#i am laughing I LOVE HERMIT CONFLICTS SO MUCH

[theminecraftbee]

Joel squints as he comes down the mountain. Doc is yelling something about drop shipping. Joe Hills flies by, yelling about how Cub had clearly chosen a font to get into his head as some kind of reverse psychology. He makes the mistake of looking down at his phone to check chat, and what seems to be the world's worst insult war between Ren and Skizz is happening. Somewhere, somehow, he is certain there is a fish, and for some reason, this is very concerning.

He looks over Hermitcraft, and he goes—

"Is war always this stupid?"

Mumbo looks up from his own build. "Oh, um, yes. Absolutely. Generally."

Joel squints a little longer before shrugging.

"I feel vindicated staying right over here, then."

Mumbo nods. "Oh, that's what I'm saying, but, er, I would be surprised if Grian—you know Grian—he probably wants me to do something like... spy? Or build a vault? Or double-cross the vault? Something with permits? I think they're the bad guys, but I like being the bad guy sometimes. I am being a very bad guy this season, by which I mean good, and achieving immortality. Do you think I can make a computer blink?"

Joel sighs. "I forgot you were also stupid."

"Rude," Mumbo says. "For that, maybe I will report you to the PoePoe."

"Oh noooooo," Joel says dryly. "Maybe they'll get me with the fish."

There's a long pause.

"Actually, the fish is kind of frightening? Why am I scared of the fish."

Mumbo pats Joel on the shoulder and goes back to building. Joel tries one last time to make sense of things while False puts up another propaganda poster. No one has asked her to; she is just doing this.

He decides this is all nonsense. He'll get involved later, when his brain is ready to handle the world being nonsense. Maybe he'll get to kill some horses. That seems like it'll infuriate the judge, right, and they're supposed to be fighting for or against the man, he thinks, if they're meant to be fighting for anything at all, which is unclear.

"The life series follows better logic than this," he says, even though he's not really supposed to remember that probably, and goes back to detailing.

[sweetfushi]

hello!!! would you be interested in writing something about nanami comforting his lover who’s on her period? i am currently on mine and it’s kicking my ass 😞💗

COMFORTING YOU ON YOUR PERIOD.

fluff | kento nanami x reader, menstrual pain, established relationship, mentions of death and suicide (this doesn’t get dark don’t worry), mentions of pregnancy and birth control | word count. 0.6k ◦ notes. i know this is a little late but i hope you're feeling better now! my period almost always has me howling

If it were any other day, you’d be out of bed and dragging yourself around the kitchen to make a concoction you would call breakfast for the day. Today was not any other day – it was day one of your consequence for not being pregnant. When you thought of it that way, you considered telling your husband that you weren’t completely opposed to getting pregnant right now. But there wasn’t much thinking happening with the way you were tossing, turning and whining in bed, clutching a hot water bottle to your stomach.

“Uuhhhh,” you groan, face contorting in discomfort as Nanami moves your hair out your face and from your sweaty neck. He’s made sure to open a window just enough to let fresh air in, but not enough to lead gusts of wind to heighten your cramps.

“I know, my love, I know,” he coos.

“Really makes me wanna take birth control,” you grunt, fisting the blanket pulled up to your chest as your brow furrows. “Or get pregnant.”

“Those are two very conflicting ideas,” he laughs softly, letting you hit him lightly in your moment of annoyance. “You haven’t had breakfast yet. You want me to cook or do you wanna order in?”

When you don’t respond, he pulls his phone out and opens up a delivery app, before handing it to you and letting you scroll through the options available. He knows if he were to head downstairs and start making something, you’d call him back in less than five minutes - not that he’d mind, he just wouldn’t be productive.

Nanami checks the digital receipt once you’re done to ensure you haven’t ordered caffeine, something he’s aware worsens cramps after scrolling through multiple blogs. When he does spot a caffeinated drink in the list of things you’ve ordered, he gives you a pointed look, to which you stare at him blankly. He simply shows you the drink you’ve ordered for you to take the hint.

“Oh that,” you start with a matter-of-fact tone, “you seriously expect me to have breakfast without something to wash it all down?”

“I’m sure there were other, much healthier options.”

“The healthier options look gross. My period and healthiness do not correlate.” Nanami has to contain a snort at the look of sheer disgust on your face.

Only an hour later are you at ease as Nanami sits beside you on the bed with his laptop and glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. Sometimes you’ll disrupt his work to ramble about something or simply complain about random sparks of pain, all of which Nanami listens and responds to accordingly.

“Did you know that swans only have one partner in their life? They kill themselves when their partner dies,” you frown, sniffling from either incoming tears or cold.

“That’s not too far off what some people feel nowadays,” he sighs, rubbing his hand up and down your thigh. “I would definitely fall apart at your death, maybe even become a hermit.”

You feel your chest tighten at the thought. “I can’t really imagine you doing that,” you admit as you press the hot water bottle closer to your stomach.

Nanami huffs, amused. The hand that’s on your thigh reaches up to caress your cheek as you stare at him curiously.

“That’s because you’re not dying unless it’s with me and in my arms. Sometimes I think one of these periods will be the ones to take you,” he laughs softly, apologising as you hit him repeatedly.

“Kento! They aren’t a joke, they're so bad.”

He kisses the top of your head and pulls you into his embrace. “Just let me know when you want them gone for nine months.”

sweetfushi © do not modify, repost, translate, copy or use my post. all that is included in this post, aside from the photos, fictional characters and universes, belong to sweetfushi (zee).

[frombeyondtheblackhole]

Hermit DSMP Swap AU: Part 9

Foolish flinched. Qackity’s shouting stopped abruptly. It was warmer (Las Nevadas was surprisingly cold). Foolish slowly opened his eyes. An open grave stood at his feet. His heart jumped into his throat and he stumbled backwards, falling on his back. He stared dumbfounded as a bee flew out from the grave and landed on his knee for a moment before flying away. Quackity was nowhere to be seen. 

His breathing slowed and he looked around. He was in a graveyard next to a church. Was he dead? Was this limbo? What had happened? He wasn’t supposed to die… but he had died before. But if he had died just now he still should have had his third life, he should have respawned… maybe he had. Maybe he was still alive… That made more sense. No, wait, he still had all of his stuff, if he had died his inventory should have been empty… Foolish held his head in his hands and stared at the ground.

“You ok there, friend?” 

Foolish’s head snapped up. A man with neon green hair stood on the other side of the stone wall surrounding the graveyard. Foolish quickly picked himself up and brushed himself off. “Yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine… um- this may seem like an odd question, but, am I dead?”

The man laughed, “I don’t know, are you? I mean, I assume you're not dead, cause I’m not dead, unless you’re un-dead, if you know what I mean.” 

Foolish let out a deep breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Alright, I’m alive, i'm not dead,” He muttered, staring at the sky.

“You sure you’re fine?” The man asked again, putting air quotes around the ‘fine’. “Cause, you don’t seem fine…” 

Foolish shook his head “No, really, don’t worry about me, I was just a bit disoriented, that’s all.”

The man pursed his lips and raised a brow “You asked me if you were dead… not if you had died. Which means you knew there was a chance you might get stuck in a respawn glitch. Have you been messing with server magic?” 

“You make that sound like a bad thing.” Foolish scowled and crossed his arms looking down at the man. He wasn’t in his twenty-three foot form but even in this form he stood almost a foot taller than the other man.  

The man shook his head “It’s not necessarily a bad thing, just dangerous. I mean, I would be a bit of a hypocrite if I condemned people for messing with server magic.”

Foolish didn’t look impressed. “It’s only dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.” 

“I mean, I guess.” The man said rubbing the back of his neck as he contemplated Foolish’s words “But no one is stupid enough to mess around long enough to get the practice...” He trailed off as he looked up to see Foolish looking at him with an incredulous look, “Oh.” 

Foolish finally relented and his expression softened, “Maybe you're right, I mean, my name is Foolish after all,”

The man chuckled, “Maybe we're both a bit crazy. I’m Joe, Joe Hills. Nice to meet you,” He said, climbing over the low stone wall and reaching out his hand. Foolish smiled and shook it. Joe had a firm grip.

“So you said you have experience with server magic, what can you do?” Foolish asked as the two of them walked out of the graveyard and over to the church. This church was much nicer than church prime. As a builder Foolish could appreciate the detail put into the architecture.   

Joe shrugged as he sat down on the steps and leaned back on his elbows looking up at the sky, “I can see better in the dark If I want to. Honestly, I don’t really mess with it much anymore.” 

“Why not?” Foolish asked, leaning against the wall. 

Joe shrugged but Foolish noticed his grip tighten into a ball. “It wasn’t worth it. A friend of mine got hurt and almost didn’t respawn. Actually, she should be around here somewhere, I wonder where she went?” 

---

Cleo stood on a concrete road getting yelled at by an angry man with a scar through his left eye and a blue beanie.

 “Who the fuck are you? What the fuck did you do to Foolish? Where is Foolish.” 

“Aaa, Foolish is a Zombie!” another man wearing glasses and green suspenders yelled. 

Cleo staggered backwards and summoned a sword from her inventory, “Who am I, what about who are you?”   

“You better tell me, right fucking now, what the hell you did to Foolish or I’ll-”

“You’ll do what? Don’t try me, I’ll put this sword through your skull I will,” Cleo bluffed. 

The man with the scar summoned an axe.  “Charlie, go get Purpled, tell him we have an intruder in Las Nevadas.” 

The man in green, presumably Charlie, looked at him perplexed “But, Quackity from Las Nevadas, why are we attacking Zombie Foolish?” 

“Damn it Charlie, Just get Purpl-” 

Cleo didn’t let him finish. A yell ripped from her lungs as she charged him, sword swinging. Quackity startled and blocked with the shaft of his axe. He shoved her off and she staggered back. Cleo dug her heels in swinging the sword like a club. There was a burst of pain, or more like cold (Pain felt different ever since the undeath) as his axe cut into her shoulder. But he was bleeding too. His axe returned to his inventory as he clutched his arm and staggered back. Cleo gripped her sword tighter, breathing hard, her eyes locked on him. 

She felt the impact and another burst of cold as an arrow hit her in the chest. Her head snapped up, there was a kid in purple firing arrows from a crossbow as he ran towards them. He was wearing full netheriet.

Cleo turned and ran.

“Stop her, she fucking did something to Foolish!” Quackity shouted. She didn’t stop running as arrows landed about her feet. Down the road through a tunnel and past a stone fortress. Cleo scrambled off the road, over a hill. She could hear them still behind her. Dodging through the hills she was able to shake them by looping back around behind them as they continued on. 

Once they were gone she slowed down. She touched a hand to her shoulder. It was throbbing with a dull ache and it felt cold, a deep cold like ice in her veins. She looked down. The arrow was still in her chest. She needed to do something about that. 

She was back at the fortress. Cleo slid down the hill, climbing behind the wall and slumped against the stone. She gritted her teeth and pulled the arrow from her chest with a grunt, dropping it in the grass. A golden apple appeared in her hand and she took a bite, the juice tingling in her mouth as the regen and absorption began to take effect. 

The throbbing eased a little and the wounds began to close. She looked up and froze. An enderman stared back at her with mismatched eyes. No wait, not an enderman, at least not quite. Half of his face was white. 

“Hey Tubbo, I think I found out what Quackity was shouting about.” The half-enderman kid called over his shoulder. 

Cleo staggered to her feet, her sword out. “I won't hesitate to-” 

The half-enderman backed up and raised his empty hands “Oh no, we're not with Quackity,” He explained. 

Cleo scowled but lowered her sword. “Well isn’t that lovely, someone who doesn’t want to stab me.”  

He looked alarmed, “Oh, I wouldn’t do that- I mean, I definitely don’t want to do that.” Now that she got a better look at him he looked kind of young, he was tall but in the lanky teenager kind of way. He looked to be 18 or 19, maybe 17. His suit probably made him look older.  

“Oh hey, so what was Big Q so mad about?” Another kid said as he came around the building. He stopped short when he saw Cleo. “Oh…” He was much shorter than the ender-kid. Two horns curled up out of his brown hair and almost every inch of exposed skin was covered in burn scars. Cleo let her sword return to her inventory. 

“Big man, why is there a funny looking zombie in our base?” the goat kid said 

Cleo bristled, “I’m still a person, thank you.”

The goat kid looked back at Cleo  “Ooooh- oops.”

“Now look what you’ve done, you’ve gone and insulted her.”

“I didn’t meeean to, how was I supposed to know?” The goat kid wined. 

The two bickered like a married couple. Cleo coughed “Um- would either of you two be able to explain what is going on,”

“Haven’t got a fucking clue,” The goat kid chirped, a little to cheerfully. 

Cleo pursed her lips, “Well, could you at least tell me where I am?” 

“Um… The road between Las Nevadas and Spawn. Or do you mean here-here. This is our cookie shop.”  The ender-kid explained.

Cleo blinked.

“I think she means the server big man,” The goat kid said, “This is the Dream SMP.”

Cleo blinked again. So not Hermitcraft. Shit. 

---

The goat kid introduced himself as Tubbo and the ender-kid as Ranboo. Cleo explained what had happened, which made Tubbo laugh. It turned out that the cookie outpost and Las Nevadas were in conflict and Tubbo liked the idea of doing something that would, in his words “Piss off Big Q.” 

Cleo tried to return to Hermitcraft but was met with an error message. Tubbo and Ranboo offered to let her stay in Snowchester till she figured things out. They had no idea how she got there but they didn’t seem too concerned about it.

Snowchester was surprisingly far away from what the kids were calling a cookie shop. To Cleo it looked suspiciously like a military outpost but who was she to judge? 

Snowchester was a quaint little walled in town, overlooked by a massive mansion worthy of any Hermitcraft base. There was a tower, docs, and a little wheat field mixed in with little log and stone houses.  The air was crisp and cold, light snow fell around them landing on her hair and bare arms. Untouched snow coated the steps to most of the houses and closely shuttered windows looked back at her. The ocean lapped against the shore and the sound of a boat bumping against the pier carried up through the town. A single seagull landed on a stone wall. It looked at Cleo and cawed.  

Ranboo and Tubbo lead Cleo around a strangely industrial building on a hill in the middle of the town with “Danger, keep out” signs on the doors. 

“So what’s in there,” Cleo asked, nodding towards the industrial building. 

Ranboo raised his brows and looked at Tubbo. Tubbo pursed his lips “Oh nothing much, that’s just where we do equipment testing. You’re not allowed in there,” he added. There was finality to his tone. Cleo wondered what he was hiding and if it was worth snooping around to find out, but there was a dark conviction in the way that the kid with too many scars said it. The way the ender-kid hovered at his side anxiously watching everything. Maybe she should be careful not to make more enemies.  

They lead her to a little house behind the industrial building. “This used to be Foolish’s but he moved out so you can stay here for now,” Tubbo explained opening the door and letting them inside. 

“Foolish… the guy who Quackity thinks I kidnaped? You’re giving me his house?” Cleo scoffed looking around. A square table and chairs stood off to one side, a counter with a furnace and cabinets lined the back wall and a cactus in a pot sat by the front door.    

“Well, it’s not really his house anymore, he hasn’t lived here for months,” Tubbo shrugged. 

Cleo sighed, “So long as he won’t mind. Goodness this whole situation is a mess.” 

Ranboo gave her a sympathetic smile.  

“Welp,” Tubbo clapped his hands. “We’ll let you get settled in. Just don’t go snooping around in people’s homes, we are pretty private people here.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Cleo said absently, still looking around the room.

Tubbo and Ranboo left, closing the door behind them. 

There was a silence and then Cleo jumped at the sound of someone drinking milk. She spun around summoning her sword, freezing as the invisibility melted away to reveal Etho standing in the corner. 

“Finally, I thought they were never going to leave,” Etho muttered.

“Etho! What are you doing here?” Cleo bristled. 

Etho looked sheepishly off to the side as he rubbed the back of his head. “We’ll, I might have been following you. If you mean here on this server, we don’t really know. Oh yeah, TFC’s here too. We’ve been stuck on this server for about two weeks now. Least, I’ve been, TFC showed up about a week ago.”

“So wait, You're telling me you have been stuck on this server for two weeks?”

Etho nodded “Yup. Come on let's get out of here before they come back. We can talk at my secret base.” 

Cleo pulled away “Wait, wait. Why? Why were you sneaking around? Why are we avoiding those kids? I would like a good reason before I turn down their hospitality.”

“This server isn’t what it seems to be. It’s seriously glitched out. Haven’t you noticed how many scars everyone has here, how many hybrids there are.” 

Now that Cleo thought about it, even the ender-kid, Ranboo, had scars that looked like tears running down his face. Scars only happened when there was a glitch during respawn so they were pretty rare, the fact that three of the five people she had seen so far had obvious scars was concerning, especially with how bad the scars on that Tubbo kid were. On top of that, Quackity looked like he might be some kind of bird hybrid, with small golden wings, while Tubbo was a goat and Cleo had no idea what Ranboo really was. Hybrids were the result of pretty strong server glitches, and from what Etho was saying those guys weren’t the only ones. 

“So the server is glitchy, that doesn't make them bad people,”  

“There are places on this server that have been blown up all the way down to bedrock. Those kids who seemed so nice, they have nukes in that building right outside. There is a prison that everyone here is terrified of, seemingly for good reason. The Warden that guards it almost killed me while chasing me and TFC away, and said something about hunting us down and killing us till we were completely dead.”  

Cleo blanched “Completely dead… like, they have a way of reliably preventing respawning here.” She remembered what it felt like being stuck in the void unable to respawn. For Joe it had only been a couple of minutes, for her it had felt like hours.

“I don’t know,” Etho shrugged. “I just think it would be best if we all kept a low profile till we can find a way out of here.” 

“I… I trust you, Etho. But I don’t want to leave without letting those kids know that I won’t be staying here. They seem like nice kids, I’d rather not just disappear on them.” 

Etho hesitated, then nodded “Alright, Just be careful, and take this,” He said handing her two invis pots. “You can find me in the sewers under their shopping district, there is a community center in the middle of a lake, the entrance to the tunnels is underneath it.”

Cleo took the potions and smiled reassuringly, “Don’t worry, I got this. I’ll be fiiine.”

“Ok,” Etho nodded and pulled his facemask down. He drank an invis potion before leaving the building.

Cleo sighed. Perma-death hum, would that even work on her? Seeing as she already kinda died before. She didn’t want to have to find out.

[what-the-witch-stuff]

Allright. Elliott thread that nobody asked for. Part 4

The words you read seem to be some alien gibberish? Try these first:

Part 1   |    Part 2     |   Part 3      

Don’t worry guys. It will be over soon, I promise.

Bevore we start: This happened yesterday.

And I basically turned into that iCarly gif, where she’s on the Computer, sippin’ her drink and goes: interesting.

Because look who we have here. Our future husband acting all self-aware? Right after I assumed in my last post that he never talks about the possibility of his failure...

Elliott, do you know that I talk shit about you on Tumblr?

Please stop breaking the 4th wall...

To safe at least some of my ‘credibility’, he followed this up with something along the lines of:

“No, no...I am not fishing for compliments. Which does not mean I don't appreciate them ;) “.

Sure. Whatever.

In comparison to that:

A few in-game days previously, I had a cut-scene with Leah, where the player can suggest that she should organise an art show. And there, Leah openly communicated her fears of ppl not liking her art. I was surprised about how open she was, given that it was probably her 2nd heart event or something (?). It's interesting, how Leah (who I perceived to be more reserved than Elliott), was so willing to let us know about her insecurities. Meanwhile, Elliot seems to brush these thoughts aside rather quickly and returns to his nonchalant, graceful self.

I always thought that from the two of them, it might be Elliott who is more vocal about his emotions. But now, Elliott doesn't seem to wear his heart on his sleeves as much as I thought he would. Which changed the way I think about him quite a bit. Maybe he is more likely to hide behind platitudes and a self-assuring smile, after all.

And what can we take from this, when we would want to write, let’s say a scene with Leah/Elliott friendship dynamic?

What do you guys think?

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

Anyways, before I was so disgracefully exposed, I was roasting Elliott’s life choices. To which I now gladly return to.

You see, the "issue" I see with Elliott is, that he plays into a trope:

The brooding hermitic author, who turned his back onto society in favour of finding inspiration in nature.

While this might sound thrilling and "romantic", we know that Elliott is not the best candidate to conform to this lifestyle. Just compare, how we as the player, manage to form quite strong relationships with everyone in Pelikan Town just by talking to them regularly.

We see Elliott outside the beach-area quite often. But aside from Leah, he does not seem to interact with anyone much. I don't know if there are statements about Elliott made by other characters, to have some inkling on how they feel about him. But its quite remarkable, how all other friendships outside to his connection with Leah, are not explicitly known as canon (?).

After a whole year living in this town, previous to our arrival, I would suggest, that Elliott might still be very much an outsider. He even remarks how, with our arrival, it will be nice, to no longer be "the new guy" in town.

But the problem with that might have been Elliott's reservedness, to begin with. Polite, but yet, maybe, quite impersonal. All pleasantries and platitudes as mentioned above. It all plays into Elliott's refusal to experience the comforts of a normal lifestyle in favour of pursuing his art.

And I love how Elliott just brushes that aside as if its nothing. I'd really love to know: what would have been his plan b, if his debut failed?

Worst case cenario: What would he'd done, if he ended up stranded in Pelikan Town, penniless and unsuccessful?

Where would he go? Is there a place he can return to? A previous home, previous friends?

I don't think so.

But, dedicated, impuslive, sweet, dumb Elliott just thought to himself:

“I can do that. How bad can it be???, it will be fi~ne.It will be marvellous!

Authentic, truly!

It will be superb pictouresque and that is all I need to write my novel....”

Thanks Yoba. You’ll keep doing that please.

And then we also have interactions of the likes of:

“People have scaped a living off the sea for thousands of years....

I just go to the grocery store.”

A different thought I had on Elliott kind of plays into what I already said previously. But I will adress it as its own topic.

The downside of Elliott’s ego.

As much as we explored the rather whacky / chaotic elements of his character and how he does stupid shit for prestige itself, it is interesting to see what happens when the player challenges his self-dramatisation.

I keep re-thinking if and to what degree Elliott can laugh about himself.

He is not one for self-deprecating humour, I think.

I can imagine that to be more Shane’s thing.

We see different scenarios, in which Elliott reacts differently to things not going his way. One of the positives is the whole “A tiny crab made a home inside his coat pocket”- story. I have seen two interpretations of this scene. And both are dependent on the tone, in which you read his dialogue. One group thinks he is just complaining yet again.

On the other hand, you could read it more like:

“My, look what we have here. Can you believe that [y/name]?!“.

I think that Elliott does not appear to be angry or annoyed at all in that scenario, too. He could have vented to the player, how he needs a new coat, now.  But he simply leaves it at that. And you know what?

But, there are other times, where Elliott reacts negatively to the player not doing what he wants you to do. Meaning:  your reaction to him or your behaviour in a specific situation. Let's look at his 2nd (?) heart event at the Stardrop Saloon. He comes up to the bar, finds himself in the mood for company, and orders wine for you and ale for himself. 

New Headcanon:

That little crab still lives there! It will probably live there long after you two get married. And he will feed it scraps from the dinner table even though you ask him not to.

Whatever...Sounds Cute. 

My first reaction to that was: “aw, wHaT a GeNtLemAn!!!”. My second reaction was my inner feminist having a temper tantrum because: “how dare a man, to assume what I want to drink!” 

New Headcanon on Elliott and gender roles, anyone? Or is it given, that with him being a good old fashioned lover boy, his expectation on any relationship dynamic might be more traditional?

As much as I find Elliott charming and all, this could be a great red flag and, again, beautiful material for character-conflict. Maybe Elliott needs to learn to not take everything at face value. Maybe he needs to learn, how to take a joke. Especially those made at his expense.

However, when the question arises, what the two of you should drink on, he will not laugh if you say “your doom”.

This is not something he sees as sarcasm or as a joke. In fact, you lose 50 friendship points! Like holy shit. That in itself is not much, but its a game-penalty. He is actively reacting negatively toward you. This is one of the few times, where your decision actively has an impact on the friendship-metre. Of course, that statement could be delivered in a non-joking matter. Which then justifies his reaction.... sure.

But even the fact that Elliott chooses, to not downplay or gloss-over your comment, leaves me with the following interpretation:

He hoped for a charming, flirtatious interaction. All you had to do, was to play along. But you ruined it.

Just imagine a situation with a little bit of miss-communication and a version of Elliott that is a little too proud for his own good and *chef's kiss* we have drama.

Me to Elliott and Farmer-OC: fight! fight! fight! fight! :D

All of you reading right now:

omg can't you just chill??? We are here for the fluff :(((

Also: depending on how it's written, that could be one of Elliott's major character flaws. The one that is not cute at all!

__________________________

I wanted to take some jabs at Elliott's likes and dislikes. But as it turned out: Yes, you can turn Duck feathers into quills. I had this funny headcanon that Elliott wanted to be extra special by choosing duck feathers as his preferred writing instrument. And I was all like: “use a pen!!”.

But then I found out about the Unobtainable Weapons-List and Elliott’s pen is one of them. Okay, whatever. 

And then I asked google how to make quills. And while duck feathers are not the preferred or most popular option, there is also nothing that would speak against it, as long as the feather’s shaft is durable enough. So that theory has flown out of the window pretty quickly as well.

The only thing that comes to my mind instead is, how Elliott would still need a digital manuscript for publishing. But me screaming: “Where is your Laptop Elliott??? You need a computer! Its the 21 century!!!” is not half that funny anymore.

I guess I’ll end it here.

I hope you enjoyed this completely useless stream of consciousness.

I will now continue playing Stardew Valley and indulge in all my other quarantine-born obsessions.

I wish you a wonderful day and happy farming.

[mydrug-is-dragonage]

Veda Adaar, Life after Bull

Victory. Triumph. Glory. Pride. What we usually feel when we win a battle. The quiet grief of cutting down lives, regardless of how worthy they are of death, but the warm joy, knowing we saved someone or something or everyone or everything from a grand or small evil.

Victory.  We stood on the balcony, crowded together, together again for the first time in years. Thom and Sera, Divine Victoria’s watchful eyes, Cassandra and Varric’s constant disdainful flirting, Cole and Maryden’s quiet affection, Dorian and Vivienne both wine drunk trading insults, the quiet acknowledgement of a friendship that grew against both of their wills. Josephine and Cullen arguing, treating the terrace like battlements, more performative as they both know the end is closer than the beginning. Solas, our own personal god, long-gone into the eluvian. We’re all here, we’re all together. All of us, but Bull.

Triumph. The weeks have passed, a quick and effective rebuke from the Arishok, King Alistair and Empress Celene accept it quietly, no time for war with another battle floating above us in the air. Back at Skyhold, a skeleton crew, these days just Harding and me spend our time in the battle room, staring at maps; Leliana’s other protégés are always off on missions. Sera pops by every now and then to see Dagna with bees and trinkets and little things to remind me that she’s never really gone. The best day, or the worst depending on the audience, Sera and Dagna came up to my room, giggling, presented me with a crossbow for where my arm ought to be. “Widdle’s a wizard, yeah! You’ll be on rooftops sticking it to people too big for their breeches in no time!” I thanked them, and sent them away. This is love, at least for Sera. Her love is violence and showy maneuvers, dancing with both hands and feet shaking about.

Glory. Josephine writes me letters, telling me to eat, to ask Cullen to write back. After a few months, she finally pens, “I know I am no longer your formal ambassador, but as your informal friend I find it painful to admit what has been sung in the inns and halls. Bards have taken your loss and turned it into song. Unlike what Maryden had composed, these are unfortunately mocking in nature. People have taken the final act and written it as the whole narrative, my lady. A play premiered in Val Royeux putting you at the center of the conflict, as the one who allowed it to happen. If you desire, I can put an end to this. Divine Victoria recommended assassins, but I’ve temporarily dispelled her more primal desires. Likewise, Mr. Arainai also reached out, grateful for the assistance you had given him evading the Crows. I similarly told him no. Above all, regardless of what action we take, I want you to know I am sorry. You’ve lost much, suffered more than so many of us. I’m sorry, Veda. I love you.”  It wasn’t unexpected, bards sing, playwrights write. They tell the tales people want to hear. Immortalizing betrayal has always turned them into legends.

Pride. A cold morning, one with little to be done, Charter and Rector off in Nevarra, the crows neither coming or going, Lace came into my room, “Sorry to bother you, V, we’ve got a vistor.”

“Avoidable?” I ask.

“What an impossibly rude question, darling.” I looked up from my desk and saw her horns pointing from the stairway.

“Oh, Vivienne, I wasn’t expecting you,” I said. I don’t stop the smile on my face. For all our differences, we’d become like sisters. On her best days, she’d fawn over me like a mother.

“That’s Grand Enchanter now, My Lady Inquisitor.”

“I’ll leave you to it,” Lace said, excusing herself. I waited to hear the door close, then the other. Vivienne stood, graceful and stoic as ever. A few more moments of silence, then she broke into a smile. She took off her hat, placed it on the sofa, and walked towards me, arms splayed.

“Oh, my dear, how I’ve missed you!” I stood up, robes draping and hiding me.

I leaned into her hug, resting my head on hers. “Grand Enchanter, really Viv?”

“One must keep appearances, darling. Besides, imagine if Bull heard you call me…” She heard it as it left her mouth. “Oh, my sweet, I’m so sorry. While we should have anticipated his betrayal, I know the loss must weigh on you heavily.” She nestled further into my chest. I breathed out, for a moment just Veda, not the Inquisitor, not the betrayed lover, not the important person forced upon me. I was mortal, Vashoth, tall and strong and being hugged by someone who loved me enough to allow me to be small and weak. We settled onto the couch. I pulled my legs in front of me

“You know better than anyone. I remember, I was there when you lost Bastien.”

“And I was there when you lost the Iron Bull,” she sighed. “We are sisters in grief, as well as sisters in victory. We’re sisters in success, although your’s has had its struggles as of late. I assume the Divine told you of the bards?”

“Josephine.”

“The Nightingale sending a gentler songbird. Wise.”

“I assumed it would happen. Charter brought back the lyrics and playbook from what she considered the more consumable tales,” I said.

“They’re vile, darling. I offered the services of the Circle. The Divine declined. I assumed she had sent assassins.”

“No, I turned down the offers.”

“You’re losing political capital, my dear. If you want to return to the world, recruit who you need to defeat Solas, you’ll need allies. New allies, old allies. It will require quite the force and connections. You know you have the Circle, as much as we can politically sacrifice in this turbulent time,” she said.

“It isn’t the first thing on my mind, at the moment,” I said.

“And why not darling? If you choose to remain in obscurity at some point it will no longer be a choice.”

 It’s spring, it is the last night at Skyhold before we leave for the Exalted Council. Cullen and Josephine have been up bickering most the evening, finally put to rest. I settle into my room, sitting at my desk, twiddling my pen. My bag is packed, the horses are ready. The door creaks open. I don’t look up, I can smell him from here. Even after a bath he smells like home, smoky and warm. “Hey, Kadan.”

“Hey,” I say, “they finished?”

“Well, Cullen is now arguing with Cabot which gave me enough time to get the serving girls to feed Josephine. She wanted to get back to bickering, but I asked her if the itinerary had been checked. So I think they’re fine for now.”

“They’re just worried about tomorrow, the coming weeks. It’s normal,” I say,

“You’re the one who grew up with humans. They worry too much, but it makes them easy to work with. Like clay.” I smile and look back down at my papers. “Enough work, Kadan. You can’t do anything more today.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Are you going to make me?” I smirk.

“Oh, is this what we’re doing?”

“Oh you didn’t know?” I laugh. “I thought you knew it all, everything I needed, Ben-Hassrath training, remember?” He smiles and walks towards me, I slide back in my seat and he scoops me up.

In bed, his heart pumps slow and heavy in his chest. I trace his body with my hands, his arm around me. Our horns rub against each other, small grooves from the years of lying here together. “Better?” He asks.

“What do you think?”

“I know. I just want to know if you know.” I lean up and kiss him.

“Yes, better.” He smells better when he’s sweaty. Something about those early days, seeing him tear through crowds, watching his arms lift and push those heavy swords and axes. Long before, when the Chargers still existed, when he wasn’t just my man, but their man.

“What’s wrong?” He asks.

“I’m sorry, you know,” I say. For a moment, he’s silent, sitting in the grief.

“You made the right choice. You made the only choice. You led like a Qunari.”

“It shouldn’t have been my choice. I should have let you decide,” I say.

“No,” He says, clipped. “You are the Inquisitor. It was your decision, to keep the alliance or lose it. You made history. You stopped a batshit insane darkspawn from destroying the world.”

“I could have stopped him anyway,” I say.

“We don’t know that. The Tamassrans used to say, ‘When there are no right choices, the right decision is the one you make and the one you live with.’” I nestle into his chest.

“I’m happy the Qunari have kept you here.”

“Me too, Kadan.”

“I love you, Bull.” He pulls me closer into him. For a moment, I wonder if he’s crying.

 “I don’t want you to be angry, Viv,” I said.

"Oh what now darling? First you go into solitude like a hermit, what’s next?” I put my legs down and pulled my robes back. “What’s this?” She looked, at first with curiosity, then her eyes widened. “Veda, oh Veda, are you?”

My eyes well, “Yeah, Viv. I am.”

She covers her mouth, the first time I’ve seen her truly shocked. “And is it…?” With that question, the tears fall. The heavy sobs wrack my chest and Vivienne crawls towards me, arms draped around my shoulders and I cry into her chest. “Oh darling, of course you’ve been distracted.” She rubs the back of my head, stroking my neck as I calm down. “Should I ask Harding for some tea? Juice? No wine, of course.” I shake my head. “Oh dear. Who all knows?”

I swallow and trap my tears in my chest. “So far you, Leliana, Thom, and Cassandra. Lace knows, and she’s kept questions from Charter and Rector to a minimum.”

“You haven’t told Josephine?”

“How could I? What could I possibly say, ‘Oh yes, enjoy your new career in Antiva! By the way, I’m carrying the betrayer’s child! Send my love to Yves and Yvette!’”

“I don’t think keeping it secret is much wiser, my dear. People will know, especially once the child is here. Do the Qunari know?” She asked.

“As far as Leliana’s sources know, no. Bull was loyal to the end, they had no reason to think he’d do this, especially when it hadn’t happened in the years before.”

“When did this happen?”

“Right before we left for the Exalted Council,” I said.

“Oh.”

“I know,” I said. “He must have known. I can’t decide if this was kindness or cruelty.”

“What’s that line he always said, darling? ‘When it’s a hostile target, you give them what they want. When it’s someone you care about, you give them what they need.’”

The tears well again. My hands slide to swollen belly. “It isn’t what I wanted. I had never even considered it. He was Qunari enough that I knew we’d never have a family.”

She reached a hand towards my belly, “May I?” I sniffed and nodded. She placed her hands on my stomach, on top of my own hands. “If this isn’t what you wanted, then it must have been what he thought you needed.”

  “He couldn’t have known we’d win. He fought like he meant it. He struck me with his blade. He wasn’t fighting to lose.” The anger and grief mixed in my throat.

“He wasn’t, he never did, darling. But he knew you. He knew us. He knew you’d bring me and Cassandra. He knew what the Qunari could and couldn’t do. He believed in you, at the end. Just as he had at the beginning, my dear.” I took a hand from my belly and moved it to the outside of my horn, the groove still there from the years spent lying together.

“I’m not planning on bringing  my child into the public life. We’ll have a few years, at least, presuming we aren’t all destroyed by Solas,” I said.

“Shh, no reason to worry about that right now, darling. We have today’s troubles and tomorrow’s troubles.” She sat back and blinked away her own tears. “I’ve never been an aunt before. I’ll of course send over a suite of clothes and supplies from Val Royeux.”

 I wipe my eyes and smile, “Are you going to be an aunt or a Grandma’am?”

"Oh you miserable louse, how dare you?” She said, the tears finally pouring from her eyes.

[tallycraven]

thoughts on a raylla hercules AU?

ohhh? OH. I can see that, but with major changes to mythology to match themes, maybe? if disney did it so can i 

raelle is the daughter of hades and a mortal. not that she knows that.

her mother, hades, had to hide her and leave her in the mortal realm in fear of retaliation from the olympians. they would take her for their own, raise her as an arrogant demigod, charge her with duties of honor and glory-- send her to die on one of their battlefields. hades couldn’t have that. 

so, she snuck her baby away and hid her amongst the bushes, tucked between the safety of two cypress trees, hoping for her a better future than to be bound to the olympians or the darkness of the underworld. hades left her with nothing but a small bone charm, inscribed with her given name and imbued with the same kind of magic as the helm of darkness; something to keep her hidden from olympian view.

she was found near a ravine by a couple of farmers; a wife and husband that had been praying to the gods for a baby for so long that they hardly blinked at the chance of getting to raise the small pale being that’d been abandoned to the wolves.

raelle was raised with love and care despite the meager wealth of her parents, but she always felt like something was missing. 

she’s absurdly strong, for one thing. for another, she’s got a silver tongue and often wins any debate or bet with barely a bat of her lashes. 

this, in combination with her paleness -- fair of skin and hair with eyes close to frost on those rare snowy winter days -- led her to be shunned and feared by other children and villagers.

her adoptive parents, seeing her distress over the feeling of not belonging, shows her the bone charm, tells her of the runes inscribed along the back and the place where they found her. a gift from the gods, they call her.

it still doesn’t explain anything. 

raelle makes the decision to take the charm and climb to a temple of athena in search of answers.

when she makes it there, it’s nothing but a vast hall of stone and offerings. no goddess, no moment of clarity, no answers. 

she’s in the midst of storming off in a rage when an owl lands on a perch and stares at her inquisitively.

it speaks to her. it speaks to raelle in a voice that’s strong and assertive, if not a bit amused. 

“i do not know who you are. but if you are a godling, you must prove yourself before the eyes of gods and men.”

a godling? raelle wants to ask. but talking to an owl seems ludicrous. so she just stares and blinks like an idiot.

the owl just laughs. tells raelle of a place to find a woman in self-imposed isolation. a hermit who will guide her along, wishes her luck before lifting away on magnificent wings and disappearing into the night.

the trek to find this hermit is hard and raelle almost quits and turns around more than once. but where would she go? to a village where everyone fears her? no. the only way forwards is onwards. 

raelle finds the hermit on a secluded island off the mainland. her yard is littered with half-finished marble statues and shooting targets with perfectly placed arrows stuck into them. swords, spears, and shields are lined and stacked in orderly fashion at the bases of trees.

right as raelle is about to knock on the door to the lone homestead, the door swings open to reveal a tall woman with dark skin and a piercing stare.

“godling.”

“you know who i am?”

“so you do think you’re a godling?”

“what? no, i--”

“prove it.”

her name is anacostia. she turns out to be the most no-nonsense taskmaster that raelle’s ever heard of.

she didn’t know she could feel sore, but the first two weeks in, she’s pretty sure her arms are going to pop off of her body. she complains and anacostia only raises an eyebrow before making her take another lap around the island.

it pays off though. her lithe form fills out with lean and hard muscle; her strength adopts accuracy and grace.

months pass and raelle trades her shabby farm clothes for a clean white tunic and armor to match.

anacostia doesn’t speak it, but raelle can see the charmed pride in her eyes when they sit quietly by the fire at the end of raelle’s last day as anacostia’s student.

“where will you go next?” anacostia asks

“back to the temple, i suppose.”

“strength does not make a hero, raelle. tasks and duty do.”

“what does that mean?”

“athena told you to prove yourself before the eyes of gods and men.”

“alright, so, what?” raelle frowns, staring into the fire. “i go slay a monster, save a damsel, rescue someone’s pet dog, and then i get access to olympus?”

it’s one of the few times anacostia has openly laughed and raelle feels weirdly justified by it.

“come with me.” raelle says.

anacostia starts shaking her head, leaning back against the tree behind her. “i can’t.”

“why not? you’re my mentor, i can’t do this without you.”

silence, for a while.

“i have duties i must attend to.”

“you’re alone on an island all day, what duties do you possibly have? counting and sweeping leaves?”

“training a mouthy godling, apparently.”

silence, again. anacostia watches raelle from across the fire. five minutes pass before she gives in with a nod. 

“okay. i’ll come.”

they set out in the morning in the direction of thebes. it’s a long walk along the main road, so they slip off it at one point, going through the woods to cut half a day off travel.

that’s when raelle hears her. 

a melodic voice with lilted accent, clean and crisp and irritated. 

raelle stops in her tracks and drifts towards the noise, much to anacostia’s annoyance. 

“what are you doing, godling? get back here.”

“i think i hear a damsel.” raelle replies half-joking with a quirked eyebrow-- an expression that she definitely lifted from anacostia.

she sticks her head out from behind a tree and spots the source of the voice: a girl in a purple dress adorned in golden jewelry talking to a towering centaur.

raelle’s been through a lot the past few months, but nothing has left her quite as stunned and dazed as this stranger. it takes the conflict between the stranger and the centaur becoming physical to get raelle out of the bushes and into action.

anacostia sighs and steps out of the bushes to watch raelle’s first real fight.

it’s fairly easy to beat the centaur and send him running off into the woods. it’s not as easy to get her brain to properly communicate to the gorgeous stranger, now soaked by stream that the centaur had dropped her in.

“are you alright?” 

“i had that under control.” the stranger grumbles, wringing water out of her clothes and brushing her dark hair back.

“an extra hand never hurt though, he had two extra legs. it was an unfair fight.” raelle counters.

the stranger seems to smile at that, and after squeezing as much water out from her dress as she can, she offers raelle a smile. 

“scylla.”

“i’m sorry?”

“that’s my name.”

“oh... oh!” raelle’s eyebrows draw together into a crinkle. “like the monster?”

“my parents had a sense of humor.” scylla drawls, “what about you, hero?”

“uh, i’m.. uh,” so much for a silver tongue. “raelle.”

scylla blinks at her and hums in acknowledgement before turning to glance at anacostia, who’s still watching from the treeline.

“well, rae,” scylla smirks, “it was a pleasure. thank you for the soak. catch you around.”

she turns to go and raelle finds herself rushing two steps forward, “wait! can we escort you? we’re headed to thebes. these woods are dangerous and--”

“i’ll be alright,” scylla laughs, turning as she continues to walk away, “i’m a big girl-- can slay my own centaurs. bye now, hero.”

it’s with pitiful heart eyes that raelle raises her hand to give a weak wave. “bye...”

raelle stays rooted to the ground for at least two minutes before a pat to her back makes her jump in surprise.

anacostia only looks at her with that damned quirked eyebrow and hard gaze. 

“hope you enjoyed that, because you have actual work to do that doesn’t involve making eyes at good-looking strangers.”

“did you see her, ana? gods, she was... wow”

anacostia rolls her eyes and walks away, towards the direction of thebes.

it takes raelle more than a second to follow after, an extra bounce in her step. -------------- x   --------------

scylla sighs as she makes her way through the woods, running a hand through her slowly-drying hair.

the mission was a bust and she’s hungry as fuck. 

she’s weighing the pros and cons of hunting down her own meal when two figures step into her path.

they’re both tall, cloaked in familiar dark blue robes and donning small silver pins in the shape of a bident by their calsps. 

one of them has red hair and a patient smile, hands held in front of herself as she stands in scylla’s way.

the other is less approachable. her hood is pulled up, hiding her dark skin and dismissive frown. 

“ah. great. i was wondering when i was going to get a visit from henchmen one and two.”

“that’s not very nice.” the red-haired one pouts, hands unclutching to move to her hips in an indignant stance.

“tally and i come all the way up here to make sure you accomplish your task only to find you soaked to the core and centaur-less.”

“abigail, there’s no need to berate her yourself.”

that’s when a heavy heat rolls in out of nowhere and scylla feels herself stiffen in response.

the shadows in the trees are looming, coalescing and giving form to a tall and imposing woman with threatening posture and an expression that gives away nothing but a hint of disappointment.

“did i not ask you to bring me nessus? to join the cause?”

scylla sighs, leans up against a tree so that at least she’s protected from behind. “yes, hades, i’m sorry, hades.”

“sorry doesn’t make up for a lost ally.”

“well, i almost had him, but then he got handsy and some hero named raelle stumbled out of nowhere and scared him off!” 

hades freezes, all her composure melted into a singular expression of confusion and awe and surprise.

“raelle?”

tally tilts her head and abigail straightens out from her lax lean against her own tree.

“that’s the name she gave,” scylla frowns at the growing tension, already looking for a way out of this conversation and away from these three.

but there is no way out. not with her soul bound and in hades’s possession. not with her closest two soldiers standing right there. scylla grumbles quietly to herself and presses harder against the tree.

then hades says the one thing she hates hearing hades say.

“i have a new job for you.”

[jj-ktae]

·39·Attendance - Prompt Game -

Title : Attendance Pairing : Lim Jaebeom x Fem!Reader Genre : Fluff Words : 1393 Summary : You just want Jaebeom to take care of himself. Prompt N°39 : “You fool! You’ve walked right into my trap! It’s not even a very good trap!”

Attendance 

Jaebeom doesn’t know what rest is. He spends hours and hours in his studio, composing and writing until he feels satisfied enough to grant himself with a five-minute break that barely calms his stress. He walks around when he needs inspiration, eyes moving frantically in need of something, anything that could tear a word out of his brain.

When it does he runs back into the poorly lit room, his feet hitting the ground at full speed and distracting you from whatever you are doing.

You’ve learnt to deal with this side of your boyfriend.

You don’t mind; Jaebeom has always been the artistic type, the one who says only what is needed but has it all in his head. He finds beauty in what reflects the eyes and expresses it with what the lips can form. It is a process of fabrication that he cherishes and you are willing to follow his lead for the sake of his art.

But sometimes, just sometimes, you wish he would put it aside to enjoy the beauty of a relationship he tends to forget. It is obviously not on purpose for Jaebeom is the same old romantic, his words teasing and pupils shining when you appear before him. He works in cycles where he locks himself for a long period before emerging with or without the hint of a smile to fulfil his boyfriend duties.

You understand, you don’t want him to change who he is.

It has been a whole week, though. A week of whispers and dehydration. Jaebeom barely goes out and he has a whole album to work on but you cannot let him be. He must take care of himself above everything else even if it means fighting with his thick head.

“Jaebeom, you should take a break.” Only your head pops from behind the door. A tired boy is sitting, locks messed up.

“Later.”

It’s always the same answer, that annoying word which means he won’t be going out of this room any time soon.

You sigh, opening the door wider and sensing the change of mood as soon as he slowly pulls his headphones down.

“I’m about to eat, can you please join me?” You try again, a hand now on your hip.

He tilts his head slightly, looking frustrated but also annoyed. “I’ll join you later. I’m almost done.”

You know how it will end, the food will stay on the table until you go to sleep.

“Why can’t you disconnect for like...an hour?” You don’t need him to answer; you want him to realize he has to stop. “You have to take care of yourself!”

Jaebeom sighs, finally putting his pen down and leaning over his hand. “I am taking care of myself. I need concentration, that’s all.”

“And I need you from time to time, that’s all.” You finish, your tone going softer.

Annoyance leaves Jaebeom as soon as you speak. He nods and lets everything as it is on his office, like you spelled a cast on him and he can only do whatever you want.

He will never admit it is actually the case.

“I’m done for tonight.” He concludes. You smile and it feels like jackpot for Jaebeom so he gets up and walks toward you until he is at arm’s reach. His hand falls on your cheek, “Let’s eat. I deserve a break.”

Your body relaxes, his reaction enough to make you feel electricity going through your chest. “I deserve that break, too.” you joke, turning around to go to the kitchen.

Jaebeom feels guilty. He knows he shouldn’t turn into a hermit whenever he has a big project going on but he doesn’t seem to be able to work any other way. He finds the table set and so beautifully decorated it makes his heart ache.

You had prepared all of this and you probably did it in the past too. How many times did he reject your offers, how many times did you do your best and never complained because you take him seriously?

His stomach almost hurts. He hates feeling like the guy who is so selfish he doesn’t even notice everyone else’s effort.

So, before he can form a proper sentence, an apology leaves his mouth.

You arrange the second plate on the table, raising two surprising brows at how down he suddenly looks. Maybe he doesn’t want to take a break but did it to please you?

“I promise it’s only for tonight. I’m the one who is sorry for taking you away from work.” You hate how indecisive your emotions are. Anger is out the window when you notice how disturbed Jaebeom is; he probably is already thinking about what he should be composing, now.

Your boyfriend blinks, feeling even worse for hinting he might not want to be here. “No, no. I actually feel guilty. You’ve been preparing such a pretty dinner and I almost didn’t see it.”

He takes a seat and you follow, your chair now next to his.

“I am totally fine with being here, with you. I hate that you’re doing all this while I can only lock myself up in this room. You had every right to come and request a little bit of my time. You deserve all my time.” he confesses, his usual embarrassment nowhere to be found.

You hum, taken aback by such a confession but also content. “Are you okay? You don’t usually...speak like this.”

Jaebeom looks okay, but deep inside he is not. “I’m just realising things. Just you saying you need me and your face right now makes me realize how much of a crappy boyfriend I am.” He chuckles, eyes avoiding the table because he pictures you being all cute an eager to please him.

For a whole minute, Jaebeom thinks he doesn’t deserve to have you.

And you feel it, the hint of anxiety on his face. It’s like the one expression he wears whenever he is stuck on a project.

You grab his adorably-looking tiny hand and let the chair slide closer to his. “Don’t overthink it. I am in a happy relationship; we live comfortably without conflicts, we’re both busy people and we do love each other. You having to lock yourself into your studio is fine by me, I just want you to take care of yourself. Don’t think about all the times you didn’t come.”

“I just think about you preparing all this,” he looks up, licking his lips unconsciously when your sweet face appears before him. “about how beautiful you are,” he lifts his free arm and wraps it around your shoulder, “and about how my past self must have done a lot of good deeds for me to live this way without getting in trouble.”

He pulls you toward him when you snort and you let his hand go to hug him back. “You’re a perfect boyfriend, Jaebeom. You care about me and I feel it. You have nothing to worry about, I just wish you’d stop disappearing for a whole week.”

You yelp when he grabs you, making you fall on his lap. “I guess I will have to show you how...present, I can be.”

You shake your head, using your best pitiful expression. “I know, a dinner is nothing special...maybe I shouldn’t try so hard and just give you what you need…”

Jaebeom gasps, horrified by your comment and how it implies he left his studio for sex only. You land back on your chair in the blink of an eye before Jaebeom dives into his plate, stuffing his face and complimenting your cooking and you swear he is about to choke.

Your face turns so red from how hard you are trying not to laugh but you still end up giggling, confusing you boyfriend.

“You fool! You’ve walked right into my trap! It’s not even a very good trap!” You grab your own plate and follow, wriggling when Jaebeom tries to tickle you.

“You freaked me out!” He whines, his cheeks so full it is hard to fully understand him. “I was ready to write a whole essay on how way more important than sex you are.”

You feel proud. “I know, but you need to take care of yourself first. Now eat, we’ll check your…. attendance once you’re done.”

Jaebeom eats faster.

[emybain]

A “Bear”y Good Surprise

appreciate the pun lovelies. i didn’t sleep last night because i wrote this (and some other stuff...(; ). check for background info here written at 1am i think. 

ao3

It was the perfect gift.

At least, Adrian thought so. He had spent over a month working on it, and it came from the heart. Since their six month anniversary, he had been brainstorming gift ideas for their next anniversary, which would be one year. Even though they had agreed on no gifts, as nothing could truly represent their love for another, Adrian still wanted to give the love of his life something that would mean something to her. Nothing materialistic or showy. She didn’t like those kinds of things. After searching and searching the internet, as well as snooping around her apartment for anything personal like photographs, Adrian was still at a loss for what to give her. Not knowing what else to do, he called up the person who was the closest thing Nova had to a father, Leroy Flinn, A.K.A ex-Anarchist. The middle aged man now lived a life in solitude outside of town, though Nova visited him often and made up excuses to see him. He always insisted that he enjoyed his new life as a hermit, being able to live in peace and experiment without interruption, but that never fazed Nova. 

While Adrian wasn’t close with Leroy, they were now friendly with one another and Leroy seemed to accept that his daughter-figure had fallen in love with everything she was raised to hate. The phone conversation started out awkward, but upon mentioning trying to find a special gift, Leroy was quick to make suggestions. Nova had inventions, blueprints, books, and other belongings down in the subway tunnels before they were confiscated by the Renegades. This got the wheels turning in Adrian’s head; he could get that stuff back to her safely. But...she was owed that, and it wasn’t much of a gift. In fact, Adrian was surprised that the Council, who wasn’t so much the Council these days due to the reforming government, had yet to return her items. Or that Nova hadn’t gone in herself to retrieve them. 

He brought this up to Leroy, who thought in silence for a bit. Adrian almost thought that he had hung up when he mentioned a bear of Nova’s. Adrian perked up. Her father had gotten her a stuffed bear when she was very young, and Nova had brought it to the tunnels with her as a reminder of her family. It wasn’t something she talked about much, but Leroy knew of its existence. It used to sit on her work table and be her company while she would tinker with inventions. Leroy wasn’t sure if she had it still, or if it ended up being confiscated with the rest of her things. Whatever the case, it surely wasn’t in great condition. According to Leroy, Nova always wanted to get it fixed up properly and cleaned, but she never had the time or money. 

That led to Adrian straight to the Renegades Artifacts where he knew her items still sat. It took a while, but with the help of Snapshot, he managed to package up all of her belongings and load them up in his car. All of this had to be done in stealth mode, as Nova was at Headquarters that day presenting a proposal to Adrian’s dad, Captain Chromium. Then after that, it took about an hour to sort through the boxes. There weren’t many, but he and Snapshot didn’t know what all was Nova’s and what all belonged to the other Anarchists. He did find the bear, or what he assumed was the stuffed animal; it was the only one amidst all of the tools and weapons and clothing and other things. It was ratty and missing both of its eyes and there was a tear in its neck, causing a great loss of stuffing. What must’ve been a bow around its neck at one point was now a stained and brown tattered mess. Its nose had seen better days. An ear was missing. 

It was perfect. 

But even now, as Adrian tried to unlock the door to his house, with Nova’s arms wrapped around him from behind and her lips leaving tiny kisses on the back of his neck, he was nervous. He surprised her with a fancy dinner, telling her beforehand to dress nice. He picked her up from her apartment that was only a few blocks from his house, and she managed to blow him away with her attire. She managed to make a simple jumpsuit look like a million dollars. It was a dark turquoise, loose fitting on the legs with a v-neck and spaghetti straps. Adrian had to restrain himself from kissing her all over the second he laid his eyes on her. She knew how it affected Adrian, too, and seemed to like sauntering about in the thing all night just to get a reaction out of him. Damn her. 

She protested against a nice dinner, but Adrian could tell she enjoyed it. He was aware how she hated being treated special, but things like this were an exception. After dinner, they drove around for a bit, just enjoying one another’s company and the music playing on the radio. Then finally, Adrian convinced her to come back to his house for a few minutes. Say hi to his parents and to Max and have some quiet time in his basement. It didn’t take much begging, either. 

The front door opened, and Adrian announced their return. From upstairs, Simon greeted them and said they would be down shortly. 

Nova walked in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck, craning her neck to look up at him. Her soft, content expression warmed Adrian all over, calming his nerves just slightly. “Thank you for tonight,” she murmured, kissing him gently. He returned the caress, hands going to the curves of her hips. “I loved every second.”

He smiled against her lips. “Happy anniversary, Nova.” The first of many, hopefully, he thought as she tugged him down once more to kiss him, this time much deeper and more passionate than the last. He couldn’t allow himself to get distracted; he had a job to do. However, Nova’s lips were very, very enticing. He shouldn’t be surprised; Nova was good at everything, including kissing. 

Adrian wasn’t sure if he should’ve thanked or cursed his family for choosing that moment to all come downstairs.

“That’s another dollar in the jar,” Max said with a fake gag. 

Nova was the first to pull back, yet she took her sweet time. It was funny how much she had changed in the time they had known one another. When they first got back together, she was always embarrassed if they were caught in a moment, even if they weren’t kissing. She still liked her privacy, and occasionally got embarrassed if it was a stranger, but around their friends and family, she seemed to not care about being caught. Sometimes, she acted smug. 

“Hey, Max. How’s the new Battlefield game treating you?” 

He shrugged. “Good. You still haven’t lived up your promise to play with me in the zombie mode, though.”

She smiled. “Next weekend?”

“Deal.”

They exchanged greetings with Simon and Hugh, chatting for a few minutes. Adrian’s dads had grown to really love Nova; he could tell just based on their expressions and mannerisms with her that had changed and evolved since the Supernova. The feeling was mutual, although Nova would never admit it out loud. Both his dads had even helped Adrian gather supplies and tools for the stuffed bear. Speaking of…

“Well, I wanted to show Nova what I’ve been working on downstairs before I take her home,” Adrian said, narrowing his eyes at both his parents. They seemed to take the hint, and as they parted ways, Hugh clapped a hand on Adrian’s shoulder.

“She’ll love it, don’t worry.” Hugh winked, and Adrian tried for a smile. 

Adrian cleaned his room for the occasion, making sure it was extra tidy for her. Nova didn’t mind a mess, but this was important. He wanted this memory to last, and a dirty room didn’t belong in it.

“What did you want to show me?” Nova swung their joined hands lightly, looking around his room for an easel. “Is it in your studio?” The jungle had disappeared when Adrian neutralized himself over a year before in the fight against Ace Anarchy, leaving him with his boring art studio again. He kept meaning to redecorate the walls. Maybe he would have Nova help him sometime. 

“Actually,” he began, leading her over to the couch and sitting her down, “It’s in here.” From beside the couch, hidden behind the side table, he pulled out a large box wrapped in a silvery paper and tied with a red bow at the top. He placed it in her arms, heart racing.

“Adrian,” she groaned, eyeing the size of the gift. “I thought we agreed upon no presents.”

“I know, I know.” He sat beside her. “But...don’t think of this as an anniversary gift, okay? I wanted to do something nice for you...from the heart. I know you don’t want anything fancy or expensive.” He inhaled a shaky breath and took one of her hands. “This is because I love you with all I am and all I will be.”

She gave him a long look, conflict written in her features. Finally, she shook her head and closed her eyes with a resigned sigh. “I love you, too, babe.” And with that, she carefully undid the bow and tore the wrapping paper, pushing both aside to stare at the box. 

“It’s not a crock pot.” He laughed at her confused expression. “That’s just all I could find to hold it.”

The corners of her lips lifted up, and she looked like she wanted to say something sarcastic but held back. She opened up the box and peered inside, pulling out tissue paper and at last, a brand new bear. 

“What…?” Her nose scrunched up and she examined the stuffed animal. It had two button eyes and a newly sewn on nose, as well as two ears, a freshly washed exterior that took time and some replacing to make fluffy again, and stuffing to make its belly full again. To top it all off, there was a big, shiny blue bow tied around its neck. “Wait…” she brought it a bit closer and sniffed, her frown growing as she sniffed its coat once more. Adrian bit back his grin. Her eyes widened suddenly with recognition and she gasped. “Oh my skies,” she cried out, clutching the bear to her chest and burying her face in it. He heard, “It’s D…” and then incoherent words.  Adrian placed a hand on her back as her shoulders began to shake with silent sobs. After a moment, she blinked at him through the tears that were ruining her eye makeup. “Are you serious?” She gasped for air and tried for a smile. “I smelled him and I knew exactly who he was. He still smells like Papà’s cologne and that stupid tobacco scent that’s been on him since day one. How….how? How did you get him?” 

Adrian explained to her the past month of getting her things back and the process of fixing the bear, all while she tried to listen to him and hide herself in the soft bear at the same time. When he finished, she just stared at him in amazement. Her bottom lip trembled. 

“All that...for me?” 

Adrian blinked. “Nova, you’re worth the world.”

She kissed him through the tears and shakiness. Adrian let his fingers grab onto one of her curls. 

“I love it,” she said when they pulled apart. “I love you, Adrian Everhart. I’m...I’m at a loss for words.” She sniffled. “Thank you. So, so much.” She cradled the bear in her arms, admiring his new look while attempting to wipe away her tears. 

Adrian placed a kiss on her temple, wrapping an arm around her. “What’s his name, by the way? Leroy didn’t tell me.”

Nova smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. “Dolly Bear. Papà gave him to me for my third birthday. He’s...he’s one of the last connections I have with my family.” Her face crumpled a little again. “Adrian, you have no idea how much this means to me. I love you.”

“I love you, Nova Artino.”

The kiss this time was much slower than the ones before, although the most intimate. Nova ended up staying much, much later than originally planned, but Adrian wasn’t complaining. Not in the slightest.

[panharmonium]

since i am on the cusp of watching the last four episodes of merlin (again, disclaimer: these are episodes i have never seen, and for which i still remain unspoiled, so please help me continue to stay spoiler-free for the next couple of days), i wanted to try to set down a record of where my thoughts are now, because you can only be in a place where you haven’t finished something once - “once a thing is known, it can’t be unknown,” etc - i’ll never be able to come back to this mindset, so i’d like to be able to remember what i was thinking before i knew how it ended.  if nothing else, this will mean that i can come back here and laugh at my wildly off-base suspicions.

this is relevant to absolutely nobody, since everybody else finished this show eight years ago; so under the cut it goes!

so. 

right now i have a feeling that merlin is going to end...badly.  i’ve never been outright spoiled for what happens at the end of this show, but various little hints of feelings i’ve picked up from people just indicate that...it’s not a good time.  it would be nice to be wrong!  but that is just the sense i have gotten.

with that in mind, my current thinking is as follows:

arthur: i think arthur’s doomed.  i used to think it was going to be merlin, but that was last year, and i’ve recalibrated and rewatched since then, and honestly, ‘the disir’ gives me a real bad feeling.  you can’t just ignore all these people being like “THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE!  IT WILL NOT COME AGAIN!”  i’m not sure if he’s doomed now, or if they’re gonna have him survive the immediate crisis and then fast-forward to the future so we can watch him die and get shipped off to avalon later, but either way, i think arthur’s in trouble.  

(and, quite frankly, i don’t think merlin’s going to get his good ending, either.  i’m afraid he’s going to end up dead or living as a hermit or trapped in dragoon’s ancient body or something stupid like that.)

(i would LOVE to be wrong, fyi.  i have absolutely no reason to have these suspicions other than the vague sense from others that the ending of this show made people bitterly unhappy.)

i don’t know how there is a way for them to do this that doesn’t feel like a huge waste or something that doesn’t make sense.  the messaging on this show has always been that the time of albion hasn’t actually happened yet, that arthur is going to unite the land and be the greatest king of all time.  the message has never been that he’s already done it.  like - it’s never been presented as “the three years between S4 and S5 were what we consider to be the once and future king’s glorious reign.”  so it just feels...like it would be very weird to remove arthur without that promise ever being fulfilled.  i’m not sure how they can manage that without pulling the rug out from under their audience in an unpleasant/dishonest way.

i also don’t see how this kind of ending would work without breaking the show’s promise to merlin - that one day he will be known for who and what he is, that he and arthur are destined for greatness, that the appearance of a white dragon “BODES WELL” for them and the world they are trying to build.

mordred: i have no idea what’s going to happen with mordred.  i stand by what i said before, that i like him and don’t care if that means i get burned.  i don’t know if they’re planning on having him either a) be revealed as a traitor with his own agenda (one not necessary aligned with morgana’s) or b) be sincerely trying to be a good knight but doing a 180 and turning on arthur due to...idk, frustration about not being accepted, old grudge-holding from that confrontation with merlin when he was a kid, new grudge-holding from merlin constantly trying to get him killed, etc.  

i have always been concerned that merlin’s behavior is going to drive mordred to do something evil, thus accidentally bringing about the events he’s trying to prevent, so that still looms large in my mind.

morgana: ?????  whatever plan she has is going to blow up in her face, it seems, given the substance of merlin’s vision in 5.01 (not that she appears to have a plan at all, this season - she’s been all about the wacky schemes, lately; she has no allies and no army, as far as we know.  (that will change, though, i’m sure, once we get to That Dread Place, though how, i don’t know.)   “the legends speak of an alliance between mordred and morgana” - so maybe mordred ends up sort of helping her after all, and turning on her in the end (though he’s already done that, it seems, so i really don’t know how that makes sense).  

if it were up to me, i’d want morgana to be released, at the end of everything.  not redeemed, exactly - i don’t think she would cozy up in camelot with everybody and let things go back to normal, but i think she could be more than what she is.  i think it would be an appropriate arc, actually, for us to see her losing her allies and her armies, for her to see people drifting away from her methods, like when annis refuses to help her any further in 4.05.  morgana started off as the voice of moral authority on this show, but she’s descended far enough now that she’s driving people away from her cause.

but i still think she deserves a chance.  i think she’s the kind of person who has the capacity to come back from the brink.  i would like to see further exploration of the conflict she obviously feels when mordred appeals to her humanity in 5.09.  i would like to see the conflict she must feel about hurting people she used to love, and i would like to see conflict from them in her direction, as well.  i don’t believe it would be simple for arthur to ever consider killing his sister.  i don’t think gwen would just give up on morgana without a fight.  i do think merlin, for his part, has hardened his heart against her, and that seems appropriate, given their history, but i also think that merlin’s primary motivator in this world is love.  

i think he could learn.  i think he would realize, after some difficulty, that he owes it to her to try to reach her, somehow.  

gwen: it’s hard for me to say what i expect for gwen, because honestly, she hasn’t had much of an arc this season, and therefore we don’t have much to work with.  i’m not sure if TPTB just stopped knowing what to do with her once she became queen, or what, but if i had been putting down my expectations for her in season 5 as a whole, i would have expected to see gwen kind of like - struggling a bit with her huge change in circumstance (from servant to queen, i mean, that’s massive; there would be so many things she’d have to adjust to, and then dealing with other people as well, not all of whom would be thrilled by her upward mobility - eg nobles who are threatened by the idea that common folk feel like they can aspire to the second highest office in the land, or other servants who used to be her friends and would never wish her ill but are now maybe nervous around her - but none of that happened, so i honestly don’t know what the plan is for her.  i would have liked to see gwen showing up a bit more for merlin, i suppose...they were so close, before, and if anyone would have noticed that something was bothering merlin, gwen would have - but there’s just this gap between them now.

gwaine, too.  gwaine and merlin were tight.  and now they’re sort of…i mean, gwaine is there, and he on his end is still invested in merlin, but there’s a weird distancing happening between them.  merlin is too preoccupied with the all-consuming ‘make sure arthur doesn’t die’ to put much of himself into his other relationships.

to be clear, i’m not actually criticizing that as a writing decision.  i do think it’s something merlin would do.  i think it absolutely makes sense for merlin to be shutting down all the “extra” parts of his life, one after another, until the only thing left is the Mission.  his “destiny.”   he can only focus on that one thing.  he only thinks his life is worth something if he can succeed at this one thing.

it makes me very sad, but i do think it’s something that would happen to him.  it strikes me as an appropriate step for his character arc.  because merlin in S5 is kind of disintegrating, and even in S4 he was starting to pull away from other people.  but i would expect this problem to be addressed as season 5 progressed, and i fully do not expect that to happen now. 

i’m honestly not sure the show actually sees it as a problem at all.  i’m not sure...i can never tell if this show understands that merlin feels like all of his relationships are shams, that he feels that everyone who “loves” him would hate him if they knew who he actually was, not just arthur.  he thinks people only care about him because he lies.  he thinks his true self is fundamentally unlovable, in this particular world.  he doesn’t remember what genuine friendship feels like anymore - it’s been such a long time since he experienced it.

i think that’s a problem.  i expected it to be one of the problems we would address in S5.  but i’m not sure we’re actually going there.

gaius: i was REAL concerned about gaius when we started S5.  i was sure he was a goner.  he’d already survived way longer than i expected him to and i was so pleased about that fact; i loved it; i loved how merlin said “camelot needs BOTH of us” and refused to ever leave him behind.  

i’m still kind of um...worried about him, i guess.  i’m not sure where he would fit in a post-finale world.  though that really depends on where the finale leaves us.  

the dragons: don’t even ask me.  are we ever going to get clarification on how kilgharrah allowed aithusa to get swept up by morgana and then trapped in a pit for two years?  nah?  okay then.

i would really, really like merlin to be able to help aithusa.  it doesn’t matter if aithusa is “with” morgana; merlin is still a dragonlord.  he would still feel responsible.  he would still care.  you can tell how upset he is when he sees aithusa in 5.02.  i hope we can get something to this effect - who knows, maybe he and morgana can connect on this one thing.  

wider concerns: the magical community.  i’ve been waiting for merlin to take a stand for them for a long time, but again, i don’t think we’re going there.  i wish we were, but merlin thinks the only way he can help them is by helping arthur, because someone somewhere once told him arthur was the one who could put everything right.

(and again, that’s something that makes me sad.  why does this community have to wait for their oppressor to slowly, maybe come around?  the fact that we, the audience, are fond of arthur doesn’t make it okay for anyone to tell a group of oppressed people to sit around and wait their turn.  they deserve to be free now.  merlin deserves to be free now.  these people have every right to declare themselves free people, unbowed and unshackled - morgana is right about that much, at least.)

wider concerns: the political situation.  is anyone ever going to actually explain what albion looks like?  the show keeps saying “the five kingdoms” when there are DEMONSTRABLY more than five monarchs introduced across various seasons - are there just five extra-prominent kingdoms, like medieval superpowers?  or what?  this wasn’t really a big deal before and you could kind of handwave it away, but if arthur’s supposed to be uniting these places, it becomes a little more relevant.

and of course, merlin: 

i don’t want to write too much about my many many fears for merlin himself here.  i’ve written about them enough elsewhere, and, as gaius says, “i’m not sure my heart can take it.” 

suffice to say, my biggest fear is that merlin won’t get his good ending.  

for years, people have been telling merlin (and us, by extension!) that one day, someday, if he struggles enough, if he suffers enough, if he is very, very patient, and very, very strong, he will finally be known and loved for who he is.  

i am afraid that these people were either mistaken or lying.

people shouldn’t have to earn their happiness in the first place, but by god, if they did, merlin has done enough.  he has been hiding in the shadows all his life, doing nothing but help people and sacrifice himself for others’ sakes, even as he believes that all the people he cares about would hate the person he is inside.  

he deserves a spot in the sun.

[ohmygoodnessgraciouss]

Helloooooo! I have recently discovered your talented self. Very sad it wasn’t sooner. Saw your post about requests and decided to check out your work. AND I AM IN LOVE 😍. I was wondering if I could request a Jason Todd x reader because Jason is bae. The reader is a famous singer and named a song after him (like Ariana grandes Pete Davidson). Hopefully you can work with that. Love you babe❤️

Masterlist

Hello!  Aw, this was so sweet of you!!  Honestly, I haven’t been on for long at all!  Maybe a year at most lol.  Even then, I don’t think any of my fanfics really started until back in January!  But still, thank you so much for the sweet message!  I could definitely work with your request and I hope you like it!

Chosen Song (I thought it worked for Jason, but you can always just replace it with a different song.  It won’t matter): Unconditionally by Katy Perry

Fun fact: Unconditionally was one of my favorite songs when it first came out and as a smol child I was super annoyed that it never went as big as Dark Horse or Roar.

Words: 1762

"Are you sure it's alright?" Your boyfriend, Jason asked as you waved him off.

"I'm perfectly fine with it, Jason.  You have a job.  You have to go get Sionis before he hurts someone again.  You've been to every other concert I've had in Gotham this year.  Work on your own job.  It'll be okay," You reassured him.  

You, Y/N L/N, were considered the Queen of Pop to the world.  You took the world by storm, performing in front of millions after starting your career in only a year.  You conveyed your emotions so well in your songs that everyone could relate to them or understand what you were feeling.  Well, they could understand everything except one thing.

You lived in Gotham City of all places.  It's considered the country's most crime-ridden city.  Every other singer you've talked to from Camila Cabello to Ariana Grande preferred the romantic cities in France and Italy to find inspiration for their songs.  Not you though.  Gotham City was home to not only the Dark Knight but your boyfriend, Jason Todd.  Who coincidentally worked for the Dark Knight.

Your jobs conflicted with each other constantly.  Sometimes you wouldn't see each other for months because of how busy you'd be.  You didn't mind, and you trusted him just like how he trusted you.  You were grateful for the few moments you could share with your boyfriend.  

Every once in awhile though, Jason couldn't come to see you in concert.  Unfortunately, one of those times was now.  You were disappointed by it, but you weren't mad.  He had his own job and it mattered more than a single concert.  Maybe Bruce and the others could come along.  

"I'll try to make it if I can, even if it's only for a few minutes," Jason replied as he wrapped his arms around your waist.  You smiled up at him.

"Let me know if you're there then.  I have a little surprise if you're able to show up.  I've been working on a little song with Perrie.  She was able to help me with the music, but the lyrics are all mine."  

"I'll text Ryan if I can make it.  If I can make it at any point it'd probably be in the first half-hour, so you can expect me around then." Ryan, your manager, always made sure to tell you if Jason made it to your show after you finished a song.  He was practically an older brother at this point.

"Sounds like a deal."

~

"You guys are so energetic tonight, I love it!" You yelled into the microphone as thousands of fans cheered you on.  From young teens to their middle-aged parents you could see people cheering you on while they had their phones in hand.  Some of the lights were almost blinding because they were close, but they didn't compare to the ones that were constantly shining in front of you for the shows.  You could feel the adrenaline rush as you always did during a show as you scanned the crowd for Jason quickly.

Ryan told you that he was here by some miracle, but he could only be there for a few minutes.  It was just enough time to perform the song.  You spotted Jason right in front, smiling up at you.  You grinned at him and winked as you looked up to the crowd that roared in delight.  

"Alright everyone, I have a little surprise for you," You paused for a moment as everyone cheered.  "I'm currently working on another album, but I have a song ready for you guys to hear first."

Their screams and yells would make you deaf if you didn't have earbuds in.  You didn't care though.  You loved the high that came from it all.  It was exhilarating.

"This one is dedicated to my lovely boyfriend who is currently here. He's helped me through everything and I can't thank him more for all that he's done," You smiled at him. The crowd cheered when you smiled at him.

As they started to quiet down the music began.  It was much softer than the other songs you've already done.  The crowd listened in quietly as Jason watched with intrigue.  

~

Oh no, did I get too close oh?Oh, did I almost see what's really on the inside?All your insecuritiesAll the dirty laundryNever made me blink one time

~

He didn't expect you to go so in-depth especially so quickly into a song.  Jason didn't mind it a single bit though.  You weren't hiding anything in the song.  He wasn't surprised.  You tended to write about anything that went through your head.

You started writing this song when you were up at 3 AM waiting for him to get back.  You had inspiration for no reason at all in the middle of the night when you were looking at a few old photos on your phone.  They reminded you of the days when he'd push you away early on in your relationship.  He was worried back then that you'd leave because of his past.  After his parents, Bruce, the Joker, he didn't want to keep himself vulnerable to anyone.  You kept going though.  You wouldn't let him become a hermit crab.

~

Unconditional, unconditionallyI will love you unconditionallyThere is no fear nowLet go and just be freeI will love you unconditionally

~

You could almost see Jason's eyes light up slightly as you were singing.  You could barely hear yourself from the awes that were going through the crowd.  The phone lights were blinding now, so you could only see a few people in the first row for the most part.  

~

Come just as you are to meDon't need apologiesKnow that you are all worthyI'll take your bad days with your goodWalk through this storm I wouldI'd do it all because I love you, I love you

~

Jason couldn't even think about what he had to do later that night.  He was enchanted by your song and your voice.  He could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket, no doubt it was Roy asking if he'd be there soon.  

~

Unconditional, unconditionallyI will love you unconditionallyThere is no fear nowLet go and just be freeI will love you unconditionally

So open up your heart and just let it beginOpen up your heart, and just let it beginOpen up your heart, and just let it beginOpen up your heart

~

The lights started to dim as the music slowed and quieted for a moment.  You were working with Ryan all afternoon to have the performance perfect if you could do it.  The one thing you've learned from your shows is that the lighting changes everything.  You trusted the technicians with it almost every time, but you asked for this specifically.  

~

Acceptance is the key to beTo be truly freeWill you do the same for me?

Unconditional, unconditionallyI will love you unconditionallyAnd there is no fear nowLet go and just be free'Cause I will love you unconditionally (oh yeah)

~

The music faded away into nothing as the people started screaming for more.  You smiled at them, but your eyes were focused on Jason's reaction.  

Jason looked up at you like you were the only thing that mattered.  You were beautiful, standing up on stage, doing what made you happy.  You were panting slightly from the performance, but that's not what mattered.  What mattered was that he knew at that point that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you.

Later that night Jason made his way into your shared apartment.  He placed his keys in the basket next to the door and headed towards the bedroom, planning to be quiet so you could sleep.  Instead, he found you wide awake on the bed, checking your phone.  You were under the covers and it looked like you had tried to sleep several times, but it was impossible.  

"How did it go with Sionis?"  You asked him as he went to go change.  

"It went well, actually," You could detect the sarcasm quickly.  "I referred to him a nice place to stay at for the night since his place was destroyed by some freak accident.  He's not too happy with it since it has metal bars on the windows, but he doesn't have much of a choice."  He turned to sit on the bed next to you.  You smiled. "How did the concert go?"

"Well, the crowd practically lost it shortly after you left.  They were really sweet about it all, but I think nothing else mattered after that to them," You laughed while he chuckled.

"Nothing else mattered for me either.  That song was beautiful.  I'm glad I was able to see it," He complimented you.  You blushed slightly.

"I wrote it while we were in Paris.  Do you remember that time you called and you had a heart attack because you realized it was three in the morning for me?"

"Of course.  I got an earful from Ryan the day after.  Not to mention Dick found out about it and decided to be a himself about it," He said, using Dick's name as a play on words.  

You laughed slightly at the memory, remembering when Jason ranted to you about it shortly after you were home.  "I couldn't sleep after that, so I started writing.  I wrote about anything that came to mind which meant I wrote about our memories.  I figured you'd rather not let the whole world know about it all, so I decided to stick with that song."

"Then I should tell you exactly what I thought of it." He wrapped his arms around your waist to bring you close as he laid down.

"And what did you think of it?"

"I thought it was absolutely beautiful, and I don't know what I did to deserve you.  I don't think I could thank you in words alone.  However, with your permission, I could thank you in another way," He winked.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking then?" You asked him, grinning slyly.

"I must be," He replied, almost visibly showing that he was getting excited for what would be next.

"Then a delicious breakfast would be the perfect way to start the morning tomorrow, thank you."  You kissed him on the tip of his nose before turning around to your side, facing away from him.

You could feel his shoulders slump before he chuckled.  He spooned you and kissed the top of your head lightly.  "I love you," You heard him say as he drifted off to sleep.

"I love you too."

~I will love youI will love youI will love you unconditionally~

[cela-astral-projection]

Celeste Stuff

Basic Character Questions

First name? Celeste

Nicknames? Cela 

Date of birth? September 23rd 

Age: Thirty-three

 Physical / Appearance

Height? 5'

Build? She's got a soft build. Wide hips and full, heavy breasts. No real muscle tone, except for her legs and backside.

Hair color? Dark brown at the roots, fading to a lighter tone at the ends. Shock of dark blonde at the front of her head. 

Hair style? It's just...so much hair. She keeps it pinned up for the most part, but if she let it down it would fall to the tops of her thighs. She twists it up like a crown at the top of her head, framing her face with what can't be contained, tucking the strands behind her ears. 

Eye colour? Green, like seaglass

Distinguishing facial features? A heavy smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

Which facial feature is most prominent? Her lips. The top lip has a sharp cupid's bow, the lower lip is full and pronounced. 

Which bodily feature is most prominent? Her hair. There's just so damn much of it. Second would be her chest. A lot of that, too. 

Hands? Long elegant fingers with short, manicured nails. She pays a lot of attention to her hands, as often as she has to scrub for examinations and deliveries, her skin dries quickly. She loves a luxurious lotion or oil.

Makeup? Not a fan in day to day practice. If she's invited to the palace for a formal affair, she has no qualms about a dramatic eye with lots of violets and a bold brow, soft lip. When the mood takes her, she'll wear dark red lipstick. 

Scars? A few burns on her arms from miscalculating the angle of removing things from the oven. 

Type of clothes? She tends toward linen and cotton dresses when she's home in gem tones. She likes to "borrow" Asra's tunics. At work, she wears a structured uniform of Julian's choosing, with a lot of piping, high collar and long skirt. If it's cold, she's usually sent out in massive furs. 

What are their feet like? Her feet are as immaculately manicured and kempt as her hands. She wears short, ankle-height leather boots with a pointed toe and thick, short, sensible heel. 

Are they in good health? When she's making good choices and not draining all her magic, generally. 

 Personality

Are they more optimistic or pessimistic?  Optimistic. Or, rather, stubborn. She can get in her head about somethings but knows that if she goes at it at the right angle she'll usually succeed, even when it's hard. 

Are they introverted or extroverted? Introverted. She decided to live with the hermit, after all. 

Do they ever put on airs? When Lucio is around. It's not even conscious, she just hates him so very much and wants him to know that she's superior in every way. Pretty much the only person she has that strong negative opinion of. 

What bad habits do they have? Giving too much of herself and not knowing when to take a step back. 

What makes them laugh out loud? So many things. 

How do they display affection? Acts of service and physical touch. 

How do they want to be seen by others? As someone that can be relied on. A healer, putting others first.

How are they seen by others? Trustworthy if a bit strange. Townspeople can never quite figure out what's going on with her and her men, so she has been a source of gossip. It hasn't hindered anyone from coming to her in their time of need. 

Strongest character trait? Boundless love and devotion. 

Weakest character trait? Not knowing when to quit. 

How competitive are they? There's a little streak of it. Maybe more than a little. 

Do they make snap judgments or take time to consider? A little from column a, a little from column b. 

How do they react to praise? She loves it. It gives her warm, tingly feelings. Unfortunately, it all comes out a little "Shut up, baby, I know it." 

How do they react to criticism? Poorly. Not the person to offer criticism to, constructive or otherwise. She will shut down. 

What are their biggest secrets? Her private "birthday parties" for Julian. She sees it as a necessary evil, but not one that will be particularly well-received if word got out. Hence, wiping his memory the next morning. 

When was the last time they cried? All the damn time. She's got a lot of feelings, okay? 

What are their political views? That there's always more that can be done to improve the lives of the people, and when that gets clouded, society suffers. 

What will they stand up for? Justice, Equality, Love. 

Are they indoorsy or outdoorsy? Outdoorsy. 

What quality do they most value in a friend? Knowing when to intervene on her behalf. 

What do they consider an overrated virtue? Temperance. 

If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be? Not a damn thing. 

 Friends and Family

How big is their family?  Growing. She has Asra, his parents, Muriel, and Julian. She will have the babies, too, soon. 

What is their perception of a family? It's the most important thing. Even if it isn't blood, you can forge your own family. 

Describe their best friend. How do you describe Julian Devorak? 

Do they have any pets? Inanna and Faust. She hasn't found a familiar that truly suits her. 

 Past and Future

What is their greatest achievement? Arguably, beating the devil. Getting Muriel to accept that they were just going to be in love forever and that he needed to calm the hell down is a close second. 

What was their first kiss like? The first one she remembers was like fireworks and rainbows, which seems silly and childish, but that's what kissing Asra is like. Pure, childlike innocence and all-encompassing passion. But, there have been a lot of first kisses, and they are all magical. 

What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved? Gave up and moved on after holding on for too long. 

What advice would they give their younger self? It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. 

What past actions are they most ashamed of? She has a lot of pain surrounding Julian and not being able to just fully let him go, and it leads to her making some questionable choices. 

Has anyone ever saved their life? Too many times. 

 Love

Do they believe in love at first sight? Absolutely. 

Are they in a relationship? Oh, yeah. 

When did your character last have sex? This morning. Twice. 

What sort of sex do they have? Um...What kind of sex doesn't she have? 

Has your character ever been in love? A lot. Too much.

Have they ever had their heartbroken? Yes. Badly. 

 Conflict

How do they respond to a threat? It depends on how immediate the threat is.

Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue? Magic first, fists next. 

If your character could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be? Anything can be replaced. But, if pressed, the ring that Muriel and Asra created for her when they wed. 

What is their choice of weapon? Magic. 

What living person do they most despise? Lucio. Depending on your definition of "living". 

Where do they go when they’re angry? Bed, or to the waterfall. 

 Work

What is their current job? Midwife and healer. 

What do they think about their current job? It's important, necessary work that she feels passionately about. 

What are some of their past jobs? Royal magician, shopkeeper. 

What is their socioeconomic status? There's a lot of bejeweled shells to go around. She doesn't accept payment for her services.

 Favorites

What is their favorite animal? All the animals. 

Which animal to they dislike the most? Not big on spiders, but she leaves them to their own devices. 

What place would they most like to visit? She would like to go back to Nopal once the babies are born. Possibly to the steppe, if Muriel can manage it. 

What is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen? Muriel and Asra tangled up in each other in the moonlight. It is heartbreakingly, achingly gorgeous. 

What is their favorite song? I'll just say her "theme" is Crystal by Stevie Nicks from the Practical Magic soundtrack. 

Music, art, reading preferred? Reading. 

What is their favorite color? Greens and Purples. 

Favorite food: She loves seafood, but enjoys most food and loves to cook. 

 Possessions

What is in their icebox: Fresh Eels, black ale, blue-tongued skink, lots of fruit and vegetables, cider, cheeses. 

What is on their bedside table? A vase with belladonna and forget-me-nots. 

What is in their pockets? Gems and shells. A gold compact with a mirror. Extra hairpins. 

What is their most treasured possession? Her heart. 

 Spirituality

Who or what is your character’s guardian angel? Asra. 

Do they believe in the afterlife? Yes. 

What do they think heaven is? 3 am, half-awake, in the arms of her lovers, one at each breast, snoring softly. 

What do they think hell is? Absence. Separation. Emptiness. 

Are they superstitious? Yep. 

How would they like to die? At home, with her family sending her on. 

What is their zodiac sign? Libra. 

 Values

What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? She firmly believes there are no ambitions great enough to justify the breaking of someone's heart. 

What is their view of ‘freedom’? Choice. 

When did they last lie? March 12th. 

What’s their view of lying? Fairly intolerant. She has been known to make exceptions. 

 Daily life

What are their eating habits? Love eating. Love cooking. 

Describe their home. A cozy cabin in a clearing, built by Muriel when he realized she really wasn't going anywhere. 

Are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder? She's a minimalist that lives with hoarders. It can be a bit trying. 

What do they do first thing on a weekday morning? She pulls herself out of bed and goes to get ready for work. 

What do they do on a Sunday afternoon? Spends all day making dinner, then all evening laying around, snuggling up. 

What do they do on a Friday night? She might sneak off to Portia's for a girl's night. 

What is their alcoholic drink of choice? Moscato or a nice spicy hard cider. 

 Miscellaneous

If they could save one person, who would it be? Too hard to answer. Save everyone or die trying. 

If they could call one person for help, who would it be? Asra. 

What is their favorite proverb? Love is blind. 

What is their greatest extravagance? She has some lovely jewelry. Delicate gold pieces with rare gems. 

What is their greatest regret? Failing Julian. 

What is their favorite fairytale? The Little Mermaid. The original version, where she has to do good deeds to earn her soul. 

Do they believe in happy endings? How could she not? 

What would they ask a fortune-teller? What time will you be home for dinner? 

If your character could travel through time, where would they go? Before. Just to fully understand. 

[raediggitydog]

In which Evil X isn’t very evil:

"Ugh, I need a vacation," Evil Xisuma sighed and leaned against his rock. The cave was quite nice, since Ex had lived there for quite some time. The floor had been swept that morning, and the walls were warmly lit with small torches. "Where could I go on a vacation?"

He dug his old, yellowing map out of a box, and smoothed it across the floor. The map displayed the area above his cave in faded greens and browns. There was a forest, some hilly mountains, and a bay opening into the ocean.

"I loved the mountains last time I went out, but it's been quite a while. Maybe I'll go back and see if it's changed." He sang to himself as he packed a small box of food and armor, and a make-shift sleeping sack. "Let's go!"

—

Stress hummed a tune as she strolled through the shopping district. The sun was shining, and the birds chirped, covering the valley in a muted blanket of peace.

"Oh my days!"

Stress heard Xisuma shouting from the base of the mountain, under the Sahara Project. She quickly ran over, and peeked down the slope, spotting an armored figure at the banks of the river. The sunlight glinted off his armor, but she could have sworn the armor appeared red. "Oi! X! Are you alright?"

He turned to her, but didn't seem to recognize her. "Hello! Who are you?"

"Why I'm Stressmonsta! Are you not Xisuma?"

The man scoffed as he hopped across the river, making his way up the hill towards her. "Don't call me that name! I'm Evil Xisuma!" He stood proudly beside her, giving a clear view of his outfit. It was nearly identical to Xisuma's suit, except red, with a black cape draped over his shoulders.

"Oh," She thought for a moment. "Didn't you nearly blow up all of our Season Five homes?"

"Well, yes, but then I was banished. Do you know where I am now? Because last I thought I was leaving my base to head to the mountains!"

"Hm. Well, this is our Season Six shopping district, and you just came out of that hole!" She motioned to the hole in the side of the mountain.

"What!? Are you telling me you moved Hermitcraft right on top of my cave?" Ex looked around in disbelief.

"I suppose so! Would you like a tour?"

Ex blinked in surprise. "...I don't see why not!"

—

"What is that?" Ex stared as two hermits soared overhead.

Stress laughed. "That's Grian and Iskall!"

"But- they're in the sky!"

"Well, yeah! They're using their elytra to fly! Have you neva seen an elytra?"

Ex paused. "Maybe...? I was in my cave for a long time.."

"Well, this cant stand!" Stress found an ender chest and rummaged through it, triumphantly pulling out a spare elytra. "Let's teach you to fly!"

"Ah, I'm not sure.. I'm more confident on the ground..." Ex stepped back, eyeing the elytra.

"That's because you've never tried it! Cmon!"

—

After a long, painful process, the two were in the sky, gliding (somewhat) gracefully over the ocean.

"See, flying's not bad!" Stress laughed.

"I suppose." Ex laughed nervously. "Where are we going?"

"I figured we could stop by Mumbo's base. It's real pretty!" Stress motioned to the giant sphere appearing out of the fog.

Stress landed gracefully on the catwalk, and helped Ex land without taking too much damage. He could only stare, jaw dropped, at the bright, futuristic base.

Just then, Mumbo strolled around the beam in the center, shrugging on his suit coat. He smiled when he noticed Stress, but jumped a mile when he spotted Ex. "E- Evil Xisuma!" Mumbo squeaked. He shuddered, fumbling for his sword, which dropped with a clang.

"It's okay Mumbo, he's a friend!" Stress threw her arms around Ex, who stood awkwardly.

"But- But- Last season he ruined my redstone!"

"That was a long time ago! He's better now, right Ex?" She looked expectantly at him.

Ex shuffled his feet. "Yes, I'm doing much better now."

Mumbo visibly relaxed. "Oh good! How are you two doing then?"

"I'm fantastic! I'm taking Ex on a tour, and it's really fun, right Ex?"

"Flying is... different."

"I totally understand." Mumbo laughed. "Well I was just grabbing some observers, so I'd better head back to work!"

Ex perked up. "Observer? What does that do?"

"Ah ha, I- I suppose it's difficult to explain! Can I show you?"

"Yes please!"

Mumbo taught Ex and Stress about redstone, both entranced by the unique element. After a while, Ex developed a headache, and decided it was time to go.

"Thanks Mum! Good luck!" Stress waved as she and Ex flew off.

"There's so much I didn't know about redstone..." Ex sighed, holding his head.

"Me nieva! It's really difficult, but Mumbo's a helpful fella. I'm much better at buildin!" She swooped in front of Ex, proudly displaying her ice castle.

"Wow..." He breathed. "You're really good!"

Stress giggled. "Thanks love! I'm fond of the stone bricks with the ice!"

"Stone... bricks?" Ex curiously followed Stress to the base of the castle.

Stress stifled a laugh. "You don't even know stone bricks? You've been in that cave a while!"

"I'm sure I've seen them, it's just been a while!" He defended. "How did you make these out of cobble?" He ran his fingers over the uniform bricks.

"Not cobble, silly! Stone! You have to use silk touch!"

Ex's blank expression said it all.

"You've really forgotten everything, huh? Cmon, let me show you."

-----

"Thank you for the wonderful day, Stress! It was so nice to meet you!" Ex thanked Stress as they strolled arm in arm down the lane.

"I forgot we only just met today! I hope you'll come visit again soon!"

"Who's visiting?" Grian zoomed past, soaring straight up in the air before drifting back down. "Who's this?"

"This is Exy! Exy, this is Grian, our newest member!"

Ex went in for a handshake, but Grian, beaming, pulled him into a tight hug. "So cool to meet someone new! Speaking of which, are you a hermit? I've never met you, but here you are!"

"I, uh..." Ex rubbed his neck. "Well..."

Just then Jevin glided in, waving to the small group. "Hey Grian, have you seen Mum-" He froze. "Uh, what's goin on here?" He looked between Stress and Grian's cheerful grins and Ex's anxious stare. "I- I'm not even gonna ask.." He shook his head, flying off.

"Well he was rude! He didn't even say hi!" Grian folded his arms.

"I know why..."

Suddenly, Xisuma strolled around the corner, pulling his helmet off and shaking his hair out. Ex tensed, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"I better go..." Ex murmured to Stress, eyes darting to find a good direction to run.

"How did you get here? I thought we left you in Season 5?" X's commanding voice cemented Ex's feet to the ground.

"Left him? Last season? What are you on about X?" Grian unconsciously took a step forward, blocking Ex from view.

"Do you know who this is Grian? Or why he looks and sounds just like me?" X stepped forward, making Ex flinch.

Grian couldn't read X's tone, and now he was conflicted. Why was he defending a stranger that X clearly knew better than he did anyway? Why were they so similar?

Grian's hesitation allowed X to step around him, approaching Ex, who squeezed his eyes shut.

"...just ban me already..." Ex muttered.

"Ban you? Now why would I do that?"

"It wouldn't be the first time." He gritted his teeth, awaiting the dreaded feeling of his body dissolving into the void.

X's laugh cut through the tense air like a knife. "And never get to see my favorite brother again? Never!" X threw his arms around Ex, who seemed paralyzed with fear and confusion.

Stress seemed just as confused, as she made a little squeak noise.

"What just happened?" Grian rubbed his head in confusion.

X stepped away from the hug, but kept one arm around Ex. "This is my brother, Exy!"

Ex finally came to his senses and shoved X away. "You are not my brother! I'm your evil clone!"

X shrugged, not phased. "You've always been around, and we used to get along just fine! Have you decided you actually want to be evil now?"

Ex froze. "Wait, no. I'm not evil." The gears turned in his brain. "But if I'm not evil, then what's my name? I can't just be Xisuma Two!"

"You're right!" The small crew contemplated the strange situation for a moment.

"Harold?" Stress offered. Ex stuck his tongue out.

"How about Poultry Man?" Grian suggested with a chuckle, earning him playful glares.

"I've always just called you Exy, I can't imagine anything else!" X ran his fingers through his hair.

"I like Exy, it's kinda cute! And it still sounds a little like Xisuma." Stress smiled.

Ex shook his head. "Fine, but it's cool, not cute."

"Whatever you say. Now, how on earth did you get here?"

Ex showed Xisuma the cave he had made in the hillside, and recounted his experience that morning.

"Huh! I must have banished you here, and then subconsciously used the same seed for our new world! Well, welcome to the hermit family, I suppose!"

"Welcome yes, family no. I'd rather hang out in my cave over you guys. Except maybe Stress." He threw her a bashful glance, and she instantly wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Anytime you wanna hang out, text me! And don't forget to polish your armor, it looks much better that way. Oh, and take some cookies I made, they're really good-!"

Ex smiled as Stress fussed over him. "I'll be fine. I'll text you, I promise."

Stress held him at arms length. "Love you hun. Come back soon."

"I will, I promise! I've got to go now, bye Stress!" Ex glanced at Grian and X, who were giving the friends some space. He gave a wave and a short smile, and returned to the safety of his cave.

"I hope he'll be okay.." Stress wrung her hands.

"He'll be fine, he's very independent." X put his arm around her shoulder.

Grian raised an eyebrow, pulling out his magnifying glass with a grin. "Now, about those cookies you gave him..?"

[elusivexo]

introvert

Most people laugh when I say I’m an introvert. “I am!” I protest. “I love spending time alone, and I get tired when I’m around people too long.” It’s easier when I’m with people one-on-one, but even so, there are very very few people I can tolerate spending that much time with. The MBTI points to the INFJ as someone who creates conflict for herself because of inherently conflicting priorities and values; I love hosting and creating opportunities for people to socialize just as much as I love being alone. And so I compromise by hosting and then retreating to the kitchen when I need a break. It generally works out pretty well for me. 

Even though I’ve only been here for two months, I’ve somehow ended up hosting multiple times a week. I had much more free time than I had anticipated, and I snagged every opportunity I could to invite people over, thinking that I wouldn’t have free time later on. I got home at 11am today, and I’m off tomorrow - and I had to tell myself that no, I do not need to text everyone and invite them over for dinner. It’s strange how that’s such a natural instinct for me - why do I create more work for myself? The last few Wednesdays that I’ve been on cardiology, I’ve planned elaborate menus and cooked all day until people came over, hung out, and then cleaned for another hour. I’m such a joke; I’m going to be doing this Thursday this week instead, assuming I get out fairly early, so it’s not like I’ve really learned from my reflecting. 

I do really need to chill on all the hosting, though; it saps a lot of energy from me. I’ve spent the last few hours relaxing - eating lunch, cleaning, rereading old entries, editing photos, and reflecting. I’ll be doing some yoga soon. I’m reminded that my natural tendency is to be more like Martha than Mary, and I want to learn how to rest this year. I hope that I won’t be a total hermit when I go back to New York, though. 

[risualto]

For the fanfic ask game: C, K, F, U 😀

C. What member [character] do you identify with most?This question is suuuuuuper broad, but if we’re talking about all fictional characters ever, then I would probably go with Katara from ATLA.  In fact, I share so many similarities with her that when I originally watched the show, I legitimately couldn’t understand what she had done wrong in some circumstances where her flaws caused conflict.

K. What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?Well, one of them I kind of wrote already (To Seek the Eye).  One that I have not written yet has to do with Lila, my Everything Bad Watcher from Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire.  And it basically involves Lila finally having a moment of clarity when she realizes how alone she’s made herself and that it’s sort of her fault that everyone who ever got close to her dies.

F. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Junisce shrugged.  “Pasca said [Aloth] came through and went north but wasn’t leaving.  So either he’s going to take up as a hermit in the Valewood or he’s doing something in the ruins,” she said.

“Bastard,” hissed Hiravias.  “Probably looking to restart whatever machines are down there.”

“We don’t know that,” Edér said quickly, leaning forward.  “Maybe he’s got the same idea as us.”

A chime interrupted Junisce’s cart of thought, which was nestled smoothly on the same road as Hiravias’s.  “Your spirit is kindling such anger that you are blind to possibility,” said Grieving Mother.

“I get that what happened feels a hell of a lot like betrayal,” Sagani said carefully, putting her hands out as though separating feuding children, “and there’s no way our team was going to function without trust.  But what Aloth said that night sounded sincere enough to me. I’m not convinced he’s doing anything Thaos wants right now.”

“He was always so secretive,” Kana mused, looking down sadly.  “Even if we asked, there is no guarantee we would find out the truth.”

This is from Restart.  I really, really liked this when I was re-reading it because I could genuinely hear all the characters in my head.  Despite the fact that I was juggling a full team of companions, I feel like I nailed their voices, and I like the pacing of the argument as different parties push Junisce back and forth between wanting to make amends and wanting to never see Aloth again.  Also, “cart” of thought made me laugh because there are no trains in the Dyrwood lol.

U. Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.I feel like I kind of already did this in the last ask haha.  But here goes.

So, I’m a really big fan of @crimsonbluemoon because I’ve been following her work for like six years?  Possibly longer?  She’s the first writer who I started to be able to identify just based on her style (I actually knew what her writing sounded like before I realized that all the fics I liked were written by the same person).  She always had fantastic ideas and amazing emotional arcs for the characters, but I also knew that no matter how awful things got in her stories, it would be okay in the end, and that was both inspiring and cathartic.  I told myself that if I became an author, I would be like her.

I am also consistently inspired by you, Nana.  I love your stories and it never ceases to make me smile when you publish something.  Your theories are fantastic and I love how much freaking effort you put into everything you do.  The lengths you go to in order to fact check and learn are literally awe-inspiring, but then you also go and write stories about seahorse shapshifters because I made a dumb joke about a YGO character’s name.  Your writing is as funny as it is heartwrenching and you’re so fucking cool.

And finally, I really respect @rannadylin.  She has so many interesting characters in so many cool fandoms (some of which I’ve yet to get into), and her writing is always amazingly creative and enjoyable, but she also spends a ton of time and effort encouraging other people to write for the sake of writing.  I love reading Ranna’s stories, but I also respect her because she supports other writers to create right along with her, and that’s something that a lot of people could use in their life.

Send me a letter! | Original post

[shadowsof-thenight]

Had a voice: Chapter twenty

Story summary: For two years you had let him dictate your every move. Dictate your time, your friends, your work. Everything, literally. And for the life of you, you could not understand why you’d done so.

Now, here you were. In a beautiful but still strange city that had never become your own. And you were all alone. It was time to take back your life.

Ship: BuckyXreader

Words: 1706

Warnings: None I think.

A/N: I hope you like this one. it was hard to write. mostly because I just want to push past this stage and move on to the next.

Eventually Wanda's mission lasted for almost two months. And while she was gone, you had done a great job in being the perfect employee. You came in early and stayed late nearly every day. Except on Wednesdays, when you would leave early to visit Doctor Johnson. After your fourth meeting you had asked for a new timeslot. This worked out better for you. That way, after the session, you didn't have to focus on anything and could lounge in front of the television in your room. You could let all the new information sink in. Let yourself mull it over, hoping for new insights.

On Friday’s Tony would sent you home at six at the latest, claiming the need for a social life. As sweet as this was, you usually nodded and smiled, knowing full well that if Natasha, Pepper or Maria did not catch you, you'd spend the weekend either in bed or in town. Alone. Wallowing in self pity, over the current state of your love life.  

Sometimes, if Natasha was in between missions, she would join you. She would try to get you to do other things. Get out. Meet people. But you just wanted to be alone. Deal with all the information that the therapy had dug up, in peace. It wasn't easy to relive the death of your parents or subsequent years with Daniel, where you had erased your entire identity.

By the time Wanda came home, you had settled into the life of a hermit and Natasha had become exasperated. She had tried everything she could think off and she was at a loss. So to keep you at least a little socialized, she would stay with you as often as she could. Talk about her life, or on the rare occasions that you would talk about therapy, she would listen to you. She would give subtle hints on how she thought you could work through it, although she was careful. She did not want to offend you or push you away.

Doctor Johnson had already informed you of her thoughts on your current lifestyle. According to her this wasn't healthy. Though understandable. She did try to tell you to go out and have fun. Creating a new normal would be much easier, if you actually did something. She was right of course, but you obviously didn't like confrontation very much. Even less if the person you truly needed to confront was yourself.

Wanda agreed with Doctor Johnson, but wasn't sure how to help you. That was when the girls asked help from the one person that seemed to understand you better than any of them.

They asked you to join them for a movie night in the living room that Friday and you finally agreed.

Understanding that a change needed to happen and perhaps this was a small first step to getting out of your room and back into a more normal rhythm. Unbeknownst to you, their secret weapon would join your group for the movie.

“Hey” Bucky said softly as he dropped down next to you on the couch. You jumped at the sound of his voice, then shifted uncomfortably as you looked at him. He smiled, seemingly uncomfortable himself. The past two months you had done a good job at being civil, though aloof to one another. This was the first time the two of you had been this close. In fact it was the first time that you were in the same room for more than a minute.

“Hey” you finally replied, accepting the bowl of popcorn he handed you. He cleared his throat as he settled in beside you. You counted to ten in your head, before glancing at your friends. All of them kept their gazes fixed on the screen. Their rigid posture told you that this had been their doing.

Shaking your head slightly, you tried to gather your composure. After all, you lived in the same compound. No more than a hundred feet from one another. You couldn't keep avoiding him. You didn't want to keep avoiding him either.

“How have you been?” you asked, looking up at his eyes, trying too see how he was feeling. “Busy, you know.” he replied with a shrug, ���you?”

“Yeah, me too” you nodded and turned back to the screen. Thankfully this was not awkward at all.

The next thirty minutes were spend in silence while the movie played out on the screen. What the movie was about, you had no idea. It was hard to concentrate. Though they tried to be inconspicuous, you could feel the eyes of your friends shooting glances in your directions every few minutes. It was distracting and made the situation more awkward, if possible. Eventually Bucky stood up and held out his hand for you to take. You did and silently followed him out of the room and up to the rooftop terrace. There he paced the length of the terrace, keeping his back to you, while you sat down on one of the chairs.

“I'm sorry” you muttered, once you realized he wasn't able to start the conversation. Upon your words he stopped and whipped his head to you, a surprised look on his features.

“What for?” he exclaimed as he stepped closer to you.

“For making this al so hard. I wish....” you weren't sure what to say next. You wished for many things. That you hadn't caused him pain. That things weren't this awkward. That you could love him, like you wanted to love him. That you weren't so screwed up. Bucky dropped down on his knees and grabbed your hands from your lap. Telling you not to be sorry. That it wasn't your fault. That life was hard sometimes. And it was up everyone else to be patient.

“I don't expect you to wait for me” you said upon those words and he dropped your hands like they burned him. Standing up he stepped back quickly and walked over to the door.

“I don't...I mean...” he muttered, not finishing what he was trying to say. You stood up and held out your hand to him. He looked so hurt and it broke your heart.

“Please, wait” you called out as he turned to open the door and go back inside.

“Why?” he wondered, his voice a mere whisper and his eyes downcast.

“I...you're hurt.” you stated and stepped closer to him, “I'm sorry” another step closer, “I just...” another step, “I want you to be happy”. By now you stood in front of him and you wrapped an arm around his waist and one around his neck, pulling him close into a hug.

You tried to convey all your feelings into the hug. How much you cared for him. That you wanted him happy. And wished you could be with him. He returned the hug, holding you close to him, gripping you tight. And a part of you hoped that heis feelings were similar to yours. That he still wanted to be with you too. You stood like that for several minutes, neither one willing to let go just yet.

“Does this ever get easier?” you wondered, your breath fanning the hairs in his neck.

“I sure hope so” he chuckled, finally pulling back and looking at you. He moved his hand to your cheek, his thumb caressing it. You weren't sure who moved first, but before you could blink, his lips were on yours, moving against you. Your hand moved into his hair as you pressed yourself closer to him. Your tongue licked at his lips, asking for entrance to his mouth. This elicited a moan from the both of you and you smiled into the kiss as he explored your mouth.

Then, as sudden as it had begun, he pulled back, turned around and walked away. Leaving you behind in confusion. Wondering what the hell had just happened? Perhaps avoiding one another had not been so bad after all.

By the time you had gone back downstairs and returned to the girls, you had decided that everything had to change. You could not go on like this. Staying in your room, not living. It wasn't making you better and it wasn't helping Bucky either. You had to figure out what was holding you back and how to get past it. This was not the life you deserved. And it was far from what you wanted.

You told the women around you as much. Explaining that you would not hide away any longer. Or push any of them away. Telling them that you were sorry for ignoring their good efforts. You were ready to truly work on yourself now.

And when you arrived at your Wednesday appointment with doctor Johnson, she noticed a change in your attitude. You beamed at her and told her that it was about time. She laughed as you said that and asked you exactly what had caused this change of heart.

“I realized that I am not just hurting myself, but other as well” you said and she chuckled. Telling you that it did not surprise her that your love for others inspired you. However the change had come about, she was glad that it did.

Again she asked you to tell her about your life. Though this time she interrupted you several times, asking you to identify recurring themes in pivotal moments. And finally after the third interruption, well into the meeting, you realized just how much you avoided conflict. You took the easy way out.

After a tough horrid childhood, where you had to grow up too fast, you never learned how to deal with normal life things. You had no coping mechanisms to help you further in life. You simply didn't deal with situations. And that had eventually led too give over all control to a man that liked power.

The meeting was eye-opening for you and you felt like you had a new lease on life by the time you stepped back into the compound. Perhaps you could finally get back to the real you.

[alyjojo]

The Person On Your Mind in March 💆🏿‍♀️ 2023 - Leo

Whole of their energy towards Leo: Justice

Feelings: The Hermit

Intentions: Queen of Cups

Actions: 8 Wands

This feels like a parent, possibly an air sign, water is here too. They love you and also need you to see the truth of your situation, they probably don’t feel like you listen to them much. Their messages show you both as being very different, it could be a difference in priorities & desires. They feel like whatever has happened was deserved, due to your foolish actions. I get an “I told you so” vibe from them. To be clear though, they may not actually be saying that out loud. The Hermit shows them being closed off from you or you are from them, it’s probably been necessary. I’m getting that you’re a spendthrift, they’re a saver, they see this as a lack of growth and an invitation for…Fool rev situations, reckless and foolish problems, like they’ve already shown has happened. “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.” They have to have Virgo somewhere with that energy 😆 I’m laughing at them, not you.

They ARE right, you’re showing up here as excessive, getting yourself into avoidable problems, being more “live for today” than “gotta eat tomorrow”, they have a point. This person has taken a major step back *because* they know they are judgmental, and watching this cycle you’re currently in is hurting their head. They need you to see logical sense, truth, do the right thing, cut the other crap out. To the point they’re probably not as nice as they would like to be, 7 Pentacles shows either the need to save money, and you don’t, or they feel they’ve invested a lot of time into this and it’s not progressing, it won’t, and they need a break. Intentions ARE to be nice! Loving. Nurturing. They do love you, and they do know that they come off as…harsh, or they have hurt you before with what they say. They don’t want to do that, they want you to know they love you. But knock it off 😣 Their actions are messaging about finances, inquiring & getting nosy about your situation, they want to know all of the details and guide you in the right direction. Hierophant shows up possibly as your spouse too, for those that are married. For a small portion, you may be deciding to divorce this person, or they are to that point of frustration with this same cycle. For others, the majority, this is a wise parent or elder figure that wants to help, but you’ve gotta hear them out and do the thing ❤️ Or rather…stop. They’re wise regardless of who it is.

Messages:

Their side:

- I’m happy where I am.

- We don’t feel the same way.

Your side:

- Married ����

- Emotionally Immature

Possible signs:

Libra, Taurus, Pisces & Virgo

If you’re dealing with:

The Star shows you in a very positive and receptive energy, healing relationships and very hopeful for what’s coming for you and everyone else you care about, seeing the glass as full and limitless potential or opportunities for you to manifest with people around you.

Aries - burdened by your sadness, doesn’t seem to understand what you’re sad about, or that’s switched

Taurus - coming in with messages and gifts

Gemini - a beautiful relationship, you are both very happy, in love, and taking your time 💘

Cancer - has already gotten over a conflict and is waiting for you to join them

Leo - wants to ask you out but doesn’t know how or what to say, definitely has feelings

Virgo - messaging about something but is kinda cold, sticks to the facts & not much else

Libra - obsessed with you, thinks you’re hot, probably worships the ground you walk on

Scorpio - doing their best to remain patient because they’re really busy, or you are

Sagittarius - a very painful ending with a King of Cups, could feel betrayed by someone they care about, maybe you or that’s switched

Capricorn - moving away from this, it’s over

Aquarius - possibly a new start with lasting potential, could be an old friend with a business proposition or something like that

Pisces - planning for the future but…what do they choose? What’s realistic with you?