#i am... so invested in this au like you wouldn't BELIEVE --

[iobartach]

pssst have some r.esidentevil!mig plot bites for your eyeballs 👀, since it's been months and i've realised i haven't mentioned anything on here ftghy ( pssst @ascendedpath bleu, keep me honest if i am misremembering any of this 😂 )

slapping a large disclaimer of WIP as i'm continuously adding to this!

i wanna lead with saying the times and dates of when the following happens can slide around, as needed!

alchem.ax is a biopharma / biotechnology corpo in this version, the status and reach of which is.... complicated tm in this au (hiii, umbrell.a 👋)

miguel's work leans into / crosses over into virology - alchema.x acquires 'samples' of viruses, and miguel conducts research on it

stepping a toe more into worldbuilding here, but the corporate raider programme takes on a different name and purpose, alchema.x markets it as a means of 'immunising america's finest against [the most prevalent RE virus strains]', with miguel's research contributing to this effort still

george o'hara, still an asshole, died young, nobody cared, blah blahhhh. unlike canon though , george was more of an absentee father figure, was distant with miguel

miguel knows that tyler is his biological father, and they work together as always. what's different about it though , is that here miguel tries, foolishly or not to strike up a father-son relationship with stone, but ty is the one that shuts it down this time. kind of an inversion of canon. ( me @ myself; rewatch that one scene in netflix's eric that gave me vibes for this )

miguel is a mutate, but not a known / declared BOW yet (plot dependent). remains human-passing. future potential there for him to join a task force --

infected with t-virus , t-02 strain along with a cocktail of other unpleasantness (read: even he doesn't know what else was mixed in)

caused by jealous colleague still (either delgato or someone else, wink winkkk), who ambushed miguel by sticking a needle in his neck after an argument, rather than by accident

talons are the usual, retractable -- probably stronger and more... claw-like, as opposed to micro-barbs

fangs, this time, potentially retractable or at least more hideable, with a deadlier venom yield

can't spread his infection with a bite though (?) -- blood, maybe. still thinking this one over

both webbing production and venom are more susceptible to his dietary choices than ever.

carnivorous, as in my main verse

eyes remain brown. the red hue appears only when his mutation is active, and can get worse from there if he loses control, or is otherwise worked up to an extreme degree (i.e. sclera turning fully red / scarlet)

addition to the above, veins appear more pronounced along his temples when he uses his powers, just for an extra bit of spookiness / showing there's something definitely not right with him. it's kind of like what happens with byakugan users, when i picture it in my head

still has the enhanced vision, and need for special sunglasses <3

g.abriel o'hara's status is .... : )

other 2099 chars, haven't given much thought to

lots of connected plots with @ascendedpath 's samara (without whom none of this AU would've happened, so i cannot thank you enough <3 )

more to be added ... eventually!!!

[aingeal98]

Since you mentioned Reverse Robins au.

I was wondering, if Cass was around for Garzonas incident (happening mostly the same as canon) and had somewhat bonded with Jason at that point.

How do you think she would react to it? Especially since Jason is claiming he didn't kill him?

(Something I am weirdly invested in my own brain's Reverse Robins AU)

Ooh really good question! The immediate thought I have is that Cass would change the nature of the story significantly, because the initial emotional hook relies on the uncertainty of whether or not Jason killed that man. He claims he didn't, Bruce isn't sure, the first big crack in their relationship is formed.

But Cass just... Wouldn't accept that ambiguity. She'd read Jason's body language and decide for herself whether he was lying or not. And so you end up with two potential storylines.

Option 1: Jason didn't kill Garzonas. The man fell to his death. Bruce being Bruce he could find a way to still make this about how he doesn't trust Jason even though he believes Cass when she tells him he's innocent. Because while Bruce and Cass are similar in moral code they do have a key difference with how they approach others with that moral code: Bruce treats his allies as a part of his mission to control. If Jason failed to save that man that means Bruce failed in trusting him. Jason wasn't good enough and Bruce is doing something wrong because Robin should be good enough always. There's a core emotion here of a father genuinely concerned with the mental wellbeing of his son after a traumatic incident but the chances of Bruce actually being able to address that instead of processing it through the lens of The Mission and Batman and Robin are uh. Slim. Meanwhile Cass... Doesn't really expect the same of her allies? If Jason failed to save Garzonas then that's not on him for not being quick enough to save him, it's on Cass for not being there. Jason is Jason it sucks that he wasn't quick enough to stop Garzonas from falling but he's not a good enough fighter to be responsible for every life. That's on Cass. Equally as unhelpful to Jason emotionally but this difference in viewpoint means there's likely to be friction between Bruce and Cass because Cass would feel compelled to defend Jason. He tried to do good, doesn't that count for something? And Bruce would point out that a man is still dead and Cass would take that to heart because she takes everything related to death to heart. Meanwhile she'd be utterly useless at comforting Jason because Jason would be feeling incredibly hurt and angry that this was even a point of contention when the man was so horrible and Cass would do her usual "Maybe he could have changed 🥺" and Jason, hurt and defensive, would snap that he didn't kill the man but he's glad he's dead. So ultimately you end up with all three family members upset and betrayed and not talking to each other until someone (probably Damian) comes around to lecture some sense into Bruce before he loses two more kids.

Option two: Jason did kill Garzonas. Bruce immediately starts spiralling and getting concerned about how Jason is doomed by his bad childhood to be innately violent and evil or whatever classist bullshit he tends to fixate on instead of showing concern for what his son has just been through. Meanwhile Cass... Wouldn't be as betrayed as she was when Kate shot Clayface but she still would be hurt because Robin killed a man... Robin thought this man deserved death, does he think I deserve death too? (The answer is obviously no because no one except for Cass would argue that she and Garzonas are morally alike but lol. Lmao. Good luck getting her to accept that.) She wouldn't be on board with Bruce's concerns because she believes that everyone can change but her insistence of this combined with Bruce's attitude would probably grate on Jason because why does he need to prove himself a good person for letting a rapist fall to his death? Maybe Garzonas should have had better balance if he was going to be such a piece of shit.

So interestingly enough despite Cass removing the ambiguity from the situation I don't think there's a way for her to make the situation better and not worse. Especially since she would be around the same age as Jason. Even if she wants to support him and tell him he's not a bad person she wouldn't have the emotional clarity or the correct mentality at that age to comprehend the root of his hurt and would probably just make him even more depressed because not only is Bruce judging him but Cass is supporting him for all the wrong reasons. Because the point isn't about whether Jason did or didn't kill Garzonas the point is that having to confront and then try to save such an evil man before watching him fall to his death is a very traumatising situation for a child to be in and the last thing he needs is judgement on his morals, regardless of whether it's Bruce's concern over Jason's true nature or Cass's self assuredness that what happened was Bad but it doesn't mean that Jason is Bad. There is no one in that house who would go "Hey maybe this evil man's death really wasn't the main problem here and wasn't a definitively Bad thing that Jason must be judged for one way or another." and so Jason would likely feel the same way he did in canon even if the insecurity was no longer from Bruce not believing him, but instead from his reaction to the truth.

Thanks for the ask! I hope this makes sense lmao I had way too much fun teasing through potential outcomes.

[vasito-de-leche]

I have some thoughts in my mind lately in the Self aware au R1999 (I'm invested so badly), I was wondering are there any arcanist that resented the player maybe at first or still having resentment on them? Because if the player wasn't there they would be " free " (which I would doubt since there are many players and it would still happen nonetheless but just speaking from there perspective) did they just helplessly or casually got over it after some time and accepted the fact it was a game I mean they were levelled up by the player,the player was the reason why they were getting stronger and winning every battle but I have a feeling some arcanist would have some doubt in them since everything was just a script in the first place all the things that happened to them were meant to happen for the plot, I don't about how to reach when they find out that the player was a human though.. But just like earlier if the player never was here then they would be " free ",they wouldn't know it was just some game (they gonna go bree since they wouldn't exist)(RAHHH I might have wronged what I said in this😭 I just have a thought in my mind about them doubting, feeling frustrated and all...Btw I am badly down bad for your writing 💜💜💜 I admire it so well.. 🥹🫶🫶 can I get a hello Please.. ?💜🥹💜 I'd go crazy being noticed on a writer I admire)

hiiii helloooo hola bonjour and many other greetings o7 really glad you like my writing!

your question is very broad, so I can only make a quick list to categorize all the characters and how I think they'd feel overall towards the Player within this AU! since you only mentioned arcanist, I assume you mean the playable characters only, so that's also the group I'll be tackling

I don't have a good grasp on every single character, so some of these are subject to change as I learn more about them too o7

It's very, very complicated.

Vertin. Door. Mesmer Jr. Bkornblume. I consider these characters to be "outliers" in terms of how they perceive the Player--in the sense that their opinion fluctuates and varies a lot, so they cannot be easily labeled in any of the other categories. They're contradicting or find themselves at odds with themselves, seeing the figure of the Player and everything the Player represents as positive and negative influences simultaneously. To them, you're a close friend and a distant stranger, a saviour and a harbinger of ruin, a source of knowledge and the end of everything--you're all of these, all at once.

as for the rest, I only described the opposite ends of the spectrum and the neutral category!

Extremely resentful and hateful

Desert Flannel. Erick. Mondlicht. Oliver Fog. Pavia. Sonetto. Sweetheart. This one is pretty straightforward--these are the characters who are defensive, who feel like your mere existence is mocking them, who have gone through so much and feel humiliated to know you're casually looking at them from above, so out of reach and superior and unbothered by their pain. But also characters who are combative or quick to identify you as a threat, such as Pavia and Sonetto, because you go against everything they believe in.

Stressed, requires a lot of time to get over it

AliEn T. Bette. Bunny Bunny. Charlie. Ezra. Kanjira. Matilda. Pickles. Ulu.

Mostly troubled, but open to change

6. Mr. APPLe. Darley Clatter. Diggers. Druvis III. La Source. Lilya. Melania. Ms. Moissan. Poltergeist. Zima

Neutral, indifferent and/or unaffected

Baby Blue. Click. Dikke. Jessica. John Titor. Rabies. Sputnik. Tennant. Tooth Fairy. Twins Sleep. These characters remain neutral, but do not confuse their indifference or lack of reaction for ignorance. Some of them aren't quite lucid, conscious or old enough to fully understand their surrounding, such as Rabies and Twins Sleep, but I would say the rest are grounded enough as to not let a figure such as the Player affect them in any intense or extreme way. Some of them simply don't care because this entire reveal doesn't exactly change their routine nor perception of the world. Some are choosing to remain neutral until they gather more information to form a solid opinion.

Mostly curious, but open to change

A Knight. Cristallo. Kaalaa Baunaa. Ms. NewBabel. Necrologist. Satsuki. Spathodea. Voyager.

Eager to learn, requires a lot of stress to be affected

37. An-an Lee. Centurion. Eagle. Horropedia. Leilani. Nick Bottom. Shamane. Sotheby. X.

Extremely intrigued

Eternity. Medicine Pocket. Ms. Radio. ONiON. Regulus. TTT. The Fool. Regardless of how your existence affects these characters, their curiosity and the new opportunities and possibilities you bring along are much more important to them. These are characters who seek to profit from you in some way, who see you as a fascinating subject to study, who may even relate in a way to the role you play as the Player, who may pity you.

[twst-drabbles]

I don’t think this counts as a request because it’s more of a question about a situation that would lead into a total AU of the pet AU lol but if it is a request please tell me so I have a better understanding of what a request is and what just a question is because I’ll admit I’m a little confused on that…

In the pet AU, you’ve mentioned that obviously the Caretaker can’t form a familiar bond with the pets because they don’t have magic of their own. But I am a curious being and as I just literally finished going through all of the AU, I couldn’t help wondering what would happen if the Caretaker suddenly DID develop magic somehow.

Like, if they developed magic and chose to have one of the pets become their familiar, who would they choose?

Or… oooh better yet… what if Caretaker didn’t REALIZE they had developed magic somehow but maybe the pets can sense it? Would all of them be vying to try to form a familiar bond with them? And the Caretaker is just sitting there like “wtf is with all of you lately???” I know with a bond like that the mage at least would probably need to know and agree but the familiar wouldn’t necessarily have to consent *glares at the villains in the sanctuary AU* but maybe the Caretaker loving them all is enough? If so, with the Caretaker not having any idea, and all the pets vying for the title of their familiar, who would win out in the end?

And then I imagine Crowley coming over and he sees his child neighbor not only has magic but now has a familiar and he just passes out in a dead faint and the Caretaker is like “????!!!!!!”

Sorry for the super long ramble. And again sorry if this is more of a request than ask? Like I said I’m not super sure what makes the difference?

(I also wanted to say thank you for writing a person with visible and undeniable depression. I know you have said you have it so the Caretaker’s experiences are probably based off of yours and they are so relatable and it’s comforting to feel seen. Always sucks to know others suffer too, but it’s also nice knowing you don’t suffer alone. So yeah… thanks.)

- 💜

No need to worry, a request is specifically when people want me to write a drabble of what they're asking. Yours is just a question asking for my thoughts, so you're good.

So anyways...

Now if I were to have the Caretaker suddenly have some kind of magic, it wouldn't be a lighthearted affair. The Caretaker, if they knew they developed magic, wouldn't be jumping for joy or simply just shrug their shoulders and go "Well, this is my life now."

The Caretaker would be bitter. Even more bitter than their already bitter self. Because where the hell was this magic when they needed it most? They're already past the age when they're absorbing knowledge like a sponge, and all classes and clubs that are dedicated to teaching people about magic are for kids or for people who are going to use their magic for a professional profession. Places like that already expect people to know the basics by the time they're adults, and no place wants to take the time to teach the Caretaker about these things, so they'll be viewed as someone not worth investing in.

So, simply put, the Caretaker would refuse to use their magic, because to them, there's no point. Any small use of their own magic would remind them of how their body lied to them for years. Had them suffer disappointment after disappointment because of some vague requirement that they somehow don't meet that everyone else was able to meet. That apparently they are so slow that it took this long for their magic awaken when these events were happening to toddlers.

Not only that, but their magic feels like a lie. The Caretaker doesn't believe that this magic is here to stay. It suddenly just appeared one day, it could very well disappear just as quickly. They don't want to get attached to this.

As such, the Caretaker would actually shut down any attempts of the pets trying to be their first familiar.

Now, exploring the different scenario of the Caretaker not knowing they had developed magic, it would be a time of denial that would almost lead to some new self destructive habits. If, say they're cooking one day and a spoon just floated to their hand when they almost dropped it, they won't be looking at the spoon again. And if new utensils keep coming to them, they'd end up avoiding the kitchen altogether and would settle for take-out.

Probably might even scare one of their pets when they start their familiar-courting-ish behaviors. Giving little gift and doing little dances in the hopes the Caretaker would consider them for being a familiar. The Caretaker, once it clicks with them that that's what they're doing, that they meet the requirements to have a familiar, would ask the pets to just, leave them alone. Stop it. They don't want this.

Either way, this is not going to be an easy period for the Caretaker.

Alrighty now that the heavy stuff is out of the way, let's entertain a more lighthearted scenario of after the Caretaker accepts that this magic is here to stay and has integrated it in their daily life. And after Crowley teaches the Caretaker to have better finesse over their magic so they can choose to hide it or use it.

The amount of familiars a mage can have is entirely dependent on how much magic they have and how well they can control it. And, well, having more than one familiar is a burden upon the human body. However!

However... in order to keep the pets from fighting one another for that familiar spot, there is a set schedule for who can be the Caretaker's familiar. A familiar contract can be formed with consent, and it can be broken with consent. There's no limit to how many times a contract can be broken and re-established. As such, there will be times when Ace is the main familiar, or Deuce, or Jack, or Ortho, or Riddle or anyone really! So long as they follow the schedule. There's no risk for the pets since contracts are just a means of getting their bigger forms quicker and forming a closer emotional bond with their Caretaker.

But of course, there will be little shitheads that will want to hog the spot for longer than is set, but they have to let someone else take their turn in the end because they don't want to make the Caretaker angry. Just imagine Leona burying Ace under sand because it's his turn but you can't re-established the contract if you can't find him.

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

I propose a memory loss au where Spider is horribly injured and put in a coma indefinitely, but luckily the scientists are able to put his memories in the body of an avatar. The only problem? His "memories" are shit due to the injury and now he's only got the vaguest of memories surrounding everyone.

Picture:

He isn't sure why he does what he does next. All he knows is that when he walked up to the boy (who was shorter than him---not by much, but still shorter and for some reason that felt weird) and cupped the back of his neck to gently bring his face forward it felt right. When he pressed soft kisses to both of his cheeks, then his forehead, then his nose, it felt right. When he pressed their foreheads together and whispered "Hey, Neteyam," it felt right.

And for a second the boy, Neteyam (he must be), melted into him, allowing it. But now, as if remembering himself, he pulls back from Spider with a gasp, his eyes widening. Fear. Why is he afraid, Spider wonders. He doesn't know much these days, but he knows that this is right. He knows that he and this boy belong to one another.

Behind Neteyam, a woman, a man, two girls, and a boy have frozen. Their eyes are locked on where Spider's hands are still cupping Neteyam's neck with varying degrees of emotion.

"Bro, what the actual fuck," the boy blurts at the same time as the older of the girls crows "I knew it!"

But Spider pays them no mind. His entire being is focused on the woman. She looks ready to kill.

Anon. I am so upset that you have left me with this. It has haunted me since it entered my inbox. I neeeeed a fic of it so bad actually. Write it for me anon, pls. This is HAUNTING ME, oh the rent??? It's fucking free.

Is his body still there, so he hasn't been fully transferred?? Is he stuck in his coma body if he isn't in the avatar? How did he get hurt?? Where are they, are they in High Camp or at Awa'atlu?? Must've been fun for our boy Neteyam, especially if it was our secretly mated au and his mate is just missing and then horribly injured and Neteyam has to walk around being chill even though he feels like he's missing a limb.

If this is our accidentally mated au then that explains why he's just drawn over to Neteyam and just does what feels natural. AND why Neteyam would just relax into it, because he's been missing Spider and keeping away for so long. And the fear is totally for Spider, not for himself.

Lo'ak being like what the fuck while Kiri knew killed me. I do wonder how Jake and Tuk felt. I bet Tuk doesn't care really, she's just invested in hanging out with Spider again she doesn't really care what he's doing with Neteyam. Jake is like "Oh shit," because now he's dialed in on Neytiri.

UGH, it could go one of two ways. Yes, she could be furious at Spider and blame him, but she could also be angry at herself. At this point (if this is our accidentally mated au) she's been aware her son had mated with someone but that he wouldn't tell her who for a while now. She had thought he trusted her, and that he told her everything. It felt like a huge failure that he didn't trust her with something that special, and she'd been telling herself it was because of who he mated with that he wasn't telling the family. But now it's hard not to feel like it was her, that she was the reason. Her family would've been accepting right away if they knew. I'm sure she'd lash out at Spider at first, but I have a hard time not believing that self blame would be there and she'd realize it quickly. Maybe after some time alone or a chat with Jake or Mo'at.

On a happier note, there is a romantic comedy of sorts to follow in that Spider is going fully off of vibes. He's just gonna be doing all SORTS of physical affection, even verbal. Just saying shit that comes to mind, any memories, doing things that feel right like taking Neteyam's hand or cuddling him and Neteyam is loving it but also wants to die because they have been a SECRET for like YEARS NOW and no one is used to this and he is very embarrassed and tense. Kiri, Lo'ak, and Tuk (even Jake a little lol) are relentless in teasing him and pretending it's gross.

Neteyam says he's going out hunting and Spider's like, "Okay, bye" and gives him a very regular and normal kiss goodbye because again, he's going off vibes. Neteyam just stands there and reboots for like a minute while Kiri and Lo'ak take turns seeing who can pretend to throw up the loudest in the corner.

Spider: *takes Neteyam's hand*

Kiri and Lo'ak:

Spider: *kisses Neteyam*

Kiri and Lo'ak:

[fishfingersalad]

big post of all my random rvb au ideas and some hcs, decided this was more reasonable than making like 20 different posts.

Hc the freelancers who die are like submarines that go missing, officially still out on patrol. Florida is the only freelancer that is officially gone from the program. A rumor starts that the freelancers suits are in some way connected to the us states so people think that when florida (state) blew up, so did Agent Florida's armour killing him in the process

 (I'm an ace Tucker believer) Y'know how Tucker gets charged child support for a bunch of kids post chorus? I don't think he has any kids outside of Junior. I think a bunch of people who got pregnant post temple of procreation were like shit idk the kids other parent. Uhhhh. Let's just say it was the rich famous planetary hero guy who claims to have slept with everyone. He probably doesn't even remember the people he's slept with. And then Tucker, asexual who has had sex one (1) time and realised he didnt like it very much, is stuck between revealing to the whole goddamn planet that he doesnt actually fuck, and paying a billion dollars of child support.

In an everyone lives no one dies type au I think Donut gets Maine, Locus, South, and Wash to come to his wine and cheese hour and he does their makeup and their nails.

Au where Sigma is just so fucking invested in getting Maine and Wash to date that he doesnt do anything evil. "Agent Maine, I think you will find this course I have signed you up for quite informative" Sigma this is a couples wine and pottery class "Oh look, is that Agent Washington over there? you should go say hi."

Au where Wash and Epsilon bond. It still fucks Wash up and shit, cause yknow. Epsilon issues. But Wash goes like "I am going to fucking kill the director he fucked you ai over so much" And Epsilon is so taken aback bc of Alphas view of Wash from an outside, heavily filtered perspective made him seem happy go lucky, innocent, and a bit naive.

Au where the freelancers find out that the director is Linas dad and behind her back they're all like "hey is she okay? why does he talk to her like that?" but then whenever she's around they just accuse her of nepotism. Gamma and Sigma team up to hack the leaderboard and change her name to nepotism baby.

I love South. I wish she existed more. I wish her and North and Theta could have gotten along. I wish Theta could suit jump like Omega and Alpha. I wish Theta could spend time with South. Like yeah South wouldn't like having to share an ai with her brother but like. He's their littlest brother.

Junior and Theta could autism bond. I think they'd both like comics. Also Junior teaches Theta basketball and Theta teaches Junior to skate. Skateboard kid plus scooter kid. I think Palomo would like to skateboard too. Wash and Palomo both helped teach Theta to skateboard. Wash bc he's friends w North, Palomo bc he's at the skatepark frequently. Jensen roller skates, she's... okay at it. not good. but okay. She broke her tailbone trying to impress Palomo. Andersmith would work at a youth center that the teens hang out at. Matthews works at a movie theatre, Bitters watches a movie there every week, maybe just to see Matthews.

Sarge werebear. Simmons vampire. Grif faun. Donut Light Elemental. Lopez is a ghost that got stuck in a shitty robot Sarge built. Church and the ai are ghosts, Tex is a vampire, Caboose is a werewolf (big doggy :3). Siren Tucker. Deep sea mermaid Junior (glowing octopus type stuff). Faun Kai (same as Grif). Carolina’s a Phoenix. Wash some kind of big cat thing. Florida Shapeshifter (he prefers being reptiles). The twins are demons. 479er is a harpy. York poltergeist (throws stuff at people). Wyoming's some kind of “answer my riddles three” type of imp. Ct is also a shapeshifter. Maine’s just a regular guy with a lot of weird friends. Felix and Locus are a fire elemental and a dryad respectively. Siris is a water elemental. In my au Donut’s a light elemental which makes it so fucking funny if Church pops up and says "boo" Donut just fucking decks him. and through Church being a ghost (a form of light) and Donut being a light elemental, Donut’s fist connects. South is the demon people are more likely to fear, but North is the one you really need to look out for. When South loses her temper people get frightened, when North loses his temper people die. If there's like. a group of kids exploring or something North’ll hold South back from doing anything more than scaring them. If there's a priest attempting an exorcism or someone with a cross threatening South, their organs will be found separately from their bodies. 

It's kinda funny when people make Church and Lina siblings and then Tex is just some random girl that Church likes. Like I fully understand why and the only other alternative i can think of is like. Church is the director's younger brother who was raised alongside his daughter after their parents died. and Tex is Allison's younger sister. Only way I could put together Church kinda being the director and Tex kinda being Allison but also Church and Lina being siblings without there being any relation between Tex and Church.

Florida and Ct have a coworker friends relationship i think. When they first met I think Florida said something vague and threatening to her so she pulled a knife on him. They've been sort of friends ever since.

[rorywritesjunk]

(this au will never end. I'm too invested.)

pt 1 + pt 2 + pt 3 + pt 4 + pt 5 + pt 6 + pt 7 + pt 8 + pt 9 + pt 10 + pt 11 + pt 12 + pt 13 + pt 13.5 + pt 14 + pt 15

pt 12

A crepe to the face was not what Buggy expected as a greeting.

Nor Sunny shrieking at him.

"What kind of hello is that after all this time?!" He shrieked back at her as he used his shirt to wipe the chocolate and whipped cream off his face. Sunny stomped her foot as she pointed accusingly at him.

"I thought you were dead these last few months!" She told him as bystanders began to stare at the two teenagers. "Someone told us what happened to your ship! Why didn't you come see me sooner?!"

Buggy hesitated, glancing around. Sunny lived here, some of these people probably knew her. Having this loud of a conversation where everyone could listen was probably not the best idea.

"Can we... Go somewhere private?" He asked.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" She shot back. "Because it's been miserable not knowing, Buggy!"

"I'll tell you in private!" He snapped. "Can we at least go back to the shop?!"

Sunny huffed and took a step towards him. He stood his ground, wondering what she was going to do. She reached up and wiped his face clean with a napkin, getting the bits of crepe he missed. She then took his hand and took him back to the shop, not saying a word, her mind reeling from the shock of seeing him alive. She wasn't expecting it.

Once they were back in the privacy of the shop, just the two of them, Sunny sat him down at the table. "Do you need something to drink?"

"Are you going to throw it in my face?" Buggy asked, frowning as she disappeared into the backroom. He leaned over to try and look back there; he'd never spent time in the shop like this. Her boss wouldn't let him. He didn't know where anything was, and deciding he didn't want to explain himself to Miss Pins if she showed up, he decided to get up and follow after her.

The backroom was filled from floor to ceiling with shelves containing bolts of colorful fabric, boxes of scraps, racks of threads, and everything else the workers needed to fulfil the needs of customers. It was quite impressive. There was a rickety looking rack of clothes near a window, some covered with dust and fibers as though they had been there a while, never claimed by their owners for one reason or another.

Sunny was busying herself at a little kitchenette, making a pitcher of lemonade for them. She didn't want to go upstairs for the kettle and they always had some drink supplies downstairs. When she saw Buggy walk in, looking around at the colorful walls, she took a deep breath, trying to make sure she stayed calm, but it was hard to.

"I thought you were dead." She told him as he went over to the rack of clothes, looking at the articles. "I... I didn't believe it when I heard what happened to the ship."

"Well, babe, no need to worry now because I'm clearly alive!" He grinned, winking at her as he pulled a jacket off a hanger, holding it up against himself. "This needs to stand out more but I bet it would fit me."

"Buggy!" Sunny walked over to him and took the jacket away, tossing it over the rack. "I want to know what happened! Why are you alive when the rest of the crew was killed?!"

Buggy shrugged and leaned on the rack, giving her a wink. "It's hard to kill me, y'know, they didn't stand a chance against Buggy!"

Sunny stared at him, ready to ask him more questions, when the rack collapsed under him. It was struggling to hold the weight of the clothes and to have him leaning against it, it just gave out. She rushed over to make sure he was okay, kneeling beside him as she touched his face and head, relieved there were no bumps or bruises. The little bit of stubble along his jawline was... Different, his face had been so smooth last time she saw him, that she found herself running her fingers along it before he cleared his throat, frowning up at her.

"So, doc, am I okay?" He asked sarcastically as she pulled her hands back. "You done examining my face?"

"Y-Yes, but don't change the subject, Buggy!" Sunny said as she helped him sit up, her cheeks pink. "I just want to know what happened. I was worried and I missed you!"

"I'm fine, okay? Does it matter how I survived?" He asked, rubbing his head as he looked at her. She didn't need to know what happened, that when the ship was attacked he hid, splitting his body apart and hiding amongst the supplies as the crew was slaughtered. He didn't need to tell her that when the attackers started to find pieces of his body that he pretended to be a ghost, moving the parts around, somehow scaring them off the ship. "I'm back! That's all that matters!"

Sunny reached up and put both of her hands on his cheeks, tilting his head to look at her. She frowned as she studied his face, looking to make sure he was really okay, before she kissed him on the forehead and threw her arms around him, knocking him back into the pile of clothes.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Buggy!" She scolded him as she hugged him tightly. He couldn't help his face turning red as he put his arm around her. She sniffed, burying her face against his neck as she clung to him. "I missed you! I was so worried!"

"Yea, well, you don't need to be worried anymore 'cause I came back, okay?" He told her as she tightened her arms around him. It was a little uncomfortable; the clothes and hangers poked him in the back and Sunny was on top of him, refusing to let go, so he had to lay there as she sniffled, tears dropping off her face and onto his shirt and neck. Why was she this upset? "Sunny, I'm fine, really, don't be sad."

"'m not sad now, dummy." She replied, voice muffled as she kept her face hidden. "I'm happy you're safe and home."

Home? What did she even mean by that? Buggy tried to push her back so he could sit up, but she wouldn't budge. He sighed and tried to wriggle free from her grasp but she held tight.

"Sunny, babe, can you let me up?" He asked, wanting to get away from the hanger that was poking him sharply. When she finally did, sitting up and looking at him with tears rolling down her cheeks, he felt a little bad making her worry so much. "I'm all in one piece, okay, so don't worry. I wanted to come see you after the ship got fixed up."

She sniffled at him, frowning slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I... Wasn't just going to leave the ship. I needed one." Buggy shrugged. "I don't have a crew to run it yet, but I'm sure I will soon enough."

"Are you going to leave again?" She asked quietly as he reached up to wipe away some of her tears. She leaned into his touch. "I don't want you to."

Buggy shrugged. "I'll stick around for a few weeks. I gotta see if anyone is looking to join me."

Sunny nodded, sniffling still before she wrapped her arms around him again, hugging him tightly as she kissed his cheek. "I care about you, Buggy, a lot. Please don't scare me like that again."

He turned red, nodding as he hugged her back. "I'll try not to."

[hellaverse-critical-confessions]

You know I think I realized something, in that it's a lot easier for me to pair Merc Blitz n Merc Millie together, because in the flashback sequences....they honestly seem like two VERY different characters. Am I the only one who sees it?

Or maybe not, I've seen people bring up Millie is a totally different character and not just appearance wise(though this honestly greatly helps in separating the two). But yeah, I find it much easier to pair this AU...just given how different it is from the actual show itself, it's almost like...a different show, within a show.

My main pairing though will always be Blitz n Verosika(or Blitzika), their relationship and interactions throughout all of S1, made them way more interesting than...whatever is going on now, I hope we get more of it. I also fully still support M&M don't worry folks(even though I wish the show would expand more..)

But yeah, I think Miltz is really an easy AU to swing into! Oh and another HC for the pair!

Millie found out soon when joining I.M.P. of Blitz' love about horses and so took him to Wrath and helped him/taught him about horses and riding them. This being one of their first bonding moments/interactions, which furthered their relationship and leading them down into being a couple. Spending as much time as they could with horses, maybe doing some farm work at Millie's home(thus Blitz being introduced to her siblings and parents, something that he really enjoyed), this strengthening their connection to one another as their first kiss is after a long day's hard work under the stars.

Yeah, Millie seemed way more jaded and serious, and even Blitz had an air of more... competence? Professionalism? To him, in the flashback. While still being a playful character, so I think I know what you mean. Interesting how Millie apparently has changed so much up to present day, though I'm sure the show won't explore that further...

Blitz and Verosika do deserve some exploration, though, if only in their past. They're two pretty similar personalities (brash, sexual, extroverted and self-indulgent), matching each other's energy, and Verosika must've been really committed to him to get his name tattooed and still be this sore about his unelegant exit out of their relationship years down the line. Also intriguing that she had been the more invested one (also shown in her pleasing him only to get little in return, because I can believe she wasn't exaggerating; it just also begs the question of why she was all for a dude that wouldn't even fuck her right). You wouldn't expect such things as devotion from a big shot succubus who gets around so much. Would love it if we got to see the why, and how, for her love for him and what their relationship looked like.

As for the Miltz HC: that sounds like really cute fanfic material. I can guess her family would also approve of Blitz way more (not that that's pivotal, in the end it's her choice, but I imagine getting along with her folks would make things a little smoother).

[localclownbaby]

Guys I'm sorry I'm not a writer and this is cringe. But I'm cringe so it's whatever.

my Sebaciel vampire AU, no queen, no watchdog, servants are long dead R.I.P.. Just two mysterious vampire detectives and their accidentally adopted teenage witch daughter Helen.

It's all barely readable dialogue

C: - Sebastian, why do our guests act like that??

S: - I hate to admit that I am not aware. Could it be that the wine has gone bad... I was sure it was in perfect condition...

C: - If it's not you then it's Helen. Helen?!

H: -What? 🙄

C: - What did you do to our guests? They are acting like madmen

-....

C: - Helen don't you ignore me and tell me what did you do!

H: - I might have just slipped little something in their cakes. You're making it a big deal. As always.

C: - What do you mea- Helen did you just poisoned them??

H: - I didn't poison them! It's for my experiment with the new mushrooms, they're litterally fine!

C: - They are naked in our dining room trying to feed each other napkins!! I invited them here so we can extract information for our case and now they are useless! Have you lost your mind doing your experiments on people before they talk?!

H: - Sebastian was perfectly alright though. I just wanted to see if it works on humans...🙄

C: - Seb- You gave this to Sebastian?! I can't believe I'm having this conversation...

H: - I didn't trick him or anything! He agreed to help. Unlike someone, he appreciates a curious mind.

C: - You little- Sebastian, why did you eat that? You don't know what it does! Helen just asks you to eat something possibly dangerous and you agree??

H: - I simply followed your advise to be more invested in her interests. Stop worrying, dear, I never felt better.

C: - Oh, that's good because you're going to feel much worse soon. Both of you. Helen, make them stop and never poison our guests before I allow it. And you should not under any circumstances try your... stuff on Sebastian without me knowing. I forbid you from experimenting for a month.

H: -What?! You know I need test subjects for my research. We're here alone all the time I only have five rats and one spider. You can't do this to me, I'm on a brink of a breakthrough!

C: - And I'm on a brink of a migrane! Sebastian, pay the footmen to bring all of them to their homes, I'm not dealing with this today. And don't expect anything tonight you're sleeping in the guest bedroom.

H: - Ew, why am I hearing this?!

C: - Helen, go make them stop and then to your room and that's final!

H: - Fine!!

C: - What are you looking at, idiot?

S: - I do not deserve this attitude, dear, and you know it. Please let's just see our guests off and I'll draw you a nice warm bath with a glass of wine on the side.

C: - Don't think I will forget this for a bath. I can't believe you would risk yourself for such a stupid reason.

S: - Wouldn't dream of it. I might be willing, however, to give my poor lover a relaxing massage after that...

C: - I hate how you always know what I need. Fine. I'll be upstairs. Don't be long.

S: - Am I ever?

[16woodsequ]

(For the writers truth and dare ask game)

I was unsure how many I could pick so I chose two, 🍓 because I’m genuinely curious and 🍦for the fun of it!

Also excuse me for not interacting as much as I usually do, but now I’m back :)

(From this ask game)

Thanks for the ask! I always love them :D

🍓 how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

Oh that's something I haven't thought about in a while! Okay, so my first introduction to fandom was through DeviantArt. I grew up on transformers and went looking for cool fanart. I found some but couldn't comment without an account, so I made my first fandom account. I wasn't planning to post anything, but a stranger followed my empty blog and sent me an encouraging note saying they couldn't wait to see what I did. (I still think of them, we never became mutuals or anything, it was like they were a benevolent fairy godmother telling me to create, and then I never saw them again, but I owe them a lot!)

So I posted a few drawings and followed a bunch of people and groups on DA. I began reading fanfiction there. But I still never even thought to post my own work at the time.

But circa 2014 I am very invested in reading fic and I have a favourite Transformer character (Starscream) whom I have created an entire backstory for (sparked by a take I didn't agree with in a fic). I'm deep into mentally writing stories, with my own Mary Sues and everything. It's my daily pass-time, daydreaming these stories and meta.

It still doesn't occur to me to write any of these until one day I'm watching The Hobbit, and Ed Sheran's I See Fire plays and hits me like a lightning bolt. This song is perfect for my fav character!! Someone's got to have written about it, right???

So I scour fanfiction sites (I can't remember if I'd started reading on Ao3 yet, but I'd definitely been on FNN) but No One had written this Very Niche idea???

And that's when the concept of writing my own fic started. I just had too. The idea was too good. So my first fic was a song fic writing on the DA STASH program (not even Word lol. This thing didn't even have a word count, and my editing process was to read the wip backwards word for word, searching for misspellings or other typos).

And after that I suddenly realised that if I wanted people to see my fav character in the same light I did, I had to write it. And so it began.

I eventually started posting on FNN, and then in 2016 on Ao3. My first Marvel fic followed a similar process where I got an idea and it was just too good and people needed to know about it, so Lessons Learned was written on STASH. (I think around then I finally moved to Word XD). I still have an old account on DA, but I haven't been active on it in many years. It does hold a special place in my heart for being the place I started learning about fandom and writing in though.

So I guess I started writing fanfic because no one seemed to be writing my stories, and I had Opinions that needed to be shown.

🍦 name three good things about a character you hate

Oh geez, lemme think.

Quickest name comes to mind is Rumlow. But that's in a Love to hate situation. I know some people like to redeem Rumlow, but I love how he can shorthand so easily as just the worst guy you know.

He's just the worst (positive). No matter what AU you're reading you know any character named Rumlow is going to be the worst scum ever.

I mean, I've heard about what it's like to live with large, bad burns. So good for him for making it through the acute period and living with it I guess.

Kind of ties in to the first point, but there's not much he wouldn't believably do. You want an unhinged bad guy? Rumlow will help you out. Does he have morals or did he lose them with the burns? Your choice writer! He's up for anything.

Hope you enjoyed the ask! Oh and don't feel bad at all about engagement! I know how life can get sometimes and I'm not ever going to get mad for something like that.

[redjaybathood]

Just had a very evil 'Red Hood!Steph' AU idea. The gist is wanting to do something a bit different over the same track as Jason while keeping the general idea.

So, taking inspiration from a world without young justice, Steph is the second Robin. Arthur gets out of prison way earlier when she';'s like 10 and an altercation with Crystal leaves her dead and Steph in hiding but stalking him, plotting revenge. She drops clues, tries to kill him with a gun he gave her as a kid, Bruce calms her down and takes her on as his Robin and adopted daughter.

Some of Steph's insights on the East End cause shifts in investments that such that either ensure Catherine lives, or Willis (not abusive just a criminal) are still able to care for Jason. He ends up as a much more welcomed Spoiler analogue.

So how does Steph die?

The Court o Owls, they are offended Bruce adopted Stephanie, even more offended she took his last name, even, even more offended she outperforms their children! So they try to kill her, it doesn't take at first, done through sacrificial pawns unaware of their role in things and Steph continues being Robin.

Cass might be around or the next Robin maybe?

This goes till she's about 13/14, so a bit before her canon debut, they finally pull off an assassination. They likely use a Rogue as cover, but its by their hand she dies and by their hand she is returned to life, their intent to make her a Talon as a final punishment, eternal slavery.

This fails, first because Steph is not wholly 'aware' but as she comes back to herself, she is convinced that Batman will save her, through experiments and trials. She gains some enchantments and manages to escape as they don't know of her training but her head space is fragile.

So fragile that all it takes to crumble the last pillar holding up her identity is seeing Batman and Robin swooping through the Sky. The shriek she unleashes can barely be called human and she flees Gotham in a maddened daze. She avoids the Court agents and starts building her war chest.

Here I am less sure, maybe Talia finds her, or David Cain (If him she kills him as a self imposed graduation condition) or she just funds her own training until she's... Let's say sixteen/seventeen? IE, her return is around the time she was Robin in the original timeline.

Whatever the case, while killing off the rogue who killed her, the gangs and such is on her to do list. Steph (Now going by Scion) is focused on the Court itself and the wealthy, so her plans also involve stuff like taking over city councils and other things.

She may also be specifically framing Batman for the murder of certain Court members to lure them out and keep Bruce off balance. Thanks to her enhancement's and suit she can at least keep up with Cass, though she still wouldn't want to fight her head on.

You know what? I hear "Steph frames Bruce for murder" and I immediately think that David Cain would work better than Talia here, and your idea of Cass being the next Robin? Is how it all comes together.

Did Steph kill David Cain but still decided to go with his plan of framing Bruce, just switching target from the innocent ex girlfriend to the sycos who kill people, then make them kill even more people, and nobody even believes they exist? And she knows Cass is Cain's daughter; moreover, she probably gives Cass an opportunity to get involved in this. Maybe - think about Jason getting Bruce into the same room with Joker to kill him, but it is Steph offering a chance to do the "right thing" to Cass. Because she feels a certain kinship you get when you both are raised by abusive fathers, who hurt your mom very much (Crystal is dead and, correct me if I'm wrong, Lady Shiva - Sandra - wasn't like that before Cain killed her young sister and then kidnapped her and made carry a child for him; so I believe it counts).

But of course Cass is trying to save Cain. Not because she has any kind of feelings for her biological father, but because that's how she is.

So only after that the frame-up is a go. And you know what would be funny? Bruce Wayne getting arrested, and his adopted daughter Cassandra is fostered by... Willis Todd. I don't know if ex-convict can be foster parents - probably not - so maybe Willis testified against Two-Face, made a deal, his conviction was overthrown or he wasn't even arrested, or if he was, he wasn't tried.

And that's when Jason because Spoiler. When his foster sister is sneaking out to get justice for her adoptive father, and comes back black and blue (the suit and the enhancement of Talons make them a formidable enemies). Would be funny if Jason, trying to help his sister, met and befriended Scion, not knowing that she was the one to beat Cass up. Well, they beat each other up, but Steph's healing factor is off the roof so you can't tell by looking at her.

So as Robin!Cass forbids Spoiler! Jason from interfering, he partners with Scion to take down Court of Owls who are, he feels, targeting Cass. In a big showdown between all the parties them three end up partnering against Court, take them down. And then Cass, with the last breath left in her, attacks Scion.

Steph runs away. Jason is left in a very uncomfortable place as when you're in the middle school and two of your best friends don't talk to each other, and if you talk to one of them, the other won't talk to you.

[captainseaweedbrains]

If THG's characters are living in modern world (now), what do you feel would be their profession?

Also, what would they study in university?

PS : For Peeta (baker or painter) and Mrs Everdeen (nurse or doctor), could you list another profession beside those please?

You can include as many characters as you can or want.

Thank you so much 😀

@curiousnonny

As I primarily write aus, I have given this a lot of thought! So I love this question because it allows me to ramble about my ✨thoughts.✨

Katniss Everdeen: I always make her a high school choral director because I feel modern her would be more invested in music but wouldn't want to perform it as a singer herself. I also think Katniss would be an amazing teacher who would be there for her students no matter what, which choral and band directors very much are due to HOURS of practice. Katniss also gives me the impression she'd be really good at music theory.

Katniss would have to major in Music Education with a focus on vocal performance for this.

Peeta Mellark: I rarely ever make him a baker, actually. I tend to either make him a high school art teacher or someone who works in archival works like art and history museums. I have also had him be a tattoo artist.

Peeta would either have to get something in art history (and then likely go and get his masters in archival work) or education with an endorsement in arts. For a tattoo artist, he'd have to do apprenticeships, I believe for it.

Mrs. Everdeen: I tend to make her a nurse, but I have also had her be a midwife. The obvious education for that.

Gale Hawthorne: I've made Gale a tattoo artist, but I primarily have him running his own hunting and nature store.

Gale would likely have taken a few classes on business and/or have had apprenticeships to become a tattoo artist.

Madge Undersee: I tend to either make her a stay-at-home mom or a socialite. I am well aware that the latter does not fit with her canon self, but that is where I disregard canon altogether and let Madge ruin men's lives as God intended.

Mrs. and Mr. Mellark: A very successful wedding planner (Mrs. Mellark) that is attached to a very successful catering company (Mr. Mellark). I always write the Mellarks being filthy rich and successful because I want Peeta to have it all and then for Katniss to marry into it. 😂

[suddenrundown]

@leverage-ot3 tagged me in this ask game! (thaaaaanks :D)

Star Sign(s): *meme voice* you guys got more than one star sign? i just know im a pisces lol

Favorite Holidays: I think probably thanksgiving

Last Meal: i had a frozen pizza a little bit ago. 'twas pretty good.

Current Favorite Musician: good ol' carly rae jepsen. what a queen.

Last Music Listened To: looking at spotify it was crj lol (specifically cut to the feeling) but i was listening to my 2023 wrapped playlist which is not made up of all carly rae jepsen, if you can believe lol. but she is there quite a bit!

Last Movie Watched: I watched Rye Lane with my roommate! I didn't get to finish it cuz i needed to go to bed since I had to get up early for work the next morning, but I'm gonna go back to it! it's very good :D

Last TV Show Watched: Fully sitting down and watching something? Our flag means death, I think?? I feel like I must have watched something since that ended but I can't think of anything. I did skip around a few scenes from specific leverage episodes for writing reasons, but that probably doesn't count lol

Last Book/Fic Finished: Officially the last actual book i read was the lies of lock lamora. Haven't read anything since because I quit the book club i was in (did you know you can just leave things? if it sucks hit da bricks) but that was a good book. last fic was how do we turn on the light which is a aziraphale/crowley fic by moonyinpisces on ao3. its super good (if you like go you should read it!!)

Last Book/Fic Abandoned: Ancillary Justice (also for that book club).

Currently Reading: I'm not currently reading any books but I am reading that aforementioned go fic!

Last Thing Researched for Art/Writing/Hyperfixation: Lol i googled if there was such a thing as a window opener and what that looked like. I wouldn't call that research but I don't have a better answer!

Favorite Online Fandom Memory: I think the time I got @faorism invested in my heartsong au and then they made a whole fic for it. faor is truly a treasure in the leverage fandom. also the response i got when writing as whole as we could be was overwhelmingly lovely <3

Favorite Old Fandom You Wish Would Drag You Back In/Have A Resurgence: uh. well. i kinda wish we could get the fandom we had for leverage back?? i understand why the people that left it did and totally support it, but i miss the community and the different corners of it. i think people obv still post about and create things for leverage but not to the extent that we had before. such is life though!

Favorite Thing You Enjoy That Never Had an Active or Big "Fandom" but You Wish It Did: i think i could probably give the same answer for this as the last question, honestly. in some ways its nice to be small though :) OH maybe the toby daye series?? idk if there is much of a fandom for it and i just dont know about it lol that is quite possible.

Tempting Project You're Trying to Rein In/Don't Have Time For: good lord. come back and haunt me. im fucking trying out here dude! im trying so hard lol

ok i shall tag some people but if you see this and dont see yourself tagged and think "i wanna play too!" well consider yourself tagged, whether we are mutuals or not. and if you are tagged directly, no pressure at all <3

@cloysterbell @shinybulbasaur @faorism @miss-interpretations @applejuiz @majesticartax @romansmartini @wizardrights @imusthavebecomesomething

[anemcia]

Have you ever been intimidated by somebody based solely on their writing alone?

Have you ever gotten so invested in a thread?

Have you ever turned interactions with another muse away for reasons?

Do you find yourself practicing favouritism with certain blogs/muns/threads?

Munday: Guilty as CHARGED - [ACCEPTING]

//I'm on mobile for the time being so here's a selfie of me and my poké daughter, Konpeita 🎭🌿

Question 1✨: I wouldn't necessarily say I've been intimidated by another person's writing style, but I have been nervous approaching a few muns for roleplays. It's usually in relation to plot development, building relationships and tension between our muses (for better or worse). Sometimes I feel like I might be too pushy and I scare others away. Or that I'm more enthusiastic about something than they are (ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING. MY POOR LITTLE HEART😭). I die a little on the inside just thinking about it lmao. it's less about the writing itself and a lot more about if they're interested at all.

Question 2✨: YES I have gotten rather invested in many threads over the years! Some still trapped in my drafts! Some I'm still waiting for replies over. I am a patient soul, I can wait for the good stuff baby. Uhh there was one that started the same year I began this blog and it was a pretty cool AU I was doing with an imperfect Cell. I had an entire landscape of fun ideas, dramatics, action and so much more, and then... Poof. The Mun vanished. Literally the last post they made was part of our RP, and it's been years since the last update? 2019ish? I wont lie, it definitely did sting a bit, but thats just the way it goes right? I just hope wherever mun went, they're safe and happy.

Question 3✨: I have done it in the past over my eldest blog, I believe. I used to run Dimentio in the mario community, and during that time came a looooot of thirsty muses who were more interested in rattling his jester bones than actually doing anything fun. Had someone try to seduce him with a sexy wink and waggle of the hips, and at this time I was a filthy fujoshi, so "EWW GROSS DESU". Of course, I'm sure ive done this over this blog a few times before, though it's non discriminatory. Usually it's just because I'm very picky, sometimes it's just the vibe, but the grand majority of it all? I'm tired all the time, I have two needy babies and i can only focus on what the brainmeats wants.

Question 4✨: Don't we all? I find myself gravitating towards people / threads I have established a good number of times to enjoy them, but if I had to be more specific?? You, Viopolis, Kiealer, hopefromadoomedtimeline, risingsouls? Top of my list. Maybe it's just because I've had the longest bits of shenanigans with y'all, but a lot of it is the plots. Fun plots, ones ive often dropped the ball on and feel like a douche for. I do apologize for letting you guys down on that end. If it aint me feeling anxious over pestering anyone, it's me saving my energy for my babies who need me. We can pick up where we leave off, yanno? I just get embarrassed easily guys 😔

[hyuckmov]

hiii moon anon here i have a lot to say but first off: i've been analyzing the title song settle down and i've been listening to it over and over again and is the story gonna parallel the lyrics itself?? "and i don't seem to be having any effect now" like thats… oooh the angst is gonna be delicious. i hope you take this as a compliment when i say this but the whole fic takes me BACK to 2013-2015 YOU KNOW THAT ERA HAHAHA the tropes, the ambiance, the CHARACTERS!! side question: is mark or jisung gonna play bigger roles? or did they just act as plot devices for reader and haechans development. would not mind either way but given the concept of the story i can totally imagine reader coming back and just wreaking havoc on the band. sorry i love mess lol. maybe i'm delusional or maybe its the fact that it's haechan but it makes me more understanding of the character?? i trust you when you say that there's more to rockstar hc than meets the eye, and especially from his perspective it's pretty realistic that he has his guard up when it comes to really connecting with people, and we see his walls slowly crumbling down by the end too. and even in the earlier parts of the story i didn't expect him to have his sweet moments?? i honestly expected him to be worse but god him calling her PRINCESS has me on my knees i will defend reader's choices with my life because i'd do the same, i'd probably still go to the concert by the end she's so much stronger than me helppp (tho DISCLAIMER i would not be doing this for just any man its bc its haechan why i am easily swayed by the little things,,, just like reader), but i liked how she decided to take a step back this time, especially when at that point haechan is basically offering her what she has always wanted, but knowing his past actions it won't be truly easy to hang onto every word said. this is the culmination of every mixed signals and rejection that haechan gave her, and the build up to it is veryyy well done. also im still reeling from reading the fic i felt sooo many emotions and dk how to fully articulate it yet,, maybe i'll come back when i do. i even made a playlist of my own w songs that reminded me of the fic to help me move on (at least until pt 2 gets posted, cant wait tho!!)

MOON ANON.... when i say my jaw dropped.... my heart rate actually spiked i can't believe you wrote such a detailed review and theorized this makes me so happy especially since you basically inspired me with this idea !!!! giving you a huge hug rn 🫂🤍 

omg ngl this fic encouraging people to listen to settle down makes me so happy because it's one of my favorite songs 😭 it makes me feel so honoured to know that you are analysing the lyrics and anticipating the plot like that really means so much to me !!! i definitely picked it because it had themes i wanted to explore throughout the song...but the lines kind of contain both hyucks and readers pov hehe so i'm excited to explore that in part 2

i take that as a DEFINITE COMPLIMENT i was so invested in that era it was so formative for me... hence a lot of the song choice in my playlist too... i don't know if i genuinely nailed the idea of rockstar in rockstar haechan (because truly...what is a rockstar...) but i did want to give it that 2013 band on tumblr vibe lmfao so i'm so glad you brought that up !!!!

AAAA the band still definitely continues to play a role... they have stuff to work out but i've thought about their characters a lot and i definitely want to show more of their opinions on haechan and reader (it wouldn't be a rockstar au without that). someone else i want to add in is jaemin because ngl reader needs someone purely on her side

i hope i'm not promising too much with haechan HAHA i'm not someone who likes to give too much backstory to characters so i'm just putting it out there: i'm not going to explain that he's this way becaue he was cheated on before or he had family problems etc. i just want it to be genuine layers of his character and personality that's put to the test (love making it hard for myself LOL)

i'm so relieved to know you still managed to feel for his character and appreciate the softer sides of him and a bit of his struggle... i was worried i promised a super terrible character with the preview and people would be disappointed he ended up being so gentle with reader 😅

and her standing him up at the end!!! i'm glad you thought it was justified but at the same time recognise she probably was going to...it really could go both ways and idk if i'm still going through with my original plot arc !!! we will see :)

this was already so articulate omg once i appreciate it sooo so so so much that you shared such a detailed review with me, it literally blows my mind and i will reread your ask again and again !!!! omg and if u want please share your playlist with me too!!! i want to see what songs there are that give him vibes ~~

thank you sm again...you are too nice to me ily!!!!

[oathbreakerapologist]

OOOOOH AN ASK MEME FOR GHOST!! I hope you don’t mind that I am sending you SEVERAL numbers at once - 9, 13, 14, 19, 20 - if it please you (I also hope you’ll get to elaborate more on him in perhaps more backstory writing in AO3? The latest chapter was SO GOOD… I want to put your genderless murder machine in my mouth and chew on him like a dog toy.)

Thank you so much for the questions! I totally do not mind and in fact am very happy to get to answer so many fun ones :)) And thank you for the kind words on the last chapter!! I will almost certainly be posting more writing about him eventually—I write about him a ton, most of which is not anywhere near polished enough to post (and a lot of which is just very written-with-one-hand porn of him lmao), but there's always more in the pipeline. Also, I think he'd enjoy being chewed on.

9. Do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your OC?

I have a whole bunch of songs that remind me of him (everything reminds me of him...) but my top pick for lyrics that remind me of him has to be the opening of Vore by Sleep Token:

You have become / The voice in my head / Only recourse we're left after death / Your viscera welcome me in

(In particular, I think of those lyrics as performed in the first 30 seconds or so of this live recording of the song.)

13. If you met your OC, would the two of you get along?

I would be very afraid of him. It would almost certainly go poorly for me. But honestly, if I could meet him in a scenario in which I was certain I wouldn't end up murdered/tortured/etc., we'd probably annoy each other (his high energy would wear me out so quickly, and some of my more intellectual tendencies would piss him off.) He's maybe the most personally significant character I've ever had, and I love him so dearly, and also I don't think we'd get along.

14. How does your OC want to be seen by other characters?

Ghost has a very poor conceptual framework for how other people think; while he's sensitive to how others behave towards him, he's rarely interested in why they behave the way they do. Because of that, I'm not sure that he has any desire to be seen in any particular way. He believes others ought to treat him in certain ways—that he ought to be the recipient of their reverence, desire, and most importantly fear—but a convincing performance of as much to mask a lack of feeling is better than an unexpressed occurrence of such a feeling (though pre-tadpoling, he was harder to fool about such things).

For the most part, he sees himself as something so far removed from other people that their internal lives are immaterial to him. He is something brought upon them, something inflicted upon the world, a disease embodied, something inevitable. When all he craves from another is to be their destroyer, does it matter what they think of him? They will know him as their doom when it matters, in the moment before the final wound.

The exception to this rule is, naturally, the person or persons to whom he's enmeshed himself. With these individuals (Orin in his pre-tadpoling life and in his return canon, Astarion in his campaign canon, alternatively a Tav or another character in an AU), he is deeply concerned with what they think of him, but in a rather roundabout way. Such a relationship depends on him believing the other person trusts, loves, admires, and respects him. If it turns out that the other person was only feigning their displays of those feelings, he would feel that he's been manipulated, and he is particularly sensitive to feeling that way on account of his history of imprisonment and control. In that sense, he's invested in how such a partner actually sees him, and he wants it to align with how they behave towards him.

19. How does your OC behave when enraged?

He goes through a couple different phases of anger. At first, when he's angry but not yet overwhelmed by rage, he almost appears calm compared to his usual intense affect. Rather than being almost constantly in motion, he's suddenly very still, intent, and sharply focused. He speaks more shortly and more quietly. By some measures, he's arguably closer to acting "normal" than usual. And yet, it's scary to witness, in a deep-seated, even primal, way that raises the hair on the back of one's neck; he goes from seeming eccentric, imposing, and unsettling to seeming like a predatory animal with its prey in its sight.

When even this threshold has been surpassed, when he's truly overcome with anger, he circles right around to energetic intensity again, though now unstoppably, irrepressibly violent. If he cannot harm another, he will injure himself, not out of any particularly will to self-harm, but simply because he cannot resist the desire to hurt something.

(This might be a bit reminiscent of his behavior towards the end of that most recent chapter.)

20. Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest?

In the sort of deeply-entangled, obsessive relationships he tends to end up in, he rarely gets jealous. I've described his lack of jealousy vis-à-vis Orin elsewhere, but the gist of it is that when he is enmeshed with another person, he trusts that they will care as little about others as he does (and that's generally true of the sorts of people he's inclined to end up in relationships with).

This attitude serves some practical purposes—it's a lot easier to operate as a serial murderer when you can reliably take people home to be thirds, fourths, and more with a partner who's either similarly bloodthirsty or indulgent of your bloodthirst. This is a preferred modus operandi for him, particularly with Orin.