#he's very low-key compared to some of my other ocs

[waiting-on-a-dream]

Wow! I wasn't expecting such a quick reply. I'm taking my time mulling over your ocs. Vibe checking them to make sure my opinions of them haven't changed /j Have patience, Lina, I'll give you my thoughts on them eventually!

I'm glad you like Haruto!!! I really like his design and personality too! XD Milgram guards who take their job really seriously are fine and all but I'd like to bring someone chaotic to the table, ya know?

Its very easy to write Haruto as an amnesiac because I literally haven't given his backstory any thought at all! Everything I've written for him so far has been based off of the vibes™ he gives me. My creative process is great, I know.

Yeah, its easier to notice Ichiro when he's interacting with someone else, because he can easily contrast anyone who tries to talk to him! :0 Once I reveal what his actual crime was though, I don't think he's ever getting voted innocent, haha. Its all downhill from here, boys!

Can you believe that its been a year since we played this bingo game? Time flies, huh? Anyway, I was thinking that I could tell you my in-depth opinions of your Milgram ocs (and vice versa) before we move onto trial 2! Then we can come back to this and compare how our opinions of each others' ocs have changed. :D If that's okay with you, of course! Please don't feel pressured to do it if you don't want to!

I'll make a post about my thoughts on your Milgram ocs separately. Don't want to put such long ramblings in your ask box, haha. Look forward to it!

OHHH YEAH I REMEMBER THAT it's really been a year, huh.. and sure, i'd love to do that! sounds very fun <3

and speaking of trial 2, i'm not sure if i'll be able to post stuff like album covers and everyone's designs this month (maybe i'll post a pre-t2 voice drama or two though), because of irl things and i still have a lot of art to work on, but i already know how everyone will act and i have everyone's song titles and trailer voicelines ready and. yeah my ocs' t2 versions will act so different from their t1 versions 😭

anyway, here's what i think about your milgram ocs!

HARUTO >>>> no really i love him a lot! his design is so 💕💖💞💓💗 he sure is a pretty boy! he's very fun to draw and i like how he actually looks like a guard in that picrew!

now, about his personality. i love how chill and relaxed he is, his personality is like a nice break from those guards who take their job much more seriously (*ahem* es, eiji and miki). it's really cool how he understands that all of this is some kind of experiment too, because again, those guards believe that milgram is always right no matter what and never (or rarely) question it. i find very interesting how he's so unpredictable, but his verdicts also sound.. reasonable? (well, if we're talking about the canon ones) like he doesn't jump to conclusions and also his decisions are understandable. and it feels refreshing to see a character who's an amnesiac, but doesn't really care about his memories and who he really is. i have this theory that haruto was, like, a completely average person and his memories really aren't that important, but maybe he was "chill" in a different way, like maybe he was just very apathetic? maybe that's why he has a feeling that his memories don't really matter? i'm very excited to see him in season 2! maybe he will get some character development?

ichiro!! my son!! my blorbo!! i would be terrified of him irl but i still relate to him a completely normal amount okay, okay, gonna be honest, i didn't know what to do with him when you posted his poll, like, at the same time i don't think forgiving him is the best decision, but also.. it's complicated, like, i think i need more info about him and his crime.

i love how he just goes with the flow and doesn't really care about anything and the fact that he likes to draw makes him even more cute <3 his mood swings make him more realistic too, like he's not just -_- most of the time, like he's actually a very emotional person!

about the "part of a dynamic" part, i just think that even though ichiro's personality is what makes him unique, when it's just him, there's not much to talk about, i guess? like i think his personality truly stands out when he's interacting with someone else. i still like him a lot though!

akane!! i don't have much to say about her, but i really do think she's innocent, at least right now, and as i've said before, i thought that an innocent verdict could "calm her down" and make her open up a bit more, also i just don't think her crime was that bad, like i think you said it was self-defense in some way? even if it wasn't, i really don't think that akane is a type of person who would kill someone for no reason at all and i trust her. also i really like her cuter tsundere side too, hehe <3 i would still find her intimidating irl though.

also i really like the parallels between ichiro and akane, like, the first one still acts like a small child, meanwhile the other one is more mature (even though she doesn't seem like it at first?), it's like.. both of them are coping in a different way, i guess? makes me think about haruka and yuno too.

it's daisuke's turn! I WANT TO BITE HIM DJFHKSDKSLLS /pos. okay, he's another milgram oc of yours that i would be too scared to talk to irl i'm just a scaredy cat okay but i really do think he's innocent, again, at least right now, like i don't care about his job, you know, do what you gotta do, and when it comes to his crime.. idk, i'm really getting innocent vibes. like, if he regrets it, that's enough for me to forgive him. and come on, his poor little meow meow energy is so strong! you've also mentioned that he's suffering from survivor's guilt which is.. interesting. i really don't have any theories right now and i'll need more info to understand his crime better, but i'm excited to find out more about him! also all the women rejecting him is so funny HDHSKSKSKKD he's such a loser /affectionate

i think you've said that suzume is that one oc you've struggled with the most and tbh i think i can see that? not in a bad way, of course, it's just.. she kinda has that energy, like, she was added later than everyone else, i guess? like at the same time i really like her but i don't have that much to say about her? i do have my theories though and also her mv is one of my favorites! really wanna draw something based on it when i have the time, hehe.

i LOVE her design though, she's so pretty 💖💖 she kinda has that "third sanada sibling" vibe /j about the "didn't get enough screentime" part, i just.. it's like i can't really understand her personality, i guess? like i remember reading her profile and her voice drama and still going "WHO ARE YOU" JDJKDKSLDKS. like, i can describe everyone else's personality traits, but when it comes to suzume, i'm like ".. uhhh her mv has pretty crystals :D" AND THAT'S NOT EVEN A PERSONALITY TRAIT. that interaction with shun has helped me understand her a bit better though! (also help i've finished working on shun's mv description recently and now i'm looking at the shun x suzume part like. are you sure you'd be okay with a bf like that suzume. are you sure) i also have a habit to call her suzu whenever i think about her or talk about her out loud skdksdls please don't mind me i talk to myself way too often

. i am going to be honest with you, i genuinely forget that haku exists sometimes AND I DON'T KNOW WHY 😭 like i really love his design, i think he's very (unintentionally) funny, his mv also makes me THINK, but also. i don't know why, he's just so forgettable djsdjksksl?? like, whenever i feel like i forgot one of your ocs, my brain goes "you know. the one who has a brother" and i'm like "OHHHHHHH", like the piano part isn't even the first thing i think about??

again. i would be too scared of him to talk to him if i ever met haku irl. i can't describe it, it's just.. the vibes are weird. like i voted him innocent, mostly because i just felt like it would be weird for me to vote him guilty when i don't even know anything about his crime *insert kei's 100% guilty rate joke here* also. i might be wrong and i won't be surprised if i am wrong, but. is it just me or haku's brother's vibes are weird too. like i don't wanna say he manipulated him or something but like. i feel like there is a reason why haku was so loyal to him and it's not necessarily "oh, you know, they are family, they're very close and all", i feel like it goes deeper than that and it's actually darker. i may be overthinking it though.

YUI!!! one of my faves, honestly. probably because i had a long idol/music games and anime phase. i love her design a lot, she's very pretty!! she's such an interesting character too, because like.. at the same time the fact that she refuses to admit the fact that she's a murderer annoys me a bit also come on her milgram cover is inmf, but also i kinda believe her? like maybe it wasn't an accident, but an indirect murder? like she really was the reason why her victim died, but it's not like, you know, she did it with her own hands. that would be so embarrassing though, like she's really not doing well because of her guilty verdict right now and then it turns out that it really was an accident 😭 very excited to see her go crazy <3

listen. again. sorry for mentioning their designs all the time, i'm that kind of person who cares a lot about the visuals, but i really like rin's design! he's very cute!

(also a note: i actually can imagine all your ocs as milgram characters? like they have the perfect designs for that, i think. like they're not too bright and colorful, but they're still easy to remember and i think that's cool and they fit the whole milgram aesthetic really well! like, i wanted to try and draw my ocs in milgram art style, but i kinda gave up because i couldn't imagine them actually looking like milgram characters at all djdkslsl)

but when it comes to his other traits.. i really don't have much to say? like seriously, if i had a chance to talk to him, i would just go "get over it" sjhskaslsls. i have no idea what that girl did, like maybe she started dating someone or simply spending more time with someone, but come on, dude, get up, this is embarrassing. him being the youngest prisoner doesn't help his case either, like i can't take his crime seriously at all, i'm sorry :'D but who knows, maybe he'll turn out to be the most scary and dangerous prisoner here!

noa is another forgettable one for me, i'm sorry djfhnkdsl. i have a habit to refer to noa and suzume as a set, like, you know, sad girls who have some kind of love-related problems. it doesn't mean i don't like noa though! i just really don't know much about her and i don't know what to say about her. i would love to learn more about her relationship with her husband though and like.. how and why her whole crime even happened. and it's nice to see that your prisoners have a good older sister figure here if we don't count her using alcohol as a coping mechanism <3 her dynamic with rin is cute too!

OHHHH kiyoshi is a difficult one. like i voted him innocent (i think so? i don't remember that well actually), but.. i can't help but feel like something is wrong. like i really can't believe that it was just "self-defense". come on, his song title is literally "true colors", THERE MUST BE SOMETHING. but if he's just obsessed with justice or something and he saw what he did as self-defense, i won't be surprised. and the fact that he's more cheerful now also makes me feel like kiyoshi has a darker side that he hasn't shown yet. like don't think i will go easy on you this time, old man, i'll be watching you very closely <3 (also i remember you saying that riku and kiyoshi would get along well? i wonder what you meant by that.. maybe it was about the "everyone relies on them, but they can't rely on anyone" bit?)

and another one with scary vibes jsjksklsls maybe i'm just not a fan of characters who kill for justice, their morals or what they think is "right"? like something about that sounds messed up to me. and yes, i voted mayumi guilty AND I DON'T REGRET IT OKAY. sure, maybe your patient was a criminal, but again, you're a nurse and you should do your job. don't think that you have the right to decide his fate or anything like that. i'm sure mayumi really had good intentions and she really is a kind person, but yeah, right now i can't say she's innocent or that i'm planning to forgive her in season 2.

[lair-of-asmodeus]

NSFW Facts (OC Edition)

[Part Two]

🐢 Case 1: Daniel Jett Sterling

He has a whopping size of 9 inches with a lot of girth. Has a pair of veins on it when he is hard enough.

He knows he is big in size, that’s why he tends to be very gentle with the person he is doing the deed with. He makes sure they are prepared throughly as he doesn’t want to hurt them. He will do his best to make the person feel relaxed.

He is also shaved clean as he feels bothered with body hair and stuff. Expect him to be well-groomed~

You can pet or play with his hair when you two are having some fun (wink wink 😉), he is very chill about it. Maybe slightly pull it a little bit?

“Mm~ Yeah, babe... Just like that... Ya make me feel good too, y’know~?” He smirks devilishly underneath you as a response to you pulling his hair.

“Daniel...” You breathe out.

“I’m here...” He holds your hand and kisses it.

He is also good at aftercare! When you two are done, he will bring you to the bathroom and help you get clean. Maybe help you wash your head or scrub your back a little bit? Sure, he will help you! When you two are done, he will bring you to the bed and tuck you in while he cuddles you. 😊

He may seem all chill and friendly, but he won’t accept anything intimate if he doesn’t know you well enough! Doing that with a complete stranger makes him uncomfortable and he will just avoid you for quite some time if you do something like that...

⚠️ NO: A thing not to do when having the fun time with Daniel is that you should never compare him to the other men on what did they do better. ‘If ya like 'em that much, why dontcha go to them next time? 😒’ He’ll probably say... Either that, or he’ll screw you a bit rougher next time. Also, no piss either. After all, wastes do belong to the toilet!

🦪 Case 2: Fawn Mortimer

Has D cups with a nice hip size, but she prefers to cover them up because it often makes her uncomfortable.

While she may have no experience with intimacy, she watches a lot of hentai when she is alone. She’ll know how to take care of you when you are horny! (That is, if she has your consent. Consent is the key after all!)

The thing I put with some of my merfolks is that instead of pubic hair on their genitalia, they have scales. (This is the same with Auburn’s case!) But Fawn doesn’t have a lot of scales, just a handful which she prefers to rip it. She is also well-groomed and prefers to be like that.

She secretly likes it when her partner touches and caresses her body. It makes her feel more loved and appreciated.

You leave a trail of kisses on her body before sucking on her breast.

“Mmmm.. Th-this feels nice...” She says while patting you on the head, “Keep going... please...”

You look up at her and she pulls you in another kiss while you feel a knee on your crotch. As she grinds her knee against it, you moan in the kiss.

“Want to make you feel good too...” She whispers before pulling you in another kiss, one hand holding your cheek as another caresses your lower back.

When you are done, she offers to get cleaned up before someone sees you two. Accepting her offer or not, the choice is simply yours!

Though she has sharp teeth, she hardly ever leaves things like bite marks. But she kisses her partner’s body a lot, because she wants that person to feel appreciated too.

This kind of commitment is something she will initiate if she knows the person really well and if she knows they are comfortable with that.

If you ever decide to leave marks on her body, just know that her skin is soft but sensitive. The marks may take longer to heal than average mermaids. If you put marks in where it’s visible to the human eye, like her neck and/or wrists, she will try to cover them up as she doesn’t want anyone to discover that she did the deed.

⚠️ NO: For the love of God, do NOT insult her. She already suffers from self hatred and has low self-confidence, so insulting her (even if it’s in a joking way) will result in her taking it seriously. Bite marks and hickeys are acceptable, but things like choking makes her feel really uncomfortable as well. Also, she isn’t alright with things like piss kink either since she finds it very gross... :(

🐟 Case 3: Auburn Sinclair

Has a genitalia with the size of 8 inches with less in girth.

Has a lot of green scales surrounding the base, but he sometimes shaves them off to go for a cleaner look.

Among all of the ocs here, he has the most experience. He makes sure his partner feels every single drop of his love. This includes touching and fingering them until they cannot take it anymore.

“Auburn... ‘nough... That’s enough..!” Your head nearly spins as he adds a third finger in your hole while rubbing your genitalia.

“Be more patient, my doll. Let me have my fill, then I will satisfy you throughly~” He sweetly replies as if he is not tearing another orgasm from your body. Your cheeks flush as his cock rests on your leg... Then you hear him groan and you feel something hot on your stomach and chest.

“O-oh... Oh dear, I came...” He smiles, ��Even my body is more honest than my mouth~”

He takes his fingers out of you and kisses your neck before giving his member a few strokes.

“We finally got to the best part, my dear~♡”

And he plunges himself deep inside you like this.

He is a switch. Which means you can have him fuck you, or have your way with him.

Speaking of fucking, he tends to go rough when he gets really horny and/or pent up. Expect to be fucked out of your mind when he is done with you.

He isn’t really the type to do the aftercare routine, he just holds you and goes to sleep.

⚠️ NO: Due to him not being shown love by anyone in his past even by his father, I don’t think you should tell him that you hate him. He is the type of guy that would keep you on his side and try his best to be lovable, so telling him that you hate him may cause him to avoid you for some time... Also, although he may seem okay with every kink, he will offer to do something else if you ask for something he is not comfortable with. ;(

📖 Case 4: Asif Kadr Alnazar

Also has a 9 inch cock like Daniel, but Asif’s is a bit thinner than his.

He keeps himself well-groomed with little to no body hair and showers daily, so I can say he is pretty clean too.

He doesn’t have any experience, but he knows a lot of things from the romance novels he has read. Surely the things he’s read will help him, right? (Spoiler: It doesn’t and he keeps messing up... Unless you teach him. 😉)

He carefully kisses your thighs until his lips find your tip. You gasp when you feel him sucking it. He immediately stops and looks up at you.

“Albi*, are you alright..? Does it hurt?” He asks.

“N-no... I’m fine, Asif...” You smile and nod, “Keep going...”

He kisses your tip again and he starts rubbing it.

“Asif..!” You gasp when he lightly presses his fingers against you.

“Tell me if anything makes you feel pained or uncomfortable please... I wouldn’t want you to get hurt because of something I did wrong...” He whispers as he kisses your thighs again.

He wants to get to know the person better before they go to the fun time phase. You can expect him to ask a lot of questions to you about yourself. (He doesn’t push you to answer them of course!)

He treats you like royalty after you two have your fun. Like helping you clean yourself, giving you some clean tower and bring you some fresh clothes. He also gives you a massage to make you feel relaxed!

⚠️ NO: Don’t push him to do something he is uncomfortable with, like public sex or something. He wants to make love with you in private, and if you push him to do the opposite, this may turn him off. 💀

🐭 Case 5: Aryan Zachariah

Okay, he has a 7 inch cock with a bit of girth.

He isn’t exactly very well-groomed but he manages to keep the fuzz under him short. Will shave it off if you tell him to though.

No experience #4. While he may have had lovers, they never went past hugging and kissing.

Both of you are naked and panting in his room. He hovers above you like an angel with your arms pinned above. With his free hand, he positions the tip at your hole.

“I-is that alright to do, love?” He asks.

You nod as you brace yourself.

...And he slowly puts it in while observing your face, memorizing your reactions.

When he is fully in, he caresses your body.

“I’m in.” He smiles, something so rare of him to do. Then his eyes catch on the tiny bulge on your stomach. He carefully touches it while you squirm a bit.

“Am I that big inside, I wonder...” He says.

You don’t respond, you just pant. He doesn’t move, but he kisses your body before whispering.

“...You took my cock inside you, it feels good inside...”

You smile dazedly.

“Oh my, it appears that I have made you feel a bit too good...”

He gently nibbles on your ear before hoisting you up to the bathroom to wash you himself. He gently washes your hair, then your back, and then-- Wait, is he getting hard again?!

*ahem*

After he washes you, he carries you to the bed and tucks you in before going in the bed and cuddling you.

If you come up to him and ask him to do the deed with him, he will just smack you and walk away with a scowl on his face. Let’s just say, he was asked something like this before and he isn’t that forgiving when it comes to this so... Try to get to know him first, ‘kay? 😉

⚠️ NO: Do not try to mark his body. As the future king, he needs to maintain an undamaged body. So, leaving marks like hickeys may make him a bit mad. (Also, no piss kink either! Like Fawn, he also finds it gross and will politely but instantly turn you down if you offer it.)

🕸️ Case 6: Mireille “Hera” Draconia

Has B cups, but like she is also well-endowed in the bottoms. Like soft and squishy.. if you catch my drift~ 🍑

I headcanon that dragon fae has scales like my merfolks (mentioned above ^^), so she has scales that she prefers to clean it herself. After all, she can’t stand not being clean in those areas.

She also has several markings around her body, and would love them to be kissed. There is just something that drives her crazy when her partner does that.

When she and her partner do the deed, her tail may appear suddenly. Don’t be surprised to feel something smooth against your skin. That just means she wants to feel more of you!

Unlike Fawn, she may suddenly bite you when you make her feel really good and she is just about to reach her limit. She’d try to be gentle with it though! (But it would still hurt ;()

“Ggghhh... Ahh..!” She looks at you with doe eyes filled with lust. “Dearest... You are the best..!”

You grab her hips and hit a particular spot that causes her to moan loadly, loud slapping sounds echoing around the room. You feel her warm insides cover you with more slick.

“(Y/N)... D-dearest~!” She wraps her arms around you while her tail is wrapped around your leg. You suddenly groan in pain when you feel her teeth on your skin. She makes sure not to sink them as to not hurt you, but it still hurts you.

After doing the deed, she will carry you with her remaining strength to the bathroom to get cleaned up. If you are too tired to even do that, she will simply bathe you along with herself. She will scold you under her breath for not cleaning up yourself, even if she doesn’t mean any of them by heart, while she dries you off with a towel like a baby and give you some clothes, or just make one for you.

Will do the deed if you are close enough #5 since she wouldn’t really want to do it with a complete stranger, and wouldn’t be afraid of shooting thunders at that person if she was asked to do it. ‘How disgraceful... How low could you be, human?!’, as she would say.

⚠️ NO: Actually, there are three things you shouldn’t do when you decide to make love with her. One: Don’t offer any quickies to her, because she is a very private lady and would very much prefer to make love in private places rather than an empty classroom with the risk of getting caught. Two: Don’t force her into doing something she is uncomfortable with. This may cause her to get turned off and leave you alone for a few days. Three: Don’t even try to mention the piss kink. She won’t be afraid to make you toasted. :((

[meowsgirldrawing]

Rara (Rayan Ruiz) the Hyrian Alien from space and Donatello Von Ryan the mutant menace member!

Some rambles✨

Rara is the Captain of the oc girl group I have for rottmnt. She's known to be the last of her species, making her a big target for most in the galactic space.

Her and Donnie were a mostly slow burn type of thing, mostly with Donnie's less than open views on certain relationship stuffs. Aka- He took a while to figure out and then even longer admit his feelings.

Donnie honesly found Rara very annoying for the first while, seeing her loud and rambunctious attitude left a odd taste in his mouth.

It wasn't until she helped him out on an Earth mission that he realized she wasn't that all the time.

Not to mention her whole space deal but anywayz

Rara thought of Donnie as odd but in a funny way. His attitude towards his persona was humorous, his passion for his work was admirable, and despite his arms-length view on most, she found him a cool dude to just simply know.

She definitely fell first.

He fell harder-

Their Relationship headcannons❤💜

I can see them getting more interested in each other when doing duo missions and her even flying him through space a few times, showing off her world she gets to see just about everyday. Soon them working on mostly tech related projects together, exploring new things( off/on world), and simply talking and hanging out whenever they can.

Power duo before power couple in battle btw-

Her love language is physical touch, quality time, and verbal affection. Definitely outward stuffz lol

His is gift giving, quality time, and verbal affection. Hes the one that was more on verbal for a while, honestly.

And I mean that as *claps hands* Theatre kid shit- Yes, reciting romance stuff and low key bashing on how the fictional romance can never compare to ours, my darling!

Rara was confused for a while on who Bella and Edward were. Now she wishes she never knew.

Since Rara has moments of needing physical affection and sometimes Don cant or isnt in the right mood for it, Donnie gets her a life-sized doll and basically chucks it at her. Now dubbed honorably "Donnie 2.0"

As a last note before I get too excited on this, both call each other "B*tch* or "Dumb*ss" or any alien curse affectionately.

Real nicknames for Rara are: Darling, My dearest, Love(when he gets more comfortable), Ray, My fair lady, and Dumb*ss.

Real nicknames for Donnie are: (most being in her Hyrian language but she enjoys learning ones in Spanish- aka, her favorite language to learn while on earth) Mi amor-my love, Mi alma- My soulmate, bondmate, Von Ryan, Nerd Boy, Romeo (Most done for funny), pumpkin, babe, and of course, b*tch and pendejo-*sshole.

Thats all I have to share rn. Thank you for my Ted talk.

[blackjackkent]

2s from each category for whoever you've not chatted about in a while :)

(Super Long Hopefully Fun Character Ask Game)

Hmmmmm. Let's go with Lucas. :D He's been rotating in my mind a lot lately but doesn't get much airtime compared to my BG3 OCs. XD

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Appearance #2: What would your character wear if they were told they had to gussy up?

In the last few months I finally got Lucas into a more casual fit that he wears most of the time, but for quite a long time his standard outfit was the Exemplar's Attire, so presumably that is still his go-to for any time he needs to look fancy. ^_^

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Objects #2 - What gift would your character give to someone they didn’t like but felt obligated to?

At this point, Lucas is an old hand at diplomatic negotiations and he's habitually pretty cool and collected, so he would be pretty good at this. Tragically I don't think Kryta has the concept of a gift card, but the fantasy equivalent in this case feels like him forwarding the person to one of his various merchant friends and getting them a discount, which has the triple bonus of the recipient being happy, his friends getting business, and him not having to deal with the person directly.

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Food and Drink #2 - Would your character prefer baking, cooking or mixing drinks?

Lucas strikes me as someone who would enjoy baking. It's a low-key activity that could be done with friends but also solo for some introspection time, focuses on technical precision while also leaving room for artistry, facilitates carb-loading for the vast amount of physical activity he is forced into, and produces tasty treats as an outcome.

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Weather and Nature #2 - Has your character had a meaningful encounter with an animal?

As a soulbeast ranger, Lucas's whole life is pretty much nothing BUT meaningful encounters with animals. It is a running theme/joke among his friends that he makes friends with basically any creature that he meets, even the terrifying ones that are dangerous to everyone else; no one (including him) really knows how he does it, but it comes naturally to him.

The first time it happened, though, was with a wolf that befriended him during the leadup to the Battle of Shaemoor and helped him win the fights there that catapulted him into adventuring notoriety. He named the wolf Asher (after its grey coat) and they traveled together for a long time afterwards.

These days he has other animals he travels with more often; Asher lives out his old age wolf years with some of Lucas's friends on a farm just outside Divinity's Reach and is something of a local curiosity.

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Community and Relationships #2 - What is your character’s favorite kind of social event?

Lucas is very attached to and loyal to his friends and enjoys spending time with them but is increasingly stressed out by the Important Business that he keeps having to deal with. So his favorite gatherings are the ones where it's just people he cares about sitting around in a pub and telling stories, maybe drinking a little but not raucously, and enjoying each other's company without having to worry about putting on a good face or accomplishing some strategic aim.

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Mind Body and Soul #2 - Are there particular sounds your character is fond of?

In keeping with the above comments about his connection with animals, Lucas is very closely bonded with his skyscale, who he named Princess:

His friends are all pretty intimidated by Princess, who is very ornery with everyone else but Lucas and has a tendency to bite. But with Lucas she is extremely gentle, and they often sleep with Lucas kind of snuggled up against her feathers and tucked under one of her wings. She makes soft little snuffling noises when she sleeps or is very comfortable and it is a relaxing sound to him that means everything is (for the moment) all right.

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Hobbies and Activities #2 - Does your character have a secret hobby?

I can't say that I've ever given this much thought, so we're gonna come up with a new headcanon on the fly and say that Lucas knitted the scarf that he wears in his current fit:

Furthering this headcanon to decide that this was a hobby he initially picked up all the way back during his days as a bodyguard in Divinity's Reach; the nobles he worked for didn't REALLY have too much call for his services most of the time so he spent a lot of time standing around and needing something to keep his hands busy.

Occasionally this got snarky comments from others in the business but they never got much of anywhere because Lucas is very hard to rattle and just ignored them. XD

He doesn't have too much time for it these days, yet another thing that he has been forced to deprioritize against the constant need of saving the world.

[haldenlith]

Warframe x Destiny 2

Okay, since I’ve kind of, on and off, compared the two, my brain got thinking on a “What If xyz Destiny 2 Character was an Operator in Warframe? What frame would they use/main?”

So here we go!

This will be excluding a lot of the new frames because I’m just not familiar enough with them. So that means we’re excluding everyone added after (and including, because I only know him vaguely as Gotta Go Fast frame) Gauss.

I also might have gone in and done custom appearances too... (Fashion frame, the true endgame.)

I’ll start with my D2 OC, Hal.

Hal: Inaros

At first, I was going to say Rhino or something, given Hal’s beefy build and tendency to just charge in and not often die (mm, yes, delicious almost 100 Resilience). But then, I realized, wait, he’s not just a Warlock, he’s a DEVOUR Warlock, and there’s one frame that ticks both the “eat your enemies and regain health” and “never die” boxes. That’s the Sand King himself, Inaros.

 Gotta love the Ramses helmet looking a bit like Nezarec’s Sin.

   Crow: Harrow

You know, you’d think, with his bird theme, I’d immediately say, oh, Zephyr. I’ll grant you, it’s not a bad choice. However, think about Crow’s whole character arc: it’s ultimately been about redemption and penance for past sins. There is a perfect frame for that, though the religiousy theme doesn’t fit, the idea of penance fits. Harrow. It also works in that Harrow tends to be something of a support and protection frame, while also being able to do damage. Another good suggestion would be Ivara, for her mechanics (they’re very Hunter-y). Maybe Crow would main Harrow, but would have Zephyr and Ivara back in his Orbiter for if he needs them?

   Ikora: Nova

So, initially I was going to say “Saryn”, but then I remembered that sheeeee got kinda nerfed, so she doesn’t deal out damage like she used to, and she doesn’t have very good survivability. Then I realized there’s another frame that works for our Warlock Vanguard: Nova. Ikora is supposed to low-key be the most powerful warlock in at least the entire system of Sol (yes, stronger than Osiris), so a frame with incredibly high DPS would be appropriate for her. There’s also Mesa, but I feel like her theme doesn’t fit as well, being a Gunslinger frame. Also, come on, the name. Nova. It’s perfect.

   Zavala: Hildryn

Big Shield Woman for “GET BEHIND MY SHIELD” Titan. Memes aside, I do think Hildryn is good for Zavala. She can take a lot of damage and still stay standing, while also protecting her allies. Very appropriate for our Titan Vanguard Dad. There’s not much else to say, honestly.

I don’t have Hildryn so I can’t do customizations to suit Zavala.

  Cayde-6: Mesa

Also why Ikora didn’t get Mesa, because I was going to give it to Mr. (Dead) Gunslinger, Cayde. At first, I considered Mirage, given her trickster theme, and Cayde was certainly a trickster, or Ivara because of her kit, but ah, the theme of Mesa just fits too perfectly, along with her general kit and damage. Also, just look at that fabulous hat with her Prime version. Cayde would wear that fancy ass cowboy hat if he wasn’t doing a cloak.

I also don’t have Mesa because I hate grinding Alad V, and I have terrible RNG with farming Prime parts.

  Saint-14: Rhino

Big chonk frame that offers some small amount of support to his allies (increases their damage), but is ultimately about charging in, head first, and wrecking face. This is very much the sort of frame you run in and headbutt things to death with. Also I feel like Rhino’s big Stomp ability is very Saint-ish. Angrily stomp the ground so hard you send your enemies flying into the air.

And an honorable mention:

Uldren Sov: Excalibur Umbra

Okay, so, I almost went with Equinox, because of the dual thing. Why? Well, when I think of Uldren, I think of co-dependent, unfortunately. As much of a badass as he was, he... required having another half, which was Mara. He fell to pieces when that other half wasn’t there. So, it’d have to be a frame that works in some dual-dependent sense. Equinox’s kit doesn’t really fit, though. Or, rather, only the Day form fits. Sure, one could go “Oh, but the Night Form is Mara,” buuuut this is a singular frame used by a singular operator. Also, I... don’t think Mara would play pacifist support. SO! I went with Excalibur Umbra.

Excalibur because he’s just an all around good frame to run into a fray on his own and be a badass, plus his Exalted Blade ability performs essentially the exact same as the sword that was dedicated to Uldren, Black Talon. However, it has to be the Umbra version, not just because the whole “edgy tortured existence” thing (although that too), but because Umbra is unique in that, when the Operator steps out of it, it can act on its own, unlike other frames which are basically just... weapon suits, at the end of the day. Umbra is, in essence, dependent on the Operator, in spite of being able to move on his own.

As an addendum, I’d really pick Stalker, but Stalker is unique and not a Warframe, technically. That said, Stalker is 100% an irritating bully to every Operator and Warframe out there. (No, Stalker, I don’t feel like fighting you today, please get out of my mission, ugh...)

(I used the Zato helmet because it’s so damn extra and I don’t have any of the other fancy helms. Also, careful not to get cut on that red/black EDGE.)

[homeformyheart]

best vs. worst part of the wedding - felix hauville x nb!detective (twc)

thank you to the anon for the two-part ask!

author’s note: the second half is veryyy fluffy but it was definitely fun to think about felix and harley’s wedding. hope you all enjoy! copyright: all characters, except the oc detective, are owned by mishka jenkins @seraphinitegames. series/pairing: the wayhaven chronicles – felix hauville x nb!detective (harley bishop) rating/warnings: 14+; mostly fluff based on/prompt: best vs. worst prompts // 18. best part of the wedding vs. worst part of the wedding word count: ~700

worst part of the wedding

whoever said this would be the best day of his life is a liar and a thief of joy, felix mused as he rocked back and forth on his heels, clasping and unclasping his hands to stop himself from untying and retying his bowtie. if nat didn’t squeeze his shoulder reassuringly every once in a while, he was pretty sure he’d be running laps around the room at his normal speed.

and given that rebecca and tina were present, that would not have gone over well.

he was a little surprised that harley wanted to keep their ceremony low-key compared to their reception, especially since harley was pretty beloved throughout wayhaven. not that they had many close friends they cared to focus on besides tina, but everyone seemed to genuinely adore and support them.

but maybe the rager of a reception the two of them had planned was the compromise.

he couldn’t wait to party with everyone literally from dusk to dawn. there would at least be a few hours of daylight where he wouldn’t have to consciously hold back from unintentionally using his natural abilities in front of over a hundred guests.

and he really couldn’t wait.

how did people do this? and what was taking harley so long?

it didn’t take him that long to get ready (he wasn’t going to acknowledge how mason and ava hurried him along multiple times) and harley wasn’t someone who fussed about their appearance.

he glanced nervously around the room, nat’s reassuring smile suddenly doing the opposite. he took a step forward but she held him back, throwing a worried glance towards mason who stepped up beside him. felix’s eyes widened at the unusual display of concern and looked over at ava.

at the very least, he could trust that ava would be her stoic, unflappable self. instead, he found the commanding agent with furrowed brows and her eyes locked in a silent conversation with nat.

“what’s wrong?” he asked, throat tightening.

“i’m sure it’s nothing,” nat said quickly, throwing a knowing glance at ava.

“i’m going to go check with the staff about some of the… arrangements,” ava muttered quietly before walking purposefully out of the room.

“ava’s just going to go check on harley, that’s all.”

for once, nat’s reassuring tone didn’t do anything to calm his nerves.

harley was going to show up, right?

best part of the wedding

the best part was getting to finally see harley walk down the aisle towards him, wide-eyed with a grin that must have rivaled his own.

no, it was actually hearing harley’s vows and wondering how he got so damn lucky to have someone like them choose him for their forever.

well, maybe it was actually the moment nat pronounced them married and said to kiss his partner. that kiss he’ll remember for the rest of his life.

now that he’s thinking about it, the best part was hearing tina scream out mr. and mx. hauville into the microphone she hijacked from the band.

of course, he can’t forget the mini food fight he instigated after they cut the cake. it was definitely fun to smash cake in harley’s face, but ava and mason’s reactions when he flung cake into their chest was priceless.

or maybe it was all the toasts. it made him truly happy to hear how people knew harley or him or them together. he especially got teary-eyed at rebecca acknowledging how good they were for each other.

that was probably the best part.

“guess who?”

he smiled. “i’m not sure, but if you’ve seen my partner, can you tell them i miss them?”

harley removed their hands from his eyes and moved in front of him.

“hi, husband.”

felix grinned. “hi, mx. hauville. would you like to dance?”

“yes i would,” they responded, wrapping one arm around his neck and letting him take their other hand as he gently moved them sideways across the dance floor.

and now he knew for sure that this was the best part of the wedding. seeing their face lit up when he called them mx. hauville and knowing that he’d get to hold them in his arms forever.

* * * * * taglist: @kelseaaa; @kat-tia801; @anotherbeingsworld; @babycracker; @gloynporslen; @writer-ish; @sosolenoo; @alyssalauren; @wayhavenots; @gingerbreton; @takemyopenheart; @mevnraels; @pearlsandsteel;

[raindancer2004]

The Power of a Good Book - Twilight AU Series

Word Count: 3,473 Demetri x OC Part Three Warnings: Fluff, light NSFW

Summary:  This is my Twilight AU Series   – Demetri’s on a mission with some of the other guards and gets injured and is unconscious but somehow wakes up to find himself in Amelia’s apartment in our world, where she knows him as a character from the Twilight book/movie series. It’s takes a little getting used to for both of them but it turns out that they’re mates and fall for each other but after two months in our world, Amelia wakes up one morning to discover he’s gone...He wakes up in his room without her...Will they ever find each other again?

Note: I gained permission from @vamp-army​ and @volturidoll13​ to reference a few of their fics in this chapter as well as my own.

Please note as this is an AU series time works differently in ‘Our World’ compared to the ‘Twilight Universe.’

***Twilight Universe***

Back in Volterra everyone was worried as Demetri had still not woken up and it had been a few weeks. Marcus called Carlisle and he flew out to assess Demetri. He carried out a few simple tests. “How is he?” Marcus asks as he watches Carlisle “Demetri is essentially in a vampire version of what humans call a coma…” “What’s that mean?” Jane asked cutting him off “A coma is a prolonged state of deep unconsciousness, caused especially by severe injury or illness” He replied but noticed she looked a little confused. “It means that Demetri’s body has put itself into a deep sleep so it can repair any damage that has been done to his body” “I understand. Thank you” She replied “You’re welcome Jane.”

Jane took a seat on the sofa and picked up her book off the coffee table and began to read “Are they close?” Carlisle asked Marcus low, he nodded “Although all four elite guards have become close friends over the centuries, Jane thinks of Demetri as an older brother and he thinks of her as a younger sister in return. In fact, he’s protective of both Jane and Alec…given their pasts” “I can understand that” Carlisle replies.

“Following the few tests I’ve carried out Demetri seems to be ok. I don’t think there’ll be any lasting side effects but until he wakes up, I cannot be 100% sure. That said I would like to stay a few days…see if he wakes. If he doesn’t, I’ll return home and then return as soon as he does wake” “Thank you Carlisle. That is very much appreciated.” Marcus replies and shakes his hand, the other resting on the back of his shoulder.

Carlisle observes Demetri and his condition regularly over the next few days and feels confident that the tracker will wake, he just can’t say when. “I’m going to head home, let me know when he wakes and I’ll come back as soon as I can.” “Thank you” Aro said and smiled at his friend.

Felix, Jane, Alec, Heidi and Marcus continue to take turns sitting with Demetri, and either talk to him; updating him on the castle gossip and trials, although there haven’t been many or they read aloud to him. Carlisle had told them that although he is unconscious, he may still be able to hear them.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***Our World***

Meanwhile, Amelia and Demetri have watched the first three Underworld films and he had noticed Aro was in the first film as Lucian, the Lycan leader. “What’s Aro doing acting as a Wolf?” He asked her, confusion clear on his handsome face “That isn’t Aro remember, it’s the actor Michael Sheen, who plays Aro in the Twilight Saga and Lucian in this film franchise; Underworld” Amelia explained softly and he nodded “Yes, of course, that makes sense” He replies although she’s unsure if he really understands that as he’s been going through some major adjustments over the past week.

“Amelia, do you have a key I could use please?” “Of course Demetri. Are you going out for some fresh air? If so, did you want some company?” She replied “That’s a lovely offer, but another time perhaps” He responds and notices her smile falters for just a second before turning away and getting the spare key “I was planning to go hunting later, whilst you sleep and didn’t want to wake you upon my return” He adds “Of course, it’s been over a week since you hunted last and that was before…” She trailed off “The incident that led me here” He finished for her and she nodded.

Demetri sat and read some fanfiction about Felix on Tumblr as he found the way the ‘humans’ wrote for him amusing. “Hey Amelia, did you know there’s lots of Felix smut on here, as you call it?” He called over his shoulder “You’re reading smut about your best friend?” She asked a little confused “Well, I’ve read some smut stuff about me and I was curious as to how they write smut for Felix” He replied and she nodded, taking her bottom lip between her teeth. He noticed this was something she did when she was either trying not laugh or blushing. “What’s up?” “Nothing” She replied “Really?” He pressed further, his eyebrow raised “Ok, well…something new got posted today…well a few new oneshots got posted today…” “About me?” He asked cutting her off, curiosity shining in his dark red eyes. “It’s about you and Felix…sharing a mate. In fact, there are quite a few of those…” “They sound interesting” He cuts her off again “I should warn you…” “No spoilers, remember. You told me off a few days ago for ruining the end of “Aro’s Choice” He said pointing to her “Ok, then” She smiled and sat down beside him on the sofa and waited for his reaction.

Demetri clicked the ‘keep reading’ link on a fic called ‘Three’s a Party’ and soon discovered it wasn’t what he thought it would be. “They’ve written Felix as a softy and me being the one to put my foot down…that’s new. I like that” “I’m sure you do” She mumbled and he gently nudged her leg with his hand. He smiled as he continued to read the story and Amelia leant forward a little wanting to catch his reaction. “Oh! Oh! No! Why would…Oh god…” Amelia chuckled “Stop laughing. Felix sucking my cock is not funny!” “No, but your reaction to it is” She continued to laugh, her eyes beginning to water. “I could eat you, you know” He grumbled “In what sense?” She winked at him and for a second he was too shocked to talk “A-Amelia…I…” “Oh calm down little vamp. I was teasing” “I’m not little, just so you know” He muttered “Really?” She leaned forward and lifted the laptop slightly and he slapped her hand away “Behave” “Fine. But you need to keep reading” She encouraged, knowing what was still to come.  

A few moments later and he shuts the laptop lid down and heads to the bathroom mumbling “My eyes, my poor immortal eyes” Amelia chuckles as she hears the taps come on “Felix and I…I would nev…oh gods….” She walks towards the bathroom still chuckling and sees him putting the Almond and Honey handwash into his eyes “Doesn’t that sting?” She asked concerned, leaning on the doorframe “No, but even if did, it’s worth it. I can never unsee that…blah” He sticks his tongue out and shudders at the thought of being fucked by Felix, she chuckles again “Just be sure to wash it out thoroughly” She leaves the bathroom smirking “You know there are others out there like that. Sometimes you two ‘play’ together other times you just take your mate at the same time” “I’m not listening to you” He calls out ‘I may have a look at those later’ he thinks to himself.

Demetri came out of the bathroom and sat beside Amelia on the sofa “Are you reading Tumblr?” “Yes Dem I am. Unlike you I have no problem reading about yours and Felix’s sexcapades whether they be ‘together’ or separately with your own mate” She replied smiling and he sighed “I probably shouldn’t ask but…what’s this one about?” He nodded to the screen “It’s called ‘Sinful Surprise’ It’s about you coming home from a mission to be greeted by your mate in her underwear, you then fuck her with your fingers first, then a strawberry and then you lick her as she comes” “Now that sounds like nice one” He replies smiling “This is written by the same person who wrote ‘Three’s a party’” She tells him and watches as his eyes widen in surprise “I think you’re more innocent than the fanfic writers believe” Her tone teasing “Not true. One night with me Amelia darling and you’d never want a human lover again” He whispered in her ear, his voice smooth, his tone seductive. He smiled when he heard her heartrate rise a little “I bet I could you teach you a thing or two, Demetri sweetheart” She replied low, her tone seductive too. He felt her warm breath on the shell of his ear and he purred low at the thought of being with her.

“There’s a couple of others I’ve found that you might like” Her voice breaking him out of his thoughts “Yeah, what are they about?” He asked curious, although he was hoping he wouldn’t regret asking. “The one I just finished was called ‘Behind closed doors’ You and Felix share a human mate but you two don’t interact with each other…sexually” She looks at him and he nods, “I think I’ll read that later then” She nods and clicks on a new post to read “And the one you’re reading now?” He asks leaning in a little to look at the screen “Peppermint Kisses” “I think I’ll read this one with you” He replied and shifted slightly and read the fic along with her. “Did you like this one Dem?” “Yes, I did. I like that it was a Christmas one and it was just me and my mate when it came to the sexy stuff” He replied smiling “You should know that I’m not the type of guy to share a mate…which is good because back in ‘my world’ sharing mates isn’t a thing” He said low holding her gaze, he noticed her take her bottom lip between her teeth and her cheeks flush a light pink before she responded “I don’t share well with others either” She whispered and he smiled at back at her nodding in approval.  

Demetri noticed it was 23.00pm and decided going hunting now might be a good idea “I’m going to hunting as there should be some drunk humans about…” “Doesn’t the alcohol sour the taste?” She asked cutting him off “Yes, it does but drunk humans are easy prey” “Mmm, fair enough” “I’ll say goodnight now in case you’re asleep when I get back” He smiled at her “Ok, goodnight. Happy hunting” She replied and he chuckled as he locked the door behind him.

Demetri returned to the apartment a few hours later having drained and disposed of a couple of humans. He quietly let himself in and locked the door behind him. He noticed Amelia had fallen asleep on the sofa and smiled down at her, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to her room. He pulled the duvet down and laid her gently on her bed before pulling the duvet over her, tucking her in “Goodnight darling” He whispers low and makes his way to his room getting comfortable on the bed before picking up ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ off his bedside table and continuing to read the book.

Around 07.00am Demetri made his way to the front room and opened up Tumblr deciding to read more some content involving Felix and found a few new ones about himself. Some he enjoyed reading others he wished he hadn’t; his curiosity had gotten the best of him. Time had gotten away from him and he was so engrossed in what he was doing he didn’t notice Amelia enter the front room until she sat down beside him “Good morning Dem. Thank you for putting me in bed when you got home” “Morning darling and you’re welcome” He replied. He was smiling to himself as he had just set up his own tumblr account @theoriginalladiesman and was rather proud of himself. “What are you smiling about?” She asked “I set up my own tumblr account, see. Now I can like and reblog stuff that I like without using your account” He replied proudly, pointing to the screen “Oh my god I’ve created a monster” Amelia says teasingly “I’m a loveable monster” Demetri replies with a wink and she nods at him, smiling at the name of his blog.

It was an overcast day and Amelia suggested they go out for a few hours “Fancy a walk around the park, get a bit of fresh air” Amelia called out from the kitchen “Sounds good. I’ll be sure to cover up, just to be safe” He replied and made his way to his room to grab his hoodie.

They walked to the park talking about various things, his hunting trip from the night before being one of them. “How was your hunting trip?” “It was ok, a little trickier than normal but that may just be the difference between our worlds” “What do you mean?” “Well, I noticed that here in ‘your world’ the humans tend to stick together in crowds or least in twos when they leave a bar making it harder to feed” He replied “Sorry to hear that Dem, hopefully it’ll be easier next time” She replied looking at him “Hopefully.”

Once back in the apartment Demetri headed for a shower and Amelia decided to bake some Cupcakes. She opened her Spotify account and tapped her ‘80’s and 90’s’ playlist and music began to fill the kitchen as she got out everything she’d need to bake. She got so caught up in her baking and listening to the music, her hips swaying in time to the beat that she didn’t hear Demetri appear. He stood in the doorway quietly for a few moments smiling to himself, enjoying the view of Amelia dancing as she bakes ‘that’s a great little ass’ he thinks to himself. Before he can stop himself, he walks up behind her and places his hands on her hips, his chest against her back and moves along in time with her. She tenses a little at first, surprised by his actions “It’s just me” He whispers into her ear and he inhales her scent ‘Cherries and Vanilla’ They dance a little like that as he watches over her shoulder as she makes some decorations for the Cupcakes, her relaxing in his hold.

Demetri had been in Amelia’s apartment for a few weeks and they had gotten into a routine, one that felt natural to both of them. She went into work Monday through Thursday and worked from home on a Friday. Demetri stayed in the apartment during the day reading and / or watching movies and TV shows. He had also become such a fan Tumblr he searched for new content to read each day. He’d occasionally check out Wattpad but decided he preferred Tumblr and that’s when an idea struck him. He decided to write something about himself, just to see if he could. He opened up a Word document on her laptop and noted down some ideas and was trying to come up with a storyline when he heard Amelia enter the apartment.

“Evening darling” He greeted “Evening sweetheart” She called back, the pet name making him smile “What are you up to?” She asked coming to sit beside him “I’ve decided to write something about myself. I’ve written some ideas down I just need to figure out a storyline” She looked at the screen and couldn’t help chuckling “What’s funny?” “You, you’re writing fanfic about yourself…” “Well, I’m the best one to do it seeing as I’m me” He replied cutting her off “True. Well let’s have a look at what you got so far” She turned the laptop slightly so she could see what he had written. A few moments of silence passed before she spoke “You know you could start with ‘Dating Demetri Headcanons’ seeing as there are various ones out there. Different writers each write for and about you differently.” “That’s not a bad idea” He replied quickly and turned the laptop back and began typing away. A few hours later and he had written his dating headcanons “Dating you sounds nice, fun even” She commented and missed the smile he gave her as she continued to look at the screen reading “You approve then?” “Most definitely. Are you actually going to post that or was it just for fun?” She asked curious “It started out as a bit of fun but I think I’ll post it, just to see what reaction it gets” She nodded, finding him adorable. 

“It’s got forty likes already and I’ve gained twelve new followers and it’s only been a few hours” He called out to her as she cooked dinner “Demetri is a fan fav, you know that” She called back smiling, knowing that she was his first follower after he set up the account and the first to like his first post. Something he noticed and followed her straight her back.

Amelia was sat at the kitchen counter using her work laptop as she was working from home when she noticed Demetri sit in the chair beside her, placing her laptop on the counter. Seeing his dating headcanon post doing so well, he decided to write and post something else. “What are your plans for today Dem?” “I plan on doing some writing” “Not sure what you enjoy more, the writing or the attention you receive” She chuckled “Both, if I’m being honest, especially as they don’t know it’s actually me writing on here” He replied with a cheeky smile. “Ever going to post the NSFW headcanons you wrote?” “Maybe in the future, but not for now” He replied and began typing away. “I’m writing a fluffy oneshot” “I look forward to reading it” She smiled and continued working, the only sound in the room were the tapping of fingers against the keyboards. 

Demetri had written two fluffy oneshots and made a start on a NSFW one when he noticed the time. Amelia had finished work and was leaning over slightly to see what he was writing. He smiled and closed the document he was working on and opened one of the fluffy ones. “Read that and tell me what you think…be honest” He turned the laptop to face her and waited as she read ‘Struggling to Sleep’ She smiled as she read it and once finished she turned to him “That was really good Dem. Who would have thought the ‘World’s Best Tracker’ would make a great fanfic writer” “Thank you Lia” He replied smiling, happy that his writing had her approval.

She leant forward and pressed her lips to his in a light kiss, he didn’t respond at first, caught off guard by her actions. She noticed that he didn’t return the kiss and pulled away. Feeling embarrassed she stood up not looking at him and started to walk towards her room when she felt him grab her wrist gently and pull her into him. He looked down at her, placing two fingers under her chin making her look up at him and he pressed his lips to hers. His hand moving to lay against her cheek, the other hand on her lower back holding her to him. He broke the kiss to allow her to breathe, resting his forehead against hers “I’m sorry Lia, you caught me off guard before” He didn’t give her time to answer him as he pressed his lips to hers again. He walked backwards a few steps, taking her with him, not breaking the kiss until he felt the sofa on the backs of his legs. He sat down and gently pulled her down with him, so she sat on his lap facing him “You…you want….” His lips against hers cut her off and answered her question at the same time. He gently bit her bottom lip and she opened her mouth allowing him to slip in his tongue inside her mouth, deepening the kiss; their tongues moving against each other in sync.

“Thank you for making the first move, I wasn’t sure if you’d welcome my affection in that way” He said low, his face and voice clearly showing that he was nervous. “I thought…when you didn’t….” He placed a finger to her lips “I apologised for that Lia” His eyes showing her that he was sorry for the moment of embarrassment and hurt he had caused her and she nodded “I-I don’t normally make…the first move but…” “I’m glad you did” He admitted cutting her off and leaned forward to kiss her again. They both moaned into the kiss and she moved one hand to the back of his head, her fingers playing with his hair. He broke the kiss allowing her to breathe again “I feel a little out of my depth here with you…I mean we get along and we flirt with each other but I wasn’t sure if it was just banter between friends or…” “Something more” She finished and he chuckled, nodding “I’m saying the latter” She said before kissing him again, gently taking his bottom lip between her teeth, he nodded in response before allowing her to dominate the kiss.

[autumnslance]

I've got a writing question that's been on my mind for a while: how do you keep your OCs from becoming self inserts? Every time I think of developing an OC I realize that it's attributes that I

Oops, you got cut off! But in general: all your OCs are going to have traits of yours; it’s inevitable. Sometimes big things, sometimes small things. It’s how we relate to them, and also just natural, I promise. We write what we know, and we know how we interact with ourselves and the world.

But there is a difference between sharing some traits with a character and making them a self-insert. It’s letting their life, their community and culture, their experiences, also influence their traits and thinking, in ways that might be different from how you would respond in a similar situation. Even if you share those attributes.

This is me so let’s go behind a cut shall we?

Dark Autumn is as introverted and solitary by nature as I am; she can and does interact in professional and friendly ways with people (as I try to do), but needs alone time to recharge. However, Dark also has a very different outlook and relationship with her family than I, since her family is large and supportive, very close knit. If family is a lottery, I got the $50 scratch off prize while she hit the Mega-Millions. So I take that into account when thinking of her relationships not just with family, but with friends and potential romantic interests; Dark sees things through a lens of positive, low-drama familial relationships that I can barely fathom. This also means she has a support network and resources myself and other characters don’t, so gets some wish fulfillment of working through issues with care and grace instead of remaining in unhealthy places. She is my “comfort OC” so gets a lot of good things I wish I had—which shapes how she responds to others, like taking care of a FCmate and becoming something of a big sister figure for him, or the responsible older sister figure of my group of OCs. Which is me, really, idealizing my own older sister tendencies into this giant woman who’s better at it.

Aeryn was written to be on the ace scale; not my first character to be so, but the first written that way as I began to realize where my own orientations lie and wanting to examine that through fiction. That she fell for a certain rogue in the process of playing through MSQ again was not at all intentional. I like Thancred as a character—he hits a lot of tropes I enjoy—but in my own mindset, he’s a frustrating younger brother. I didn’t think I’d do NPC x WoL shipping. But there it is, because in determining Aeryn’s own experiences and how those shaped her, it ended up working out that way (and I spent the better part of 2 years writing the characters separately to figure that out and if it could work before writing them together because it’s not something that comes naturally to me).

Aeryn’s internal anger is something I have a difficult time with; it’s outside my own nature to carry things like that. I have my angers, certainly, but they are different from hers. I tend to need a lot to set me off and then it burns out hot and quick. Aeryn’s more of a long boil she keeps bottled up. I’ve gotten a few things through various fics, I think, but it’s why I do things like reference arguments but rarely depict them. Being non-confrontational myself (I’m meek and have hangups thanks to my own life) it’s a challenge. Aeryn responded to childhood traumas (that I never dealt with), bullying (that I did), losses (that I haven’t yet), and the responsibility she’s been given (thank goodness I don’t) far differently than I. Maybe I’d be more volatile, too, if I had her life. But I understand where her anger comes from sharing some of the reasons, I just shape it differently than my own.

There’s a lot of things about Dark and Aeryn that are accidentally similar, just due to the timing of their character generation and other RP OCs made for other games along the way; “Oh I haven’t done X or Y in a character in awhile” sort of thing, but how each approaches those similarities and why—their quietness, their issues with using magic, their tendency to “adopt” others as family—all come from different places and resolve differently, too.

C’oretta comes from a part of me that doesn’t quite want to grow up. That wishes I had been more of the peppy, active, cheerful, risk-taking, live it up stereotypical party kid, that “popular girl” archetype I felt so often on the outside looking in about. As my second character, I wanted her to be different from Dark Autumn—visually, emotionally, mentally. Where Dark is steady, C’oretta is flighty. While Dark is people oriented, C’oretta’s a bit selfish (like I often feel). Dark’s introverted, C’oretta’s extroverted. Much of C’oretta’s attitude is a deflection against the hurts in her life, a way to fight back against some terrible things. It’s a way I could never react. But I also can’t get away from a character who loves to learn and wants to try new things—but where other characters gain the ability to stick with and see them through, C’oretta gets my easy frustration and boredom, and then the “ooh shiny” of a new interest. There’s a history of ADHD (or whatever the acronyms are now) and even autism and learning issues in my family; it’s possible I have some undiagnosed ND stuff going on, and people have noted these things in C’oretta that I’ve based on my own experiences and those of people very close to me.

Many of my characters have traits I wish I had, or were better at; patience, kindness, consideration, convictions, courage, thoughtfulness, and so on and etc. They’re good at skills I haven’t the knowledge in, or the ability to do. They’re certainly more active than I am, or could be! Because I can take the time to think and plan and research and write those things out better, and just maybe along the way not only learn something myself, but try to practice it better myself. I can even sometimes let them teach me what I can possibly do or be, not just imagine it as an ideal that’s out of reach.

I try to let my characters make mistakes I wouldn’t—or in some cases, have in my past, and that’s OK. Especially if I learned from them, but maybe the character does not. Maybe they do but it takes awhile, or repeated instances until it sinks in. Maybe I let them make errors I still make, as a way to puzzle out better solutions I should probably entertain for myself.

Character voice is something I’ve felt I struggled with in keeping my OCs distinct. Do characters ‘sound’ alike, in dialogue and prose? Having distinct ways of speaking helps; C’oretta’s breathless chatty run-ons are certainly different from Dark and Aeryn’s quieter tendencies. I have to remember to trim down Aeryn’s dialogue more often, say less aloud, add more gestures and facial expressions. I tend to be a talker, an over-explainer (if you can’t tell), while the only times she gets like that are specific. Dark’s somewhere in the middle of those two, like I am. A lot of the reason I like writing NPCs and try to keep them close to my interpretation of canon is to practice distinct character voice to get better at it in my OCs, so they don’t sound like me!

And something I’ve never admitted to before is that I think for me, it helps that from the time I was a kid watching various series of Star Trek, I always have had an in-my-own-head-only self-insert. She’s always a support character (that’s what I’m best at). She has cool and unusual abilities to help the actual heroes, cuz heck it’s my internal fantasy and that’s fun. She has traits I want to be better at or wish I had, developed over time with more energy and focus than I can actually muster in reality. As time’s gone on, she’s become more of a mentor and Mom Friend as I’m now older and see a lot of protagonist characters as “my kids” now. She appears in nearly every story I’ve loved over time, in one iteration or another. And because I have a headspace character where I can say “this is what I, ideally, would say and do and be capable of in this situation…” My other characters that I actually write about can vary between doing something similar (if it suits them) to doing something completely different (cuz darn kids never listen) as I can compare them to the self-insert and decide where to diverge.

So it’s a mix of myself and my traits and knowledge, but taking into account how each character would respond and use those same attributes differently than I do or would. Write what you know, write who you are—and then add in some wish fulfillment, some what ifs, some bad choices, some good choices, and shake things up. Give the characters tics and tricks different from yourself and let that shape them, too, by remembering to take those things into account (even if you have to tape a note to your monitor).

And finally, don’t be ashamed of your self-inserts; I’ve known some great characters that started as self-inserts and grew, through their experiences, into wholly different people than their writers over time. Heck, the epic romance my original WoW priest was part of was with a character that started as a self-insert; his player began the game knowing nothing of the lore or roleplaying, but as he learned the story and how to RP, and determined how his character fit into the world and how that shaped him, the character diverged over time, while still sharing some key traits (some endearing, some frustrating, as people are and all part of that friend). It’s not a bad starting point at all. The rest can come over time and practice, especially if you make a lot of OCs and try to make them different from each other while also being aspects of yourself.

[rachelbethhines]

Tangled Salt Marathon - No Time Like the Past

While I wouldn’t call this the worst episode of the series, there are several others I dislike more, I would call this the most ill conceived story in the show. 

All the other bad episodes have potential but are let down by poor presentation, boring predictability, or sloppy planning. This one however, is fundamentally flawed in it’s very basic premise and so ranks in the bottom of most fans lists. Even people who are far more forgiving of season three and than I am, and are hardcore New Dream stans, still dislike this episode. That’s how bad it is. 

Summary: Rapunzel discovers Old Lady Crowley tossing out Cassandra's things. She is upset and demands that they be left alone. She then has Lance and Eugene help her save all of Cassandra's mementos and personal belongings, but she becomes saddened when Eugene reminds her that Cassandra turned her back on "her". Rapunzel takes a box of her things along with, unknowingly, a mysterious hourglass. As she examines it, she accidentally drops and smashes it and she and Pascal find themselves sent back into the past. They run into a teenage Eugene and Lance who keep calling Rapunzel "Sideburns". Rapunzel realizes that she and Pascal have inhabited the bodies of the Stabbington Brothers and decide to recruit the young thieves in getting the hourglass from the castle back.

Fun Fact! That Dummy is Rapunzel’s Doing 

Minor nitpick here, but Cass had nothing to do with putting Eugene’s face on her sparring dummy. Rapunzel voluntarily did that back in Under Raps. Cas never requested it nor even expressed any joy over receiving said ‘gift’. 

Basically the show is attributing one of Rapunzel’s mistakes/flaws to Cassandra in order to introduce a very nonsensical plot point later. So I need ya’ll to keep that in mind as we go along.  

Lets Talk About the Episode’s Ordering 

We don't have production codes for season three like we did for the previous two seasons. So we can’t know for sure what order everything was originally planned in, but I would argue that this episode should have came before Return of the King. 

For starters this is a “bottle” episode; it takes place mostly in the past and the only present day characters who show up are Eugene, Raps, Lance, and Crowely. As such you could potentially slot this episode in anywhere before Cassandra’s Revenge. You can’t really do that with most of the other episodes so it could have been easily moved around when airing. 

Therefore, I would argue that it should have been the first episode after Rapunzel’s Return for three key reasons. 

It would have given Edmund time to travel to Corona and give Raps time to start up big building projects like fixing Old Corona. In fact she’s already approving building plans for the capitol city at the start of the episode. Which could even explain why she took so long getting to the castle repairs if she was taking care of the stuff that the Saporians messed up else where.  

Rapunzel’s stance over wanting to keep Cassandra’s things makes more sense early on, both in universe and in a meta context. Raps would still have hope if Cass has only been gone for a month or two instead what would now be four or five months down the line. It also makes sense that Crowely wouldn’t wait around for that long. And from a meta standpoint, the audience would still be oblivious to what the heck Cass was up to and could theoretically side with Raps better; or at least empathize with her view point more, even while disagreeing with her. 

Events in this episode better explains Eugene’s decisions in Return of the King and gives the audience more context for certain stuff.  

So Why Is There a Random Magical Time Traveling Hourglass in the Storage Vault?

Slowly but surely the series has abandoned all pretense that there’s any logical world building in the show. Magical things just appear randomly now without any explanation whatsoever. Worse than that, things like the hourglass and map to the cursed tomb are treated as if they were always there, unlike the magical beings that they happened to run into in past seasons. 

The problem with this is a lack of consistency. You can’t have sceptics like Eugene and Varian if magic is so common and wide spread that anyone can run into it at anytime. Not to mention it diminishes the specialness and importance of the sundrop and moonstone if powerful magical items can be so easily found and stirred, undermining important plot points and the tension surrounding them. 

But most frustrating of all, is that this could have been easily fixed by just stating on screen at some point that magic attracts other magic. Meaning it’s only Rapunzel herself who routinely runs into these things and not just everybody and anybody. 

None of This Stuff Holds Any Meaning

Show don’t tell!

At several points through out season three, both Raps and Cass morn over Cassandra’s left behind things. They tell us constantly that these objects hold significant meaning to them, but I, the viewer, have no damn clue as to why. 

We were never shown on screen what was so special about these things other than the fact that it was junk Cass collected. There’s no story attacked to these assortment of objects nor any previous indication that Cassandra valued them beyond their usefulness. As such, any scenes involving her stuff fall emotionally flat. 

Eugene is the One in the Right Here. 

Eugene’s right. 

Any well adjust and mature adult will tell you he’s right. 

If someone doesn’t want a relationship with you, than that’s it. There is nothing you can do but to move on. It sucks, but its life. To ignore that is to ignore someone else’s boundaries and personal autonomy; while also devaluing yourself and you’re own needs. 

In a competent show this would be a set up for Rapunzel to learn something about letting go and taking care of oneself emotionally. 

But this isn’t a competent show. 

But Lobster is for Poor Folk

Food history time!

Lobster, and shellfish in general, have been considered low class food for centuries. Especially around costal areas like Corona. It’s easy to attain, cheap, and not regulated like hunting was in much of Europe. In America, specifically, lobster was fed to prisoners and there’s historical accounts of riots being started over it.  

Heck, less than forty years ago, no one lived on the coast but poor people. That’s why there’s historical communities of black people living on the southeastern islands in the US and why my father grew up in the swamps of Alabama during the 50s and 60s. 

The gentrification of coastal property and seafood, like lobster, is a very recent phenomenon in human history, starting in the late 70s early 80s with the booming tourism industry and increasing globalization.   

So while I understand that the joke here is meant to be reflective of our current understanding of lobster being a status symbol, in universe, it’s the equivalent of Eugene getting excited for chicken nuggets instead of his usual bowl of cereal because the story takes place before the 20th century.  

This means that these kids are so poor that fucking mcdonald’s fast food would be considered a rare treat compared to the slop they usually eat. Yet again what is meant to be a lighthearted joke turns suddenly dark when you stop to think about it for all of two seconds all because the writers are so flippant about their world and characters. 

This Wasn’t Planned Out, So the Timeline Doesn’t Add Up Anymore and Resources are Wasted

Remember the flashback in The Return of Strongbow?

Now I need you to remember that season three is two years later from season one and the movie. Eight years ago then, would be ten years ago now. 

The Eugene and Lance in the bottom picture is suppose to be roughly the same age as the Eugene and Lance in the top picture; give or take a few months. 

I know teenage boys can grow fast, but not that fast. 

Eugene at 16 looks the same as he does at 26. All because the writers were too lazy to preplan things out ahead of time. 

We should have seen the teen models with recasted voices back during that first flashback if they were going to tell this story later. Or the previous plot point should have been less than eight years ago. 

In fact the first flashback no longer makes any sense being so many years ago given Eugene’s engagement and recent breakup with Stalyan, and the later reveal that he was working for the Baron during the original movie. 

Sloppy planning like this not only makes for a confusing timeline but it also wastes limited resources. I like the new models, I like the actors cast for these younger roles, and I do like the concept of seeing more of Eugene’s past. But going through all of that trouble and money for what amounts to one throw away episode is mismanagement of the budget and work schedule.  

Baby Varian Is the Episode’s Only Saving Grace 

I know people are divided on the deign here. Some love it and some hate it, but that’s a personal taste thing. The actual scene itself is golden either way, because it’s such a funny eater egg. Fans on both sides made memes out of this for days. It’s legendary. 

Personally I’m more in the ‘love it’ camp, though I can see the issues people have with the design. My main defense of it is more the fact that we got kid designs for the other OCs in the show and it’s only fair Varian got one as well. The fact that he’s in smaller versions of the S1 clothes doesn’t bother me anymore than when Lance ran around for two seasons in the same outfit, including when he was a kid. 

So if I like it, then why am I talking about it a salt review? 

Cause the most memorable part of an episode shouldn’t be a throw away gag! 

People bring up baby Varian way more than they do about anything else in the episode, and no it’s not just because the character popular. It’s because most would like to forget what comes after this scene. 

Where is Quirin, by the Way?

Why is your six year old son running around the big city unsupervised?

This wouldn’t get talk about as much it wasn’t for the fact that Quirin being neglectful in season one was a motivating factor in his conflict with Varian. A conflict that was suppose to be resolved back in Rapunzel’s Return but we the audience have yet to visually see any difference in behavior since then.  

Quirin’s absence here in the past highlights his absence in the present day and reminds the audience aware that we’ve not been given a satisfying conclusion to one of the most important arcs in the series.  

Lets Talk About Wasted Potential 

Like I said, I like the idea of exploring Eugene’s past. But we should have gotten that back in season two when it was more relevant. Part of why this episode fails is because Eugene has reached the end of his original character development. He’s now on an identity crisis arc which has nothing to do with this episode.  

But you know who still hasn’t finished developing? Rapunzel. 

Rapunzel has lots to still learn and viewing her past through outside eyes could have turned this story into something really special. Especially with the ‘inhabiting another body’ plot point. 

You have no end of options here, 

Have Raps inhabit Cassandra’s body for a day and gain insight into what motivates her. It could have been either before or after they met, both offers up possibilities. 

Have Raps inhabit Eugene’s body and experience what he had to deal with growing up and come to see his point of view. (This could have also worked with the Sabbingtons set up had the writers not been stupid.) 

And my personal favorite, send her back to right after Queen for a Day and have her stuck in either Varian’s or Ruddiger’s bodies. Force her to see what she did to him and have her acknowledge she was wrong. 

And those are just the most obvious choices, there’s other more out of left field things you can do that would still work with good writing. Like exploring Lady Caine’s past, inhabiting Arianna’s body and learning how to be a real queen, get dumped into actual young Gothel and lay out clues to the future Zhan Tiri plot, or possess one of the Brotherhood and experience the final days of the Dark Kingdom; the list just goes on and on and on. 

But I Thought You Didn’t Put Kids in Jail Frederic?

Remember that Raps and Pascal are possessing the Stabbingtons who are still teenagers here. They can’t be much older than Varian. 

This means that Varian isn’t some special case. Teens have received harsh and deadly punishments in the past for non-violent crimes like theft. 

Also teens are called kids still by the majority of the cast. They’re aren’t considered adults with the same rights as someone in say their twenties, yet they can be punished the same as an adult would. Which is horrendous in any time period. 

So in conclusion, Frederic is a fucking liar! 

Tangled the Series can’t decide if it’s in the far past or a reflection of the modern day. As such it winds up supporting the worst of both worlds. Barbaric practices like hanging for minor crimes and prison slave labor are treated as the norm and never called out for the horrific things that they are; treated as a joke even, but we’re suppose to accept that this world also somehow views adolescence through the lens of late 20th century sensibilities even as it forces minors to go through such atrocities. 

Like what are you trying to say show? What is your message on the transition of adolescence to adulthood regarding rights and responsibilities? And don’t tell me ‘it’s not that deep’ because this is suppose to be a coming of age show! That’s the entire premise of the series! 

So How Old Are Stan and Pete Again?

I was always under the impression that Pete was a newbie guard, closer to Cass and Eugene’s age than say Cap or Frederic. That’s why he screws up so much because he’s inexperienced, why he seemed to be the closest thing to a equal colleague Cass had in the guard when she was also just starting out, and why I assumed those braided girls from the movie were his sisters. 

I mean there was nothing on screen previously that would necessarily contradict this reveal, it just doesn’t feel right, that’s all. I guess he could be like 20 here and be 30 in the show. That would make him only a few years older than Eugene, but still doesn’t explain why he’s so useless a decade later. 

I’m fine with Stan being here though. I always thought of him being the older of the two. In fact I headcannon Willow as his mysterious wife that he talked about back in Monty’s episode during season one. (She’s Stan and Pete’s beard, and they’re totally in a open poly relationship. That’s why they’re allowed to stay in the royal guard despite being so incompetent cause they’re technically Ferderic’s in-laws and Rapunzel’s uncles. Just no one ever talks about it cause it’s a minor sandal for a princess to marry lower class and Willow’s hardly ever there.) 

And Why Does Xavier Have All Those Plot McGuffins? 

I know we’ll never get an answer, but at this point Xavier’s exposition fairy powers border upon ridiculousness. It’s just lazy and a waste of character. 

So How Does Time Travel Work In This?

There are three types of time travel stories in fiction. 

First is the ‘Changeable Past, Changeable Future’. You see this in Back to the Future. What you do in the past will change the future, i.e. your present. You may or may not remember that you did it, but be warned you could change things too much and break stuff. Like erasing yourself from existence, or ruining your love life ect. The only way to fix it is to go back in time again and change stuff again. But beware of paradoxes or you may destroy the universe altogether.  

The second is the ‘Alternate Timeline’, where changing things creates new realties and it’s a matter of finding the right reality again. The tv show Sliders is a great example of this. Each new timeline is a different dimension. What you do in one won’t effect your original point of origin, only that particular world. The challenge if often getting home again because the probable diverging timelines are infinite and the changes of getting back are a zillion to one. 

Third is the ‘Closed Time Loop’. No matter what you do nothing will change. The future is inevitable and whatever you do in the past was always meant to happen anyways. Gargoyles handles this really well. You can also have ‘fix points’ where certain important things are set in stone but small things can be changed like in several Doctor Who episodes. Braking a fix point breaks the universe once again, while paradoxes are often the solution rather than the threat. 

So which type of time travel is Tangled dealing with here? 

Scenes like the conversation regarding Pete’s and Stan’s mustache or the ones involving Eugene working on his smolder suggest a closed time loop. Yet the ending to this episode reveals a changed future. Further still the grandfather paradox revolving around the hourglass would make you think an alternate timeline yet, we’ve no indication that anything else changed other then Eugene’s opinions on Cass, and Raps shows no concern about getting back to her original point in time indicating that it actually isn’t another dimension.... so what is it then? 

You don’t have to have a tightly plotted time travel story to have an entertaining piece of media. Endgame is riddled with plot holes and contradicts itself constantly, but what it lacks in coherent plot it makes for with fun characters, emotional story beats, and good pacing that manages to balance the action with the drama while hiding the cracks just enough that you don’t lose immersion. 

Tangled however fails at even this because it gets the character beats so fundamentally wrong.  Like you may dislike where the characters ended up in Endgame, but can’t say that those developments didn’t match the characters’ previous storylines and logical trajectory. Tony finally becomes the selfless hero by committing the ultimate sacrifice, Steve learns self care as a mirror to Tony’s arc as they were always parallels to each other, Bruce learns to accept himself, Thor processes his grief and lets go of the role he was assigned at birth but never truly fit into, and Nat becomes the leader she was destined to be rather than the sidekick.  

What happens to the characters in this episode however makes no sense. 

This is Another Missed Opportunity to Explore Eugene’s Past

The other problem behind the episode is that we don’t actually learn anything new. If you’re going to promise a story focusing on Eugene’s past then I expect to actually glean some new insights. 

We still don’t know why he’s working with Baron or how he fell in/fell out with him, what his relationship with Stalyan is like, how he became so cynical; not just the general basics, like the orphanage, but that point in his life where decided that survival meant giving up his morals and ethics; where did he first learn his better ethics that he originally suppressed (cause it sure as heck wasn’t Rapunzel), and when did he and Lance become separated? 

This are questions that series decides to raise by making allusions to them and building conflicts off of them but never wants to explain the details of where they originated from. It’s super frustrating and wholly unnecessary.  If you didn’t think the story of Eugene’s past worth telling then why did up repeatedly bring it up Chris? 

Why Are You Surprised by This Rapunzel?

Rapunzel you know Eugene’s past. You know what he used to be like. You were literally there in the movie and saw him being an ass before this. You didn’t start to like him until he dropped his guard down in the flooded cave back when you both where about to die. 

You fell in love with him when he showed you his real self and he fell in love with you when you proved that you were accepting of that. You earned each others’ trust. This here; angrily yelling at him and judging him, when you’re already hiding who you really are from him both literally and figuratively, is a breaking of that trust. 

Who the fuck are you any more, Rapunzel? 

Cause you’re not the same character from the movie. You’re not even the same character from season one. But whoever hell you are now, it’s not an improvement I can tell ya that. 

So How Did The Hourglass Go From the Treasury to the Basement Storage, and How Would Raps Know It Was There At This Point and Time?

I’m guessing the implication here is that Crowley put Cass’s stuff in the vault, but like why the fuck would she do that? We’re not talking about a family attic here, but the royal safe. The most heavily guarded room in the castle with the kingdom’s most priceless treasures and antiques. Nothing Cass owned was that valuable.  

Rapunzel Is Full of Shit

Oh let me count the numerous ways in which this whole lecture is stupid. 

Rapunzel left Varian behind. Rapunzel left Varian behind multiple times, including that time he was thrown in jail. She was not a good friend, and no, this is not a case of her learning from her past because not once has she ever admitted that she was wrong to do that. So this scene just makes Raps look like a hypocrite. 

Eugene does not need to relrean a lesson on being a better a person. He did that during the movie and has progressed beyond that point. This ‘lesson’ is a waste of time and a misuse of the characters.

This reframes Rapunzel as being in the right during her argument with older Eugene at the beginning of the episode, even though she’s not. In fact this is such a counterintuitive plot point that it boggles the mind. Who structures a narrative this way? Why so blatantly point out how the main character is wrong if not to have her learn something? Why frame the story to make the person who’s personal conflict isn’t even the episode’s focus, into the one who needs to learn something? Especially if that something is already a lesson that they’ve learned on screen beforehand.

And why, oh good heavens why, would you teach children such a toxic message? Like on the surface it sounds like something you’d hear in a children's show, but the context of it is justifying harmful behavior where you selfishly ignore other people’s wishes and boundaries just to satisfy you’re own personal desires.  

And finally, Eugene and Lance do not work as a parallel to Raps and Cass. Cassandra is an adult who left of own free will. Lance is a teenager who was arrested due to Rapunzel’s own actions. Eugene isn’t the one who is responsible here, its Rapunzel. Who also left them both behind in her carelessness. Secondly, Eugene’s decisions are spurned by years of trauma and a healthy fear of dying, while Rapunzel’s is wrapped up in her own need to always be right and to keep her immature and fanciful outlook of the world intact. As harsh as it seems, what Eugene did was based off a predetermine agreement and presumably Lance would have acted the same way or been pressured to act the same way by Eugene. In short, Eugene’s cynical world view as a teen is not the source of his disagreement with Rapunzel but an adult perspective back by common sense and a respect of others choices. It makes no sense for present day Eugene to ‘learn’ anything from this misadventure that he didn’t already know and for Rapunzel to not learn anything that would actually tie the parallel together. 

Locking Another Teen Inside a Jail Cell With Another Adult as a Joke, Does Not Erase the Inappropriateness of Varian’s Story

The episode tries to add another joke about Shorty sneaking into the prison without the guard knowing, but that still doesn’t excuse the fact someone had to have tossed Lance in there with him on purpose. Otherwise Lance wouldn’t have assumed Shorty was a fellow prisoner if he or the guard that locked him up saw Shorty sneak in before then. 

Furthermore Lance’s nonchalant response suggests this is not an out of the ordinary occurrence. Nor do any of the other guard comment upon the irregularly of teens being jailed with an adult. Now add in the fact that the show fails to clarify that previous ‘cellmate’ line from Rapunzel’s Return and now gives us more confirmation that Varian was underfed and malnourished for a year with that gruel joke and you have a horrifying picture. 

Shorty might be non-threating, but that doesn’t mean Andrew, a known attempted murderer and manipulator, is too. Nor any other adult who previously was housed with a teen before then. This is still very much not okay and no amount of ‘jokes’ will suddenly make it right.  

Raps, Who is an Adult, Just Physically Threatened Two Teenaged Boys and It’s Played as a Joke.... 

How many times do I have to say it? Humor does not fix bad writing. I’m not laughing when a heroine at age 20, threatens a couple of kids for merely annoying her. Especially when said heroine has a history of abusing children; because let me repeat once again, neglect is abuse!

This is a Lie

No you wont. 

Rapunzel never tells Eugene what happens on screen. I suspect that if she ever did, they would no longer be together, because what she wound up doing here was a violation of trust and boundaries in the worst possible way.  

And This is Now a Time Paradox 

A Grandfather Paradox to be specific. How can Rapunzel be here in the past to break the hourglass if the hourglass that sent her here is broken? 

In a competent series this would be the point of a future conflict and not the actual resolution. It’s not a closed time loop because of the paradox and the changes we’ll see in the future. 

So either she’s in an alternate timeline/dimension and just doesn’t gives a shit; leaving the real Eugene, Lance, Cass, ect. to go on without her; or she’s just broke the universe and everything is slowly unraveling around her; galaxies are dying as she whines about being dumped, people in the future are being eased from existence, and God is cursing her name for ruining his creation, all the while she carries on oblivious to the destruction in her wake, as usual. 

That’s it. Those are you’re only two options now. Is everyone from here on a fake copy or is Rapunzel the damned destroyer of worlds? You decide. 

So This Confirms That the Stabbingtons are Indeed “Family”

Another reason why I place this before Return of the King; it explains why Eugene considers the Stabbingtons ‘family’. Though if it was Rapunzel he actually bonded with and not the real Sideburns, then how much of his feelings are real and how much of them were fabricated by her? How much agency did this episode steal from him?

So What Exactly Did We All Change?

Well the dummy no longer has Eugene’s face, but Cass’s painting of the three of them still has him ripped out of the photo, soo... Keeping in mind that Raps painted the dummy anyways and considering that Moonandra tries to kill him later on; I’m going to guess that Cass’s feelings weren’t actually altered. If anything their relationship might actually be worse now, cause Cassandra keeps acting like she’s never had friends and Eugene has taken up Rapunzel’s blind devotion. 

All that development in season one is just, poof, gone. Also it’s quite possible that the first movie as well has now it has been erased from existence as Eugene got his needed character development eight years too early. How the hell that’s suppose to work, I don’t know. 

Outside of the that we get no confirmation how anybody else was effected, even though a more brainwashed Eugene running around would undoubtedly have caused a butterfly effect. Don’t expect that to be explored anytime soon. 

Though, it would explain why he’s suddenly such a doormat in season three, if this was the second episode as theorized. 

No! This is the Wrong Lesson!!!

Let me explain narrative promises. 

Everyone, on some basic fundamental level, understands how stories work. We hear them recounted to us over and over again from the day we're born to the day we die. It’s integral to how we communicate as human beings. Everyone knows innately how to tell a story even if that person couldn’t tell you how stories or structured or what certain literary terms mean, but they do it every day just through speaking. And while most audiences can’t always pin point what upsets them about a story they can for sure notice when things are off and not satisfying to experience. 

Now that doesn’t mean that everyone can write an awarding winning novel, that study of a craft isn’t important, nor that every amateurish critique thrown at any given media is valid. But it does mean that people have come to expect certain storytelling practices and can pick up on narrative cues. We’ve familiarized ourselves with the language of film, novels, comics, ect, into order to comprehend what’s going on. 

Rules of writing are just following that established language so that the audience can keep up. You can break these rules, sure, but unless you know what you’re doing and have a good narrative reason to do so, then you can easily lose you’re audience. And if you’re making money off said audience that’s something you want to avoid. 

A narrative promise is a cue; a set up that lets the audience know that ‘hey this is important, pay attention to this cause it’ll come back into play later’. Now that the audience has been alerted to the plot point they expect fulfillment of the promise. If you break that promise, either through poor set up, lack of follow through, or by breaking an established convention of writing for no other reason then because you just wanted to, your audience is going to walk away unsatisfied. 

The argument at the beginning of the episode was a narrative promise. It was a cue that set up the interpersonal conflict of the main character. For add context, I know that this is a coming of age story. Convention would dictate that the protagonist would resolve this conflict by learning they were wrong. 

That’s not what happened here. 

Convention was subverted. It wasn’t the protagonist who grew and change, it was the person they were in conflict with who did. And it wasn’t subverted because of any greater narrative reason, or future pay off, or even as effort to be shallowly ‘clever’; it was subverted because the author just didn’t want to hold the main character accountable for anything. Because said character has now become his avatar for his wish fulfillment fantasy and having the main character admit fault would be to admit fault in ones own self. Rapunzel doesn’t feel like Rapunzel this season because she’s just Chris in a wig. 

The episode broke a narrative promise to the audience; both within the episode and in the greater premise of the story, because of ego. 

I don’t claim this episode is bad just because of personal taste nor because I find it morally repulsive (even though both those things are true), I call it bad because it exhibits bad writing. Plain and simple. 

Way To Undermine The Entire Point of the Original Movie, Show

Speaking of breaking narrative promises.... 

TTS is suppose to be a squeal to the original movie. It’s even in the title of the show; both of them. In one fell swoop, the series has managed to sabotage it’s very reason for existing, as it erases Eugene’s motivation and the inciting incident that kick started the film. 

 Way to fucking go. 

To further twist the knife, it diminishes the duel protagonist of said film in order to prop up a series original character, who isn't even present in the episode itself. 

I don’t mind Cassandra’s existence. I don’t even mind her being the new deuteragonist and one of the main villains; even though she wouldn’t have been my first pick to fulfill those roles given her lack of set up. But I do fucking mind it if she upstages other characters and/or derails their character arcs in the process. 

This is the Death of New Dream 

I was still in denial when this episode first aired. I honestly believed that this and The Return of the King was build up to a third “betrayal” where Eugene finally became fed up with Rapunzel’s bullshit and joined forces with Zhan Tiri. I thought the end of the series would have Rapunzel apologize to everyone she did wrong, Varian, Cass, and Eugene, in order to break ZT’s hold on them, and that true love’s kiss would reunite the sundrop and the moonstone and that would just tie everything together into a neat little bow and give us a truly daring character study of a Disney hero. 

Oh dear merciful heavens, was I ever wrong.  

How did we go from season one’s challenging and mature storyline, complete with Disney’s first real anti-villian, to this?! 

What the hell happened!? 

Rapunzel not only disrespects Eugene’s opinions, violates his privacy and trust as she manipulates him as a teen, and then brainwashes him to think like her (even if accidentally), but doesn’t even have good grace to tell him. She instead has the audacity to look all happy and self congratulatory because she got want she wanted. She, and the show at large, doesn’t care what evil thing she does to get the desired outcome Rapunzel wants. 

Rapunzel in this show is a spoiled brat. And the image of her and her now lobotomized boyfriend staring dead eyed at a picture of the creator’s previous waifu OC with plastic smiles on their faces, sums up this series perfectly. 

Conclusion 

This isn’t even the worst episode of the series guys. I don’t know if it would even make it onto a bottom five list. That’s how much crap I have to wade through when it comes to this show. This is however the most damaging episode to the franchise as a whole. 

Not even the most hardcore of New Dream fans want to acknowledge the existence of that final scene, and Rapunzel stans won’t defend her beyond, ’well she didn’t mean too, it’s the writing that’s bad.’ Yeah, the writing is bad, that’s why the character can’t and shouldn’t be defended, not here and not in other badly written episodes where she also does bad things and never makes up for it. 

Anyways I’m finally caught up to where I left off, before the move, though sadly I don't think I’ll get this series done by the end of the month like I had originally hoped. But if you would like to help out I have a ko-fi you can drop a tip into if ya want. 

https://ko-fi.com/rachelbethhines

[bitter-sweet-farmgirl]

A Chance Meeting

So it turns out I have absolutely no self control.  So here you are; Thorin POV of ADM.  Enjoy, and be sure to let me know what you think!

Part 1 of ‘Matters of the Heart’.  Link to Series Masterlist

Thorin’s POV of A Deep Misunderstanding

MASTERLIST

OC(s) Used: Estel

Word Count:  2,267

Warning(s):  Rude Thorin, a mild swear word or two

~~~~

I turned the map in my hands, trying to make sense of the twisting pathways of The Shire.  

Damn those Hobbits and their complicated city designs.  Why couldn't everything be straight instead of twirling around in circles?!

Glancing up to compare a street name on the map with those upon the wooden marker, I scowled in frustration.  I had already gone down the wrong path once, and I did not wish to repeat my mistake.  Well, then there was the other street I went down and got lost in.

"Why didn't the blasted wizard think to mention that there are multiple streets named after the same bloody plant?"  I grumbled to myself, striding down a pathway that seemed to match one on the map the aforementioned wizard had given me at our last meeting.

The dirt was well-trodden beneath my boots; pebbles crunching lightly with each step I took.  A light breeze gently guided the few clouds scudding across the bright full moon that lit my way.  The faded emerald flannel of my cloak and the hot Dwarvish blood that ran through my veins was enough to shield me from the breeze, but all the same I pulled the cloth tighter around me, disguising my figure.

The last thing I wanted was one of these Hobbits making a fuss about a Dwarf wandering through their streets in the dead of night.  That would just be the icing upon the cake to this already disastrous night.

Just then, I came to the top of the hill; a picket fence surrounding a round Hobbit dwelling that had the mark of Gandalf etched on the green door.  Vaguely, I could make out the sound of raucous singing and loud voices from where I stood.

Mahal, I was late.

Heaving a sigh of relief at finally reaching my destination, I opened the gate and trudged through up the cobblestones.  Stepping up onto the doorstep, I thumped thrice upon the door; my frustration getting the better of me.

Instantly the noise died down and silence fell upon the moonlight night.  I turned my gaze to one of the windows, trying to see who had all arrived before me.  

Then the door creaked open and I turned my head to look through it, gazing at Gandalf who was bent double as he stood in the entryway of the Hobbit hole.  A Hobbit stood just behind him, looking thoroughly put out.

"Gandalf.  I thought you said this place would be easy to find.  I lost my way, twice."  I murmured in a low voice, stepping inside.  "I wouldn't have found it at all, had it not been for that mark on the door."  I undid the chain fastening my cloak around my neck and pulled the garment off; folding it neatly and setting it aside.

"Mark?"  The Hobbit exclaimed, pattering over to the door to peer at it as Gandalf pushed it shut.    "There's no mark on that door, it was painted a week ago!"  He protested.  I ignored the peeved Hobbit and gazed around at my surrounds with a smile on my face.

Comfort was a word that described this place perfectly, and comfort was something that I longed for after a long journey from the Blue Mountains.

"There is a mark, I've put it there myself."  Gandalf replied to the Hobbit before turning to look over at me.  "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."  

I looked down upon the Hobbit, stepping closer to study him with a close eye.  "So, this is the Hobbit."  I murmured, disbelieving that this was whom Gandalf had talked so highly of.  Crossing my arms, I shifted on my feet.  "Tell me Mister Baggins, have you done much fighting?"  I inquired roughly, walking around the Hobbit to look him over.

He looked small and used to the comforts of home; hardly someone I would take along on a arduous quest.  He would be more of a liability than an asset.

The Hobbit shuffled on his feet, looking utterly bewildered.  "Pardon me?"  

I continued on with my questioning, taking in the fine linens he wore.  "Axe or sword, what's your weapon of choice?"  I asked, coming back to face the Hobbit.

He rocked in place, glancing down at the ground before returning my gaze.  "Well, I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know."  He replied saucily, "but I fail to see why that's relevant."

I refrained from rolling my eyes, turning away from the Hobbit to look over at the others who had clustered in the doorway.  "I thought as much.  He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."  I smirked, looking back at Kili who grinned and laughed at my poking fun at the Hobbit.

The Hobbit looked disgruntled at my words, but stayed silent as I walked past him towards the doorway where Dwalin stood.  He and Balin turned and led me through the kitchen and into the dining room.

There in the dining room, a raven-haired woman worked at stacking plates; her back towards us as she picked up a pile.  Turning around, she started in surprise upon catching sight of us standing there, but kept her hold upon the plates.  

I was not one for petty, emotional feelings, but it would be a lie if I denied that I did not feel fluttering within my disloyal heart.  I was embarking on a dangerous quest; I had no reason to be lusting after a pretty dame.  But yet there was something about her that attracted me.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"  I asked with a raised brow, curious as to why the Hobbit had a Dwarrowdame in his home.  They were rare enough within Dwarvish colonies, so how did she come to be in these parts?  

But before she could respond, Gandalf spoke up from behind me.  "Her name is Estel and I brought her along with me because I believe she can be of use on this quest of yours."

I turned to look at him, unsure if my ears were working properly.

Take Dwarrowdame along on a quest that might very well claim all our lives?  I should think not!  Particularly if she is as attractive...NO!  I cannot think of her in such a way.  I had no business pining after a dame.

"I do not think that she can be of any help on this quest, Gandalf.  We do not need another person to look after..."  I murmured meaningfully, but Gandalf paid no attention me and went on to take his place at the table.

The lass--Estel--was quick to hurry away with her load of plates, heading into the kitchen where she lingered.  I took a seat at the head of the table as the rest of my companions made their way back into the room and found a seat.  

Everyone talked quietly as they waited for some unknown signal, but I remained preoccupied in my thoughts.  I had seen many different dames during my lifetime, but none--not even the most beautiful--had sparked such feelings as Estel had when my gaze fell upon her.  

It was not like she was different--oh, but she was--she was shorter in stature, sturdy, dark-haired with blue eyes that glimmered like sapphires or kyanite gems found deep within the mines.  No different than any other dame I had ever met.

But yet, she was entirely different all at the same time.  Such a contradictory thing, but true nonetheless.

Soft footsteps sounded behind me, and the woman preoccupying my thoughts appeared at my side with a bowl in her hands.

"We saved some of this back for you, Master Thorin."  She murmured softly, setting the bowl down in front of me.  I gazed up at her delicate features--ignoring how my heart fluttered as I took in the slight smile she wore.  

"Thank you, Miss Estel."  I nodded, and she nodded back before turning away to settle herself beside Bofur.

Jealousy rose within me like a dragon as Bofur turned to talk quietly with her.  She laughed softly at something he said and I resisted the urge to bolt upright and separate them.  Why did it matter?  It was not as if she was my One or anything.  These were just lustful feelings brought about by my long journey.  Nothing more.

But Balin's voice drew my attention away from the raven-haired lass.  "What news from the meeting in Ered Luin?"  He inquired, setting his elbows on the table before him as he leaned forward with interest.  "Did they all come?"

I swallowed my mouthful of warm broth and nodded, pushing aside all thoughts other than the quest we were embarking on.  "Aye, envoys from all seven kingdoms...."

Later, after the Hobbit had fainted upon hearing the description of Smaug, I lingered in one of the hallways with Balin.  We watched as the Hobbit walked away from Gandalf, and Balin let out a sigh.

"It appears we have lost our burglar.  Probably for the best.  The odds were always against us.  After all, what are we?  Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy makers.  Hardly the stuff of legend."  He bemoaned, and my gaze flickered over to him as he stood across from me.

"There are a few warriors amongst us."  I countered softly, but Balin shook his head.

"Old warriors."

"I would take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills, for when I called upon them, they answered."  I murmured, "loyalty, honour, a willing heart.  I can ask no more than that."

That was all they had to offer in the first place.

Balin watched me carefully as I twisted the key Gandalf had given to me in my fingers.  "You don't have to do this.  You have a choice.  You've done honourably by our people.  You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains.  A life of peace of plenty.  A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."  He said quietly, but I only shook my head gently.

"From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me.  They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland.  There is no choice, Balin.  Not for me."  

Balin smiled, his eyes twinkling at me.  "Then we are with you, laddie.  We will see it done."

I smiled gratefully at the elder Dwarrow, knowing that what I asked was no small feat.  We all ran the risk of losing our lives in this quest.

~~~~

Following my conversation with Balin, we made our way into the sitting room where the rest of the Dwarrows had begun to gather before the fire.  Instantly, my eyes sought out Estel and after a moment I found her sitting alone, cradling a mug in her hands as she stared into the flames.

Upon my entrance, she glanced up and her gaze met mine for a instant before she looked away again, looking down at her mug.

Ignoring the urge to go and talk with her, I walked over to the mantlepiece, leaning against it and staring down into the orange and yellow flames that danced to unheard music.  

Slowly, I began to hum, losing myself in thoughts and memories of a day long past; a day when fire lit up the sky and ground shook beneath the feet of a dragon.

Far over the Misty Mountains cold.  To dungeons deep and caverns old.  We must away ere break of day.  To find our long forgotten gold.

The pines were roaring on the height, the winds were moaning in the night.  The fire was red, it flaming spread.  The trees like torches blazed with light.

Gradually, the rest joined in, choosing either to sing aloud or hum the melody.  The room filled with the heavy weight of sorrow as those old enough to remember the day recalled everything that had happened.  I scanned the room, my gaze lingered on the lass.

She sat mutely, her brow furrowed as she listened to the words.  Vaguely, I wondered how old she was.  Perhaps she was around Kili's age and had only heard the stories about that fateful day.  

I continued to watch her as the last notes faded away, the room falling silent once more, save for the crackling of the fire.  Drawing a deep breath, I pushed away from the mantlepiece and walked over to Estel, seating myself by her side.

It was strange; I felt nervous about approaching her.  

"Miss Estel, do you not know this song?"  I inquired in a low voice, and she turned her head to look at me; raven locks spilling over her shoulder to cascade down her back.

"No, Master Thorin.  I have never heard it before."  She answered, and I raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't?"

"No."  She bit her lower lip, drawing my gaze to it.  

I wanted nothing more than to steal a taste...  Mahal, what was I thinking?  

Drawing in a deep breath, I reluctantly focused my gaze on her eyes.  Estel continued to gnaw on her lip--driving me mad--as she glanced out the window behind the two of us.

"It is high time for me to call it a night I believe.  I will see you early tomorrow, Master Thorin."  She nodded to me as she rose to her feet; shooting me a smile that shouldn't have caused my heart to flutter like it did.

I had no business falling in love.

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[toloveawarlord]

Ch. 1

Characters: Coralie Van Alst, Mozart, Comte

Tagging: @plumpblueberry​ (Please let me know if you want to be tagged)

A/N: Finally another Ikevamp oc! This was the most voted for in the interest check on the 25 Days of Christmas Voting! Thank you to everyone who voted for this oc! Enjoy the first chapter of my little musician and her unknowing meeting of her favorite composer!

Another event. Night after night, the teenager could be found in a lavish dress, violin case in her left hand, and her benefactor, Grant, hovering behind her, speaking to clients interested in her talents. His rules were absolute.

One: Don’t speak unless prompted.

Two: Every performance shall be perfection.

Three: Always please the clients

Four: No outside relations beyond the job.

She’d never known others her own age. Her education lacking, only taught basic reading and writing along with etiquette. Music took up most of her days, whether practice or event. Her talent coveted by many, but they never acknowledged the work that she put in.

“Ah, Comte! What a wonderful party. We greatly appreciate the invitation. Your pianist, Wolfram, I’d like to have him play a duet with my Coralie.” His hands rested on the young girl’s shoulders.

The regal man he spoke to gave an empty smile until his golden eyes met the mismatched amethyst and blue ones, where it turned quite warm. “Monsieur DuPont, I was unaware you had a daughter.”

Grant chuckled, digging his fingers into her bared skin when she didn’t immediately return the friendly smile. “No. This lovely, gifted violinist is sadly not of my blood. I am simply showcasing her talent here in Paris.”

“I see. However, I do not dictate whom Wolfram plays with, but I am more than willing to introduce her to him. That is, if you’d like.”

The tension was thick in the air between the two powerful men. Most groveled in the great Grant DuPont’s presence. This man was quite different. Coralie dare not check to see how her benefactor reacted to Comte’s veiled pleasantries. 

The musician they spoke of had been researched, like all with potential to leverage for the young girl to be seen by the most patrons. Wolfram Theophillius Perti. He’d been compared to the likes of Mozart. Coralie had yet to hear him play, but if he were in the same league, then for the first time, she actually wanted to meet him.

Most of those she played with were subpar, and she preferred to play alone, but she could never voice those opinions.

Thank them with a smile. Stroke their ego. Laugh at their cruel jokes.

Being a musician in this world was hard work, competitive. Many believed it not a place for women, much less a child. Some were unkind to her, jealous of her ability, of how a fifteen-year-old could play circles around them.

Always be charming, my dear. Dazzle them with your performance so no one can argue that you don’t belong.

The words of her father echoing in the back of her mind, bringing a small amount of comfort.

Grant smiled tensely but relented. He placed a sloppy kiss on her temple, all his affection for show. “Do take good care of my lovely Coralie. She’s very precious to me.” His tone light but she recognized it for what it was.

She was a commodity that brought him fame and fortune.

“I certainly will. Mademoiselle Coralie, I will escort you to Wolfram.”

With a soft thank you, she fell in step beside Comte. Eyes followed her wherever she went. Envy. Intrigue. Lust. Many high-class gentlemen wanted something from her, but never directly addressed her in fear of angering DuPont.

Somehow, it felt as though it wasn’t just her, they were watching.

“I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing you play, but the talk among my friends is all high praise. Are you from Paris?” He’d heard many things. The young girl having only been here for a half a year and yet all social circles knew of her.

“No, Monsieur. My homeland is Belgium. Monsieur DuPont has been most gracious to house me and guide me in performing while I am here.” Always praise the one who has done so much for her family. 

Comte hummed in response. He’d never liked the man. Too many rumors of his mistreatment of his wards, throwing them away when they were no longer useful. How long would it be until this young girl became nothing to him? “Ah, Wolfram, a moment please.”

The gaggle of men and women around the musician scattered at their arrival. Although he smiled at her, she knew how empty it was. Forced, just pleasant enough, and never reaching his eyes. He listened to Comte’s introduction, to the reason she’d been brought to him. Mozart hadn’t the opportunity to respond before Comte was called away by another gentleman. Left with only the girl, he politely declined, “I’ve completed my obligation to play for the evening. Perhaps another time.”

Coralie suspected that to be a placation. The pianist had no intention of playing another time. “Please reconsider. It would be advantageous to duet with me.”

“Advantageous? I’m in no need of benefactors or patrons. Of what advantage would it be to me?” Mozart lost his facade for a split second. His violet eyes narrowed then softened. There were far too many people within earshot. “Forget the question. I simply do not play with partners.”

Yes, she’d discovered that in her research.

It’s of no consequence. You perform a duet.

Her benefactor would be quite upset if she didn’t get this man to agree. Who could say what he might do to her family? “I understand. Most in our profession do not have the aptitude for an impromptu performance.”

“Precisely-”

“I am not one of them,” Coralie said, bringing her mismatched eyes up to meet his gaze. If he’d been anyone else, she would not push so hard. But she needed to hear him play, to know if he was worthy of being compared to the great Mozart. “None of them possess my skill. Please perform one song with me.” Coralie bent forward into a pleading bow, one thing that she was not allowed to do.

Being polite, gentle, quiet-- those were her instruction.

Never bow to those with inferior skill for that will only make you appear desperate.

If Grant were watching her, he’d surely be incredibly displeased. He likely wouldn’t understand why she felt the need to. Coralie had to make Wolfram understand how much she wanted to play with him.

“One song.” His voice low, filled with irritation, but it brought her attention up to his sour features. Mozart might admire how brazen the child was, and perhaps he relented because she reminded him of his human self. “One song and then you will never approach me again.”

A single chance was all she needed to prove her worth.

The pair didn’t speak as they prepared. Mozart took a seat on the bench; violet irises observed the practiced and careful way she took the violin from the case. The way she’d lit up at his song choice confused him.

Mozart’s Sonata 16 in C Major, first movement, do you know it?

Of course, she was well versed in all Mozart’s songs. He was her favorite composer to study and practice. Coralie rested against the chinrest, waiting for his first note. She felt the violin as an extension of her own body.

The crowd grew silent as they began, allowing the melody to flow around the room like the wind, gentle and constant. The strings caressed her fingers, sound pure and sweet. It mixed seamlessly with the rich, crisp tune of the piano. Two complete strangers in perfect harmony.

It was a reintroduction. Words failed to establish common ground. It was in their playing, their ability to create beautiful music, that they could begin to understand each other. Wielding their instruments was like barring their soul.

They complimented each other, piano and violin intertwining like polished dance partners gracefully gliding across a ballroom floor. They’d captured every ear, every heart with a poised rendition of Mozart’s Sonata.

It was only once the song came to a close that Coralie returned to the real world, applause erupting. Truly, this man was most incredible, like no other she’d been forced to duet with. He commanded the keys like a captain steering a ship through a deadly storm; firm and unrelenting, not afraid of the powerful sound. But he also contained a gentleness, making the ivory keys sing as the birds at the dawn of a new day.

Socialites swarmed around him, flocked to her. Their chatter equivalent to nails on a chalkboard to Coralie. She safely secured her violin in the case before slipping out to the balcony. She wanted to ingrain that performance to her memory.

The girl swam in the melody so fresh within her. Her body alight with chills. Never had a duet affected her so, sounded so alluring. This night would become one of her most treasured.

“It wasn’t unbearable. Although, I’d say you’ve plenty of room to improve.” Wolfram’s voice grounded her back in the world void of their dazzling melody. He didn’t make a habit of chasing after other musicians, but this girl... “You deviated from the song as written.”

“It complimented the original composition,” she countered.

“Irrelevant. You should always play as the composer intended.”

Coralie turned her gaze up to the night sky. The stars crowded between the gray clouds twinkled in applause. “I pay no attention to anybody’s praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.”

Silence followed her statement.

“No one can say what he intended, but he was right. Music is deeply rooted, entangled, in feeling. Any simpleton with a few lessons can play the notes on the page. What makes a true musician is the ability to breathe real, raw, emotion into the song, don’t you think?” Coralie turned to face him, a tender smile on her lips. There were few who could understand why she felt that way.

Mozart hadn’t the chance to respond. He’d been quite shocked at her enlightened view on music. It was rare to find such passionate sentiment with one as talented as her. He would have not hated having a discussion, but the young violinist swayed on her feet, lashes brushing against her pale cheeks.

He barely caught her when she fell unconscious.

[exosmuttytalk]

Just Dance

Characters: Chanyeol, female OC

Genre: Fluff, hurt and comfort (kinda?)

Word count: ~2400

Summary: Following a round of her favorite videogame, Chanyeol makes the best effort to prop his girl up.

A/N: Originally, this was going to go a different route with a different main character, but then I thought about my friend @blogmariasan​ and wanted to write something for her ~

How cute does he look in that gif tho

The rapid beating of your heart in your ears and the loud music coming out of the speakers were strong enough for you to miss the noise the front door made when it turned on its hinges. Or the rummaging at the hall as he left the keys at the usual spot on top of the dresser and hung his coat on the hanger.

“Oh, so that’s what you do when I’m not at home, hmm?” his voice came from the doorstep to the living room, where you had moved the coffee table out of the way to make enough space for your workout, standing in front of the TV. “Fraternizing with our enemies.”

The high amount of energy your body stored at the moment combined with his voice startling you sent you practically flying across the room and into the sofa that had been pushed backwards. Sweat dripped down your back and you could feel blood rushing to your already flushed face.

The subject of dance came up fairly often in conversations with Chanyeol, who would sometimes need reassurance when he compared his own dancing with some other of his band mates, but who you’d never let watch you dance. Not on purpose, of course.

Dance is one of those things that do not matter to normal people. Everyone’s been to a club or a party at least once, has made a complete fool of themselves and then has gone home, hopefully having had fun. Not you.

When you were a kid, almost all your female classmates had enrolled in some sort of dance classes: ballet, regional dances, hip-hop, you name it. You knew many people who were part of an amateur band that learnt and performed their favorite artists’ dances. You weren’t one of them. At those end of year performances at your primary school, you’d always be left at the back, fulfilling the inconspicuous roles of trees, random animals, or the time when you had gotten quite a share of the spotlight as a door knob in a musical version of Alice in Wonderland. Coordination was just not your forte.

Everybody who knew you knew that as well. Including your boyfriend, who had found out about your slight incompetence when it came to being a protagonist and to moving your body in a graceful manner quite early in the relationship, when he had taken you as his companion to a family wedding. As enthused as always, he dragged you across the room to the dance floor, and knowing many of his family members were scrutinizing your every move, you had no option but to dance with him. Thankfully, one of his uncles was a nurse and was able to examine your ankle and determined you had only sprained it. As soon as he heard that, all the worry he had been sporting on his face since he saw you trip and hit the ground, disappeared. It was instead replaced by a slight mocking expression that only grew bigger when his grandma patted him in the back and told him you were nice but he needed to teach you to keep a bit of balance. What a beautiful family introduction.

Wasn’t that funny though? You wouldn’t trade your life for anything in the world, but you would have preferred if dance wasn’t such an important aspect in your partner’s life. Being energetic as he is, Chanyeol would usually blast music while at home, didn’t matter to him whether it was his own music or someone else’s, and dance around while doing chores. He’d do it in the car as well.

“Dancing is very fun, baby, you still haven’t found the perfect song for you.”

Just watching him prance around the house made you unbelievably happy, but you never let yourself get into it. As much as you watched and enjoyed every single one of his performances, and for many of them, you’d learnt the whole choreography, you didn’t allow yourself to get carried away beyond a gentle sway.

The thing is you loved dancing. You actually loved to the point it was your main form of exercise. Who doesn’t love getting carried away with their favorite music? You just were aware of the quality of the movements you produced, so you refused to do it in front of other people.

“I wasn’t doing anything with your enemies! And they’re not your enemies, you’re just petty!”

You stood back up and forcefully pulled the sofa back to its original place. Then, you turned off the game console without even worrying to save your progress and left the controller on top of the table a bit more harshly than necessary and left the room in a huff.

When Chanyeol asked you to move in with him, you knew you wouldn’t have as much privacy as you used to do living in your tiny one bedroom apartment, but you didn’t particularly mind it. By that point, you had already spent plenty of time at each other’s homes and he was an easy going person, so you felt at home. Besides, his busy schedule kept him out of the house most of the day; so you felt at ease. Even more so when you discovered, in a party with his band mates where he pulled it out as an entertainment safe bet, that he had unlimited access to one of your favorite videogames. So now, whenever he was out and you wanted to exercise, you’d turn it on and dance on your own, enjoyed yourself and bumped into enough stuff around the house Chanyeol would always enquire about the bruises on your legs.

His brows furrowed when he heard your snappy tone and you made your way out of the living room.

“Babe? What’s wrong?” He followed you into the bathroom where you struggled to get out of your sweaty workout clothes while at the same time avoiding his gaze from scanning your flushed face. “You’ve already been living here for long enough, you can use anything here whenever you can, you know that?”

“It’s not that!” You responded, annoyed and in the verge of tears.

He waited for you to come out of your t-shirt to grab your hand and pull you back into the bedroom, where he sat in the middle of the bed, cross legged and making a space big enough between your legs for you to fit in comfortably. You flinched when his fingers started sliding down your still damp back in soothing movements, but couldn’t help but dive into his comforting hug.

“So now you’re gonna tell me what’s got you all up in arms today, hmm?”

“I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Yeah, but you know keeping bad things in will get you nowhere. Why are you angry? You seemed so happy when I came in.”

“I am not angry…” you said in a low tone while you tried to hide your face against Chanyeol’s chest.

“So what is it?” He cupped your face in his hand and raised your head to look at you. As soon as his eyes fixed on yours, you felt another wave of heat hit your cheeks. “Are you blushing?” You could almost hear the gears grinding in his brain as he connected the dots. “Is it because I caught you dancing?”

You let out an undefined sound that served as an affirmation and took your eyes away from him.

“I remember how embarrassing it was for you at Hee’s wedding, but there’s no one else but me here. You can enjoy yourself without a problem!”

“It’s not that… I can’t dance in front of you.”

“But why not, baby? I will do it with you, it’s fun!”

“I just…” you hesitated, but the expression on his face as he waited was enough. “I am a bad dancer, okay? I know that.”

He nodded with caution, not wanting to make you feel worse with his acknowledgement.

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Of course there is a problem! You dance for a living”

“Well, I do other stuff too, but it’s a pretty big part. What does that have to do with this?”

“I love you, okay? I really like seeing you perform and I know you love what you do. But sometimes I wonder if I’m good enough for you,” you finally confessed.

“What?” his voice was higher pitched than usual to express his confusion. “Where is this all coming from?”

“I sometimes think…maybe if you see how bad I am at this, you will compare me to your other friends who also dance and think you can do better than me.”

“Are you really telling me you’re scared of me leaving you for someone who dances better than you?” his voice kept raising in disbelief.

“Well, if you put it that way! Just listen to me! You are always around people who are more talented, better looking and who have more interesting lives than me. I have none of that. How am I supposed to feel!?”

Chanyeol leaned back into the mattress and pulled your body along with his, so in the end, he was lying across the bed on his back with you on top of him, resting you face against his t-shirt. You rose up your gaze at him and saw him staring at the ceiling with a blank expression, while his fingers never stopped drawing random patterns against your bare skin.

“You know, when I first got into this I was an awful dancer.”

“What?”

“Yeah, in comparison with Jongin or Sehun, there’s nothing I can do in terms of dancing even now. They were so much better than I was, and not just because of their natural talent. I’m a terrible dancer. My legs and arms feel too long to be controlled and collected as they are when they dance. All that you see now is the result of years of practice.”

“I have never been too self conscious about it because I trusted myself enough, but I remember there was this girl at the training centre who always made comments about my dancing. She was a bit older than I was and she used to tease me about it all the time. She wasn’t very nice.”

“Is she still mean?”

“Oh, maybe she is. I haven’t seen her in years, I ended up debuting with the guys but she never got to that point, despite the fact she had been training for years at that point.”

“That’ll serve her right,” you shrugged.

“Yeah, well. I try not to think a lot about it, because I can still hear her snickering while I performed.”

“I’m so sorry about that,” you hugged him softly from your position and his arms returned the favor around you.

“It’s okay. The thing about this is that I know how you feel. I know how hard it can be to face the world, expose what you have and to be confident enough that it’ll be good enough. But some people around us are more than willing to tear us down over our smallest mistakes, so it’s quite unfair that we do that to ourselves too. That’s what helped me get over it.”

“Yeah, but now you are a quite good dancer and get paid to do so! Why would I show something I know I am bad at?”

“Because you actually enjoy it! Allowing yourself to enjoy things is part of being kind to yourself, and that’s something you need to work on.”

You let out only a soft sigh as a response.

“You know you’re the most beautiful thing that’s ever been in my life, right?”

You propped your head up by resting your chin against his chest, looking him on, silently. His hand caressed your hair.

“Sometimes I have bad days too. Sometimes I’m sad or angry. Or frustrated, because I am not getting where I want to be. But then, I come home and see you around. Maybe you’re in the kitchen, or you’re working on your laptop, or playing with the dog. Doing whatever. Just by being there, you make my day brighter. You make me smile and laugh. You support me when I need to. You get me in ways barely no one else does and I get inspired by you daily.”

His confession left you speechless for a while. Of course, you knew you were in with Chanyeol for the long run. You’d gone through terrible enough times together when your relationship was made public, so now you weren’t going to give up and neither was him.

“You’re so beautiful and so good I don’t even care about other people anymore. Yeah, I have many beautiful friends and coworker. But they have nothing against you, doesn’t matter how much prettier you think they are. Besides, my grandma loves you very much despite your stellar introduction to the family; that can hardly be beat.”

A small tear managed to slide its way down your cheek when you closed your eyes and laughed wholeheartedly to the mention of his grandma, but he didn’t notice. Just seconds after he’d finished his speech, he’d sat up on the bed, kissed your forehead and started rummaging through the closet.

“Here, wear this one!”

He tossed you one of his older t-shirts, with the name of his group written on the back, worn out and soft, before stripping off his own work clothes and searching for more comfortable stuff.

“I’m a bit rusty lately, so it’s a good thing you were already working out, we can help each other.” You were still sitting on your bed, t-shirt in hand but in your underwear, not sure what to do. His head popped up behind one of the doors when he noticed you hadn’t moved and his eyes scanned up and down your poorly covered figure, with a cocky eyebrow raised and a smirk. “Or we could head into the shower and I could teach you some of the moves we do under artificial rain… but only if you want, of course…”

_________________________

A/N: It probably wasn’t made clear enough, but the song OC was dancing at the beginning would’ve been a BTS one, if those were included in the game, which I’m not sure of. BTS and Exo are not enemies and they probably even get on fairly well with each other, so take it just as a joke

Other Chanyeol shenanigans 

Holidays   (OC/One Shot/Fluff-Smut)

Experimentation    (Chanbaek/One shot/Fluff-soft smut)

MASTERLIST!?

[astarstruckcherryblossomstudent]

The Maid and The Elf

Hi, I have a story on AO3 Called The Maid and the Elf which is a Bright Fan Fiction Focusing on the my own OC’s with some main characters in the film coming to play.  I just wanted to post the first chapter here but if you want to read the rest of the chapters. Feel free to visit AO3 and Check it out. 

Chapter 1

The ride into the elven neighborhood was far from silent as Amanda had hoped. It wasn’t that she wasn’t expecting it but more of that she had hoped that in the early morning that she could enjoy some semblance of peace within it but it seemed to be the exact opposite.  She leaned against the seat and closed her eyes. She was glad, she had taken her medication before getting on the bus today. The smell of sweat, alcohol, and perfume wouldn’t have been overwhelming to her especially right after she had a migraine. When the bus began to slow, Amanda began to rise with the others following them out of the door and onto one of the nearby streets. They all walked in lines as they entered the well-guarded neighborhoods near the elven district. Amanda kept a steady pace as she made herself grit through the aching pain as she moved towards the farthest house in the neighborhood.

It was also one of the more expensive houses. A beautiful Classical style house painted in white and detailed with a dark grey roof with beautiful roman columns and pediments. As she walked up the neat but natural stone walkway of the house towards the large white fence that protected their yard. Amanda reached out her hands across the planted flowers that circled the gate; she picked up the newspaper that laid hanging from the mailbox.

She unlocked the service door with her key before placing her purse and outdoor shoes within the closet and her indoor heels on. Amanda moved quickly washing her hands and grabbing items from the pantry and refrigerator. As she began to set out ingredients for the small breakfast for the family they worked for Amanda could hear the awakening footsteps of those above. As she set small scones into the oven, the shower turned on and as she placed the pot of oatmeal to boil, she could hear the sound of clothes being picked up from their drawers. And, she chopped up the fresh fruits and blended the fresh cinnamon. She could hear the sound of heavy footsteps as they walked across the floor above she hurried towards the dining room where she set the newspaper along with the table and ready the babies high chair in the corner.

When she knew the oatmeal was finished and the scones were golden brown. Amanda set them up neatly and beautiful upon their plates and bowls. She carried them carefully to the table being extra careful not to spill the meal upon herself or the floor. When she heard the clicking of heels, Amanda kept her head down and set the spoons upon either side of each bowl. The first member of her employer was Lady Syvais. Syvais was a tall blonde with light ice blue eyes and clear white skin. She was dressed in a beautiful red sheath dress. Her make up was impeccable as usual and for a moment Amanda couldn’t help but feel jealous because she knew that she would never look like that. She was human and humans just couldn’t pull off that near ethereal look like elves could. She was the first to take a seat. She gave no smile or no thanks; just a simple bend forward and taste of the oatmeal. That initial taste of that oatmeal always made Amanda worried because it was a walk the plank moment. It was a moment when Amanda could possibly lose her job just because the Oatmeal wasn’t seasoned or the fruit wasn’t as crunchie. When she put the spoon down, Amanda tensed. But instead of her dismissing Amanda. Syvais turned to look up the stairs and watch as her husband brought down their young daughter. Syvais didn’t smile or greet her husband but instead, she simply looked at her daughter and husband with a distant almost disapproving look before turning back to her food. Amanda tried not to swallow and show her unease but she could feel the tension in the air. It was a heavyweight upon her own frail emotions and she couldn’t help but which to exit the room.  A soft laugh echoed for a moment drawing Amanda’s attention to the little girl in Lady Syvais’s arms. Arien was a beautiful baby girl who was gifted with that unique eye color associated only to elves. She was chubby but adorably sole with platinum blonde hair like her mother. She reached out from her father’s arms for her mother but the woman only seemed to ignore her.

That made Amanda a little upset and melancholy. She had remembered when her own mother uses to do those things. At least, Her first mother anyhow. She remembered asking for attention to only have it ignored or turned away. Airen reached for her mother again, this time crying a little louder and this time Amanda heard Almar’s deep voice. He spoke in övüsi towards Syvais then and from the tone, it didn’t sound exactly happy. What transpired was a shouting match in övüsi that made Almar hand off his daughter to Amanda and the two elves leave the room.  Amanda rubbed the child back as she watched the girl's parents disappear into another room.

The little girl looked back at Amanda and reached for her cheek, her need for attention now met by someone she knew. Someone she had at least some close relationship with that was similar to her mothers. Amanda gave the baby a soft smile before she moved towards the table and began to feed spoonfuls of cinnamon and apple oatmeal to her. She hummed with praise as Adrien ate with gusto. Amanda had first started when Sylvais had been pregnant with Airen. Elven pregnancies were strenuous upon their bodies. And, Since Elves had also had such a difficult time getting pregnant. It seemed it was best for the family to hire a housekeeper while Slyvais was pregnant. But, Now that Airen was here Amanda couldn’t help but feel as though she had overstayed her presents here.

Amanda was halfway finished feeding Airen when Alamar returned to the room. Airen gave a happy smile completely ignoring the spoonful of oatmeal for her father. Almar reached out taking Airen from Amanda’s arms and walking out of the room. Then the place was empty and silent, Amanda was left alone with an empty bowl of oatmeal and the feeling of being completely alone.

She sighed, cleaning up the room and moving the full bowl of oatmeal to the side so that she might eat after she finished cleaning up the house. The house was a typical two-story with actually very little mess as Elves weren’t a messy race but sure enough, they weren’t incapable about leaving messes especially children. The work went by quickly. There were very little clothes and toys left around and mostly what took up most of her time was the news. About two months, a cop was shot in the robbery of a bodega. Usually, That sort of thing didn’t draw her attention because sadly these things happened a lot in L.A  but there was something about that cop, and no matter what the name Daryl Ward wouldn’t leave her head. Amanda finally copped it up to her natural obsessive behavior of anxiety and tried to distance herself with something better to do such as doing the laundry. By the afternoon, she was starving and took to her bowl of oatmeal with gusto before then beginning her way into making dinner preparations. Elves were scientifically apex predators and were taken to eating larger amounts of meat then plants compared to humans or orcs. So Most of the meals involved a large roast, steak, or fish that the family could consume equally with smaller portions of veggies, fruit, or grain. Today’s menu was a large Prime Rib served with Mash Potatoes and Glazed Carrots.

She was stabbing holes into the roast so that she could add seasoning and butter into the dish when she felt a searing headache take hold. She grasped for the edge of the island as the pain moved from the center of her head towards her eyes, making them ache. She gasped as the ache became so intense that it caused her to drop the knife in the sink and run to the bathroom that lay open across from the kitchen. She slammed the door with some force as she struggled to get to a safe spot as her world began to disappear and grow dark.

The first time she had these episodes she had finally thought the things her biological mother had stated about her had been true. That she was actually insane. Maybe she was in some sort of way. Because Normal people didn’t see what she could see. Normal people couldn’t feel what she felt.

The world erupted into a world of color and like a movie. A scene began to play before her.  

Two beings stood outlined in shadows, their voices muffled. They were like low echoes in the raging storm of her mind. They stood outlined in a field of black and red snakes.

Has she shown no promise?

None my lady. I have shown her your wand. Allowed her hands to touch it and it shows no sign of her being able.

And, Then try again. Our numbers a little and if we chose to survive the dark lord. We will need many. Try again with your mate.

If I may, my lady. I don’t believe Alamar shows any promise providing me with the young we will need for our lord.  I plead for another.

And, Your current Mate and Child.

There was silence then the snakes stopped shifting and moving and turned and stared right at her. Blood began to pool at her feet soaking her shoes and her hands.

Kill them both.

The snakes swarmed her and as they began to attack her body and consume, she could see the outline of a dark figure looming over them all.

[rvchelking]

making friends and influencing people

While I’m fighting my muse and motivation whilst balancing my mental shit, here’s some lil thing I wrote that include my baby Ava and other OC created by my bestie @bodyelectrics because it felt like they could be besties too. Obvi not betad because I didn’t even want to post it, but here we are.

Ava stands quietly near the window of the ranch, watching everyone present at this meeting. Things are… not so great, to say the least. It’s been over four weeks since Ava joined John and his siblings and if she’s honest, it’s been one of her greatest decisions. She gets along well with all of the Seeds with some exceptions. 

She quickly learns that Faith Seed may look innocent, but she’s one of the strongest women Ava has ever met – she’s smart and cunning and Faith’s knowledge of chemistry is outstanding. Ava immediately feels protective of Faith – her sister – even though she knows that the Bliss Herald can take care of herself.

Ava is still slightly terrified of Jacob Seed, but mostly because he’s the biggest man she’s ever witnessed. He’s strong, his voice is like the thunder in the silence of the room when everyone is trying to come with new strategies. Ava finds herself listening to his suggestions, counting some of them off because they’ve tried that tactic and it didn’t work. Still, she thinks that Jacob Seed is the main force behind them when it comes to combat.

Then, there’s Joseph Seed and Ava thinks that he’s alright. She decides to ignore most of his preaching – because John does the same – but she respects the Father. She’s polite and nice with him, mainly for the reason for her safety and the fact that her and John’s relationship is still low key in secret. Reed thinks that Faith and Jacob know about them, but Joseph is too busy to ask his brother more about Ava Reed. It gives them the upper hand in a whole situation.

Ava sighs and her little mannerism does not go unnoticed by John. He looks over his shoulder to check on her, they share a soft smile meant just for them. John can be gentle when he wants to, Ava thinks, and she loves that about him. Screw it, she loves him, and no one can take that away from her. She wants to take his hand, pull him closer and breathe in the smell of his cologne, except they are in public, and there are people Ava hasn’t seen.

She crosses her arms on her chest, watches Jacob approaching some dark-haired girl, leans forward to whisper something to her; the girl nods and they share the smile. Ava furrows her eyebrows, studying the stranger: she’s not very tall, but she looks fit and strong – especially her arms; compared to Jacob, she’s a petite thing but the way her green eyes scour the crowd makes Ava think that she’s a feisty one. Ava feels slight jealousy in her chest; it’s hard to accept that there’s someone angrier than her. The blonde shakes her head, her hand moves up to her chest, her fingertips dance across scarred WRATH written there.

Their eyes meet and Ava holds their stare, analyzing the other girl. The way Jacob stands close to her means that they are, probably, together; Ava notices the way the girl’s eyes go lower, apparently studying her tattoo. Reed feels pride blooming in her chest and she straightens as if to seem taller; the girl does the same. Their eyes meet again and the girl nods to Ava as if greeting her; she repeats the girl’s motions and they share a small smile.

Something tells Ava Reed they could be friends.

At the end of the meeting, Ava and John finally reunite. Ava greets him with a sincere smile and wraps her hands around John’s waist, looking up at the man.

“This is exhausting,” he mumbles as he grips Ava’s waist.

“You are doing great. Don’t worry. They won’t take us alive. Not that I am here with all of you.”

“Is that Pride, my dear Ava?” John hisses seductively and leans forward, his lips are dangerously close to Ava’s. She goes on her tiptoes, chasing John’s mouth but he grips his waist harder. A warning. 

“Get a room, you too.”

John rolls her eyes and Ava blushes, pulling away from John. However, he doesn’t let her go off, one arm around her waist.

“Nothing criminal here, brother,” Ava notices John greeting the mysterious girl. Looks like they’ve known each other for a while now. 

“Hope so. It’s been good to see you, brother. Now that we still here, I’d like to introduce miss Reed to Cassandra Jones.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Ava extends her hand to shake Cassandra’s.

“Likewise, miss…”

“Just Ava,” the blonde smiles politely. “Do not hesitate to ask for help.”

“Same goes to you. Now that we are in this together.”

[carlatsukinamistolemyhamsandwich]

49, 38, 35, 21, 20, 6, 4

From this ask game.

4. How did you find the fandom?  

I first found out about the series when I was looking for a new anime to watch in 2015, saw the title “Diabolik Lovers” and was like oh what’s this? When I saw that it featured hot vampires I was instantly sold and watched it XD I didn’t think too much more about it until I discovered tumblr later that year through a user on Quotev I liked (dark times guys dark times). I looked for blogs that posted about anime series I liked and found some for DL and that was that. It was only at the start of 2017 that I made this blog and actually started to interact with other members of the fandom though ^^;;

6. What is your favorite picture of the brother/brothers?

Answered here~

20.Who has the best eyes?  

If I say Shin for every one of these then it’s going to be too repetitive isn’t it? But I honestly do like Shin’s eyes the most, I think golden eyes look really pretty and it’s such a nice shape too. 

Ayato also has very nice eyes too though.

21. First thoughts compared to your thoughts now.  

Honestly I don’t think too much has changed ^^;; Even when I very first watched the anime I was like “don’t struggle Yui, it’ll just hurt more!” (I know a lot of people have this attitude now but I’ve seen quite a few say they thought she should fight back a bit more until they read up on what the guys were like). I thought most of the Sakamaki bros were hot (although I was scared of Kanato), I didn’t have that much interest in the Mukami bros and I was terrified of Carla but I low-key thought Shin was pretty cool.

Now I announce how much I love Shin on a regular basis, I’m not scared of Carla anymore as I understand his backstory and why he acts as intimidating as he does. I’m still less interested in the Mukami bros than the other guys but I know a bit more about them. I think the Sakamaki bros are cool, although I don’t daydream about any of them anymore (too deep in Shinhell). 

I am even more scared of Kanato.

35. Which Diaboy has the best hair?

My bias is showing again but I think Shin’s hair is the best color (even if it’s an absolute pain in the ass to try and mix the right shade with my watercolors for it). However if we’re talking overall style and color? Then I guess Laito does. It’s a tough choice though >_> 

38. Who has the best voice?

Oh this is so hard because I like so many of the voice actors from DL >_> I think just from DL, I like Reiji’s voice the most sorry Shin. It’s so smooth and when he sings? Ugh I can’t.

49. Do you read Dialover fan fics? If yes, have you found any good ones recently?

I don’t read that much DL fanfiction anymore, simply because there isn’t very much with the Tsukinami brothers (and I can be kind of picky about how they’re written >_>). That being said my DL fanfic recs are:

Hachiko by @mythicamagic and @ladydianaayo. It’s a diaboy x OC fic with multiple OCs. I really like this one because the girls are all just ordinary humans who encounter the boys at school and the characterization of the boys is on point. 

Diabolik Fairy Tales by @mythicamagic. Is there anyone here who hasn’t read this? If not, then you should. The writing is great and the stories are very well-crafted, like I cannot recommend this one enough.

The Nice Little Flat by the Sea series by @theautumnenthusiast. I love this series. The OCs are written very well, as are all of the guys and Yui is a key part of the story which I love. It also features the Tsukinami brothers, so what more could you want?

Thank you for the ask anon, I hope you have a lovely day!

[demonofthechili]

Johnny Silverhand x OC - Guitar Nights

A/N: AU where Johnny and V are managed to be split into separate bodies by Vik and Hellman (who worked together), and Johnny can't help but show off to Hunter. This is set in that secret room you can find in Kabuki! HUNTER IS NOT V.

T/W: Johnny being suggestive and shameless as usual (not much, but y'know), Hunter low-key considering being the thots we all are.

---

It was sat on the table before him in the neon lit room did she realise that every decision in her life had lead to this moment. Every consequence, every stupid, rash decision born out of spite or jealousy or indifference had birthed this very moment.

It was sat on the table before him in the neon lit room did she realise that she wasn't just starstruck. That her feelings of embarrassment and awkwardness around him, her desire to appear as cool as he was, to be what he wanted, wasn't just because he was someone she idolised.

So close yet so far apart, she watched him strum away on the white couch, head bobbing to the unhearable beat as he slowly played. It was much more relaxed compared to what he'd usually play, and what he was known for. It was a calming melody, one that had an intimate feel to it that just drew you in.

Her red and black eyes were bright with adoration, the fact that she felt honoured not at all hidden, and a warm, lopsided smile had long since washed across her features, softening them. She occasionally glanced up to his red tinted lenses in hopes to catch him staring her way, something she never did get validated.

His leg was propped up, resting beside her hip on the table, the other planted to the ground, slightly encasing her where she sat. Her feet were placed between his, and he swore he could feel the heat radiate from her body, that he could smell the lavender and apple scent he had grown to find comfort in.

Every now and then, Johnny found himself glancing to her, to see if she was enjoying it and to read the room. He found himself taking in her features, and before he knew it, he was smiling.

It wasn't a large smile, no, but it was noticeable enough that he was damn sure she saw - - and he could practically feel the pride radiate from her.

He stopped playing abruptly, head tilting back, and his expectant gaze met her own confused one. His metallic fingers drummed against the body before he extended it her way, "You play something."

Her raised brows were met with his amusement, and she made no attempt to grab the instrument, "I'm fine watching you."

"All take and no give? How greedy of you. Maybe I'll stop giving, too, then see if you beg for it."

His suggestive words caused her heart to pound, body swarming with both a familiar and unfamiliar warmth. A shine graced her eyes, one that gave Johnny a deep set satisfaction, and one he recognised almost instantly as a submissive, panicked, delight.

"I like to please," She spoke after a moment of stewing in his words, her own metallic hand reaching out to grasp the neck of the guitar, "I especially don't want Johnny Silverhand to think I'm greedy."

As Hunter went to pull the guitar from him to place onto her lap, she was stopped as he didn't let go. Instead, he held firm, smirk on his lips spreading just enough to reveal some teeth, charming and, seemingly, genuine.

If he didn't have his glasses on, he was damn sure that she'd be more inclined to go further. But a part of him didn't want to, not there. Not yet. He relished in the way she waited with baited breath for a moment more before releasing the guitar.

She hesitantly leaned back when she could, body of the guitar resting on her lap, and moved to plant a single foot onto the couch between his inner thighs. That most definitely caught his attention, not that he was complaining.

"What do you want me to play?"

Her words fell on semi-deaf ears as he retrieved himself a cigarette and lit it, taking the initial drag, if only to exhale the smoke directly her way, "You pretty much have my arm, you want my shades... I wanna hear if you can play like me, too."

"I don't-"

"-Jesus, you always need me to spell it out for you? One of Samurai's songs."

She wracked her brain for a few seconds, for the song she could play the best, before she glanced to his guitar pick, that he held, "Can I?"

"Since you asked so nicely," He teased, offering it her way.

She took it from him, getting her beginning notes in mind, and then strummed. He watched her fingerings closely, her technique, the way she concentrated, bopping her head to keep in time with the unhearable beat. He wondered what else she could do.

He briefly admired just how close to his playing it sounded, but, of course, that was to be expected. After all, nobody could replicate Johnny Silverhand's playing, no matter their status as friend, fan, or otherwise.