#i think its just too quick... i didn't get enough characterization as i wanted

[mdhwrites]

Do you think Boscha was treated unfairly in the context of the show? I know you've said before what you would have wanted her characterization to be, but what do you think of her character as we have it in TOH - and do you think fan and narrative treatment lines up with this?

I'm going to ignore the fan element. Fandom is going to fandom after all. However, I can easily say where her narrative treatment went wrong in the show!

She should not have been in S3.

This is always a fun topic to me essentially because I am pro-Boscha. You ask me what her character is, the potential of it, etc. like that and I can give you reams of thoughts. However, I also said, before S2 came out and I was working on a fanfic where Boscha was quickly becoming the main character, that I didn't think Boscha should show up again. The reason is pretty simple too. TOH already had a lot of threads to pull and Boscha's narrative use was over. Honestly, Hexside was essentially was used up by then.

Boscha is a minor supporting character to the main character's love interest. Not a major supporting character, a minor one. Amity's family is MUCH more important to her character than her one bitchy friend. The only use Boscha had narratively was to both contrast how Amity was changing and to also allow Amity an antagonist to overcome as she made her way to being on the side of good. Her being a one note bully is perfect for that and exactly how she should have been written. Winging it Like Witches capitalizes on this and fulfills both of her purposes and Amity cuts Boscha out of her life so... Why are we still seeing her? She is no longer even a supporting cast member to the love interest, she is just a floating character in the background.

And in S2, we get a fine answer for that. She's essentially one of the townsfolk of Wartwood in Amphibia. Someone who can show up for a quick gag but doesn't take up too much time. We're not trying to progress her character, we're just taking advantage of the fact that she's not gone. She's a gag but it's genuinely rooted in her character unlike the one joke that King or Hooty have that we're just supposed to mock. This worked. Period.

Then S3 tries to give her an arc. Why? Well... Because it doesn't want to be a kid's show. Kid's shows after all, like Amphibia, have characters who don't have some deep backstory or brooding complexity, they're just... Fun. They're nice. They aren't complicated. Boscha, WAY too late, was made to be complicated during a shortened season so the show could claim it had one more redemption? So it could claim its shallow bully character wasn't shallow? And she takes up a good amount of time in this episode for this when you have THREE SPECIALS. The stress of the world ending isn't enough to cause Willow to lose control, she needs one more push from Boscha. We finally have to acknowledge that what Amity did was a complete dick move to her best friend and then not actually acknowledge it because Amity gets to just be morally superior instead of a decent human being to this girl having a mental breakdown. It's awkward, clunky and does NO favors to Boscha besides just kind of making her look pathetic, which is a pretty common trick in TOH for trying to redeem someone. Boscha isn't so bad because she's actually a loser and not as bad as someone else in her nearby vicinity.

Why? Why do this? Why do this TWO SEASONS after Boscha was no longer narratively useful? It is just pointless to your overall story so it should have been cut. THAT is Boscha's biggest problem in the show and if anyone told me they couldn't forgive her for adding filler to S3, I couldn't tell them they're wrong.

I love Boscha. That means I know when to let her go, something the show should have learned if they actually cared about her. See you next tale.

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I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

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[brianlesshetaliawritings]

HI I LOVE YOU the Allies with a crush hcs you wrote are so cute I adore how you characterize everyone 😭 would you please do the SFW alphabet (from your pinned post) with America? Thank you so much :D

America SFW Alphabet

note: OMG THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!1!!! I LOVE YOU TOO SWEET ANON THANK YOUS O MUCH (i'm sorry this took me so long)

Affection: How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?

He's very openly affectionate with you, completely shameless when he kisses you in public. He compliments anything good he notices about you and always says he loves you, but he also likes hanging out with you at his favorite places.

 Best friend: What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?

Tbh Alfred just saw you and decided to have a conversation with you, this could be anywhere while anything is happening. He's a very playful friend, he really likes playing sports or video games with you.

 Cuddles: Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?

Most definitely he would. He likes if your head lays on his chest while he hold you with one arm, it makes him feel like he can protect you. Also he just seems like the type to rest on his back to me.

 Domestic: Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?

He can make scrambled eggs or toast, but thats the farthest his chef skills stretch. Cleaning isn't for him either since he always ends up breaking something on accident. He wants to wait until he can do those things to settle down, if he does. He's fine either way.

Ending: If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?

He'd wait for a good time then tell you he doesn't think this is working out, he probably didn't think of what exactly to say beforehand so it probably took him a good minute to finally explain his feeling.

 Fiance(e): How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?

Not the wildest about marriage, he'd do it if you want though. You can also do it almost whenever, he doesn't care too much as long as he knows you love eachother. Probably wouldn't marry you like a year into the relationship though.

Gentle: How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?

He's nice and not too rough with you, but he's certainly not gentle either. Expect plently of excited hugs when you two see achother. He does care when you feel bad but he mostly just tries to distract you, unless he can fix it, then he'll gladly be your hero.

 Hugs: Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?

Hugs you a lot, doesn't even think about it either. He's naturally an affectionate partner and love's hugs. He just kinda squeezes you for 7 to 30 seconds and probably gives you a few little kisses too if you're up for that.

 I love you: How fast do they say the L-word?

Depends a bit on how your relationship started, longest it will take is a month into you guys being together.

 Jealousy: How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?

He gets pretty jealous every once in a while. Dislikes when you spend too much time with other people, also doesn’t like it at all when other guys (or girls) talk to you like they’re into you. Definitely a hugger when jealous, if it’s bad enough he’ll mention that you two are together.

Kisses: What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?

Loves to kiss you. He gives lots of excited kisses on the lips and cheek (mostly lips). His kisses aren’t all too rough though even if they’re fast, they’re always sweet.

Little one: How are they around children?

He's... alright. He's not the worst, but good is an overstatement. He likes to play with them until he's accidentally too rough and they start crying. He doesn't handle the moody ones well, but shy ones dont work either. Would not change diapers if its a baby, or do anything important in general. 3.5/10 with kids imo.

Morning: How are mornings spent with them?

Shakes you awake because he doesn't wanna be the only one awake. Thinks mornings are better when he drags you along with him to get IHOP once you two are ready, but at least he pays so thats a plus. Likes to go to the park afterwards so he can walk with you and start a race back to the car when done.

Night: How are nights spent with them?

He watches a movie before bed, won't force you to partake but will beg every time. After that he does the nightly rituals and struggles to choose a position to sleep in for about 20 minutes, then remembers something he wanted to look up and talks to you about it. Falls asleep midway through reading about it. You'd assume this would be annoying, but it grows on you.

Open: When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?

A lot of people assume he's an open person but he does have things he keeps to himself. Doesn't do it all at once, just brings it up every once in awhile or if something reminds him of it. Doesn't linger on it too long, but you do start to learn his life story and whatnot the longer the relationship goes on.

Patience: How easily angered are they?

Not too easily angered. Some things can get to him though after awhile but after being frustrated for about five hours he forgives you. Can be pretty petty every once in awhile though.

Quizzes: How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?

Remembers about 70% of what you say, he tries to listen so he can get an idea of what gifts you'd like or to hear your interests. If he hears your impressed about something you saw, he might try it himself. Doesn't remember everything you say though, especially if you tell it while he's busy. Sometimes you say "hey, remember when i told you- (blah blah blah)?" and he'll lie that he does, then pretend to know all about the subject.

Remember: What is their favorite moment in your relationship?

Definitely something stupid. Either the time he snuck a (live) snake into a glass jar in the kitchen while you were in there or when he got you to come with him to a horror escape room and you two were chased by a man in a clown costume.

Security: How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?

He'd protect you if you're in any danger, without much thought really. He is the hero so it makes sense. He doesn't get protective over too many things that aren't dangerous though, like you having other friends who are guys or anything like that. Doesn't like it if people hit on you though, not like he'll cause a scene or anything but he certainly won't allow it to pass by.

Try: How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?

GIANT show off. Sometimes, though. Sometimes he'll just drive around with you while listening to music, or he'll take you to mcdonalds. Don't be shocked if he takes you on a luxury cruise for your fourth anniversary though. Also a fan of road trips to major spots in the USA with side trips to things like the salt and pepper shaker museum, or the biggest cowboy hat. LOVES day trips even if nothing special is happening though, expect one a week.

Ugly: What would be some bad habits of theirs?

Wore axe body spray at some point. Lasted two days until someone (you don't know who) had a talk with him about it. Depending on your opinion his fast food eating, and eating out very often in general might get annoying. Always pounds himself with cologne, sometimes multiple ones at once so he smells like a walking scent store. Would have a whole closet for 4th of july stuff, and sometimes brings the stuff out even when its not a partiotic holiday. Oh, also he has his flag on his boxers so look forward to seeing that if you look at the laundry.

 Vanity: How concerned are they with their looks?

Pretty shameless. He likes to wear really stupid stuff out and about to get stares since he thinks its funny. Does put some attention to what he wears though, especially if he feels its important. He likes to think he dresses good for the most part though.

Whole: Would they feel incomplete without you?

He does think you're really important, but incomplete isn't what he'd describe. He thinks of you two as not only dating, but also best friends. He does miss you though when you two are apart, but he doesn't think about you all the time either. Never think of it as you not not being valuable to him though.

Xtra: A random headcanon for them.

Cooks barbecue every damn weekend, every other week theres a pool party with it too. Since his house definitely has a pool. People there are a mix of complete strangers and close friends of his you never met before. Be prepared for that.

Yuck: What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?

He's pretty open to various types of people, he doesn't like people who argue a lot though. Doesn't like extremely negative people either, especially if it brings everyone else down too. Of course, people who are sad or not overly positive in general are fine, he actually tries to help them feel better. Doesn't like the idea of someone who dominates his life either, he wants to be able to do things without being dragged down by his partner.

 Zzz: What is a sleep habits of theirs?

Snores, noticeably but not too badly. Sleep talks too. Moves around. Always close to you though, will not ever leave ur side. Even if it means your being pulled with him if he falls off the side of the bed, which has happened before. Was funny to him, but not you.

[a-flaming-idiot]

So. What is The Scene™ for Titan Spawn?

Ok, that's a bit of a larger ask and since there's really a The Scene™ for every chapter, I'll just go through them all.

Ch. 1 Since it was the start I wasn't really focused on one scene. Though the first scene of Luz falling is probably my favorite. Though every time I go back to read it I kind of get jumpscared by just how brutal I made it.

Ch. 2 It was a long while ago so my memory is a bit hazy but I think I was really looking forward to the scene of Luz and Eda talking through the door. Honestly, that was fun to write and created some of the funnier lines in the fic.

Ch.3 This whole chapter was a lot more all over the place since I didn't really plan it too much. Though I guess you could count the scene with Luz and Willow accidentally embarrassing Amity since I'd gotten stuck prior to that. Plus it was just a fun scene and I liked fucking with early Amity.

Ch. 4 100% the Luz vs Eda fight. I loved getting the chance to make these two characters who would basically never fight get into an absolute brawl! Plus the fact TS!Luz has a completely different set of abilities compared to canon Luz, so getting to have her maul Eda was fun.

Ch. 5 Really this chapter was just one big scene so you could say Vee and Luz's interaction as a whole. but I think the part I liked the most and looked forward to was the part where Vee trips and sees Luz get that little bit sad from realizing she hadn't met another demon like her. And Vee thinks that disappointment is about to turn into murderous rage only for Luz to just help her up. It's fun and sweet, it was a lot of fun and it's one of the scenes I go back and read on its own.

Ch. 6 It's a little hard to say but I'd put it to the Amity, Vee, and Luz confrontation near the end. That was just a lot and put all the characters at odds in an interesting way. It was fun and the beginning of AmiVee.

Ch. 7 This was a more last-minute and quick chapter but I'd say probably Vee and Eda's argument at the dinner table. Again, characters you don't typically see at odd. (Though funny enough they end up getting into conflict in the very next chapter... then two chapters after that... Eda and Vee weirdly fight a lot.)

Ch. 8 Ok this one is easier, the scene of Vee(I'm realizing a lot of these are Vee-related) and Xylene talking. I seriously was just repeating Vee's line of “By making everyone so scared they hunt us all back into extinction?!?!” over and over in my head since the two of us brainstormed it together. It was so good!

Ch. 9 This one is kind of harder since I was really just excited by the concept of the coven coins so I was kind of excited for this whole chapter. But stuff like the Eda potioneering flashback was wonderful to write and so fun!

Ch. 10&11 Oh ho ho ho... Really you could call this whole chapter The Scene™ of this fic! Sash, you know well of the amount I hyped of this chapter, as does @mixit-exists. I hyped up this set of chapters so much and was practically salivating at the thought of making it since making chapter 3! And then it nearly killed me! But seriously, The Scene™ of this chapter is 100% Vee's fight with Inner Luz. That singular fucking scene, I am not kidding, created like half the fic! Why did I want Vee to stay in the demon realm? That scene. Why did I decide to give Vee magic? That scene. Why is Vee Luz's older sister against the more typical characterizations? That scene. Why did I write Amity the way I did? Well it was actually to silently set up for Willumity that soon turned into AmiV- JK! IT WAS THAT FUCKING SCENE! That one scene is why we are here now...

Ch. 12 Again, this was a more hodgepodge chapter, so there wasn't exactly one scene. Though Eda's scene was very interesting and that last kind of twist of the knife after DD that will haunt her character for the rest of the fic.

Ch. 13 This chapter ain't done but...

Of course there are plenty more scenes in the future that I am so anxious to write! Like for example in chapter 14 when Lilith [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] Luz and Eda has to come in and [CENSORED] [CENSORED]. Oh, or when Eberwolf and Darius come to the school to [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED]! That's gonna be so much fun. Not to mention much later when [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] and Lilith appear to hold down Luz with magic before [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] And Vee [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] crying in Eda's arms, still covered in vomit. And we can't forget the entire season 1 finale with Belos [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] Luz [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] glyph [CENSORED] [CENSORED] [CENSORED] KA-BOOM!

Oh that's all gonna be so much fun... you know?

[bonesandthebees]

kinda missed the train bc time zones but i just want to say that people angry at tommy for finding and using wilburs name (and comparing it to deadnaming? what? this is obviously so different) just cant appreciate the beauty of your writing

you write messy human characters in situations with questionable moral rights and wrongs, even if this was their first bones fic did they just forget the part where wil tried to kill tommy?

you write from one pov and work so amazingly with the unreliable narator prospects its so cool to read and so interesting to brainrot about

you write a lot of metaphors which is just something im obsessed with, especially the way youre so consistent with them, just like in stars with the sea and pillar, you continously describe wilburs most inner emotions as a bird in a cage and how the bird perks up at hearing the name wilbur while wilburs monologue is against it shows what was beaten into him and how he "wilbur" actually feels about it

also i know that a lot of people expected (and some wanted) a name reveal in the form of wilbur trusting tommy enough to tell him himself (i also expected this ngl) but looking at it, it feels so much out of character for glass!wil at least for a long while, hes nowhere near the amount of trust or even of knowing how much his training for the pythia was to be bale to tell anyone his name and in the situation hes in, kidnapped and in a group of people with completely different religion, i dont think theres space for him to get to that mental space in a completely healthy and right way

tommy finding out on his own and starting to use it on the other hand is just so much like glass!tommy, bc you can see how hes doing it bc he believes it wil help wilbur bc he knows how wrong it is that he was forced to foresay his own name, but also not telling the other deathlings bc he knows that the best way would be for wilbur to tell them himself

honestly im so glad it went like this bc it feels so justificating and deserving from characterisation and storytelling point, not throwing away all the built up trauma and messy relationships and all the mistakes that were made just for some quick and cheap comfort

instead of quick cheap hurt/comfort or angst you get a precisely and amazingly crafted deep and thought out story with deep and full chartacters that feel so human and its THE BEST THING EVER I LOVE YOUR WRITING SO MUCH BEE

and im sorry some people cant appreciate it and cant shut up about not being able to do so

lmao you get it i write messy human characters and also wilbur literally tried to kill tommy. this wasn't a breech of trust or anything they didn't have any trust beforehand.

kldsjfkld aaa you're so sweet though!! I'm so glad you like the one pov thing. It's genuinely my favorite way to write long stories now because it makes things so much more interesting to me. unreliable narrator is impossible to avoid when you only have a single pov going on and that's the fun part!!

so so happy you like the metaphors too. I definitely worry sometimes I'm overusing them, but I also like the consistency and the way it gives me a space to explain wilbur's emotions in a way that avoids just saying "he felt sad" or something. it makes it more interesting to describe and can be used in a lot of different ways so it's very fun for me

you see you get it!! there was no way he was gonna reach that place in a healthy way, at least not anytime soon. I know that everyone was expecting the soft reveal moment of wilbur telling tommy his name himself, but that's exactly why I didn't go with it. because subverting that expectation makes things a lot more interesting in terms of how it'll develop from there. it just makes the most sense with the characterization and everything to me so tysm <33

this made me smile a whole lot to read :D

[eomma-jpeg]

1, 7, 17!

my triumphant return is now bc i really wanted to answer some asks lol

1. Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

honestly i always go back to silly little fluffy one shots. i love writing happy characters mostly bc i fall in love with the ones that are sad T-T and i like to make them kiss !!! i love shipping and just want my favs to smooch !

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

okay,, so one of the chapters in in the meadow that i'm most proud of is chapter 7, which is when Vash and Knives TALK and if you want the full context its best to read the full chapter, but im going to insert one of my favorite chunks

The knob twisted and he peeked in through the crack, eyes immediately locking with his brother's. Met with his always intense gaze, Vash decided then and there he would not back down. Call it a sibling rivalry. "Took you long enough," Knives chided, relaxing his head back into the bed. His scolding honestly made Vash relax. Maybe this would just be a talk, nothing more, nothing less. Neither member expected much of the other, and if they came to any sort of consensus by the end, it would be a success. Vash made this quick resolution, a breath of relief escaping him. Vash moved into the room and closed the door behind him, "Sorry, I got caught up with something." "Get trapped in your sheets again?" Vash couldn't believe Knives was attempting to tease him, and tease him about something from their childhood. Deciding to play along, Vash replied, embarrassed, "You know that only happened one time." Knives just huffed, and it made Vash pause. The way he said his teasing comment wasn’t truly humorous, nor was it hateful or irritated. It was so mild, almost devoid of feeling, and Vash saw on Knives’ face what he was trying to hide. Taking a page right out of Vash’s book, Knives was deflecting; he was attempting to diffuse the situation or distract Vash from the pure panic in his eyes. Sympathy permeated his own expression unwillingly.   Proceeding silently, Vash shifted the end table to the right of Knives just enough so he could sit on it. There weren’t any other pieces of furniture in the room that Vash could utilize, so the small desk would have to do.

I went over chapter 7 probably 1 billion times because i wanted to characterize Vash and Knives as best as possible. I don't think i'll ever do it perfectly bc theyre not my characters, but I think i did this chapter justice. BUT this section here kind of... reveals Knives to be just as scared as Vash is about any sort of reconciliation between them, and while in reality they would need so much more than just a simple conversation to fix everything (and they do) I like to think that I did well at creating a scenario where they could do that. I've read too many works where they create dumb excuses for getting characters to change or to talk and I didn't want to fall into that trap.

17. Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

so as of late i do write from start to finish. I think it helps with the flow, and it incentivizes me to finish the whole thing lol. with in the meadow i had to bc i knew if i only wrote the scenes i wanted to write it would never get done lol

[lilyblackdrawside]

After playing Xenoblade 2 for a while now, I can say with confidence that I still like the combat system of 1 the most. 2 and 3 both have their merits, but they also both suffer from the same problem to different degrees: The characters don't feel distinct.

In Xenoblade 1, every character felt unique to play and to play with. Now, it's been a few years since I played that one but off the top of my head: Shulk: The Break Guy, also has Daze later on. Obviously the Monado Arts, but he's also unique in that he has exactly enough skills to fill the bar and no more. Also his cute little heal.

Reyn: The Topple Guy. He's your reliable buddy, he'll tank for you all day long from the start of the game to the end and with Sword Drive and certain gems can deal massive burst damage to initiate fights (or oneshot enemies outright) and is great to finish a chain combo with.

Sharla: Unique Talent Art that isn't something to actively use, but acts as a limiter gauge. She heals. Sometimes she shoots! But she also gives barriers and removes ailments. Sometimes her gun overheats.

Dunban: Force-Topple to bypass break resist with Gale Slash into Electric Gutbuster. Can also Daze, a bit gimmicky. Naked build. Born in a world of strife! Against the odds! We choose to fight! Blossom Dance!

Melia: Unique Talent Art that doesn't have its own cooldown, but is used to fire the elements she primes. Very forward-looking gameplay where you stack her elements to build up the buffs of their auras. She can do a bunch of different things depending on which elements you want to use/build from Just Damage with Bolt, Flare, Wind and Ice to heavy damage over time with earth or even healing with Water. Her enemy control with hypnosis and shadow stitch is great too and her iconic Spear Break into Starlight Kick combo to force Topple is just so good.

Riki: The Guy Everyone Thinks Is Useless When They Play For The First Time But It Turns Out That His Grab Bag Of Stuff Is Actually Really Useful. The huge group heals he can do are so good, nice bleeds too, can be either built for physical or arts damage, Happy Happy for quick party gauge charge. Also notable for running into the HP maximum at a time where a lot of players will get to it, which is kinda funny. He's very healthy. (In more than just this way)

Seven: Notable for providing an incredibly powerful skill to Link onto Melia so she can raise her Tension to max instantly with her Talent Art and then getting benched forever. I don't know what she does cause I don't like her. I think she just autoattacks enemies and buffs herself to do it. Whenever I had to play her to get her friendship with Melia to the point to link that skill I pretty much fell asleep at the wheel.

And this is mostly just Arts, if I went into my save and checked Skills I could probably go on.

Now Xenoblade 3 has... nothing unique to any character. Aside from the Seven Star Sword that Noah has and the Oroborous fusion forms, everything is transferrable. It's a job system, which I usually like in the Final Fantasy games, but it just didn't do it for me here, because in Xenoblade I actually care about the characters a lot and after 1 expected more of the gameplay adding to their characterizations. Everyone does have slightly different base stat values, but the difference isn't relevant. I played Eunie as a tank the entire game.

Xenoblade 2 has a similar thing going on, because Tora aside (and Vandham I guess) everyone can equip two extra blades. This means only their main blade is unique to them.

Rex is Fire/Light and can topple and has a little bit of healing, Pyra/Mythra are dps.

Tora is a tank through and through. He's Earth and Fire and whatever else he might cook up in the future, has Topple and Smash and can switch between Block Tank and Dodge Tank. With Poppification you can change his elements and roles too, but I haven't messed with that (entirely because I haven't found a single book that unlocks more stuff and Tiger! Tiger! hasn't dropped much of any relevance.)

Nia is Water, has Break and Dromarch is healer. She actually feels the most unique to me because of Dromarch being a healer, cause I've not needed to have a second character with a Healer Blade equipped, so when I think of Nia I think "Healer".

Mòrag is the dodge tank. Fire. Has Break.

Zeke is dps. Electro. Has... Throw? Lift? Whatever the third combo step is called.

Beyond that, what your characters are is up to you. I've had Nia with an extra Healer and a Dps Blade, Mòrag with another Tank and a Dps Blade and Rex and Zeke both with two extra Dps Blades. You could have Rex as a Healer and Mòrag as a Dps. Nia as a tank is probably a bit awkward unless you play as her directly cause she might get the bright idea to switch to Dromarch to heal if the party is in danger only to get herself killed in the process.

The thought of full customization always seems really nice and enticing, but Xenoblade 3 has shown me how good a rigid, predetermined character build can be. (By lacking that quality)

[todayimgonnaplay]

Today I'm gonna play Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Recently finished FF13-2 which had some nice improvements, but I think I'm in the minority for not liking the sequel hook tragedy ending it has. I don't mind sad endings, as FF has had more than one, but I had mixed feelings about the payoff for going through two entire games. I've sort of come to terms with it as I'm starting to see this trilogy has a pattern of fate going on. And now I'm onto the finale.

Immediately into the game I'm thrust into something I felt like I should've known but didn't even see at all. I'm not sure how effective that kind of storytelling is, but fortunately Lightning and Hope explain events of this game's premise quite extensively. I do like the option of being able to proceed through dialogue during cutscenes as I tend to read quick. I'm also seeing a revamp to Lightning's characterization that reminds me quite a bit of FF 7 Rebirth with Cloud, both characters having a sense of humour and exchanging banter despite being very stoic. It's a surprising but welcome change.

Another unexpected thing I encountered was its battle system. Revamped and unlike the previous two games, or even the series itself, I can see why people are divisive over it. I immediately wanted to hate it and just quit the game, but one of the reasons I started this blog is to give systems I don't like another chance and really get a feel for them. My assumption for this is that this was Square's first real decision to move onto the action genre and away from turn-based combat. I do appreciate their constant experimentation for the genre though. In terms of combat, the idea of eliminating numerous menus for navigation that (J)RPGs are known for, with quick inputs to do what you want to do. And to still keep that turn-based aspect, the ATB gauge still remains a thing for this title so that you can't spam your attacks or go full action mode. It gives you some time to think, but it's still not enough. I noticed throughout this trilogy that I often don't feel like I can rest and actually think how to fight off my enemies effectively. One method I can think of is to give enemies ATB gauges too and display them. It retains that turn-based aspect but also gives you time to heal and strategize. It's good that Libra and signs of weakness by building the Stagger is shown as a sign of what's working and what isn't, but having a pulse motion feels quite hard to decipher with all the action happening as well as the health info hovering above the enemies. FF 13's stagger bar has shown the best way to display this type of info. It was large and clear, and it was still effective in FF13-2 if it was thought that it was intrusively large. One thing to note is that this title has removed the Paradigm shift system, and now uses Schemata, which is like playing dress up on crack. I consider this to be my favourite part of the game, simply because I think dress up and customizing abilities and equipment is fun and freeing. You're not limited to specific pieces and you can mix and match, but I haven't mastered this system enough to see if that's effective or not.

I'm not a fan of the limited items you can carry. I've been in a few situations where I needed potions but ran out, or because I've been used to being able to consume as many as I want in the first two games, I forget to stock and therefore cannot take any. It doesn't help that there's a penalty for escaping from battle which is taking away EP which is used for other useful features, but fortunately I'm playing on easy mode, as the lack of penalties are closer to what the previous two games were like.

In terms of the overworld, I have seen a larger improvement in traversing around areas. The platforming is decent in most areas, and I like that I can finally jump off places to get off faster, which I couldn't do in FF 13-2. Areas are more populated, making it more lifelike and immersive. My biggest gripe is about the game's main feature (and, which is a time limit that's connected to the game's lore about the world ending in 13 days. You are able to traverse around until 6 AM in-game time, until you're automatically transported back to a hub. The only usable reason the hub exists is to confirm completion of an area and move to the next (and also giving some kind of life force to a tree for lore reasons), otherwise moving back automatically has not served its purpose for me, other than interrupt me. It also feels a bit tense to constantly have a clock ticking down, and I'm not really a fan of timit limit games at all, in fact I tend to avoid them. But again, I decided to give it another chance. Turns out it's good at helping me keep more focused to my tasks and making more careful decisions rather than me being reckless. There's also a way to slow down time by using Chronostasis, which replenishes by defeating enemies. You can technically spam that and play all you want.

Music this time is a surprising negative for me, the new tracks haven't impressed me so far, and I hear reuses of the previous titles, which has saved me from thinking more negatively about this, even though the same team has composed for this title too.

Character designs are quite interesting this time around when it comes to Lightning due to the dress up feature. I do like Snow's new look compared to 13-2 and it fits the current personality given to him. But like FF13-2, the rest of the old cast are not given new makeovers which is a huge letdown.

I'm still not sure if I'll continue playing this to the end, but I'll try to power through as much as I can.

Terms used exclusively in the game:

ATB (Active Time Battle) - A consumable gauge with divisions that allow you to do actions in battle

Stagger - A gauge that fills up based on effectiveness which allows you to deal more damage

Libra - A feature that checks enemy weaknesses

Paradigm Shift - A system in FF 13 and 13-2 that used roles with specific abilities

Schemata - A customizable system that allows Lightning to be a unique role based on equipment and abilities

EP (Energy Points) - A limited rechargable currency spent on special features, or items

Chronostasis - An ability that allows you to briefly stop time

[good-beans]

I was looking at fe echoes quotes and long story short I was intrigued by the characters’ selection quotes when they reach half-health. Specifically for the RGB trio, they seem very positive for being at half their health. I ended up writing a super quick scene for Forsyth, Lukas, and Python regarding their middle level quotes, trying to envision a situation/emotion that would cause them to say it.

They’re kinda just hurt and no comfort so uh... have fun...  adshfsakj

There’s mention of violence and blood, but nothing graphic or gory.

Forsyth:

Forsyth sprinted across the open field, his adrenaline driving him forward into the wind. An enemy soldier appeared in his path. Through his helmet, Forsyth could see that his eyes were wild with malice, a cruel smirk hung on his lips. Forsyth had encountered expressions like it many times in the Rigelian army. In each and every instance, it made his blood boil.

How could someone who calls themself a knight look upon others with such heartlessness? How could someone take such pleasure in bloodshed? A knight’s first and foremost responsibility was to protect, not strike down. 

Seeing that face on his enemy added strength to Forsyth’s swing as he brought his lance forward. The other man’s weapon clashed with it in midair. 

This soldier may have been lacking in virtue, but it was clear he lacked nothing in skill. By the time Forsyth finally felled his enemy, his own side and left arm dripped with blood from his wounds. 

The knight began to head towards the rest of the Deliverance, but sucked in a quick breath as his movement agitated the injury. He clutched at his side.

With the thundering of hooves, Clive rode up beside him on his horse.

“Sir Clive! What is it?” He asked eagerly.

The man pointed behind him, “they are in dire need of help by the river.” Over his shoulder, Forsyth could see a dangerous amount of Rigelian archers closing in on the weary Ram villagers by the water. “You’re looking a little worse for wear, but would you be able to aid them?”

Forsyth tested his cut arm with a few flexes. He twisted his torso, biting back the pain. He was a knight, for goodness sake -- he could certainly walk off a few injuries to help those in need.

He gave a shaky smile to the other man. “All right, sure!”

Clive gave only a grateful nod before riding on to get the others. Forsyth headed to the river. His energy picked up again as he felt the wind in his hair and his lance sturdy in his grasp. His doubt melted away as he got caught up in the rush of battle.

Lukas:

With a cry of warning, Lukas tried to protect Forsyth from the cantor’s miasma spell. He was a few steps too late, however, and both were engulfed in the thick purple blast. The pair collapsed in a heap just before Mathilda came to their rescue. After slaying the enemy, her horse went thundering away; there were too many foes for her to check on the fallen knights. 

Lukas hardly saw her go. Dark magic was unpleasant, to say the least. The poisonous spell had torn through his body, filling each sense with searing and stinging pain. It lingered in his lungs and in his limbs. He found himself sucking in sputtering breaths. Every muscle felt sore and weak.

He struggled to his feet, though it felt impossible to take a proper breath. Lukas grit his teeth upon seeing his friend in a similar state. Forsyth had sat up, but was coughing and trembling. Lukas grabbed his lance off the ground. His efforts had done nothing to protect his comrade; in fact, he’d only made the situation worse. 

He placed his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Forsyth…”

“I’m alright!” he wheezed back, clearly far from it. He gave a shaking thumbs-up. “Thank you, friend.”

Lukas’s expression darked further. “I did nothing. Do you need a healer?”

“I… I believe so. I don’t think I can stand at the moment. You should get patched up yourself, too.” His eyes narrowed in concern, but Lukas was too busy scanning the rest of the shrine. He spotted Tobin calling for help across the cavern. As soon as he took a step in that direction, his leg threatened to give out. 

Forsyth grabbed his arm. “What are you doing? You’re in no shape to continue fighting!”

Lukas yanked his arm away. His even voice hardened as he replied, “I can handle it.” 

With his friend protesting through coughs, he charged back into battle.

Python:

There was a loud clatter as Python went tumbling from his horse onto the fortress’s stone ground. He landed on his back, gasping as the wind was knocked out of him. 

“Damn…” he muttered when he finally regained his breath. He figured he’d lie there for a moment to recover, breathe steady, and be sure he didn’t have a concussion or the like. Unfortunately, his enemy returned much quicker than anticipated. The soldier appeared above him, having dismounted his own horse, and brandished the lance he’d just used to force python to the ground.

Eyes widening, Python rolled out of the way just as the blade came down. He scrambled to his feet. Narrowly dodging another strike, he unsheathed the dagger from his thigh. 

“That’s how you wanna play, huh?” he said, stepping back. Although his training had heavily focused on the bow, he was decent enough with the small blade to get in close and get his enemy to the ground. Before he could even celebrate his victory, the soldier he’d pinned down gave a grim smile. The archer was thrown to the side by a powerful blow with a shield. 

This attack was almost worse than being thrown off his horse. The metal had connected with his arm, sending pain shooting through his shoulders and neck. He landed on the rough brick headfirst, earning a gash to the forehead. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Python still didn’t understand why the Rigelians enjoyed ganging up on him more than the others. He was constantly finding himself outnumbered or surrounded, and he was sick of it. He thought wistfully of the nap he had planned for today, wishing for the hundredth time he was there instead of fighting two trained knights with a small dagger. 

To his great relief, Alm and Clair came charging onto the battlement. The two were able to easily dispose of the soldiers while Python ran to grab his weapon. It was perfect: the two of them had everything under control here, so he could run over to Silque, get that stinging cut healed up real nice, maybe hang back with her until the rest of the battle wrapped up…

“Oh, Python! Glad we could make it in time!”

“Heh, me too!”

“Listen, there’s still a lot of trouble down below. There’s too many witches for them to handle on their own, so we’ll need your bow to take care of them. Follow me!”

The man’s face fell into a pout. He stretched his sore shoulders. With a heavy sigh, he responded. “Aye, cap’n.” He reluctantly mounted his horse, and thought once more of how much he missed his bed...

[vrabbiit]

🎹 Losing the Bet: Roxanne Wolf x F!Reader (NSFW) 🎹

there's not enough content for the girls in this game, so i've decided to take some initiative and write some myself - i'm still figuring out my characterization for chica, so feel free to ask about her to help me flesh her out, but for now, here's some smut with roxy because i think she deserves it and i need to write more of this.

Word Count: 2204

Contains: NSFW, Minors DNI with this content, Dirty Talk / Degradation Kink, uh Roxy has a strap-on because she just would don't @ me

You know, you probably should have expected this, all things considered. You'd been so confident though, waltzing up to Roxy in the Raceway and challenging her to a race - how hard could it be to drive a car in a game designed for kids, right? - one would even say cocky. You'd ignored the way her eyes had darkened and she'd accepted the challenge way too easily, although she added her own stakes.

"Loser has to do whatever the winner wants," was a simple enough bet, one would even say childish if it hadn't been for the relationship the two of you had, but with your ... dynamic, it took on a heavier meaning. Your stomach had fluttered as you'd accepted her terms, the only time your confidence faltered until now despite the excitement building. You'd been convinced it had to be easy, that there was no way she was really undefeated.

Predictably, she had absolutely crushed you.

Although, as soon as she got out of her car and turned to you with a very specific look, you had to admit you weren't entirely disappointed that you lost. You'd barely had time to put your helmet away before she was beckoning you to follow her, you scrambling after her like a lost puppy.

The destination was pretty expected - Rockstar Row was the most privacy you were going to get, and the Pizzaplex was already closed (you wouldn't dare play any of your games with the risk of someone seeing it). As soon as you closed the door of her green room behind you, she was on you, towering over you as your back became well-acquainted with the door. A perfectly manicured hand made its way to your chin, tilting it up so she could look at your quickly reddening face.

"You know, it's almost like you wanted to lose," she mused, her voice taking on a somewhat mocking tone that went straight to your core. It was no secret between the two of you that you got off on her being a little mean, but the fact that she knew and used it to her advantage never failed to make your heartbeat a little faster. "If you wanted my attention that badly, you could've just asked, pup. You didn't have to waste my time with that attempt at competition."

Okay, in your defense, you had actually tried your best. Before you could protest, though, your thoughts were cut off by Roxy's free hand wandering its way down your body, tracing the more sensitive areas almost teasingly. You shivered at the feeling of her nails against your skin even through your clothes, and she smirked.

"I believe I misspoke earlier."

You made a confused hum, not quite trusting your voice right now.

"I said that the loser has to do whatever the winner wants, but what I should have said is that the loser has to let the winner do whatever they want to them." You tilted your head, dazed with lust and not quite understanding what she was getting at.

Sighing almost as if in a reverie, Roxy elaborated.

"I am going to absolutely ruin you, pup."

In the seconds it took for the words to sink in and cause you to honest-to-god whimper, she stepped away, stalking over to her vanity and opening the drawer underneath the mirror. Facing away from you, she caught your flustered gaze in the reflection and tutted.

"Make yourself useful and strip for me, won't you?" The command broke you out of your haze just enough to nod and pull your shirt over your head, not quite meeting her eyes in the mirror where you knew she was watching you. You made quick but clumsy work of your pants and bra before you were left in just your underwear.

You took a moment to glance behind, just to make sure the curtains of the green room were fully closed (as much as you knew the building was closed, the idea of one of the other robots or even the security guard seeing you was a bit too much).

"All of it." There it was - the slightly dangerous tone of voice that carried the hint of a threat of punishment. As much as you enjoyed the times you did act out for Roxy, there was a pretty solid understanding between the two of you that this was not one of those times. And thus, you pulled your underwear down, noticing the way it clung to you just enough to make you aware of just how wet you were, despite the fact she'd barely even touched you.

"Good, it's nice to know you can do something right." Roxy's voice was haughty as usual, but you could hear the way it was lowered and on the verge of husky, clueing you in that she was just as into this as you were. She turned back to face you, and you noted that in the time you'd taken to undress, she'd donned the strap-on you knew so well from the previous times the two of you had played. She crossed over with barely a glance at your naked body (an act, of course - you'd already seen the way she stared at you from the mirror), to sit on the couch with her legs apart and wordlessly beckon you over.

As you got closer, she pointed one manicured nail down, a signal you knew well. Finally reaching her, you dropped to your knees with as much dignity as you could muster (which was, as you were completely naked and practically dripping, not much).

Roxy looked down at you, a hand reaching out to grip onto your hair just enough to keep you still. Her strap was directly at your eye level, but you kept eye contact with her. She always told you to look at her, and since you'd lost fair and square, you were on your best behavior.

It wasn't always easy for you to keep eye contact - sometimes you got self-conscious, or the entire situation you were in was just too much, and you'd screw your eyes shut and bury your face into whatever body part was closest, be it her thigh, her neck, her chest. Roxy was mean, yes - that's part of why this entire situation had you so hot - but she wasn't cruel, and you knew if you were truly too overwhelmed that she'd never push you past your boundaries. There had been times where she'd dropped her persona fully just to reassure you, or to check-in, whether you needed a second or to stop entirely.

This was not one of those times. You gave her a tiny nod, the go-ahead she needed, and her grip on your hair tightened.

"You're going to get me nice and wet, pup," she drawled, "Not that I'd need it. I can smell how desperate you are from here."

Nodding again, this time in understanding, you leaned up to take the head of her strap into your mouth. This part was always slightly humiliating in the best way for you - it's not like she could feel it - and soon you were taking the toy further and further down your throat as she watched lazily, with that same hand fisting your hair. As you got into a rhythm and your mind filled with just how pervertedly hot this was, you adjusted your position just slightly to rest your ass on your heel, grinding on the pressure.

"Are you getting yourself off?" Roxy's voice, sharp with mocking disbelief, permeated through the slick, lewd sounds of your mouth on her strap, and you froze. You went to pull back, whether to apologize or lie you didn't know, but her grip on your hair tightened yet again, this time pulling your head back down far enough that you almost gagged.

"I didn't say stop. It's kind of cute, actually, that you're so needy just from sucking me off." Almost hesitantly, you began rolling your hips again. "Pathetic little thing."

Embarrassingly, you almost outright moaned at the degradation. You were off in your own world at this point, mind reeling between the pleasure of your hips rutting against your heel and the humiliation of Roxy degrading you for it. After a few moments of this, you felt yourself growing close, the rolling of your hips growing unsteady.

"Alright, stop," Roxy called out, and you did so, albeit with a whine. She pulled out of your mouth, deciding that your little show of a blow job was over. "Turn around and ass in the air, bitch."

If you hadn't been so thoroughly wrecked already, you might have made a joke about "doggy style". Instead, you spun around on your knees obediently, lifting your ass in a way that could only be called presenting.

"It's nice to know you can still listen when it means getting fucked," Roxy teased, but her breath was starting to sound ragged. Wasting no time, she lined up her strap with your hole and began finally pushing in. You let out a noise somewhere between a sigh and a sob at the relief. Roxy chuckled, a low noise in the back of her throat that sent your head reeling.

"Wow, you really are desperate," she remarked, "I bet this was all just so I'd fuck you, wasn't it pup? You chose to challenge me at something you knew you'd lose, in hopes that I'd bring you back here and wreck you, didn't you?" You, lost in the pleasure as she started thrusting in and out of you, didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. This was a far better outcome than anything you could have thought of, anyway. Instead, you just mewled into the carpet, your hips rocking to meet every thrust.

"Roxy, I'm gonna-" you managed, and she tutted.

"No you're not."

"Wh-"

"If you cum before I say you can, you're getting punished, pup." With that, she slowed her thrusts, just enough so that the edge you were holding onto became possible. She didn't stop, obviously enjoying the way you squirmed beneath her. "I told you I was going to ruin you."

Her hips angled upwards slightly, just missing the spot that you were convinced would make you cum on the spot, and you knew it was no accident. She was toying with you, keeping you as close to the edge as possible without relief while also making sure you couldn't get over that edge. The pleasure was near unbearable for you, and you could only take it and try desperately not to come, your face long since buried in the thankfully soft carpet. Roxy was, admittedly, making it a lot harder by simply talking.

"I'm just giving you what you wanted, you little brat. Do you think I couldn't tell how needy you were when you first walked up to me with that silly competition? I knew your plan the whole time."

Never mind that she'd been the one who came up with the stakes.

"I humored you, though. I hope you're grateful for this." She thought for a moment, humming. "Say thank you, pup, for spending my precious time on fucking you."

Absolutely wrecked below her, you sobbed out a "Thank you, Roxy- " She must have heard the sheer desperation in your voice because she softened slightly (or maybe your obedience finally pushed her over the edge).

"You can cum."

You didn't quite cum on command (although that would have been quite the experience), but all it took was a few more thrusts from Roxy before you came undone, your whole body shaking as you made a mess of the floor (absently, Roxy noted that she'd have to get a S.T.A.F.F bot in later because her room needed to be pristine). In the present, however, she leaned forward to support you with her arms before you sagged completely into the floor. Lifting you up and off of her strap with a sympathetic hum as the toy dragged itself across your oversensitive walls, she set you down on the couch she'd been sitting on prior. You watched with hazy eyes as she took in your delirious expression. Your face was fully flushed, your expression absolutely fucked-out, and your hair was an absolute mess from her and the floor.

"Did I do good, Roxy?" you asked, your mindset not fully clear.

"You did amazing, pup." The praise sent a warm flutter in your heart, and you winced as you moved to sit up (both from the strain in your back at being in the same position for some time, and the way your lower half twitched with emptiness). "You were so good for me."

Discarding the strap and grabbing some tissues, Roxy began cleaning you up as gently as she could. You were hypersensitive even without having just come, though, and she shushed your whimpers with as much sympathy as she could. As soon as you were cleaned up, she swept you up into her arms, peppering soft praises and comfort into your hairline as you came down from the mindspace you'd been in.

"You know, you really didn't have to mess up that badly on the raceway, pup. I wouldn't have lost anyway."

"Um," you giggled somewhat nervously, "About that..."

[heyheydidjaknow]

Do you think you can do bayverse tmnt turtles for Leo, raph, donnie, Mikey as its goes like this , they were raised by the shredder as they're father died after their mutation as he didn't make it out the fire , they all the best foot clan soldier and obedient dogs they are and satisfied the shredder and they are given access to their pleasure and women , when they are doing a crime , they come across (s/o) , who she is just walking and gets robbed by a gang and the turtles come to the rescue and they start a liking of (s/o), who treats them kindly but they want to break her and make them theirs , as kidnapping her and forcing her into sexual acts with them as they want her all for themselves

I feel bad for not responding to this sooner; I got the plague and this became a lot longer than I thought it would be. So, to justify the wait, I’m uploading this in 4 (maybe 5) parts, and I’ll just link them at the end as they are released so you don’t have to go looking for them. I strayed from the original prompt a bit for the sake of variety and characterization but I tried to get as many elements as I could overall while making an arrangement of cohesive one-shots. With all that our of the way, here’s this.

Please note that the following content contains mention and depict instances of non-consensual sexual encounters, emotional manipulation, and other subjects you may find disturbing. Discretion is advised.

Progress (4/5?)

Leonardo

Not much changed from his canon counterpart. He was more driven, sure, more determined, but he was not an inherently different person because The Shredder raised him. The only major change was that, instead of fighting for the sake of some desire to bring justice onto those who deserved it, he fought for the sake of the vision embodied by The Foot: that the best course of action was to bring the world back to what it had been before, a simpler, kinder society in which one acted for honor and strength and nothing else. The bushido code was his gospel, the names and legends of those samurai who came before him always on his tongue; he lived to live amongst them.

Of his brothers, he was the best with the sword, most devoted to the word of his master and his teachings, and so he was the leader. He was, by all accounts, oddly pious for both lack of want and out of a strong belief that succumbing to impulses that he did not need to sate was some sign that he had simply not worked hard enough. “Spoils come after victory,” he liked to say. It made him intolerable, but vocalized protests by his brothers were ignored with an equally hated, “you’ll understand when you’re older.” All but Raphael still bothered to indulge him, a fact which displeased his other two brothers to no end.

It was he who insisted on helping you, back pressed against the bricks of a building, near swallowed by the horribleness of it all. It had been quick work, taking them down; they were members, he knew, of some rival gang. Though your immediate reaction had been to run for your life from the much larger group of assailants, after about ten minutes of coaxing from Leonardo, you eventually calmed down enough to accept his help home. His brothers needed little incentive to leave, and though you noted how his eyes wandered and his hand lay too comfortably against your side, you let him bring you home through dark back allies, assuring your safe return. He told you that, when he was in charge, “girls” like you would not have to worry about being stopped on the street, that men by then would have the decency beat into them. He continued on a tangent, much to your dismay, and would have gone on further if your roommate had not come home. Even then he had lingered.

“If you’re ever in trouble,” he instructed, forcing himself from the window, “mention my name.”

It was a glorious night for him, something out of a book in how fantastic it was. You, a quiet, helpless little thing, saved by him. It was a glimpse into what the world could, would, and should be, in his eyes. But, he reminded himself that night, victory must come before the spoils, and victory had yet to come. So, he decided that you were to be a pleasant memory, one that he would hold and cherish, but not covet, like a picture of a car you post on the wall.

Cars, he realized over the next month, were stagnant. You, a person, were not.

He would not have personally called what was going on an obsession. An obsession would imply a lack of mental control, of which he had plenty. Fixation was the word he used. Out of nowhere, there you were, eyes trailed on the ground, mumbling out a timid thank you, or nodding politely along to a speech his brother would have tuned out without a second thought. It was as annoying as it was endearing. It was hardly as if you were a poor subject to focus on; he remembered you as being quite pretty.

It really only became a problem when he started thinking of you in a darker light. What endeared you to him most, the reason that, unlike the women he had been offered, he latched onto you was, simply, your innocence and vulnerability. He had been taught that the good thing to do was to protect those who could not, and you were the only person who had ever really been what he had hoped for, the only “innocent” person he had ever even seen in New York. You were, by all counts, exactly who he was meant to protect, and so, the longer he contemplated the situation, he rationalized that “having you” was not only a morally sound thing, but an undeniably honorable thing.

He was more personally invested in the actual protecting portion of the relationship than anything you could provide; you were not an object, per se, but certainly not an equal. He had little interest in isolating you, despite this. A part of your charm was your ability to remain innocent despite your environment, like a flower through concrete, and like a flower through concrete, picking you would defeat the purpose. No, he left you be, for the most part. His control was maintained, instead, by proxy. You noticed as much; about three months after your encounter– you were hardly quick to forget such an ordeal, after all– people you did not know began to just walk up to you, strike up conversations, offer you things. You seldom had to wait to be seated at restaurants. Bills stopped coming in the mail. Men and women of all sorts smiled, commenting on how lucky you were to have such a powerful man watching over you, treating you with a tenderness that was frankly neither warranted nor desired.

Your roommate moved out by month four. One day, their things just were not there anymore. No note, no phone call, no word from any of your mutual friends.

You were scared of him, at first. It was to be expected, he supposed; a life devoted to combat would do that to a man. Half a year later, and he was no less threatening than when he had saved you; the only difference is that you did not hesitate as much to needlessly protest. The fact that he broke in made a bit of what he said go over your head, but from what you could figure from his speech– it was too deliberate to be rambling– he seemed to either believe that you two were in some sort of relationship. Not necessarily a romantic one, but he felt an obligation to watch over you, and that, because he could assure your safety and general wellbeing, he deserved something that he described in more words that you could comprehend as he was undressing. You later came to understand what he meant was something akin to reverence.

It was almost meeting-like, how punctual he was when he came to “have you” as he liked putting it. “Having you,” in your opinion, was not an apt way of describing what he did to you. It was too soft sounding. What he did was come in once a week and shove an appendage approximately the same length and width as your calf into your various orifices– he preferred your mouth, as it caused the least crying. What he did was break into your home and demand attention you had no obligation to give him because, even if he claimed he would never dream of hurting you, he understood the power his sword, which often sat innocuous by the window, held over you.

If nothing else– and there was very little else– he was gentle with you as could be hoped for, all things considered. He was quick, never one to waste time, and he had the patience necessary to understand when not to push to cause any permanent damage. He even mumbled words of encouragement on rare occasions. It was never pleasurable for you, but he understood that enough to never linger for too long. At least he felt bad for you.

You had one real conversation with him.

You came home, carrying groceries up flights of stairs– you had adamantly refused the insisting men around you– to find him sitting on your sofa, comically large on a piece of furniture clearly not meant to seat him, fiddling with his shirt sleeve.

You did not even bat an eye. It was a Thursday, after all. Silently, you locked the door behind you, dropping the bags down on the counter before sliding off your coat, hoping your shaking, an automatic response for what was to come, would go unremarked. He would not be long, you were sure; no need to worry about what food you had brought home spoiling.

“Will you be honest?”

You stopped, swallowed. You leaned against the counter to ground yourself, gaze flickering to the windowsill.

No sword today.

You looked back at him, clearing your throat. “Would you like me to?”

He interlocked his fingers, lining his fingertips together absently. It was a tick, you supposed, though there was no way for you to tell for sure; you rarely saw him sat, and the view you got when he did hardly allowed for you to tell for that sort of thing. It was oddly human for him. “I think so.” Blue eyes met yours. “If you would, that is.”

You did not move from your place. “I’m hardly a liar,” you sighed, leaning against your hand. “If you would like me to spare your feelings, though, now would be a good time to make that clear.”

He stared at you a moment longer before staring down at his hands. “Am I–” He stopped, held the words in his mouth. “What I mean to ask is, from your perspective, as a New Yorker, what do you think of the Foot?”

You blinked. “Why would you ask me?”

“Because I have no one else to ask.” There was a pattern to how he was moving his hands. You were unsure of what it was, exactly, but there was intent in his movements. “Would you like to have a seat?”

“I wouldn’t.” Absently, you tried to replicate his movements.

His eyelids slid shut. “Are you scared of me?”

You considered the question. “Yes,” you decide. “Definitely.”

“For what reason?”

You cracked a smile. “I’m not fond of people who break into my apartment.” You were unsure why, at that moment, you felt so bold as to be frank; you supposed it had something to do with the fact that, strength aside, you two were on somewhat equal footing for once. He was not a samurai; he was a man sitting on your couch, asking you questions. Besides, it had been so long since you had male company. “And I do notice the sword, you know; you’re not exactly inconspicuous.”

Slowly, he relaxed back into the couch, head lulling back as if to sleep. “That’s not all, is it?”

“Naturally.” You busied yourself with the groceries. “I would think the rest would be self explanatory.” You glanced back at him a moment, sighed, got back to it. “Mind the cushions,” you said. “Blood is hard to get out.”

He started, looked down at himself, wiped any still on his hands on his pants as he mumbled out a simple apology.

You assured him it was fine. It was less alarming on the couch than in your hair, anyways.

He sat in silence as you finished.

You slipped your shoes off, tossing them by the door. You walked over, taking a seat in front of him, feet tucked under you as you set your hands in your lap. You felt not dissimilar to a dog, but you were used to it. “Leonardo,” you asked simply, combing your fingers through your hair, “may I ask you a question?”

He did not move. It was not a refusal.

“Why do you do this?” You began to unbutton your shirt; you knew the drill by now. “I’m sure there are women you work with who would handle more than I can. Why me?”

After a moment, he leaned forward, cupping your cheek in one of his hands, studying you. A calloused thumb ran over the skin just beneath your eye, as if contemplating sliding it into your socket, puncturing it. A hand began to trace your side as he slid from his seat, kneeling in front of you, easing you back.

You were hardly in a position to refuse.

“You’re so…” He breathed, trying to articulate. “You’re so fragile.” Digits slid into your hair. “So, so fragile. It would be wrong of me…” He sighed, burying his face in the crook of your neck. “No, that’s foolish of me to say.” You felt him smile, the first you had felt of his. “There’s nothing noble about this, is there?”

You could not help but squirm as his breath ghosted across your neck. You wished he would get on with it.

“I guess… how would he put it?” He let go of your cheek, fiddling with the articles of clothing hanging from your form. “My brother– you saw him, I think– would call it a perverted savior complex, I think.” He laughed. “You know, I hated him for it, but he has a point; there’s something satisfying about having you.”

Your words caught in your throat. “I don’t–”

“Then don’t.” He pulled back, gazing down at you. “Let me take care of it.”

It was funny, almost; he acted as if you had a choice.

Raphael

Donatello

Michelangelo

Previous Works

[fictionalrambles]

Shadowhunters Fandom Story - Part Fifteen

Submitted by jwrites_

Five Favourite Fics:

1. What's It Gonna Be by @lemonoclefox

Why I love this fic: I'm a sucker for Pride & Prejudice. San was able to take that dynamic and put it all in a modern day telling of it. I can't count how many times I've read this. Sometimes I read it all the way through, other times I go and find my favorite parts just to get that rush of emotions it never fails to give. The enemies to lovers is done perfectly, the dialogue is great and flows seamlessly, the way she tied in the storyline between Simon, Isabelle, Valentine, and Alec together was genius. I truly love every word of this story.

Favorite scene: Awkward - love - confession - in -  the -  rain

Favorite quote(s):

(Yes. Love confessions are great but have you ever overheard someone say something rude about you and then have the opportunity later that same night to be able to casually call that person out for their comment?)

"Her friend is..." He trails off, as though searching for the word, and Magnus can imagine him gesturing in the meantime. "Interesting," Jace eventually settles on, pointedly.

"Who, that Bane guy?" Alec says, and as he does, Magnus is hit with a wave of intrigued surprise. Does Alec like men? Interesting. The assumption could be wrong, of course, but Jace's tone implies that that's why he's mentioning it. "He's a bit over the top, don't you think?"

He sounds almost disdainful as he says it, as though Jace's mere suggestion is laughable, and Magnus's intrigue immediately shifts to offended annoyance. He straightens a little where he stands, reluctantly affected by it.

--

"I mean, love songs are great," Magnus admits lightly. "But stringing a few pretty words together does seem a bit unoriginal when everyone does it."

Simon shoves him lightly in offense, and Magnus can't help but laugh.

"Then what do you suggest?" Magnus is taken completely by surprise when he realizes that it's Alec who's speaking, and he turns to him. The guy's expression is neutral, but seems genuinely curious.

"Oh, I don't know," Magnus says, swirling his drink around in his glass. He shrugs. "I suppose I'm more a fan of showing and not telling. I'd much prefer someone showing interest in what I like and who I am, than comparing my eyes to the night sky, and whatnot." He gestures airily, then hesitates. He suddenly can't seem to stop himself, the memory of the Lightwoods' overheard conversation bubbling to the surface. "I think most people can appreciate that. Even if some of us are a bit over the top."

--Okay...I'm gonna go ahead and throw in a love confession~

"Look, I don't expect anything from you," he says, as though the words are hard to say. "You've made your feelings pretty clear, and I respect that. But I heard you talked to my mom, and with the stuff you said to her... I guess it just kind of made me a bit hopeful, or something. A bit." He clears his throat, while Magnus just listens. He turns to watch Alec's profile as the young man struggles to find the words, eyes on the view in front of him. "Either way, I'll admit that how I feel hasn't really changed. Maybe it should have, but..."

Alec shakes his head, and Magnus feels his throat go dry. He wants to interrupt Alec, wants to say and show everything that's bursting out of his chest, but he waits. Alec takes a deep breath then, turns to him. He looks determined.

"If you want me to," he says steadily, "I'll go. I'll leave you alone, I promise. You won't hear from me again." He pauses, licks his lips. "But if you don't want me to, if something has changed since last time, somehow... I'd really like to know. Because that would be pretty great."

2. 42 North 71 West by @lecrit​

Why I love this fic: I was blessed with the opportunity to witness Lu working on this fic from its conception to its end. I was there and still I am blown away at the way she was able to work the time jumps. I remember thinking with every chapter I read, 'Wow. The way she is telling this story is amazing. She is amazing.' Lu has a way of presenting so much honesty in her characters. She writes them in a way that feels so real, that you can't help but understand their fears and hesitations even though it hurts. The story is a back and forth told through scenes set in the past and present. You get to see what they were and where they are. The story is beautifully heartbreaking. And she was able to make me enjoy a story that dealt with politics? What? Sorcery, I tell you. -- also, the bench.

Favorite scene: This was almost impossible to choose and I took way too long trying to pinpoint just one. But I'm going to go with one that I hold very dear. When Magnus goes to visit Alec on his birthday and he finds Alec playing the song he only plays when he's sad. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to spoil~

Favorite quote(s):

“Magnus,” Alec breathes out.

The name feels almost foreign, as if he hadn’t uttered it in too long and now his mind is troubling to catch up with his mouth. Still, it manages to make Alec’s heart stutter.

--

“We should’ve stayed on that bench in Boston,” he murmurs.

--

The good thing is, he knows where to go to find his way back. It is inked on his body, engraved into his soul, sealed into his heart.

3. Lead The Way by Clockworkswan

Why I love this fic: Because it takes the wonderful adventure of Doctor Who and packs it in with Malec. This is the ultimate fun and feel good but you will also cry at one point fic. I always go back to it if I want a wonderfully written Doctor Magnus and his adorable companion Alec. Seriously, even if you're not into Doctor Who, give this fic a shot. It's written in a way that you will get so caught up in the adventure that you won't even realize it's based on something else. And if you're a Doctor Who fan, you're in luck with all the little Easter Eggs Heather left throughout.

Favorite scene: I really don't want to spoil anything. The planet of Ablorix. This will mean nothing if you don't read the fic (so you should ;])

Favorite quote(s):

Magnus extends a hand. It’s just like before, when they were in the hallway a couple of weeks ago. It’s just as inviting as it was the first time.

“How about it, pretty boy? Name a star. Any one will do. Or a date,” Magnus says. The double meaning is evident when he winks. He pauses then, and his expression shifts, growing solemn.

A clear shift in his demeanour happens. Magnus turns from playful to sincere in the blink of an eye. Although, there was also a serious tone to it. Magnus looks at him, and understanding eyes meet Alec’s hesitant ones. “Alexander, you seem like a man in need of a break, and I am very much a man in need of a friend. Adventures are always a quick way in figuring out what you want. What do you say?”

What does he say?

He says yes.

Of course Alec does.

--

Before Magnus can think of a good retort, he tries to ignore the clenching ache his stomach gives at the sight of a confident, smirking Alec Lightwood watching him so openly. He settles for pointing in a random direction. “I have to go and see a dog about a man. Meet back here in five?”

“Uh, isn’t the expression, ‘see a man about a dog’?”

“Not when the dog ran off with the man’s wife. A rather big scandal, it seems. The president wants me to try and step in. Smooth things over, so to speak.”

At that, Alec just stares blankly.

Magnus holds up a finger. “Yes, this is normal for me. No, you may not come along. Go.”

4. Love & Other Drugs prequel of Our Love Is A Harsh Chord in the Semi-charmed Kind Life series by @la-muerta​

Why I love this fic: I'm kind of cheating here by listing two fics but they're a package deal. Love & Other Drugs was a smutty one-shot that left me wanting

more...

backstory. Let me tell you the pining and 'unrequited' love between those two demanded a story to be written. Which is why when la_muerta ran a poll on whether or not she should start it or another series first, I campaigned for this one like it was my job (I lost but I still got the series eventually so did I really lose?) The writing in this and with all of la_muerta's fics will hook you. The sadness over the back and forth between them is done so well. It's angst that will grip you and hold onto you until you eventually finish. Just go on the twitter hashtag of #OLIAHCfic and see my screaming.

Favorite scene: Probably the LSD scene.

Favorite quote(s):

Alec was still here, in bed with him.

How many times had Magnus wished that he could wake up with Alec in his arms? He didn't dare to move, wanting the dream to last a little longer, but Alec was already stirring.

--

he'll wonder if life would be a little easier if he wasn't hopelessly in love with Magnus, but it is a fact of who he is now: Alec Lightwood is 6'3, has dark hair, is gay, and is in love with Magnus Bane.

--

They are lying next to each other now, turned on their sides and face to face. The world is no longer warped and weird, but glowing and perfect. Magnus is tracing a path of lightning down Alec's body with his fingertips, and in a moment of clarity Alec understands that in Magnus' eyes he is as beautiful as he thinks Magnus is (it is the first thing Alec forgets when he wakes up sober later).

--

Words aren't enough to express how he feels, but they've always understood each other better when clumsy words don't get in the way.

5. The Lonely Hearts Hotline by @unrestrainedlyexcessive​

Why I love this fic: It's funny, it's endearing, it's heart wrenching, it's sexy, etc. The way Alec is written in this fic is one of my favorite characterizations. The way his situation can resonate with so many young adults today. That feeling when you're an adult and you feel like you should know what to do with your life and who you should be but the truth is, you're still just as lost as always. Being an adult sucks tbh and even when you're an adult, sometimes life doesn't quite feel like it. Alec's character and growth in this fic is beautiful. (I also really loved Jace in this fic)

Favorite scene: A tough choice. Probably the office party and follow up scene in Magnus' office.

Favorite quote(s):

The problem with being a new grad, in general, is that the world and job force demands you have experience, but you have to live a certain number of productive years on the planet to gain that experience.

Early adulthood is no man's land. You don’t have the experience to matter and no one wants to pay you to gain it, hence how he ended up in the precarious situation he’s in: dodgy sex work by night, an even dodgier roommate, and desperately hoping an internship eventually turns into an actual paying job.

--

Magnus runs his tongue down the knobs of Alec's spine. "You're so beautiful," he says, pausing.

"I'm really not," Alec insists, eyes fluttering closed.

"Why are you so kind to everyone except yourself?"

"I'm a work in progress."

"Aren't we all?"