#i want to add the picture of the winner at the end and the comments people leave on this blog are hilarious; i want to showcase that!

[every-tome]

[maikissed]

post euro Jude Bellingham oneshot felt like writing something like this again, but it's a fluff (I guess?) sorry for typos, was writing like crazy!!!

ps. they’re best friends

A very early morning in Tokyo and you were glued to your laptop, attentively following the occurrences happening on the pitch on the other side of the world. Your eyes bloodshot, your head heavy. You did not get enough sleep since you’ve woken up on very not your usual hour to watch the European Championship final. And to add to that you went to sleep rather late. Sorrowfully, you were not prepared for it’s outcome, as you started picking at your nails, watching the minutes reach the end of the short added time. The final whistle, the final breath that left your lungs as the pictures of true euphoria kept flashing with bright colours at your tired eyes, bright red colours, happy screaming and whistling faces amongst the colour white, shrouded in sadness and defeat. You could not believe it. You were devastated. You were searching for his face but to your dismay the whole attention focused mostly on the true smiles of the cheerful winners. You waited a little bit more and there it was, an icy pain spilling inside your guts at the sight of his gaze, shocked, lost, unfocused. You were sure yours was the spitting image. Quickly you grabbed your phone laying on the nightstand to your right and looked at the last messages exchanged.

“Good luck, big boy. You got this!!!!”

“💪❤️”

You started to type. You stopped for a second and thought about it. What one say at such circumstances? Seemed easy but in fact was not. You knew how Jude was after losing any game, a damned one of the biggest events final must have been a disastrous blow. And he gave his all to it.

“Head up. You were wonderful”

You knew you would not get any more sleep this morning, so you decided to start your day at 6. After two hours of desperately trying to find a purpose in this day, you finally searched for a closest flight home.

Breathing in the England air felt different every time you came back. At some point the same, freshening, enlivening, moist whiff filling your lungs with longing; different with the way you were accepting it each time you were strolling down the very known streets. Every other time it seemed more feeble than before, like you’ve turned into a stranger. Like you did not belong anymore. You wondered why, since it was still your home, your roots. Were you distancing yourself? From home? From family? From him? Were you too preoccupied with all these new, different things? You felt downhearted at the thoughts. 

You reached the doorbell with your slightly numb fingers. Just a minute later Mark opened the door for you. You smiled from under your cap.

“Y/n, what are you doing here?” his face bright and smile honest, he reached for you to pull you into a greeting hug.

“Hi” your voice croaky so you cleared your throat “Took a quick flight. Wanted to check on you” 

“Quick? Thought it’s about fourteen hours” his expression amused, yet amazed.

“Something like that” you shrugged.

He nodded at your answer, gently in a thought.

“Please come in, want something to drink?” he turned around vigorously after a second and you followed him into the sitting-room connected with a spacious kitchen.

“I’m alright, thank you”

Not much changed around this house since your last visit, you thought to yourself. And it was quiet.

“Is he with you?” you murmured, almost like a whisper.

“Yes, upstairs”

Still very quiet.

“Asleep?” you asked.

“No, not yet” he commented, smiling at you with solicitude to it “I mean he struggles, more than usually. Mostly spends his days actively but alone, with no space to think too much. Running during the night, training for hours since early morning, sometimes visits the grandparents” his voice calm and stable, simply voicing out the facts but it added to your worry nonetheless.

A process of healing, you thought. But it broke your heart a little bit. You realised there must have been a sign of concern showing on your face because his lit up once again, his eyes smiling at you.

“He’ll be very happy to see you” you watched him beginning to collect some dirty dishes from the kitchen island “You happen to visit during his short rest so I guess he’ll be in his room or the gaming room”

You nodded before silently heading to the corridor leading to the stairs. There was an awful feeling gnawing at you because of your decision to not stay for the rest of the tournament to cheer for him, and leaving back to work after just 2 matches. Despite that he assured you it’s alright, you had your duties after all.

The doors to his room were opened and you took a quick peak around but he wasn’t there, so you turned to the other room, as Mark informed. The doors opened silently, the first thing you spotted was the back of the couch, the big TV in front of it turned off. The top of his head visible as he was sitting comfortably on the said couch. You took a few steps. A book in his hands, you realised and smiled amusingly at the sight. His head still down as he didn’t notice you.

“What’s the book about?” you started circling the couch to come closer.

His eyes shot up from the lecture and the first expression on his features that met your unsure gaze was surprise. He opened his mouth, with no sound at all, no words to voice out, his eyes always big and sparkly now smaller and tarnish. He reached out his hand for you to take it, his face softened. The corner of your mouth rose up as you placed your fingers in his gentle grip, sitting down next to him. He placed a gentle kiss on your knuckles and that’s when you reached for him to pull him in a hug.

“When did you arrive?” his voice raspy like he did not speak at all for the last few hours. You wondered.

“Two hours ago” you murmured into his arm before he pulled away.

“You crazy girl” he whispered, a bit of light entering his eyes as he examined you in amusement.

You granted him with the softest smile.

“Wanted to see you and tell you I’m proud of you” you shrugged.

Your sight turning blurry in a span of a second. You indeed were more sensitive than you would ever like to admit.

“Flew fifteen hours to tell me you’re proud of me?” he joked, his lips flexing in that funny smirk you knew so well.

“Fourteen” you corrected, making him chuckle in answer “You look tired”

“I am tired” he turned to lean back on the sofa.

“You did a great, invaluable job, you do know that?” after few seconds of silence.

These words made him tense, you could see that. His fingers shot up to his face, to the corners of his closed eyes, he sighed. Your intention was not to stress him, but it seemed it was still a very delicate subject. You reached with your own hand to his face, gently pressing on his cheek so he looked at you. Vulnerable and drained, your touch brining him peace.

“What would you say about a nap?” you asked.

As kids you used to love doing two specific things together during your free time. Playing outside all day, just the two of you or with your friends, until there was no more energy left in your limbs. And then coming back to yours or his to take a nap together. Sometimes short, sometimes lasting few more hours. Cuddled together or him resting on the pillows that were spread out on the floor and you on the bed, sometimes the other way around. Most of the times you were absolutely drained and it happened spontaneously, whatever space you reached first. But you loved to nestle into him, you rested well with his heartbeat palpable on your side. You never confessed. When you were kids it was simple and held no more into it than affection and happiness of two carefree souls.

And now you desperately yearned for him to have some good, cleansing sleep. You wished it could help, to go back a few years and feel it the way it used to made you feel. Safe and calm.

He silently agreed, so you stood up, his hand in yours when you started to walk in the direction of his room. There was a bit of awkwardness to it as you both laid down on the mattress next to each other. There never used to. But you weren’t kids anymore and it didn’t feel as natural as before. Many things didn’t feel like it used too anymore.

You turned your head to look at him, his eyes opened, staring at the ceiling.

“Come here” a whisper, a bit unsure but you hoped he didn’t notice that.

He turned your way and you rose up slightly so your back rested more on the backrest. He looked at you questionably.

“You want me to crush you?” he smiled.

“I’ll be fine” you rolled your eyes at his mocking smirk.

You’ve never been nervous around him, but when he placed his head on your stomach, gently and considerably, and his left hand reached around your waist to rest on your hip, there was a burst of funny sensations inside your belly. Affection, you held so much of it for him.

“Close your eyes” you whispered when your fingers reached his nape to scratch it gently, going down his back slowly and then back up.

“That’s nice” he hummed, his breath hot on the material of your shirt.

“Take some rest”

Minute by minute you could feel him relax more, his weight more prominent, his breathing evening – fifteen minutes later it turned deeper. He did fell asleep, you felt lighter at the realisation.

But after few more minutes you noticed the doors opening silently and you stressed that whomever decided to invade this peace might woke him up. You frowned when you noticed Jobe’s tall figure entering the room. Your expression dangerous as you shook your head at his brother because you were ready to murder him if Jude wakes up now. He smiled widely at the sight and despite your silent threats he circled the bed with an index finger placed lightly on his lips, as a sign that he’ll remain quiet. You followed him with your gaze. Bending over you he placed a quick kiss on your cheek in greeting, your features softened.

“He’s hopeless without you” Jobe whispered in your ear and you did not expect it “Don’t you dare leaving him again” his face funnily serious when he leaned back, turning away to leave you as you were.

You looked down at the boy resting on you, deep in a peaceful sleep, and you started to think heavily how would your life look like if you sacrificed all for everything you felt for him.

A sharp jolt startled you, you opened your eyes realising that sleep quickly overcame you as well. You looked around you quickly, the room turned darker, hours must’ve passed. Jude still laid on you, your legs entwined, but his grip on your side harsher, his body stiff against you. He jumped again, a distressed groan leaving his throat, followed by a quiet whimper, his face pressed hard onto your stomach. He was having a bad dream, you comprehended. You placed your palm on his arm.

“Jude” you whispered, shaking him delicately, but to no avail “Jude, wake up” louder.

He shuddered, his head rose up. After a second he turned to you in a little confusion.

“Y/n” he spoke your name more to himself, like an reassurance.

“I’m here” you confirmed watching his sleepy face, eyes a bit puffy, a few sleep wrinkles created by the material of your shirt visible on his skin.

“Good” he nodded.

He still looked disorientated, like he hasn’t fully woken up from a very deep slumber.

“Come here” he muttered, motioning for you to lay lower next to him.

You did as he asked, noticing a soft ghost of a smile on his lips, while his eyes kept closing involuntarily. You almost laughed out fondly at the sight. You had no time to correctly process his next move when he leaned closer to you and put a quick, sweet peck directly on your lips before whispering:

“Thank you” 

His head rested down on the pillows, his face in the crook of your neck, arm wrapped around you. He fell asleep on the spot and you smiled to yourself, for the deepening darkness to see only. You felt lighter than you’ve felt in years. You belonged, just not where you believed you did in these last few years. You belonged back home.

[wasteland-wrecker]

Win a drawing for FREE

💕 FALLOUT FLUFF EDITION 💕

RULES for joining the RAFFLE: (READ UNTIL THE END!!!)

1. Comment with this emoji -> 😳

2. Reblog (necessary!)

I will assign you a number based on the chronological order of your comment.

Result examples: HERE.

❌ ENDED ❌

Go to results

AFTER THE RAFFLE, the winner has to:

1. Confirm the participation within 48 hours from the raffle post (will also be contacted in private so keep an eye on the messages).

If you’re busy or something, just leave me an “OK” in chat and reach out to me later on. If you don’t show up I’ll pick the 2nd position and so on.

2. Provide me anything useful about his/her/their Sole Survivor, descriptions, pictures, drawings whatever you want within a week from the raffle. (If you feel lucky, prepare it first!)

If you don’t provide me the material I’ll pick the 2nd position and so on.

3. Accept the pose in the reference above. I can fix some parts, the expressions, I can add the text you want but the overall pose can’t be changed (sole and companion can be switched).

4. Allow me to post the result on my blog.

🌀Don’t ask me to draw anything that is not FALLOUT RELATED. (Fallout is a videogame -> Bethesda). Fallout 1,2,3,4,76 and New Vegas are included!

🌀 This is NOT a COMMISSION. It’s a “game” I do for fun so don’t take it too seriously.

🌀 Everyone can participate (old winners too). You don’t have to follow me but keep an eye on the blog for the updates. THANKS!

Wish you luck! 💕

[bloodychocolateroses]

Alright, I think that poll made a very clear winner!

This is the post where every note on it equals a minute of me wearing my plug in public! So every reblog, like, and comment adds up!

Some rules for my end of this challenge, just to make it a little more manageable on my end- 1. If I need to take it out, for any given reason, I will pause the time, so I won't cheat you lovely lot out of anything. 2. If the notes end up more than I can do in one day, and in like 10 hours or something, than I will do rhis challenge over multiple days. 3. I'll only count time with the plug in where I am fully out of the house, so timer won't start until I'm on the bus heading to my public destination.

From when I post this until is start should be about 20 hours, I think that's enough time to rack up the notes! I will once again provide photos every 20 minutes, but they may only be posted after I get home.

To everyone who voted on my post deciding on this challenge, especially @unlicensedcatboydick @xmommylonglegsx @bunnygirl-titties @robotgirlmommy @ivafakename-but-nsfw @girlcocksupremacy @catgirl-kisser , thanks for helping decide how I'm gonna be tortured! Now go! Add as many notes as you desire!

https://paypal.me/Bloodychocolateroses if anyone wants to be nice or see extra special pictures of this challenge!

[tntblr-community-official]

[disclaimer, this post is regarding the tntblr tumblr community which you 're more than welcome to join through this link if you haven't already]

Well, high time to figure out my shit and sort out the community stuff

Alright so first of all, the avatar and header images.

The idea I like the most is switching between pictures each week or month or something like that. On this blog you guys could send in your submissions, and I'd make polls and we can vote. I'll reblog all the posts from here in general so that they're in community, of course. The winner would be credited through an edit to info about the community

Question is, do we do that for both avatar and header? Just avatar? Just header?

If just the header, to adjust for sizing I'd add the psycho-competitive flag in the background, so visible on the sides. The psycho-competitive flag (and thus the current header and avatar) was made by me a while ago - this is the post

I know what one of the more common comments will be, so let me address it already: I don't think it's a good idea to use the iconic tnt duo kissing image. It is my understanding that the original artist has gotten harassed over it in the past, and you can't find it anymore on their Instagram (last time I checked at least). Furthermore, it is someone else's art, so to be able to use it in an official tntblr community I would need the artist's permission, and I just think that it could reinforce that that's something which keeps following them. I don't wanna bring up some shitty memories, so I'm personally against using it in such a public, "official" setting.

Second of all, I will be compiling a proper list of "rules" of the community, and once this poll is done I'll put it up as the official pinned post.

(Btw here's the previous pinned post if you want it)

Also the psycho-competitive flag:

Also I'm not gonna be spamming on here (won't be posting the ask submissions, it's just easier to do it through asks and have it in one place) (might end up doing it through like google forms or something if too many people submit their art anyway) so I'd say it's a good idea to follow this blog and turn on notifications for it if you're in the tntblr community, cause then you won't have to dig through all the other community posts to find updates about the community

[hotvintagepoll]

Welcome to the HOT AND VINTAGE MOVIE STARS bracket! we are currently voting on the HOTTEST and VINTAGEST male movie stars from 1910-1970. (we will do the ladies next.) Submissions for hot vintage men are now closed, but we are accepting propaganda for those already in the bracket.

We are currently in the last rounds of the Hot & Vintage Men Tournament. The quarterfinals will be posted Sunday, February 11, and last for 24 hours; the semifinals will be posted February 12th; the final will be posted on the 13th; and the winner will be crowned February 14th (Valentine's Day). All polls—including ongoing polls, previous rounds, the various shadow brackets and fun mini polls—can be found in the #hotvintagepoll tag. Every poll in the Hot & Vintage Men Tournament is tagged with the hot man in it if you need to search for a hot man in particular.

FAQs:

“Where is [my favorite hot man]?” It depends. Have you checked all the polls in the tag? Have you done a tag search for him? If you still haven’t found him, either nobody submitted him or he did not fit the criteria of being a movie man from 1910-1970.

“Can I still submit hot men?” No, the submission window has closed. Please do not send in men you wish had made it into the bracket. I can’t do anything with those asks and they just make me sad.

“I have hot women to submit!” Amazing! I’ve posted the submission form for that bracket here. Asks submitting ladies don’t count—you need to put it in the submission form. DO NOT tag me in hot lady propaganda yet! Do not send any to my asks!

"Can you post a list of the hot women already submitted?" No, because there are already 1300+ submissions and anything I post will be out of date immediately. The form takes two minutes or less to fill out—just submit instead of asking me if you should.

“I have additional propaganda for the hot men!” Great! Send me an ask, or reblog the poll and add your propaganda to it. I don’t boost all the propaganda I see or receive, but I try to boost the best of the best.

If you’re submitting propaganda for your hot man, I don’t accept propaganda that’s from beyond the end of this tournament’s era (ie don’t send me pics of them in the 70s onwards). I also don’t accept them acting in TV shows unless it’s clearly a cameo where they’re playing themselves. I try to avoid extremely long posts, so please don't send me every picture of your hot man you have in one ask. I love being tagged in gifsets and fancams, and I like boosting propaganda that tells us why your hot man is so special :)

I don’t post or boost negative propaganda about any hot man or woman. If you really hate that a certain hot man is winning, send me positive propaganda for their hot opponent. If you think a hot man or woman shouldn’t even be included in the tournaments because of scummy things they did in their lifetime, please read my take on it here.

If I see repetitive, trolling, and/or bigoted remarks in the comments, I may block you from this bracket. If you want to point out a hot man’s flaws or misdemeanors, that’s fine, but if I see consistent bad-faith trolling, you will be blocked.

On that note—if you have an issue with a poll, offer a solution! I do my best to keep the poll happy and fun, and I block people being dicks. If you don't like a poll photo or a description, offer one I can use instead.

“WHERE ARE THE HOT MEN. I want to see all the hot men competing in one place!!” You can find all the round 1 matchups here (thank you @markwatnae!). The hot men who made it to the quarterfinals are under the cut.

“My FAQ isn’t on here :(” send me an ask! I love hearing from you guys—just please check these basics first.

Thank you for being here! Enjoy the tournament.

Hot & Vintage Man Tournament quarterfinalists:

Jeremy Brett

Toshiro Mifune

Sidney Poitier

Vincent Price

Paul Robeson

James Shigeta

Omar Sharif

Buster Keaton

[artfoold00k]

FR raffle > ENDED.

I came across an old bog sketch in my files. Now it's finished but has no personality, doesn't belong, not yet alive. Is just a random scry

Let's make this one yours only, a custom artwork for your precious sneak-drake.

Bogsneak draggo. FR game. Raffle for custom artwork. < ENDED

WINNERS are > LINK

Terms and details are below. Easy to participate!

Terms of this raffle: 🔸 COMMENT on this post with the ID number of your Bogsneak dragon (select only one). 🔸 Clothes, skin/accent, and genes are allowed. 🔸 I'll consider those dragons who are not too complex. 🔸 You may include a note in your comment along with the number if something needs explanation. 🔸 Any gender but not an exalted dragon. 🔸 Tumblr account is required. 🔸 You don't have to follow my account in order to participate, only if you want to. I'd appreciate it if you reblog this post but it's not necessary as well. Reblog and/or follow, however, will grant you 1 extra entry.

Clarifications: 🔸 Raffle will start only with a minimum of 10 comments containing a participant dragon ID 🔸 Only ONE winner will be selected per 10 comments bunch. More comments = more winners. 10 = 1, 20 = 2, etc. 🔸 Raffle will be finalized when no new comments are received for 4 consecutive days. And once finalized, no new comments will be taken into account. 🔸 When the status of this raffle changes, it'll be displayed accordingly in the title of this post. 🔸 Numbers of dragons selected will be gathered by me, shuffled, and run through a randomizer. Additional entries = extra number repetition in the list. 🔸 I'll contact the winner (if possible) informing about the win. 🔸 I'll adjust and refine my draw to picture the winner dragon to the best of my capability. This means I'll add clothes, accessories, and whatever else is necessary. The pose and expression stay as they are currently on the draw. 🔸 My ID will be present in the final pic but less obstructive. 🔸 When the draw is ready, I'll post it on my Tumblr with the related user @ ping/mention.

🔴⚠ The final picture will be provided for PERSONAL use only and restricted to Flight Rising and Tumblr platforms. Web quality, medium size to fit into dragon's profile page.

[zucest-week]

Hello motherfuckers, it's time to Zucest.

As many of you know, last year, I, along with a group consisting of myself, me, Kate and @ilikepjo24, organized the first ever Zucest Week. The event was a huge success, a very enjoyable process for me, and everyone else who participated. So naturally, it will be done again.

I have already started working on some background projects and planning that are related to the event, like scheduling the dates, that I will share with you right now.

Last year, I got an anonymous complain, saying that the prompts were announced too close to the date of the Week itself. So this year, I decided to switch it up a bit. The Week will still happen on the same dates as last year, but the process of collecting prompts and voting for the winners will happen earlier that year, to ensure that there will be enough time.

So, with that being said, the Google Sheet where everyone will be able to write down their ideas will be shared with the public at the 28th of February. It will be editable by for a week and a day. Normally, it's supposed to be only a week, but this year is a leap year, which means you'll have an extra day to add your suggestions.

After the predecided deadline, the spreadsheet will no longer be editable, but it will remain online and accessable to however wishes to go over the prompts once again.

Once the prompts have been collected, I will seperate all of them to five categories, depending on their energy. Those categories will be:

Smutty/Kinky Suggestions

Fluffy Suggestions

Humorous Suggestions

Sad/Angsty Suggestions

And there will be a fifth category titled Free-For-All. The suggestions that go there are the prompt that fall into two or more of the other categories. Once the prompts are seperated, I'll create a voting poll for each of the categories and I'll share all the polls with you so that you can select the suggestions you prefer. That will happen in the 7th of March and this process will last one week.

After the voting process is over, I'll collect the seven most voted prompts from each poll and arrange them in each of the seven days of the Week. That way, each day sill have five suggestions, one from each of the five categories, and you pick what you'd like to write for that day. When each of the prompts you have chosen has been arranged to each respective day, I will announce the winner prompts. That announcement will take place in the 14th of March.

The Week itself starts at the 14th of June and ends at the 20th of the same month. So from the moment the prompts will be announced, we will each have 3 months exactly to write/draw their works based on the prompts.

All forms of art are appreciated and welcome. You can write a story or a poem, draw a picture or a comic, you could even compose a song if you wish to do show, or make a post with a headcannon inspired from the suggestions of the day. You might want to do a different project for each day and that's more than okay as well! All I wish for is that, if you use your platform/account on Tumblr to spread your art, tag it as #zucestweek and/or #zucestweek2024 so that it'll be easier to find.

Soon, I'll make another post regarding other Zucest related events that will take place at the same period of time, so stay tuned.

As always, if anyone had any question/idea/suggestion/concern, please feel free to contact mez anonymously or not, any moment of any day, through an ask, a reblog, a comment, or a private message in this account, or in my other account @ilikepjo24, although I would prefer if you contacted this account, so other people that might have something similar to say could also get their answer by following this account here.

And as I mentioned before, I organize this event by myself *side eyes Zucest loving friends that do nothing* so I'd appreciate it if no anti tried to burden me with any hate, cause I honestly don't have time for that.

That is all, have a nice day, wherever you are!

[whenshesayshush]

fic asks

Thanks to @septemberrie for tagging me!

How many works do you have on ao3? 7

What’s your total ao3 word count? 30.187

What fandoms do you write for? Just Fate: the Winx Saga at the moment.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

You haven't told me anything (that I didn't already know)

You found me dressed in black (hiding way up at the back)

Let’s put some light into our lives (but keep the storm that’s in your eyes)

The dead of the winter of my life (in the middle of the summertime)

It’s only war if there’s a winner (it’s only hell if there’s a sinner)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I do. Because yes, I write for me, but if I didn't I want the engagement with people who like the same thing as me, I wouldn't have to post my stories. I like thanking the people who take time to leave a comment, because it's not common and it's gotten less and less since the show got canceled.

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? It's only war if there's a winner, I'd say.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Hmm...toss up between You haven’t told me anything and I won’t let my demons win? I haven't really written overtly happy endings, just 'we're in a decent place right now' endings.

Do you get hate on fics? I haven't, no.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Not so far. I don't think I will ever write fully explicit content, but I might dabble into something a bit more suggestive at one point, who knows?

Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? No. They're usually not my jam, because I'm canon compliant to a fault.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Stolen as in someone else claimed to have written it, no. Not that I know of.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes, but without my permission and I believe it's since been taken down. I prefer to keep my works in English because that's the only way I have some control over how my words and ideas are interpreted.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? I have not, but I did collaborate with @rivusa for the Fate Reverse Big Bang this year! I'm not saying no to co-writing something in the future, but I am very particular about my writing and the things I like and dislike, so it would have to be the right match.

What’s your all-time favorite ship? The first one that comes to mind is Bellarke, which is funny because I was never really in the The 100 fandom or created any content for them, but God, their scenes just hit so hard. It's also definitely the ship I'm most disappointed about in terms of how it was handled in canon (that's some bullshit, man).

What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? I pretty much write one thing at a time and then post, so while I have a document of snippets that I may or may not use at some point, I don't really have any abandoned WIPs that were ever intended for posting. I guess I would have to say a plot I was developing for an original novel at some point that I barely wrote anything for but do still like the idea of. I'm not suited to longer stories, though, so I don't think I'll ever write a book.

What are your writing strengths? Dialogue is the one I feel confident enough in to throw out there. And maybe subtle intimacy? Like, establishing emotional connection through small developments. So the really slow slow burn, I guess.

What are your writing weaknesses? I don't think I'm very good at composition. I do have a full picture in my mind of what scenes look like, but I'm usually so focused on the dialogue and the impact of it on the characters that it takes me significant effort to go back and describe things like movement and setting. Oh, and @septemberrie (love you😘) consistently tells me to add more internal monologue in at least one spot in my fics.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? Fine by me, but if it's an existing language, I think it's a writer's responsibility to make sure it's correct. So if I didn't speak the language fluently, I'd always ask a native for a check.

First fandom you wrote for? CSI:Miami

Favorite fic you’ve written? I'm torn between two, but I think based on the fact that it's the fic that got me to share some of my writing for the first time in 10 years, I'm gonna have to go with You haven’t told me anything.

Tagging @medusanova, @leadingrebel and @amchara if they want to, but anyone else feel free!

[agnes-writes]

A Character Analysis on Seong Gi-Hun (Squid Game)

made at 2 AM running on 1 hour of sleep so I hope it makes sense

A lot of people were baffled by the ending of Squid Game, where Gi-hun actively chose to not get on the plane for his daughter and try to stop the salesman trying to recruit a player for the game.

I think it's actually quite fitting for his character.

Now, I'm not saying that he's not a bad dad for doing this, I'm just saying that all his actions make sense, especially if you analyse it.

Still, I'm going to use the bad father narrative and the common comments that come with it to form a clear picture for his main character trait:

Firstly, the fact that people say his daughter is his main motivation to play the games. Now, at first, you could definitely argue that this is true. He's first approached by a salesman (Gong Yoo, which, holy shit, he's so fucking hot, by the way) right after his daughter's disastrous birthday celebration. He plays, and makes his way home. At home, he finds out from his mother that his daughter will be moving to the US and he can only get her back if he can provide for her. Seeing it as harmless and a way to make quick money, he calls the number.

However, when the first game ends, he votes not to continue, and is sent back home. Here, we find out that his mother is severely diabetic. This leads to an argument where he vows to get the money for her treatment one way or another. Subsequently, he tries to beg both his friends and even his ex-wife for a loan, and almost gets the money from her ex-wife's current husband, who told him to stay away from his family. He's seen walking home in the rain and sees the business card right after that.

I think this episode cements the fact that his main motivation, is not, in fact, his daughter—she's only a small part of it; his main motivation is his desperate need for money for his mother's treatment, and that little jab of the stepfather to him just adds insult to injury, and therefore, just a bonus perk of winning the game. In fact, this is further proven in episode 8, when Saebyeok asks Gi-hun what he'll do with the money if he gets out, and he sees he'll use it for his mother's treatment, and then set-up a proper store for her, because it's actually her dream. Only then, so he says, would he try to be a good father to his daughter. His daughter was not on the top of his priority list for the prize money.

Next, the argument that he knew from the very start that he's playing for blood money, so why doesn't he just use it to provide for his kid?

I don't think that argument's very fair. I genuinely think that he did not, in fact, know what he signed up for, and that's because the game mods had phrased their rules in a very particular way.

The game mods had told them that if they survive all six games, they get to win the money. That is very open to different interpretations but what I think Gi-hun thought is that there isn't one winner—anyone who survives 'til the end will get a portion of that money. So my theory on his thought process is that he only signed up to risk ONLY his personal health and safety, not thinking he'd have to kill anybody else. In fact, in that one scene in Episode 4, when a few players don't get enough food and have a scuffle leading to the death of one player, he is the first one who demanded something be done about it, saying that they're not there to kill each other like animals, before it's revealed that foul play is, in fact, condoned and even rewarded by the game mods.

But now Gi-hun's stuck there and he has to see it through. But he doesn't have to be happy about it.

I think one of the scenes that further cements this is in the Tug of War game—in the moment, he doesn't want to die, but then they show alternating perspectives of his team and the opposing team, and there's a myriad of expressions on his face; one of them, possibly fear and guilt as he sees the faces of the people on the other team struggling to pull back. Then, in the elevator, we have a shot of him staring at the rope burns in his hands with a clearly conflicted and horrified look on his face—which I interpreted as the moment it had sunk in that he'd have to kill people to survive.

Next is the reasoning on why he left the prize money untouched, but gave 2/3 of it Sangwoo's mother and Saebyeok's brother, but not his daughter.

Now, we've established that he probably sees this money as blood money; Gi-hun probably feels incredibly guilty or blames himself for killing his friends and other people, or at least having some kind of hand in them. He's already promised to take care of Saebyeok's brother and Sangwoo's mother, so I'm not particularly surprised. The thing is, I think he gives the money to Saebyeok's brother and Sangwoo's mother and doesn't feel bad about where it came from is because he knows that's the reason why they played the games in the first place. It was their blood that was spilled, so it would have only been fitting for them to get money.

But why not his daughter? Again, this goes back to the guilt argument. Gi-hun thinks this is blood money; and knowing how he'd gotten it, knowing what he had to do to get it (and not being able to fulfill the main motivation on why he joined, treating his mother, who died before he could come back), it would weigh on someone. It would also make sense that he wouldn't want to give his daughter that money and try to explain it, not wanting to relive or come up with a lie for what he had to go through. In his eyes, that money is tainted, and he doesn't want his daughter anywhere near what he experienced in that arena.

Lastly, why he didn't get on the plane. See, this ties in to what I think is his main character trait; he sees a salesman trying to find players for the game, indicating that it is, in fact, still on-going, despite Oh Il-Nam's death, and interrupts them.

The reasoning behind this is that he knows his daughter is already well-provided for: even in the first few episodes, we see that she has a nice house and clothes, attentive parents and is clearly doing okay with her stepfather getting a steady job in the US. In his mind, she'll be just fine.

But he was in these people's shoes before—desperately trying to make ends meet, finding away to survive, only to be taken advantage of and made to sign their own death warrant for entertainment purposes. These people have no idea what's to come for them.

In Gi-hun's head, it's his daughter's life, who is already set and comfortable with her new family, versus the lives of possibly hundreds of people who had no idea what they're getting into, many of whom may not be as lucky as he is.

That would eat at his conscience, or so I think it would. Knowing that the games are still continuing and doing nothing to stop it with the little knowledge he has of them... That screws with your head, especially with his morals intact. So he doesn't get on the plane, and chooses to try and stop the games.

And that is the running vein of his entire character:

We have his mother, who only has him to help her, as his main motivation, and we see him help those who need help as the team builds—particularly Oh Il-Nam, or player 001, whom he perceived as someone who needs to be helped at his old age (but he isn't, honestly, fuck that plot twist), there's Saebyeok's brother and Sangwoo's mother who also lost their only providers in those games, and finally, to cement the on-going theme, there're the hundreds of people, just trying to make ends meet, being swindled into playing these death games for the entertainment of rich assholes.

Seong Gi-hun doesn't take care of everyone except his daughter.

He takes care of everyone who he thinks needs it.

And I think that's a wonderful core trait for a person to have.

[wasteland-wrecker]

Win a drawing for FREE! (Fallout)

Rules:

1. Comment with this emoji -> 🥵

2. Reblog (necessary!)

PLEASE DON’T ADD THE EMOJI 🥵 ONLY ON THE REBLOG HASHTAGS, LEAVE A COMMENT UNDER THIS POST SO I CAN FOLLOW THE RIGHT ORDER PLEASE THANK YOU 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

I will assign you a number based on the chronological order of your comment.

Result example: here.

❌ ENDED ❌

Results: September 3

AFTER THE RAFFLE, the winner has to:

1. Confirm the participation within 48 hours from the raffle post (will also be contacted in private so keep an eye on the messages).

If you’re busy or something, just leave me an “OK” in chat and reach out to me later on. If you don’t show up I’ll pick the 2nd position and so on.

2. Provide me anything useful about their Sole Survivor/Courier Six/OC, descriptions, pictures, drawings whatever you want within a week from the raffle. (If you feel lucky, prepare it first!)

If you don’t provide me the material I’ll pick the 2nd position and so on.

3. Accept the pose in the reference above. I can fix some parts, the expressions, but the overall pose can’t be changed (characters can be switched).

4. Allow me to post the result on my blog.

🌀Don’t ask me to draw anything that is not FALLOUT RELATED. (Fallout is a videogame -> Bethesda). Fallout 1,2,3,4,76 and New Vegas are included + Tv show as well!

🌀 Use ONE account (or two different accounts for commenting and reblogging, just write somewhere you're the same person please).

🌀 This is NOT a COMMISSION. It’s a “game” I do for fun so don’t take it too seriously. Sketch only.

🌀 Everyone can participate (old winners too). You don’t have to follow me but keep an eye on the blog for the updates. THANKS!

[This is gonna be the last raffle I do before I open commissions (I think I’m ready now help), so in case you want something specific I could always do it for you later on.]

[I’ll keep doing raffles anyway, I think they’re funny to do and could make someone happy with a silly drawing. I’ll just do them less frequently.]

Wish you luck!

[manianart]

Bunny Sheriff pt2

It had been a lot easier to adjust than Sheriff would have thought it to be. It had been about a week now

A week that he had stayed with the others and it really wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. Once everything was explained and it was put out that Sheriff would be staying nobody made a fuss about it. On the contrary, even. Deimos seemed rather excited at the thought of keeping a pet. Sheriff didn’t know what to think about that but he was thankful nobody was against him staying.

After a while Deimos and Sanford said they’d go out for a drive. When they came back they had brought a bunch of pet supplies for bunnies.

Deimos went to set them up right away with Sanford by his side, reading out of a booklet with the title “how to care for lop bunnies”.

Was that what he was? Sheriff cocked his head to the side and blinked a few times, not really sure what to think about all this but not really able to raise any questions. Once everything was apparently ready Deimos went over and took Sheriff from the Doc, who ever so slightly tensed up.

A few seconds later Sheriff was plopped into a new cage.

Great.

He huffed out a bit at the thought of having to stay in yet another cage but then he noticed something. The cage ground was soft and it was a lot bigger than the other one. There was food, water, bedding, some toys, straw and, to Sheriffs delight, a little hut that he could use to hide in. 

D:”Don’t worry lil dude. This is only for nights or when we can’t keep an eye on ya.”

Deimos smiled at Sheriff. Such an honest smile and such a nice gesture. Sheriff wanted to say thanks but being that he couldn’t talk he did the next best thing. Leaning up towards Deimos hands, that were still somewhat in his cage, he nuzzled them carefully, the way he had seen cats do when asking for pats.

Deimos smile grew and he started to carefully pat the soft fluff behind the Sheriffs ear.

Both Deimos and the Sheriff were too occupied with their interaction to see Hank draw close up until he was kneeling in front of the new cage.

H:”Looks like he likes the new cage.” Deimos stopped himself when he heard Hank and looked over, now smiling at Hank.

D:”Yeah! I’m glad. Wasn’t easy to decide which one to get but Sanford found that book on bunnies and that made it somewhat easier.”

Sheriff looked over to where the other man stood, still reading in that booklet they had brought along.

Sanford noticed and slowly started to wander over to the cage before kneeling down and starting to look between the Sheriff and the booklet.

S:”I think I found out what kind of bunny this one is.” D:”Oh? Which one is it?” S:”Pretty sure he’s a dwarf lop bunny. See? The book has some pictures on them and he looks exactly like this one.” Deimos and Hank both leaned over to see where on the page Sanford was pointing to. Sheriff too tried to look, leaning on his hind legs and stretching up as far as he could to see the page as well, not having much luck with it though. By the reactions of the other two men he was pretty sure it was right though. Sanford met Sheriffs gaze and turned the booklet around, pointing to a bunny that was pictured on the page.

S:”Look, this is you.” Sheriff looked at the image. So that’s what he looked like now, huh? He had to say that that picture was rather cute, no wonder Hank didn’t want to hurt him when he found him. He wouldn’t have had the heart to do anything to a bunny like that either.

Just then he heard one of them yawn. Looking up he saw Hank open his mouth, sharp incisors and a metal jaw making him slightly flinch before he felt himself yawn as well.

2B:”It’s getting late. We should go to our quarters and head to bed.” The others nodded but then Deimos brought up a good point.

D:”So, who’ll get to keep the lil bun with them tonight?” 2B:”I don’t know but I sure as hell ain’t gonna take him to my room.” H:”I can keep him in my room.” D:”No fair! You had him the most out of all of us today!” S:”How about we play a round of rock paper scissors? The winner takes him with him for the night.” Hank and Deimos nodded at that, not even glancing at Sheriff to see what he had to add to that.

The first match they all went against each other, mostly to gage who would then go against each other in a one to one, but that wasn’t even needed. One draw and Sanford won, having given paper while the other two gave stone as answer.

Happy with the result and not willing to draw things out Sanford simply grabbed Sheriffs cage and walked to his room with it.

Once inside Sheriff looked around a bit. It was a clean room, sparsely decorated with only a few personal items.

What drew the Sheriffs interest were some pictures hanging on the wall above the table he had been placed on.

They showed Sanford and Deimos mostly but some also showed the other two men with a third one Sheriff didn’t recognize.

While looking at the photos Sheriff hadn’t noticed Sanford starting to undress, only noticing when the latter spoke up.

S:”Hey, I’ll go shower real quick. Behave while I’m gone, okay?” Sheriff watched the man head to a door that apparently led to a bathroom attached to his bedroom. Geez. Now Sheriff started to feel dirty. It had been a while since he had gotten the chance to shower.

Sighing he thought about what he could do.

He could try and get Sanford to let him bathe in the sink or something, though he wasn’t really sure if the man would understand him at all. He could use the water bowl in his new cage to bathe in but then he wouldn’t have any water to drink.

Sighing Sheriff thought about his last option. Just doing it the way bunnies would usually do it. Meaning using his tounge.

He shivered at the thought of it but in the end it was the only viable option at the moment. He looked at his front paws, they didn’t look too bad. Now...how did bunnies do that again… Shoot he really didn’t know. Maybe he should just let the body do it’s own thing? Could he do that?

He just decided to start, bringing his paws up and licking at them a bit before smoothing them over his face. Okay, this felt right. Moving on he re-wet his paws and continued with his ears.

He moved slow and methodical.

He was only at his second ear when Sanford came out of the bathroom again. Not noticing the other man he continued cleaning himself until he heard a chuckle.

S:”Y’know you could have pointed to the bathroom and I would’ve gotten you a washcloth.”

Sheriff looked over to the other, happy he couldn’t see his blush, and slowly sat down onto all fours.

S:”One moment. I’ll get something to wipe you down with. I’d be eager for a cleaning too if I had been dragged around by so many people and had to withstand the dusty wind outside.”

Sure enough Sanford went back into his bathroom and came out with a wet washcloth wich he proceeded to use on the Sheriff, carefully cleaning him wherever Sanford could reach.

Shortly thereafter Sanford layed down and turned out the lights, signing the Sheriffs first day with them drawing to an end.

Now it was a week later.

Sheriff had slowly begun to trust the others, finding that his worries of them killing him or torturing him once they found out who he was were unwarranted.

Quite the opposite really. They treated him rather well. Maybe because they thought he was a non-threat now, maybe because they could all kill him without so much as breaking a sweat or maybe just because they pitied him.

He honestly didn’t care.

He felt safe.

It had been ages since he had felt safe. Even when he was still his old self he hadn’t felt this safe in a long time.

The last time he had felt anywhere near this safe was when he had just started out as Sheriff.

When everything was still easy.

When he had only one man under him, his partner in crime-fighting, Adam.

Sheriffs mood dulled a little at the thought of his old partner.

It had been a while that he had thought about Adam. He had been his best friend and his confidant.

His loss had been the thing to make Sheriff snap and start cutting people off.

A hand was suddenly on his back, petting him carefully.

Looking up he saw Deimos looking at him, his face showing worry.

D:”You alright there Bunniff?”

Bunniff. That silly nickname Deimos had come up with about 3 days after he had been brought here.

Sheriff hadn’t liked it when he first heard it but it had grown on him. Just as much as Deimos and Sanford had grown on him, being the two that took the most care of him.

Sheriff nuzzled into the touch somewhat, trying to ease Deimos worries.

What he wouldn’t give to be able to talk.

D:”You trying to be cute to get an extra snack?”

Sheriff gave Deimos a side eye at that comment but couldn’t help himself turning towards the other to see if he did have a snack.

D:”Hehe. I gotcha lil buddy. Here ya go.” With that Deimos got out some yoghurt drops, that they had gotten from their trip to the pet store, and held one out to Sheriff.

Sheriff carefully took the drop with his teeth, having learned that those were rather sharp now, the hard way by biting his tounge, and started to nibble at it.

He truly did appreciate the snack, even if it wasn’t really the thing that he was looking for at the moment.

He was halfway done with the snack when 2BDamned stepped into the room with a clipboard.

Sheriff looked up and sighed.

Time for the daily testing.

The doc had started with those the day after Hank had brought him here, saying that, since Auditor was the one to revive Sheriff and they didn’t have a good gage on his powers, they couldn’t know what kind of anomalies could occur around and or with the Sheriff.

So far nothing had come of it.

Sheriff finished his snack quickly before he was lifted from the couch, where Deimos had placed him so they could watch some TV, and carried to 2Bs room.

Half an hour of tests later and the Doc was once again only staring at the results with a scowl.

A long sigh escaped the man before he walked over to the small cage he had placed Sheriff in to pick him up again.

2B:”. . . I still don’t get WHY Auditor would do this to you! . . . hopefully there’ll be no side eff-”

The Doc was interrupted by a loud sneeze coming from Sheriff. Sheriff didn’t even know where that had come from, he didn’t feel it coming on but oh well.

Opening his eyes after the sneeze he blinked a few times. He was still in 2Bs hold but something felt...off.

2B:”-cts…”

Doc was staring at him now.

Did he have something on his face? Reaching up he touched his face to see if something was hanging out of his nose.

Wait.

How did he do that? Normally when people held him like that he couldn’t use his arms.

Looking down now he saw...a hand?

A furr covered, paw-like hand for sure but still. A hand.

Looking back up again he met 2Bs eyes, seeing the surprise in them. His mask was hiding it but he was sure his mouth was standing open as well.

Sh:”What just-”

Sheriff heard himself beginn to say before stopping himself mid sentence.

He could talk.

HE COULD TALK!

Before he could revel in that fact a little longer 2B brought him close, holding him like a child now and rushed into the living room with him, to where the others were at the moment.

2B:”HANK!”

The others looked up at the Doc who proceeded to almost shove the half-bunny Sheriff into Hanks face.

2B:”I TOLD you he was a danger! LOOK! Who knows what’ll happen next?! We have to-”

The Doc was interrupted by Hank standing up so fast he threw down his chair, glaring at the man inside of his grasp.

Sheriff swallowed hard, his body beginning to shiver. He felt his still attached tail go between his legs and grabbed his ears in a nervous attempt to somewhat hide, using the brim of his hat as well.

Hank was towering over the other and Sheriff didn’t know when it would come but he was SURE that he would get hurt.

Silence.

Sheriff didn’t even know when he had shut his eyes but he had, waiting for the hurting to start.

After minutes of no harm coming his way he slowly opened one eye again before carefully looking up at the other.

Hank was looking...happy?

His eyes were fixated on Sheriff for sure but they held no malice or anger. A second later and Hank had taken him out of the Docs hold and was now holding him like he was the most precious thing in the world.

D:”Well… this is new...Hank be careful not to break him with that stare of yours.”

Deimos quipped, giving a snicker when Hank gave him an annoyed glance before returning to look Sheriff all over.

Sheriff felt himself begin to relax again. Hank wasn’t angry. He didn’t think Sheriff had planned anything evil or malicious.

That was a relief.

Well for about a minute it was.

That was until Sheriff realized that, holy shit, he was practically NAKED!

Sure he’d been naked all the time as bunny, but that was just the problem. He had been a BUNNY. Those normally didn’t need clothes. But now he was NOT a bunny anymore...at least not fully and that fact made him feel really exposed now.

Using his arms to kind of instinctively hide his chest and crotch, even though there was literally nothing visible there, he made a squeaking noise out of embarrassment.

That was when Sanford gave him a shirt.

S:”Here, you should probably put that on.”

Hank lowered him to the ground and grabbed the shirt for him before lifting it over his head and helping him into it.

It looked way too big on him but he didn’t care, he was just glad he didn’t have to feel naked anymore.

SH:”Thank you.”

Now everyone but the Doc and Sheriff froze.

D:”You can talk?” Sh:”Uuuuuhm~ apparently?” Sheriff shrunk a bit at the others reaction but the smile that followed gave him a little reassurance that they didn’t dislike it.

A slew of questions followed, none of wich he actually knew how to answer aside from the last one.

S:”So, what do you want to do now?”

Sanford was smiling but Sheriff knew the gravity of that question.

Before he could think about it much more, about where he’d go now and what to do or what they would do now to prevent him from doing something stupid, his stomach growled loudly, interrupting everyones thoughts.

Sh:”I guess eat something.”

The tension that had slowly been building in the room fell away at that.

They could think about this all later, for now they were just gonna roll with it.

And now it was time for dinner.

[fruitcoops]

This technically isn’t a tik tok trend, but I can totally see Sirius putting up a compilation of clips of loops playing hockey, both on the arena, and in his private rink!! Maybe as a surprise, or an anniversary of some sort, or maybe simply because he loves him so much. I know this is very vague... sorry!! I love your writing, and hope you have a lovely rest of your day/night!!

This ask is awesome and not super vague at all! It’s a different format than usual, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Have a great day! Credit for Coops/ Sweater Weather goes to @lumosinlove!

Number One: Fastest Player on the Team

Two hockey players in gold and red tensed at a starting line, then took off in a flash when the whistle blew; within moments, the player on the left pulled ahead and zipped past the camera in a blur. He reached the finish line a full two seconds before his opponent and took his helmet off—Remus’ hair was damp with sweat, but his wicked smile as Finn collapsed dramatically on the ice showed no sign of exhaustion. “Hell yeah, baby!” someone shouted behind the phone.

 Number Two: Freckles

A slideshow of pictures started to play: Remus grinning at the camera, Remus stretched out on a beach towel, Remus fast asleep in an old Wisconsin sweatshirt with his face squished against a pillow. Most of the photos must have been taken in the summertime, because dark speckles cascaded across his cheeks, chest, and arms.

 Number Three: Bookworm

A still frame from their first Tiktok showed Remus holding an empty spoon and reading his book with a deep frown, then transitioned into a new video.

“Honey, did you walk the dog?” Sirius’ voice asked out of view. There was a murmured response. “Re?”

“In here.”

In the living room, Remus was sitting sideways in an armchair, hunched over a paperback like a gargoyle. “How long have you been there?”

“Shhh, I’m reading.”

“I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

 Number Four: Smart as Hell (Also a Nerd)

“—but it’s impossible,” Remus was saying to Pots, gesturing wildly. “That’s not how space works!”

“Are you an astronaut?” Pots countered.

“I don’t have to be an astronaut to know fire doesn’t ignite in a vacuum, James! If blasters existed—and they won’t until scientists figure out either cold fusion or miniature nuclear power, but that’s a different discussion—if blasters existed, and if one X-Wing shot an Empire ship in a weak spot, the Empire ship wouldn’t explode. Fires might start inside, but as soon as it was exposed to outer space all the oxygen would dissipate and it would just break apart, or maybe implode.”

“You two realize you’re debating the physics of a movie called Star Wars, right?” Lily asked drily.

“Yes,” the two men said in unison.

 Number Five: Best Dog Parent

Another photo compilation began, this time of Remus and Hattie. In the first one, he was cradling her like a baby while she slobbered on his chin; in the second, he was standing knee-deep in a small lake and calling to her. The final picture was one of Sirius’ favorites: Hattie was splayed on the living room floor in a ray of sunshine, passed out cold, while Remus curled protectively around her side as he slept.

 Number Six: Closet Romantic

“Hey, baby?” Remus asked as he walked into the kitchen, where Sirius was eating a sandwich and scrolling through Twitter.

“Mhmm?”

“Are you French?”

“Well, kind of—”

“Because Eiffel for you.”

A vivid blush crept up Sirius’ neck and he set his sandwich down, dropping his face into the crook of his elbow. “Oh my god. Oh my god.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Sirius laughed without looking up. “Nobody believes me when I say you’re sappy.”

“I know,” Remus said, sounding rather smug about it.

 Number Seven: Not a Morning Person

“Sweetheart, it’s time to wake up,” Sirius said gently behind the camera. His hand and forearm appeared as he shook Remus’ shoulder.

“Time is it?” Remus barely moved; outside, it was still dark.

“Uh, five thirty,” Sirius said around his smile.

“Fuck off.”

“Remus!”

“If this is for a prank, you’re sleeping on the couch,” he grumbled, turning over and pulling the covers back up around his shoulders.

“You don’t want to go on a hike with me?”

“Ask again at eight or take the dog with you. Your choice.”

 Number Eight: The Laugh

A series of short clips played, each of Remus laughing. Some had Sirius in them, and each time the quick down-up of laughter happened, a dopey smile spread across his face.

 Number Nine: You’re Competitive...

Remus sped down the ice at breakneck speed and slammed into an opposing player, stealing the puck away and turning hard to pass it to Sirius. His eyes flashed as the camera zoomed in and the commentators went wild.

The next video showed him at practice, clicking the puck through cones so fast it became a blur of black until it flew into the goal at the end of the drill. “Beat that, Talker,” he called as Thomas Walker skated into the starting position. Talker mumbled something under his breath and Remus smirked.

The final clip was from the gym, where he and Logan were locked in a competition. “Put more weight on,” Logan panted to Leo, rising from yet another squat with a wince. “I can’t lose to the fuckin’ PT.”

“You can and you will,” Remus shot back as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and began a new set of squats. “Try me, Tremzy.”

 Number Nine Point Five: …And a Willing Participant in Pointless Competitions

“Hey, how fast do you think we can ride these carts down the aisle?” Pots asked. Lily’s phone camera was clear enough to capture the look he, Sirius, and Remus shared.

Sirius grabbed another shopping cart. “There’s only one way to find out.”

“We’ll race to the strip of black tiles there at the end,” Remus said, sending Lily a quick grin. “Winner gets to ride in the basket for the rest of the trip.”

 Number Ten: You Chose Me

Only one picture faded in this time. Sirius was beaming at the camera while Remus kissed his cheek, both still sweaty from practice and glowing like they had been lit up from the inside. On Sirius’ left hand, a simple gold-and-silver ring wrapped around his finger.

 New words appeared on the screen in the same script as the numbering and titles. There are a million more things I could add to this list—your sarcasm, your singing, your mischief, your big heart—because I love everything about you, and I can’t wait until we’re married. Happy anniversary, mon loup!

[troped-fanfic-challenge]

JATP ROUND TWO FICS!

We received seventeen (17!!!!!) Fics for the Second Round of the JATP TROPED Event! These fics were fluff-filled and super fun, and we loved to see how you all challenged yourselves with the theme, tropes, and pairings!

Please try to read as many fics as you can! Take some notes, leave some kudos/comments for the authors, and help us vote on the winners!

Voting will be open until May 14th at 11:59pm EST! Vote here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BZ3W5FT

Please rank ALL the fics in each question based on the USE of each trope, the theme, the fics overall, and the two bonus polls (best setting + most unique pairing)! Your #1 spot should be the best answer and your last spot the least likely answer for the question. The Best Overall Poll will determine who will be writing in the Final Round! We ask that you please rank EVERY fic, so we can avoid technical difficulties! A reminder that you must include a Tumblr or AO3 username/URL, and you may only vote once, we will NOT count multiple votes by the same person.

————

Okay, Campers, Rise and Shine! (Rated T) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: When Reggie launches a particularly ill-advised prank war at HGC Ranch, Luke's fully prepared to take it in stride.

When the days start looping, though, he begins to suspect that this might all be a little bit above his head.

In other words, he's at least 78% sure that the time loop isn't a direct result of Reggie's pranks.

Maybe 77%.

Oh, well.

At least he's not in it alone.

(The Groundhog Day meets Gravity Falls meets Summer Camp meets The Author's Own Distaste For Prank Wars AU that no one asked for. Ever. At all.)

Starting To Forget (Just What Summer Ever Meant To You) (Not Rated) [Flynn x Carrie]

Summary: Last summer didn't end on a positive note for Carrie Wilson - she and her girlfriend broke up on the last night of camp, and she's been miserable since. But it seems that the universe is intent on having her fix that this summer. Even if that means she has to live through the same day over and over and over again until she does.

Creative B.S. Was No More, Was No Less (Look Around, You're Gonna Miss What You Found) (Rated T) [Alex x Luke, Flynn x Reggie]

Summary: The midnight men move again

Don't know when

Best friends forever

In trouble again

Here's to you, here's to me

Over the rafters and we're free

--- Over the Rafters, Rick Schiffman

***

Alex and Luke go undercover on a mission to a summer camp in order to find a talisman that could endanger the camp and all the kids. While there, they bond with the kids and make peace with the fact that they broke up.

While Alex and Luke are away, Flynn accidentally fucks with time.

bitch but like romantically (Rated T) [Flynn x Carrie]

Summary: The dining hall’s exactly the same as it has been for two mornings now, and Flynn doesn’t hesitate to poke Willie twice on the nose and whisper “pancake” on her way past their seat.

His eyes widen and he whips his head around to follow them, excitement glimmering in their eyes.

“Really?” they blurt. Flynn rolls her eyes and nods.

~

or: flynn gets stuck in a time loop. {for troped jatp round 2}

down by the bay (Rated T) [Alex x Willie]

Summary: Over time, Camp Phantom has simply become known as a selective summer camp: one that took only the kids that Caleb saw promise in. And Caleb wasn’t exactly lying. He really did take only the ones he saw promise in, he simply looked for different traits than others might.

For example, say, hypothetically, a boy who could see the future. Or, hypothetically, a girl who could interact with ghosts. Or, hypothetically, a boy who could summon objects to him with a simple thought. Or, and this is completely hypothetical mind you, a boy who could manipulate time.

Those might be some traits that Caleb saw promise in. Just, like, as examples.

Time will tell (But only if you do it right) (Rated T) [Flynn x Carrie]

Summary: Carrie had been acting a little off for a week or so, but Flynn was pretty much known for seeing something in nothing, and that was probably what they were doing then. If something was going on, Carrie would tell her eventually.

OR

Who knew all it took was a little bit of miscommunication to mess up time itself?

and so it begins (Rated T) [Bobby x Reggie]

Summary: It’s the first day of their second week at Camp Carolling (they’re spending an entire month, and they’re getting paid to be there!) when Reggie gets a little lost in the woods. During this misadventure into the woods, he finds an egg shaped rock, an inhabited cabin that may or may not be riddled with signs, and something that might be magic. He probably doesn't get paid enough to discover magic.

or, when they were thirteen years old, four boys met at camp carolling and eventually became a band that almost became something legendary. now, all four boys are coming back as counselors, three boys in one band and one boy in his own solo act.

so begins the reunion, though it doesn't go how any of them imagine.

Porcupine Day (Rated T) [Bobby x Ray x Rose]

Summary: It’s been fifteen years since Trevor broke up with Ray and Rose and they’re... not fine, but managing. But when Trevor to adds insult to injury and buys the camp across the lake from the one they once owned together, the two camps become locked in a bitter rivalry. With neither side willing to set aside their pride and work out their issues, the universe decides to settle their fates itself.

Day After Day (After Day After Day) (Rated T) [Alex x Willie]

Summary: When Alex met Willie just after their senior year of high school, they spent a wonderful three months dating before their relationship ended in a blaze of glory. Now, four years later, they meet again as counselors at a summer camp. The only problem? Alex keeps reliving their first day together. The day that Luke had declared "Prank Day."

This is not how Alex pictured his summer going.

clocks move faster (it's all we're after) (Rated G) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: Julie likes it when her friends are happy, so when she realizes she's stuck in a time loop, she uses her knowledge to make sure everything works out for everyone... except she conveniently forgets to factor herself (and Luke) into the mix.

Touch of Magic (Not Rated) [Alex x Luke]

Summary: When everything stands in Luke and Alex’s way of getting to be with the people they love, they have to repeat the day over and over until they can get the happily ever after that they want.

The play's the thing (that goes wrong) (Rated T) [Alex x Willie]

Summary: Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day for Macbeth, but not so for Alex and the production of Hamlet that he is directing and starring in. And while he's stuck repeating the day of the performance over and over, mishaps of all kinds befall the cast.

anything, anything (for another run with you) (Rated T) [Alex x Willie]

Summary: The moment Alex steps foot in Camp Greenwood, he knows that this summer is a bad idea.

He knows it as soon as he sees tan skin, long hair, and a tie-dyed crop top at the check-in table.

Willie.

-

the camp counselor/exes/prank war/time loop fic of your dreams (unless you read all of the other troped round 2 fics lmao)

there’s a glorious sunrise, dappled with the flickers of light (Rated T) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: What comes next happens in slow motion. Luke’s foot catches on the last rung of the ladder. Julie watches as he stumbles a step forward, barely catching himself before falling on his face. The ladder clatters to the floor below. The trapdoor, no longer propped open by it, falls closed with a loud thunk, the lock clicking into place. They’re stuck.

“Luke!” she exclaims loudly. “Look what you did!” Julie drops to her knees in front of the trap door, desperately trying to fit her fingers between the wood and the stone to pry it open again. Of course it doesn’t work.

“What?” he snaps back. “I wouldn’t be up here in the first place if it weren’t for you trying to fuck us over.”

or: ex-best friends Luke and Julie, working as camp counselors at rivaling camps, find themselves stuck in a time loop

the daughter of apollo (Rated T) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: (the JATP x Camp Half Blood AU that nobody asked for)

maybe the world isn't ending (maybe it's been postponed) (Rated G) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: Alex runs his fingers through Willie’s hair. “I think it’s best to just leave them to their own prank war at this point. Let’s not forget that time Julie put hot sauce in the coffee pot and my mouth was on fire for an entire hour.”

“You’re exaggerating, Alex-”

“I most certainly am not,” Alex cuts Reggie off.

“Or how about the time Luke tried to put glitter in Julie’s bed,” Carrie joins in, “but got my bed instead? I can appreciate some glitter, but even I know when enough is enough.”

“Suffice it to say,” Willie finishes after they’ve passed around a dozen or so more memories of pranks from the summer, “we’re all done being your collateral damage. Whatever Julie has planned for you tomorrow, Luke, you’re on your own.”

-

It's the last day of camp and Julie has one more prank planned for Luke. He just doesn't know what it is.

Here We Go Again (Rated T) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: Julie blinked as she stared at the place Euterpe had disappeared. What did that even mean? What journey? Old places and lost faces? What was she talking about? But before she could dwell on the questions swirling around in her mind, the sky full of stars began to move, shifting in place and descending until they were all around her. Julie felt her feet leave the ground as she rose up and up. One star in particular was burning brighter than the others, growing bigger in front of her.

It grew and grew, until the light was blinding and Julie had to throw a hand up against the harsh light. She closed her eyes as the light surrounded her and then she was falling. Falling down, down, down.

[twentiethcenturymoviesandtv]

Performance Portfolio: Sylvester Stallone and Rocky

The story of 1977’s Best Picture winner, Rocky, was a rags-to-riches story both in-universe, and out, especially where it’s star was concerned.

Rocky tells the story of Rocky Balboa, a down-on-his-luck prize-fighter who ends up lucking out with the chance of a lifetime: fight the heavyweight champion of the world.  In a classic underdog story, Rocky follows the boxer as he seizes his chance to gain self-respect, fighting for a better life and a chance to prove that he’s got what it takes to stand in the ring with the best.

And behind the scenes, Rocky was the story of a down-on-his-luck actor, who wrote a screenplay in three and a half days, submitted it to be made into a motion picture, and refused to back down from insisting upon playing the lead role, in the smartest decision of his entire career.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Sylvester Stallone’s biggest Hollywood role, and biggest step of his entire career, came in the film Rocky, directed by John G. Avildsen.  

Rocky saw Stallone as the lead, and the most iconic character he’s ever played up until this point.  As Rocky Balboa, Stallone perfected an honest grittiness, a genuine lovable underdog that audiences could recognize flaws in, but instantly choose to root for.  To quote Roger Ebert’s review of the film:

“His name is Sylvester Stallone, and, yes, in 1976 he did remind me of the young Marlon Brando. How many actors have come and gone and been forgotten who were supposed to be the “new Brando,” while Brando endured? And yet in “Rocky” he provides shivers of recognition reaching back to “A Streetcar Named Desire.” He’s tough, he’s tender, he talks in a growl, and hides behind cruelty and is a champion at heart. “I coulda been a contender,” Brando says in “On the Waterfront.” This movie takes up from there.”

Stallone’s Rocky Balboa character could easily have been played as a stereotype: a dumb brute with a heart of gold who got lucky.  However, Stallone brings to the role a level of emotional intelligence, and a broader character than simply a fighter.  He is disillusioned, best displayed during conversations with his trainer, Micky Goldsmith.  He is a man in love, he is frustrated by the direction his life has taken, and when he has an opportunity to get out, he is afraid.  He is awkward, embarrassed by his circumstances but not by his personality.  He is good to almost everyone he meets, and yet we meet him as reluctant muscle for a loan shark.  He’s tough, yes, but there is an incredible gentleness underneath.

Although this is the first role that Stallone would come to be known for, it’s interesting that Rocky Balboa stands mostly alone, among the many gritty, brutal action-heroes that Stallone would go on to portray.  This is no John Rambo, Marion Cobretti or John Spartan.  There is no ‘killer instinct’ or brutality to this character, ironic for the trade he’s in.

While the other characters reached a point, whether in pop culture or in the script themselves, as being boiled down to their ‘job’, or role in the script (cops, soldiers, action-heroes), Rocky Balboa stands as a person, a character.  One of the most beloved characters in film history, in fact.  For a man who would go on to be known for mostly playing hardened action-men, Stallone’s first big break comes in a remarkably soft character, a fighter with a heart of gold who is incredibly, heartbreakingly human.

Part of this lies in Stallone’s skill in creating a character who, thanks to both screenplay and performance, appears to have been existing in this world before the movie began, and will continue to exist after.  Rocky has already been around for a while, evidenced by the numerous relationships and tics in his character: his religion, his pets (two turtles and a dog), his rubber ball…he’s a fully realized character, complete with history, he has a past…but not much of a future.

Stallone perfectly embodies that: the lived-in qualities of Rocky’s life and the hopelessness of the situation.  His performance lays the character bare for the audience, so they can see everything about him and feel for him.  It is in this performance that the film hinges: in a world full of sports movies, the only thing that can keep an audience invested in the final inevitable victory is the character who earns it.  Within a few short scenes, Stallone’s screenplay and performance convey to the audience instantly, without saying it outright, that this character needs the victory coming to him.

And the thing is, it’s not even a victory.

While we’ll cover more of the actual story and climax of the film itself in a later article, it’s important to note for Rocky’s character, and Stallone’s portrayal of him, that ‘victory’ in Rocky’s case doesn’t mean winning the fight.  It means earning self-respect, something that you slowly see Rocky gain as the film progresses.  This is what he earns.

And thanks to Stallone’s heartfelt performance, we as an audience want him to earn it.  We feel for him, and we want him to win, to pull himself out.  Stallone perfectly embodies the sympathetic, rough-around-the-edges underdog type character that he had previously touched on, creating in his performance an iconic film character that the audience feels with and grows with.  His performance accomplishes exactly what it’s supposed to: making the audience care for, and believe in, a character who has never existed.

And people believed in him so much that Rocky has become a real person, to the point that his native city still has a statue of him.  Stallone’s legacy is most easily seen in Rocky, as this character, a character that, to many people, he will always be.  It’s the role that made him a star, a breakout, a juggernaut, long before Rambo, the giant success necessary to launch him onto the career ahead.

Thank you guys so much for reading!  If you have something you’d like to add or say, don’t forget that the comment box is always open!  I hope to see you all in the next article.

[oldguardhc]

Old Guard hc #101

Summary: Part 2 of the Decennial Awards (Part 1)

“Our next category is the Weirdest Sleeping Spot! As the title suggests, this category is based on the weirdest spot one has been caught sleeping.” Joe turns on the TV behind him and starts the slideshow of them all snoozing in various spots and positions. “We require plenty of rest to remain youthful. This, unfortunately, means we have to catch our Z’s in some unconventional places.”

“When did you take all these pictures?” Booker asks, leaning forward on the couch. Joe glances back and sees a picture of Booker asleep on top of a fridge. The man wasn’t even curled up on top like one would assume. No, he was half-draped over the top, head and arms hanging on the other side, looking as close to dead one can be while still alive. He looked like a poor Halloween decoration. “I don’t even remember that.” 

“That’s because you’re senile,” Joe retorts and immediately wishes he can take it back. Three unimpressed faces stare back at him from the couches and Joe knows that this is going to be counted against him. Dammit. He wants to win the best host at the end of the century. Joe plasters on a winning smile. “I apologize; that comment should have been saved for after the show. All of the pictures were taken some time in the last 10 years; anything before was disqualified. Now, our first nominee, Nicolò, fell asleep in-“

Booker stands up and turns around to look at Andy and Nicky. He gestures wildly at them, some of his drink sloshing onto the floor and all over his hand. Booker slurps up what he can on his hand before saying, “Are we not going to talk about how Joe’s been taking pictures of us sleeping? For more than a decade?” 

Andy lobs a peanut at him. “Sit down!” Booker catches the peanut and pops it into his mouth. For a second, Joe hopes he chokes on it. 

When it’s clear that he will not, Joe says, “No, we are not. Please take a seat, sir.” 

Booker whirls around, spilling more of his drink. “This is an invasion of privacy!”

“You were in a public area.”

“Technically-“

“If you have to start with technically, you’re wrong,” Joe sighs, motioning to the couch more insistently. He feels like he has just finished 8 hours of customer support and was told by his manager to cover for the coworker they’re currently sleeping with. Andy snags the back of Booker’s pants and whatever was left in Booker’s cup is now sitting on the carpet. Wonderful. “As I was saying, Nicolò, over here, fell asleep on a crane that was on top of a 500m building. He had a couple of hours to kill until his target arrived and rather than playing on his phone like any other sane person, he decided to take a nap.” Everyone turns to look at Nicky. 

“I still don’t see the issue here. I even set an alarm for an hour before the scheduled arrival,” Nicky says and Andy squints at him. 

“The construction workers were using the crane. It was literally spinning the entire day,” Booker says and Joe nods. Some carousels spin less than that crane. 

“You cost me 500 euros,” Andy adds with a scowl. “It was supposed to be an easy win. You puked after the teacups.” 

Nicky gapes at her. “That doesn’t count! Booker made me eat 5 bananas and drink 2 cans of sprite!” 

“It was a projectile. You could calculate the angle of it.” You could. It was absolutely disgusting. Joe had made sure to slip the janitor an extra hundred as he tended to his violently sick husband. 

Knowing that this will lead to a full-blown argument, Joe quickly interjects, “Now Sebastien, he fell asleep in the trunk of the wrong car and ended up giving a poor old lady quite the scare. Later, I would like to discuss Sebastien’s concerning taste for younger women.”

“Yeah, she was less than half your age. That’s gross, Book,” Andy teases.

“Preying on the young and vulnerable?” Nicky tuts. “Where're your morals?”

“Fuck you guys,” Booker groans.

“I like older men,” Nicky says. “Thank you, though.”

With a smirk, Joe continues. “Next is Andromache, who fell asleep on top of a moving train and managed to stay on it the entire duration of her nap. In fact, she did not even sway an inch; not even when the train was climbing the side of a mountain.”

“Less stuffy up there,” Andy says, taking a sip of her drink.

“I believe you.”

“Plenty of space.”

“No one’s going to join you, Andy,” Booker groans, leaning back on the couch. “It’s fucking cold up there.” 

Nicky tilts his head, eyebrows furrowing. “That’s-,” Joe shares a look of incredulity with his husband and slowly shakes his head. It’s probably best that they leave this one alone for a couple of centuries. 

“For our last nominee, Yusuf managed to find a yak and fall asleep on its back.”

“You conveniently left out the part where it woke up startled and kicked you 20 feet away.”

Joe gives him a tight-lipped smile. “Thank you, Sebastien. As always, your contribution is entirely unwanted.” Joe pulls the second envelope out. “Now for our winner,” he opens it and snorts as he reads the card. “Sebastien! Congratulations! You won this decade’s weirdest sleeping spot.”

Booker slowly gets off the couch, like he expects Joe to say ‘Psych!’ and call out somebody else’s name. Andy decides he’s moving too slow and slaps him on the ass.

“Here you go,” Joe hands him the prize when he’s a foot away and Booker frowns. 

“A sleeping mask from Delta Airlines?” It’s folded in half and barely thicker than a paper towel.

“To make your sleep more pleasurable.”

“There’s a better one in the bathroom upstairs.”

“Don’t be ungrateful, it’s rude.” Did no one teach their kids manners these days? “What do you have to say?”

Booker shrugs and rubs the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, Margaret. Both cars were extremely similar.” It’s not a bad apology. Joe has definitely heard worse. 

“One was a minivan, the other was a hummer, you dumbass!” Andy heckles. Sadly, she’s not lying. 

“Looks the same when you’re drunk and have your eyes 90% closed.” 

“Alright, thank you, Sebastien,” Joe nudges him back to his seat. “Continuing with the weirdest theme, our next category is Weirdest Death.” 

Andy and Nicky groan, Booker smirks. 

“Just give it to Booker already,” Andy says. “Fucker always dies in the weirdest manners.” 

“He’s won every single time since he joined us,” Nicky adds, waving a dismissive hand. “Give him his prize and let him do his speech.”

“So you guys can count me off later? No way!” Joe’s not a fool. This is their test. “Unlike our previous categories, this nominee will cover both Nicolò and Yusuf. Our dearest Nicolò and Yusuf were having a lovely picnic in the middle of the safari. They were enjoying a nice Pinot Noir with some young cantal cheese when they were rudely trampled by a stampede of elephants. ”

“Picnic,” Joe really wants to wipe that stupid smirk off of Booker’s face. Nicky, his dearest heart, reaches over to smack the bane of Joe’s existence over the back of his head. It’s a satisfying thunk too. “Ow! I only have one brain, Nicky, Jesus!”

“More like one brain cell,” Nicky responds. Joe almost bends down onto one knee right there. 

No. He has a plan. He’s not going to ruin it because he’s too impatient. 

Joe gestures to Andy, “Andromache, was taking a stroll in one of Colorado’s mountains when she accidentally walked into a cult’s trap. After being shot with an elephant tranquilizer, she woke up tied to a tree and was shot with a special marijuana filled bullet as a sacrifice to their Marijuana god.”

“Bullets filled with marijuana,” Booker says, impressed. “If I weren't here, that’d surely be the winner.”

“I know,” Andy grumbles, taking an angry swig of her drink. 

“For our reigning titleholder, Sebastien continued to drink an excessive amount of soda, despite everyone telling him that there were not going to be any bathrooms for another hour. Our stubborn Sebastien, of course, ignored us and after drinking 64oz of Pepsi, he had to pee. So in the pouring rain, Andy pulled over. Sebastien sprinted to the treeline and as he began to relieve himself, Zeus struck our poor nominee. He died in his puddle of pee.”

Nicky shakes his head, looking at Booker with a little bit of awe. “How do these things keep on happening to you?” 

“The comedic gods really like me.” Something out there really likes him, that’s for sure. 

Joe pulls out the correct envelope and is completely unsurprised with what he reads. “Our winner is, of course, Sebastien! Congratulations!” Joe picks up the prize and holds it out; Booker takes it with a grin.

“A voodoo doll of myself?” The doll has a denim jacket and the same haircut Booker has been sporting for the last six years. Booker pokes the doll’s eyes and squishes its plump body. “I’m keeping this.”

“And not the other prizes?”

“This one is custom made; it gets custom treatment.” He has a point. “As for my speech, I would like to thank myself, the greatest and worst person to exist.”

Joe shares another look with his husband. Andy, on the other hand, says, “The prize should’ve been therapy.”

“Okay,” Joe says after an awkward moment of silence. “Thank you for your speech; please return to your seat so we can continue.”