#i know this would be a stronger post if I linked to posts addressing the issues in question

[ashenlavellan]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Personal Thoughts from a COMPLETED Playthrough. [MAJOR SPOILERS]

[Major spoilers ahead - all I will say to those of you that are on the fence with this game? Do it. This game is so worth it and I have just finished it. Like, literally an hour ago - while it's still fresh on my mind.]

Leave this post if you don't want to be spoiled - story-wise and specifically if you want to romance Lucanis. There will be MAJOR spoilers ahead.

So, I just finished DA: The Veilguard and I was utterly blown away. I will admit that I was amongst the crowd where I would play this game, but was very hesitant to and had my reservations. I had my expectations low.

A lot of reviewers and DA enthusiasts on other platforms had me discouraged to give this game a chance and I'm glad that I spoke of this with mutuals and decided to give this game a chance.

Now, my first concern that I will address - the combat.

I was a bit concerned about this when I initially heard some people describe it as a 'hack-and-slash' and while I have no issues with that (MAJOR Devil May Cry fan here - I love that shit so much!) - it's not what I would usually associate with Dragon Age.

My experience may be different that others, but I played as a Shadow Dragon Mage - mainly followed through with the Evoker specialization, too. I mainly played with orb/mage-knife and sometimes I switched to the staves if the fight was a bit too difficult to play closer. I'm glad that this was implemented because I disliked playing as a mage in Origins and enjoyed that it was faster pace in DA2/DA:I - this felt like I could choose if I wanted to continue with the faster pace (orb/mage-knife) or a little slower, but stronger attacks at a distance (staff).

It will certainly be different if you play as a rogue/warrior, but I loved the duality as a mage and I think I'd play as one again since I grew very comfortable/adept with the controls.

Now, the concern that most people had - tactical use?

There is an ability wheel, reminiscent to the one that Mass Effect has, but it offers suggestions for what moves can be used as a combo if you select them for your companions. It's best if you try to avoid having two rogue/two warrior companions because they will have the same affects that their abilities can do. If you have a mage/warrior or mage/rogue, then it's easier to combo their moves.

To be honest, I never truly used the tactical options in the earlier games and just played as is. I know others like the earlier games because of these things, but it wasn't the biggest concern for me when it came to that... It was mainly going from three companions down to two of them, and how the combat flow would feel like.

Combat? 9.5/10

My second concern that I will address - the cameos.

Now, because of the trailers and what-not, we already figured out that Morrigan, Varric, Harding, and our Inquisitor would show up. [I'm still so happy that I had the chance to customize my Inquisitor and luckily enough, I'll just try to match her appearance as close as I can when I officially play.]

I was NOT expecting my dear friend, Dorian Pavus, to show up when he did and the fact that he had a link to the faction that I picked! I was so excited to see him once more, but...

I was even MORE excited to see my favorite, sassy pirate-lady Isabela! But, she's now one of those in charge of the Lords of Fortune!

These were the only cameos that I had not expected, but there were mentions of other characters!

Like Merrill, when talking with Isabela after a fight in the Hall of Valor! Or, a note during a loyalty quest with Taash that shows that Sten [from Origins] had joined with the Antaam. Hell, even Aveline posted up as the acting-Viscount of Kirkwall!

As well as the fact that Harding mentions members of the Inquisition, and at some point, Solas reflects on the memories he had during his time with the organization as well.

I do wish that we had more cameos, but I'm actually pleased that there were mentions of characters from earlier games that hadn't been mentioned again beforehand.

Cameos? 8/10

Now, my third and final concern - the story.

So. Much. Story.

I had been concerned about this game before its release and how it would handle the story - especially after Trespasser and when Solas first revealed himself to be Fen'Harel. Which was groundbreaking when it happened!

Some of the fandom had concerns, myself included, when we realized that only three decisions that mattered when it involved earlier games and it was all from DA: Inquisition. Nothing from Origins or DA2 - even then, however, it was not much to really tip the scales in DA: The Veilguard.

The decisions being - who did your Inquisitor romance, did they disband the Inquisition, and were they wanting to save/stop Solas?

Now after finishing the game?

The amount of thought that went into side-quests that actually had an impact on the plot/major decisions? The faction quests? The loyalty quests?? The impact from past decisions affecting the last portion of the game???

There was so much writing that went into this game, obviously, but I hadn't realized how much thought each decision you make plays a part within this story - whether small or big!

I sincerely and whole-heartedly enjoyed the writing and the companions involved in our story - I was so excited each time a loyalty or mission specific to them popped up and we delved deeper into their backgrounds, their factions, and everything else involved!

There was so much newer lore to consume, especially with Minrathous/Tevinter since we've never been this far north in Thedas, but I absolutely devoured each little piece I could get and would sit there... reading the missives and codex! However, I can understand that some may be frustrated since it doesn't delve deeper into past lore with some cases.

As one final side-note for this - even if you do all of the side-quests and content, you will have an ending just like my own... At least one person on your team will die. I did everything I could and chose, basically all of what seemed like the right decisions, and I still lost one person on my team that resulted with me sobbing like a baby with how brutal the death was in the scene...

Story? 9/10

Now, the best part of this post - the romances.

Where do I begin with Lucanis' romance?

It's like, the second I found out that there was yet again, another assassin from Antiva who was aligned with the Crows - I was immediately sold.

Before I continue - everyone? Thank his writer, Mary Kirby, from the bottom of your heart for writing such a thoughtful, protective man - whether or not your Rook romances him.

Now, continuing -

His romance is so fucking good that I have over 100 saved clips on my console of shared moments between Lucretia/Lucanis to the point where my console was like - you need to make space if you want to be a fiend for the scenes.

You bet your fucking ass I made space.

I want to completely gush over his romance and spoil things, but I'm holding all of that back because I plan on writing those scenes and then some since I AM a fanfiction writer. I'll only share one thing with all of you...

When Lucretia and Lucanis slept together, you can bet your ass that he brought out those damned wings. [Also naked/semi-naked cuddling in the scene afterwards.]

So yeah, those are my final thoughts after playing Dragon Age: The Veilguard and after finishing the game... I'm so glad that I decided to give this game a chance and I certainly feel like it was worth the price, for the amount of content there was and story-telling.

I'm also glad that I listened to some of the reviews - there were reviews from a couple of the devs from BG3 and had plenty of praise for this game! I'm glad I gave this game a chance, especially since there's so many options to choose from and replay-ability like BG3!

[marchofmistria]

A Nice Contrast

A/N: This is my first Fields of Mistria fic so I hope you like it! It's based off March's autumn dialogue when you speak to him at the forge and he tells you that it's nice and warm in contrast to the cold outside <3

Planning to cross-post this to AO3, and will update this post with the link when I do.

Summary: March helps you warm up by the forge when it starts to cool down in Mistria.

Word Count: 2,127

Tags: March x Reader, gender-neutral reader (2nd person), hurt/comfort, fluff

The summer bled into autumn and it was officially cold in Mistria. You felt like you barely had time to catch up, and the first two seasons you spent in the town sped by so fast you could scarcely remember to enjoy the season before it was over. Days at the beach with friends felt long and restful in the moment, and now they let out to a short and cool autumn when a farmer's work is hardest. Your wardrobe had yet to catch up to the change in Mistrian weather, however, and unpacking your warmer clothes was on the to-do list. However, a late start to the day after a late night in the mines and that plan was gone.

It was already 2PM by the time you had finished your daily tasks on your farm. The crops were watered and they had just begun to peer out of the dark soil. Your animals were fed and seemed happy. You sat down for a moment next to Caldarus, chatting with him as you untied your hair and changed out of your farming gloves. There were errands to do today, after all, and Mistria certainly did not rest for you.

As you fell into the swing of the day, your morning plans were quickly and totally forgotten. You didn't have much of a chance to notice; you felt warm from running around the whole town for hours. These townsfolk sure knew how to run you to the ground. First it was a delivery for Balor, then a chat with Nora before returning to Balor, then a trip to the museum to discuss a new finding with Eiland and Errol, some fishing for Reina's new dish at the Inn tonight, and a quick trip to the mines to repair a chip in the metal of your shovel.

Your body had gotten stronger in the last few months since arriving to the small town, but you felt exhausted regardless. Days felt like they ended too soon as is, but as you left the mines, you were truly surprised by the incoming dark. How did it get so late so fast?

The feeling really set in once you set off to the forge to smelt your findings. The breeze blew your hair back and out of your face, exposing your shoulders further and starting a chill down your arms. You felt thirsty and very hungry and realized you missed lunch and would miss dinner if you didn't hurry.

Wanting to catch March before he left the forge for his own dinner, you hurried on, wrapping your arms protectively around your shoulders for some mock-warmth. It did little to help, and you had begun to feel a bit lightheaded.

March seemed to be finishing his work day just as you were arriving, although you knew he would leave the forge hot for you to use at all hours. He had grown accustomed to your habits, knowing how busy you were throughout the day and that you might come to the forge even late at night to squeeze as much into the day as you could before you passed out from exhaustion.

When you finally stumbled up to him, he addressed you with a curt "Hey," his usual attempt at appearing nonchalant. Just as he had grown accustomed to your habits, you had gotten to know his as well. You had gotten pretty good at giving whatever he gave you right back to him, and your conversations were at the point of total ease.

But rather than shooting the shit with him as you usually did, well enough to break down his boundaries to show even some vulnerability (a shock to anyone who had ever spoken to March), you ignored his greeting and rested your hand on the anvil for support. At this point, you felt like it was the only thing supporting your weight up.

March, who often couldn't help but observe you closely whenever you were near him, noticed right away and rushed over to you. His brows knit together, he put a strong arm under your arm for you to lean into. You all but collapsed into his support for a moment, before regaining a bit of strength and using your legs to lift yourself up a bit more again.

"What's wrong?" March asked, an arm still around your torso in case you fully passed out on him. His heart beat faster, worry showing on every feature. As soon as your head stopped spinning a moment later, you looked into his eyes and saw his concern. He couldn't even try and hide his real feelings like he usually did.

You blushed as soon as you realized how close your faces were to each other. The closest they'd ever been, you both quickly noted before pulling away from each other slightly. March did not withdraw his support though, despite the blush that was tinging the tips of his ears.

"Hey, did you hear me? What's wrong? Should I call Valen?" March asked again, concern growing as you didn't answer his first question. Your mind swam back into focus when March reached his hand up, moving your hair out of your face to feel your forehead with his hand. You closed your eyes at the warmth. His hands were rough against the skin of your forehead, but the warmth spread throughout your body.

"O-oh, sorry! I just got dizzy for a second..." You finally stuttered out. The crease between March's brows lessened slightly, but was still visible. He didn't move his hand away from your face. "I think I'm just tired from the mines, and I realized I didn't eat much today. I'll be fine though."

"What the hell? Why didn't you eat anything, dumbass?" March all but barked at you. You couldn't help but smile a bit to yourself. So this is what it looks like when March worried about you...

"Charming as ever, March," you replied quietly, hoping to ease some of his worry and show that you really were okay. But as soon as that signature smirk reappeared, pulling up the corner of his lips, it was gone as you tried to walk again and stumbled once more. The dizziness was back, and you were worried that he may be right about the fever after all.

"Hey, hey... you should sit down. Don't try and stand up again," March commanded, lowering you gently to the ground. You didn't think March was capable of touching anything so gently, let alone you. He kneeled down at your side and made sure you were comfortable with your back propped against the outer wall of his house. "You're freezing... why aren't you dressed more warmly?"

You had nearly forgotten how chilly you'd gotten, and his comment caused a shiver to run down your spine. March had you scoot a bit closer to the fire in the forge. "It's warm by the forge," March said quietly, taking your hands in his and pulling them a bit closer to the fire in an attempt to warm you up a bit faster. "You shouldn't hang around in the cold too long. Especially in what you're wearing! What were you thinking?"

"March, I'm fine. I promise. I'm just a bit tired." You said weakly, hoping to provide reassurance once more (even though you didn't want him to let go of your hands quite yet. The warmth felt too good, both from the forge and from your closeness.)

"Like hell you are. You're gonna sit here while I go find Valen, got it?" You didn't dare defy him while looking into his sharp eyes. "Will you be okay a few minutes alone?" he said, the softness seeping through yet again. Your head was reeling from this contrast alone, and you nodded. March looked back at you one more time as if to verify the truth, his eyes softening as you leaned your head back to rest against the side of the house once more. Just before he left, he took off his brown jacket, throwing it on your lap before he turned and walked to Valen's clinic with speed.

As you waited for March to return with the doctor, you shrugged the jacket onto your cold shoulders. You couldn't help but note how comforting it smelled. It was the same pleasant smell you noticed when March leaned closer to you as you worked at the forge, observing your work and chiming in with helpful comments. It was also the same smell you enjoyed when March all but pulled you to his side at the Inn when he had a couple of beers in him. The warmth spread from your nose to the rest of your body. The smell of a crackling fire, leather, a bit of sweat (not at all unpleasant), and even... chocolate.

You had nearly fallen asleep in the pleasure of the smell alone when you heard March's deep voice coming up the cobblestone path to you. "—seemed like she was gonna faint. She told me she hadn't eaten anything all day, and looked like she was freezing her ass off."

Without a greeting, Valen knelt down to you eye level, checking your forehead with her hand before asking to put a thermometer in your mouth. You noticed how different her hands felt from March's. Soft, gentle, and a bit cold. Clinical was the right word.

"March, please go down to the Inn and grab them a bowl of soup, would you? That would be just the thing, I think." March went right away, as if he was tempted to do just that before Valen had given him the instruction.

"Y/N, you need to take better care of yourself. This behavior is a bit concerning to me, and it seems to March as well. Which, alone, says something, no?" Valen smiled knowingly. She gave you a bottle of water to sip on, and asked if you were still feeling dizzy. You were not. Just plain tired.

"You're running yourself to the ground with work, which I can't say I'm too happy about in the first place. But to make matters worse, skipping meals? Not dressing for the cold weather?" Valen chastised lightly. You were embarrassed that your lack of self-care had caught up with you, and now it was a problem for others as well. You hadn't meant to make anyone worry, which you expressed to Valen.

"You're right. It won't happen again. I'll make sure to take better care of myself," you said softly. "Sorry to make you worry..." Valen chuckled, surprised by your humbleness. "No need to apologize to me. We just want you to be healthy. You may not realize it, but everyone in this town has really grown to care for you. I know you want to take on everyone's problems, but I really think people would be more grateful if you watched out for yourself before you burn out all your energy."

Cheeks burning, all you could muster was a nod of your head. March returned with the soup in his hands. The steam that rose from it looked so incredibly appealing. March sat down next to you. "Have enough strength to hold the bowl or do I need to feed you?" March scoffed.

You shook your head, offering a small smile and thanking Valen again when she told you to monitor your condition and find her right away if you felt bad again. March sat next to you as you took spoonful after spoonful of the delicious vegetable soup. March said nothing, but in the silence you could tell he was making sure you finished every drop in the bowl. As soon as you had taken the last spoonful, March removed the bowl from your hands and set it down on the floor. "I'll bring this back later," said March.

"Do you think you can stand? I'll walk you back to your house," March sighed, extending his hand out for you to grab. The combination of the soup, the fire in the forge, and the presence of March next to you made you regain much of your strength. You grabbed March's hand and used it as leverage to pull yourself up to stand. Still wearing his brown leather jacket, the two of you set off in the direction of your farm.

It was only after March saw your front door close behind you and the lights flip on in your bedroom that he turned to head back home. Something about the thought of his jacket in your bedroom made his heart beat faster, and you both fell asleep that night heated by the feeling of each others proximity that lingered and left its warmth in you through the entire night.

[knickynoo]

do you have any headcanons for what marty and jennifer’s relationship looks like post-canon? (ignoring the comics and cartoon lmaooo)

Hello! I am at last making my way through the many asks that have piled up in my ask box. My apologies.

Marty and Jen headcanons! *pats my shovel over the mound of dirt where I've just buried the comics and cartoon*

• I do think it would take them both a while to find their footing again in the time immediately following the events of the trilogy. Not in the horrible way that the comics addressed it, of course, but just in the general "Wow, these very messed up series of events happened, and we are Both Changed in various ways and now faced with Moving On" way.

A lot of things probably have to happen between them before things even slightly feel like normal again. Marty doesn't have the memories of his relationship with Lone Pine Jennifer. His Lone Pine self probably had a lot of different experiences with her (maybe they even met and started dating at a different time or under different circumstances) and there's probably a lot of very complicated emotions surrounding that. Those two need to have a VERY LONG talk where they let everything out.

• As difficult as it is at times, Jen and Marty navigate it as best they can. They make adjustments, reconnect, and come out the other side stronger. Marty finds that Jennifer is still Jennifer, and she finds that Marty is still Marty. Their love for each other doesn't change.

• I feel like I should have headcanons regarding college because that's a big milestone that has the potential to impact their relationship, but I've never really had solid ideas about it. I don't know if they would go to the same college, if one would stay close to home while the other goes away, if maybe Marty wouldn't go at all (unlikely with successful LP Lorraine and George, though). I just don't know. I've tossed around a few ideas on other posts on what Marty would be like in college, but I really can't decide my headcanons on this. It'd probably take a separate post to figure out.

• In my well-established headcanon where Doc moves back to 1985 with his family, Jennifer finds herself integrated into their life. Marty goes to visit and stays over a lot, and he brings Jennifer along as well. She and Clara become fast friends, and they learn a lot from each other. Marty and Jennifer enjoy being with Jules and Verne and also learning a lot about marriage and family life from watching Doc and Clara interact.

• Despite Doc's message that the future is what they make it, Marty and Jen feel some trepidation as their relationship evolves and heads toward marriage. They both experienced a future where they weren't happy and are afraid of walking down that same path (even with the car accident avoided). Ultimately, Marty needs to unpack some baggage he has and make the choice to NOT condemn himself to that same future. He takes Doc's words to heart and realizes he can try his best to lead himself and Jennifer into a happy life together.

I'd gotten an ask where I shared some thoughts about Marty and Jen as parents, which I'll link here. Thanks for the ask!

(also: for anyone who might be interested in some post trilogy Marty and Jen relationship content, I wrote a fic about them)

[sunder-the-gold]

Do you think that Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was a series that was written by people who either hate the source material so much that they want to change it or love the source material so much that they want to make improvements to it?

First, I want to make it clear that I'm only strictly answering your question, and I'm not addressing the unrelated question of "Is Scott Pilgrim Takes Off any good?"

Second, a confession upfront. I haven't read Scott Pilgrim or watched the movie. I was definitely interested in watching this animated adaptation as my first introduction to the story, but I currently don't even have my own Netflix account, let alone have watched Takes Off for myself.

But I've been paying attention.

In that linked article, Grabinski, the writer for the 'adaptation', admitted that "There's a lot of ideas I did end up having that Bryan felt were wrong for Scott. Most of them end up in there..." (emphasis mine)

Have you heard about the Criterion of Embarrassment? It's the realization that historians had, that no person or nation would have a reason to record a lie about a great defeat or embarrassment. That if they passed such a story down in monuments, writing, or legends, it must be because they suffered a very real tragedy that they were desperate for their descendants to not repeat.

You may be more familiar with a modern take on the idea, through social media. "Posting your 'L's online", "telling on yourself", or "you could not have paid me to confess that".

Netflix is a corporation, and there is very little difference between a corporation and a nation. They seek profit to survive and grow stronger in a world filled with vicious rivals and would-be allies. Maintaining a strong, confident image keeps rivals from becoming too aggressive, and convinces would-be allies to continue investing support into what seems like a profitable venture.

Grabinski is a servant of Netflix, and will do his master's bidding for money.

Remember all the bullshit that Kevin Smith told the world about Revelations? Market strategy. Profit at any cost. Never admit when someone catches you with your pants down.

I'm not saying you should assume Grabinski's positive claims are lies. If a corporation tells me that grass is green and the sky is blue, I don't immediately assume everything I knew was a lie. That would be paranoid and self-defeating.

But what I will do is step outside to double-check, and see what the corporation may be lying about. The grass may currently be dead-brown, and the sky may currently be storm-green.

Grabinski admits that he asserted his vision in direct, knowing opposition that of the original creator, many times.

The same original creator who would have to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with Netflix that would gag him from saying anything negative about a venture into which Netflix invests a lot of money. So we also have to remain skeptical of silence and a lack of counter-claims.

But although we have to take positive claims and silence with a grain of salt, we absolutely should believe someone when they confess something that they would have EVERY REASON to not make up or confess unless it was a genuine fear and embarrassment to them.

"There's a lot of ideas I did end up having that Bryan felt were wrong for Scott. Most of them end up in there…"

"At the end of the day, if I don't feel like I've gotten away with something or like I robbed a bank and I'm not getting arrested, then I kind of feel like I fucked up when I made something anyway."

"There was a very long time where I felt like someone was gonna knock on a door and say, ‘Actually, you guys shouldn't do this.'"

A guilty conscience, by itself, isn't absolute proof of guilt. A conscience can be burdened with unworthy premises.

But this man couldn't reorient his conscience despite working with Bryan on this project for THREE YEARS, while wanting us to believe that he has Bryan's full, uncoerced blessing. And Grabinski can't stop telling on himself.

So we must use those embarrassing confessions as a fork to winnow the chaff from the grain.

"Our rule was that nothing would go on the show that either of us didn't like..." which is a positive claim that directly contradicts the embarrassing confession that Grabinski directly defied the creator "many" times to include things that "felt wrong" for Scott Pilgrim.

"If there's something Bryan didn't think was funny, it didn't go in there." But he'd already confessed to including things Bryan didn't agree with, and everyone can find something funny on its own merits without agreeing that it should be funny or that it belongs in some particular piece of art.

The Test of Love

How do you know someone truly loves something? That they seek to serve it, and not merely to use it?

Jesus of Nazareth had some things to say about love.

When asked what God's most important command was, he didn't just answer that the most important command was to love God. Because anyone could claim they loved God and that everything they did was in service to God. Madmen and monsters have done terrible things 'in God's name'.

So Jesus also told the people what the second-most important command was, because obeying this second command is how you know whether someone truly loves God.

"Love your neighbor as yourself." Because when you hurt God's other children, you are hating God.

What Am I On About?

Netflix does not love Scott Pilgrim if it disrespects Scott Pilgrim fans.

Netflix does not respect Scott Pilgrim fans when it uses False Advertising to avoid the possibility that some of them wouldn't have watched Ramona Flowers Takes Over.

Netflix does not love the fans when it is counting on hurt feelings to drive internet backlash, and for backlash to give it free marketing through Tumblr controversy.

Netflix DOES NOT LOVE. It produces and consumes. It is a corporation, designed to profit and survive.

A corporation will only sell worthwhile products as long as it fears you won't otherwise buy its products. But if you buy its products after it has blatantly lied to you, the corporation loses some of its fear.

It will lie to you again. It will try bigger and nastier lies. Because it does not love you, and you stopped making it fear you.

Netflix already did this with Masters of the Universe: Revelations.

Square-Enix did this with the Final Fantasy 7: Remake.

The corporations are all watching eagerly to see how successful this strategy is. Because none of them love you, and they are always hungry.

A final word: "Even THOSE fans? But I hate those fans!"

I don't think someone who focuses on how Scott Pilgrim is a 'bad person' is superior in any way to someone who denies Scott Pilgrim is a 'bad person'.

I think both sorts of people are myopically using Scott Pilgrim as a way to deny that they are ALSO 'bad people'.

And this meme also applies to what even the other characters of the story conclude about both Scott and Ramona!

"You two deserve each other -- not in the sense that no one else is good enough for either of you, but in that both of you should be quarantined together."

Ramona doesn't deserve a free pass denied to Scott.

If Ramona Flowers can be a good character because she's a 'bad person' who selfishly hurt a lot of people and who has to go through an entire story where she confronts her flaws, makes peace with her past, and tries to improve as a person...

Then Scott Pilgrim was not a crime against humanity for getting VS The World to tell the same sort of story.

Guess what! We're ALL 'bad people' who have selfish desires, who don't fully understand other people or what we're doing to them, and who have to learn how to be better people!

You don't get to point at a main character with real, ugly, human flaws and say "I'm better than him, so he shouldn't exist!"

You don't get to ignore a main character's flaws and say, "He's perfect the way he is and so I have every right to act exactly like him without any criticism!"

Because when you deny you're another 'bad person' like the rest of us, you not only refuse to improve, you become an even WORSE person.

[themarydragon]

So my friend sent me this link to a youtube video about why the TotK lore isn't interesting. I couldn't get through it without a ten-screen discord rant (on my PC monitor, not my phone) so I thought I would put some thoughts here.

I don't delve too deep into TotK story but there are def some spoilery statements below, consume at your own risk.

The initial assumptions here seem to be that (1) BotW was more respectful of "The Lore" than TotK, and that (2) TotK made some unforgiveable sins that BotW absolutely avoided.

Both of these are completely false. And I am NOT saying that neither BotW nor TotK shat upon accepted lore. They did. There is no recovering the Hyrule Historia timeline, objectively. Instead I contend that the truth is the precise opposite: Nintendo has NEVER actually cared to try to make LoZ games have ANY amount of continuity.

Take the slide at the 5 minute mark of the video linked, above, in which we see the Master Sword was created specifically to be used against Ganon, and then the 7 sages set out to find somebody valiant enough to wield it (this is from the user manual of A Link to the Past, from the SNES, which also was about The Imprisoning War). Which, if you're playing the home game, you know got ret'conned TWELVE YEARS AGO by Skyward Sword. He's using the slide to explain why it was ridiculous that Ganondorf was able to shatter the Master Sword in the prologue to TotK, which tells me they didn't pay much attention to the mechanic in BotW in which the Master Sword "runs out of power" if you use it too much. If Ganon is an aspect of Demise (again from Skyward Sword, far more recent lore than the slide being used in the vid) then the secret stone he's wielding is amplifying DEMISE (WAY stronger than just some dude), which is why he's able to shatter the blade - but still isn't enough to destroy the sword. His entire complaint about the Sword being broken suggests to me he either didn't play Skyward Sword or has forgotten it existed, and has DEFINITELY forgotten the 'weapons breaking' mechanic started in BotW.

He makes another complaint later about there not being an explanation for the disappearance of the Divine Beasts. Which, sure. I wondered what happened, and figured the 5ish years since then made it old news nobody was talking about it anymore. I get why that might have been a breaking point for somebody else. But it's not just a TotK problem; BotW didn't address it, either. We see the Divine Beasts being dug up by the Sheikah in Rhoam's flashback - how did they get buried? The towers shoot out of the ground, how did THEY get buried, after the last calamity? Who put the guardians underground? How? HOW, if nobody is allowed into the tunnels under Hyrule Castle? It didn't get explained for BotW, so why is that an unforgivable sin in TotK? They give more than a passing suggestion that Purah has repurposed the guardians - just LOOK at the Skyview Towers. The jumpscare for BotW players when you get grabbed in the Lookout Landing tower TELLS YOU where the guardians went.

There is a significant section in which video creator is quoting an interview I haven't seen (and don't give two shits about), and I think it needs to be said: what is in the game is canon. What is in the interviews from other people is, by definition, not game canon. If it was meant to be game canon it would be in the game. Neil Gaiman talks about this when people ask him for clarification of his stories, go check his FAQ if you want a really good delineation of canon from somebody with way more clout than me.

So let's just look at the lore he's defending from BotW. The map is wrong. Straight up wrong, from all the earlier Zelda games. Nintendo cannot decide where the Lost Woods should be, much less Spectacle Rock. The Temple of Time, which again is mentioned early on as a clear homage to the lore, is in the wrong damn spot. If this is the new Hyrule formed post-WindWaker (as indicated by the existance of Rito), the Temple of Time should have been destroyed. And why do the Rito and the Zora both exist? According to WindWaker, the Rito evolved from the Zora, who couldn't live in the salt of the sea. Which is a pretty big jump from the original game that had Zora in the ocean, and the two games following THAT in which they were straight-up monsters. I don't want to get into ALL the ways BotW breaks from the established lore, but there's a LOT. They don't mention the fucking Triforce ONCE, ffs, that's sort of a big damn deal.

I get there was a canon timeline published in Hyrule Historia. I bought that book for that exact reason. And, as someone who has loved this franchise since I got that first golden cartridge in 1987, I looked at that timeline once, laughed at it, and moved on with my life. BotW de-canonized that timeline already, in a LOT of ways.

So saying that TotK is evidence that Nintendo no longer cares about continuity or lore, and by NOT villifying BotW (or TP or SS) for the exact same problem is disingenuous at best. Saying that TotK is just nostalgia-baiting is ignoring the BotW map (Lake Saria, anyone? Ranch Ruins, anyone?) in general, as well as all the game-specific loot that had NO other reason to be there but straight-up nostalgia. The only reason for Zelda to mention the other heroes in the blessing we hear in the first memory is to (1) destroy the established timeline (skyward bound, adrift in time, or something about twilight, all in a world where Rito exist), or (2) prey on our nostalgia. TotK isn't any worse for putting the WW shirt and the Awakening armor into the game, in terms of wrecking the timeline or trying to feast on our nostalgia.

I'm not going to try to hypothesize what this person (or all his commenters) didn't like about the game, or why they're so willing to overlook all these problems in BotW to villify TotK. And everybody is welcome to like to dislike a game for whatever reason they want, IDGAF, you do you. What I AM saying is that for someone who's upset about the lore, he really doesn't seem to actually be aware of how inconsistent it's ALWAYS been. If TotK is the game that taught you that Nintendo isn't trying to follow their own lore, then I don't think you have been paying attention to the lore for a good long time.

tl;dr this is still my favorite series and if you hate that it breaks its own continuity then you've been asleep for the last 12 years of lore drops my good dude.

[bronx-bomber87]

Hi!! I just spent the last hour scrolling through your page and I adore everything you have to say about tim and lucy…

So I was curious (because I’m a month into the fandom and I don’t really know anyone yet) what your thoughts, predictions, expectations for season 7 would be?

Sorry if you’ve posted something similar before, please point me in the right direction if you have :)

- Loren

Hi! @moderatelydelusional Nice to meet you, Loren. Thank you for the lovely ask :) Making me all red with your nice comment. So glad you liked everything I've had to say about our lovely ship. Appreciate it so much. Before I answer I want to say welcome to the fandom! We are glad to have you here. 😊 There are so many good blogs on tumblr for them. Glad you chose me as one of them. I am honored. ❤️ I haven't really tackled s7 at all so this is a good ask. Excited to answer it. I'm a detailed woman. So imma break your question down into sections if that's alright. I legit don't know how to be brief about this show or them haha Also will do it with gifs cause that's my thing. Here is my detailed answer below. Hope you enjoy it.

Thoughts on S7- Well we've had ZERO and I mean ZERO spoilers or indicators about this upcoming season. Which I do love them keeping it close to the vest. Honestly I do. Just means they have something incredibly good lined up. They just want to make sure we are surprised. Can't fault them for that. But I'm dying for anything. The end of s6 left us wanting so much more with the scene above. We are all chomping at the bit for any content. I know Eric had a interview couple weeks back about s7. From what little he was able to divulge I am EXCITED.

Here is the link to it. Talks about Tim needing to EARN Lucy back in more ways than one. How she is the love of his life. (Tell us something we don't know haha) But I love Eric referring to her to as such. The personal development for Tim to come as well. Like I said they haven't given us much of anything yet. It's hard to have thoughts when we don't have much to go on. But it seems like it'll be well rounded season. It's always been a character driven show so I think it'll be more than just our ship. Which is fine with me. It is an ensemble cast after all.

I fell in love with this show as a whole when it first launched back in 2018. Give me more Tim/Angela, Lucy/Nyla and Wopez. I'll take all of that. I have been all in from the Pilot. I remember watching it on my lunch break on my phone when it first premiered. I was hooked. When we finally get a promo and a friggin premiere date I can probably be more in depth with my answer. Since we don't have a lot to go on it's hard to have in depth thoughts ha But from what little they've let out I'm quite excited for the journey we're going to embark on. We just need a start date for said journey. All we know is Jan but I need a hard date LOL

Expectations For S7. -I expect Chenford to get back to the softness above. It won't be easy but I expect we are headed back there. I think it's gonna be quite the journey to get us there. Both Tim and Lucy are going to need to grow before we do. They both still have shit to work out. Lucy with her career path and the rough time she had last year. It wasn't just Tim that crushed her. I mean it was a huge headliner but wasn't the ONLY one. Our girl has some communication problems and is like her soulmate in how she handles emotional distress. Expect that to be addressed on some level.

Tim obviously has a lot to make up for and he knows it. That is the first step. I expect we see Tim working constantly to improve himself as a person. To be worthy of Lucy again. He's not going to half ass his healing. He is going to be very Tim in how he goes after it. This is going to bleed into every part of his life. I expect to see that all over his character development in s7.

I also anticipate that we'll see an even stronger and more refined version of Chenford in Season 7, with their characters continuing to grow and evolve. Strong separately and even more so together. I cannot wait for the slow burn of their reconciliation. Going to make all the hurt worth it. It'll be Chenford 2.0 and we are all going to be grateful for that. While losing our minds together it's happening. I would rather have our ship and characters be real and develop. Better that than to be puddle deep like John/Bailey. I'll take the pain of growth over the stagnation of boredom. i.e. Bailian.

Predictions-Obviously I want to predict something like above. Them starting over. Kisses, hugs, and if we're lucky enough to get a repeat of 5x12 on screen. That one I'm straight just trying to manifest lol Possibly Celina catching them or almost doing so when they get back together at her place. These are more hopeful than actual predictions lmao But I mainly predict a deeper intimacy between them when they do reconcile. Stronger communication. It'll be beautiful. I also think we're about to see a side of Tim Bradford we haven't seen before. As we know Lucy brings out the best in this man. The absolute best. We're going to see that on full display.

I think he will continue therapy. I also think we’re going to see a very determined Tim driven in his quest to make amends to Lucy. Which will bring out that new side we haven't seen. It's one of the facets of s7 that has me most excited. And not just for the Chenford portion. (Which does make me giddy to no end) But for him as well. You follow me long enough you'll know I love Tim development. So this excites me so very much.

We watched Tim take strides in his mental health walk and as a person in s6 after 6x07. I expect we're going to see the fruit of that not just in his amends to Lucy. But professionally as well. Tim took quite the fall professionally after being bounced out of Metro. He has fences to mend to Grey, Lt. Pine, and those around him as well in patrol. I see him making those strides and then some.

I predict Lucy is going to finally going to get grounded professionally and personally. (She does have a new roommate. I can see development here too) Lucy got very lost in s6. I think s7 she will be righting her ship. Finding her purpose. My guess was T.O. for her with her dipping her toe with Celina in 6x08. She's so empathetic and willing to slow down and teach. I think that could be a good path for her. Whatever her trajectory is I think it's going to be be worked out in s7 for our girl. It's time for her to get some damn wins. I hope that answers your ask LOL Or maybe was too much? HA Either way I can't wait for s7. I need a promo and a premiere date. Seriously ABC, you're killing us.

[dimonds456]

ATTENTION MINORS

I know you guys have been seeing the posts going around about Earn-It and KOSA and things of the like, and talking about how bad those things are. And you're right, they're really, really bad. But, you're not old enough to help participate in helping out, right, since you're a minor? 

WRONG.

Minors out there who are concerned about these issues: YOU CAN HELP US. KOSA and CSAM specifically are acts to create widespread censorship and invasion of privacy to "protect kids," so if anything, your younger voices are stronger than ours! 

I've compiled some resources for you guys to help out. Note that if you sound old enough, you do not have to disclose your age if you don't want to. The point is that there is a public outcry, not that you're under 18.

If you don't know what the bills are or what they do, here's a Doc that explains all that with links to different reading material where you can learn all about it there (note: as of posting this, the Restrict Act is not currently updated. Check back in the future for updates to the doc). 

The two we really need to worry about right now are KOSA and CSAM. 

KOSA is a bill being passed that would effectively let the government censor anything they want online, which can and will include minority voices, LGBTQ content, and anything they deem "unsafe" for kids (such as the suicide hotline).  

CSAM is another law that preaches about protecting kids, but would actually be used to spy on everyone. It's a trojan horse. 

There are a couple more, which are all covered more in-depth here on this site (scroll down):

Here's a few more resources for you guys, and then I'll get into how you guys can help!

KOSA

CSAM

EARN-It

(Light flash warning for this one, just in case)

RESTRICT Act

Alright, with all the reading out of the way, let's get into what to do.

How YOU can help!

Minors: you are not helpless. You are not powerless. The point is that there is a public outcry, and the fact that you are so young could be an advantage to stopping bills like KOSA and CSAM. 

If your voice can pass as an adult's, YOU CAN CALL. If you don't think your voice can pass, YOU CAN EMAIL, TEXT, SIGN PETITIONS, and honestly, you MAY STILL be able to call. 

Here's how calling works. It's gonna be scary the first time around, I know, but you've got this.

First: find out who your representatives are. This website right here makes that very easy. Go to the dropdown for your state and find it, and your two reps should automatically pop up.

Next, see if they're a Republican or a Democrat. This should be in parenthesis next to their names. Here's Michigan's and Mississippi's reps as examples of what that looks like:

How you phrase your words will differ depending on the party they're in, this is important.

Next, you'll see under their names an address, phone number, and some bibliography. (I kept using the Michigan ones cuz I was already on their page, so if you're from Michigan, here's the numbers right here.)

Let's get ready to call now.

Now, when I say "call," I don't mean exclusively by phone. You can also fax them or email them. 

Here's a website you can use to fax them.

To find their email address, google it. [Name] email, and if they've got one, it should pop up there. 

Now, the hard part: actually calling.

Before we go any further, reminder that these people are just that: people. They're not idols, they're not gods, they're not worth any more than you are. Dehumanize them as much as you need to in your head. They're not scary, they're human. 

Now, for each bill, you can either make it all separate or keep all your words in one email, as it were. How you want to do this is up to you. But, if you're feeling lost for words, there are also scripts you can use as a base. 

Here's an email to a Democrat about KOSA, for example:

And this one has emails for both sides:

The long and short of it goes like this:

Your name and something about you (I'm a retail worker) (I'm a minor) (I go to [name] school)

Explain why you're calling (I urge you to stop [bill])

Explain why the issue matters to YOU. (I am a minor, and pushing this law would do irreparable damage, not help us. Here's a bit of why.)

Ask the representative you're calling to help 

Thank them for listening. 

Keep it courteous- they'll be more likely to listen to you if you're calm and collected. I know emotions are high right now, and it's okay to let desperation in, but don't yell or scream at them, you'll only drive them away from trying to stop anything. 

More than likely, you won't be speaking to that rep directly, but the message should still be clear and reach them. 

If you're faxing or emailing, there's more room to go off about issues in more depth, since there isn't someone on the other end of the line. You can say as much as you'd like, but still try to keep it polite. 

You guys are powerful, and your young voices can add to this fight. You do not have to be an adult to call something unjust. Stand with us. Together, your voices will make us stronger.

[wantonlywindswept]

@lucdarling replied to your post “so all of the fic where the GAR and Coruscant...”:

pls give me your fic recs, friend. this sounds very relevant to my interests.

​oh heckie yes i got u boo @lucdarling

Fics Being Mean to the Coruscant Guard:

Two Strikes / Crowning Glory A variety of steps Cody takes to ensure the Guard doesn't get abused as horribly -- Fox and his men might not be on the front lines, but they're still Vod'e -- and their consequences.

linking to the first fic in the series, the story starts out mostly with Cody being a slut (affectionate) but then goes on to get into the Tragedy of Darth Plageius the Coruscant Guard and Fixing It and tbh if you read nothing else read this series it is So Good. make sure to follow the links, things are slightly confusing and non-sequential if you don't

it also actually addresses post-trauma stuff too which is AMAZING, yes def read this but be sure to put some time aside for it the series is like 500k and you Will want to read it all in one sitting and then you might get yelled at by your wife for not sleeping for three days or that might just be me, 100/10

Galaxy-Saving Memes You can only access the page if you're GAR. The Coruscant Guard decides to infiltrate it because they are tired of being ignored, and honestly? Their memes are way better. Or, the Guard saves millions of lives through stupid internet posts.

second on the 'if nothing else read this' list, unless you dislike epistolary stories, in which case you can skip. but it is short and it is fucking HILARIOUS which you would think wouldn't be possible given the subject matter but no, it is great, 100/10

The Adoption Wars The only thing stronger than the dark side is Rex's ability to get adopted. Or: the one where Rex would really like everyone to know that he is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Oh, and Fox finally gets to kill a sith.

only somewhat about Being Mean to the Guard but by god it is cute and adorable but also makes you Feel Emotions, excellent story 10/10

Their Days Are Darker After the death of ARC Trooper Fives, an altercation at 79's leads Wolffe to spend his leave snooping around the Coruscant Guard. Fox assumes he'll drop it and leave the Corries to their fate; it's what everyone else has done. He is very, very wrong.

so this is heartbreaking in the whole 'doesn't understand that what is happening is wrong' kind of way and tbh Cody is a little bit more of a dick than i usually imagine him but it is still Quite Excellent 10/10

exploitation, hesitation The Coruscant Guard makes a mistake while working with the 212th Attack Battalion. Fox prepares to take the heat.

EXCELLENT writing with the whole 'pov character thinks one thing is happening while outside characters Definitely Do Not', fox is so self-sacrificing which is why and how we love him 10/10

learning solitude It's a gradual, insidious thing, Fox's absorption into the Chancellor's office. The Chancellor wants a clone commander of his own, so he gets one. All Fox gets is a position far away from his brothers, a lesson in how to work around natborns who detest his very existence, and a seemingly endless list of monotonous jobs to keep him occupied through all his waking hours and beyond. Fox misses Kamino.

less Guard more Fox, but man what a way to emotionally stab you in the face! lots of gaslighting and manipulation and it is part of a series but the series also gets Extremely Dark at the end before having a recovery/happy ending, so ymmv 10/10

Blood Iron Fox has seen many things seized during raids. Illegal weapons, Spice and other assorted of banned drugs, slaves, carnivorous beasts trained for the fighting rings, the list goes on. Nothing prepared him for finding beskar among the crates of contraband and bad life choices.

so much worldbuilding fuck yeah! semi-the mandalorian crossover, the Guards have it Real Fucking Rough but then they run into some traditional mandos with hearts of gold beskar, v excellent 10/10

i'm sure there are others! well i know there are others, but these are the ones i remember standing out/have read so far. all of these have happy endings, i wouldn't do that to you (and tbh don't really read stuff w/o happy endings myself)

go forth and read whump!

[lilflowerpot]

How much better is the galra sense of smell than humans? I remember you mentioned it once but as tumblr is a barely functioning site I can’t get to the links on mobile. I’m asking bc it would create a pretty funny/painfully awkward situation if Keith and Lotor were like returning from a quickie or something way in the future looking put together but the those in attendance are like… Sa save me from having to be here

It took me a hot minute to find, and frankly I don't blame you for being unable to locate it if you're on mobile, rip, but this is the only post (I think?) in which I've notably addressed the galra sense of smell!

While I do think of the galra having a heightened sense of smell in comparison to humans, it only really comes into play for stronger scents, such as that triggered by the fight or flight response; pheromones serve as an early warning sign to nearby galra that there is a potentially dangerous situation afoot, assisting them in locating the distressed individual as well as preemptively protecting those members of the group who may not be able to protect themselves. So while I suppose you could argue that this means the galra can “smell fear” as it were (though technically these pheromones would release due to arousal of any kind: be that horror, anxiety, surprise, excitement, or -yes- sexual stimulation), they cannot smell moods/emotions as a general rule of thumb.

So, yes, your funny/awkward situation of Keith & Lotor being betrayed by their own scents technically //could// happen lmao, but probably not if they actually had time to -ahem- calm down afterwards, and properly put themselves back together.

Though pheromones can linger for around 6-8 hours after being released, a great deal of this would be dispersed into the air—and given that the galra do have a somewhat decent sense of smell, they'd likely invest in ventilation of equal quality for enclosed areas—and therefore be too weak to really pick out the nuances of who exactly they belonged to. Those pheromones that were applied directly to skin, clothes, or various surfaces would, naturally, stick around that bit longer, but these would only really be detectable up close; it's less a case of Keith & Lotor walking into a room and all it's occupants immediately Knowing™, and more that of someone who leans over to pass something directly into their personal space that might get a hint of their scents being intermingled... though even that wouldn't be particularly surprising. The galra are, remember, an incredibly affectionate people (Zarkon's inner-circle notwithstanding) and given that Lotor so obviously values Keith's council and companionship, it would be far weirder if they //didn't// smell a little like one another.

Of course, this is all dependent on them having a respectable amount of time to compose themselves. If they failed in this regard—by which I mean if it was more an unexpected knock on the door that barely allows more than a dobash of hasty scrambling to look halfway put together—then all those pheromones from their canoodling would only be exacerbated by a healthy dose of adrenaline,,, and that wouldn't be subtle at all.

[khaire-traveler]

you get enough asks of people with similar questions and i told myself i wouldn’t add to the list, but i’m rly struggling rn.

i’ve been an active hellenistic polytheist for 3 years now, and an apollo worshiper for around 2.

yet, i haven’t really felt a connection to apollo for a year now. anytime i pray to him, it feels hollow.

i know that the advice people typically give is to move on, but i feel like then it’d be a waste. its quite terrible of me to say, but ive spent so much money and time setting up such a dedicated altar just for it to collect dust.

any ideas or advice? no worries if not. have a lovely day my friend :]

Hey, Max, thank you for the ask! I apologize for the delay.

So, I originally wrote a whole ass post that had paragraphs of information, suggestions, and advice, but Tumblr hates me and decided to just crash and not save literally any of it. 🙃 I'm hoping I can give you good information regardless of this setback. Also, please don't feel bad about asking questions; I honestly enjoy it, especially since some information can be hard to come by. All my information is merely advice and suggestions based on my own experience, but I hope it's helpful to you - and maybe even others - regardless.

The first thing I'll do is share some links that could be helpful for you. This one talks a bit about Deity Disconnect™ - something that I feel I can safely say has happened to every pagan and polytheist. Sometimes faith and spirituality come in waves, ebbing in and out as naturally as the ocean, but it doesn't always mean that a deity has left us. If you'd like to try reconnecting with Apollo through bonding activities and the like, this link and that link both lead to posts that mention some ways you can bond with a deity. Although I'm not sure if any of these will be helpful to you, I hope that they are. 🧡

I feel it's also important to mention that many devotees of Apollo find it difficult to connect with him during the winter. For me, I feel the feeling of disconnect begin as early as the middle of Fall and stay as late as the very beginning of Spring. Many attribute this to the myth of Apollo leaving for Hyperborea and leaving his seat in Delphi for Dionysus to temporarily take over. If you've been trying to reconnect during Winter, or even potentially Fall, the disconnect from Apollo may feel even stronger than usual because of this. I would wait to readdress this issue with him until Spring rolls around, personally, just in case this disconnect could be contributing to your problem at all.

Along with all that, I'm inclined to ask whether you've addressed this topic with him directly. Have you been able to communicate with Apollo directly about this and get his thoughts? In my experience, deities will typically let you know if they're stepping away, rather than yoinking away super suddenly and without a given cause (or at the very least, they are more than willing to provide a reason if you ask them); this tends to be especially true when it comes to deities you've been very close with in the past. If you haven't already, I'd highly encourage you to speak with Apollo in a format that allows him to provide a response to your questions, such as divination or meditation.

I do also have to say that sometimes deities leave but return later. It's entirely possible he is simply taking a break or stepping away temporarily. Maybe he feels you need to focus on other deities more at this time or he has simply taught all he can (or all that's relevant) at the moment. He could return full force later on in your life, be it a few days from now or a few years. This is something I'd ask him about specifically in order to clarify his intentions.

Ok, but what if he really is leaving and doing so in a more permanent fashion? Well, in that case, I encourage you to do whatever feels right for you. Take down his altar, or leave it up; it's entirely your choice. Even when deities leave our lives, they never truly leave, and most of the time, if we need a deity's help, we are still welcome to call upon their aid, even if they've "left". It's also possible that he is still ok with you worshipping or venerating him, even if he does choose to step away. There are some deities that I mostly just venerate but don't do much else past that, and that's perfectly ok. Sometimes it just feels nice to acknowledge a deity and show them appreciation, even if you're not particularly close to them. These are all things you need to have a direct conversation with Apollo about, however, as I cannot speak for him or what he is comfortable with.

Although it can feel like a waste of time, energy, and hell even money, please do remember that it is never truly a waste if your relationship to Apollo meant something - and still means something - to you. You put genuine time, love, and care into the altar you created, and regardless of what happens going forward, I'm sure he still appreciates that. It's important to know that when a deity feels the need to step away, it's not because they stop caring for you or the time you've spent together; they simply feel it's in your best interest for them to be more distant for the time being, but regardless, they are still there. They are still present in the world and life around you. Apollo can still be felt in the warmth of the sun on your skin and the rush of excitement you feel when the beat of music reverberates in your chest. He is still near, even if he feels far. He is still there, even if he feels absent. These are not things you're required to focus on or even acknowledge, however, if it makes you uncomfortable or you'd rather terminate your relationship with Apollo. I just figure it may be comforting to hear.

If the following doesn't apply to you at all or you simply disagree with my perspective, please feel free to completely disregard all this; it's heavily based on my own personal experience and beliefs. Do you work with Apollo or worship him? I know it sounds rather silly and somewhat ridiculous to ask, but I have personally noticed a significant change in my deity relationships when I focused more on worship than work. I have noticed that, a lot of times, deity work can end in that deity eventually departing because the things you're working on can eventually be resolved or improved enough that you no longer need them. To me, personally, deity worship often has a more permanent meaning, although that obviously doesn't ring true for everyone. If you were doing deity work with Apollo, it's entirely possible that he feels he's helped you the best he can with whatever you originally reached out about and has decided that you no longer need his assistance or guidance. If that's the case (which it obviously could not be), then you can absolutely ask him if he's comfortable switching your relationship to something that is more long-term worship based rather than short-term "please assist me with this specific thing" based. And since I'm sure someone will mention it, I do want to acknowledge that there is nuance in every type of deity relationship, and you can absolutely have a long-term "deity work" based relationship and a short-term "deity worship" based relationship. There are exceptions to everything, and everything contains nuance and complexity. I don't want to discount either of those things; this is just me sharing something based on my personal understanding, and no one has to take me at face-value.

Anyway, I hope I was able to answer your question and give you some suggestions or advice that helps. Regardless, I hope you're able to figure this situation out and that Apollo can address you more directly about it. I wish you the best on your spiritual journey. Take care, and have a good day/night. 🧡

[mandos-mind-trick]

The Thing About Soulmates...

Okay, so I've been wanting to make a post like this for a while, I just haven't gotten around to doing it until now. I considered kind of dropping bits and pieces of stuff like this into the fics themselves, but then I decided I really wanted to make them all about the clones and that this kind of stuff might take away from that a little bit. I also wanted to leave things a little bit intentionally vague because I feel like it sort of adds to the more common understanding of soulmates in the galaxy and how little is really understood, at least from the common being's perspective.

So I'm making a sort of master post explaining a little bit deeper in detail about soulmates and clones and the Republic and how they all kind of work. That, and I know not everyone is going to want to read the entire series so sprinkling bits in every fic wouldn't really work if someone prefers not to read one, they might miss it. So here's what's gonna be a really long post about how soulmates work in my AU.

So, I've touched a bit in the fics about this thing called Fate. Most of the readers call the thing that designates soulmates and their links "Fate." It's a sort of invisible force that is sort of omniscient and a bit omnipotent. In the Wollfe Soulmate AU, the idea of Fate gets addressed a little deeper, simply because the reader's culture heavily believes in Fate being this all knowing, guiding force and things will just happen because they're fated to. There's also probably some species and cultures that even view Fate as being a sort of deity almost.

In reality, though, "Fate" and the Force are the same thing. The Jedi understand that it's the Force that's creating these connections and driving people to each other. Every being in the galaxy is made up of midi-chlorians, but some have more than others which is what allows them to be sensitive to the Force, blah blah blah we all know that much.

It's a bit simplified to say that it's the midi-chlorians making the bonds between people. They do play a role, at least in forming the physical side of the bonds. Marks, dreams, all the ways soulmate links can present themselves, the midi-chlorians have a hand in, and the physical feelings one experiences when touching their soulmate is brought on by the midi-chlorians reacting and interacting with each other.

But it's ultimately the Force that's behind the matching, the influencing of actions that lead soulmates to each other. How exactly the links work, how they're able to influence such strong emotions and feelings is still relatively vague because that's just something that can't really be put in words. It just is.

Allowing the soulmate bond ultimately makes the two stronger. Two Force-wielders who are mated together, if they allow the bond to form, would be able to utilize the Force better and ultimately be stronger in the Force by allowing the Force to flow through their bond.

That's partially why the Jedi enforce rejection.

I like to think many many many thousands of years ago, the Jedi did allow soulmate bonds, as it did allow for them to be stronger in the Force, but it came with the downside of weakness with one's emotions. Since soulmates invoke such strong emotions, trying to remain balanced in the Force can become harder. That's why so many fell to the Dark Side and there were so many Sith. The Jedi had to decide that, while rejecting your soulmate made you weaker in the Force, and also caused some pretty agonizing physical symptoms, it kept the temptation of the Dark Side at bay.

So the Jedi, for thousands and thousands of years, had to reject their soulmates once they inevitably met. This practice continued into the time of the Clone Wars, though, as we'll see shortly, not all Jedi necessarily agreed.

The decision on the Kaminoans part to make the clones reject their soulmates was easy, since they were tasked with creating perfect, loyal soldiers. It was unknown early on whether the clones would even have their own soulmate links, seeing as they are clones, but it became very prevalent early on that they do, in fact, all have unique, individual soulmate links. That stems from the Jedi being able to tell all of the clones individually in the Force, proving that though they may be genetically the same, they're still all individuals.

The Republic was quick to agree to the same rule that clones should not be allowed to form bonds with their soulmates, and the Jedi were expected to uphold that rule if they discovered a clone had in fact found their soulmate. They needed numbers in their army, and having clones desert for their soulmate was not a good look, nor was it beneficial to the army trying to win these big, impossible battles.

While the Kaminoans were strict in enforcing the rule that all clones must reject their soulmates upon meeting, the Jedi were not. Though Jedi can sense the connection between two beings since it is based in the Force, many of them simply refused to, or were so busy they didn't have the time to. After all, it would be exhausting walking through thousands of clones, trying to sense a soulmate bond in just one.

And, most of the Jedi, unlike the Republic, viewed the clones as being individuals. Stripping yet another piece of their humanity away felt cruel. Not to mention, most clones didn't have the time to go through the process of rejection. Though the initial pain of the link being broken would fade eventually, the lingering pain and emotions was something that could last a lifetime. How can one be an effective soldier when they're still mourning the loss of half of their soul?

This led to many of the Jedi Generals choosing to ignore if they happened to feel a bond formed in a clone. Some upheld the rule, some even enjoyed enforcing it (*cough cough* Krell) but most just chose not to pay that much attention to the private lives of the troopers.

Obi-Wan is proof of that, in the Cody fic, he's the one who figures out reader is Cody's soulmate. Though he chose to uphold the Jedi Code and reject his soulmate (*ahem* Satine) since it would be far too complex for both of them to even try to keep it, he never forgot his feelings or what could have been. So of course, he's going to look the other way, despite being the one to figure out Cody had just met his soulmate.

Anakin also does not care to uphold the rule. He literally is secretly married to his soulmate so like...he's not gonna force his men to uphold something he didn't. I actually had a part written for the Rex fic where Anakin discovers them and of course reader freaks out but Anakin's just like "I trust Rex to keep my secret, so I'll keep his," but I decided to omit it cause that's kind of easy to figure out if Anakin ever did find out, he'd obviously keep their secret. Same with the others in his Battalion.

Aayla and Bly are literally married so that speaks for itself.

This is going to come up briefly in the Wolffe fic (which at the time of this being written has not been posted yet) but Plo Koon definitely has a "don't ask, don't tell" policy about his boys. He obviously cares deeply about the clones under his command and he's definitely not going to enforce that rule and force them through that, when really they don't need to. Obviously the war's gonna end eventually, and the clones deserve something to look forward to after. Even if he does figure it out, he's not gonna report anything. Let his boys be happy.

I chose to omit a lot of this simply because I wanted to focus on the clones and how just the general public in the galaxy understands soulmates. Obviously the Force is mostly unknown or mysterious to the general public so they're not going to have the understanding the Jedi do. I did want to kind of give a deeper dive into it for those interested and kind of explain that the clones and most of their Generals don't uphold the rule about rejection when it comes to them.

The original fic that actually started this whole series (that is also unfinished at the time of writing and posting this) takes a deeper look into soulmates and how they work from the Jedi's perspective. It touches more on how Force-sensitivity affects soulmates and vice versa, how soulmate links affect the Force and Force-sensitivity. It goes a lot more in depth into things like this versus just the more surface understanding the clones and most of the galaxy has about soulmates. I do plan on finishing it and posting it once I get the clone series done. I intended to post it first, but then it grew into more than just a simple one-shot and I got clone brainrot so I'm doing things a little backwards.

Anyway, I thought I'd post this just cause it would be fun and some people might be interested in getting a deeper look into things and how they work beyond just the explanations in the fics.

So I hope you enjoyed this nerd brain dump as much as I loved writing it.

[creamypudding]

1, 7, 11, 13, 18, 23, 24, and 37, if you could please? 😅 I hope I didn't send to many...

Thank you for sending me an ask in response to this post. I really appreciate it 😭💖

Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

I have long-fic disease so keeping things short isn't in my DNA. I need the full breadth of a multi-chapter fic to get all the character development in that I so enjoy about storytelling.

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

By default, I always start the story from the character I do not thirst over, and then the whole story is about how to get the character to be with the characters I find attractive 🤣 But of course, a lot of my stories have POV shifts because at some stage the other characters become interesting and I need to explore what they are going through. I start thinking about what would be more interesting for the story progression and what the characters need to explore to make the story richer.

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

I don't know if this refers to stories I've written, or stories others have written. Admittedly, I hardly read any fanfics since I started writing - purely because when I'm in the creative process I block out the fandom I'm writing a story in. And I'm always writing, so I hardly ever read. Woops.

But from when I was reading I would say my fave fic is 'it rains ashes on golgotha' by @harmonization

Sorry. I don't have any others to recommend. But of my own stories I love Kintsukuroi and Shoegazing the most.

13. what’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

For me, it's really important to get distance between the story I've completed before going in an editing the thing. The 'distance' need to be at least a month. Fresh eyes lets me pick up on SPAG mistakes easier and lets me forget my vision so I can go back into a scene and go 'this makes no sense' and then make it (hopefully) work.

18. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

I give stories a WIP title - which will be the most obvious thing I can think of to reference the story so I know what it's about. I then hope inspiration will hit to figure out what the story should be called while writing the thing. I usually know by the last chapter, but a few times I didn't and it drove me crazy. I want names that encapsulate the essence of the story, that speak to the themes present, and I like it when the story title gives readers an 'A-ha!' moment at some point while reading. Like 'Now I get why it's called this'.

23. Best writing advice for other writers?

Write. Even if you think it's shit; Write. Even if you are having the worst writers bock in history; Write. You can edit the shit into something great. You cannot edit Nothing into Something.

24. Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

I don't recall any, because things that don't work for me I disregard. I did however once hear that you should write your book and then discard everything and write it again from scratch. I thought that was madness, but that's what I did more or less for my last big fic - Full Moon's Bane, and I think it came out so much better and stronger for it. Do with that what you will.

37. How do you choose where to end a chapter?

I think about if the chapter hits the story notes/themes/character development it was intended to meet. I like chapters to be mini stories in themselves - though some will have unresolved issues that will be addressed later. My favourite way to end a scene and end a chapter is by the character passing out. Makes it pretty clear cut to end it there 😄

Thank you again for sending the asks. I really enjoyed this and I hope you enjoyed reading ❤️

[thecpdiary]

Biodiversity, Climate and Mental Health Inclusion Awareness

Beyond the Scroll: Why Biodiversity, Climate, Mental Health Inclusion Deserve More Space on Social Media Topics like biodiversity, climate, mental health and disability, often struggle to gain traction on social media, where content trends favour immediacy and entertainment over complex discussions. Yet, these underrepresented issues are foundational to our collective wellbeing, societal progress and our resilience. Their lack of representation not only distorts public opinion, but also downplays the urgent potential, these topics hold for shaping a healthier, more inclusive world. These issues are getting desperate now. Biodiversity and Climate Change: Foundational Yet Overlooked

We know that biodiversity and climate change are essential for human survival, the economy and health. Losing biodiversity harms ecosystems, which means putting food and water supplies at risk. Climate change also brings more extreme weather, threatening lives and livelihoods. However, social media may focus on fast news and shareable content. This can make environmental issues feel distant or irrelevant, even though they are now affecting our daily lives.

When we connect these issues to personal concerns, people understand that nature and humanity are deeply linked. This connection inspires sustainable choices and collective action. Learning about local endangered species or how urban growth impacts nature, needs to motivate support for conservation efforts. Mental Health and Disability: Breaking the Stereotypes for Greater Inclusion

As someone who deals with a physical, mental and emotional disability, disability is left out of mainstream social media discussions, unless something is mentioned in the paper and it makes it on to social media. Through my blog I talk about these issues and then I post on to social media. Sadly, a lack of visibility, reinforces stereotypes and leaves accessibility issues ignored in policies and public spaces. Any form of a disability is a natural part of being human and bringing it into everyday conversations builds empathy and awareness, leading to better support for people with diverse needs. Talking about disability also highlights the strengths and unique views of individuals, showing that disability is not always a limitation. By amplifying voices by those who deal with a disability, collectively we can fight stigma and encourage inclusion. Mental Health is Essential but it is Still Stigmatised

Since Covid-19 talking about mental health has become more common, but stigma still exists and social media often ignores or may oversimplify these complex issues. There is very little importance to them. Honest conversations about conditions like anxiety, depression and PTSD are vital to reduce stigma and improve access to care. However, these discussions don’t always grab attention online and many misunderstandings about mental health remain. Making mental health a regular topic on social media will help normalise mental health for those looking for help and build a more compassionate society that values mental health and wellbeing as part of overall health. It would also raise awareness of the deeper causes of mental health issues, like poverty, isolation and trauma, encouraging collective efforts so that these issues can be addressed. Creating Space for Transformative Change

These issues share a vision for a fairer, stronger and more compassionate society. Paying more attention to them reminds us that change is both necessary and possible. By us raising awareness, we not only learn for ourselves, but also inspire hope and action. Seeing efforts like fighting climate change, creating accessible cities, or improving mental health support helps combat the feeling of hopelessness that come with these challenges. The goal is to make social media value meaningful content, even if it’s not instantly gratifying. These issues are not meant to be gratifying, but they are part of what we all get to deal with. This also means rethinking algorithms, investing in education and promoting a culture where deep, impactful conversations are as valued as fun or sensational content.

Conclusion

As we continue to navigate the digital age, it is important to think about the stories we share and consume. What if our social media reflected the world we want – where important issues like biodiversity, climate action, disability, inclusion and mental health are actively discussed? How might attitudes and priorities change if we valued meaningful content, valued substance and knowledge over flashy distractions that mean very little. Every share, comment and like can shape opinions and drive change. By boosting these important conversations, by making them central to social media, we can help build a more informed society, which means we're more likely to act.

For more relatable, inspirational and lifestyle blogs, please check out my site https://www.thecpdiary.com

[kurt-wagner-official]

Post #73: NM issue 36 and UXM issue 202 and Secret Wars II issue 8

Last issue, Berto began to see the merits in Max as a headmaster, but their relationship is far from being in a solid place, as we see here. In Asgard, Berto loved being a hero, but now he's back in the real world, where he sees Xavier as another in the line of people he wasn't able to save. Between that and the disheartening existence of the Beyonder, he's fed up with the idea of being a hero, which puts him at odds with Max. When Xavier first brought the New Mutants to the school, he was insistent that they'd never become X-Men, but it's obvious to the reader that that's what'll happen eventually. Over time, Xavier kinda shifted his mindset, but it's always been a little vague to the New Mutants what their future at the school is. While Xavier hoped he could make a future where the New Mutants wouldn't have to fight, Max knows that's not possible, so he's training them not just to control their powers but increase them. For some, like Sam, that's appealing, but Berto is wondering why he's still at the school. We shift focus to Illyana, who's greeted by the Beyonder again. He's come to help her, which he does by removing the evil from her soul, making her the person she could have been if not for Belasco. The Beyonder shares a part of his essence with her, and she begins to see him as a benevolent overlord who can bring all of humanity to their full potential if they join him. She goes to the New Mutants to try to convert them to the Beyonder's side, and shockingly, they resist. Their fight is interrupted when the other plot thread comes into play: when the Beyonder cast out Illyana's evil magic, it latched onto Kitty, who's soul is linked to Illyana's in a totally platonic way. It's the same reason Kitty was able to wield the soulsword in the last tie-in. Because of other separate Beyonder shenanigans in Power Pack, there are some demons invading New York, and when the soulsword falls to Kitty, she picks it up and fights a demon that appears in front of her. This demon is from Limbo, and takes advantage of Kitty's inexperience to overpower her and try to use her for his spells. Along with the soulsword, Illyana's bloodstone pendant transfered to Kitty, and the demon begins filling it with Kitty's soul. To save her friend and the world, Illyana has to reclaim the evil part of her soul, which drives the Beyonder's essence and influence out of her. She successfully sends the demon back to Limbo and saves Kitty, but is left despairing how she'll never be free of Belasco's corruption. To be honest, this issue didn't really make any sense. I love Illyana, but we've seen a lot of "I hate this evil part of me, but I can use it for good, so maybe there's hope for me yet," and usually it's better than this. It probably would have been a lot better if there had been another catalyst for the Big Evil switching to Kitty, but with this plot combined with the Beyonder brainwashing it just gets confusing and very abrupt. I'd have much preferred Berto or Rahne be the one to be imbued with essence of Beyonder, or Amara since she has nothing to do. This is definitely the weakest of Claremont's six SWII tie-ins, but the next issue of New Mutants will be his best.

Anna enters Rachel's room to find a holographic message left by Rachel, telling her team that she's gone to kill the Beyonder. They rush to track her on Cerebro, where they're shocked to see Rachel's energy signature stronger than any mutant since Jean's death. Finding her enemy on Alcatraz Island, Rachel unleashes her full power on the Beyonder, but it doesn't affect him in the slightest. He tells her that his new purpose is to heal and guide others, and he begins by timeshifting them to Rachel's future, where she helplessly watches the scenes of her family dying. He also shows her Kate dying at the hands of Nimrod, the first confirmation for Rachel that it's the same Nimrod, although that's not addressed here. He then offers her a choice. He augments her power to the point where she could destroy him. But he also teleports the X-Men (minus Kurt) to their location and throws a bunch of future Sentinels at them, telling Rachel she could kill him, but it would take all her strength and leave her unable to save them. She doesn't hesitate to choose the X-Men. She has to hold back to avoid causing too much destruction with power she isn't used to, but with her help the X-Men are able to destroy the Sentinels and keep all the civilians safe. The fighting takes most of the issue, but I'm not complaining cause it's some really good action. It's also great to see Max fighting as an official X-Man in the field for the first time. At the end, Rachel returns to the Beyonder and tells him that as long as he keeps using his powers to play God, all he'll ever do is harm people before she flies off, disgusted.

I don't think there was very good communication on the transition between these two issues. At the start of SWII 8, the Beyonder is chilling in San Francisco when Rachel flies up with the X-Men and tries to kill him, which doesn't really line up with the ending of last issue. The Beyonder tells her that she only had a chance before because he allowed it and swats them all off before teleporting to New York. He has some more adventures there, including a very brief fight with the New Mutants, and after some deliberation and a short time skip, he decides to destroy the multiverse cause he's been having a bad time lately.

These issues were a mixed bag. NM 36 had some good stuff, but the tie-in parts made that stuff a lot worse. The Uncanny issue was actually pretty okay. And SWII issue 8 was one of the better issues of that series, but still not great. It's almost over.

[les-belles-infideles]

What happened with Kora @princesshamlet: A start at contextualizing the events of the past week

While I am writing this because Kora expressed that they would like it if someone would post something contextualizing what happened, I do not speak for them; my opinions and perspective are my own. I think the general response has been wildly disproportionate to their actual words and actions. Let me know if you have questions about anything or if my writing style is hard to read and I’ll do my best to clarify.

Tl;dr: Last fall, Kora, a new Supernatural fan, started rewriting Supernatural to be more racially diverse and to more overtly address social issues such as homophobia and misogyny. They continually asked for feedback, particularly from POC, and received overwhelmingly positive responses.

Earlier this week, Kora posted something that unintentionally played into ideas that harm trans men. They were horrified to have hurt people, immediately apologized and made an effort to learn more about the issues involved.

Yesterday, some of Kora’s friends cut them off, presumably over the abovementioned. Some people read Kora’s Supernatural rewrite and were offended by portrayals of various ethnicities; Kora tried to learn from these criticisms and apologize for them. People organized to spread bad-faith, extremely hostile claims and Kora left Tumblr.

Background:

- last fall, Kora started watching Supernatural, and posting about it, including making some popular reaction videos and an elaborate summary of the events of season 16 as of mid-November. They got really attached to Cas as a character and DeanCas as a ship.

- Kora made a post along the lines of “what if I drew Castiel as Indian?” and got encouraging responses, so they made a drawing. A lot of Desi people left comments saying that they really liked the drawing and that the representation was meaningful to them, so Kora started posting and reblogging a lot more about recasting Supernatural to be racially diverse.

- Kora accumulates a lot of ideas around how they wish Supernatural had been, and starts casually writing it up into a story. It didn’t even have a title for the first few chapters, but it quickly amassed a small, enthusiastic following.

- I started reading it at first mostly as a way of getting to know Kora, who was at the time a new friend irl (they didn’t mean to give me their Tumblr; I had followed them for Hamlet and Star Trek posts and then recognized them when they posted a selfie) but wound up getting pretty invested. I started watching Supernatural despite the fact that I can pretty much never commit to finishing a TV show.

- Kora’s general strategy was to post ideas on Tumblr and get input before including them in the fic, particularly regarding race and ethnicity. Plenty of people gave them feedback -- I remember one really long conversation where people swapped headcanons about what music a Mexican-American Dean Winchester would have liked growing up.

- iirc, they actively collaborated with multiple Latine fans of the fic on one chapter that foregrounded Mexican-American culture. These fans are credited in an author’s note.

- they received substantial encouragement from Supernatural fans of color for how they were writing the fic, and afaik no negative feedback.

- they also used the fic as a way to discuss and joke about their personal experiences with misogyny, repression, and homophobia, including writing Dean Winchester as undergoing a character arc involving working through and overcoming severe homophobia. When we called recently, they described going from homophobic to not homophobic as “the best character arc a man can have.”

- afaik they had beta readers or at least people to run ideas by for most chapters.

First incident:

- earlier this week, Kora posted a somewhat poorly-worded vent post about Dean Winchester’s misogyny in Supernatural canon.

- I think I reblogged it because I don’t have super high standards for my SPN blog and yeah, afaict Dean said some pretty gross things in canon? I’d seen a lot of people talk about it, particularly Asian women, it’s clearly a thing.

- several people expressed hurt at the post’s wording, which could be read as bigoted against trans men.

- Kora immediately apologized and started looking for ways to learn more about trans men’s issues (afaict, mostly asking friends and going through the trans dean tag)

- they messaged me about it (Tuesday 4/13/2021), and I took a closer look at the post and explained how in isolation it looked harmless, but some of the rhetoric fit into wider patterns of transandrophobia, i.e. part of the impetus for this post was Kora being surprised that some of their trans male friends project onto Dean, since he’s a pretty bad role model for gender -- I pointed out that one way trans men are marginalized within queer movements is by people perpetuating the idea that we’re more misogynistic than cis men (which makes no sense), and their post could be read as playing into that trope (that reading had occurred to me when I first saw the post, but I had initially dismissed it because Kora and I had been spending a lot of time talking about gender and I never felt that they distrusted me or saw me as a threat).

- they made another hasty apology post, quoting my message to them.

- I encouraged them not to worry too much about what strangers online thought about them, but they were very insistent that they had hurt people and needed to learn and make amends.

- I think what happened next was that the conversation sparked a larger discussion about transandrophobia in the Supernatural fandom? I’m not sure about this though, I was off Tumblr most of Tuesday and Wednesday. I saw a few well-written posts refuting the idea that it was misogynistic to headcanon Dean as trans. I did not see anyone claim it was misogynistic to headcanon Dean as trans, but again, I wasn’t looking.

The Discourse™:

- yesterday, Kora started getting a lot more and a lot meaner messages.

- a large part of their social circle cut them off all at once, saying they felt unsafe and that Kora was transphobic. Kora did not/was unable to receive further clarification, while actively seeking the chance to learn more and repair harm done.

- someone made a dedicated hate tag for them.

- a new group of people read their Supernatural rewrite, and were offended by their portrayals of race and their writing about homophobia, and additionally mocking their writing style. The tone was often extremely mean-spirited.

- Kora responded to and apologized for some of the concerns around their portrayal of race, and refuted some of the bad-faith readings of their depictions of homophobia.

- Kora made an effort to understand what they had done wrong but a lot of the posts weren’t very specific.

- some of the claims got fucking wild. A lot of them involved taking stuff out of context. I think w*ncest got brought up at one point???

- Kora wrote another apology and took a break from Tumblr, on the advice of another friend.

- I spent like a day gearing up to write this because I vastly underestimated the speed at which Tumblr discourse moves.

[versadies]

「 BE WITH YOU ! 」

SALUTATIONS. BE WITH YOU!

ADDRESSED. tartaglia, kaeya alberich, scaramouche, and thoma (w/ gn!reader)

STAMPS/SYPNOSIS. 4 characters, 4 different drabbles, 4 (almost failed) attempts of fluffiness <33

CONTENT. fluff/no-angst, spoilers to scaramouche’s real name, ooc characters, mentions of being sick (kaeya), mentions of violence/fighting (childe), second hand embarrassment (scaramouche), slight crack (scaramouche), harbinger!reader, novelist!reader, adventurer!reader

PENPALS. @scaraslover @saving-for-xiao @dawgimsohot @kazu-topia @chiruru @aqualesha @renamichii @mrkamisato @shenhesl0ver @serami00 @serenareiss @hiqhkey @emperatris-rinaka @bystander36 @irisxiel @ladycoleigh @034ven @dear-dairiess @owozi8 @hadesaedes @chiro-chiro-kun @hersscherofyatta @mariusvonhangme @yuzuricebun @nejibot @hoshikistarlette @solaaresque @crowbird @lordbugs @flowersforayato @headintheclouddd @estelwrld @giyusimpsassemble @irethepotatosblog @moonlightaangel @alice0blog @shotosbrainrot @sniffoat @chihawari @mxsomn @kuni-kuzushii @jiminscarmex @mitsukii14 @ylimeprive @sachispet @loreleis-world @sn-owo @starforecasts @someonetookmynamelmao @ceylestia @lychme @ymikkos @reallysporadicarcade @melodyyamino

POST-SCRIPT. came back from buying milk just to write this b4 today ends (def did not deadass crammed this 🤡🤡🤡) anywayz hope you enjoy <333 !!! this fic is for @bluexiao & @anantaru ’s sweet 'n spice collab :DDDD

LINKS. SOMETHING SWEET MASTERLIST | MAIN MASTERLIST | TAGLIST

Sometimes, you often wonder what goes on inside CHILDE’s head.

Most days — if not everyday — without fail, the 11th Harbinger would often come to you and bother you for the sake of having a duel with him by the training grounds, something that you always weren’t in a mood for.

Sure, it’s established that you’re much stronger than him — but so are most of his seniors. It didn’t make sense for him to bug you of all people to fight him besides the fact that you’re the same age as him.

“Care to have a fight with me?” The harbinger asks for the nth time as he follows you around Zapolyarny Palace much to your dismay.

“No.”

“Aw come on! It’ll be great, don’t you want to let out some steam? I could destroy the world for you to fight me ag—”

“No. Don’t you have some work to do, Tartaglia?” You said, walking towards your office. “Go ask someone else to fight. I’m not in the mood for your silly antics.”

“But I want you!”

You stop your tracks and turn towards his direction with a raised eyebrow, causing him to realize his words and stop his tracks as well.

“…Wait, I didn’t mean it like that.”

You would’ve believed it, if it weren’t for the fact that he’s covering half of his face that’s obviously red.

Huh, cute.

You try to stop yourself from grinning at the sight of the now flustered harbinger.

“My my, I didn’t know the 11th Harbinger would see me that way. If you want me so bad, you’ll have to do a lot more than just ask me out to fight.” You teased, not meaning any of those words. You just want to see him getting more flustered, nothing more, nothing less (at least that’s what you want to believe).

Unnoticed by you, Childe’s eyes widen a little. He did get flustered, but your words left more than just embarrassment for your comrade.

It left him a signal. A sign that he can shoot his shot with you!

You watched the ginger-haired man, who now has a new idea and determination, run away from you. You thought he left out of embarrassment like you hoped, but a part of you thought otherwise.

You shrug to yourself before continuing walking towards your office. Oh well, we’ll just have to see next time when he decides to bother me again. You thought, unaware that you just made things escalate more and gave Childe a reason to start asking you to go on dates with him instead of fights.

Today’s a lovely day.

Not only are you free to do what you want after finishing your tasks, but you also have all the time in the world to relax without a certain Cavalry Captain bothering you for reasons unknown.

“( Name ), care to deliver this to KAEYA Alberich’s home?”

Or so you thought.

You slowly look at Sara with a “really?” look on your face, looking at the packed meal your colleague dropped by the counter. “Care to ask why you want me to do that?” You asked.

Sara giggles in response. “Well for starters, you’re one of the only adventurers that’s available at the moment and have nothing to do.” She said as she started cooking up another meal. “Besides, this one’s sort of important. It turns out that Kaeya got sick, so he needs some soup for him to eat.”

You raise an eyebrow. You didn’t hear anything about Kaeya getting sick… Is that why he hasn’t come around Good Hunter for the past few days?

Sara notices the look on your face, giving you a teasing look. “What? Concerned for him?”

You feel your cheeks warming up, grabbing the packed meal instantly. “Of course not. I’ll be back soon.”

Or so you thought once again.

It took a while to look for the cavalry captain’s home, but you could’ve gone back instantly once Kaeya opened the door and grabbed his meal, if it weren’t for him dragging you inside for you to suddenly become his caretaker.

“I’m starting to think you only ordered the soup because you wanted me here.” You commented with a raised eyebrow as you blew the soup gently before moving the spoon towards his mouth.

“Is that what you think? I wouldn’t mind that enticing thought.” He retorts with a small smirk before opening his mouth to eat the soup.

“You can eat the soup yourself, Alberich.” You rolled your eyes,

He swallows his food. “How can I do that when I’m terribly sick?” Kaeya asks with a chuckle.

You rolled your eyes once again before feeding him. “Because you can, you’ve done it for the past few days, haven't you? You only used this opportunity to make me spoon feed you.”

“If that’s what you want to believe, ( Name ).”

Yet despite knowing the fact that Kaeya is capable of taking care of himself (after catching him opening a bottle of wine while standing up), you found yourself sticking with him the whole day, helping him in every way you can (not without you two replying to each other’s comments every now and then).

As much as you didn’t want to admit, you missed talking to the cavalry captain after not seeing him for a while. It’s no lie that you always find yourself spending time with him despite always claiming he’s just trying to find a way to tease you whenever he gets the opportunity to.

Perhaps that’s why you’ve been unknowingly smiling the whole day, something that Kaeya noticed very well.

By the time night comes, it is time for you to come home.

“I have to go now.” You said, packing your things up. “You’ll… be alright here alone, right?”

“Why? Are you worried?” Kaeya comments teasingly.

You chuckled in response. “In your dreams. I’ll come back tomorrow morning with breakfast.”

“Oh what would I do without the ever so caring ( Name )?”

“Crash and burn, maybe.” You then bid Kaeya goodbye before walking out from his room.

If only you knew it’s the world he’d crush and burn had it not been for you.

I could destroy the world for you.

It’s no lie among those in Inazuma that THOMA has a huge crush on you, an infamous novelist.

People could see how the way he looks at you is reserved for you. Whenever you’re in the same room or area as him, he can’t stop looking at you even if he doesn't want to. He’d sometimes suddenly just smiles when you come to his thoughts out of nowhere, feel like he’s on the verge to faint from even just talking to you—

Ah, he’s so helplessly in love!

Every week, he’d come to where you are and help you with whatever you need, be it shopping out with you, cleaning your place, taking care of your plants, accompanying you on your daily strolls around the city, and so on. It’s honestly one of the only ways he gets to spend time with you and hopefully get to know you more.

The thing is, you really thought he was just doing this because he’s a fan of your work and because of how he always helps people out, so you never considered that he’s doing this because he has a thing for you. He probably sees you as a weirdo for your exaggerated words.

A shame really, you have a thing for him.

It wasn’t until he confessed when you realized how wrong you were about him.

The two of you arrive at your home after having dinner together at Komore's Teahouse when Thoma suddenly confesses out loud.

“What?” You ask in disbelief, eyes widened in surprise.

Thoma shyly looks away from your gaze, laughing nervously. “I have… feelings for you, ( Name ). I want to be more than just friends, but if that’s not what you want then—”

“Why wouldn’t I want that?”

The blonde-haired man looks at you in surprise. “What?”

You start to grin, cheeks warming up. “I have feelings for you too, you silly man.”

Thoma’s eyes brighten. “Re-Really?”

You laugh at his reactions. “Yes. I love you just like one of my characters loves their love interest in the story, I could destroy the world for you!”

He laughs at your exaggeration. “Oh I wouldn’t want you to do that.”

“Take me out on another date next week, then maybe I won’t destroy the world.” You said teasingly.

He nods eagerly. “How does 15:00 on Wednesday sound? My treat of course!”

As SCARAMOUCHE’s lover, you are not exempted from his harsh demeanor.

Of course, his treatment towards you isn’t as harsh as how he treats others, and you really didn’t mind since his “harsh” words don't affect you. Besides, should there be a situation where he’d cross the line, he’d apologize through physical affection and a sweet quiet apology.

You really didn’t mind, because there are many things as to why you love your lover so much and many things for him to show you that he cares.

He just came back to your shared home when he noticed how you didn’t greet him, much to his confusion. He looked everywhere the house and found you by the bedroom, wiping your eyes as if there are te—

Are you crying?

“Why is this happening to me?” You asked quietly as you tried your best to wipe your tears away, your back facing him.

Scaramouche didn’t know what to do, wondering what on Earth is making you so sad. Is it because of something he said before he left? Is it because of your insecurities? Or… Is it because someone hurt you?

He doesn’t really know what’s wrong, humans are so complicated with their emotions and feelings.

But.. He wants to be here for you.

He slowly walks towards you hesitantly before giving you a hug from behind, causing you to gasp in surprise.

“Kunikuzushi? What…?”

“I’m here for you.” He said quietly, trying to not feel embarrassed. “I don’t know why you’re crying but if it’s because of something I said, I’m sorry. I… I didn’t know you got affected by it, I’ll try harder on not hurting your feelings anymore. But if it’s because of someone, you know I could destroy the world for you, rig—”

“What are you talking about?” You asked, turning around to face your lover. “I’m crying because I was yawning a lot.”

…

Oh.

Scaramouche feels like a part of his soul passed away when he heard your reason.

“…So you’re not sad?”

You furrow your eyebrows. “No…?”

He immediately turns away from your direction. “I’m gonna go out again.”