#i hope i’ve conveyed this well enough that even if people dont know this they think its cool regardless

[1loer]

my very late entry to @hinadam-week day 1: domestic / fantasy AU

I'm taking fantasy and running into a The Locked Tomb AU with these two: The Reverend Son of the Drearburh and Heir to the Ninth House, Gundham Tanaka and........Hajime Hinata.

(Yes they're both from the Ninth House no they are nothing like Gideon or Harrowhark ok theres no sense to this other than aesthetics and they are perfect for a Necromancer - Cavelier duo :') )

For the uninitiated, Gundham is essentially a bone magician who uses death magic and Hinata is his knight. They are bound together to protect one another and to work as one- One flesh, one end. I like to imagine that he has a fondness for creating animal bone beasts, and that the Devas are his pets who have died that he's reanimated so they can be together foreva (not as sad as it sounds i swear) <333

To the 3 other people who might understand this, yeah. That does happen.

[derschleierfallt]

Pls share actor opinions!! :D

OK. biggest question of my life. gonna list top 3 favs for elisabeth and tod but i’ll throw in a rudolf or two. honorable mentions and least favs too just for funsies. also it’s going to be painfully obvious that i mostly stick to german language productions sorry in advance. and nothing too niche probably. maybe one day ill revise when i’ve watched like every video i have

elisabeth

1. pia douwes

OF COURSE NUMBER ONE IS PIA. she is my absolute favorite actress, not just in this role but also just in general. i first saw her in the role in the essen proshot, and how she conveyed all the different highs and lows of the character was just so good. you can feel every emotion and you can believe every word. i had watched the 2005 vienna proshot first, and i liked it a lot, but it wasn’t until i saw pia in the titular role that everything really clicked. her understanding of the character is so compelling, and i literally just don’t get tired of it. she’s also an absolute powerhouse vocally. hoping to go to the netherlands next year to see her in the show for real!

2. ranno hana

okaaayy i haven’t watched zuka 2014 in a BIT but… ok confession… i don’t love zukabeth. i like it enough, but a lot of the changes are just tooo hard for me to completely forgive lol. that said, i’ve watched a few productions, and this one was a standout for me, mostly bc of this elisabeth (and tod tbh but this isn’t abt them rn). i really loved her portrayal of the character, acting-wise i think she’s seriously incredible. vocally she’s not exactly a favorite, but like who gaf. she’s GOOD! her wenn ich tanzen will is one of my favorites, as is her ich gehor nur mir. so fun to watch

3. maya hakvoort

don’t be fooled even though vienna 2005 didn’t completely hook me at first i do like maya a lot. in terms of character, i think maya plays it a little more broken and beaten, which is an interpretation of the character i love. she’s crushing under all this weight, and though she remains strong, she really really shows all the cracks that form. her der schleier fallt with mate always makes me wanna bash my head in (in a really good way!)

honorable mentions

nicole sieger. kind of. only shitty audios exist of her performance but i like them a lot lol

mari hanafusa (toho 2016) didn’t love her in zuka 96 but she’s really good here

ruth kraus. recently watched a video with her and i liked it a lot! seen some people say she’s lacking but i don’t believe it

not my fav

maike boerdam. not sure if this is like a hot or cold or middling take? personally not a fan of her elisabeth, some of the acting choices take me out of it and while she’s talented, her singing just isn’t my thing! she has good moments though and she is in many great essen photos and i do love essen promo photos

der tod

1. uwe kröger

92 vienna specifically. this is The tod. u cannot say the word death without me thinking of that swoopy 90s hair. u can’t talk abt some random guy named todd without me thinking of that swoopy 90s hair. he lives in my head and i cant evict him. i love other interpretations of the character and while i dont like to be all THIS IS THE ONE CORRECT WAY TO PLAY THIS AND THIS… this is the most correct in my heart. i love the ambiguity so much. i think its essential. most vienna tods from this era just don’t really captivate me as much as uwe bc i think the bar was set so high (and vienna content is SCARCE to say the least). i like him in essen as well, but the way the character was directed in that production isssss inferior imo. he’s got good elisabeth takes too so number one

2. jesper tydén

i really don’t know how this happened. i really really just like his tod. depending on the day i think he could switch with mate. i get the vibe that his tod is a conniving little beyotch. slimy, maybe is the way to put it? but not exactly as gross as slimy would suggest? unhinged, but not flying off the handle? calculated, but not fully controlled? i think it’s also the vocals that bump him up for me, he’s got some GOOD vocals that really get to shine in this role. i do also just really love essen understudies for some reason

3. máté kamarás

like i said he can swap for jesper but today is a jesper in 2 day. for me, mate is more the acting and not so much vocals, at least later in the vienna revival run and every production onward. i do love his voice earlier on though, so it’s a shame his voice kinda suffered a bit! maybe this kinda sounds like a diss or something but ITS NOT. i think mate tod is really captivating, there’s this vibe that the impossible really did happen, he really did love elisabeth, and he plays it very well. he bounces off of the other actors incredibly (vienna revival im specifically thinking about), so every interaction with every character has something just sooo good about it. i also like how sparkly he is in hungarian productions

honorable mentions

yu shirota. see my post abt him being a freak. love it!

addo kruizinga. specifically in original vienna, i actually didn’t like him at first but his interpretation really grew on me

lukas mayer. so happy to see a new tod i actually really like show up, i hope we’ll see him in this role again

5. least fav

m….ma……r…….k… coldest take on tumblr dot com possibly ever! every performance i’ve seen he just looks so bored or so done. however i think he’s good vocally, and im sure he is better in other shows. but in elisabeth he’s bored and im bored, so not for me!

rudolf

1. andreas bieber

number one is all original vienna i’m sorry LOL it’s andreas bieber. wenn ich dein spiegal wär was written because of him (or something like that), so i think that says something! not sure how exactly to put this but i like how ? pitiful ? his rudolf is LMFAO. when i was just getting into elisabeth and browsing through youtube clips i didn’t understand whatsoever his rendition of the aforementioned song struck a chord with me. no clue what he could’ve possibly been singing about, didn’t even know the historical context lol, but i could infer enough from his acting and it was SAD. seeing mayerling for the first time when actually watching the musical in full was like ohhh…

honorable mentions (tbh i didn’t focus on rudolf much until recently so sorry)

jesper tydén AGAIN. sorry he’s good. i wish he was in the vienna revival longer than he was

dennis hupka. part of the reason why i care abt rudolf more now LOLOLOL

also to end it off serkan is obviously my fav lucheni alongside i think 99.9% of people and i have no more to say than that. serkan is the standard for me and it has not been reached again… not that my eyes have seen… except maybe that guy who was the one thing i liked abt schonbrunn 2019 but i don’t remember his name atm

[skrittkicking]

actually i come back. LEONIDES I wanna hear abt him he has excellent henchman energy: 19, 31, 36.

he is very much an evil gay little henchman. im glad he conveys that well enough because thats basically his entire personality right now … hes still a big WIP and might not end up being very developed as he’s just going to be an NPC for some stuff i’ve got planned down the line, but who knows. im just hesitant to bring him out of npc hell and make him an actual character because i dont have much of an idea for what he’d do; its all stuff i can have lia do & she’s better developed. she'd go about it in different ways, but i dunno ... im still on the fence about it

19. What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they’ve been avoiding?

talk to them. leonides is supposed to be a very confrontational and up front sort of person, so he’d have no issue asserting himself and sorting things out, through one way or another. in spite of leonides’ henchman complex, he does actually have the smarts to back up any threats he makes and will not hesitate to take action if needed. overall though, leonides is a good conversationalist and likes to yap, so he'd just get it over with

31. When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?

hmmm. i think leonides doesn't feel a lot of guilt surrounding the stuff he does, because he can justify that hes doing what's right for the legions. that being said though – he’s malicious and selfish, but he’s not completely absorbed in advancing himself/blood legion like lia may or may not be. he has a set of morals, even if they’re questionable ones. how does he deal with this guilt? squash and repress it, baybeeeeee

36. Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?

where he’s at right now, leonides isn’t actively seeking out much gain in his ranks. he’s pretty satisfied with where he’s at, though he wouldn’t necessarily turn down the opportunity to advance… although his loyalty to his legion is very strong, his loyalty to the people around him is less certain. in spite of this, though, leonides is too much of a coward to actually do anything. he’s too afraid of being caught and fucking himself over, so will instead just suck-up to others and hope it pays off in the end

[babeyun]

fallin alone. oh. my. god.

i cant believe the greatest fucking fic of the year dropped on 21st of december, but here we are. impeccable timing 

first of all, i have been waiting for this forever and the fact that i got to finally read it is such a blessing, it was so so so worth the wait, i cant stress this enough

there wasnt a thing that i didnt enjoy while i was reading this masterpiece, the fact that it got my little heart aching but also beating a bit faster is a enough of a proof of how amazing it was!

i loved loved how both, hees and yns, character were in a way equally shining here and the dynamics of their ups and downs in these rough paths of their relationship were written so so well, im speechless.

im so glad, hee figured his shit out, im so happy with how everything turned out, dont even get me fucking started on the whole cold case - this was such great driving force of the fic!! im amazed and endlessly impressed!

the sex scenes hit and felt so natural? i suppose what i mean by that is when i read them they flowed so perfectly into the plot, and my goodness, this hopeless heeseung was very hot to me, the definition of the man that is nothing without his wife, loved to see it

the ending with them falling again and renewing the vows, dare i say my eyes teared up a bit goshhh it was beautiful !!

what can i say, the best fic ive read this year im so serious, made me glad im alive, youre an incredible writer and this was just a pleasure to read, im gonna for sure reread this and probably be in awe as if it was my first time reading it!!! masterpiece!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and also, thank u thank YOU, for sharing this with us on here, it was an honor to be able to read it !!!!  

wishing u all the best sweetheart, happy holidays, stay warm, love youuuuu!!!!!!!

oh my…hello anon.

i’m just gonna let you know right now, i am SOBBING. ugly cry with snot and wailing 😭

thank YOU so much for your incredible patience and your incredibly kind words. i cannot express enough how much your kindness means to me, especially with the year that i’ve had and the things that have impacted me.

i’m glad you enjoyed it! i tried so hard to make them both characters with redeemable qualities and i wanted so badly for both of them to be seen as one but also individuals with their own issues. not everything falls on heeseung but not all of it can fall on y/n, you know?

dude the sex scenes stressed me OUTTTT 😭 i was in my best friend’s face asking “should i change this?” or “what about this? maybe a different position?” i just KNAUR she was sick of my ass fr…but writing their intimate dynamics was very fun, i wanted to convey this idea that heeseung is just like…incredibly attracted to her and kind of addicted to her in a way — and based of this i think i managed to do that!

the fact that you said this fic made you glad your alive is such an insane honor. to me this is a fic i’ve been mulling over and using to cope with my own shit, but i’m glad you’re alive, too. shit, i’m glad i’m alive to write it and see it.

thank you for your kind words and kind heart. i hope there are many more people like you in this world, but even just you is enough. have a wonderful holiday season, anonnie. take care 🩷

[sabotsen]

Hi there! First of all, your perception of Roland is absolutely impeccable. I don't generally read fics as they tend to spoil/contradict my image of a char, but your Roland? Pure canon. In a single paragraph you are able to convey such complex images, wow. I even find myself with same longing described in a text, and it lingers. Also your signature tripple "burn"s. At this point I can recognize your work without captions. Hope you are having a good feedback! I also did not find any request closed/open status or rules so please forgive me if you don't do requests.

With that, may I take the liberty and ask for a Roland fic where we hug him? Because Re-reading Knight's longing for 3rd time and ugggh I just wanna squish him with a hug. I also thought the idea of "if you need anything — ask for it" "but no everything has to be 95 steps long and complex" is fun, but what if he does actually ask for something, and we give it to him, and it works, and he's shoked? Kinda?? Since he usually doesn't speak plain and honest, and things usually dont actually go his way. But hey he did this time and that single shot got through! It's a little bit like teaching a child to say "pass the salt please", except it's a grown man and we try to tell him not everything has to be attained through suffering and hinting, he can just ask. Or, on a different note, maybe he does not actually say it out loud but we still guess, since after so much time we know him well enough? Regardless of whatever he builds of himself, he still has some patterns he follows unknowingly in any of his instances, and those could be learned and read. I just wanted for Roland to be comforted a lil'. ;< maybe not a lil'. Maybe actually very much.

Even if this req is not to your liking, I still wish you the best with your art, thank you for your hard work! Bye have a great time 👋

I’ve had to walk laps around the room several times before I could even fathom a response to this message so forgive me if I’m incoherent in spots.

But firstly — thank you??? ( ; - ;) this is such a kind message I’m honestly really fucking humbled and at a loss for words, especially for speaking so kindly of my interpretation of him. ;;;; thank you truly for taking the time to send this, it means a lot to me. ( & I can’t help the burns repetition with him lol, the irony when your in game element is fire but you’ve long since forgotten the warmth of human kindness and contact so even the gentlest of brushes feels like scorching heat. The man is a clown)

I’ve never actually gotten a request before lol so you’re the first, hun. I’m open to ‘em, especially since they can be a way to talk to people about different hc and interpretations; I find it really fun. And I really like the view of him I see in your message. Roland blue screening is always a highlight to me tbh

it’s actually a bit ironic Knight’s Longing is the one you’re most fond of. The second part is in the works, told from Chrome’s POV about your closeness with Roland, and there is a short scene that plays off Roland’s affection line where you fall asleep against him. It’s mostly a fun experiment bc they’re just such fascinating foils. (There’s also a nutcracker inspired fic with Roland that has been in the works for a shamefully long time….)

But yes! You’re welcome to suggest ideas hun! And yours actually gave me a brain worm so consider that wip added to the fic list. I just… I either churn out 3 fics in a month or 1 fic every three months — there is no inbetween I’m so sorry….

I did draft a few lines tho based off the images I got from your message tho, so I don’t forget the emotion I want to go for (the despair of waiting for the other shoe to drop bc he can’t trust your kindness as something that isn’t attached to strings or the guillotine). I can’t promise it’ll make it to the final draft but here’s a little snip for now if that’s ok?? I gotta chew on how I want to shape the scene but I’ll toss the snip beneath a read more break. please know I’m tucking four leaf clovers in your pocket in hopes you have nothing but wonder days ahead!! ♥︎ thank you again for taking the time to talk to me ♡

[...]

It's the weightlessness – the moment of bated breath when the stage crumbles beneath his feet and the scaffolding overhead groans as it collapses. It's the loaded silence – the millisecond between the trigger pull and the expected result in roulette. It is the corpse of every script, every scene, every line that always, always, always ends with the flourish of the guillotine. 

He feels it, scorching and molten – the seeping, slow spread of warmth like molten glass. There's a sharpness to it, biting in the way it cuts through the cold metal of him until it sinks into his wires. It burns. It burns. It burns.

The weight of your arm around his shoulder, your foolish flesh and bone hand on the small of his back, the faint brush of your breath against his temple – you're close, too close and it burns. He feels the subtle rise of your chest with each slow breath, and it's the casual defenselessness of it all that turns the heat into something boiling. It churns with all the jagged, rusted blades that have burrowed into tender places he thought lost beneath the metal. You're completely open and every single vital point flashes through his mind in an instant. How easy would it be to press a little here or cut deep enough there to bring you to your knees in blooming crimson glory? 

His hands move – too late and too early all at once – and you don't even flinch when the cold metal of his fingers wraps around the back of your neck.

[tj-wrote-things]

𝐀 𝐆𝗼𝗼𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝗼𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐤

𝐧𝐢𝐤𝗼𝐥𝐚𝐢 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬𝗼𝐯 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝗺!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝗼 @itisroe 𝐟𝗼𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝗺𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥���𝐮𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝗼𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝗼𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞

𝐀.𝐍: 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 2𝐤 𝐰𝗼𝐫𝐝𝐬. 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐟. 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞. 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝗼𝐲:)

-quick little psa, Nikolai and Reader are both kinda ducks cause they’re hurt and stressed. I DONT THINK it’s okay to invalidate a significant other, however I do believe people say things they don’t mean-

•

•

•

“Yes, Genya, I’ve checked the place cards, and I told Alina to make sure no one was allergic to anything.” You sighed heavily from your place on the lavish fainting chair, reclining to avoid wrinkling your dress. Tamar widened her eyes, and shook her head subtly at you, warning you of the danger that comes with poking the bear.

Genya turned sharply and raised a fiery eyebrow at you, almost daring you to get smart again. “Listen, wiseass, this is my wedding day, and if anything goes wrong, as my Maid of Honor you’re responsible.” She reached into the smooth mahogany surface of the vanity and brandished a particularly sharp looking razor blade. “Got it?” You widened your eyes and rose from the chair, no longer feeling safe.

“I’m gonna go check in with the band,” you mumbled, speed walking straight to the door. Genya nodded curtly. As you wrenched the door open, you came face to face with Alina, holding the thin, cream colored shawl Genya had requested.

“Be careful,” you whispered. “She’s in a mood.” Alina rolled her eyes.

“And it's probably all your fault.” she smiled, letting the door shut behind you. You chuckled to yourself at the thought of getting a rise out of Genya, a woman who had quickly become a sister to you from the moment you arrived at the Little Palace, no matter how many times you pissed her off.

You made it a few paces from the door before you heard a startling shout from the room you just left.

“Make sure they don’t play a polka song!”

“Alright,” you hollered back hoarsely. “Just save that braying voice for your vows!”

Making your way to the parlour room was simple enough, considering you had done it a thousand times before. The hard part was making it past the boys room.

You were all the way at the end of the hall, and yet you could hear the commotion from within David’s room. As you stepped closer and closer, heels clacking on the pristine tiled floor, the garbled noise of grown men arguing became clearer and clearer.

“For saints’ sake David! You look fine!”

“Genya would say my necktie clashes with my haircut!” Another round of groans erupted, and you smiled.

Of every couple in all Os Alta, Genya and David would take the cake when it came to “opposites attract”. You’d always thought they were perfectly paired, with David’s demure nature and Genya’s strongly worded opinions. They balanced one another, and brought out the best in them both.

You thought that you’d get lucky, and be able to walk past the room swiftly without being noticed, but of course, fate was being a real bitch.

Just as your left foot set down in front of their door, it was pulled open abruptly. One moment, you were striding swiftly through an abandoned corridor, and in the next you were being stared down by arguably the one man you could’ve gone all day without seeing.

Nikolai blinked and cleared his throat, and did the one thing you least expected. He grabbed you, not unkindly, by the arm, and hauled you into the room, kicking the door shut behind him.

“Have a look,” he said, pointing to David, who was standing rather awkwardly in the middle of the room, rolling his eyes everytime Mal tried to convince him he looked fine. “Doesn’t David’s tie match perfectly with his hair?” He didn’t even wait for you to respond. “I picked it out myself, so of course he’d look impeccable.”

Your hunger for chaos just couldn't resist. You frowned mockingly, and rested your chin on your fist. “Well, the knot is a little big…” you moved for the mass of garments piling up on David’s bed, and swiftly pulled out another tie. This one was a dark violet color, and perfect for the occasion, for you happened to know that Genya’s wedding bouquet had flowers of the same shade. You looped the fabric around David’s neck after removing the old one, and tied it, not unlike a sister would. “There.” You patted him on the shoulders. “You look great, David.”

You picked up the skirt of your dress as you went to exit, stopping to pat Nikolai on the arm. “Don’t feel bad about the tie, Nikolai. We both know you have trouble seeing a good thing even when it’s right in front of you.” You left without another word, neck bobbing, but head held high.

He knew what you’d been talking about, of course; your failed relationship. You and Nikolai had been together for all of 7 months, before the cares of both of your positions began to take their toll. As king of Ravka, Nikolai was resolute in his decision to be a great ruler above all else, and he honored that decision in full.

He made regular visits to every corner of his country, doing what he could to alleviate the stresses that formed in the aftermath of the war, and oftentimes took you with him, if you could spare the time. He took special care to attend every meeting and listen intently to any conversation that had anything to do with his beloved Ravka, to avoid making the same decisions that cost his father the throne, and his people their security.

You loved it. You loved him, too. His dedication to a land that had been so neglected by his forefathers was something that you revered in your lover, and respected. And he respected your work, too, and all that you did in the name of the Second Army and the throne. The time you spent together was always treasured.

However, he as King and you as General, there was only so much time to be spent together. It had become routine for both parties, night after night to come home to the bedroom, and find the other fast asleep, unyieldingly busy, or just not there. You slept in the same bed, and yet, you both had felt the cold arms of distance more than the arms of the other. It was only a matter of time until either of you reached your breaking point, after all, it was no easy thing to fall asleep and wake up in an empty room, not when you knew the one who shared it was long gone.

He had walked into your room, late at night after a day of meetings and diplomacies. You were sitting, hunched over, bathed in the light of the oil lamp hanging over you, slowly sorting through and filing away the documents detailing the expenses of the Second Army. He had strode over to you, and placed a heavy hand on your shoulder, squeezing slightly.

You hummed in acknowledgement, unwilling to turn away from the paper before you. “What,” he said. “No hello?” You shrugged off his hand as you reached for your pen.

Signing the line at the edge of the page, you responded halfheartedly. “Nik, I’m really busy right now.” You had hoped that your displeasure at the work laid out before you would be conveyed through your words, but it seemed that was not the case. Nikolai, in all his stressed out glory, believed the displeasure was directed at him.

Retracting his hand and moving towards the bed, he muttered, “Saints forbid I be shown a little affection.” You did not intend to hear him, but you couldn’t help  but respond. Not when, just days ago, sitting at the same desk, Nikolai had done the same thing.

“Affection,” you repeated, setting your pen down and leaning back in the chair. “Pray tell, Nikolai, when was the last time you paid me any affection. Or indeed, any attention at all?” Nikolai shook his head, and tugged off his shirt as he readied himself for the night, sighing when he saw your challenging expression. He prattled off his response without a second though.

“I'm the King. You're just a soldier.” You scoffed, and stared at him for a moment, wondering if he would recant, and apologize for all he just insinuated.

He did not. Nikolai crawled onto his side of the bed, his back facing you, and remained silent.

For him to invalidate you, and your work—

“Right,” you said, standing to collect your things. “In that case, I think I’ll stay in the Little Palace tonight. With the other soldiers.” That had been the end of it.

Nikolai’s pride prevented him from approaching you, and your resolve to remain unbroken kept you from approaching him. You knew if you tried to talk about it, it would kill you from the inside out. So that was how it went. You put up with Nikolai, for the sake of your friends, and country, and spoke shortly and when spoken to. Nikolai did likewise.

Until the wedding reception, that is. You’d done your best, really. You really tried to goad Genya and get him assigned to a different table, but of course it wouldn't happen. She’d given you a resolute no, claiming that the Maid of Honor and the Best Man had to sit at the same table and they had to share at least one dance.

You weren't so sure how legit that last claim was, but you didn't have it in you to argue. The lamps dimmed, and the band stopped, making way for the newlyweds to impress the attendees. David was smiling brightly, with one arm wrapped around Genya’s waist as he waltzed them around the floor, only dropping his grin when he gestured to Nikolai to take your hand. Nikolai huffed, and looked at you straight on.

“Genya said we have to dance.” He knocked back his brandy, and stood up, regal as ever, and extended a hand to you. 

You looked up from your own unfinished glass humorlessly. “Well don’t sound so excited.” You caught a narrow glare from Genya as she whirled around the floor. You stood and took his hand, allowing him to lead you to the floor.

You were getting too close.

The intoxicating smell of Nikolai’s cologne was shoving you closer and closer to the edge, let alone the warm feeling of his hand on the small of your back. Deep down you knew that if he moved his hand to your hip, it would be over, and you would drown in shared memories of nights spent in tangled sheets and abandoned alcoves.

You cleared your throat, and allowed your own hands to take their place, one in his hand, and one on his shoulder. With a swell of the music, you were off, onto the dancefloor in a flourish of fake smiles and internal screaming. 

Nikolai glanced down at you, noticing the way you looked at anything but him. “So,” he said. “I have trouble seeing a good thing even when it’s right in front of me.” You didn't say anything, clenching your jaw. “No, no,” he continued. “You’re right, of course. You stood by my side through… everything. The war, my stint as Sturmhond. It was selfish of me. To not have been by your side when you needed me.”

Oh yeah, you thought. Now we’re definitely too close.

You cleared your throat, and patted his bicep twice, signaling him to let you go. “Goodnight,” you muttered, unwilling to let yourself have this conversation. You pulled away, just slightly, before Nikolai tightened his grip on your waist and pulled you in. “Hey-!”

“Just know,” he murmured, looking at you intently, hazel eyes carving through the thick resolve you had fashioned in the weeks you’d been apart. “I always saw you. I never stopped seeing you. Probably never will.” He let go of your waist, and brought one of your hands to his mouth, kissing your knuckle. “And you were the greatest. Know that I’m not ready to give up on us yet.”

•

•

•

[aurora-daily]

AURORA’s Reddit Q&A (July 13th 2021)

Kmilalv: Hello aurora we love you, I'm @ aurora.s_love on instagram ✨✨🥰🥰🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️ Aurora: oh hellooo!!!! Exportmusic: Meep Aurora: meep < 3 Lisxnne: WELL HELLO AND THANKS FOR YOUR NEW SONG! 🙏🌟💕 Aurora: HELLO!! and thank you for being open to it 24681357900: Thank u for making music Aurora: thank you for inviting it into your heart Emergency-Club-7529: This is have some upper case , it's the real Aurora Aurora: yes!!! Helloooooo brunamombach: hello ✨🃏🧚🏻‍♂️🤘🍇🍄🧚🏻‍♀️ when are you coming do Brazil? so glad to see you here!!! Aurora: I think I will be coming to Brazil next year  I love being in Brazil because I feel like it awakens my heart and soul to be there !! Brunamombach: if you were going to an souless island, what book would you bring with you? 🧚🏻‍♂️🍇🍄🧚🏻‍♀️🤘🃏 kisses from Brazil Aurora: I would either take: "The name of the wind" and "a Wise mans fear" or the LOTR trilogy. Or the "Mistborn" trilogy. or "warbreaker" or "the good omens" or "the ocean at the end of the lane" or "Anne of Green gables" or "The alchemist" or just all the books in the world oh no I cant decide

all DanParis: Hey have some karma you cool bean 🤌🏼 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Aurora: thank you < 3 Ok-Estimate8468: Tell us something you can tell us about the second track on the Cure For Me vinyl, “Potion For Love”. I'm very curious...

Aurora: its the song I decided for the B-side of the vinyl, and I will probably release it digitally one day too. Its the sister song to "exist for love" but from the other perspective. where love does not fill you up, but love has left a big hole within you < / 3 Ok-Estimate8468: Did you get a lot of unfollows and hate from bad people due to Cure For Me? Aurora: I got a little hate from homophobes, and also abelist, and racist comments from people claiming there was nothing wrong with their mindset. BUT it does not bother me. and I will never stop speaking up about the things I find important. because.. what else would our meaning on this earth be? if that makes sense. Some people have attacked me personally, but sadly mostly its people defending their own hateful ways of being. I cant even imagine how it really is to be a victim of racism or violent homophobia, so I feel like the least I can do is to try the best I can to show support. and speak up. and be an ally.

So a bit more short - yes, and I really dont mind!!!! unfollow me if you find speaking about equality and the right to live, and love and be loved unsettling <3 thank you for this question! Ok-Estimate8468: How was the process of creating the studio version of Cure For Me? I heard your first acoustic performance and saw that it's much smoother than the studio, so I was curious to see how you managed to create another even more amazing version. Aurora: Me and Magnus just played around, and we really tried to go with our emotions, and to be playful and to not think too much about what was "AURORA" or what was even...pretty! we just laughed! and danced! and did what felt lovely to us.

I think this is why the making of this song is one of my favourite memories, and also I think that is why it sounds so playful! because it is!! it was like playing a game. and I did also play alot around with symbolics in both the lyrics and the way this song is produced. it all has a meaning you see... but of course I will let you figure that out yourself!!

Pingouiin_: What's your favourite mountain around bergen ? Aurora: mine is Løvstakken!! and Magnus loves Ullrikken!! but important to NEVER stop a Norwegian person walking on the mountain. just say. a quick hello and wander off your own mind. become at one with nature Whoamiandallthat: Thank you for existing, I love your art and you inspire me so much 💙 You are one of my favorite artists 😊 And just the other day I found out that you are just two years older than me, and so successful... I'm wondering how it was for you to become so popular, did you feel like people thought you needed a cure? I'm also in the sphere of arts - filmmaking; but I feel like my films are not good enough... I have a YouTube channel with some videos - if you ever see this comment I would like for you to check it out 😊 Aurora: Ive felt through my life like something was a little off, ive never resonated that much with the people or the "system" around me! it didn't bother me so much even though I. was teased a lot for it ( so again I was very lucky) but I never felt like I understood the world and my place in it. or how I. could fit in, in this worlds society and with other people ! and becoming "famous" which I dont really feel that I am, but I guess that I am a little "known" (meep) was very strange, and very hard to handle at first. as impressions affect me a lot, and noises and people etc. but with time I got better at handling all these impressions, and avoid getting a.. sensory overload! and I am so happy now, that I can look directly at strangers and actually listen to them, and understand them, and even love them I guess what I am trying to say, that ive now understood that this is the very thing that connected me to all of you. and now I see my place here on this earth. and I see all of you, and you give my life so much meaning!! Lets_Fight_Dragons: Firstly I wanted to say I recently discovered your music and I love everything about it. I have two questions, I hope that’s ok 1. How do you start writing songs because I’m trying to get into songwriting and I’m not sure how you write such amazing songs 2. What’s your favourite song you’ve released? Aurora: 1. well I dont really know. ( I am sorry!!) but I feel like it started really natural for me.. I. kind of just sat down with my piano.. and then I started playing around with the Keyes, and I figured out I could make an endless amount of melodies by simply pressing the keys in a different order!! remember finding this extremely magical (I was around 6 years old then) and after a while I started adding lyrics, and I just spent time looking into myself, trying to figure out. - what do I want to say? what do. I need to hear in a song? what do the world need to hear in a song? and etc. I always think about songwriting as storytelling. and I always start out by figuring out what story I want to tell, what matter I want to dress, or what pleases me, or annoys me with the world, or what emotion I need help dealing with!! and then I write a song!!! and if you feel like its difficult to come up with melodies, I would recommend finding a song you like, and learn the chords of it (or find an instrumental version. online) and then you make your own melodies on top of that! many of the songs of the world share the same chords, and often the melodies on top is the thing separating them. music belongs to all of us, and its clear that every song in the world comes from the same magical source. 2. I think its the seed. or couples creatures!! or infections of a different kind!! tiffnoir: Our dear AURORA, your b-side A Potion For Love is helping me a lot (broken heart since a few days ago). I wanted to ask (if I can haha) if would it be included at the upcoming album, or maybe a relaxing, vintage video for it? Thanks for helping all of us with your music ^_^ Aurora: thank you som much for letting this song into your heart  after writing exist for love, I figured that I should also make a sister-song that could belong for the ones with a broken heart as well  it will not be on the album, but for you I will try to put it on the deluxe version FedahpWithThisWurld: Hello, Aurora! I'm a neurodivergent person and I have always felt a lot of shame over being the way I am, like I'm not good enough. Your music makes me feel better and it makes me feel that being me is okay. Thank you for that.  I want to know how you manage to be so confident? Do you ever get nervous before a show? Aurora: hello!!!! I have had a lot of similar experiences with myself in this world too.. so I am very sad to hear you've lived your life with this feeling I think after a while I understood what makes me different also makes me special. and special is good. and if you think about it, special isn't even that different, because in one way or another we are all... unique. but of course, some people have had to fight their. way through life more than others.. making it less easy to learn how to love yourself. and accept yourself. I guess, now I've surrounded myself with good people who understand my quirks and sensitivities, people who give me time. and space to be me. I have also been lucky, because I have a family that have always encouraged me to be myself. and to love myself. and I guess that is why I am trying to convey to all of you now, because now we are like al little family. where being who you are - is cool. and you're cool. and were all cool. and I get nervous all the time, of all sorts of things! but I just accept that feeling as a part of being human. its uncomfortable yes, but I know at least it won't kill me! 3charmplease: What was it like recording for Frozen? Aurora: it was magical  and also slightly scary. but it felt safe and good calling at the mountains. and I feel warm thinking about it. especially now. cause my father just walked over to me with five little strawberries in his hand. he gave them all to me. and they were so small, and sweet. im currently sitting in my childhood home, right next to the very piano where I wrote "runaway" and so many other songs. Tiny-Sink-2397: Boom shake shake shake the room Aurora: that was actually during the recording process of Cure For Me! Tiny-Sink-2397: I thought it was!! Seemed like an epic party Aurora: YES Joelynxyzs: what's your favorite movie ? Aurora: Practical magic BUT ALSO THESE: The LOTR triology ALL GHIBLI MOVIES avatar once upon a time in Hollywood Hannah the perfume fantastic MR. fox Star Wars: a new hope rouge one isle of dogs the hunchback of Notre dame! the arrival stypop: If you were to get the chance to work on a sequel to another Disney movie, which one would you want it to be? Aurora: since Disney owns Lucas films I would love to be a part of the Star Wars universe  or to play either a magical fairy, witch mermaid, forest nymph, or a scary beast!! WE WO brisot: The masks in CFM remind me of theater plays, do you ever watch any and how much of an influence for you is the art of acting? Aurora: this era of my life is very influenced by the ancient times where theatre was all they had. no CGI or special effects etc. and I really wanted all these videos to feel very authentic, and down to earth! The shell in "exist for love" was handmade by someone, and I painted all the masks in "cure for me" myself! so I like it when it feels... human Clear-Champion-1833: i love you Aurora:

<3

Jicuhrabbitkim: How do you like your fried eggs cook!! I like it when its very crispy!! Aurora: as long as its from a local farm that has free healthy chickens that walk about freely and eat good food I like my eggs crispy too. GhostReaper3: Hi I have a question as well: How do you keep positive? Many people including myself find this difficult sometimes so it would be good to hear your technique or way of keeping upbeat and positive! Also, thank you for sharing your music with us! Aurora: I know what you mean, i've struggled with it myself at times. but I guess I tried separating in my mind what I can do something about, and what I cant? if that makes sense?? we are all just here on this planet. and though we all seem to be going though the same things we still feel so alone, in our thoughts and in our minds. And I've been very aware that with music, and with this fandom we can all finally connect, and see each other, and know that we are not alone! and if there is one thing I love, it is to dance a little after I've cried. I think its important to. shake these emotions out of our body. like animals do! and then I made CURE FOR ME. because I thought about all the warriors out there feeling. a little crazy... after isolation! or after being depressed! and being l rocked in with their families that might not accept them for who they are.. and I thought I needed to make a song for us all, that felt a little uplifting. and uniting. just so we know where not alone, and just so we know that we are worthy.. of everything! and that we are worthy of celebrating ourselves!! ALWAYS! aniri003: Were the dancers freestyling in the last part of the video Aurora: YES! I told them to put their freak game on. And they were amazing. L_pls_use_revive: Hei Aurora! Apart from inspiring me with your music for emotional people, I also dicovered my love for Norway and the Norwegian language through you - now studying it in my second year at university. Tusen, tusen takk! I want to visit soon when traveling is safe - So which place should I not miss out on? Have a great life! Aurora: I think the whole of Norway is worth visiting! there are so many beautiful places. and beautiful people! I would ofc. recommend Bergen! (haha!) but also places like Tromsø, Trondheim, Stavanger, lofted and The Geirangerfjord and the Northwest!!! HAHA KakSetoKaiba: How's the progress of the album that you've been preparing which will be released after your death? Aurora: its going well, I take one song for every chapter and I put it on my death album instead of the album I'm making  its going well. and im excited about it! maria_fernandez_: This is not a question but I just wanted to tell you that discovering you and your music has been the best thing that ever happened to me. What your music makes me feel cannot be described in words. I love you so much. Greetings from Spain!! Aurora: thank you!!! applepieaurora: Whats your favorite pie? 🐉 Aurora: apple pie  and blueberry pie!! Ok-Potato7244: Thanks for sharing your time ... a warrior here to welcome you...Have some tea...And i don't need a cure for disliking keeping animals in cages...Especially birds...💚... Aurora: thank you pekaraseva: what do you feel when you perform Ioadk or Adkoh for people? Aurora: I feel so full of emotion and love and despair I could almost explode  and its wonderful. I also feel insanely connected to the audience when I sing these songs.. I. think. its because they are such important pieces of my soul targaryenblood02: omg what do you think cure for me would smell like? 🐛 Aurora: like something Brazilian! like Asai! or caipirinha! or Brigadeiro!

sproutingephemeral: Hello Aurora, Thanks for your new song, I've gotten quite addicted to it😊 I have a question that might be a bit difficult to answer. I am a Warrior from the U.S. currently without a clue of where I should be and what I should be doing. I'm done with school, and in the process of moving to a new town with my parents. I'm applying for jobs, but I feel like I can't find my reason for being in a smaller area with not many people my age. I feel like my parents are trying to mold me into a certain person, which doesn't feel authentic to me. I probably should be making more of my own decisions at my age, but I'm a bit scared and confused, if what I think is deemed too unrealistic or out of line with their expectations for me (like a childhood dream?). I tried talking to them about it, to little success. Is there something inherently wrong with me? Or am I just being spoiled or lazy? I read about how you were initially opposed to starting your career until your mother convinced you to change your mind. How do you know whether or not to trust in your parents' plans for you? On a lighter note, do you prefer cookies that are more soft (chewy) or hard (crumbly)? I don't need a cure for...my autism, and tendency to talk regularly to my deceased cat at his grave (??)😿👼 Looking forward to seeing you in New York! Take care❤❤ Aurora: you should ALWAYS. only do what feels right for you. this world is very absurd, and people tend to think they know what is meaningful and what is important. but we all know, money and success isn't important beyond what you need to simply survive. this one life is yours. and you should be just who you want. and do what feels right for you. because its yours. its only yours. drink tea. work hard. be lazy. dance. be shy. laugh, cry. drink wine and eat good bread. be good. fight for something you care about. and either live for your work, or work a little and then just... live. get a garden, grow tomatoes, get a cat. or a dog. or a parrot. life can be so random, and it can be both so little, and so large at the same time. some days were meant to TAKE chances, and live. and sometimes were just meant to exist. and do nothing. you should never feel guilty for not "being enough" because you are enough. just who you are. just how you are. is enough. good luck on your strange journey my warrior, maybe our paths crosses and maybe they dont. but know, when you walk out of your door, that anything can happen! and the whole world is yours. Hippolyte_gray: is the name of the next album hidden in your previous songs ? Aurora: mayyyyyybeeeeeeeee rashadalt: what do you think about your fans who are racist/homophobic etc.? Aurora: I feel sorry for them. because I know I cant be easy l living a life so full of hate. and even spending your precious. time on this world bringing other people down. and I know how easy it is for people to be driven by fear, and how difficult. it can be to have an original meaning and stand up for what you really mean. so I dont judge them, or hate them,

but I do feel sorry for them. and I am also very disappointed in them. because its such a. waste of human potential to live your life in the paths of hatred.

but as long as we face hate with love, we will eventually win. when we show them. we are not the enemy, just people trying to make a better world, I think, and I hope that eventually we can all agree that being able to live, and being able to love is a human right. Brivera726: I noticed you said you would bring LOTR trilogy with you to an island- I’m reading them for the fourth time right now  I feel like if Galadriel sing songs it would sound like you! Anyway I really like your art so yah just keep doing u- love from PFC Rivera, USMC Aurora: this is then est thing ive ever read thank you Aurora: I am. sorry people, but my time here (for tonight) is up </3 but I will probably be back looking at your questions and thoughts because I did really. enjoy this. and I. love you all so. much.

[link]

[cabin-7]

Did someone say solangelo???

Secret Smooches

@i-love-all-books I got you bro

TW: I dont think there are any but tell me if any are needed.

Word count:2231 short and simple

AN: this started super late at night and I just kept comin back to it so here's a fluffy as hell Solangelo fic written by yours truly. It also not been checked so grammar mistakes aka terrible writing ahead

---------------------------------------------------

Nico didn’t know why it started. To most people, it was endearing what Will did but to Nico, he was just annoyed. He enjoyed kisses from his boyfriend, but not so suddenly. At least that’s what he told everyone else.

It started a few weeks into their relationship. Nico was sitting at the Hades table eating whatever he had first thought of when he heard Will walk past, seemingly talking with friends. He turned to wave and just as soon as he was facing him Will smacked a kiss onto his lips and kept on walking and talking as if he had done nothing in particular. Nico, on the other hand, was gobsmacked and raised his hand up to his lips. His head swiveled towards where Will had just sat down at the Apollo table and gave him a look that he hoped conveyed his message: “What the hell was that about?”. In return. Will simply smirked and winked at him. Nico felt blood rush up to his cheeks as he stubbornly turned back to his plate trying not to reminisce on the chaste kiss.

----

Then it became a routine. The thing was that it always happened before people showed up at the dining pavilion. Nico had convinced will to eat lunch because of it which was why Nico didn’t try to tell Will to stop. Because if Will ate lunch, he was taking care of himself, so what was a little kiss in front of a few people.

One day Jason had slipped into a seat across from Nico and was mindlessly chattering. He talked about his girlfriend which Nico wasn’t entirely interested in. He commented back nonetheless, so he wouldn’t be seen as rude. Jason was his friend after all. Their conversation slowly transitioned to another topic. 

Jason picked up a book that he had at his side. “I’m revamping all of the temples on the Temple Hill as you know,” he said excitedly as he flickered through the pages, “and I want your opinion on the Pluto temple,” he flipped a few pages back and flipped the book towards Nico to reveal messy sketches and notes. The drawings weren’t wonderful by any means and it was clear that Jason was still learning but it was definitely better than the last time he had seen Jason’s sketches. Nico wondered if he had gotten some tips from Hazel. Jason pointed at spots on the page and explained what he had visioned.

“So I think having some sort of torches would be fitting, but I don’t want it to be too dark,” he said with a huff, “I’m just not sure what to do for that.”

“Just promise me it won’t be like Hades cabin when we first came here,” Nico remarked, “it was so-” suddenly Nico heard his name being called. Looking to his left he saw none other than his boyfriend running up the hill waving his arms dramatically.  Nico glanced over at Jason who looked mildly confused. 

As quickly as he could Will rushed up to Nico.

“It’s kind of crazy in the infirmary so I have to skip lunch but-” Will started but Nico cut him off by holding out an apple.

“You need to eat something,’ he said, “and, an apple a day keeps the doctor away is how the saying goes right? That means you can scram for all  I care,” he teased lightly.

Will smiled at Nico and gratefully took the apple. “Thanks, babe,” he chirped before planting a sweet kiss on Nico’s lips that lingered for a few seconds. Not too long, but enough for Nico to blush ever so slightly. Will pulled away still smiling, “you’re the best,” he waved at Jason with a small ‘hey’ before ruffling Nico’s hair and running back to the infirmary. 

Nico watched him run off with furrowed eyebrows. He couldn’t decide whether to be angry, flustered, or endeared. He settled on a stone-cold expression he turned back to Jason. He also decided that his feeling for Will could be kept in his mind. Jason had a mischievous grin and at that moment Nico felt himself grow embarrassed and the blush return to his cheeks and ears. He felt like people might’ve been staring at him, but that he was used to. It was the look on Jason’s face that told Nico he was in for it though.

“So... Will Solace?” he questioned innocently and Nico groaned, burying his face in his hands. Jason cackled and leaned forward, “oh c’mon! You’ve gotta at least tell me about him!”

Nico shook his head and Jason only begged him for some information on the boy who had suddenly kissed him. After a lot of refusals, Nico let loose the smile that was tugging at the corners of his mouth and looked up.

Nico heaved a heavy sigh as he balanced his head on the palm of his hand, “he’s my boyfriend,” he confessed. Jason gave a subtle eye roll and muttered ‘duh’. Nico lightly hit his arm. “I’ve been dating him for a few months. We started dating on September 15 and today is…” he glanced at Jason for the date. 

The son of Jupiter laughed, “it’s November 18th”

Nico nodded, “right. Well anyway, he does…” he paused as he thought of what to say, “Since like October he’s been” he felt his face grow hotter and hesitated, “kissing me when I least expect it.”

“Awww!” Jason cooed, “that’s so cute!”

Nico glared at him, “don’t push your luck Grace. You may be my friend but that doesn’t mean I’m any less likely to punch you.”

----

The tradition continued, every day. Nico always thought he’d expect it, but then it started changing. Will switched up when he did, but made sure it was at least at one of the three meals. He said it was to make sure Nico was eating, but the other knew better. He knew Will was having fun with it, and gods be damned he wasn’t going to upset him.

So, it was definitely odd when Nico hadn’t seen Will at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Call him a worrywart, but he knew something was wrong. Or at least he thought he did. So Nico finished his dinner wearily and even waited in the dining pavilion for a bit. People gave him odd looks. Jason teased him, but he didn’t care. He was just worried about Will and he wasn’t going to miss him.

Eventually, though, he decided that it would be better to look for Will than wait for him. So he hoisted himself off of the table’s bench and started to walk off into the camp. He decided to stop by the Apollo cabin. When he got close to the cabin he heard Dancing Queen by Abba being played loudly over High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco. There were other songs mixed in here and there not playing nearly as loud as Apollo children loudly shouted over one another.

“SHUT UP PANIC AT THE EVERYWHERE NICKI MINAJ IS OUR QUEEN” a low voice yelled.

“THAT’S SAC-RELIGIOUS TO HERA..or something-”

“IT’S NOT RELIGION IF “GOD” IS YOUR DAD SHUT UP PARKER”

Nico chuckled quietly to himself as he stepped on the porch. He wondered if knocking would even work, but there was no doorbell so he’d have to hope. He wasn’t looking to raise his voice or just open the door. 

Luckily children of Apollo have extremely keen ears.

As soon as Nico knocked he heard one of Will’s sister, Kayla, yell “QUIET” louder than was humanly possible. Nico was beginning to realize how loud Apollo kids really were. All music in the cabin ceased it’s playing and the door swung open to show Kayla with a bright smile and a lot of Apollo kids who seemed to be fighting. One had another pinned to the ground, holding a fist above her head as her brother squirmed.

“Yo! Nico!” Kayla greeted, “sorry about the ruckus, music debate night. You know how it is.” Nico, in fact, didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, “anyway, how can I help you?”

Nico could feel the eyes of Apollo campers glaring into them as they impatiently waited for their debate to resume. Nico smiled awkwardly, “just looking for Will, is he here?”

Kayla spun around and looked around the large cabin, “WILL?” she yelled. No reply. A small girl who was being sat on by her younger (but stronger) brother squeaked, “Haven’t seen him since this morning.” Another kid called, “who’s Will?” Kayla spun around back to Nico, “I think that’s your answer. Check the dining pavilion, maybe the infirmary. Though he shouldn’t be in the infirmary, I told him to catch a break.”

Nico sighed, “I’ve been telling him for the entire time I’ve known him,” He shrugged, “well… thanks, Kayla.” She nodded and waved before she picked up two pots. 

“You might wanna cover your ears, and close the door will you?” Nico shut the door and heard two pots clang together as Kayla screamed, “ROUND THREE! WARFARE!” before the music began blaring loudly once more. The bass was so strong that the cabin shook beneath his feet. Nico quickly hopped off the porch. Once he was a few feet away from the cabin the noise ceased. He assumed there was some sort of noise spell put over the cabin because he knew that if there wasn’t the cabin would’ve been heard all the way in New Jersey.

Nico pulled his black leather jacket closer to him as the chilly autumn air blew around him. While Camp Half-Blood had control over the weather, year-round campers liked to experience the different seasons, if a bit milder. Nico did too. He likes to see the trees changing and feel the colder weather kick in. Bonus: he got to steal Will’s jackets.

The son of Hades tried to peek into the infirmary through the windows but the curtains were drawn. Suspicion bubbled in Nico’s chest, but either way, he knocked. Unlike the Apollo cabin, the silence wasn’t nice to hear. So he tried the doorknob. Turns out it was unlocked so Nico walked right in.

“Will?” Nico called. There was a shuffling from a back room and a crash before a familiar voice called back.

“One sec!” Will yelled. His voice sounded a bit strained, but nothing worrying. Nico was more so worried about the crash and why Will was still at the infirmary.

Soon enough Will walked out of the backroom and tossed his gloves out before he rubbed his eyes. Nico smiled softly at him and cautiously held open his arms. Will smiled gratefully and walked into Nico’s arms, tenderly wrapping his arms around his torso and burying his head in his hair. Nico rested his chin on Will’s chest.

“Rough day?” he asked quietly. Will silently nodded and held Nico closer to him which only made the boy smile. “We all have bad days. Is there anything I can do to help?” Once again Will stayed silent, but this time he shrugged. Nico nodded and reached up to press a kiss to Will’s cheek. “Your siblings are being super loud right now. We can go to my cabin and watch TV or something.”

Will cracked a smile, “I forgot that it was a music debate Monday” he said quietly, “we can hang out in your cabin,” he took a deep breath, “that sounds nice.”

Nico smiled a bit more and let go of the medic, “wanna tell me what happened first?”

So, Will sighed and began to explain that on top of being busy, he just felt out of it. He was not only physically tired but emotionally too. Nico listened to everything he said as he spoke in a far different tone than usual. It was soft and quiet. And yet Nico knew that it was still his Will. So as they were about to leave the infirmary, Nico grabbed Will’s sleeve to stop him and planted a surprise kiss on his cheek like he always did for him. Surprise smooches always brightened up his day.

----

Nico rested his head on Will’s chest, “So, the dinosaurs are CGI?” he asked for confirmation. 

\Will nodded as he raked his fingers through Nico’s hair, “Yeah. it’s really cool technology, but I wouldn’t be the person to tell you about it. The son of Hades nodded, “It just looks so..so..”

His boyfriend chuckled, “real? Yeah, I know. It’s kind of crazy-” he was cut off by a sudden boy kissing him sweetly. Will blushed a bit but happily obliged to the sudden kiss that ended too soon for liking. “What was that for?” He asked.

Nico shrugged, settling back into where he was snuggled up, “you’ve given me a crap ton of surprises, why can you get one?” Will laughed softly and pulled the quilt on Nico’s bed up closer, “yeah that’s fair.”

“It should be a game,” Will said after a pause, “who can steal a secret smooch first?” there was a moment of silence between them before they both burst out laughing.

“You’re on Solace,” Nico said with a smirk. Will nodded and the two shook hands at an awkward angle before they both dove in for the first move of a game that would last way longer than they expected.

[thisisthehardestthing]

wait r u fr? tumblr ate the ask? pls i’m so fuckin mad i literally typed paragraphs about how much i loved it so here we go i’m gonna try to be more coherent this time:

this mafia fic is my favorite haikyuu fic i’ve ever read and one of my fave fics in general. like the amount of hard work and research u put into it is so clear and it shows in the amazing quality of the fic. ur pacing, the flow of ur words, ur characterizations of tanaka and val, the way u pull off that last scene. everything is so well done and all of those things are super hard to pull off on their own so props to u for being able to do all of those. like wow i really am in awe of ur talent and i’m so thankful for ur hard work and the fact that u posted this like u rlly took me thru an emotional ride and gave me such a good piece of writing to enjoy and i love that.

okay so: details. i love the way u include the little things in the fic. stuff like the name of the designers and the names of organizations and stuff in the fic helps me picture the scenes so much and it just really adds to the extravagant feel of the fic.

with symbolism, i could literally write paragraphs about how well u included symbols in this fic. like i deadass gasped when the viper necklace was crushed in the final scene at the end right before tanaka did it. the parallels!!!! god ur so good at writing and obviously ur brain is huge to have thought of that and seamlessly included it into the fic.

okay so idk what the proper term for this is but like, the way that action happens in the fic is so well done and not predictable but still in line with what you’ve revealed to us about the characters. like ofc tanaka would pull the necklace out of his pocket at just that moment as a way to reveal to daichi what he felt. it’s just so perfect and so true to the person he is in the fic. about his characterization, god i love it so much. all of the pain and yearning and sheer want in his person were clearly conveyed thru his perspectives and his actions. like that boy just wants to be loved and that’s why it made such good narrative sense to have daichi ask him who he loves more in the scene right before the ending. like i saw the tag for death and expected a million things but u somehow managed to surprise me and yet still stay true to the world and characters u created and ugh, it’s all so perfect.

speaking of, the pacing of this fic is so good. like u manage to take us thru a whirlwind time period that doesn’t feel fast or drawn out or anything other than perfect. u have such a good awareness of pacing that it makes me so jealous and yet so pleased as a reader. like nothing about their love confessions or trysts felt rushed or forced. it felt so natural and true to the people they were and the world that they live in.

also i said before in the other ask how i love the way u utilize sex scenes in the fic. u sprinkle them in at just the right moment and they manage to be hot but they also reveal so much about the characters involved. like i’m specifically thinking of the scene in tanaka’s home where she asks why he won’t touch her and he says that she didn’t give him permission. like the love and devotion in that way of thinking felt so true and yet in the end he still did it and ugh that breaks my heart in the best way bc i know my pain as a reader is nothing next to his pain as a character. i would actually love to pick ur brain about how u decided on the ending. did it come to u in the moment or did u set out writing the fic knowing it would end up like that? so many questions rlly bc u created a world and a cast of characters that are so interesting like i would literally read books about them. (esp val. i loved how headstrong and proud she was but also how weak and emotional she could be. her ending made me sad but u kno, it made sense) and i’m especially curious to find out how tanaka copes after. like i can’t imagine that daichi would just accept his loyalty again but u do manage to surprise me in the best way so who knows. but i also mourn for him which is a little odd for me bc after finding out that he knew about daichi’s affair i felt betrayed and it hurt for some reason which is so interesting bc i trusted him and felt like i knew him, but u still managed to keep parts of him hidden, which is so cool.

oh and despite the tragic ending, u fed us so good with scenes of the two everywhere. like i love how we got to see tanaka and val in their own homes and at parties and we truly got to see how they act when they’re alone and when they’re comfortable and when they’re playing the part of loyal bodyguard or loyal wife. ugh it’s all so good and tbh i only finished it like maybe half an hour again but i already want to read it again bc it was so fucking good and the way u write emotions like yearning and heartbreak is so good like ugh. everything about the way u wrote this fic was so amazing and fuck tumblr for eating my ask but i hope i at least manage to repeat the majority of what was in the og ask lol.

hello anon <3

It is the weekend so I finally have enough brain power to reply.

I wanted to be selfish and keep this in my inbox forever, because this might be the kindest, most appreciative thing everyone has ever said to me about my writing. Toska is a piece of my heart and my soul in written word, and to have received something like this? It’s... indescribable. You have picked up on so many of the small details, symbols, and more that I littered throughout the fic, and you’ve called out the things that I was excited about people reading and reacting to.

Fic Spoilers below the cut.

everything is so well done and all of those things are super hard to pull off on their own so props to u for being able to do all of those.

Thank you so much. I constantly worried that it was too long, too boring, that there wasn’t enough smut in there to be sexy, or that the plot ultimately didn’t make sense. This means everything to me. Pacing is one of the most important things in a fic to me, because I am the kind of person that easily loses interest when I read. 

details. i love the way u include the little things in the fic.

ahhhhhhhhh!!!! I’m glad this helped you to picture everything! I actually used real life dresses, shoes, locations (google Villa La Vigie, it is STUNNING). I was a fashion student, and I now work in the fashion industry so small details to convery luxury is extremely important to me. I love that it made all the difference to you.

i could literally write paragraphs about how well u included symbols in this fic.

fuck, wow. this. This is what I was truly hoping for. I love figuring out foreshadowing in movies, in books, in tv series. I try to write things that foreshadowing what going to happen in the end throughout of every one of my fics, but this is the first time someone called it out, and I am truly grateful for it. The viper necklace thing is a moment I was very proud of. and when Tanaka tells Val to stop talking about Daichi when they’re alone on the bed together: that’s the first instance where we see his guilt that he knows. Also, when Tanaka says “why dont i finish what I started,” is another thing I linked to the ending.

the way that action happens in the fic is so well done and not predictable but still in line with what you’ve revealed to us about the characters.

kasjsdfhksjdfsd I always thought people could see right through me and how I was going to end it!!!!!!! This means so much thank you! I kept thinking, “fuck people know he’s going to kill her, this is so predictable, all these extra scenes are so boring, is it even worth it?” so AH thank you!

thank you again for the pacing comment <3

i love the way u utilize sex scenes in the fic. u sprinkle them in at just the right moment 

hehehehehehe this makes me very happy. tbh, I wasn’t expecting there to be SO MUCH PLOT when I wrote this fic. I had mapped everything out and planned for it to be about... 5k? words? It ended up being 21k all together lmao. I actually thought there wasn’t enough smuttiness in the entire thing, so thanks for letting me now that it was just the right amount. I was worried because the only time I actually describe them fucking with Tanaka’s dick inside her, is that measley one paragraph at the Monte Carlo Casino. When I realised that, I was in utter shock. I was texting @mindninjax in the discord server like “FUCK. I can’t believe I haven’t actually written sex sex.” Then I went into thinking how disappointed people were going to be and phew, it was a whirlwind of a night.

i would actually love to pick ur brain about how u decided on the ending. did it come to u in the moment or did u set out writing the fic knowing it would end up like that? so many questions rlly

ask away, send in questions. I built this world beyond what I’ve written. I have character layouts and plans for every person I introduced, and have ideas for fics on all of them.

To answer your question, I knew exactly how I wanted it to end before I began writing. That end scene is what I thought of first. Exactly like that, with it being cut off mid-sentence to represent her being shot. That sort of “boom” or feeling of shock where you just stare at the screen is the exact reaction I wanted to get when I finished writing, so I hope that is what happened.

So just, thank you so much anon. For everything, for taking the time to write out this ask a second time after Tumblr ate the first one. It has kept me going since the day you sent it. I really appreciate you, and please, chat to me anytime x

Thank you.

Spasiba x

[wickymicky]

my top ten favorite kpop singles of 2021 so far: first quarter edition (january-march)

10. Pixy - Wings: I’m not as into this song as other people, but it’s grown on me, and I think they have a lot of potential. I did not expect a group called “Pixy” to have this dark of a concept haha, I like that. I like the choreo and overall performance of it too, I think that’s the highlight for me

9. G Idle - Hwaa: Not my favorite G Idle title track, but I do think it’s in the top half. It’s interesting to me that they did this song, since it is pretty much all in Korean, there’s no English whatsoever (the only English is a “yeah” at the beginning haha), which for a group like G Idle who has used a lot of English in the past and is very popular internationally is kind of a bold choice, and I’m into it

8. Ateez - Fireworks (I’m The One): I’m still not fully sold on Ateez’s direction post-Wonderland/Answer, with the “end” of their pirate concept (possibly, it seems complicated lol, idk, but you know what I mean anyway), but I do kinda like this song! It sounds kinda like... European lmao. Like I keep thinking I hear accordion in the drop, but idk maybe I’m just imagining things. I mean all that in a good way, btw. Like a good kind of European (if you can imagine such a thing)

7. Shinee - Don’t Call Me: As someone who only got into kpop in 2019, and didn’t even get into a single boy group for like 6 or 7 months (and even then, for a while I just had one single token boy group lol), Shinee isn’t a group that I had checked out much from until fairly recently. I’m still new here, I suppose lol. But yeah idk, this song is good! I love the production and their obvious charisma and talent. Like, I can tell even just from this song that their reputation is earned. It’s just a solid release

6. Purple Kiss - Ponzona: I do prefer Skip Skip, but I decided to limit this to singles and title tracks. I also prefer My Heart Skip a Beat (by a lot, actually), but that came out last year lol. This song has really been growing on me a lot though! Like, a lot actually. I like the violin, I think that’s a really interesting touch haha, I feel like that adds so much to the way the song sounds overall. Yuki’s rapping is impressive too, I like her flow in every song I’ve heard her in so far, especially since she writes her raps herself and Korean isn’t her native language. Honestly that’s one of the most impressive things about Purple Kiss... they seem to be involved in writing all of the things they do! That’s SO RARE for a group to do right from debut, especially for a girl group! I think that’s a great sign that things are changing, and girl groups are being taken more seriously and being allowed more creative freedom than ever before. Ponzona was literally a song written for a monthly evaluation when they were trainees. That’s really impressive. Skip Skip was too, but yeah lol. 

5. Pentagon - Do or Not: I mentioned that for a while I just had one token boy group that I liked, and that was Pentagon haha, they were my first. I like that this is a return to their fun sound, but in a different way... like, this song doesn’t sound anything like Shine or Naughty Boy lol. Pentagon are just really good at conveying passion in their songs and I think that shines through here too! I like the way the bass and percussion sound, that’s just quality mixing lol. I also love that even though it’s this kinda pop-punk-ish-doo-wop-ish kpop song, it still has a bit of sadness underneath the fun, which is something I think is a trademark of Pentagon’s style haha. But mostly, it’s fun

4. Tri.Be - Doom Doom Ta: The main reason I checked this out was because it was written and produced by LE from EXID, and you can really tell haha. In fact, her voice is in the song at certain points, and like... she has a really distinctive voice lol. Anyway this song is like a pretty hard commitment to this Latin/moombahton kind of sound, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that trend in kpop, but either way, I do think this song is a bop. I’ve had it on repeat way more than everything below this point, in fact all the songs in this top 4 I’ve had on repeat like an order of magnitude more than the songs from 5-10 lol. it’s been a slow beginning to the year. I don’t have a lot of specifics to mention here about Doom Doom Ta, I just think it’s an earworm 

3. Weeekly - After School: This was really highly anticipated for me, because I love their previous title tracks. Tag Me especially is a song I consider to be almost perfect, which is not something I say about very many songs at all haha. I personally don’t think After School is quite as good as Tag Me or Zig Zag, but I do really like it! It’s always good to get more fun, exciting, unashamedly catchy songs haha, it’s a breath of fresh air. I love this concept for them too, I think it fits them really well! They’re just a lot of fun. This mini-album, We Play, is my favorite of theirs so far too, though that doesn’t necessarily affect my placement of this song in particular

2. Cherry Bullet - Love So Sweet: God damn, this song is really good. It’s really simple, but that works to it’s advantage imo. I love that the background melody of the instrumental during the verse is the same as the vocal melody in the chorus (or at least very close), that’s just super satisfying. Ending the song with an extended “da da dadada da da” segment was a big risk too lol, that could have been annoying, but idk I think that really is one of the highlights of the song. This song feels like the kind of song where the songwriter came up with that melody and went “YES! this is IT! YESSSSS” and they knew they had come up with something really, really catchy, and they built the rest of the song around showcasing it. And it works!

1. Dreamcatcher - Odd Eye: This probably isn’t much of a surprise lol. But similar to After School... This isn’t my favorite Dreamcatcher comeback, and tbh I think it’s my least favorite of the Dystopia trilogy. But like... that’s still enough to make it my favorite song of the first quarter of 2021. It’s great, I love the way they do the cyberpunk concept and sound without going into the synthwave direction like Everglow La Di Da did. I love La Di Da a ridiculous amount, but I just mean that it’s nice to see variety even within a similar overall concept. Also! Handong is back! And she crushed it! In previous title tracks she and Gahyeon often got the least amount of lines by far, and the least amount of screentime and such, and Gahyeon definitely got times to shine during Scream and Boca and made it clear that she’s leveled up a lot, and I was really hoping that Odd Eye would be able to do the same for Handong (without sacrificing Gahyeon’s screentime and lines)... and yeah, it really was, lol. Handong was all over this song, and her voice reaaaaaally complements this sound. This group has no weak links, and obviously all of us already knew that, but now even the people who only casually listen to them know that without a doubt too.

idk... i’m not totally sure about this list but that feels mostly right to me i guess. I feel like Odd Eye is definitely my favorite so far, but to be honest I don’t feel like it’s the Song of the Year. like, if it had been released in 2020, I don’t think it would have made my top 10. If nothing better than Odd Eye comes out for the rest of the year then sure, it will be my SOTY haha, but idk, I just think that there hasn’t been anything *truly* great so far yet. And that’s okay... I’m very picky about this kind of thing. I don’t give high scores to things that don’t deserve it lol... and like in my opinion there were only 4 songs in 2020 that are the kind of near-perfect instant-soty song I’m talking about, and three of those four came out in the second half of the year. So the fact that I don’t think anything so far has been at that top level isn’t a bad thing, and isn’t really something I’m worried about. I think we definitely have not gotten the best songs of the year yet (unless everything else ends up sucking lol, but idk i hope thats not what happens...)

oh also there was an WJSN comeback today, and that would probably have been on this list, but I havent heard it yet because i was waiting until I finished writing this haha. like, since it came out on March 31st, tbh I’m just gonna count it as an April comeback, so i’m sure it’ll be in my list for the second quarter that i’ll post at the end of June lol. i mean, unless i dont like it. but i’ll probably like it haha.

[winnerloser]

idk who needed to hear this today but 

if you use fanart for anything, you give credit for it.

usually i would just implore you guys to at your own discretion but. 

i think sometimes people forget that if you use fanart without explicitly asking for the author’s permission, that's stealing. but obviously no one has ill intent behind it with this hobby, which is why crediting is important. it’s the least you can do.

it doesnt matter how much you use the fanart. even if it only appears on your blog once. even if it’s just a throwaway icon for a gag. even if you replace the icon with new icons from somewhere else. if it was on your blog at some point, and you don’t intend on deleting it, and it’s still on there, you give credit for it.

there’s maybe some leeway if you commissioned the art and/or the artist already cosigned you to using it without giving permission. but that’s the only special instance i can think of.

in that same vein, please just look on artist’s profiles to see if they allow reposting in the first place. if their account says no reproduction/no reposting/DONT USE MY ART.... don’t use it. if the bio is in japanese, chinese, korean, whatever- google translate it. i know google translate can suck but it’ll easily convey what you need to be looking for. 

if you’re one to think that you don’t want to use source media like screenshots or mangacaps because fanart is prettier, don’t ignore the fact that the people providing you the luxury to do so are just that- people, who spent hours to draw what could amount to just one or two icons. who could’ve drawn what you were using as a commission for someone else. who more than likely posted the image without any idea what you’re using it for-- more importantly;

without any idea what you’re using the image to represent, what messages you’re trying to convey- with their image. the fact that the subject is a copyrighted character/isn’t theirs doesn’t change the fact that the drawing in and of itself is still their creation.

it would behoove you to start keeping tabs of the sources you intend to pull from. if you see a piece from pixiv you think you’ll consider pulling from- pluck it, save it, so later when you open photoshop you’re not sitting with the pulled image thats titled computer jibberish with no artist’s signature.

YOU KNOW WHAT? i’ll go you one even better than that.

When you save an image from pixiv - this one for example, by default it’ll save it as 78827921_p0_master1200.jpg.  78827921 is the image ID. https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/78827921 will take you back to that image. Plug in any other ID, and it’ll go back to its source. There you go. Easy if you accidentally forgot to keep tabs.

nobody is entitled to the usage of another person’s art, and if you use the excuse that [just by virtue of OP posting it on the internet, it’s free gain], that’s bullshit.

if you post anything- even a text post or roleplay thread- going by that same logic, anyone should be allowed to reblog it, remix it, go to town on it; it’s on the open internet, after all... right? No. you’re entitled to security in the things you post. you don’t really need to say “don’t/ask to reblog” in the tags for people to get the hint to not or ask first if they feel inclined to. if you believe you’re entitled to that comfort and respect, i don’t see why that mindset can’t be translated to fit the situation of artists. even if you don’t give a shit how your stuff gets circulated, at least try to look at it in the way that not everyone is you.

and not everyone is me, so some may be wondering still why they can’t just go ahead and do what they want so long as they’re not hurting people/keeping it lowkey. i mean, at the end of the day, there’s nothing i can do about it either. you can totally do whatever you want, im not denying that. but just know that you’re not 100% in the clear from getting discovered by somebody. you’re not impervious to being found. and reposting/art being used or transformed without credit or consent is a very real reason that artists get upset or even sometimes lock their profiles, delete, or stop drawing/posting, or stop making their art publically available. this is NOT just a western philosophy. asian artists do this just as well- hell, you could even say that some are even more stringent about etiquette when it comes to treating their works with respect. that includes reposting policies.

if you’re too tired/busy/lazy/forgetful/cursed to credit, that’s 100% not an excuse lol. or if you’re thinking, crap, i have all these nicely done assets that i’ve created but it’ll be too difficult to go back and retroactively find the sources!

idk what to tell u but tough titties bro thats a you problem*

uh, so to end this:

再版ポリシーが破られている場合は、��知らせください。���ぐに画像を削除します。このブログから利益を得ることも、失礼することも意図していません。再版は許可されているが、クレジットがない場合は、お知らせください。修正いたします。ありがとうございます、失礼します。

如果违反了您的转载政策，请告知我们。我会立即删除图像。它无意从此博客中受益或无礼。如果允许转载，但信用不正确，请告知我们。我会马上改正的。谢谢，不好意思。祝好

this is in my credit’s page at the bottom. i can’t vouch for the japanese, but i can say with more certainty that the chinese is legible. if someone is better at japanese and has any adjustments they’d recommend, please do so! it’s just saying that i don’t intend to cause harm or disrespect by borrowing the artwork, and that at any of the artists’ discretion, whether i’m violating their repost policy or not, they are urged to reach out to me and tell me to remove their art if they don’t want it on my blog. feel free to snatch it and use it for your credits page, or write something similar in lieu of that. i’m 100% in support of that.

please be conscious and considerate of the people who work hard and do a good deal of the heavy lifting for you to be able to make your blog pretty and aesthetic in the first place. i think the bounty of beautiful and high-quality art for the pokemon fandom- or for any popular fandom for that matter- sometimes makes us forget that it isn’t a commodity. it’s something that when taken for granted, can genuinely affect others who work hard to provide content for people to enjoy. at the end of the day, they do this to make themselves and others happy. seeing others take that work without any acknowledgement to them is demoralizing, don’t think that they’ll get enough recognition from others to compensate for you. that’s frankly not how posting art on social media works at all.

i mean, even if this doesn’t convince you, i can only hope it’ll spur you to be more conscious in the future. 

*i get that things happen and this isn’t meant to shame you if you happen to be one to do any of the things other than credit. but know that you don’t... really have an excuse when there’s so many different options, shortcuts and alternatives available to you. you don’t really cite from a shitton of different sources for your paper and then go back to pick through every individual quote to find where it came from to avoid plagiarizing. you just.. make a note or works cited. it takes like, 15 extra minutes. if you’re going to spend hours on photoshop or writing fancy infoposts, you can spend an extra 15 making a works cited.

[lucacangettathisass]

how the light gets in (ch. 8)

SUMMARY: After your home is ransacked by a group of strange men, you and your cousin are taken in by a group of outlaws. And that’s when the trouble really starts.

PAIRINGS: John Marston x Fem!Reader, Arthur Morgan x Fem!Reader

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN

TAGGING: @mountainhymn if you would like to be added to the tag list just lmk!

NOTES: so sorry for the slow update! ive been doing some full on hours at work (my manager literally told me that im doing full time hours despite being part time lmao rip) so that’s been leaving me a little drained lmao but hey at least we got there!

more mentions of low self esteem, those are gonna be a lot more prevalent from here on out actually.

on another note, i’ve been wondering if i should rewrite this as an oc fic rather than a reader one. thoughts? i might not even do it, but im curious to hear what you guys think.

anyways, hope you all enjoy! and dont forget, likes are nice but reblogs are what motivate creators the most!

p.s. pls check out waking up slow by mountainhymn!!!! it is so wonderful im still crying

“Well, it really all started with my momma.” You felt yourself begin to fidget and made an effort to stand completely still. “She got a job working for a wealthy Russian widow, Mrs Zamolodchikova.”

Mr Morgan let out a low whistle. “Now that’s a name.”

You couldn’t help but smile. “A lot of Russian names are like that. As I was saying, she hired my momma to be a maid when I was still very young. Mrs Zamolodchikova treated us very well, we even lived in a little cottage she had on her land.”

Despite all the years that had passed, you still thought of that cottage fondly. It had been small and not impressive by any means, but it had been your home for most of your childhood. You had a lot of good memories of it.

“I...I lost my momma when I was seven.” Even now, twelve years later, it hurt to say. Your mother had been your whole world, everything began and ended with her, and it had never once occurred to you when you were a child, that you would one day have to face the world without her. She loved you too much to do that to you. And then it happened anyway.

You had never experienced a heart break like it before, or since.

“I’m very sorry to hear that.” Mr Matthews said gently.

“It’s alright.” You assured him, trying to speak around the lump that always formed in your throat whenever you thought about losing your mother. “She had been ill for as long as I could remember, it was only a matter of time.”

“I imagine your aunt and uncle took you in?”

“They wanted to, but Mrs Zamolodchikova stepped in. She said that she saw it as her Christian duty to take me in as a ward, and that’s what I became.” It had stunned you at the time to learn that Mrs Zamolodchikova cared for you that much. You would always be grateful for her kindness, it had changed your life. “She had no children of her own, so I think she wanted me to fill that gap.”

“That was very kind of her.” Mr Matthews sounded surprised, and you supposed that it made sense. You couldn’t imagine that he had come across many people willing to take in the child of an employee, particularly among the rich. You certainly had never seen such a thing in your time among them.

You nodded in agreement. “She taught me etiquette and how to behave in upper class circles, and as I got older I became her companion. That was how I met Mr Cornwall.”

A spark appeared in Mr Van Der Linde’s eyes, and you knew that you really had his full interest now. “How did that come about?”

“He was looking for investors in his business, he was just starting out you see, and he needed some capital.”

“So he went to Mrs Zamolodchikova?” Mr Van Der Linde asked. “She must’ve been rather rich.”

“Exceedingly so.” You said. “Her family is very old Russian money, and when she came to America with her husband, her wealth only grew, even after he died. I imagine Mr Cornwall thought that if he could convince her to invest, he would have an easy time of building his empire.”

“Did he?” Mr Van Der Linde’s eyes sparkled with a kind of devious curiosity, the kind most often found in children. “Convince her to invest that is.”

“I’m afraid not. Mrs Zamolodchikova found him rather...disagreeable.” A part of you still cringed on the inside just thinking about that meeting. It had started off well, and Mr Cornwall had certainly been polite enough, but once his true character came out, it all started to go downhill rather rapidly.

“In what way?”

You hesitated slightly. “Well, I mean, one doesn’t wish to disparage others when they don’t have the opportunity to defend themselves.”

A chuckle came from Mr Van Der Linde, and you even saw a corner of Mr Morgan’s mouth twitch.

“We just want your honest opinion, that’s all.” Mr Matthews assured you. “No need to be disparaging.”

You paused, trying to think of the right way to phrase it. “Mr Cornwall...well, Mrs Zamolodchikova and I found him to be rather...brusque and arrogant. When Mrs Zamolodchikova turned down his request, he got rather upset and he seemed to take it as a personal affront.”

“She must’ve grown to regret that.” Mr Van Der Linde mused.

“Not at all. Mrs Zamolodchikova was happy for him of course, but she was also happy she rejected him. She said she couldn’t imagine being in business with someone so...tasteless.”

“Tasteless in what way?” Mr Matthews asked.

“Well he was...very new money.” When you saw the looks of confusion on the mens’ faces, you tried to think of a better way to phrase it. “He was something of a show off, and a little gaudy. He wore a lot of gold, I imagine to try and impress, but it came off as vain and rather insecure. Mrs Zamolodchikova was very critical of that kind of thing, and when she saw how self aggrandizing he became after his success, she grew to dislike him even more.”

Mr Van Der Linde nodded slowly, and you could almost see the wheels turning in his head. “It sounds like you’ve lead a rather interesting life.”

“I suppose you could say that.” Your eyes roamed over the two older men again. “I imagine that wasn’t the kind of information you wanted, my apologies Mr Van Der Linde.”

Despite your fears, the black haired man smiled and waved a hand. “It’s fine Miss [Last name]. I was just curious, that’s all. Javier, why don’t you walk her back to where she’s staying?”

“Sure thing boss.”

You turned to leave with Mr Escuella, but you hesitated just as he put a hand on the door knob. “Wait.” All eyes were back on you, and you felt yourself flush, but you felt that you needed to get this out. “I just-I just wanted to add that Mr Cornwall is a very powerful man, and in my opinion, and in the opinion of mutual acquaintances that he and I share, he is lead more by pride and ego than wisdom. He doesn’t take insults lightly and can be rather harsh.” You were very careful and deliberate with your words, not wanting to seem like you knew better, but still wanting to convey your feelings of apprehension.

Mr Van Der Linde raised an eyebrow, and you got the feeling that he understood what you were trying to say. “Duly noted Miss.”

You nodded, and turned back to Mr Escuella, this time actually following him outside.

“You must’ve lived a pretty good life for a while.”

You shrugged and felt yourself blush heavily. “I suppose.” It always somewhat embarrassed you, knowing how different your life had been from other people, especially those who were born into the same class as yourself. “I honestly just think I got lucky.” You looked down at your feet. “Don’t feel so lucky now though.”

A heavy silence hung between you two, and you had to bite the inside of your cheeks to stop yourself from crying.

“Sorry.” You said softly. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear about my woes.”

“It’s ok.” Mr Escuella assured you, his voice kind again. “Considering everything you’ve been through, I’d say you have a right to let your feelings out.”

You looked at Mr Escuella in surprise. You hadn’t really thought about it like that. “You’re very kind.” You said sincerely. “Sadie might not think so but I certainly do.”

That brought a bright smile to Mr Escuella’s face, which made you smile in turn. You always enjoyed making people smile, it made you feel good, and you felt that it proved that you were useful and worth something for once.

“You’re a sweet kid.” Mr Escuella’s eyes were shining, although you couldn’t hazard a guess as to why. “Don’t let anyone beat that out of you, ok?”

“I-Ok.” You weren’t sure how else you should respond, being so unused to compliments from strangers. You watched as he held the door to the house with the other women open. “Are you not coming in?”

“Nah.” He smiled. “You stay warm ok?”

“Of course, and you as well Mr Escuella.” You went inside, and no sooner was the door closed that you were practically swarmed by Miss Jones, Miss Gaskill, and Miss Jackson.

“What did they want?”

“You weren’t gone for very long, did everything go alright?”

“Are you allowed to say?”

You felt yourself flush as you tried to keep track of who was asking which question. “It was nothing special.” You said. “They just wanted to know how I knew Mr Cornwall.”

Of course they all also wanted to know, and so you told them what you had told Mr Van Der Linde, Mr Matthews, Mr Morgan, and Mr Escuella-omitting your warning at the end.

Much like the men, they were stunned to hear your story.

“So you grew up pretty well to do.” Miss Jones said, in a tone that sounded impressed and envious.

“I-Well, yes, I suppose.” The embarrassment from earlier had returned. “I was extremely privileged.”

“What was it like?” Miss Gaskill asked, sounding wistful. “Being in that world?”

You paused, trying to think of a good way to describe it.

“When I was a little girl, it was dazzling.” You confessed. “All those men and women in their finery...it looked like an entirely different world. Like a fairy tale.”

“Oh yeah?” Miss Jackson raised a brow. “Meet any prince charmings?”

You laughed. “I met some well to do gentlemen if that’s what you mean.”

“I think she means suitors.” Miss Gaskill said with a giggle, and an eager look on her face. “Well, did you?”

“Oh!” A scorching heat unlike any of the others from before overcame you, and you felt your throat dry up. “I-Well-no.” You stammered, looking askance out of embarrassment.

“Really?”

You looked up and saw Miss Roberts looking at you with surprise. “You mean none of them tried to…” She trailed off, leaving you to fill in the blank.

“Not at all.” You said, your flush worsening. “After all, I was just a maid’s daughter.”

And therein lies the rub.

No matter how much you learned or how you dressed or how you behaved, everyone knew that you were just the daughter of a maid who Mrs Zamolodchikova had taken pity on. Most of them had been polite enough, but that boundary had always been there, and always would be. You had grown accustomed to it, the way one would grow accustomed to a permanent limp. And it left you with what you imagined would be the same level of alienation. It was one of the many unfortunate side effects of being born as yourself, and one you had learned how to deal and navigate the world with.

But it would always be a fairy tale to you. Beautiful, grand, never within your reach no matter how well you knew it. And you would always be that little girl that chased after it with every breath in her chest.

[siinrvse]

⌠ HALSTON SAGE, 21, CIS-FEMALE, SHE/HER ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, ROISIN ‘RO’ WALSH! according to their records, they’re a SECOND year, specializing in KNIFE FIGHTING SKILLS, SWORD TRAINING, PRECISION SHOOTING, FIREARMS & SWAT TRAINING + LINGUISTICS, CULTURE, & ASSIMILATION ; and they DID NOT go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of (looking picture perfect in the face of turmoil, dark smiles covered with red lipstick, a laugh that shakes to your core). when it’s the (scorpio)’s birthday on 11/20/1997, they always request ROAST LAMB from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation. ⌿ courtney, 22, she/her, aedt ⍀

wow hi first of all i am sO EXCITED TO BE HERE YALL DONT UNDERSTAND i’ve legit only ever seen one other gallagher series rp on tumblr way back in 2012??? i think??? anD THIS shit is my jaM I love this series sm!!!! im fangirling!!! so hard!!! ah!!! so hi yes i am courtney, im 22, from australia and this is my sullen & grumpy trash-child roisin!! Do Not touch the hair 

these are little things about her !! 

her main form of communication is eye-rolling and over-exaggerated sighing 

she be little, but fierce 

h o n e s t l y sometimes she thinks it will kill her to smile 

first impressions are everything 

is so ride or die for her best friends amelia & cairo t b h honestly she would sell her own soul just for them 

spending most of her life in the spotlight, she’s kinda just using this time to??? blend into the background??? well as much as she can, anyway, but this gurl also loves to speak her mind 

her wardobe is very.... dark. she loves anything dark, anything black or grey - l o v e s it. however, back in her home town, in ireland, she would only be seen in bright, colourful outfits, so she has a few picked out in all the clothes she brought with her - just in case. 

is not one for romance, tried her hand in a few relationships (possible??? plot there maybe who knows???) but thinks there is just something wrong with her

is incredibly honest. 

might break ur heart??? but she’s cute so its ok 

sarcasm is her native tongue 

witty and sharp but v quiet 

doesnt really speak unless spoken to??? a habit she’s trying to break

evEN MORE THINGS ABOUT HER 

Roisin Walsh - but god forbid, just call her Ro, was born on a crisp Novembers evening, in a little town tucked away in Northern Ireland, to two loving, but strict parents who doted on Ro and spoiled her with everything she ever wanted, with conditions. Roisin asked for everything that she could, just because she could, just because her parents would do anything just to please her, as long as she kept quiet and behind the scenes while her father rose ahead. She was the centre of their world; little Roisin, their little rose, their precious pearl. Her father was a local politician with lots of money, so the Walsh’s were always picture perfect. Never a hair out of place, always graceful - something Roisin carries with her to this day. She was on a pedestal to be looked at, admired, adored over; but never to be touched. Ro was always at arms length, away from everybody - even if she was standing right next to you. Speak when spoken to, conceal all true feelings. That is something Ro also carries with her.

Some would call her cold or emotionally distant, but for Ro, she was never shown how to properly convey her emotions in a healthy manner. Instead, she was taught to conceal, keep a bright, empty smile with rehearsed lines such as it’s such a pleasure to be here, my father is doing great work, I believe in him - all words with no meaning to them. Whenever something drastic happens, or she doesn’t know how to handle the situation, Ro ‘switches’ off until she calms down, usually by pacing the grounds or throwing herself into any sort of training.

School came easily to her - but not easily enough. Her grades were incredible, the learning material was easy so she gave herself extra subjects to study, extra assignments to do, but while she was good, there always seemed to be someone better. Coming second was not a pleasant feeling for her, so her high school nights were spent mostly studying extensively. Ro had to be the best.

Even still, she graduated with honours, and while the small northern ireland town was growing too small for her liking, Ro stayed longer than she should have. It was out of habit - this was her domain, this was where she was a celebrity and everybody knew her. There was a yearning for something else - something more than the life that had been created for her.

The Gallagher Academy was her saving grace, secretly. They found her and without a second look back at the town she had grown up in, Ro packed all her belongings and left without a trace. All her parents are aware of is that she’s at some fancy Ivy league school in America, doing her family proud.

She has two other siblings, one a few years younger than her, the other one only a few years old. Family had never really meant anything to her until the Gallagher Academy, she’s slowly learning the important relationships of family.

AES: an empty laugh that makes you question your entire existence, crushing hopes with realistic expectations, always looking picture perfect in the face of turmoil, bright eyes hidden behind over-sized sunglasses, paying without looking at the bill, 

She’s quiet but not innocent, and when she speaks, it’s usually worth listening to. She will crack jokes at the right time, but also keeps everyone at arms length. There is no horrible backstory to how Roisin is the way she is - perhaps, maybe, a little emotionally stunted, and people have a tendency to rub her the wrong way so she comes off harsh. But she’d do anything for her best friends.

when she gets heated, Ro does have a mean streak - it flares up in her, as a result of her inability to properly navigate her emotions - but with a little help she is learning to control it properly.

Out of her friends, she is considered the dark and gloomy one - mostly due to her quiet demeanour with her incredibly honest outlook.  

annd that’s all for now, folks???? i guess??? i dont know just love her (love me) 

[mori--calliope]

god i LOVE tragedy stories in music and artists venting because its just such a relatable subject to touch on

just hearing and having a heart to heart with someone youve never met and having an isolated moment of clarity that you’re not alone in what youre going through is something i dont hear anyone ever praise, having someone be vulnerable infront of thousands to sometimes millions of people is such an incredible kindness that we take for granted every moment we skip to another song or tune out to the instruments. take something like Eiley from Too Close To Touch, a song about the main singers late sister, its a song full of regret and too late condolences with mournful screams and shaky, quivering vocals. it may just be another song on a niche genre of music, but its so much more than that, its a confession, its a show of emotion, its a message. its not something he wanted to do, but its something he needed to do, something to rid himself of pent up frustrations, condemning of omniscience, condemning of his ineptitude. and its us he wants to listen, someone out there knows what he’s going through, and he takes the burden of their thoughts to convey through himself, like a catalyst of guilt and remorse, someone reaching a hand out to you to let you know you’ll get through it, that you’re not alone and you won’t be alone, there will always be empathy in the world by your side and hearts to comfort you no matter what times you’re in. theres another song i hold dear to my heart, something that makes me feel warm and certain, Monster in the Mirror by Outline In Colour. its full of a man who hates nothing more than himself, his quirks, his life, the sole concept of denial of ones self, yet even though he may feel like that, he goes on to admit “I’m dying to feel alive, give me something that’ll bring the colour back to my eyes. I’m always sick from my medicine, even though we don’t know if I can, I’m gonna try to understand all of the things that lie outside my hands. I’m gonna make it out, I swear. Are you listening? Are you still listening...? ...I’m gonna try to love again, without this pain in my hand I’ve been carrying. And maybe one day.... I won’t see this monster in the mirror.”

and i dont think ive ever sat in my chair and just cried over something i needed to hear my entire life, hearing something so fucking on the nose to me and myself was what I needed to shake myself to realization that there are people who know exactly what I’m going through, and that they wanted to let me know they understood how hard it is and what it’s like. as an immunodepressant i genuinely do get sick off of the chemotherapy i endure for my rheumatoid arthritis and i have to sit at home for my safety, depression thrives off a weak state of mind and a low sense of self esteem and I sit here and wallow in it because... what else am I going to do? go outside? walk it off? hearing someone who knows so well about being trapped in either a metaphorical/physical prison gives me so much more confidence in myself, “I’m gonna make it out, I swear.” makes me light up in such a beaming hope I can’t help but smile over it at times, im so confident I’m going to surpass my illness one day and experience everything i was robbed of “ Are you listening? Are you still listening...?” sounds so meek and little compared to the delivery of the aforementioned line yet... I don’t interpret it that way. it’s more of a taunt, a taunt to the despair and doubt in his heart. hes asking himself if he can hear the spitefulness of his courage and intent. it’s a burning fire aimed straight at the heart of his darkness and hes determined to make the shot to the burden of his oppression. That’s why I love this music so much, that’s why I interact with the artists who made it so worthwhile for me to get up. They may not remember me in a crowd of faces, or heed my words in an ocean of sentiments, but they’ll never forget the feeling of impact they left on us. I can’t let them know how much it’s ever meant to me, or what they’ve done for me enough, but even if they get the slightest bit of earnesty from my words, I’ll think I’d done my best to repay them for what they’ve given me, given us. That their mark on this world, and the mark on their crowds, their fans, their friends, will never be forgotten.

[kingofthewilderwest]

it kinda bugs me how they cant make httyd3 longer just so they can emphasize the story in a deeper meaning, like your post abt it being disproportionate. httyd3 had a LOT more plot than httyd2 and we can already see how it has to cramp so much and why that makes D2's pace felt pretty fast. the structure of the story is actually well planned.. perfect, to be exact! but the execution like putting pauses, necessary humor, longer dialogue, is whats needed to make it um, understandable? im not sure..

this isnt meant to judge the movie as bad though! but its a question ive been asking why they cant do it longer, for that sake. is it the budget? was Dean really certain the script is okay? or is it meant to be like this so people can interpret the movie their way? (oof that one is confusing).. i dont know, i want to ask about your thoughts on that >

From this.

It’s an interesting conversation for sure! I believe that THW doesn’t have to be longer to be extremely successful in the ideas it needs to convey! The core ideas being:

Toothless cannot be a wild dragon and strong alpha leader with humans. Other dragons probably deserve the respect of needing wild dragon needs, too.

Humans like Grimmel are extremely dangerous to dragons and will continue to arise, so dragons need to go to an area separate from humans to live in optimal peace.

Hiccup and Toothless’ powerful friendship will separate (insofar as physical location) due to the first two points

I know you’re not the only person I’ve talked to who wanted a longer time because you feel like certain elements were cramped, needed more breathing room, or that dangerous plot points didn’t get enough sense of weight. More time would presumably give that flow and sense of scale and danger. Now, it’s true that more time would give us more content to develop these things. That said, I believe solutions aren’t always “add more.” Creating good art isn’t about adding new things; it’s about knowing when to take away or alter, and how to make every second of your creation count optimally.

I remember when I was doing my music composition degree, my instructors hammered into me what would make a good final piece: the editing process of deleting measures - even measures that were really good! - because they didn’t fit what the final product needed. It’s painful to delete, but ultimately, it’s freeing; instead of making a music piece more cluttered to put all possible good ideas in, I can make it less cluttered, more manageable, more beautiful, more meaningful, and more effective to audiences. A better overall piece isn’t putting in every good idea I have; it’s leaving the piece with the beautiful ideas it needs.

I suggest The Hidden World doesn’t need added materials so much as it needs refining what’s already there.

Budget, production green lighting, and carefulness to the script all seem to have been done. HTTYD 3 was given a longer production time than originally planned. They pushed back the date exactly so they could make their best product. Interviews with people like DeBlois and Spielberg (who read several definitions of the script) talk about how much the script was transformed and bettered through its drafts. They did enough tweaking and care to rework the script. As for budget, the movie was 129 million USD, which sure was the cheapest of the HTTYD trilogy to create, but it’s about on par with what DreamWorks has spent on other movies like Home and Trolls - it’s not like there was skimping - and it’s all about making your money count, which I think this glorious, top notch animation quality film effectively did. So from what I’ve heard, I think production ran fine and we can’t question THW there.

I think most of THW’s problems can be solved simply by tweaking how scenes go down, taking a few small elements out, and adding a few small elements in. It doesn’t need time changes; it needs internal modifications to what’s already there. What I propose wouldn’t change much of the movie’s length - though maybe I we could add 5-8 minutes for things like a longer climax.

1. To Feel Less “Cluttered” or “Rushed”

The movie didn’t feel rushed to me or too cluttered, but it’s cluttered. You’re right. In addition to creating less clutter, my suggested tweaks will clear up time THW can spend elsewhere, streamline THW into fewer palatable essential ideas, and give a slight tone makeover that will add more sense of danger and conflict that THW needs.

Fewer humor side gags with minor characters (and less time spent on them). The gang’s antics are fun additions, yes, but that doesn’t mean they’re central to what the plot needs. Spending too much time with them adds clutter and takes away from plot-central, tone-central material. There’s a huge gaggle of gags in THW, more than any movie needs in a less-than-two-hour-long run time. Do we need all these to give THW its comic relief? Don’t get me wrong - I loved the humor - but time needs to be prioritized, and the movie will be improved once “less is more.”

Less time with Tuffnut’s pep talks. This goes with my first point. This comedic gag was lengthy in particular. It’s in part because it connects to the idea of Hiccstrid marrying, which THW does make more central in its themes. However, I also propose:

Spend less time (or delete) the will-they won’t-they marry Hiccstrid plot. THW intends to parallel Hiccup and Toothless maturing into adulthood, including their romantic connections. However, a will-they won’t-they marry subplot in Hiccstrid isn’t needed to create that parallel. Not to mention: it can be uncomfortable to have this undertone of romance as “required” adulthood maturation, and the fact that Hiccstrid are so close and intimate makes it feel “off” that they’re so uncomfortable talking about marriage. Spend less time here, simply make fans aware they’re going to marry in the future but not today, and return to the main relationships THW needs to pay attention to: that of Hicctooth and Nightlight. 

2. To Make Grimmel a Greater Sense of Threat

One of the central points is that Grimmel is extremely dangerous and represents one of many humans that’ll continue to be a threat to dragons. While Grimmel can be overcome, Hiccup will need to interact with Grimmel in such a way he can understand that dragons and humans cannot coexist in today’s civilization without continuing to risk danger, and that it’s best for everyone to live happily in two separate civilizations. It’s not being defeated by the enemy’s oppression, but taking a brilliant countermeasure to give humans and dragons both a better existence.

Making Grimmel feel like a greater sense of threat, and helping audience members understand what Grimmel represents overarchingly of humanity’s current antagonistic state, will help us and Hiccup process why a separation is best. This can be done by:

Show Grimmel’s impact on human society. All we’d have to do is change what his base looks like: it could be located in an area taken over from another human civilization, showing his army’s power and place in this world over humans.

Greater weight placed on Berk’s exodus. The Hooligans lost their home, but it’s played too lightly. It’s not written optimally as an emotionally impacting or destabilizing moment, which decreases the sense of threat Grimmel has. Instead of having the Hooligans excited to find New Berk, show them grieving. They can butt against Hiccup’s ideas of finding the Hidden World, but instead in a way where they’re frustrated at his naive solution and hurt at what they left behind. This isn’t adding time to THW; this is tweaking phraseology and presenting an event differently.

Change how Berk is abandoned. To make the attack feel more dire, threatening, either: 1. Have the Hooligans more reluctant and grumpy to leave in the town meeting, and not play the leaving scene so lightly, or 2. Have Grimmel chase them out of Berk so they have to flee then and there. This might even reduce time! 

Show Grimmel’s power over dragons. We could have a few-second-long flashback of him standing over a field of dead Night Fury bodies, or have his place cloaked in dragon skins or skulls. 

Show Grimmel’s power as a warlord. Grimmel acts in almost a solo fashion, despite cooperating with warlords and having an army. It doesn’t give us a good sense of scale. Show his interactions better with the whole of his forces to make him feel more dangerous, and for humanity as a whole to feel more like a threat against dragons. For example, in the scenes where he’s trying to trap the dragon riders, show him commanding more people.

Show Grimmel’s impact on the dragon (and/or human worlds) through landscape. What if, as the Hairy Hooligans try to find a new place to stay, they fly over several islands that have been destroyed by Grimmel’s forces? Either human civilizations, or homes once havens to dragons, with characters making comment they “hope” people got away. And what if, when Grimmel takes their dragons near the end of THW, it’s again through more violence and a raid and fire and destruction? 

Conversations more clearly talk about Grimmel’s dangers over dragons and humans, and how he’s one of many people that’ll arise. This idea is embedded in THW dialogue, but not clearly enough to fully grasp its weight, especially not in the sense we see characters grasp this. Have Hiccup and Astrid and Valka or something talk about how widely destructive Grimmel is, how even once he’s gone another man like him will take his place, and that while they may continue to fight and win for human and dragonkind, it’s ultimately not the right move to make for everyone to live safest and alive. A conversation laying this out makes a world of difference in our understanding of what dangers are going down and why we need to come to the solution THW concludes with. Again, this isn’t adding time; it’s changing phraseology. 

Add a few minutes to the climax. Make the final fight with Grimmel obviously the final fight, the threat bigger, the action more intense.

Perhaps show that Berk’s done good work changing the world by their choices. Even though Berk ultimately decides to let the dragons go, they are meant to be the voice of peace that changes their world. The good guys can’t resign to letting themselves live under the thumb of bad guys’ choices. Show that they’ve made a difference - Grimmel and his armies are gone and the world is regrowing (no more torched landscape, if we add that element in) - but that it’s still going to help their world by letting dragons go, too… for this generation, at least.

3. To Make Hiccup and Toothless’ Parting Jive Better

Hiccup and Toothless separate out of need - they can’t live in the same place for the better of both their kinds. However, since the movie spends so much time on Toothless chasing after the Light Fury, we don’t get that full sense of need. I propose:

Open THW with a clear Hicctooth sappy bonding moment. We need things like “Forbidden Friendship” and “Where No One Goes” to feel the power of Hicctooth’s love. Give us that starting sense in THW of how close they are before adding in the complications. It can even be done by tweaking how the opening fight scene goes down.

Show dragons profiting by living with humans, but it also being Complicated with their wild side. We need to acknowledge that the relationship between humans and dragons has done the dragons good, too! Otherwise it might feel incongruous with the rest of the franchise.

Show dragons being unfit in the urban area through their own restlessness. The movie tries to show this with Moosie Boi being too big for Berk, and Berk being so crowded with dragons Gobber finds the soup unsanitary. But if we see Stormfly restless and want to leave for the Hidden World, too, wouldn’t this say something more about where dragons are pulled to and belong?

Less time spent on Toothless investigating the Night Fury. You can’t cut this down too much or we’ll feel like rushing, but since THW focuses so much on just Toothless and the Light Fury’s connection rather than an overarching problem for dragons, it’s hard to feel the full-scale issues of the problem. Making it just him and her feels more like a hook up love story than “dragons and humans are incompatible for their needs.”

Change Toothless’ body language. Show more emotional division in Toothless about his conflicting options. Show him hesitant to leave Hiccup and the two interact over that. Show him lonely away from his kind when with Hooligans. Show him feeling that loneliness met - that deep emotional need of being with his own species - when he’d thought was lost to him (rather than focusing on it being a romantic hookup interest). This doesn’t take more time; it tweaks what was already given on screen.

Change Toothless’ emotions with the Light Fury to feel more like loneliness being met than horny boi practicing kissing with a rock. This does a better job of showing that Toothless has a deep need that needs to be met as a wild animal and as a social draconic species.

Change conversations Hiccup has with humans about Toothless’ struggle. Maybe have Hiccup processing less with people and more by himself or with Toothless. Don’t write the conversations with people be about “Toothless has a girlfriend” and “of course he left.” Discuss instead how Night Furies are social creatures and Toothless hasn’t been with his kind in six years - that’s a huge hole in his heart being filled. Validate the deep connection Hiccup and Toothless have, while simultaneously acknowledging the struggle of this moment now. The movie shows that the Light Fury can never be domesticated, so I think that’s fine, but maybe one line from Astrid saying, “I don’t think she’ll come to live with us,” would be enough to help other audience members pick that up too.

More time spent on all dragons being in danger, and Toothless as an alpha unable to protect them with Hairy Hooligans. The story doesn’t show Toothless being much of an alpha - intentional - until he reaches the Hidden World and it clicks. But I suggest it’d be more effective to pull this out more than having an issue with Moose Boi taking up too much space in Berk, and Berk being so crowded Gobber has a dragon in his soup.

Put more of a deal on Toothless being an alpha. You can say that Toothless didn’t understand or use his role as alpha when with humans, but I think showing more sense of conflict, and of an alpha needing to be wild to protect his own, would be useful. Make this an issue for all dragons. The alpha status being used as a blackmail device against Toothless to keep the Light Fury alive could be replaced with us seeing the full species of dragonkind being unable to be protected by an alpha apart from his own people. More needs to be done than dragons bowing to him in one scene to understand what the alpha does for his society.

Show Toothless with more Light Furies. The Light Fury being his singular focus is great. But what about, in the Hidden World, Hiccup and Astrid watch Toothless interacting with a whole group of Night Furies, and he’s clearly in a situation that was Made For Him?

THW already has great content in there - Toothless and the Light Fury interacting, Hiccup crying when he realizes Toothless is fit in the Hidden World, Hiccup freaking out and Astrid comforting him when he feels a low, and Hiccup and Toothless parting ways touchingly at the end.

With these proposed tweaks, we get Toothless and Hiccup’s relationship being addressed deeply from the angle of both friends. We understand what both Toothless and Hiccup emotionally feel, and palatably sense how both love the other. We get a sense that Toothless is attracted to the Light Fury and might want to mate, but that she’s also calling him into a wild life and reminding him that he’s been alone, separated from his kind. We get a sense that it’s not just Toothless, but all dragons who might be called back to the Hidden World. We get a sense that it’s not just Toothless, but his whole role as alpha affecting the entirety of dragonkind.

And once we add in a greater sense of Grimmel being dangerous, and that more humans like him will continue to rise up, we can understand why Berk would release all their dragons. It’s not that dragons hate living with humans - THW can make that clear - and it’s not that dragons haven’t been profited by living with humans. But in the current call, the current situation, it’s best to go to the Hidden World.

I’m mostly tweaking how scenes go down, changing lines and reactions rather than adding material. Feel free to propose a longer movie! For me, THW already has enough space to share its message. Maybe it needed to be a few minutes longer, but I suppose my own sense is that they had enough time to budget in this material, make a smooth-flowing movie with all the material they needed to present, and come away with an astounding storyline.

Like you, this isn’t meant to judge the movie as bad! It isn’t bad! It’s downright wonderful in many aspects. I’m so happy I’ve seen it and can scream over it! Simply, if I were in charge of tweaking the script, these are the first alterations I’d make, and I think it would make THW even better.

[warblerhxc]

Text || Louder Now

Who: Jeff & Hunter Where: Hunter’s dorm. What: After the dance, Hunter finally snaps.  Warnings: None. 

JeffToday at 11:24 AM

The dance was over and all through the halls, the boys were returning to their rooms. Well most of them, some were sneaking into the rooms they'd much rather be in. Jeff was one of them. He had stole glance at the boy he loved over and over again, but now he was going to get to touch him. He didn't knock this time, just stepped into the room and locked the door behind him as he took in the beauty that is his boyfriend. "Hi." A blush settling on his cheeks.

HunterToday at 11:36 AM

Things were a bit awkward between him and Jason, but not as much so as it would've been had the man not known Hunter was dating his brother. He had a good time with him - joked around, danced a bit - but by the time the night was over he was happy to head back to his dorm. He'd just finished pulling his tie off when he heard his dorm door opening up, a smile painting his lips as he heard his boyfriend's voice. "Hello to you, dear," Hunter chuckled to the other man, turning around to get a good look at the man he'd been keeping his eyes on all night.

JeffToday at 11:41 AM

Jeff licked his lips. His eyes fully skating over Hunter now. Fuck did he look good in a suit. He'd have to try and see him dressed up more. Biting his lip, he beckoned Hunter over. Too scared to leave the door otherwise he might not make it to him since his heart was beating out of his chest. "Come here." he whispered as well.

HunterToday at 11:44 AM

Tossing his tie onto his bed Hunter then made his way over to Jeff, taking hold of the lapels of the boy's blazer so he could pull him in for a kiss. He'd been wanting to do that since he laid his eyes on him at the dance, and finally being able to allowed him to finally relax. "You look breathtaking," he mumbled against the boy's lips, finding it extremely difficult to pull back again.

JeffToday at 11:46 AM

Jeff easily moved into Hunter when he was pulled close. Melting the moment he kissed him, he was a goner in his kiss. His head tilting to the side, Jeff was over joyed to be kissing him. "I've been dying to kiss you all night." he whispered back, diving back into the kiss with him. Jeff's fingers sliding through Hunter's hair a bit as his tugged the boy's lip.

HunterToday at 12:01 PM

Given the chance Hunter could do this all night, just stand here kissing his gorgeous boyfriend. Though he knew Sebastian wouldn't have tried anything with him Hunter was still a mark jealous, wishing it could've been him dancing with the man he loved. Alas fear and being partnered up with someone else for the dance stood in his way, but at least he had the boy at this time.

JeffToday at 12:03 PM

Jeff was glad to have this moment, this chance to kiss his lover tonight. Breaking the kiss as he needed air, his forehead rested to Hunter's. He smiled softly, pecking his lips still. "Kind of glad I told Sebastian I was taken, didn't say who, but I think it stopped him from flirting as much as he normally does." Pressing a soft kiss once more to Hunter's lips.

HunterToday at 12:08 PM

Hunter's brow raised to the other, a slight chuckle leaving his lips. Well, any reason to have Sebastian not as touchy towards his man was something Hunter could get behind - especially if it didn't involve him being outed. "You know he's just going to try to figure it out from this point on, right?" Hunter said with a smile, making it clear he wasn't upset with Jeff.

JeffToday at 12:10 PM

"Yeah, I know but for now, he hasn't figure it out." Jeff's fingers twirling in the short hairs on the back of Hunter's neck. "So for now, its just ours...well and Jason knows which I'm happy he does. Can we go sit on the bed?" he asked, chewing his lip softly.

HunterToday at 12:59 PM

Hunter complied with the other's wishes easily, reaching down to pull Jeff's legs up and hold the other man against his waist as he walked the two of them over to the bed. Upon sitting down he made sure to keep the other in his lap, fingers carding through the boy's blond hair. "Better?" he asked the other, a brow arched.

JeffToday at 1:01 PM

Jeff yelped and held on as he was carried. There was always something so hot about a guy that could pick him up and carry him like that. Settling on his lap, Jeff leaned into his touch and closed his eyes. "With you, everything in my life is better." Turning to kiss the boy's palm softly.

HunterToday at 1:32 PM

Hunter couldn't help but roll his eyes at the cheesy comment, though he couldn't help but feel his heart flutter a bit at it. He felt the same - everything was better with Jeff, and he hated pretending it wasn't. Hated how he had to fake to his mother that the guy he wasn't even seeing wasn't his date. "I don't want to hide anymore," he said to the other after a moment of silence, those words holding a confidence he hadn't been able to muster before.

JeffToday at 1:38 PM

Jeff was lost in the moment when he heard what Hunter had to say. "What..." His eyes filling with a new emotion. It was one he couldn't think of the words to explain but he felt it all through him. Did he really say what he said? "Then what do you want to do...are you breaking up with me?" Jeff getting up from his lap in fear.

HunterToday at 1:42 PM

Hunter quickly realized how his words might've sounded to the other, reaching his hands out to take hold of Jeff's waist and make sure he wasn't going to take off entirely before he could clarify. "No - I love you too much to do that," he stated, standing up from the bed in order to capture the other's lips in a passionate kiss that tried to convey just how much he cared for the other. "I don't want to keep that love in this room anymore. I feel like I'm suffocating."

JeffToday at 1:43 PM

Jeff tentively kissed him back. He wasn't sure until then that he meant in the way that Jeff hoped he would. Biting his own lip, Jeff nodded to him. "I dont like it either, I don't like not being able to kiss you when I want or hold your hand in the halls." Nuzzling his cheek then, he closed his eyes. "I wanted to tell Sebastian so bad."

HunterToday at 1:50 PM

"Tell him, then," Hunter said to the other, barely skipping a beat. Though he knew he'd get some teasing from Sebastian and some choice words about things Hunter said to him, he was tired. Tired of pretending to be something he wasn't - tired of ignoring the man he loved when all he wanted was to wrap his hands around his waist in the hallways.

JeffToday at 1:52 PM

"Maybe later. I have a better idea." Jeff pushed Hunter back on the bed and sat on his lap. Holding his phone up, he took a picture of them as he kissed Hunter's cheek. "What do you think I should caption it?" Jeff's simple way of asking Hunter if he could do this. If he could post a picture of them together.

HunterToday at 1:56 PM

Hunter let out a small laugh as he was pushed back, brows raising as the other seemed to be enjoying himself quite a lot after the new information. "Six months," he said to the other. Though it was a few days shy from their six month anniversary, it'd still get the point across that the pair were very, very much exclusive and Hunter was very much gay.

JeffToday at 1:58 PM

Jeff giggled, "One more." This time, he kissed Hunter on the lips and added the photo to the post. Tagging it and captioning it with 'six months', Jeff posted it then set his phone down. "Now our phones are going to blow up." he chuckled as his phone went off already.

HunterToday at 2:08 PM

The sheer number of people was enough to make Hunter tense up a bit, his comfort only extending so far. He had to calm himself down though - had to learn to be okay with everyone knowing. "Sebastian's just mad that you got to me first," he said to the other, trying to mask his nerves with humor.

JeffToday at 2:11 PM

"Pretty much and that you got to me first too." Jeff put his phone on silent then and set it aside. He knew a tense look when he saw it. Caressing his cheek, his forehead came to Hunter's. "We can still have our bubble, just no people know we have a bubble." Pressing a light kiss to his nose.

HunterToday at 2:20 PM

A bubble. Hunter was comfortable with that - to still have a place where he could be alone with Jeff away from prying eyes. That let him relax a bit again, pressing his forehead to the other's. "They're going to figure that since we're always hiding in my room that's our hiding place," he said to him, fingers running against the man's waist.

JeffToday at 2:22 PM

Jeff nodded to him. "Yes, they are. Plus you do live in a single after all." Kissing his jaw softly with a hum. He would much rather be kissing Hunter but he knew Mason would be blowing up his phone soon, so he grabbed it and started texting Mason back. "Mason called you a model"

HunterToday at 2:24 PM

Hunter's brow raised as the other went back to his phone, a smile coating his lips as he heard the comment from Jeff's friend. "Did he, now?" he chuckled to him. Though he was definitely confident in his appearance, he wasn't so sure about being model level attractive. He'd take the compliment, though.

JeffToday at 2:29 PM

"Yeah and now he wants to know if you're hung." Jeff scooting to the side a bit on his lap with smirked. He didn't say anything to Hunter as he replied, hiding his phone screen as well so he couldn't see what Jeff typed.

HunterToday at 2:32 PM

Hunter couldn't help but roll his hips up when the other made the comment, very intentionally trying to sway him towards one way of thinking. "What'd you tell him?" Hunter asked the other, his smile slowly turning into a smirk as he threw the boy a wink.

JeffToday at 2:33 PM

"I'm not telling you." Jeff getting up from his lap. He was in the mood to play and well, who could help him as he slowly made his way to the door. "Gonna have to catch me.." Jeff bolting out the door with a laugh on his lips.

HunterToday at 2:35 PM

Hunter rolled his eyes as the man bolted off, the boy getting a head start due to the surprise factor. Soon enough though Hunter was chasing after him, feet hitting the hardwood floor as he darted after him. "You're ridiculous, you know that?" he called after him, though he was definitely enjoying himself as well.

JeffToday at 2:38 PM

"Yep and you love me for it" Jeff called back. He knew they could get in trouble for this but it seemed everyone was busy so he didnt care. Turning a corner, Jeff hid there in the shadows in hopes that Hunter would run by.

HunterToday at 2:40 PM

Hunter saw the other as he turned the corner, but as he did the same he lost sight of him. He stopped a few feet off from where Jeff had hidden himself, glancing around the area. "This is cheating," he said aloud, crossing his arms over his chest.

JeffToday at 2:42 PM

Jeff bit his lip, trying not to laugh. He could hear the semi pout in his voice, which only made him want to give in. So slowly, Jeff popped up and smirked to his boyfriend. "Its not cheating but I'll be good...for now....but only if I get more kisses." Stepping in close to him.

HunterToday at 2:45 PM

Hunter turned to face his boyfriend when the man popped up, complying with the kiss he'd been asked of. While he was distracting him with his lips, however, Hunter reached down to snatch the man's phone, deciding to be the one to bolt off this time. "Meet you back in the dorm," he called out to him, that giving him plenty of time to go snooping.

JeffToday at 2:46 PM

Jeff growled at him. "You suck, Hunter Clarington...and you're going to be doing a lot of it tonight." With that, he took off after him, smiling as he did. He didn't care if Hunter read it all, this was just so much more fun then hiding ever could be.

HunterToday at 2:49 PM

Scrolling through the messages Jeff had sent to Mason he couldn't help but have a wide grin, every text going straight to his ego. Once he'd arrived back in his dorm he let himself fall back on the bed, propping himself up on an arm as he pretended as if he was still reading.

JeffToday at 2:50 PM

Jeff caught up and slowed as he entered the room. Seeing him there, Jeff shut and locked the door. "Enjoying yourself?" He remarked. "Well while you read, I'm going to shower." Winking as he stepped into the boy's bathroom and started the shower.