you know I got in the helicopter with Mercy after we left Brainia U, and Genesis was not in the helicopter with us! Mercy said that she’d decided to do some on-campus research.”

“Uh, okay, so she’s here at school then?”

“Well, that’s the thing – we aren’t really sure? I mean I talked to Mercy about it, and – well you know I just adore her, but something seemed off, you know? Like, she seemed a little shaken up, and I asked her about this on-campus research that Genesis would be doing, and Mercy was pretty tight-lipped about it. And the other day, I was visiting Cheyenne – oh! They took Binx’s last kitten, the one with the orange ears! So cute! She’s got –“

“Ma. Ma! About Genesis?”

“Ah? Oh! Yeah, so, anyway, so it seems like Genesis didn’t tell Justice she would be leaving? Justice is all alone in that house.”

“Oh. Um, weird. Like, is he okay to be alone? I know he’s kinda loopy and whatever.”

“Well, you know as resident ‘Good Witch’ I am checking up on him, but I can only do so much, you know? Actually, the intern at Pitstop Radio, she’s well uh, I’ll need to talk to her again, but she – "

“Mom, so like, Mr. Springs-Eternal is all alone and like, Genesis is here at campus?”

“Yes, I think so! It’s just that it doesn’t seem like she let Justice know ahead of time? I was concerned, and Mercy doesn’t seem to know a whole lot about the situation either. I was wondering if it was something that was discussed with Faith and Tempe.”

“Um, like, I don’t think so…I’ll talk to Faith about it.”

“Hey Faith? I –“

“It’s whipped chickpea tofu in the pancakes, if you were wondering.”

“…wha? Oh, okay that’s…no, I wanted to talk to you about your mom.”

“Ha, what? What about my mom?”

“Well, I had my call with my mom and…did you know she’s not at home right now? Like, your dad is alone at home?”

“What do you mean she’s not ‘at home’?”

“Well, my mom said that your mom hasn’t been at home, she’s doing some on-campus research, but like, it doesn’t seem like she told your dad? Or like…did you know about this?”

“Oh what, so she’s been here, and she hasn’t told me, or paid me a visit? Ha! Sounds like something she would do. She’s like, obsessed with work. Whatever.”

“So…that doesn’t bother you? You didn’t know that she wasn’t at home?”

“Um, no? Like, she’s obsessed with the whole thing of like ‘educating the future’. And like, liking human beings as a concept but not like, in practice ya know? No wonder she got abducted.”

“Jeez Faith, that’s kinda harsh.”

  In addition to feeding her roommate, Faith is a natural teacher. Though she would not admit to following in her mother’s footsteps.

Specifically, she wants to teach Bettina how to kick some ass. Because guys like buff girls. According to Faith.

“Okay now reach back and STRIKE! Don’t twist at the waist and don’t lean in too far. We need to develop your weak right hook.”

“Oh, um…hi-YAH!”

“Yes! Now, less floppy with the wrist. Again!”

A little self defense could come in handy at Brainia U.

“Howdy-hey! Are you able to support our team this Saturday?! It’s the quarter finals! How are you not totally pumped about this?!”

“Hey, no offense, but you’re being kind of distracting. We need to finish up this lab report.”

“Babba chooda rum, Babba chooda Ka, Veedum adda beedum adda bonk bonk bonk! Verbits, Verbits, VO GERBITS!”

“Uh, heh, yeah, yeah…okay? We uh, we taking a break? If that’s the case, I am going to play some SSX 3 dude…”

“Hey, Bettina, come sit. Sit! You’re working too hard on that report…

…where did you get that sweater? It’s nice and all, but like…it doesn’t show off your figure? Just saying…”

“…I’m going to make myself a sandwich…you can go…”

Babba chooda rum, Babba chooda Ka, Veedum adda beedum adda bonk bonk bonk! Verbits, Verbits, VO GERBITS!

*zzz* “Huh? EH?! God, you’re still here?!”

Luckily, Bettina’s roommate has a more direct way of getting rid of unwanted guests.

“Hey! Vo Gerbits! Excited for the quarter finals?”

“Well yeah! I’ve got a new routine and me and the other mascots – “

“Hey so…you seem like a man who knows what he wants. And I know what I want.

You know, most fragrances cover up a man’s real smell, you know? I’ll bet you don’t mind working up a sweat. A man’s sweat. I’d love the opportunity to – “

“Whoa, heh, okay, heh, okay! Um, I um, I – you know, I think I’m late for practice?”

…

“You are literally a psycho.”

“Well, it worked, didn’t it? That guy was being a total creep.

…

You want tofu bahn mi? I’m starving.”

Faith continues ponder the husband question. Serdar aka Fancy man is interrupted by her on his way to class.

Faith knows an interesting prospect when she sees one. She takes the opportunity to get to know him better.

“Hey! Serdar, right? You’re in my costuming class? Man, when are we going to actually move on to using sewing machines, you know? I’m sick of mending. If I have to fix another buttonhole, I’ll die.”

“No kidding! I’m not an infant, I don’t need to go over how to do a blanket stitch.”

“Hah, right?!”

Serdar proves to be quite the interesting person. He and Faith share a love of fashion. And Faith’s other favorite hobby, cooking.

“Why not become a chef, Faith? Those were some awesome peanut noodles! What was that acidic element…champagne vinegar?”

“Oh, you’re too sweet! But, no, just regular sherry vinegar. I’d never be a chef though. Late hours, burns on my arms all of the time…not to mention, dealing with all of that kitchen machismo. No offense.”

“None taken!”

“Though you know, I could always put out a cookbook myself! Later on, after I’ve had my acting career? Plus, what I really like to do is cook for friends and family, not like, the masses.”

Serdar turns out to be more friend material than anything. Faith does not mind, however. She’s in need of positive friends who build her up.

“Okay…least favorite fake blood in a movie. Go.”

“Oh! Um…Taxi Driver. It’s awful. It looks like liquid strawberry jelly. Maybe they did that for the rating.”

“Naw, Taxi Driver got an R. But good pick!”

“Thanks! Okay…what’s the best fake blood you’ve seen in a movie Serdar?”

…

“12 Monkeys.”

“REAlly! It’s…oh yeah, at the end, the scene in the airport! Shit, good choice.”

“Have you thought about what you want your short play to be about for your capstone project? I think a riff on a scream queen thing could be totally doable.”

“Well, I am really considering like a Southern Gothic, Tennessee Williams thing, but I’m worried that that would be too ambitious...”

“No, that sounds awesome! You could totally pull that off. Would it be a spoken word thing?”

“Bettina, move, I gotta shower.”

“You have someone over last night to play chess? Huh, looks like a good game.”

“Yeah, Serdar, you know him? He’s pretty cool actually.”

“Oh, you mean Fancy Man? Reallyyyy. So, you’re interested in him then?”

“No no, not like that. We’re just homies.”

“Plus, I think Serdar is gay.”

“What, just because the guy has a kooky sense a style?! That’s kind of close-minded Faith.”

“No, it’s not because of that! I think he is though. I have a feeling he is, even if he doesn’t know it.”

“Uh huh, sure. “

“How’s it going with your dude?”

“Ugh, nowhere?! He’s like, I don’t know what to do…he’s shy and I’m shy! I want him to make a move…but only if he likes me back. It’s hopeless.”

“Bettina, I have an idea.

Let’s invite our History lecture out to the Culinary Arts building, and I’m going to make some food and you are going to invite SeaBass and he is going to fall in love with you.”

“Don’t call him – wait…yeah, no, yeah! That’s a good idea. It will be like, low-key, low-pressure group hang thing, yeah?”

“Exactly.”

            While the girls can’t have parties (Show Business restriction), there’s no rule against to going to  community lot to hang out with whomever is there.

Especially if a certain young Pleasantview warlock is there. 

Faith breaks out her grilled kim-cheese sandwiches, naturally.

“Sebastian! H-Hey! Can I ask you a magic-related question? I think you’d know more about this than me.”

“Hi! Sure!”

“Ha, heh, okay! So Aqua Deletus – can that spell apply to more things other than just puddles of water? I am curious. And what would I need exactly?”

“Oh, sure! Really, you just have to adjust the end incantation and make sure you have more Eye of Newt than you’d think you’d need.”

“Wow, sounds easy! Like um, could you like, help me out with that? I don’t have a cauldron. Could…do you have one? Could you show me how to use it?”

“You…would want to come over? So that I can show you?”

Yes. That is indeed what Bettina was hinting at.

“Kim-cheese sandwiches get it done! It’s the husband maker.”

“I think that other than being famous, that this is what I want to do with my life. Throw parties where I cook for people.”

“Um, I’m sorry, who are you?  I don’t like spicy food.”

“I think that other than being famous, that this is what I want to do with my life. Throw parties where I cook for people.”

“Uh, yeah! Thanks for the sandwich, Faith.”

Faith’s really into anyone who likes her food.

“Gosh, you know Sean – “

“Um, my name is Shea?”

“You know Steve – I could get used to this. I just love entertaining! What better way to spend an afternoon than being with people you want to have around, eating, drinking and being merry?”

~~~

That will do it for this chapter!

Who will Faith choose for a future spouse? Will Bettina get to learn some magic? Will ‘magic’ happen between her and Sebastian Dreamer? Is Faith going to share her grandpa Patrick’s Crème de la orange pancake recipe?

Until next time, Carry On, Woman!

[marinerainbow]

I got an ask for my OC Poppy (Thank you SO MUCH for asking about her @wicked1will0sparkles, I swear I'm getting on that soon!) So I decided to post about her. I honestly didn't realize i haven't posted about her, but now it shall be fixed!

Poppy O'Hare

(Art done by my friend @doggie-guts. Thank you so much for drawing her!)

Poppy was a toon made for the horror genre in the early 1900's for Stein Studios, a cartoon studio focused solely on horror (see my WFRR tag for my headcannons on different toon genres). She was made for the victim role, and that led to her being killed off many times. She would live sometimes, but for the most part she already knew what she would have to go through on stage.

However, Stein Studios was shut down after the market for cartoons started to focus on comedy and no one wanted to see gruesome or sad tales on the screen. All the toons that were under the Stein name, including Poppy, were all moved to Downtown Toontown, where all the unemployed and unwanted toons go. Poppy still resides there to this day.

Tid-bits

Poppy, as one could guess, is a very fretful rabbit. Years of working in the horror business, as well as the constant pulling between her real life and her fabricated life (I'm pretty sure I posted about my headcannon of toons' fabricated lives and real lives, but I'm not sure), She's developed anxiety and constantly overthinks even the smallest of details. She does have moments when she can relax and by the modern time (or 1947, the year the film takes place) she has learned how to calm down and handle things better.

Her greatest fears are: the dark, sharp objects (knives, scissors, etc), and thunder/lightning storms.

Poor girl also has insomnia. The longest she's gone without sleep is three days. Fortunately she's a toon so it's not going to kill her, but the longer she goes without sleep the more squirrely she gets.

I don't plan on making this canon, but I still like it so I figured out how it could work in case I change my mind. Poppy is Roger's cousin. Sort of. The same animator who brought Poppy to life left Stein Studios to work for Maroon Cartoons, and he created Roger afterwards. Technically that doesn't make them cousin's since they aren't intended to be related, but when Roger wound up talking to Poppy (maybe at a grocery store or something? It's Roger, he can pull out a full blown conversation out of a hat if he wants to) and when they found out that they were the closest they had to family, they decided to call each other cousins and stay in contact (they have a lovely relationship, even if they are opposites in almost every way). If toons lived like humans though (kinda like how toons work in Who Censored Roger Rabbit, the book the movie is based on), then they would be cousins by blood, and Roger's unkle Thumper would be Poppy's father.

Despite all of her fears and insecurities, she is a kind woman, albeit a bit of a doormat. Honestly the only way she could get in trouble would be because of a misunderstanding or she unexpectedly got pulled into it.

Poppy longs to find a romantic partner. Partly because she doesn't want to be alone, and partly because she genuinely wants to find someone to love and who will love her back. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the greatest love history. She only has three ex's, the first only got with her for her money while she was acting, the second fell out of love with her, and the third got jelous when she told him she had two partners before.

Drawn toons technically don't have a birthday, not like humans do anyway. But in both her fabricated life and in the universe toons work like humans, Poppy's birthday is January 2'nd.

Poppy actually prefers rhubarb to carrots. She still likes carrots, but she'd take a rhubarb pie over carrot cake any day.

Piglet, Fluttershy, Courage the cowardly dog, Misery from Ruby Gloom, and Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors were my inspirations for Poppy. The voice claims I have for her are Anita from 101 Dalmations (animated version), or Fluttershy herself. Her voice is supposed to be that soft and quiet type.

And that's Poppy! I hope you guys like her! Feel free to ask more about her along with my other OC's! ^^

[radioisntdead]

Writers block? Quick write about something you're passionate about

InFoDuMp

I personally have been learning to embroider and repair clothes, What about you?

-Oldie 🧶🧵

Good evening Oldie 🧶🧵!

EMBROIDER AND REPAIRING CLOTHES SOUNDS SO COOL, I tried my hand at embroidery but it hasn't gone too well but practice helps ya get better bit by bit!

I like to jokingly refer to myself as an Ace of many hobbies [like jack of all trades but with Ace and hobbies]

I HAVE MANY THINGS I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, Art, yarn, crochet, candle making, as one could guess from my blog writing and other things I can't remember at the moment

Most recently though I've been trying to crochet a plushie for my online friend who's flying down this summer, they have a OC who has a pet pig and I'm crocheting the pig! The yarn I'm using is soft but it has like an odd texture to work with so I have to wear gloves or I'll want to cry, but it's worth it for my friend I've been crocheting for almost a year now but I still can't do too much like certain stitches or a magic circle, MAGIC CIRCLES ARE THE WORST RAAAAA, I really want to learn how to make a strawberry stitch

Strawberries are lowkey my whole brand on my main blog and socials and I love em' a lot, don't tell my friends but I actually prefer mangos a little bit more then strawberries. THE STRAWBERRY STITCH CAN ALSO BE USED TO MAKE PUMPKINS, I love pumpkins, anyways IMAGINE A LIL' BAG WITH THAT PATTERN IT'D BE SO CUTE

granny squares are also the bane of my existence I'm making a sweater that uses them, it was supposed to be for my birthday, my birthday was months ago, maybe I can wear it for my 19th! It took me a bit to learn all the abbreviations for crocheting, for example this list

I usually [pardon my wording] bullshit my way through making plushies or anything really.

So far I've crocheted two dinos, a several octopuses [I've given em' to my family, my dad keeps one in his car!] A shark, a standing cow, a couple of blankets [two completed and one incomplete, the last one was supposed to be for my late dog but unfortunately he passed away before I could finish it and I haven't quite worked up the confidence to finish it but we're planning on adopting another dog soon so maybe I could finish it for them? I don't know I don't want my dog to think I'm betraying him or anything.] I made two pillows, a few of those little mini crochet Pinterest ghosts for some younger family members of mine [they loved em'!] And an among us character that appears and disappears at random

Here are some of them! The dinosaur is a present for my best friend's birthday, they haven't picked it up yet [Moony if you're somehow reading this, don't mind the weird parts of this blog and also DO NOT PROCEED THIS IS A SURPRISE]

[Don't mind my nails, I have a bad habit of biting]

As you can tell they aren't perfect but I'm improving! I liked crocheting the hooves for the little cow.

I'm also making a mushroom hat for renfair! I'm cosplaying one of my OCs and she's a mushroom themed fay/elf thing that sells shady stuff from her stand. I burned my finger while working on it like a second degree burn [DO NOT LIGHT GLUE STICKS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO GO IN A GLUE GUN ON FIRE, BAD IDEA.] So until I'm healed it's on pause but it should be done by the end of the month so I'm excited about that! I used cardboard as a base and then bendable wire to get the shape I wanted and then I put fabric over it, glued it and put the bottom layer of fabric on the bottom and then covered it with pearls, white spots and little details I'm gonna add more when I'm healed.

I got this candle making kit for Christmas that has a little transportable stove and I haven't gotten the chance to use it yet so I'm planning to make some candles this soon I'm gonna make some themed off of characters to give to my friends! I made my best friend a Silco from arcane themed candle for Christmas last year I think? Or the year before that, I cut a silhouette of the character into vinyl and stick it on the glass part of the candle, Might make a Stardew valley themed one for me, my friend likes blue lock [I think that's the name?] So might make a blue lock candle or one based off of their OC, and might make either a bluey one for my best bud or a game character they like,

I tend to use soy wax as it's the cheapest I can get and it's highly recommended I think, be careful on what you put in your candles [like dried flower petals, leaves etc etc] they can and will catch on fire and BAM SOMEONES ON FIRE.

This is more rambling then info dumping, I don't know how to info dump properly, I remember rambling about Flappers ago, I would copy paste it here but the majority of it is me referring to the wikipedia and taking bits from it to quote and then telling my friends that I got it from the wikipedia.

Anyways thank you for listening that helped a bunch! Time to write!

[tarosin]

the great adventures of y/n and ranboo

this is an extra part to the great adventures series

summary: part two to the angst imagine (the not so great adventures of y/n tommy tubbo jack and ranboo) it’s a happier ‘ending’ please read what is written in bold

this is an “alternative ending” around 15 years into the future this doesn’t mean this is actually how the series is going to end im writing it now and including it as part of series as their friendship is already established i can confirm y/n and the group are going to have a happy ending when the series eventually comes to an end this also does not mean the series is anywhere near the end i plan on continuing the series as vlogs come out, i feel the need to confirm this now love between y/n and ranboo in this imagine is completely platonic

it had been about a month since you last streamed whereas ranboo continued to stream a few days after the fallout as he wanted to make sure you were going to be okay. even though ranboo knew this huge fallout would eventually happen, it still hurt him, especially since he knew there was no way to prevent it, the four of you in the same house mixed with the stress of being some of the most-watched content creators made living rather difficult. it was like walking on eggshells as you didn’t want to interrupt someone's stream, then there was the additional stress of obsessive fans finding out where the four of you lived, you still remember that day very vividly. you were sat in between tubbo and ranboo watching the office whilst Tommy was in an interview when you received a message from your mod.

Chris: hey y/n I received this message earlier I don’t want to scare you, but maybe get the locks changed. someone sent a message claiming this is your address *image of message from ‘fan’*

it didn’t take long for tubbo and ranboo to receive a message from their mods saying the same thing

“holy shit...”

“chances are Tommy has the message too. we shall go check around the house when Tommy is done with the interview.”

luckily no one ever showed up to the house, but the fact some people were so obsessed to the point they found your address was enough to put everyone in the house on edge. and now it was just you and ranboo in the house. you didn’t feel safe as even though ranboo promised to not let anything happen, you didn’t wanna risk it.

“we should move. there’s no point in having such a big house for two people, what are we going to use the extra space for heh? hide and seek with people who have our address. no thank you. I say we move leave this mess behind and start completely over, hell I’d feel safer in the us and that’s saying something”

ranboo agreed the house didn’t have the happiest memories attached to it anymore, it hurt walking past the hallway as it would bring back the memory of him crying into the crook of y/ns neck whilst tubbo left the house.

“let’s do it, I’ll do an early stream then we can look for houses. go take a shower. I’ll stay close to the door so you’re safe, then you can stay in my room whilst I stream, you can join me if you would like.”

“you’re being very protective all of a sudden...let me guess you got the message from our mods announcing the obsessive fans are at it again?”

“go take a shower.”

“no.”

ranboo ended up picking you up, carried you to the bathroom and turned the shower on before putting you on your feet.

“quick shower I’ll see you later.”

and with that he left the room shutting the door behind him, 30 minutes later you got changed and followed ranboo to his room ready to join him whilst he streams

“hey boo, can I join you? I kinda wanna get into streaming again.”

“I'm so glad you asked, I was going to do a face cam stream, if that’s okay?”

“of course.”

you grabbed his mask and glasses whilst he locked the door so you were both safe. “here you go.”

“thank you.”

the pair of you started the stream and it was honestly going well, you were having so much fun you forgot about all the negative things currently going on, you began to understand why ranboo continued streaming as for those 2-4 hours of streaming it felt as though everything was back to normal. 3 hours later the two of you ended stream and Twitter went crazy. tweets ranged from fans talking about how ranboo was streaming with you, how Tommy was in chat, and how tubbo was modding as people who mentioned anything about their address being leaked were banned by tubbo. the one thing that caught ranboos eye was fan art and a picture of you both from the stream captioned ‘they’re platonic soulmates your honour’ ranboo went as far to like, retweet and comment on it.

ranaltboo: glad you liked the stream it was great having y/n back, think I might make them play tattletail next stream

definitelynoty/n: isn’t that the Furby game that terrified you in 2021? bring it on boo!

Twitter went crazy over this interaction, you had finally come back to social media after months of being inactive, and it looked like you were here to stay. a month later you and ranboo moved out of the house and sold it to your aunt and her wife and their three adopted children, you explained the situation and even changed the locks for them all before they moved in.

“Please do tell us if anyone shows up who shouldn’t be. we changed the locks as you were aware- oh hello little one.”

you noticed one of their children decided to cling onto your leg

“I like your hair it’s colourful!”

“Indeed it is.”

“WOAH A GIANT!”

the little girl let go of your leg and ran to ranboo asking to be picked up, unsure of what to do he looked towards you. however, you were too busy laughing about the fact he was compared to a giant.

“I'm so sorry uh if you want to pick her up you can, you don’t have to.”

“pick me up, tall man... I want to be taller!”

ranboo ended up standing next to you with an arm around your waist whilst the child sat on his shoulders happily playing with his hair.

“ranboo do not drop that child.”

“I didn't- I didn't plan on it y/n.”

eventually, it was time to leave and the child reluctantly let go of ranboo.

“bye-bye!! hope to see you soon!”

soon enough you were at a smaller house, far away from the old house, leaving behind the negative feelings. it could only get better, a week later the pair of you had settled into the new house, it finally felt like home. you and ranboo were now streaming full time again, safe to say the two of you were thriving and closer than ever.

“so I’m thinking if I hit the sub-goal today I’ll let chat pick what colour I dye my hair.”

“make it higher, and I’ll let you cut my hair.”

“Are you being serious? oh my god!”

a few minutes later you took to Twitter to announce you were going live.

y/n: kidnapping children in the sims with ranboo psst check the subgoal.

within 20 minutes you had hit the sub-goal, chat ended up picking another random neon colour for your hair.

“right hair dye and the cutting stream will be this weekend, now let’s go back to kidnapping.”

tubbo, tommy, and jack felt awful for what happened and went back to the house where you used to live, hoping to see you there so they could apologise, tubbo knocked on the door only to be met by a young child.

“my sister watches you on twitch!”

“oh that’s lovely.. are y/n and ranboo here?”

an older woman came to the door.

“oh no, I’m sorry dear they both moved out, but they left this box and said to give it to you if you returned.”

“do you know where they moved to?”

“I'm sorry dear, I'm not allowed to tell you that information for safety reasons.”

“I understand, thanks anyway.”

they ended up going back to jacks where the three of them had been staying.

“We should open the box.”

tubbo opened the box and emptied the items onto the floor, inside was the rocks y/n handed tubbo from every trip, photos of the group, a necklace y/n had gifted to Tommy a day before the argument, and a hat y/n had taken from jack during a trip to a zoo.

“what the fuck!”

“holy shit!”

“they really kept all these in hopes we would come back?”

“and now we’re too late.”

it was now the weekend you and ranboo were ready to stream, you stood leaning on ranboo who was significantly smaller than you as you lowered the chair he sat on.

“starting stream...now.”

after the starting soon intro played, you explained what was happening to any new viewers or people who didn’t watch the stream.

“so I’m about to become Edward Scissorhands...I love that film can we watch it later?”

“yeah mhm sure!”

you didn’t know this but your ex best friends were watching and ever so often would show up in the chat.

“so boo, what are we doing with your hair today?”

“just a trim please darling?”

“This is y/ns hairdressers you get what I’m capable of!”

you ended up doing a pretty good job of cutting ranboos hair, even he was impressed.

“I didn’t doubt you for a minute!”

“mhm sure thing please don’t mess up my hair tall one!”

soon enough you had the dye on. 45 minutes later you left to wash it off, leaving ranboo to entertain stream,

“chat I think I missed some of their hair it’s okay, I own scissors, I’ll just cut it.. speaking of they did a great job, didn't they? I honestly expected them to mess up.”

a few minutes later you joined ranboo again and spent the next few hours talking with chat. tubbo, tommy, and jack stayed the entire time. they loved the fact you and ranboo were able to stay close after what happened, Tommy noticed you were still wearing the necklace he got you many years ago and spammed them chat with him tubbo and jack

Tommy: THEYRE WEARING THE NECKLACE!!

jack: so what? they clearly don’t wanna talk to us.

tubbo: shut up listen to them.

“chat why are we spamming platonic soulmates?”

“they’ve been saying it all over Twitter, look on trending y/n.”

you started to blush slightly at all the amazing artwork soon enough the stream came to an end, after saying goodbye the pair of you sat together going through fan art. unfortunately the one that caught your eye was this one twitter post where the artist had created a drawing of a piece of paper with you, ranboo, tommy, tubbo, and jack, however the paper was ripped separating you and ranboo from the others, captioned ‘it was never meant to be’ this clearly upset ranboo as he took off his mask and glasses placing them on the desk before going straight to his bed.

“boo…are you okay?”

“Are you tired of me? are you going to leave next?”

“what? no of course not! I could never get tired of you, why do you ask?”

“everyone else has left..i thought they cared about us, i knew it would happen eventually and i couldn’t stop it, i’m sorry, y/n, please don’t hate me.”

you sat on the edge of the bed looking down at the floor,

“come here.”

you watched him roll over to face you.

“you know there’s no one else who I'd rather spend the rest of my life with, right…if i hated you i wouldn’t have moved house with you. it’s not your job to fix everything and make everything better, you’re a streamer for christ sake not a therapist.”

“i guess so.. can we watch that thing you were on about for ages.”

“edward scissorhands? “

“mhm!”

you could tell he wanted to be distracted, so you agreed and put the film on, towards the end you began to get upset due to how overwhelming everything was.

“Why are you crying?”

“poor Edward.”

“come here.”

ranboo pulled you into a hug you laid there crying into his chest, he knew that wasn’t the reason you were crying, but he wasn’t about to make you tell him, luckily it didn’t take long for you to stop crying as ranboo quickly distracted you.

“ranboo..”

“yeah y/n?”

“I feel bad i didnt realise how much pressure was on you whilst everyone was arguing.”

“Hey, it’s okay, is that what’s upsetting you?”

“mhm.”

“don’t blame yourself, i’d do it all over again to keep you safe and happy..then again i didn’t do a good job on keeping you happy.”

“you did..you were always there for me even when i gave up on social media, you shared your room with me after i started receiving creepy messages from that obsessed fan, hell you even went on adventures with me even though it was clear you hadn’t been sleeping, just so we could spend time together and forget about what was happening. you mean a lot to me boo.”

“i love you.”

“i love you too bud, I’m tired.”

“go to sleep, it’s been a long day.”

“okay.”

“you just staying there?”

“yes.”

“oh, oh okay, goodnight.”

about a year later the two of you were still thriving, ranboo got you a promise ring a few months earlier.

“heh what’s this for?”

“as your best friend i promise to stay by your side and keep you safe and make sure that you’re happy, in other words you're stuck with me till the end of time.”

“boo…i really don’t know what to say.. thank you so much!”

“you don’t have to say anything!”

you ended up going out to buy him a promise ring when he started the stream and decided to take your cousins with you now that they were a little older. ranboo was doing a facecam stream when the door slammed open revealing you covering your three younger cousins ranboo not realising you were hiding them from the camera, instinctively stood up covering the camera

“ranboooooo!”

“yes you three and y/n ,what do you need?”

“we would like to watch a film!”

“Okay, i’ll go put one on, y/n will you entertain chat?”

“sure thing boo boy!”

once they left you sat fixing your hair forgetting you were wearing the ring chat noticed this and went crazy, so did Tommys group with tubbo and jack.

tubbo: that’s a ring, right??

jack: yeah looks like it.

Tommy: holy shit I always thought if anyone was gonna get married it would be tubbo and y/n, they were inseparable.

tubbo: hilarious.

jack: it could just be a ring, no one mentioned marriage tommy!

Tommy: we should congratulate them.

jack: at least let them explain fucking hell.

soon enough ranboo came back into the room,

“sorry one of them found it hilarious to steal my glasses...”

“they’re little shits i swear to god but i love them.”

you both noticed chat going crazy and both looked at each other before laughing.

“i'm sorry, i can’t take you serious in the mask and glasses!”

“i can’t take you serious with neon hair, but here we are!”

“rude!”

you and ranboo quickly put an end to the rumours,

“no we’re not engaged or married, it is a promise ring. no they’re not our children, they’re y/ns cousins they just spend a lot of time here..chat stop calling me and y/n parents and comparing us to phil that’s not..that’s not how it works okay!”

“parent arc!”

“y/n, don’t encourage them!”

“it’s a little bit funny!”

soon enough the bit came to an end and eventually ranboo ended the stream.

“hey boo look what i got you”

you handed him a little black box, inside was a ring similar to yours

“i promise to always stick around and be here for you”

“oh my god”

ranboo tackled you into a hug thanking you several times for his rings. you and ranboo were living your best life meanwhile jack, tommy, and tubbo were stuck dealing with the guilt of what happened, but they’re weren’t giving up that easy. they wanted you both back, that’s when you received a notification, tommyinnit has sent you a message request: hey y/n can we talk..please?

taglist

@dumb-chaotic-bi-energy @uselesssapphickitten @l0ver0fj0y @etheriaaly @xx-smiley-xx @hawarun @kylobensgirl @cawcaw-pretty-thing @reverse-iak @renleicrashed @augustine-is-joy @c1loudee

[1ddiscourseoftheday]

Sun 14 Feb ‘21

For a man we haven’t really seen in ages Harry sure is managing to fill the news pages! We did get a picture of him today though, and it is truly one of those thousand words type pictures-- he’s wearing a bucket hat that’s a frog!! Amazing! A frog hat for our fave frog faced boy, we love to see it. But I guess we weren’t MEANT to see it, so some of those words were discourse-- apparently it wasn’t meant to be shared publicly and the person who did so could get whoever originally had it in trouble, so people are asking that it come down. It’s a picture from the DWD set-- the movie officially wrapped yesterday, and today we get a last day group pic (Harry in a baseball jacket), the controversial pic with the girlies (Florence and others) in matching kids frog hats, and someone from the set showed off their impressive pile of gifts from the cast, tagging Harry on a gorgeous white bouquet. Will we get a wrap on the Holivia story too or are they keeping that one in their pocket for more headlines down the line? Time will tell, though for narrative coherence I hope they follow through on the love triangle we heard so much about with some sort of dramatic conclusion to it all; the awkward confrontation between Harry and Jason the tabs were predicting doesn’t seem at all likely to me, but I look forward to the Jason/Olivia reconciliation storyline rolling out for sweeps week er, I mean for Jason’s TV show’s new season or the Grammys or something else equally obvious.

Beauty Papers Magazine revealed their surprise-- a (very) limited edition reprint of their Harry issue with a variant cover (and what a pretty picture it is!). The website probably would have crashed no matter how many they offered but seriously, only 450 copies? Yikes. “Not all countries will be able to buy” they said and friends, they were not kidding; even aside from there only being enough copies for about .01% of the people who wanted to buy, the website instantly and comprehensively crashed and stayed down for most of the day. Why such a very small run? I wonder if the fact that half the announcement is about the tracking info they plan to offer may be a clue-- they did bite off more than they could chew with the original issue, they spent months fielding emails from fans wondering where their expensive magazine was and begging for tracking info.

Harris Reed was interviewed about his upcoming fashion show and spoke of Harry, naturally, saying “I’m fighting for beauty in fluidity and Harry just really understands the way gender can be restrictive.” He also said that he has chosen to revert to using he/him pronouns, reminding us all that using male (or female) pronouns does not conflict with having a gender fluid, non binary, or other trans identity.

Niall followed up last week’s “Miss you (heart)“ tweet with a Valentine’s Day appropriate “Love you (heart)“. Is it meant for us? Thank you?? Zayn tweeted about UFC (the Mixed Martial Arts spon-con thing), and Gigi posted a bunch of pics of her and Zayn being snuggly, as well as one showing his hands holding a ‘dad’ mug, a pic of their Vogue cover, and a picture from the basement arcade birthday party. Maya posted a picture of her and Liam and he has short hair, but remain calm, it appears to be from 2019. Eleanor posted a pic of… some feet walking beside hers. And a selfie of herself with BFF Ella. Meanwhile, Project Defenseless participants are still working away, winning the song a spot on Most Requested Live again, and trending “just wanna be loved by you” for VDAY.

[werewolffeelings]

five favorite fics that I've written (for writer appreciation day)

the lovely @emmerrr tagged me in this several days ago lmao thank you!!

unfortunately i am not a terribly prolific writer and only have 3 to choose from so here they are because they HAVE to be my favorites by default 😂😂

the cracked and the cared for (pynch, one shot)

Adam woke up to find a pool of blood on the floor where Ronan should have been.

I wrote this fic to get it out of my system lmao. I had a vision for some art and then it turned into a whole little scene with highly self indulgent tender wound bandaging and Adam having Feelings™️ so i felt compelled to write it down for the hell of it. Wrote it down for the hell of it is basically a summation of my entire writing career

two of cups (pynch, multi chapter)

He bit the bullet. “I guess it’s… Ronan.”

Blue said, “What’d he do now?”

Adam laughed for real this time. “Nothing. I mean. Not yet.”

Blue followed the movement of his hand and cocked her head, trying to read the spread of cards upside down. She spent a moment studying them. He held his breath, knowing what she would see there. Blue might not be psychic, but she’d grown up with this stuff—she probably knew the theory behind it better than he did. He felt strangely flayed open, knowing what she was looking at. He almost wished he’d picked them up before she could see, but it wouldn’t matter once he told her, anyway.

Blue said, “You two have been spending an awful lot of time together.”

I had that first scene in my drafts for 1000 years and then one day decided to just post it and see what happened on the off-chance I somehow attained a vision of where it was all going 😂 the only things I really knew about it were that I wanted blue&adam and ronan&gansey, where they know about adam and ronan’s respective crushes.

i was like IMMEDIATELY blown away by the response to it and was like, well idk what happens at the end but people’s enthusiasm gave me the motivation to keep going and i was like, well, at least i know what happens next..... this was, for better or worse, how i wrote the ENTIRE thing, chapter-by-chapter just trying to figure out what would come next 😂 in retrospect I think i could have benefited from an outline but if i had tried to plan out this fic before posting genuinely it would not have happened.  (see: crazy ex gf au, ghost hunters au, etc which are taking me forever)

i’m still so blown away by how much people like this fic which was basically just me throwing all the things i like about pynch fic into a hat. it makes me so emo and i go reread the comments all the time lmao 🥺 and just i love this fic a lot too, it has a lot of heart and yearning and stupid boys which is my favorite 💖 so many moments i had a lot of fun with and still get a kick out of

creeping in the streetlight (pynch pre-relationship, one shot)

“Oh, so you’re alive.”

It takes a moment for the words to filter, for them to gain significance, but Ronan knows immediately that it’s Adam who speaks them. Adam’s Henrietta honey voice, twisted into the clipped and contemptuous tone he uses so often when speaking to Ronan.

“What the hell, Lynch,” he says. “Answer your damn phone, for once.”

Ronan manages to crack his eyes open but everything is distorted, blurry at the edges. He blinks, and blinks, and lifts up his arm, heavy like led, to swipe at them. He can’t feel his face. He croaks, “Adam?”

“Man, you must be drunk.” He sighs. “You never call me that.”

this one was another scene that wouldn’t leave me. it had been percolating in the brain for a long time and i eventually just decided it needed to get out of there. it came from the desire to see that nebulous period of their relationship where it was after trb and before the dream thieves, just in that moment right before they started getting closer and solidified as Friends rather than “friends” for gansey’s sake lol. and the ways in which they understood each other vs the ways they very much didn’t and how they could begin to? 

ALSO big fan of ronan whump, what can i say.... gonna go ahead and make this my brand one of these days. tender caring for ronan scenes in EVERY fic. i’ve got big plans

[prime-pulse]

If you still feel like writing, maybe we could have Garm and Clouse chilling/bonding? I just love how you write their dynamic

WAA THANK YOU they’re my two faves can u tell 💔

“When was the last time you got out?” Garmadon asked, adjusting his trenchcoat to be sure his second set of arms remained hidden. He had a specific outfit he’d wear when going out at night, due to his brother’s goon’s usually stalking the streets, and most citizens of Ninjago city running and reporting any sight of anything abnormal to them. He had a sleek black trenchcoat that ended at his ankles, black shoes, and white gloves. Usually, he used what little shape-shifting he could manage to change his face and hair around, even if he’d constantly have to stop for breaks every 20 minutes— it was admittedly less suspicious than wearing a full blown mask or hat on top of the already stereotypical mysterious trench coat.

He walked alongside Clouse on the sidewalk, the two of them having decided to go to one of Ninjago’s libraries, and then get food afterward— something small, but enough to cut through their usual mundaneness.

“I could ask the same of you,” Clouse hummed as he adjusted his coat, fiddling with the fabric in between his fingers, “You’re the one cooped up in that apartment all day every day. I at least get free range, even if I’m running errands all the time.”  “Well, no need to brag.” Garmadon gave a dry laugh, putting his hands in his coat’s pockets while the two continued to walk.

“If you’re asking the last time we did something like this— maybe three months ago. By myself? Maybe three weeks ago.” Clouse shrugged, reaching into his pants pocket to pull out a wrapped piece of cinnamon-butterscotch candy, undoubtedly something Chen had snuck into his pocket before he left. He unwrapped the candy then popped it into his mouth, putting the wrapper back into his pocket. Garmadon hummed, running a hand through his hair.

“Where’d you gooo?” He asked in an almost sing-song tone.

“What a boring route of small talk,” Clouse said with a twitch of a grin, “I went to the aquarium. If you’re ever able, you should go. I know you enjoy the electrocobrai.”

“They have those? They’re endangered! I would’ve never guessed!” Garmadon gasped, pupils widening despite his shifting, “Now I have to plan to do that... They also have sharks, I like sharks.”

“I know.”

“I really, really like sharks.”

////

Garmadon stood by as Clouse exchanged in books he’d finished and checked out new books from the librarian. He browsed the nearby shelves idly, not really reading anything— picking up books to look at their cover art before putting them back, occasionally skimming through a book he thought looked interesting, not that there were very many. Every time he looked back Clouse had more and more books on the counter— he couldn’t tell if he was taking them all, or getting the librarian to help him choose which to take.

After what felt like thirty minutes, the two left the library, Clouse tucking the books into his jacket where they seemingly disappeared. Garmadon assumed it was another strange trick of his, and shrugged it off.

“Where should we eat?” He hummed, brow raised and glancing back to Clouse as they walked. Clouse folded his arms in thought.

“There’s a new bar that’s opened up,” He suggested, making Garmadon raise his brow.

“You aren’t a fan of bars, where’s the Clouse I know?” He grinned, lightly punching Clouse’s shoulder and earning an eye roll from the other.

“They have boba. And I, on occasion, like bad food— that isn’t Chen’s.”

“I am definitely going to be telling Master Chen you said that.”

“He knows how I feel about his noodles! They’re too dry, with a broth that’s too...” Clouse vaguely motioned, Garmadon laughing in response.

“... Too thick, I know.” Garmadon snickered, shaking his head, “I don’t know why the boys and Nya like it either. Must be the fortune cookies.”

“I’m the one who writes those, you know.” Clouse mused, Garmadon gasping.

“So you’re the one responsible for that cookie I got last week— when the boys insisted we get your noodles! The— The one that said ‘the person reading this is lame’—” Garmadon could barely hold himself together, “I thought you were above that! I didn’t know that was in your vocabulary!”

Clouse only grinned, and kept walking.

[felassan]

Dragon Age Library Edition Volume 1 annotations & additional pages/art compilation

Dragon Age Library Edition Volume 1 is a hardcover collection of some pre-existing Dragon Age comics that was released in 2014. It comprises of all issues of The Silent Grove, Those Who Speak and Until We Sleep. In places, it includes additional annotations/commentaries by the illustrators and authors, as well as a few additional pages with additional art. iirc these additional annotations and pages/art aren’t featured or available anywhere else (in the franchise I mean; other people have probably put them online at some point I’m sure).

From what I can see at least, Library Edition Volume 1 is no longer in print, and as such listings for it on resale sites etc are.. price-inflated & prohibitively expensive (~£100+, which I’m sure we can all agree is just not reasonable or accessible to most people). Due to this, I’ve compiled the additional annotations and pages here in this post. Thank you and credit to @artevalentinapaz, who kindly shared the material with me. This post has been made with their permission. The rest of this post is under a cut due to length.

These commentaries are in the context of The Silent Grove, Those Who Speak and Until We Sleep. If you notice any errors or annotations missing, or need anything clarified, just let me know. I think the annotations are in chronological order. In places I elaborated in square brackets to help explain which part of the comics an annotation is referring to. A note before you proceed further: some of the topics referenced in the annotations/additional pages are heavy or uncomfortable. The quotes here are word-for-word transcriptions of dev/creator commentaries, not my personal opinions or phrasings.

(Also, I do recommend always supporting comic creators by purchasing their comics legitimately. I own each issue of these comics having bought other editions of them all legitimately. The reason I put this post together is because this specific Library Edition volume has been discontinued and the consequently-inflated cost is so high, rendering the additional material inaccessible to most.)

-----

The Silent Grove annotations

Illustrator Chad Hardin: “I used to be an environmental artist for video games, so I built a 3-D model of Antiva City using the program Silo. Many of the buildings are simple cubes, but a few are more detailed. Overall, I spent the better part of a day building it, but I used it again and again throughout The Silent Grove to maintain continuity in the backgrounds.”

Script Writer Alexander Freed: “Even working with David Gaider, it took me several drafts to find Alistair’s voice. His narrative had to convey his humor and self-doubt from Dragon Age: Origins while suggesting a newfound weariness earned during his years on the throne. For readers familiar with the character, he needed to seem like a changed Alistair - but Alistair nonetheless.”

Chad Hardin: “If you read a lot of comics, you might wonder why the majority of the heroes wear skin-tight suits. Well, I can tell you: they are easy and quick to draw. In video games, you build the model once and then animate it, so details don’t slow you down. In comics, everything has to be rendered by hand. Varric and Alistair’s outfits were quite detailed. It took me a long time to get used to them, and even longer to memorize the designs until drawing them was second nature - Varric’s knee armor in particular! Oy vey!”

David Gaider: “One of my favorite scenes in the entire series [when Varric and Isabela are disarming traps and picking locks together while Alistair looks on]. Isabela and Varric, doing what rogues do. I had a suggestion for how to put it together, but Alex managed to make it fit and did a great job with it.”

Chad Hardin: “I never used to keep any of the artwork I created for comics. I would just hand the pages over to my agent to sell. This page [when Alistair, Varric and Isabela are in a tavern together, with hookah in the foreground] I kept for myself. I love the hookah-smoking elves in the second panel and Isabela’s face in the last panel. I rendered the first four chapters of The Silent Grove in grayscale using ink washes, gouache and Copie markers.”

David Gaider: “For a little while, Varric [in these comic stories] was supposed to be Zevran from Dragon Age: Origins, which would have made sense, Zevran being Antivan and all. I know that some fans would have loved to see him, but the dynamics of the group just didn’t work as well. Then a planned cameo later had to be cut for space. Ah well, Zev, another time.”

Alexander Freed: “Isabela at her most dangerous [climbing up the side of the cliff]. This scene - featuring a scantily clad, dripping-wet woman who tends to flaunt her sexuality - could easily have come across as exploitative, but Chad did a lovely drop portraying Isabela as purely focused and deadly.”

Chad Hardin: “Isabela rising out of the water and scaling the cliff with the knife in her mouth is one of my favorite parts of The Silent Grove. It is one of those moments where the writing really inspired the art. Hats off to Alex and David. This is another page I kept for myself.”

Colorist Michael Atiyeh: “This is one of my favorite Dragon Age pages. Chad is such an amazing artist; I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him.”

Chad Hardin: “I love that this page [when a guard spots Varric and shouts ‘Intruder!’] made it in uncensored. So many times in comics, I draw something and some stuffy lawyers come out of the woodwork and tell me to tone it down. Dark Horse and BioWare always let me have fun, and this turned out to be one of my favorite pages with Varric and Bianca. Any guesses to which word he is mouthing in the second panel?”

Alexander Freed: “Note the simple decency of Alistair as he gives his cloak, without comment, to Isabela. For all his flaws, he’s genuinely kind at heart - a rare enough trait in Isabela’s world that I think it’s much of what she values in him.”

Chad Hardin: “I love the opening panel to this chapter [the opening panels to Chapter 3, when the team are on a ship at sea]. It’s the image I use on the homepage of my website. This page was a gift to my cousin Wendy, who loves pirates. Seascapes with sailing ships might be clichéd in fine art, but for me it was a first.”

David Gaider: “I wanted to have this story center on the group travelling to a Witch of the Wilds other than Flemeth, and originally I had set it somewhere else - until I remembered a Codex entry from Dragon: Age Origins that offhandedly mentioned a witch in the Tellari Swamps. Brilliant! It’d look like I planned it all along. I didn’t.”

Michael Atiyeh: “I love opportunities where I can show a change in the time of day as you move from panel to panel [when the ship heads towards and the team arrive in the Tellari Swamps]. I feel the palette of each panel is very distinct and beautiful.”

Alexander Freed: “Why did Alistair choose two people he barely knows to be his companions on this quest? We never make this explicit, but of course Varric is on the right track. Alistair wants to surround himself with people who don’t know him and won’t judge him, yet it’s Alistair’s idealism that Isabela and Varric work to preserve.”

Chad Hardin: “Another page where the writing inspired the art [when the group suddenly encounter a dragon]. I love the dragon bursting onto the scene and Isabela’s stare. Some writers will try to cram six or seven panels on a page like this and the pacing just doesn’t allow the artist to give each moment the right punch. Can you imagine if the first panel was crammed into a single square inch?”

Chad Hardin: “Yavana was one of the only characters that we did no preliminary sketches for. I don’t know how that happened, but thankfully it worked out.”

David Gaider: “I love how Yavana looks like a cross between Flemeth and Morrigan. Flemmigan? She’s totally Chad’s design, and it’s great. Typical for these witches, she never says things straight. In my mind, this Alistair is the one who did the Dark Ritual in Dragon Age: Origins - and I was half-tempted to have him lose his cool in this first scene [opening panels of Chapter 4] with her. Too early, though.”

Alexander Freed: “Through this whole sequence [the page when Varric aims Bianca at Yavana], Yavana is dropping cryptic hints and Alistair is refusing to play along. He’s met Flemeth and Morrigan - he knows Yavana won’t give him a straight answer, and he won’t give her the satisfaction of asking needlessly.”

Michael Atiyeh: “Sometimes it’s the little things on a page that spark my interest. Here [when the team navigate vines and mud to get to the temple], the sunset panel came out great and the mud looks really thick and gooey. It’s fun to focus on these details and make them stand out.”

Chad Hardin: “I hated drawing this scene [when Isabela gets kicked] where Isabela gets the boot to the face. Call me old fashioned, but I was raised to believe that only a coward would ever hit a woman (even a battle-hardened pirate adventurer). I draw at home, and my girls often watch me work in my studio. This was a page I didn’t want them watching me draw. I do like, though, that Isabela gets up, yanks the arrow out, and then soldiers on (and later extracts brutal revenge).”

Michael Atiyeh: “Poor Isabela. It seems I gave her more bruises and black eyes than any of the other characters. [when Isabela is yanking the arrow out]”

Chad Hardin: “It’s always interesting to go back and look at artwork because it reminds me of what was going on in my life at the time. I inked this page [opening panels of Chapter 5] at a ‘draw night’ session at an anime convention in St. George, Utah. I was one of the special guests, but I missed the first day because I was at my grandfather’s funeral in Las Vegas, Nevada. Seeing this page brought back those memories.”

David Gaider: “‘Bianca says hello.’ [quoting the panels being referenced] I adore Varric. I was tempted to have him narrate the entire series [in reference to these three comics], but then again I liked the idea of having each series center on one of the trio’s viewpoints. This book belongs to Alistair, but that doesn’t stop Varric from getting all the best lines.”

Alexander Freed: “Claudio, of course, is not a terribly sympathetic figure. But I wanted to emphasize that he takes this fight as personally as Isabela - he sincerely loved Luis and blames Isabela for the man’s death. I think it’s important to give every character, even the most loathsome, some dignity. [when Isabela and Claudio are fighting]”

Chad Hardin: “Payback! Here is where Isabela extracts her revenge on Claudio [when Isabela stabs Claudio]. I never enjoyed killing off a character so much. I particularly enjoyed putting the look of shock in his eyes. He had it coming. There is something satisfying about killing a ‘made man’.”

Chad Hardin: “Every now and then when drawing comics, I wish I could animate some panels and watch them as a cartoon. It would be great to see this sequence [when Yavana catches Claudio’s soul] in full motion as Yavana snatches Claudio’s soul, makes it reenter his corpse and then extracts information from him until he bursts into flame. It was a very Hellboy-ish moment. I enjoyed the movie that played in my mind while drawing this scene. Hope everyone liked the result.”

Chad Hardin: “As I mentioned on page 17, I rendered the first four chapters in grayscale, which made the black-and-white art look great, but had a neutralizing effect when it came to colors. By the time I drew chapter 4, I had seen the effect it was having and decided to stop using the grayscale so the colors would pop. When I saw this page [when Alistair says to Yavana ‘And we helped you find it’] in print, it confirmed to me that I made the right decision. I honestly feel this art was the best of The Silent Grove.”

Chad Hardin: “I practically painted these pages [when Yavana says ‘It is permitted. Tonight and only tonight’] in thumbnails hoping it would help me choose how to render them in ink. It is so hard trying to figure out how to get a full range of value out of just black and white. There are some artists and inkers that make this look easy. Mark Schultz comes to mind. Michael saved my bacon. Colorists really do so much work when it comes to rendering; this page came out awesome because of him.”

David Gaider: “Here we reveal the existence of Great Dragons (as opposed to High Dragons), and also that Yavana was the source of the return of dragons to Thedas after their departure for so many centuries. But why? There’s the rub, and not even Alistair can trust that she’s telling him the truth.”

David Gaider: “Here’s the controversial scene [Alistair killing Yavana]. I think some fans don’t like that Alistair did this, and have said they consider it out of character. I don’t. From his perspective, Flemeth and her daughters have been toying with the world for reasons that can’t be trusted. They dragged Maric away from his family, from him. One might think his judgement foolish, but considering what Alistair was capable of deciding even back in Dragon Age: Origins, it’s certainly not out of character.”

Chad Hardin: “[same scene as above] This was a controversial page, and there were a lot of people who thought it was out of character for Alistair to kill Yavana (I didn’t see it coming - I mean, you just don’t kill a Witch of the Wild), but here is the thing: this page is Alistair acting as a king. Yavana has been manipulating him, trying to play him like a pawn, and he just can’t allow that. There’s too much at stake, for himself and for his subjects.”

Alexander Freed: “The end? An end, at least [the trio walking off into the distance]. The series needed a note of closure while leading into Those Who Speak (which wouldn’t arrive until many months later). David tweaked the ending in the outline several times, and I did my best to balance resolving Alistair’s emotional journey without resolving the quest. It’s not as clean as I’d have liked, but fortunately, now it’s all in one volume...”

Those Who Speak annotations

Alexander Freed: “Capturing Isabela’s narrative voice was much easier for me than capturing Alistair’s - partly because I’d already written The Silent Grove, and partly because of my own writing proclivities. Rereading now, I wonder if I laid on the (mild) profanity a bit too thick. I’ll leave you to judge.”

David Gaider: “I like the additional detail Alex and Chad put in, letting us see more of Qarinus and more of Isabela’s crew. Alex wanted to give her crew more of a presence, and let her first mate have some face time, so they weren’t just parts of the scenery. Good call on his part.”

David Gaider: “I’m really fond of the formal getups Chad made for the party. Isabela’s actually comes from a concept we didn’t use from the cancelled Dragon Age 2 expansion, if I remember right. And Maevaris came from me asking for ‘someone who looks like Mae West’ - with the wonderful outfit all Chad’s doing.

Chad Hardin: “Maevaris. I love Mae. When David and Dragon Age art director Matthew Goldman spoke to me about designing Mae, they wanted her to be fully female with the exception of her biology. They told me to think ‘Mae West’. Well, when I think of Mae West, I think of her... womanly shape. So, drawing Maevaris was always walking a fine line between portraying Mae’s identity and her biology. The process endeared her to me.”

Michael Atiyeh: “Just like in The Silent Grove, we are introduced to another gentleman from Isabela’s past [when the team meet Lord Devon and Isabela threatens him]. As was the case with Claudio, he will meet his fate at her hands.”

Chad Hardin: “When I was drawing Titus, my kids asked me why I was drawing ‘angry Jesus’ or ‘evil Jesus’. I can’t remember which term they used exactly, but it made me chuckle. I was going for a mix of Rapustin and Joe Stalin, but ‘evil Jesus’ would do.”

David Gaider: “I’m not sure it’s apparent here [when Alistair says ‘I’d really rather not’], but Alistair was supposed to be using one of his Templar powers on Titus (that’s why Titus recognizes what he is on the next page) and disrupting his magic.”

Alexander Freed: “Isabela is witty and charming enough that it can be easy to forget that she’s not, in fact, a nice person. Even after finishing the outline, David was concerned about making her too unsympathetic - but I loved his approach in this series. The dark deeds Isabela commits - this murder included [Isabela killing Lord Devon] - are what make her guilt tangible and no easy matter to overcome.”

Alexander Freed: “I thought the notions of Isabela’s pride in her captaincy and dedication to her crew were some of the most interesting aspects of her character in David’s story. In scenes here [when Isabela is on her ship saying ‘Keep them focused and keep them sober’] and elsewhere, I did my best to emphasize their place at the core of Isabela’s world.”

Chad Hardin: “Most of the time I draw from imagination, but because of the complexity of this page [Qunari trying to board Isabela’s ship] I decided it would work better if I had photo reference. On this page are my nephews Jared (Varric) and Adam, my niece Melissa, my kids Erica, Tasey Michaela (Isabela) and Chad (Alistair), my friend’s daughter Amy, my wife Joy, and the neighborhood kids as Isabela’s pirate crew. (The crew member mooning the Qunari is out of my ol’ noodle.) I paid their modelling fee in pizza and root beer. Also, I had originally drawn cannons on Isabela’s ship, so if there are parts of it that look slightly wonky, chances are there was a cannon there.”

David Gaider: “Ever since the BioWare artists finally did a concept for female Qunari, I’ve been itching to include one in the game. It’s always slipped through my fingers, so I was going to be damned if I’d have a Qunari plot in a comic - without the same technical limitations - and not have one present.

Chad Hardin: “I had no idea this was the first time anyone outside of BioWare had seen a female Qunari.”

Michael Atiyeh: “I really like the lighting in this sequence [Isabela in her cell thinking ‘I haven’t eaten in days’], especially the strong white light and the characters in shadow.”

David Gaider: “The entire sequence of Rasaan interrogating Isabela was something I plotted out in detail when this series began. Here they discuss names - something treated in a manner peculiar to the Qunari, considering how much importance they apply to what things are called (and not called), because it forms the core of their identity. Isabela brushes it off, but as we find out later it’s also at the core of her identity. I liked that parallel.”

Alexander Freed: “To balance out the relatively static talking pages elsewhere in the issue, I hoped to make the interrogation and flashback sequences beautiful and full of information. I proposed an approach to Chad, and he wisely reshaped it into what you see here [the page with the scene where Isabela says ‘I’ve made a lot of stupid mistakes’]. Anything that succeeds on these pages should be credited to him; anything that fails is my fault.”

Chad Hardin: “Probably the most challenging spread I have ever done. My friend Stacie Pitt was the model for Isabela on this page, and my wife Joy was Rasaan. I saved these pages [around the scene when Rasaan says ‘Mistakes can be corrected’] for myself.”

David Gaider: “Sten from Dragon Age: Origins becoming the new Arishok of the Qunari was something we'd planned even during Dragon Age 2. This was a great opportunity to show that, and also to show that Sten didn’t acquire horns even despite the makeover the Qunari received in DA2. Hornless Qunari are considered special, and Sten is no exception.”

Michael Atiyeh: “I think that David, Alex and Chad handled Isabela’s flashback [to when she was sold by her mother] in an interesting way, and it created a nice flow to the story.”

David Gaider: “This was a controversial scene [what happened to the slaves Isabela was transporting], the end result of a lot of discussions between me and Isabela’s original writer on the team, and it went through a lot of revisions over that time. It needed to fit with the story Isabela told the player in DA2, but fill in the blanks of what she didn’t tell. We didn’t want Isabela to be someone who became who she is because she was ‘broken’ but instead as a result of her own actions - yet also not be completely beyond redemption.”

Chad Hardin: “These were hard pages [as above] to draw. It was difficult knowing that events such as this are part of human history, such as the Zong massacre in 1781, where the British courts ordered the insurers to reimburse the crew of the Zong for financial losses caused by throwing slaves overboard when faced with a lack of water. Horrifying beyond words.”

Michael Atiyeh: “Here, Isabela visits here crew, and I wanted to play up that she was in the light and they were in a dark cell. The light streaming through the bars gave me the opportunity to highlight Brand, who also had dialogue in the scene.”

Alexander Freed: “I struggled to find a way for Varric to contribute to victory without distracting from Alistair and Sten’s big fight. I’m happy with the solution: a brazen lie seemed appropriate to the character without taking away from the main show.”

David Gaider: “I believe my original plan had Isabela’s and Alistair’s fight scenes happening separately, but I like how Alex intertwined them in the script and I especially like how this ends up highlighting the differences between their characters when their fights are resolved. Isabela is defiant, revealing her name not because Rasaan demands it but because it’s her choice. In both cases, mercy is strength.”

Michael Atiyeh: “The brush I created for the clouds really gave them a nice watercolor effect here [on the deck of the ship, Sten calling Alistair ‘kadan’]. That brush has become a staple in my toolbox.”

Alexander Freed: “With the strong theme of names running through these issues, I liked the notion that Isabela had outgrown being, well, ‘Isabela’. When her name comes up in Until We Sleep, it’s largely played with ambiguity.”

Until We Sleep annotations

Alexander Freed: “The story of ‘Arthur’ is one of my favorite minor sequences [Varric infiltrating and fighting his way into the fortress]. It tells us something about Varric and it delivers plot information - and it’s also a reminder that our heroes kill an awful lot of people during these series and cope with it in their own ways. In general, writing Varric let me skirt the edge of metacommentary, which I greatly enjoyed.”

David Gaider: “Varric, as always, is my ‘voice of the narrator’. Here he’s expressing some of my own amusement at Alistair’s growing list of peculiarities [‘Your majesty is quite the special snowflake’]. To think, back at the beginning of Dragon Age: Origins he was just the player’s goofy sidekick who grew up in a barn.”

Michael Atiyeh: “By the third series, Until We Sleep, I really started to have a complete feel for what I wanted the final art to look like. As an artist, it’s important to continue to evolve and grow. The close-up of Sten’s face [same page as above] is a perfect example of how I wanted the rendering on the characters to look.”

Alexander Freed: “David’s outline called for a short, somber reveal of the Calenhad story by Sten. Fueled by my desire to avoid ‘talking heads’ sequences, I scripted it as a full-on storytelling flashback. David made sure the history worked (at least from the Qunari point of view), and Chad did a beautiful job handling it in a mere two pages.”

David Gaider: “Blood is important in Dragon Age, as a theme. Here we tie in the dragon blood that was mentioned all the way back in The Silent Grove and explain what it means at last. I was a bit hesitant to tarnish the legend of Calenhad the Great in this way, but I comfort myself with the knowledge this tale is but a viewpoint and not necessarily the entire truth.”

Michael Atiyeh: “Titus melting the attacker is a great example of classic comicbook storytelling and exactly what made me fall in love with the medium.”

David Gaider: “I was really happy with how Chad handled the reveal of Mae as transgender [the scene with Mae in the cell]. My worry was that Varric finding her disrobed might be potentially titillating, but I think he handled it nicely. I only wish there was more time to have Mae properly respond to being exposed in this manner, even to a friend.”

Chad Hardin: “I originally drew Mae as female [same scene as above], then changed her anatomy, so the psychological violation and humiliation she felt would be the focus. Hope that came across.”

Chad Hardin: “When in doubt, have Bianca shoot it [Varric shooting the artifact].”

David Gaider: “This scene [Varric and Bianca the dwarf] with Varric was one I wanted to do for a very long time. We’ve hinted that Varric’s crossbow was named after a real person, someone he never wants to talk about. Now I finally had the chance to show why.”

Chad Hardin: “Of all my Dragon Age pages, this scene was hands down my favorite, because Varric is my favorite. It was awesome to get to draw Bianca in her dwarven form. These scenes give you a glimpse of the love Varric and Bianca shared. It doesn’t tell you the whole story, but you can assume plenty from what is shown. You get to see Varric mostly naked (you’re welcome), but most of all you witness Varric’s heartbreak. I felt privileged to draw it. I got so obsessed with drawing this page I did an entire watercolor painting based on the last panel [Varric gets up to leave, ‘This isn’t right’ - ? or perhaps the scene where he opens the door to leave].”

Alexander Freed: “Unreliable narrators are always tricky - done wrong, they can just confuse the reader. But I’m fairly happy with Varric’s lies throughout this series, most of which are used to downplay the emotional cost of events rather than whitewash the events themselves.”

Michael Atiyeh: “This palette worked perfectly [Varric standing in front of the doorway/portal in the Fade proper], but I can’t take all the credit because BioWare provided reference for the Fade. I added the hot orange energy for the doorway, which looks great with the sickly green sky.”

David Gaider: “This scene [Isabela’s Fade nightmare] was actually inspired by a fan named Allegra who did a cosplay as a Qunari version of Isabela. I knew I wanted something like this for Isabela’s Fade section of the comic, but it didn’t really solidify until I saw the cosplay.”

Chad Hardin: “Isabela is more affected by her encounter with Rasaan than we were led to believe. A portent of things to come?”

Michael Atiyeh: “I love this shot of Mae in the fourth panel [on the page where Isabela is affected by vines]. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what a great character she is in the series, and Chad captures her beautifully in this shot.”

Alexander Freed: “I saw this issue as a sort of downbeat victory lap. Over the course of the previous series, our protagonists largely came to terms with the inner demons the Fade confronts them with here. The fact they’ve come so far lets them win this last battle... but they still have scars that will never completely disappear.”

David Gaider: “Maric was in the first two novels I wrote for Dragon Age. Seeing Chad’s rendering of him as a regal, grown-up version of Alistair made me incredibly nostalgic. Some characters you just never let go of.”

Alexander Freed: “I feel Varric’s lines (‘tell yourself the stories you need to tell’ but ‘never live your own lies’) are the natural endpoint of all the exchanges he’s had with Alistair, starting from the end of Chapter 1 of The Silent Grove. And of course it plays off the story of ‘Arthur’, as well.’’

Chad Hardin: “I’m happy with the way Titus came off in these pages [Titus attacking and saying ‘The last magisters of Tevinter were so close’]. He looks threatening and powerful when fighting Alistair, Isabela and Varric, but genuinely confused by his inability to defeat Maric. Bye-bye, evil Jesus.”

Alexander Freed: “I can’t help but feel for Titus. He was unthinkably corrupt, but I see him as genuinely motivated by Tevinter’s glory. (The fact Alistair reads zealous ideology as a lust for power says a lot about both characters.)”

Michael Atiyeh: “I love the seamless transition of color from Titus’ magic to the dragon breath and then back into the orange remnants of his magic in the smoke. This was a really fun panel to color [Titus saying ‘Die by what wrought you’].”

David Gaider: “‘You are not the dreamer here. I am.’ I always have a scene or a line that’s in my head when I begin a tale, and this line of Maric’s was one I wanted all the way back when I started working on The Silent Grove.”

Chad Hardin: “I love this page [Maric and Alistair clasping hands]; Mike’s colors are spot on. We get to see all our heroes in an ideal state for the last time. This is the last Dragon Age page I saved for myself.”

David Gaider: “This scene kills me [Alistair destroying the Magrallen]. I knew it needed to happen; I knew I wanted it to happen even back when I began the story. Alistair lets Maric remain in the Fade rather than dragging him back to a world which has moved on. Alistair’s ready to move on, but forcing him to give up that hope... it makes me feel like a bad person.”

Chad Hardin: “Heartbreak for Alistair as he realizes that once again, as a king, he must kill: this time, his own father (granted, the Magrallen did most of the work). I really like how Maric crumbles away in the end. This was my last page, and the emotions on the page and in my studio were very final. Altogether, this was a year of my life in the making. On my last page, I wrote a thank you to everyone involved, the crew at Dark Horse and the crew at BioWare. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them again. It was a thrill. Finally, a huge thank-you to the Dragon Age fan community, whose support was overwhelmingly awesome.”

Michael Atiyeh: “As the story came to an end, I knew I was going to miss these characters. Writing these annotations reinforces the fact that I hope to work with this great creative team again one day. Many thanks to Dark Horse and BioWare for the opportunity to work on Dragon Age.”

Alexander Freed: “The tension between the art and the narration on this page [the one with Alistair sitting on his throne while nobles argue] is something you can only pull off in comics. Neither tells the full, bittersweet story alone. Similarly, these issues wouldn’t have been possible without everyone on the team; thanks to David, Chad, Michael, and everyone I lack space to list!”

Additional pages / art

Library Edition Volume 1 also came with some additional pages, with additional art and commentary. These are as follows (I’m including them for the sake of completion, click the links to see):

1. Alistair and dragon concepts

2. Rasaan and Maevaris concepts

3. Sten, Titus and Yavana concepts

4. A series of cover pages 1

5. A series of cover pages 2

In case anyone has trouble reading the notes that accompany these images, I’ve transcribed them below:

1. Dragon Age Sketch Book

Alistair Concept 

Dragon Age / Dark Horse

Chad Hardin: “The headshot of Alistair is from a finished sketch with a rejected armor design. In order to save time, the redrawing was completed on the computer, where tweaks and changes are quick and easy, if somewhat less glorious.”

[Dragon] Head #1 / Head #2

Chad Hardin: “Everyone liked this dragon sketch so much that Dark Horse printed it for signings at conventions. You can see I did multiple proposals for the dragon’s head. It was more effective than drawing the body over and over.”

-

2. [arrow pointing to Mae’s sleeve] concealed [I think that’s what it says anyway] daggers / shurikens?

Chad Hardin: “When designing Rasaan and Maevaris, I wasn’t exactly sure how their roles would play out in the series. Maevaris’ outfit was inspired by brothel madams of the Wild West. I thought it would be cool to have some weapons concealed in the formal wear. These never came into play in the series, but they were there in my mind.”

-

3. Chad Hardin: “Although we only see Titus in his battle garb in one issue, I really liked the design of his armor. The sketch of Yavana was done on the fly and served as both a rough preliminary sketch and as a panel layout. You have to work hard and smart in comics to keep up with the deadlines.”

-

4. Cover Artist Anthony Palumbo: “This was my first assignment for Dark Horse, and I was both excited and nervous. I drew pencil sketches of the main characters, scanned them and played with different arrangements, poses and color schemes in Photoshop.”

-

5. Anthony Palumbo: “Fellow illustrator Winona Nelson helped me by sitting for photo reference. I created the mock-jewelry with gold-painted Sculpey. That’s a quick photo of my own gaping maw, to help with the image of Varric.”

[crow-in-a-teapot]

tower of nero spoilers

i have just finished the tower of nero. and before i go searching for other people’s thoughts and art and more of the characters i love so much, i want to write down some of my own thoughts because i know as soon as i delve into that ‘ton spoilers’ hashtag there are going to be complaints and criticisms and so much that i don’t want to hear, or essays that’ll make me upset, or things that’ll change my perception on the book (because on this website people really love to hate the trials of apollo).

i want to start with: i loved it. it didn’t feel earth-shattering or huge and momentous like some of my favourite riordanverse books (house of hades, the blood of olympus, the last olympian and maybe some of the magnus chase books take those pedestals for me) but it was satisfying. and i think it was satisfying because it in no way felt like an ending. whether because eventually rick will write that will-and-nico-go-through-tartarus-and-save-bob novella, or because we (or at least i) will continue writing and imagining and creating for this world i don’t know. he didn’t wrap up the story in a perfect little bow like ‘nineteen years later’, he simply put it on pause. gave us a glimpse of where every character was at at the end.

the only thing that makes me so angry and upset is that i did manage to get some spoilers for moments that i know would have been so good to experience for the first time if i hadn’t been spoiled for them. the moment where rachel mentions penguins in a mansion near her house, nico getting mental health advice from mr d, the fact that will and nico were going to be in the book for so much of the story, but the big thing was literally spoiled for me two days ago, it was the reason i sat down to read it as fast as possible because i was terrified of getting more spoiled and not being able to experience the moments for myself, was that piper had a girlfriend. i know that reading that for the first time would have been so cool and surprising, and the fact that when it came up for a moment in the last couple pages all i felt was disappointment because it was spoiled for me and because it was now tinged with whatever that person was saying about her having a girlfriend.

but i still had some warm fuzzy moments, the two parts where apollo thinks he’s going to die but nico comes up behind him - so good. impeccable. 

Leader Guy spat. ‘Now, I kill you.’

He raised his sword... and froze. His face turned pale. His skin began to shrivel. His beard fell out whisker by whisker like dead pine needles. Finally, his skin crumbled away, along with his clothes and flesh, until Leader Guy was nothing but a bleached-white skeleton, holding a sword in his bony hands. 

Standing behind him, his hand on the skeleton’s shoulder, was Nico di Angelo.

and

Nero raised his hand, ready to give the kill command, when behind me a mighty BOOM! shook the chamber. Half our enemies were thrown off their feet. Cracks sprouted in the windowsand the marble columns. Ceiling tiles broke, raining dust like split bags of flour. 

I turned to see the impenetrable blast doors lying twisted and broken, a strangely emaciated red bull standing in the breach. Behind it stood Nico di Angelo.

gods. poetic brilliance. i can’t believe i’m still a nico di angelo stannie in the year 2021. in five years i have not changed (ever since the tv show announcement last summer i have managed to morph into myself from 2017)

from here i’m not sure where to go next i kind of want to go through everything, except it’ll be more difficult than my tyrant’s tomb reaction because i wasn’t reading on a kindle and thus can’t just do funny little reactions to screenshots of quotes, so i’ll just skim through the book page by page and see what i can comment on (i’m not planning on doing analysis today, no thank you, just enjoying the end of my childhood and trying to squeeze as much out of it as possible)

i have an emotional attachment to mr. snake from the very first chapter, and am very upset that he’ll never get off on his baltimore stop and get to see his wife, lu had no reason to shoot and kill him like that.

that brings me to lu, i liked her, it was interesting to see how rick kind of brought in not only the overarching theme of abuse, but also people who let the abuse happen, i have more i could say on this i’m too lazy to right now, and i promised no analysis - or the fact that Lu had conspired to make the show non-lethal to spare Meg’s feelings rather than - oh, I don’t know - refusing to do Nero’s dirty work in the first place and getting Meg out of that house of horrors. 

And are you any better? taunted a small voice in my brain. How many times have you stood up to Zeus?

Okay, small voice. Fair point. Tyrants are not easy to opppose or walk away from, especially when you depend on them for everything.

the parallels to meg and lester heading to percy’s apartment, and then to camp half blood to the hidden oracle was so cool to read, every callback to the hidden oracle just there to remind us readers exactly how far apollo has come and how he’s changed; the entire chapter with sally, paul and estelle just felt sickly sweet, it just didn’t seem real how wholesome and good that family is, like i get why apollo broke down and just sobbed in that shower.

also rick really saying acab again in toa, i thought he was done after that elf cop chapter in magnus chase (the magnus chase series is a masterpiece) but apparently not, with A ‘good cop’ is still a cop... still a part of the mind game.

the grey sisters, i forgot about them completely but this threw me back into was it the sea of monsters when annabeth summoned them? i’m not sure, it could have been the lightning thief either, they really remind me of the disney hercules movie. the whole ganymede paragraph was gold, i love gods being canonically confirmed lgbt in the riordanverse. i also love the whole eye-tossing part - 

‘He will crush our eye,’ Anger cried, ‘if we don’t recite our verses!’

‘I will not!’

‘We will all die!’ Wasp said. ‘He is crazy!’

‘I AM NOT!’

‘Fine, you win!’ Tempest howled.

also, the explanation for why dionysus chooses to look the way he does was perfect, because it was something i often wondered about and wasn’t expecting to get an explanation for, and i imagine the whole mythological dionysus to look like.. well like a more feminine apollo i guess, beautiful in a gender non-comforming way.

Other Olympians could never comprehend why Dionysus chose this form when he could look like anything he wanted. In ancient times, he’d been famous for his youthful beauty that defied gender.

... 

In retaliation, Dionysus had decided to look and act as ungodly as possible. He was like a child refusing to tuck in his shirt, comb his hair or brush his teeth, just to show his parents how little he cared.

every scene with nico at camp just BREAKS ME, i would throw in screenshots of every damn quote but unfortunately, as said above, cannot and would rather not type every one; we’ll start with, obviously apollo confirming to him that jason is dead. 

He didn’t look angry exactly. He looked as if he’d been hit in the gut not just once but so many times over the course of so many years that he was beginning to lose perspective on what it meant to be in pain. He swayed on his feet. He blinked. Then he flinched, jerking his hands away from Meg’s as if he’d just remembered his own touch was poison.

ugh then will talking about how nico’s doing, confirming that he’s suffering with ptsd, mr d giving him advice, helping him sort though what voices in his head are real and which ones aren’t, then the paragraph that just recounts every horrific thing poor nico has been through, how will has to reassure him that he’s okay and ‘with friends’ when he wakes up after shadow travel

will’s kindness to apollo, buying him clothes, and apollo finding seymour the leopard’s head in his bed, put there by mr d aaaa AAAA A A A A A THE ORDINARY, EVERYDAY CAMP HALF BLOOD THINGS..

i could go on for years and years about how much i appreciate rachel having a big role in this book, and the visit to her apartment, everything, her art, the fact that she got what she wanted, she’s going to PARIS to study ART, she isn’t forced to be someone she’s not by her dad, and gets to be a big part of a demigod mission and not stand on the sidelines for once.

i love that her landscapes are still visions, that she still paints the quests demigods go on - the burning maze, jason’s funeral pyre, caligula’s ships; and how nico ~appreciates art~

‘And, hey, di Angelo -’ she pushed him playfully away from the canvas he’d been ogling - ‘don’t brush against the art! I don’t care about the paintings, but if you get any colour on you, you’ll ruin that whole black-and-white aesthetic you’ve got going.’

i. love. rachel.

WILL GLOWS!! THE HEADCANONS FROM LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO THAT YOU’D SEE FLOATING AROUND ABOUT HIM MANIPULATING LIGHT!! CONFIRMED!! CANON!! AMAZING

I AM  OBSESSED WITH THE TROGS, I LOVE THEM, THEY ARE GREAT, not gonna lie, i was expecting something more dramatic and spooky with how worried will was and how dionysus was going.. visiting the cavern-runners isn’t ♫ good for your mental health  ♫ but the little hat frog gremlins were a good addition. i like them very much and their funky little soup shenanigans. quoting the ghost king himself: trogs good. nice hats. (IM SORRY I KEEP MENTIONING HIM BUT I JUST) also how apollo starts wishing for breadsticks a s ajoke and theY STRAIGHT UP HAVE BREADSTICKS? HUH? WHERE DID THEY GET THE BREADSTICKS FROM??

yeah, i’m also still very much upset by every mention of jason grace, it’s funny how ever since his death in the burning maze i have grown to love him more and more and that’s not fun for me, for that boy to become one of my main comfort character’s and have his death and sacrifice and nobility mentioned every few chapters. i’m pretty sure i cried when he appeared to talk in apollo’s dreams, and this time the tears weren’t from the effort of keeping my eyes open and working for hours straight reading this book (i remember staying up until 2am to finish the sequel to beautiful, broken things, it was very much worth it)

‘All right, Jason. We miss you, though.’

ALSO. THE FACT THAT THIS KID. THIS CHILD. HAD TO THINK ‘BUT IF A HERO ISN’T READY TO LOSE EVERYTHING FOR A GREATER CAUSE, IS THAT PERSON REALLY A HERO?’ A KID ISN’T SUPPOSED TO THINK ABOUT THAT AND BE READY TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES FOR THE GREATER GOOD,, i,, ugh,, he’s supposed to be finishing school and designing temples not being the perfect hero and soldier,, spain without the s,,

as @couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name said: ‘thinking about how ghost! Jason didn’t seem to understand why Apollo was so upset about his death because he’s been raised to believe a hero’s sacrifice is noble and his life doesn’t matter in the grand scheme and also if he doesn’t understand why the person who watched him get horrifically killed is so torn up over his death he probably doesn’t even realize his other friends are grieving him..’

IM SO UPSET THE ARROW OF DODONA IS DEAD D: IT WAS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE CHARACTERS ALL THE FUNNIEST MOMENTS WERE BECAUSE OF THAT ARROW AND IT'S DEATH WAS SO SAD WTH LIKE WE FIND OUT HOW USELESS THE ARROW FELT AND HOW THE GROVE OF DODONA ALL THOUGHT IT WOULD BE CRAP AND WOULD FAIL APOLLO AND THEN ONCE WE FEEL BAD FOR IT, IT DIES??

the entire python battle was pretty grim, there is a part of me that's like because this is the last book series i would have loved say the magnus chase and kane chronicles gang in a giant battle with everyone like the battle of manhattan but even more dramatic, but even so, i did appreciate that python battle and the whole almost-falling-into-the-depths-of-tartarus thing.

him talking to artemis was cool, but JESUS: 'I turned and strode out of my room, trying to recall how the god Apollo walked.' like that HURTS. it was such a huge culture shock for apollo to go throught this huge character arc and be so human and understand the pain of others, to be around gods again who are so.. apathetic. also, zeus. 'Interesting how he put that: I had done him proud. I had been useful in making him look good. My heart did not melt. I did not feel that this was a warm-and-fuzzy reconciliation with my father. Let's be honest: some fathers don't deserve that. Some aren't capable of it.'

OKAY OKAY SO THE END?? CHIRON TALKING TO A CAT (BAST) AND A SEVERED HEAD (MIMIR) ABOUT SHARED PROBLEMS WITHIN THE PANTHEONS!! WILL AND NICO RECEIVING A PROPHECY FROM RACHEL TO GO TO TARTARUS AND SAVE BOB!! THE HUNTERS OF ARTEMIS, INCLUDING THALIA AND REYNA BEING BEST FRIENDS (qpr.. qpr..) HUNTING THE TEUMESSIAN FOX!! PERCY, ANNABETH AND GROVER, THE ORIGINAL TRIO, GOING ON A CHAOTIC ROAD TRIP TOGETHER!! - SO MANY STAND-ALONE SET -UPS PFSJSJSJ

okay quick word on the reunions at the end: funny little elephant visitation program with livia and hannibal. love that for them. calypso and leo's relationship seems rocky and complicated, but that's to be expected, i think even if they do get properly back together again it might not last long, because it does pretty much feel like a teenage relationship where the two aren't very compatible, but we'll see. hazel and frank are so funny with their gold plated necklaces. lavinia - tap-dance icon. almost cried at the mention of jason's temple-extension plan again. percy not being sure about what he wants to do in college is accurate and i like that that's left to be up-for-interpretation (rick does THE MOST for the fanfic writers pfsjsj). i am OBSESSED with aeithales, like i hate deserts so the burning maze setting is not my favourite but GOD that HOUSE, the vibes are off-the-charts. i'd love a house made of living trees that's also a greenhouse filled with dryads. meg gets a unicorn. that is so great.

i kind of wish the book hadn't ended with 'Call on me. I will be there for you.' because every time I imagine the friends theme song and i don't think that's the vibe he was going for, BUT i do love him talking to meg, that was genuinely emotional - 'You'll come back?' she asked. 'Always,' I promised. 'The sun always comes back.' ; i really wish it had ended with that, but i guess apollo does tend to break fourth walls and talk to the readers, like a lot of the protagonists of riordanverse books.

[unbridgeabledistances]

ok i have an inbox full of prompts, but i was making valentine’s day plans & all of a sudden felt very inspired to write some valentine’s day gallavich! featuring uncle mickey, homemade cards and a lot of domestic fluff- i’ll probs have a part two up sometime this week!<3

--

It was a lazy, slow-paced Sunday afternoon at the Gallagher house. Mickey had been lying on the couch passively watching trashy reality TV for god knows how long—and apparently at some point he’d fallen asleep, because now the TV volume was just a low hum, and he was being woken up to the startling crash of the kitchen back door slamming shut, and the rustling of shoes and coats being taken off and discarded by the front door.

“Alright Franny, let’s set this stuff up on the kitchen table.” Mickey heard Ian’s voice sail across the room, his eyes still closed to block out the cheery sunshine teeming in the living room.

Mickey tried to doze off again, attempting to block out the bright light infiltrating his eyelids, but it was no use— whatever Ian and Franny were doing, murmuring and clanging in the kitchen, there was no way for Mickey to escape the sound now and drift back into his sunwarmed sleep. He begrudgingly shoved the scratchy crocheted blanket off of his lap, stretching as he rose and stumbled into the kitchen.

He wasn’t expecting the carnage that he saw when he turned the corner; the kitchen table was covered in an explosion of sheets of multicolored construction paper, all reds and pinks and whites, with tiny multicolored stickers and tubes of glitter and shiny ribbons arranged and spread wide across the countertop, scattered with glue sticks and pairs of scissors and an exploded box of crayons. There was a small mountain of cut-out hearts piled high on the table, smattered with glitter-glue and blocky handwriting.

Mickey rubbed his eyes, taking in the scene. “What’re you two Picassos up to?” he asked drowsily.

Ian looked up, his eyes light. “Look who’s awake!” He gestured at the table emphatically, like it was Christmas morning. “Isn’t it great? Me and Franny grabbed all this stuff at the dollar store for less than ten bucks. The glue sticks definitely kind of suck, but I think it’ll get the job done.”

Mickeys eyes scanned to Franny, who was hard at work trying to cut a shape out of a piece of red construction paper, her brows furrowed in concentration. Ian kept chattering on as he unwrapped another sheath of the paper.

“Debbie left Franny with me since some rich lady called her with a weekend handywoman emergency that popped up at the last minute, so now I’m helping Franny make her valentines for school.”

Mickey scoffed. “Fucking valentines?”

Ian rolled his eyes as he contentedly started to glue together two pieces of paper. “Yes, Mickey, valentines. You know, those nice things that normal people give to each other on Valentine’s Day, along with a box of chocolates or some shit and a note about how much they love each other—”

“Yes, I know what they are, smartass. Don’t know why you didn’t just buy the little cardboard ones at the store though.”

Ian smirked, his eyes still focused on the paper beneath him that he was smudging glitter on. “Yeah, well. Franny wanted to make them, and I thought it’d be kind of fun.”

Just then Franny gasped triumphantly, raising a lopsided and crumpled paper heart up for Mickey to see. “Look, Uncle Mickey! I cut a heart! Uncle Ian showed me how!”

Mickey raised his eyebrows at Ian, who had a sheepish look on his face. “Didn’t know you had so many hidden talents, Gallagher.”

Ian flashed a grin. “I used to be really into art class in elementary school, what can I say.”

Franny looked up at Mickey with wide eyes. “Do you want to make valentines with us? We have to make twenty-seven, because that’s the number of people in my class.”

Mickey faltered. Sitting here gluing fucking glitter to pieces of paper was not exactly what he’d had in mind as his plans for the weekend…

“Uh. That’s okay kiddo. I think you two’ve got it covered.”

Franny seemed to readily accept Mickey’s answer, instantly looking downward again and grabbing a fistful of crayons from the table to continue enhancing her masterpiece. Ian, on the other hand, tore his gaze from his own valentine.

“Oh c’mon Mick, you don’t wanna help?” Ian asked, his voice goading and his eyebrows raised.

Mickey rolled his eyes. “Yeah, thanks but no thanks.” He turned, walking over to open the fridge and grabbing a beer from the top shelf.

“C’mon, just one valentine. Franny can show you how to cut out a heart shape, right Fran?”

Franny nodded vigorously. “Yes, I know how!”

Mickey took a swig of his beer and sighed. “Jesus, fine.” He pulled a chair between Ian and Franny, slowly scraping it on the linoleum, and then perched on the edge uncomfortably. “Alright Franny, show me what you’ve got.”

“Okay, so the first thing that you have to do is pick which color is your favorite. What’s your favorite color?”

Mickey had taken another sip of his beer, and now he sputtered slightly. “I don’t know Franny, you pick for me.”

Franny’s face melted into a pout. “But you have to pick, Uncle Mickey, it’s your favorite color!”

Ian bit back a laugh, his eyes still bright and cheerful. “Yeah, Mick, c’mon. What is your favorite color? We’ve never gotten this deep in our relationship before.”

Mickey gulped again from his beer can and flipped Ian off in the process. “I don’t fucking know. Never thought about it before.”

Franny held the stack of construction paper up to Mickey. “Look! There’s red, and yellow, and blue, and purple, and green—”

Mickey cut her off. “Uh, give me a green one.”

Ian smirked. “Green?”

“Fuck you, it was the first color I thought of.” Of course, that wasn’t really true—if Mickey needed to have a favorite fucking color, it was obviously going to be green, like the green eyes that met his gaze every morning and were the last thing he saw before he went to sleep at night— even if he would never be caught dead admitting that sappy bullshit to Ian.

Ian looked like he was holding back a smile. “Right,” he mused. “Hey, Franny, pass me a blue paper? Cause y’know, that’s my favorite color.”

Mickey gently shoved Ian in the square of his chest. “You’re being fucking soft.”

Ian let a crooked smile burst onto his face. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

Mickey leaned back in his chair, holding the piece of thick green paper in front of him appraisingly. “Okay Franny, what’s step two?”

Franny stretched her body across the table to reach for one of the strewn pairs of scissors. “Now, you fold the paper in half, and then you cut out the shape of half of a heart, like this.” She drew an example of the curved pattern on the backside of Mickey’s paper with the tip of her finger. “And then you unfold it and it’ll be a perfect shape!”

“Sounds easy enough.”

Mickey took the scissors from Franny’s grasp, and held them up to the paper. It was just a fucking half circle with a little indent at the top— this wasn’t going to be too difficult. Ian and Franny went back to being absorbed in crafting their valentines, while Mickey started to botch and slash at his piece of construction paper.

When he was finally satisfied he unfolded the shape, the outer shell of the paper falling away. It was… well, it was kind of a heart, with two slanted sides and a wonky top half. It looked more like a blob attached to an angle than anything else.

Ian looked up from where he was doodling on a glittery heart and snickered.

“That’s uh… that’s a good first try, Mick.”

Mickey slammed the piece of paper down onto the table. Fucking arts and crafts, he was never good at this shit even when he was little—he fingers were always too fumbling, too clumsy for him to make anything delicate and pristine. Ian’s hands should have been as ungainly as his, but instead they were quick and nimble, smoothly cutting perfectly-rounded circles and gluing neat lines of glitter.

Franny noticed that Mickey was done cutting his shape. “Good job Uncle Mickey! Now you just have to draw on it, and put on stickers and glitter.”

“Yeah Mickey, let’s see those artistic skills.”

Mickey aggressively flicked some flecks of glitter from the table in Ian’s direction, then picked up a crayon and gripped it with an iron fist. What the fuck was he supposed to draw? This was a valentine for kids at Franny’s school, the fuck did kids like anyways? He started to draw some sort of stick figure, but the arms were too long and the head was too small, so he tried to color over it and make some sort of tree or some shit…

As Mickey scratched at the paper, he looked over at noticed suddenly how content Ian looked—how blissed out and settled he was, just running a crayon over the colorful paper and shaking bits of glitter onto pools of glue. If Mickey was being honest, he hadn’t seen Ian this light and happy in a while; he’d had a hunch in his shoulders for months after the wedding and the pandemic and all the minimum-wage job bullshit, the shadows of expectation hanging over him and causing a deflated weariness in his gaze that was impossible to ignore. But right now, Ian looked like he was having as much fun as Franny was, practically vibrating with satisfaction as he put the finishing touches on his drawing and reaching to place his completed valentine in the growing pile.

Mickey snatched the paper out of Ian’s hand, slightly crumpling it around the edges. “Wait a second. How the fuck did you do that?”

The valentine was immaculate, the heart symmetrical and traced in a thin outline of glitter. In the center of the paper there was a perfect little cartoon of a dog in a top hat, with an air bubble that read “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Ian shrugged. “Watched a lot of cartoons when I was little. And I’ve always kind of liked to draw.”

Mickey shoved the valentine back in front of Ian. Goddamn perfect fucking husband who’s good at fucking everything. He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, suddenly losing all motivation to play along.

Ian smirked, then reached to rest a hand on the back of Mickey’s neck. “Giving up already?”

Mickey rolled his eyes. “Fuck you, Gallagher.”

Ian’s smile just widened. “Here, how about I cut the fucking shapes and you glue stuff onto them. That’d still help me and Franny a lot, right?”

Franny nodded. “It’s okay Uncle Mickey, I was bad at cutting the shapes too at first.”

Mickey huffed. Okay, so maybe he was horrible at this shit, but the least he could do was suck it up for Franny’s sake. “Fine,” he muttered, and grabbed a glue stick and a bottle of glitter.

A few minutes passed and they settled into a comfortable silence, enveloped in the sound of the scissors gliding and Franny scribbling on paper.

Suddenly, Franny looked up as Mickey reached across the table to grab a pad of stickers.

“Hey Uncle Mickey, what do you and Uncle Ian do for Valentine’s Day?”

Mickey didn’t really know how to answer that question— he darted a glance over at Ian, trying to signal as much. Could you ruin the spirit of Valentine’s Day for kids in the same way you could fuck up Christmas? “Uh, nothing really.”

Ian chimed in. “We used to like Valentine’s Day when we were little like you Franny, but now that we’re big we don’t really celebrate it. Right Mick?”

“Yup.”

Franny’s brows were furrowed again, this time in contemplation. “But. You love each other, right?”

“Sure, Franny. But we don’t need a special day for us to remember that,” Ian explained.

Franny seemed appeased enough by that answer to resume her drawing. “You don’t give each other valentines or candy or anything?”

Mickey almost laughed. Of course he and Ian had never celebrated fucking Valentine’s Day; if he was being honest, he didn’t remember even really thinking about Valentine’s Day before now, other than it being a day when Mandy came home crying in middle school because the boy she liked didn’t ask her out, or buying all the half-priced chocolates in red and pink wrappers at the drugstore a week later with his brothers. With all the shit in his life the past few years, frilly fucking holidays like Valentine’s Day were just… not on Mickey’s radar.

But maybe— maybe this year was different. This year, for maybe the first time in his life, Mickey felt secure and steady in a way that he never had before, like the ground was solid beneath him and wasn’t going to cave in at any minute. He had a fucking husband that he loved—why couldn’t they celebrate Valentine’s Day like a normal goddamn couple? Ian didn’t seem to be too bothered that they both didn’t give a fuck about the holiday, which was all the more reason to catch him off guard. He kept pressing stickers down onto the construction paper, his mind starting to churn.

By the time they’d made the twenty-seven fucking valentines, Mickey had made up his mind; this year, he and Ian were going to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

part two here!