#if you have a cool idea because I inspired you...
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David Gaider on Dorian, under a cut for length:
"Now this is a fun one. It's no big secret I have a lot of feelings about Dorian, not least of which because he was my first (and only) gay male companion. There's a lot more to him than that, of course (as there should be), and it was quite a trip. So let's go! Now, DAI is a story all its own, but I'm sticking to the characters. In this case, back at the beginning, the writers were going to try something new: we were going to let the artists take a more active role in the companion creation process. Why? Because not doing so had caused a lot of problems. See, here's the thing: writers and artists speak two different languages. When talking about characters, we talk about their story. Who they are. What they want. We'd write up these briefs, huge and full of information... but it was never the information the artists needed. They wanted visual cues. I don't mean describing their appearance. Sure, we'd usually provide that, especially if there was a story case to be made, but often the artists vetoed us on appearance stuff anyhow so meh. No, I mean they looked for visual language while we tended to only talk about who the characters *were*. What would happen is they'd hone in on something visual in our write-up not intended to be a focus. The first write-up for Anders in DA2, for instance, mentioned he was "haggard" after his journey... and the first concept we got was this pale, shriveled man. "What... is this?" "YOU SAID HAGGARD!" 😅"
"That was the other trick: sometimes when we DID try to be more descriptive, we had to be extra cautious because the words could be interpreted very differently. You encounter this recording VO, too. A VO note says "hysterical" and you *meant* "really upset" but the actor read "scream like a banshee" Thus this caused problems, like I said. The artists would struggle, sometimes conjuring details just to give the character *something* but which would change the character... and, to us, the character was created. Done. We were already invested, probably already writing them. Something had to give. So this time we wrote a bunch of character briefs - but short. One paragraph. We stuck to vibes and the *emotions* we wanted the concepts to evoke. And we didn't name them. They got titles like "Slick Con Man" or "Ice Queen", so we wouldn't get too attached. Then we handed these off to the artists. And it worked nicely. The ones that just weren't inspiring we'd discard, no problem. The others had juice... and the artists felt free to play and offer lots of variations because we weren't set on anything yet. A lot of times, what they produced ended up inspiring US. It was a neat back-and-forth."
"This is what led to Dorian, in fact. He came from a short write-up entitled "Rock Star Mage" and it really boiled down to "I'm cool and I know I'm cool, so take that you cretins". And just like that, the first sketches (by Casper Konefal, I think? I bet I'm wrong) were all amazing. Instant fire. Me: "He looks kind of like... Freddie Mercury?" Him: "Is that bad?" Me: "NO ARE YOU KIDDING THIS IS AMAZING" Plus there was a monkey. Sadly, we had to lose the monkey. There were iterations to come, but this was really where Dorian was born: Tevinter mage, noble, savant, and too cool for school."
"When did he become gay? Not right away. Like I said elsewhere, we didn't talk romance and sexuality until after the concepts were more in place. But as we were brainstorming about why this hot shot mage left Tevinter, the idea DID come up that maybe it was because he was gay. Not directly, however. Homophobia isn't really a thing in Thedas, after all, so at first blush I didn't think that could work. "Rich kid gets kicked out of the house for being gay" wasn't a trope I wanted to explore. But, then again, magister families in Tevinter are *obsessed* with the appearance of perfection, so...? Any deviation from the "norm" is considered scandal-worthy. It said weakness. It said you couldn't control your house. Now... THAT had real promise. The writing pit discussed it a lot. So I think it's fair to say that the gay fairy was already circling Dorian even before we got to the romance talk. I think it's also fair to say that the rest of the team realized I low-key wanted to write him, because when everyone started calling dibs, who was left standing for me? (I pick last, remember.) I gleefully snatched him up and got to work... ...about six months later. I was very busy at the time. 😅 That late start meant I had to design and write VERY quickly. And I did. Somehow, though, this one... it came easily. "Catty gay man" isn't digging very deep, no surprise to anyone who knows me, and it had an extra layer of being so fun because Dorian was confident. He sparred verbally. I loved it."
"There was more to it, however. The conflict between Dorian and his father... ugh, how do I say this? Let's be clear: Dorian's story is not MY story, but it's also not far off. I wrote the entire confrontation scene in one go. After I was done, I probably cried harder than I ever have in my life. 🫠 I was unsure whether it was any good, however. I just didn't feel objective. I passed it over to Cori May - my friend but also Dorian's editor - and asked her to please tell me and be honest. She read it. She walked into my office after, tears streaming down her face, and just nodded. "It's good." Here's the thing. Not everyone is going to agree with this, but: I don't think a writer NEEDS to be a minority in order to write a minority. Sometimes those characters should simply exist, and we want them to. But if that character's story is ABOUT their experience as a minority? That's different. Dorian's story didn't need to revolve around his sexuality - and, honestly, it only did so as a tangent to his family issue, but they're so bound together it's probably irrelevant to split them - but my writing him meant it could be. It allowed me to SAY something. That felt good. It felt right. Ramon Tikaram came on board after a lengthy casting process (so many British Indian accents, oh god). I sat in on a few recording sessions... the confrontation scene, though? Ramon: *says line* Me: (curled up on a nearby sofa in fetal position) *shaky thumbs up* Caroline: "Yep. Great work, Ramon!""
"Dorian's sexuality isn't all he's about, but that's certainly how some viewed it. When the character was announced in 2014, his being gay was mentioned as the last of a number of points, and the instant response from some gamers was to act as if we'd called a press conference just to say THAT. 🙄 It was annoying. Still is. Overall, however, the reaction to Dorian was very positive. The number of straight men who said they romanced him still pleases me. The number of fans who privately contacted me who'd been through conversion therapy, some who said Dorian helped them survive? Well. Gosh. 😭 I did write him for Trespasser - though I hear that a late scope cut meant every conversation had been chopped by 1/3rd or more, and that meant a lot of nuance lost. Which is sad, if true, because it sounds like the result of that left some Dorian romancers a bit cold. Such is how game dev rolls. 😔 If you need more proof of how it was hard for me to let go of him, a short story I wrote after Trespasser came out where Dorian has a bit of closure with his dead father: medium.com/@davidgaider... So yeah. He'll always be my boi. And I'll always be thankful Bio gave me this opportunity. ❤️"
[source thread]
User: "I'm not going to lie, it's hard to take my mind off Dorian almost having a monkey." David Gaider: "If by “almost” you mean there was a picture of a monkey that the concept artist put there as a whim, and which would almost certainly have taken more cinematics and modeling time to put in than we could ever afford… then yes. 😉" [source]
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Animal AU (click for clarity)
CW: blood and creepy stuff in the description
If I have to color Dani one more time, I’m going to riot 😭
Notes below: (very long and detailed)
+ Jazz is a melanistic gray wolf, Danny is an albino mule deer, Dan is a king cobra, Dani is a peregrine falcon. Some of these ideas are taken from my dp royal court ideas.
I associate Jazz with wolves and canines. She is very loyal and protective, which I think would be best associated with canines. I usually give her the largest animals possible (because of her height), and gray wolves are the largest of all wolves. She is melanistic due to the fact that I like her color palette of black and turquoise. It also gives her a special connection to Danny that I do on purpose where they are black and white.
Dan is associated with cold blooded animals in my mind, cold in demeanor, vicious, and slippery. He is a king cobra because king cobras are the largest of all venomous snakes. They are also not true cobras, which adds a nice connection to Dan as being the most different out of all of the halfas. Surprisingly, king cobras are rather friendly to humans, which might be because of how smart they are.
I associate Dani with fast and speedy animals, so I often give her the fastest animals I can find lmao. Peregrine falcons are the fastest birds in the world, due to their diving speeds. I like how Dani is considered a bird because she is very free-spirited and flighty in my mind. I love it because I think she’d be really independent and would love the sky. Peregrine falcons also mostly eat birds, just like how king cobras eat other snakes, so that’s pretty cool too.
Danny is both kingly and creepy, which describes deer very well. Mule deer are very common in the US, and you might recognize them due to the fact that the Great Prince of the Forest (in Bambi) is inspired by a mule deer. Deer are fascinating creatures because there have been many, many folklores and myths about them, but none can compare to the real facts. Deer are very heavily affected by diseases such as chronic wasting disease, which can cause very strange behaviors. They get up after death, they walk off after being shot at or run over, they kill themselves repeatedly, they eat other animals, and they walk on their hind legs. All in all, while deer are very majestic and beautiful, they are also very, very freaky. There is a sense of poetry in how they’re hunted, which also applies to Danny. I think deer describes him very well :)
+ Meanwhile, the Batkids are a wild assortment of animals. Dick is a white throated needletail, Jason is an argali sheep, Cass is a black footed cat, Tim is a red fox, Stephanie is a dingo, Duke is an African lion, and Damian is a domestic cat (specifically a tuxedo cat).
Dick was always meant to be a bird. However, I wanted him to be fast, but not a bird of prey (which are usually the top 5 fastest birds). So I chose a white throated needletail for him, who are believed to be the fastest (while flying straight). They’re very elusive and photos are rare :( they are, however, very round and cute, and they even have a patch of shiny blue feathers on their wings, as well as v-shaped white spots, similar to his Nightwing suit!
Jason is an argali sheep because I associate him with lambs and rams. Mostly because sheep and lambs are associated with God and religious sacrifices (*cough cough* Jason dying), as well as innocence, docility, and obedience. Jason, as Red Hood, defies the meaning and memories of his past life as Robin, so I like the idea of him being a “black sheep” and defying those expectations of him as well. Argali sheep are known to have beautiful horns, are a species of wild sheep that live in mountains, and are also the largest of wild sheep.
Cass is a black footed cat because I feel like she’s very feline in demeanor, and black footed cats are one of the best hunters in the animal kingdom, with an over 60% chance of having a successful kill. (I think African wild dogs are the highest with 75-85%. It’s hard in the animal kingdom.) I also think it’s very cute of her to be so small but so deadly.
Tim is a red fox because of his cleverness and smarts. Red foxes are common in America and are usually hunted because people thought that foxes killed their livestock and dug up corpses. Tim is either really loved or really hated, so I feel like a red fox both symbolizes his irl status and his intelligence in the comics.
Stephanie is a dingo for no particular reason. However, they are social creatures and loved due to the fact that they have a history with humans. They’re golden colored and Stephanie gave off the vibes of an Australian, I literally cannot explain myself.
Duke is a lion for the same reasons: none in particular. However, lions are noble and considered very powerful. In my drawing of him, he is still a young adult, so his mane isn’t fully grown yet :3 he is 100% a normal lion tho!
Damian is a domestic cat for a few reasons. He is meant to be cute while the others are considerably scarier. There would also be a sense of irony bc I imagine that Talia is a big cat like a tiger or panther. However, cats are known as good hunters for a reason, and they have good instincts and can be just as loyal as dogs. As such, I think that he would be a regular kitty :3 other choices included him being a leopard cub, but it would be more funny if he was so small while everyone else is so big.
+ Something something, the two people who have had their deaths impact them the most and are often considered their parents’ greatest failures are prey animals that are usually hunted for sport….
+ Other small relationships between animal forms: the assassins are small cat forms. Dan being an animal not from the Americas, which also symbolizes him being out of place in the timeline. The Phantom family are purposefully made very different but also connected, examples being: a predator, a prey, a flying animal, and a cold blooded animal, etc. The Batfam being more random/less connected than the Phantom family due to their different backgrounds/lack of blood relation.
+ Their animal forms are also hint at the couples that I like, which is most obvious with Jason and Jazz lmaoooo. However, it is also a little noticeable in Tim and Dani (bird and fox), and definitely a little more obvious in Dan and Dick (snake and bird; please refer to my first piece of work with them tee hee). Danny’s is vague because I’m a multi-shipper with him, so he’s prey while most of everyone else are predator animals 💀
+ There are a few ideas in this (not counting the Pet AU): 1) Danny, Jazz, Dan, and Dani become companions and helpers to the Batfam, able to transform when necessary but also like spending time in their animal forms. In exchange, the Batfam help them with whatever problems they have and also give them sanctuary, 2) A regular animal-characteristics AU where everyone (or most of everyone, if humans exist) are some sort of animal hybrid creatures in the regular modern world, 3) The same as idea 2 but more Warrior Cats-esque where they’re way more animalistic, form packs, and live in less urban settings.
+ Yes, in his more humanoid form, Dan would have his legs replaced with a snake’s tail. I can’t decide between Dick and Dani having wings attached to their backs, or them having wings that connect to their arms.
+ Extras: Sam is a thoroughbred horse, Tucker is an American alligator, Valerie is a wolverine, and Wes is a swan. Bruce is a giant golden crowned flying fox, Alfred is an emperor penguin, and Barbara is a pony (but tbh, I’m open to suggestions).
#dc x dp#dp x dc#dpxdc#dcxdp#danny phantom x dc#dp x dc crossover#jazz fenton#danny fenton#danielle fenton#dani fenton#dark danny#dani phantom#danielle phantom#dan fenton#dan phantom#phantom family#animal au#dick grayson#duke thomas#damian wayne#cassandra wayne#cassandra cain#tim drake#jason todd#stephanie brown#tw blo0d#cw blood
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In Stars and Time But It's a Musical (Part 1)
Okay hi I need to tell you all about this concept.
First off all I just need to say credit to @openphrase123 for the amazing 'ISAT but as a ballet' posts (here and also here and there definitely more but those are some of the big ones) which definitely inspired some choices here and in general inspired me to do this.
So basically I'm a big old musical theater person (and specifically musician / singer) so I've been fleshing out concepts for a what a musical re-telling of In Stars and Time might look like. I'm honestly not going to get into like... the logistics of how you could actually do it, because even with condensing a lot of things Musicals aren't typically long enough to tell this kind of story, so we're just... ignoring that when I don't have ideas to get around it.
We will start with all of the main characters, their voice types, and their characteristic musical styles!
Mirabelle Mira is our soprano, but mostly her singing and music is very much in the style of Disney Renaissance musicals. Think Belle, Ariel, Hercules, etc. I think it fits her up beat but still sometimes anxious personality. Near the end of each King Fight she gets a cool high notes as she finally has some true confidence in herself!
Bonnie Bonnie would be played by a younger performer with an unchanged voice. This wouldn't really be a dance heavy show, but when there is dancing they would take the lead b/c that's cute. In terms of their singing though it's mostly inspired by classic kid characters from Broadway, namely Annie, The Artful Dodger, and Matilda (especially for their more emotionally intense moments). Their music isn't as difficult, and in group numbers they typically sing the melody with at least one other person.
Odile Odile is the alto of the quintet. It helps her sound more mature than Mirabelle and fits her vibe of not taking on the flashy role. Her music leans a bit more classical, almost Gilbert and Sullivan-esque in her more playful moments. Overall though it tends to be a bit more melodically challenging, but not super fast or syncopated. There would be melodic and instrumental flourishes in her music unique to her that are basically 'Ka Buan' musical elements.
Isabeau Leading man baritone! His style also fairly standard musical theater, but leans a touch more modern in it's styling to accommodate his more emotionally open vibe. He'll have the pop-inspired rhythms and chord progressions, but in group numbers he's the rock solid bass part holding everything together.
Siffrin Siffrin... does not sing almost ever for the first chunk of the show outside of group numbers. He's a tenor, and helps fill out the harmonies, but the impression the audience should get at the start is that they aren't really a soloist. As the loops go on, they gain a bit more confidence, taking bits and pieces of all of the other character's musical / singing styles as they go on. They don't get a full length solo to themselves until Mal du Pays. But the character that most influences their style is...
Loop Loop is full on Broadway Jazz, baby! Syncopated rhythms, brassy sound, fast patter lyrics, the whole shebang. Don't look behind the curtain at what all that glitter might be hiding, stardust~
The King Super bass, in the tradition of opera villains usually being basses. At first the only super stand out thing about his singing is that his range is so distinct, but in later encounters he gets both more delicate moments and moments where the true power of his voice to intimidate comes through.
(Also yes all of the Forgotten Island peeps will have a few musical elements in common to set them apart don't you even worry we'll get to it :3)
Euphrasie The Head Housemaiden has a short little mini song she does for the first bit of her speech. It's simple and catchy. Every time it transitions into her final speech as the musical motifs are distorted.
Dormont The people of Dormont sing mostly in a grand opening number ala the opening numbers for Beauty and the Beast, Fiddler on the Roof, The Music Man, etc. Little bits and pieces of the song come back in various combos and Sif loops and jumps around asking people new things. They would also double as disembodied voices for certain musical numbers that could use extra voices for full out harmony, dramatic effect, etc.
More will be coming soon, so I hope you enjoyed my ramblings.
#isat#in stars and time#isat spoilers#in stars and time spoilers#isat siffrin#isat loop#isat mirabelle#isat bonnie#isat odile#isat isabeau#isat king#isat euphrasie#isat musical au#isat au#Is this enough tags I'm still new at this
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Burn
summary: following a devastating breakup, your best friend Mingi helps you to put yourself back together
Hello again!! This fic was inspired solely by how Mingi says “burn it” in Outlaw. I heard it and immediately had the thought that it would make a cool fic idea. If you like some angst and a lot of hurt/comfort, then this is the fic for you!!
This fic can be read as gender-neutral! There are no identifying traits to mc or their ex-partner.
warnings: depictions of depression and anxiety throughout the story. This is a fic following a nasty breakup and the mc struggles in the aftermath.
pairing: best friend Mingi x reader
genres: heavy angst, fluff, hurt/comfort
word count: 8.8k
ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60850432
———
You sat there stunned, unable to comprehend the words displayed before you on the screen.
LOML💕
It’s over, I found someone else
Sorry y/n
Your person, or who you THOUGHT was your person, had found someone else??
As you stood there in your apartment, your phone fell from your hands as you dropped to your knees, sitting there unseeing at the linoleum floor as you tried to process the abrupt end of your relationship.
How were you supposed to move on?
You wondered if you’d ever be able to stop crying, or if your eyes would ever cease to be swollen.
It’s been weeks since your breakup, yet you still felt the pure anguish and heartache, which were slowly fading their way into anger. How could they do this to you?
Two years of time wasted on someone who had the utter AUDACITY to callously end your relationship VIA TEXT MESSAGE because they had “found somebody else.”
What the fuck? The texts were a blow to your self esteem and you weren’t sure you’d be able to recover. You hated what those words made you see in the mirror–someone unworthy of anyone’s time.
How could someone who had claimed to love you exhibit such cowardice? Had you really known them at all? How long had this dalliance been going on? Did they cheat? Was it physical or emotional?
Dark clouds loomed in your mind as you spiraled and felt more tears leak out.
What was the point in anything? You stayed in bed and refused to shower because you were just going to get dirty again. You didn’t have the energy to stand upright for that long anyway. Staying here in bed was your safe haven, and you didn’t want to move.
Burying your face into your pillow you screamed until your voice was hoarse and you felt a little dizzy, hoping that the exhaustion and misery would overtake you.
That’s how your best friend, Mingi, found you. Laying face down and sniffling on a messy bed and a floor covered in tissues, takeout wrappers, and dirty clothes, while attempting to dry your tears on the sleeve of your oversized hoodie. Probably one of Mingi’s old ones, if he had to guess.
Mingi was the only person besides your partner, well, ex-partner, that had a key to your place. He made a mental note to remind you to change the locks, though he doubted the fucker would ever come back here for any reason.
Mingi couldn’t help but feel his heart clench painfully at the sight of his best friend in this state. It looked like you had barely moved in days. You deserved so much better than someone who would throw you to the side so easily.
He cleared his throat in an attempt to get your attention, but you were too far gone in your anguish to hear him. Tentatively, he ventured closer and tried again. This time, you heard his deep cough and turned your heavy head toward the sound.
His eyes found yours and softened even more at the heartbroken expression on your face. He came closer and you felt the bed dip as he sat his large frame close to you.
You abruptly shifted and flung yourself into his arms, hearing him exhale an “oof” at the unexpected contact, but quickly locking his arms around you in a comforting embrace.
You sobbed harder into his chest as he tucked your head under his chin and began rubbing his large hands up and down your back in a comforting motion.
The two of you stayed like this for a while until your heaving sobs quieted into soft sniffles, his grip on you never relenting.
“How could they do this to me, Min? I know it’s been weeks, I just can’t—I can’t fucking believe they ended it this way!! Found someone ‘better’,” you scoffed. “What the fuck does that even mean?!? Did I really mean so little to them?”
The tears welled up as your breaths became uneven again.
You and Mingi had had this conversation before, but it was clear it would take a while to come to terms with the reality of the situation. Mingi’s heart continued to break for you, but he vowed that he’d always be by your side and he’d do his damndest to help you get through it.
You could feel the rumble of his deep voice against you as he spoke. “It’s cliche to say, but they’re not fucking worth it. I know in the back of your mind you know this and you probably don’t want to hear it right now, but it’s true.”
You choked out what sounded like a scoff.
“I know. I KNOW. But like…I just…I loved them. I LOVED them. Did they even love me? They’ve made me feel so fucking worthless and I don’t know why I can’t just let it go!” you wailed into his chest.
He tightened his hold around you. “You don’t have to justify your feelings to me, you’re entitled to feel however you want about that jackass. I’m not the one to dictate how you grieve or process. I’m just here, as your best friend, to hold you and help you through it. I always will be,” he murmured above you.
Your tears spilled out a little faster and you sniffled into his chest. “What would I ever do without you, Min? I can’t believe I have you in my life sometimes.”
You and Mingi had known each other for well over a decade, having attended high school together and remaining close friends through college and the start of your careers.
You honestly don’t know how you would’ve made it this far without him.
———
“Mingi, promise me we’ll stick together no matter what. You’re my best friend in this whole world,” you stated, staring up at the stars with Mingi sitting next to you in the bed of his beat-up pickup.
“Of course y/n, I’ll always be with you. You’re my best friend too.”
And that’s how you always were. A package deal. Two peas in a pod, inseparable, but not in a way that makes the people around you uncomfortable. You and Mingi were the type of friends who could pull anyone in and make them feel like they’ve known you their whole lives.
You were eternally grateful for Mingi and his steadfast friendship, a strong and enduring presence in your life.
Him supporting you at events in high school, you in turn sticking with him in his obsession with e-sports and the quarterly decision to become a gym rat, giving up a mere 3 weeks later.
Him being a protective big brother at frat parties when someone got a little too handsy with you when he could see the distress plainly on your face.
You willing to go to war for him when some girl led him on and bruised his ego for a while one semester.
He was your best friend, your ride or die.
And you hoped it would always stay that way.
———
In the back of your mind you wondered if your friendship with Mingi had played into a hidden insecurity with your partner. Were they threatened? You were together for two years, if they were feeling insecure or threatened, why didn’t they vocalize it?
Little did you know, Mingi wondered the same thing. He hadn’t hated your ex until now, but they had treated you well and had never given any indication that they were a shitty partner or that your friendship with him had been a sore spot. The reasoning for leaving you really confounded him.
Noting your silence and sensing your impending spiral, Mingi squeezed you again to bring you back to the present and forced your focus back onto the feeling of his strong arms around you and his large frame pressed against your side.
You heaved out a sigh. “I still have so much of their shit here in the apartment, not to mention all the fucking photos we’d taken together. What am I supposed to do with it all? I don’t want to see that asshole’s face ever again if I can help it.”
“Burn it,” came Mingi’s casual reply.
You had to wonder if you heard him correctly. “I’m sorry, did you say BURN it?”
“Yeah, I did. Burn it,” you could feel his shrug as he shifted around you.
Turning to look up at him with disbelief in your eyes, you met his intense gaze with an incredulous one of your own.
“I can’t just BURN everything! There’s gotta be some fire code against that or something. Like how the fuck am I supposed to burn a PlayStation??” You remarked, exasperated. “I didn’t know you had a penchant for pyromania!”
Mingi chuckled in his rich, husky tone. “I was referring to the photos, maybe some of their clothes. We can either throw the rest at them or pawn it. Your choice, really, he hummed. “I just think it would be cathartic for you to set fire to some of the physical memories as a way of letting go. Perhaps even a phoenix-esque rebirth for you.”
You mulled over his suggestion.
“You don’t have to decide right now, I think you need to take some time to think about it and really allow yourself time to begin the moving on process,” he spoke into your hairline.
Mingi knew you were depressed, the state of your room and your mental wellbeing a clear indication to him. He knew exactly how it felt to hit rock bottom and feel so helpless, with zero motivation to do as much as even lifting your arms. He really wanted to be there for you as you had always been there for him during his bouts of depression and anxiety.
“In the meantime, you’ve been cooped up here in your room for far too long. I know how hard it is to break out of a despair so heavy, but you should take a shower and maybe brush your teeth to allow yourself to feel refreshed. I can help you with whatever you need, even if it means lifting the toothbrush myself. Hell, I could help you shower if you wanted. I don’t care. If you don’t want that, then I can help you clean up in here a bit. What would you prefer?”
He continued to rub soothing circles into your back and thigh as you considered his offer. “I’ll even carry you to the bathroom myself if that makes the decision easier.”
You sighed heavily and tightened your grip on him which indicated to him that you were going to take him up on this offer, so he kept his hold around your shoulders and scooped you up under your legs to bring you to your ensuite bathroom.
He deposited you on the counter and turned to look for your hair brush, hoping to work some of the knots out of your slightly matted hair before your shower. He found a comb, settling beside you to gently begin the detangling process. He worked in silence, being as thorough as possible without tugging too hard and causing you pain. You allowed him to work as you felt yourself zoning out and staring at the tile.
Eventually, he worked out the tangles and turned to start the shower. “Would you like me to help you shower, or do you think you can handle it yourself? If you want my help, I can bring you a bathing suit if that would make you more comfortable.”
“Mingi, we’ve both seen each other in extremely compromising positions in our years of friendship, I don’t care if you see my ass or any other bits for that matter, but I would love your help. I…just really don’t have the energy to hold myself up at this point.”
Nodding, Mingi moved to help divest you of your clothing, followed by his own. He turned back toward the shower to test the temperature, deeming it acceptable and then once again hoisted you into his arms to step into the shower.
Placing you gently under the spray, he set about looking for your face wash to start. He squirted some into your palm. “I don’t want to get any in your eyes, I know you can do this one,” he cooed softly at you, bringing your hands up to lather your face. As if on autopilot, you washed the buildup of oil and dried tears from your face and allowed the water to cascade over you.
Once you were finished, you turned back toward Mingi and he resumed his search of your products to locate your shampoo. Placing a suitable amount between his large palms, he turned you back around so that you were facing the spray and began to work his large hands through your hair and massaging your scalp.
You let out a contented hum as he massaged, shuddering a little at the feeling of his hands as they circled near your nape. Once he deemed suitable, he turned you back around to place your head under the spray as he let the water run through and wash away the suds. He continued to lightly massage his fingers through your now-clean hair, which left you uttering another contented sigh at the feeling.
Next, he went for the conditioner and turned you back around so that he could work the product through your ends. Once satisfied, he rinsed off his hands and reached for your silicone loofah, globbing body wash onto it and setting out to scrub the grime and dead skin off of you. He remained gentle as he worked his way up and down your body, nudging your legs apart at one point to wash between them. Following that, he detached the shower head and began rinsing you off, washing away however many days of wallowing and with it, some of the tension you had been feeling since you woke up that morning.
You leaned yourself back against Mingi and he wrapped his arms around you, once again locking you in a tight embrace as the water cascaded over the two of you, encasing you in a brief reprieve and moment of serenity.
As the water started to run tepid, Mingi turned off the tap and led you out of the stall to wrap you in a massive fluffy towel to dry you off. He worked diligently on you before grabbing another towel for himself and wrapping it around his waist.
“Wait here, I’m going to go strip your sheets and re-make your bed so that you have something clean to lay on.”
He left the room and you heard him banging around your closest looking for your clean sheets. Once again, you found yourself zoning out. You don’t know how long he was gone, but eventually you saw his blurred frame in front of you, snapping you back into the present and forcing your eyes up to his.
He reached out to caress the side of your face while holding your gaze. “Would you like me to help you brush your teeth, or do you think you can handle it yourself?”
Feeling a little bit less in your own head, you decided that you could handle this task yourself. You turned toward the sink and reached for the toothbrush and toothpaste to slowly rid your teeth of plaque and freshen your breath. You were slowly feeling a little more alive than previously thanks to Mingi.
Once you finished and rinsed your mouth out, you turned back towards Mingi and he offered you a hand, leading you gently out of the bathroom and back toward your room.
You noticed that he had thrown away all the trash and put your dirty clothes in the basket. Feeling your eyes well up a little bit, you turned to Mingi to thank him for his kindness and all his help.
“You don’t need to thank me. I know you would do the same for me if the situation were reversed. I’m happy to do anything you need to help you feel like yourself again,” he replied in a soft tone, hand once again moving to cup your face.
You closed your eyes and leaned into his touch for a moment, relishing in the comfort only Mingi could provide. Parting after a moment, you shifted back onto your bed, suddenly feeling the weight of everything settle on you, feeling utterly spent.
“Rest for a while. I’ll be right here when you wake up, I promise.” Mingi climbed in after you to settle against the headboard and help you into the blankets. You curled onto your side to face him as you got comfortable.
“Really, truly, thank you Mingi. I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” His words echoing in your mind as you finally drifted off to sleep.
———
The next few weeks progressed with Mingi spending as much time as he could with you. You were able to get medical leave from work for another week to allow for a little more time to recover.
You and Mingi would spend evenings on your couch snuggled up and watching dramas and some of your favorite movies, and he would cook a delicious meal almost every night. Tonight, you and Mingi were curled up under a few blankets with bowls of stew.
“Have you given any thought to what you’re going to do with your ex’s things?” asked Mingi between mouthfuls of food.
Swallowing your food, you tried to remember if you had heard from your ex in the previous weeks. Not remembering anything of note, you shook your head.
“They surprisingly haven’t asked for any of their shit back, so I’m not really sure if it needs to be an urgent matter or not. Frankly, I don’t care what they want because they broke my heart and deserve to rot.”
He chuckled. “Damn, brutal.”
You smirked back at him and took another bite of stew, reveling in the comfort of having your best friend here with you.
As you ate, you looked over at Mingi. His eyes were focused on the screen and you just took him in as he sat there. You were so grateful for him, you wouldn’t want anyone else as your best friend.
He must have felt you staring and he shifted his gaze back to yours.
“Do I have something on my face?”
You giggled at him as he smirked.
“Yeah, you do,” you said as you placed your bowl down and grabbed a throw pillow before launching it toward him.
Luckily, his reflexes were quick and he caught the pillow midair before it could smack him.
“Oh you’re gonna pay for that one alright” he chuckled in a dangerous tone.
Eyes wide, you stood up quickly and bolted down the hallway toward your bedroom. Mingi followed after you, catching up in just a few long strides. Damn his long legs, you were no match for his pace.
He grabbed around your waist and threw you over his shoulder as you kicked your legs and slapped at his shoulders.
“Put me down you big dummy!”
“Do you yield?” he asked as you dangled helplessly, flailing in an attempt to be put down, but Mingi’s grip did not relent.
“Fine, fine!! I yield! Please put me down now!”
He gently set you back on your feet as you felt the blood rush back down from your face after being upside down.
You caught your breath and Mingi just continued to smirk at you with small chuckles.
“You’re a bold one, that’s for sure,” he intoned in his deep drawl.
You turned to glare at him, but were unable to maintain the expression as you looked at the goofy grin on your best friend’s face. You ended up doubling over to laugh, leaning forward to catch Mingi in a hug.
“Come on big guy, let’s go back to the couch and finish our show.” You grabbed his arm and pulled him back toward your nest of blankets on the couch, settling back into the comfortable silence.
At some point you must have drifted off, because you wake to a darkened room and a blanket placed over you. You blink a few times and let your eyes adjust to the low light and see a note on the table.
I put away the leftovers and washed the dishes. I would’ve stayed but I have an early meeting tomorrow so I needed to head home. I’ll be around all week if you need something or want to hang out. Let me know if the idiot contacts you, I’ll be there with a lighter.
xx Min
You smiled at his barely legible script. Yeah, you really were lucky to have him as your best friend.
———
Another few weeks pass without contact from your ex. You were becoming comfortable with the idea that they genuinely didn’t care about whatever they left at your apartment, and had almost forgotten they left anything here at all.
You were finally able to go back to work, feeling a little less like the world was going to cave in on you. The despair you had previously felt morphed into righteous anger, then transformed again into a bit of numbness. But it was enough to make you forget about your failed relationship and return to a relative normalcy.
Evenings were still spent with Mingi, either at your place or his as he continued to find ways to help keep you and your mind occupied.
It was one night a week later as you were both sitting on opposite ends of your couch. You were sketching in a notebook and Mingi was reading a graphic novel, glasses perched on his nose and hair a little ruffled as if he had been absently running his fingers through it.
It was an adorable habit of his, messing up his hair as he focused on something. You smiled to yourself as you peered at him, looking back down to continue sketching.
You had lost yourself in the moment until you heard your phone go off. Thinking nothing of it, you flipped it over, blood immediately running cold at the familiar number on the screen.
Mingi looked over at you, dropping his book when he noticed the look on your face. You were frozen in shock, not sure what to do.
Mingi entered your line of sight as the ringing stopped, taking your phone out of your hands and placing it back on the coffee table. Grabbing your hands in his large ones, he squeezed, drawing your attention back to him.
“Hey, look at me. You’re shaking. Look in my eyes. Match your breathing to mine, okay?” Mingi grabbed one of your hands and placed it to his chest, prompting you to regulate your breathing to help you stave off the impending panic attack.
As you continued to breathe, you heard the phone go off again, prompting another small spike of panic.
“Hey, hey. Keep your eyes on me. Do you want me to answer it and talk to them?”
Unable to form words due to the rising panic and bile in your throat, you gave Mingi a barely perceptible nod.
“Okay. I’ll deal with it. What I need you to do for me is to keep your hands on your thighs and keep working on your breathing. In for four, hold for four, out for four. Can you do that for me?”
He holds your gaze as you nod again.
“Alright, I’m going to let go of your hands now. I’ll be in the kitchen, in your direct line of sight. I won’t be long, I promise.”
He gives your hands another squeeze as he turns to grab the phone. A scowl crosses his features and he has to take a deep breath to prevent himself from blowing up at your ex over the phone.
Swiping the screen, he answers.
“What do you want, asshole?” Mingi practically growls.
“Mingi? Where’s y/n?”
“None of your fucking business, that’s where. Why are you calling? It’s been months. What the fuck could you possibly want?” Mingi seethes.
He supposes he could handle this a little more calmly, but he’s fucking LIVID at this idiot for the way they hung you out to dry.
“Hey man, lose the hostility. I’m not trying to start anything, I just want to come get the things I left at y/n’s place. Can I come by and grab it this weekend?”
Mingi sees red.
“Absolutely fucking not. I’m not letting you anywhere near y/n after the shit you pulled. What you’re gonna do is text me a list of the things you need, and I’ll leave them outside for you,” his voice low, dangerous, as he growls into the receiver.
“Jesus Christ Mingi, when did you become their guard dog? I always knew you two had something going on between you,” came the snide reply of your ex.
And there it was. If Mingi weren’t pissed before, he was furious now. That insecurity must’ve been festering long enough for them to seek comfort in someone else instead of being and adult and talking to you about it.
Though Mingi wondered if even that would’ve been enough for the sniveling little insecure worm to have been satisfied.
Drawing in a breath, Mingi closed his eyes and counted to 5 before responding.
“Y/n is my best friend. I’m sorry that your insecure ass couldn’t handle them having me as a friend. If that’s the reason you broke up with them, you’re a bigger idiot than I thought you were. You could’ve, you know, fucking TALKED to them about this instead of seeking comfort in the next person who fucking blinks at you. Pathetic. Send me your list, and don’t contact y/n ever again. We’re done here.” He hangs up before your ex can get another word in.
He continues to seethe. He can’t believe that little worm had the gall to show their face again all these weeks later. Steadying himself and forcing calming breaths, he turns his gaze back to you, eyes closed and head reclined back on the couch as you breathe deeply.
He pads back over to you, clearing his throat to announce his presence to prevent you from startling. You slowly crack your eyes open at his large form in front of you.
He kneels in front of you again, resuming the position with your hands in his.
Your voice is small and a little cracked as you speak.“What did they want?”
“They want their worthless stuff back. Why they couldn’t do this weeks ago is beyond me. Regardless, they want their shit.”
Your eyes widen in panic a bit. They’re going to come here? You don’t know if you can handle seeing them again.
Mingi squeezes your hands again. “Don’t worry, they’re not getting within 100 yards of you, I promise. We’ll gather everything and leave it outside so you don’t have to interact with them at all. I’m making them send me a list of everything.”
At this, your breathing evens out a bit, shoulders sagging in relief. Mingi leans forward to engulf you in his arms. “I’m here for you, y/n. You don’t have to do any of this alone. Ever.”
Once again leaning into his touch, you let Mingi embrace you until you feel your heartbeat and breathing returning to normal.
Finally calmed down, the encounter had left you absolutely wrung-out. “Min, I’m exhausted. Can you bring me to my room?”
“Of course, hold on tight.” He wrapped his arms tighter around you and hoisted you up off the couch. Curling into him, he walked you to your room and placed you down on the bed.
You shifted to get under the covers and he came around to lay next to you. You rolled over and rested your head on his chest, immediately being enveloped in his embrace.
He caressed your hair softly as he spoke. “Remember, I’m here for you and you’re not going to do this alone. We’ll start sorting through their things when you’re ready, and I’ll handle contact with them. We do this on YOUR terms. Not theirs. Alright?”
You nodded in assent and snuggled closer to Mingi as he continued to run his fingers through your hair.
“Thank you, Mingi,” you murmured into his chest.
He leaned down to press a kiss to the top of your head and you allowed your eyes to close and finally relax. You fell asleep that night in Mingi’s comforting embrace.
The week continued without any further contact from your ex, just as Mingi had promised. You were coming to terms with the fact you would have to face them, albeit in the form of their possessions, but face them and confront the memories and hurt you still felt.
After another few days, you felt that you were ready to confront them. You pulled out your phone to dial a familiar number.
“Min? I’m ready.”
Mingi arrived at your apartment about a half hour later with cardboard boxes, tote bags, and trash bags.
”Let’s fucking do this.”
———
You were fairly certain that most of your ex’s things were confined to your bedroom and ensuite bathroom, so that’s where you would concentrate your efforts.
You started with your dresser while Mingi focused on your closet.
Feeling unnerved by the silence, you decided to queue up a noisy playlist to fill some of the room and ease your anxiety over the situation. Mingi’s presence helped, but you figured that ambient noise would calm some of the buzzing in your brain and under your skin.
You heard Mingi chuckle when he realized what playlist you went for and you shot him a shy smile from your side of the room. He knew you well enough to understand you couldn’t handle silence when you were feeling anxious.
You heard his deep voice rumble out the rap of the song that was currently playing. You never failed to be amazed by the way he was able to follow the flow of a rap and add his own flair to whatever song he was going along to. In another life, you were sure he’d have a successful career as a rapper or an idol.
Having combed through your drawers and found all of your ex’s clothes, you shoved them into a trash bag and sealed it. You couldn’t care less if the clothes were wrinkled, the jackass deserved worse.
Steeling yourself, you moved over to Mingi’s side to work on the closet. When you reached him, you noticed him fixated on a box in the corner. You realized that it was the box of photos and other memories from your relationship that you had unceremoniously tossed in the corner like they had unceremoniously ended your partnership.
Your eyes began to well up with unshed tears and your breath hitched. Mingi immediately wrapped his arms around you and brought his focus to you. “You’re not alone. Remember, I’m right here. We don’t need to go through that box today. I still think we should burn it all, but it’s your choice on what to do with it,” he spoke softly into your hair.
You shuddered out a deep breath. “It’s okay. I knew in the back of mind that it was there, seeing it just caught me off guard.”
He held you steady as you re-regulated your breathing to match his, just like he taught you. Feeling calmed down, you opened your eyes and felt a new wave of determination wash over you. Mingi’s comforting words and embrace bolstered the confidence that you could get through this.
Leaving the box in the corner for last, the two of you combed through your clothes and other effects to gather all of your ex’s errant belongings and shove them in the bags and boxes Mingi had brought.
Your ex had left a surprising amount of clothing and a few pairs of shoes, so it was no wonder they finally came around to asking for their items returned. It wasn’t your fault they were thoughtless enough to leave shit at your place while they were warming someone else’s bed.
“I want to leave the box for last. I’m fairly certain it’s mostly photographs and other paper items. Let’s go over to the bathroom and deal with whatever bullshit they left there.”
“I’m sure they left half empty toiletries that we can just trash,” intoned Mingi. “No need to save any of that shit and burden us with excess bags.”
You nodded and moved to stand, but Mingi beat you to it, holding out his hand to help you to your feet.
Moving into the ensuite, you noticed that Mingi was dead-on in his assessment. Most of the things left were half empty tubes and bottles along with a used disposable razor and toothbrush you were absolutely not going to keep. You had half a mind to clean the toilet with it and give it back to your ex, but decided against it and tossed it into the trash.
The only other items of theirs that you had found around your apartment were the PlayStation, a few charging cables, books, and a pair of headphones.
Confident you had rid your apartment of the bad energy left by your ex’s belongings, you packed everything up and brought it into the living room.The only thing that remained was the box in the corner of your closet.
Mingi brought it out into the living room wordlessly and set it on the coffee table.
“What do you want to do?”
You took a steadying deep breath. Proud of yourself for coming this far, you were inclined to push through and get it over with, but you knew that some of the memories would engulf your emotions and you felt it was probably best to take a break first.
“I think I want to take a break and get something to eat. Maybe take a nap before I get into it.”
“Do you want me to drop this shit off? It doesn’t need to stay here while you relax. The sooner we’re rid of it, the better you’ll feel.”
You were so grateful Mingi was willing to do all of this for you. Cutting out direct interaction with your ex and going in your stead so that you wouldn’t have to.
You loved Mingi so much.
“Thank you Min, I honestly can’t thank you enough for being willing to do this for me.”
“I told you, y/n, you aren’t alone, and you never will be.”
You almost started crying right there. He noticed your shift in mood and came to sit beside you on the couch. You rested your head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around you.
“I’ll call them and let them know I’m dropping this shit in their front yard. That’s all the warning they need.”
Mingi squeezed you a little tighter before dropping his arm and tilting your chin up to look at him.
“I’ll be back in a few hours with some food. Take a nap and relax for a bit and then we’ll have dinner from one of your favorite takeout places. How does that sound?”
“Sounds like heaven, Min. Thank you so much.”
He smiled at you and his eyes crinkled in the way you loved. “Of course. I’ve always got you.”
You returned his smile easily. “Okay, I’m going to shower and get rid of some of these bad vibes after handling so much of their shit, and then I’m going to nap. Thank you again for all of your help today.”
“No problem, y/n. Now go shower, you reek of bad vibes,” he wrinkled his nose playfully and chuckled.
You giggled back and smacked his arm lightly for the barb.
You both got up and you pulled him in for a hug. Surprised by your show of strength, Mingi let out an “oof” as you slammed into him and squeezed his abdomen.
He wrapped his arms around you and held you tight for a moment before you let go and disappeared into your room.
Unbeknownst to you, he followed your retreating figure with an easy smile and all the fondness in the world for you, and pride for your strength and resilience the past few months.
He made quick work of gathering all the bags and boxes and brought them down to his car. Dialing your ex’s number, he barely waited for the call to connect before he was speaking. “I’ve got all your shit and I’m leaving it in your front yard in the next 30 minutes. After this, you have no connection to y/n. You don’t get the privilege,” Mingi spoke tonelessly.
He heard your ex seethe on the other end of the line. “Fine. You’re an ass, Mingi.”
He chuckled darkly, “I could say way fucking worse about you. Delete y/n’s number. We’re done here.” He ended the call and promptly blocked the number.
Satisfied, Mingi started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot of your apartment.
Arriving exactly thirty minutes later, as promised, Mingi unceremoniously dumped everything in the grass outside the house. Sending a middle finger and sarcastic salute at the house, he got back in the car and drove off.
An hour later, you were woken to the sound of your front door closing and the shuffling sound of plastic takeout bags.
You groggily stretched as you heard Mingi making his way around the kitchen to prepare the food for you both.
You shuffled yourself toward the kitchen table to find Mingi setting out a literal feast before you.
“Jeez Min, did you buy out the whole shop or something? There’s just the two of us!”
He chuckled “I wanted you to have all of your favorites and enough for leftovers. I know how much you like to snack late at night.
You pursed your lips at him as he continued pulling containers out. “I hate that you know me so well sometimes.”
He shot you a smug look as you went over to the kitchen to pull out plates, silverware, and glasses for your meal.
You and Mingi enjoyed a comfortable silence during your meal, feeling immense relief that much of the daunting task of confronting your ex’s belongings was almost complete.
“Did you see them when you dropped everything off? Did they say anything to you?”
Mingi chuckled darkly and shrugged. “Nope, the fucker wasn’t home and I just dropped everything on the front lawn. Not my stuff, not my problem.”
You let out an incredulous laugh. “Well at least it’s out of our hands now. Thank you again for doing that for me.”
“You don’t have to keep thanking me, you know I’d do it for you in a heartbeat, just as you’d do the same for me.”
You smiled at each other and continued eating in peace.
———
You and Mingi were seated on the floor around your coffee table with the box in front of you.
“Are you ready?” Mingi asked gently.
Closing your eyes and taking a few steadying deep breaths, you centered yourself before nodding and removing the lid from the box.
Your plan was to thumb through everything as quickly as possible to make sure you weren’t destroying anything actually valuable.
The box contained years worth of photographs, polaroids, notes, tickets, trinkets, and countless memories. It was almost painful to see the container filled to the brim with paper, knowing what it had cost you in the end.
You knew you were better off without your ex, but you were still dealing with the fallout and had to remind yourself that it was okay to grieve.
Sensing your hesitation, Mingi shifted and pulled you over his lap and between his legs, startling you.
“I’m going to be right behind you to help ground you, okay? I won’t let you go.”
You felt your eyes well up and sniffled, leaning back into his chest as he wrapped an arm around your midsection and placed his chin on your shoulder.
“Thank you, Min, this feels nice.”
Having his warm, steady presence behind you made it easier to breathe, knowing you weren’t doing this alone.
With a newfound sense of calm and determination, you began sifting through the box, separating everything into piles you categorized as “trash,” “pawn,” and “burn.”
Mingi didn’t say anything as you worked, just held you and rubbed your sides and shoulders to comfort you and remind you that he was right there.
It ended up taking you about an hour to sort through everything.
Taking a deep breath and placing your hands on the table, you surveyed the piles.
You felt, rather than heard Mingi chuckle behind you, clearly amused at the size of the “burn” pile.
“Mingi, are you a secret pyromaniac?”
He chuckled again. “No, I just think that for situations like this it can be freeing to let everything go with a little fire.”
“Have you done this before?”
“Yes, I’ve burned things for myself but I also helped some friends in college when they went through a similar situation. It made them feel a little better, so I figured it would be beneficial for you as well.”
You hummed, considering his words as he shifted behind you. “Alright then. I think to start we throw the garbage out and then take some of these nicer items to the pawn shop to see what we can get for them. I doubt they gave you anything truly expensive, but some of these things might fetch a few bucks. Then we use the firepit in my backyard to burn the rest. Does that sound alright to you?”
“I think that sounds perfect. Are you free tomorrow?”
He shifted again and pulled out his phone to pull up his calendar. “Looks like I’m open all day. Let’s go for it.”
You turned and smiled at him over your shoulder as he squeezed you around the waist.
Tomorrow, you would be free of your ex for good.
———
When you woke up the next morning, you felt simultaneous looming anxiety and relief over what you and Mingi were going to do today.
Letting go of a significant part of your life was never easy, but you finally felt like you were ready.
You stretched your stiff joints and ambled to the bathroom to start your morning. In the shower, you close your eyes and let the hot water run over you, soothing some of the morning ache and relaxing you further. Showers always have a profound calming effect on you.
After finishing your morning routine, you texted Mingi to let him know you were ready for the day. He showed up at your door about a half hour later with two coffees and a bag of pastries from your favorite cafe in tow.
You smiled brightly as you greeted him, hugging him tightly as he placed everything on the counter. “Are you ready for this? How are you feeling?” Mingi asked from above you in the embrace. You looked up at him, his concerned but soft gaze searching your face for any obvious signs of distress or discomfort.
You gave him an easy smile back, grateful for his presence. “I think I’m good. I feel...well I don’t know how to describe it. But I definitely am ready to get rid of all this extra shit.” You gazed back at the piles of garbage bags from yesterday’s cleaning spree, a pang of grief making itself present, knowing what you were about to do.
You shook it off after a minute, letting yourself feel, but strengthening your resolve that this was the correct choice. You looked back to Mingi and squeezed him a little tighter. “Yeah, I’m ready,” you replied.
He hummed above you as he replied “Good. Remember, I will be with you every step of the way today.”
Nodding into his chest, you further steeled yourself into action. Finally turning out of his embrace, you made your way over to the garbage bags. You cracked your neck and hands and rolled your shoulders, ready to rid yourself of the phantom of your ex.
Mingi made his way to your side, catching your eye and giving you a nod as he bent to pick up some bags. You nodded back and followed suit, grabbing the remainder and hefting them up off the floor.
Trudging out of your apartment with the bags and Mingi in tow, you made your way down to the parking lot to throw the actual garbage away in the dumpster, saving the burn pile for later.
Mingi hefted his bags into the bin and dusted off his hands. Turning to you, he clocked your emotions again, ready to act if you changed your mind about all this. Seeing nothing but determined steel in your gaze, he grabbed the burn pile and cleared his throat.
“Ready?” He asked.
You closed your eyes and took a centering breath.
“Ready.” You replied with conviction.
Mingi brought the bags to the backseat of his car and opened the passenger door for you to climb in. Settling yourself inside and buckling your seatbelt, you kept your eyes forward, waiting for Mingi to start the engine.
Not wanting to spend time inside your own head, you turned the radio on as Mingi started the car and prepared to head over to his place.
Mingi, noticing your effort to stay present, kept easy conversation at the forefront.
“Do you want to pick up some snacks on the way, or should we scour my pantry?” He asked, eyes focused forward on the road.
“Honestly, I think stopping would be fine. Lord knows what kind of amalgamation of frat boy apartment snacks we’d create out of the bare bones of your pantry,” you joked.
“Hey now, I resent that! I keep my pantry stocked and ready for company!” He retorted.
“Min, bags of mashmallows and the odd can of soup don’t exactly create the most enticing meals,” you chuckled as he pouted.
“Fine, I guess you’ll never know the joys of my culinary prowess,” Mingi sighed.
You laughed, keeping up the conversation as you pulled up to the grocery store for snacks.
“Would it be too gauche to roast marshmallows and hotdogs over the fire?” You pondered.
Mingi let out a loud cackle at the idea. “No, I don’t think so. But if you had a hesitation in doing so, I say we stick with the basic gathering foods. Chips and dip, perhaps charcuterie?”
“Now you sound pretentious. A whole charcuterie spread as we burn photos of my ex. Should we add aperol spritzers to the mix?” You giggled.
“You laugh, but that sounds perfectly lovely for an evening like this,” shrugged Mingi.
“Alright fine, you pick the snacks and I’ll go along with what you decide,” you acquiesce, not particularly caring what you eat, as your appetite had fluctuated throughout the day.
Finally packed back into the car, you and Mingi rode in companionable silence back to his apartment, the radio playing a calming playlist in the background.
As you arrived at Mingi’s, he grabbed all the groceries while you grabbed the bags holding your tainted memories.
Bringing everything around the back to the patio, you settled yourself in one of the Adirondack chairs while Mingi puttered around setting up the snacks.
Once he was confident in his snack spread, he turned to assess your mood.
“How are you feeling?” As asked as he came to kneel in front of you.
“I’m…surprisingly okay I think.” You looked up into his earnest eyes and felt the warmth radiating out of him. You once again felt overwhelmed gratitude at having Mingi in your life.
Reaching out to place your palm on his cheek, you regarded him in a soft voice. “Thank you for doing this with me, it means the world to me to have you in my corner.”
Mingi smiled and leaned into your palm. “Best friends for life, remember? I’ve always got your back just like I know you’ve got mine.”
You smiled and allowed yourself this moment of comfort.
Finally ready, you dropped your hand and nodded up to Mingi. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Mingi nodded in return and set to work starting the fire in the pit.
You watched as he expertly set the kindling in place between the wooden logs, allowing it to catch fire and create a beautiful, warm fire.
Once the fire was going strong, you finally stood up and stared into the embers.
Were you ready for this? Could you bring yourself to place all of these memories into the flames?
Mingi, sensing your hesitation, made his way to your side and placed his large palm on your shoulder, channeling his support into you.
You heard him quietly in your ear. “It’s okay. You can do this. Burn it.”
Feeling the comfort of his warm palm on your skin, you shook off the doubt and hesitation, ready to start this next phase of your life.
You turned to the bags, opening up the first one and grabbing the first photo you saw.
It was a lovely shot of you and your partner standing beneath the beautiful blooms of a cherry blossom tree. An image that once evoked so much happiness and comfort in you now felt hollow.
You allowed yourself to mourn the peace this image once brought you, tracing your hand over the memories of what once was. Then, with a steady hand, you brought the image forward, and slowly lowered it into the flickering flames.
Allowing the picture to catch fire at the ends, the flame slowly licking its way up through the center of the photo, taking with it the image of your ex.
Once the flames reached your visage, you carefully dropped it into the fire, letting it engulf the rest of the photo, erasing it from existence.
You allowed tears to leak from the corner of your eyes, a mixture of sadness and cathartic release taking over your emotions.
Throughout this, Mingi’s hand stayed firmly planted on your shoulder, bolstering you. He knew how hard this was for you, and he was so proud of you for taking this first step.
You leaned back, allowing Mingi’s arms to encircle you as you cried for what once was, for the last time.
After a while, the tears dried up and you and Mingi pulled some chairs closer to the fire so that you could snack while dropping memories into the flames.
You told stories associated with the photos and other mementos, allowing yourself to feel as you dropped each reminder into the fire, watching as each piece of your old relationship turned to ash.
Mingi stayed strong next to you, listening intently and keeping a hold on you in any way that he could, be it holding your hand, touching your arm, or putting an arm around your shoulders, keeping his promise to not leave you alone through this.
Eventually, the snacks ran out and the number of photos in the bags dwindled down to one single image remaining.
It was a candid shot you had taken of your ex, one you had adored and kept close to you at your workstation. You gazed upon the photo, once again allowing yourself to feel and remember, building up the emotion to let it release in a mix of blue and red flames. Ready to let it burn.
Touching the tip of the photo to the fire, you coaxed the flames to consume the last image. Placing it delicately on the wood, you watched as the corners of the photo met in the middle, turning what remained into a pile of embers.
It was done. You were finally free of your ex.
Sitting back, but keeping your eyes on the flames, you felt Mingi embrace you once again.
“I’m really proud of you, you know. You did it. You are free of them, free to live your life on your own terms. I can wait to see you continue to grow from here,” he murmured into the dusk.
You felt an overwhelming surge of gratitude once again. The love you feel for your best friend bursting out of you into a comforting warm glow you always associated with Mingi.
“Thank you Mingi, for everything. Always.”
Resting your head on Mingi’s shoulder, you closed your eyes and took a deep breath, reveling in the smell of a bonfire and the warm embrace of your best friend as he pulled you closer. Opening your eyes, you watched the whispers of memories turn into nothing but a pile of ash and fading embers.
You stayed like this for hours, soaking in the comfort of friendship and embracing the strength derived from overcoming grief.
As you gazed in the dying embers of memories of a life once lived, you felt an overwhelming sense of peace finally settle deep in your bones.
Rising from the ashes of despair, from this day forward, you are reborn anew.
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NEW ZELDA AU!!!💗 Welcome to the Miraculous Ladybug/Magical Girl-inspired, modern day Zelda AU feat. Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf.
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Posting pics that really only make sense to me, so… bear with me and lemme explain…..
Link and Zelda are simple classmates, but there is trouble lurking in the shadows.
A vengeful fairy—Ghirahim—is making moves and has chosen a vessel for his hatred towards the Great Fairies and wishes to gain more power. One Great Fairy sends out a few fairies to search for those with courage and wisdom in their hearts to help her and the other Great Fairies that are in danger.
Link and Zelda are chosen as vessels of the legendary Goddess Hylia and the ancient Hero. With “Hylia’s” ancient bow and purifying light power, she is able to help those that are corrupted by the one who calls himself: “Demise”. “Hero” is able to help “Hylia” overcome any trial or encounter with the legendary Master Sword.
Link and Zelda do not know that they both have fairies that give them their powers or know that they work together during all of this, and they will continue to try and live as casually as possible. There are some fun facts, though: Link really likes Zelda, but she doesn’t really know that he exists. Not on purpose, though. Zelda really likes her cool super partner, Hero, but he is strictly business. Zelda gets two fairies, but only knows how to wield just Tatl’s power. Maybe one day she will use Tael’s power to help her.
(So, not EXACTLY based off perfect Zelda lore as there’s a mix of things from each game here and there, but rather my own twist on certain things :] idk who read this all the way through or who is curious about this. Might be just a self-indulgent AU but OH WELL. This was fun to make and sorta get out there. Lemme know if you wish to see more…
Also, I’m open to suggestions on what to call this AU because I have no idea yet 🙌 lots of things are to be worked out.)
#does anybody see the vision#it’s here somewhere I promise#rough sketches#rough doodles#doodles#sketch#au#Zelda#link#zelink#my post#my art#Zelda au#miraculous ladybug#magical girl#the legend of zelda#ganondorf#ghirahim#great fairy
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A guide to being the local fashion icon 🐆
1. THRIFT THRIFT THRIFT!
I am someone who lives for unique clothing. My biggest tip ever for anyone who wants to stand out and be more fashionable is to start thrifting. Not only is it beyond fun this is a place where you can get pieces no one else has for CHEAP. nothing feels better than finding ur dream clothing piece at a thrift store. And you can get high quality clothing for way cheaper than a new poor quality item you get online. I’ve thrifted since forever so I might post thrifting tips soon.
2. Do a closet cleanout
It is so important to get rid of clothes you won’t wear anymore. I struggle with this and found myself keeping clothes as “backup” so much that I ended up with filled to the brim drawers full of clothes I find extremely ugly or that I just didn’t ever wear anymore. And this caused me to forget the nice clothes I have and only wear the same outfits all the time because I couldn’t find my other clothes. So GET RID OF CLOTHES!
3. Find your staples
My staples include black boots, leather jackets, denim jackets, and a few good pairs of jeans. Now this can be completely different for you. You need to figure out what the items are most needed for the outfits that go with your style.
4. Avoid shopping on SHEIN
Hear me out. I used to be a shein addict and I know how addictive it can be to buy cute clothes for cheap. But I just don’t find it worth it at all anymore. And I don’t even own any of the hundreds of clothes I bought on Shein anymore because the ones I wore often got ugly crazy fast. I hate to be the one to say it but you can almost always tell when a clothing piece is from shein. Now you do you, but if we’re talking about being that it girl, the one who always looks so cool and stylish and somehow nobody does it like her, buying quality clothing is key. Trust me you can find a better option at the thrift for almost anything you’re buying from shein. Shein also mostly sells clothes that will go out style in a few months.
5. don’t put yourself in a box
Create your style without trapping yourself in an aesthetic. The beauty of fashion is you can always try new things and be creative and express yourself through it. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Wear something a little different every now and then if you feel like it. You don’t need to dress a specific way all the time.
6. Find inspiration
One thing I like to do is to write down the people whose style I like so that I can get inspiration from them and see what I can take away from their fashion choices. Another thing I do is making a Pinterest board for every season every year that way I can look at it when I want ideas.
7. Shop with a goal in mind
A lot of the times we end up buying things we barely wear because we bought it just for the sake of buying something. I like to keep a list of things I really want t and look for those specific things when I’m shopping to avoid buying things I don’t actually want.
8. Add a bit of color to your outfits
Look, I am someone who literally only ever wears neutral colors. But the times I choose to add a bit of color to my outfits it upgrades them so much. I mostly do this with red because it’s pretty much the only bold color I don’t despise. But a bolder color can really make ur outfits stand out so much more. This works best if it’s only 1 specific part of ur look.
9. Accessorize
I know we hear this all the time but accessories really brings an outfit together. You can have the most basic outfit, but if you add some jewelry, a bag, and a pair of sunglasses it suddenly looks not basic at all. Or maybe you add a cute belt. Accessorizing is key to spicing up your outfits.
10. Find a makeup that fits you
Recently I’ve been loving a 90’s makeup look. I think finding a makeup style that suits you changes everything. I don’t feel complete if I’m not wearing some lip combo. So try out different makeup styles and see what you like best.
11. Have one interesting factor in ur outfit
Having one thing that stands out from the rest of ur outfit makes it so much more unique. This can be anything from a pattern, to a texture, to a color etc. having only ONE is important because it makes your outfit interesting but keeps it from looking messy.
Hope this helps u become a fashion diva 🫶🏼🙂↔️
Xo, Ary 💋
#glow up#fashion#fashiontips#divine feminine#fashionicon#it girl#it girl mentality#it girl vibes#celebrity#clean girl#self love#self care#self transformation
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Been thinking lately about learning romhacking and animation exclusively because I need to bring to life this class idea that I have bouncing around in my head. I NEED a gladiator class. I have so many ideas. Would be swords/lances, based off a mix of murmillo/hoplomachus gladiators appearance wise to account for that. And I need to lean into the bit that this is like, all a huge spectacle or whatever as much as possible. The crits would have the crowd cheering, maybe the thumbs down(/thumbs up? we actually don't know which one was kill and which one was spare), some kind of flourish from the gladiator and a fancy bow. Absolutely maximize the bit. Even with class skills. For example, here are a few I've thought of (idk if they're good, they might be dogshit. this is all very conceptual):
Crowd favorite - for each ally 2-3 spaces away (NOT adjacent, there must be space between the glad and the ally), grants +2 hit/avo (max +20). if a lord is in the crowd, also grants +3 atk. grants +10 hit/avo while in the arena, but cannot obtain normal crowd bonuses.
Underdog - when opponent's current health exceeds unit's current health by 75% or more, grants +10 avo, +25 crit
Entertainer - (damage of killing blow/3)% chance to obtain gold on kill. also grants lck% chance to obtain 50% more gold from the arena.
Fortune favors the bold - grants lck +5 when unit initiates combat with a 1 range weapon
Don't touch me - grants +10 avo when foe initiates combat from long range while unit has a ranged weapon equipped
The verdict - this is more of a joke one, but hear me out. It would be a combination of bane and lethality, where bane is a thumbs up and lethality is a thumbs down. is that funny? i think that would be funny
The general idea is that this is a very flashy but kinda risky class that's more for fun than to be a super strong combat unit, but can be situationally strong?
most of the stylistic inspiration comes from the gladiator in for honor. Their whole personality is that they're very showy, with things like the recovery of a successful skewer sometimes having an extra flourish or how a lot of their win animations and emotes tricks of some sort. if I'm being honest though, it's mostly the executions (specifically carpe ventrem and fun & roses, where you can hear the crowd cheering. look them up if you feel so inclined).
Anyways thanks for reading my attempt to write down some sort of cohesive idea for this class I want to exist. Tell me if you think it sounds cool or if you hate it idk
👀
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I CAN DEFINITELY SEE IT AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH!! 😍🧡🖤❤️🔥Beauty and the Beast is one of my fave tales ever and I love the tropes so much!!!😭😍🥰 I don't know if Yams gained inspiration from it but these tropes are so widely used in fiction that maybe he used them without thinking jsjdhdhd!
Petra is definitely a smart woman like Belle, I bet she likes reading too and she's undoubtedly a daddy's girl! 🥰🧡 She shares some tropes with Belle, like Cool Big Sis, Nice Girl and Wide-eyed Idealist.
Levi can obviously be a massive beast when he wants to LMAO, but inside he's so kind and emotional and Petra could definitely see that, like Belle saw the same in Adam/the beast 😭🖤
LMAO, poor Oluo doesn't deserve this comparison to Gaston but you can definitely see some similarities with all the marriage talk and Petra and Belle having none of it 😅 I feel so bad for Oluo but I'm sure he understands, he also admires Levi so much after all. Gaston is a piece of shit so the comparisons stop there.
Eld could be a less suave version of Lumiere 😂 with his teasing of Petra about Levi, remember the smartpass when he said to Petra "disappointed you're not with the Captain right now?" (he ships Rivetra hard like Lumiere ships Belle x Adam and you can't convince me otherwise 😁) and also the fact that he has a girlfriend, just like Lumiere! 🥰
And Gunther is definitely more serious and practical like Clogsworth!
I wrote a document collecting the characters tropes from tvtropes.org that Adam and Levi, Belle and Petra and Gaston and Oluo have in common, if anyone is interested (yes, I'm that obsessed 😂).
So yeah, you can definitely see the similarities and I love it so much, you have no idea!! 😍😁🥰🧡🖤❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 Thanks so much for this post, Liby, I'm glad I got the opportunity to talk about this because you expressed it so well!! 🥰❤️
Say .. Which Disney princess reminds you the most of Petra .. For me personally it is and always will be Belle .. There's too many similarities to the point it's uncanny ..
First off let's start with the most obvious one ..
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
That's right you heard me it's LITERALLY RIGHT THERE IN THE TITLE ..
Need I say more your honor ?? NO .. I THINK NOT
Sorry man .. I don't care what form or shape it takes .. This trope always has been and WILL be a personal favorite of mine 😌
Next case ..
Their both DADDY'S GIRLS ..
Oh and both girls managed to get back to their da-
Eh .. Yeah .. Never mind
Last case .. I always felt like Petra and Oluo were a friendlier version of Belle and Gaston .. I mean please tell me I'm not the only one who saw this right ??
Also maybe it's me but Eld's personality reminds me a bit of Lumiere .. While Cogsworth is serious & practical about his job like Gunther ..
Alright I'll stop my ranting spree now .. But seriously do you guys ever think that Yams gained inspiration for Petra from Belle's story ??
#attack on titan#beauty and the beast#rivetra#levi x petra#levi ackerman#petra ral#belle#belle x adam#beast#belle x beast#lumiere#cogsworth#gaston beauty and the beast#oluo bozado#fan thoughts
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Hey.
Just a gentle reminder... That in an overwhelming majority of Undertale fanfic, Frisk IS the villain.
This is a gentle reminder that a majority of fanfics where Frisk is Sans's victim... Sans is the point of view character.
A gentle reminder that in an overwhelming majority of murder mystery novels, victims are used as plot devices and seen as objects to be brutalized for the story, and detectives are the main characters.
A gentle reminder that pop culture is deeply fascinated with the minds of cruel men, and their stories are told 90% of the time.
.
.
.
So... TMDG is a small drop in the well of something that is not that. It's a murder mystery I want to tell focused on the victims; their hopes, their dreams, and how that was robbed of them...
And Undertale just happens to be the gift wrapping I chose to present this story in, because Sans is my muse.
Thank you! Enjoy! Go forth and prosper, darlings.
Mwah!
🫶🏻💗
#tmdg#the most dangerous game#PSA#this will be the sign in which I tap from now on#serial killers#serial killer au#undertale#fanfic#frans#sk! sans#final! frisk#please stop sending asks that are basically you telling me how I should write my story#if you have a cool idea because I inspired you...#just tell me your cool idea and how I inspired you to write that#thank you for coming to my ted talk#🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻#i say this all in love
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finally put together something for my own headcanons for their voices : ) you can see this as two options for them or that their voices are a middle ground of both!
galileo to me has a somewhat flat affect but still Very silly and has a range for dramatics. angel has a gravely voice and Very energetic and intense. (also i think bismuth's squeaky lil' laugh is so cute and i think it really fits her 😭)
caravaggio has an Anime Cooler Older Brother voice. ...if you get what i mean. i don't really know genshin, but itto is such a good mix of that confidence and awkwardness! and newton's voice is very chill, very peppy, and direct.
parmi has that "showman" type of voice, yknow!! kind of sounds a bit artificial no matter what he's really feeling. don and raph mostly talk directly through titian (i had an awful amount of trouble mixing don and raph voice lines that didn't sound bad so please just imagine i did that) but titian's "voice" for itself is all cool hydraulic and dinosaur noises
and of course gali being abed and newton being troy is a reference to how those two were inspirations for donnie and mikey's rise dynamic. if any of yall had any different ideas or voice claims you imagined, feel free to share!
#tmnt#rottmnt#fusion mayhem au#fmau#my turtle art#thank you Very Much to my twitter mutuals like. half a year ago helping me with ideas for this AHA#also some slightly updated/changed designs..!? i want to make real model sheets for them and have been bouncing around some new ideas#very related: titian's look here is Very inspired by the super cool way butterflyscribbles drew it 😭#every blue moon i share one crumb of fusion headcanons then disappear into the ether (i hope to post more LMAO)#also this was Going to be an ask because someone recently asked about it but tumblr ate it mid post : (
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dust with a fucked up savior complex save me dust with a fucked up savior complex SAVE ME!!!! he's literally sooo savior complex coded. he killed his underground to "save" everyone and stop the human from killing them. he thinks that it's better that he does the murdering instead of the human because he has better intentions. he's sad at the beginning (rightfully so) but savior complex dust really gets so much cooler when you add in the fact that dust eventually started to LIKE killing his underground 😭😭 like just..... imagine a manic dust who's gone mad going around claiming he's helping everyone with what he's doing when he's really,,,, not. soo cool.,,, (like dude how are you SAVING people if they don't exist after you've killed the person who was killing them. there is nobody to be safe but yourself anymore) (can you tell this was inspired by the one comic of dust killing his papyrus and saying "it was better if i did it" or something)
but also also on the other hand,,,,, revenge fueled dust??? he's gotten SO bitter from the repeated resets and genos that he's genuinely bitter enough to risk it all to stop the human. he doesn't have pure intentions in this one. dust doesn't claim he's saving anybody with what he's doing murdering them all. he KNOWS it's bad and wrong and hypocritical but he does it anyways because he wants to not only stop the human but to make them suffer. he purposely wants them to keep coming back after killing them just so he can kill them over and over and over and have them experience a fragment of the suffering he did with having all of his friends and family killed. but i think a revenge fueled dust (in contrast to savior complex dust) would be a lot cooler if he still felt shitty for killing everyone. it's painful to do but hate is stronger than love and dust's hate for the human is MUCH stronger than his love for the underground atp
#oooffff dust sans.... you are such an amazing CONCEPT!!!!#his au is so vague and barely elaborated on that its just so amazing for coming up with any sort of idea for. I LOVE IT I LOVE IT#these are all just different motivations for dust. salvation vs revenge#because really all dust is is sans kills underground to stop human. there is no other elaboration aside from some small pieces#dust sans is peak representation of the utmv and why it's great because#u can come up with cool ideas like this and still have it be semi canon esque#nothing will ever truely be canon unleas its from ask dusttale themselves but that just allows for cooler creativity :3#i love making dust a little more crazy that i perceive him to be#he's DEFINITELY the most mentally stable one of the mtt but once in a while let him be a freak too#mentally unwell mtt tier list from best to worst goes dust horror killer#horror is fucked up too but he has conscience and empathy and is partially environmentally affected#but killer just has too much going on with him that's fucked up that there is NO DAMN WAYYY he is any better than dust or horror#killer needs to be sent to the insane asylum and given the white room treatment (just like error!)#hey so that first concept of dust with a savior complex is ABSOLUTELY what inspired savior#i saw the idea of dust with savior complex and decided to give that to killer to make dust!killer. lookie at that#ohhhh is this a rant or hc????#i have too many damn interpretations of the mtt for me to call EVERYTHING a hc when its not#tricule rant#dust sans#murder time trio#bad sanses#bad sans gang#nightmare's gang#utmv#sans au#i have 40 fucking drafts and yet i am not posting majority of them. what is wrong with me#and like 10 of them are dust based 😭😭😭 another 10 are horror based 😭😭😭 just post the damn drafts triglycercule!!!!!#nooo but the ideas aren't cool and only i would like them.... i say as i post this
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Ackermann's Demons by @arehera I always love coming across stuff that's just RPGified concepts from different fields. So I appreciate this as a piece of art in the RPG medium, but you couldn't pay me to play it.
LADY FIONA'S MANSE by @itskobold This is probably inadvisable to play with anyone other than close friends or bitter enemies. I do love the thing about making a veiled remark on the item you steal, that's always amusing.
Russian Roulette by @karlmarxmaybe This seems like a horrible idea, to play this game as written; but the same applies to "normal" Russian Roulette so I guess that's a feature not a bug. Also, the writing for this is just CHILLING in places, well done.
BUGKNIGHT by @corvidcorgi The game itself seems cool enough, but what really caught my interest was the notes for it. (…listen, I'm tired as I write this, my brain hasn't been braining well today.) Also "fuck it, that's out of scope" sounds like a motto for the whole event, actually.
I'M NOT LEARNING TO PLAY MAGICAL GATHERING by @txttletale I was predisposed to like this just from reading the title, as someone who's had negative experiences with being explained MtG rules; and as someone who thinks that the individual cards are pretty cool, the rest of it just seems tailor-made for my preferences. I want to play this dammit.
I'm too tired to write a proper RPG by yours truly Play this if you're tired. I'm not joking, I genuinely think it's a good idea. Despite that the thing itself is basically a shitpost I wrote; it has a core of "get some rest", but slightly gamified, and with an alternative to "setting an alarm".
The Machine War, and the people by @josie-like-the-girls-name I was going to make a comment on "how do you tell whether silver is white or grey", but on a reread I noticed "accept ambiguity", which… fits with what I know about war reporting. (And also what I know about counting how many cars of a given colour pass by somewhere.) This doesn't seem like it would be FUN, but it seems like it would be FITTING.
Rote 1st Edition by @sabrinahawthorne I always like things that give a particular curse associated with having a particular magic.
Six Weeks on a Wild Planet by @specialagentartemis It's cool. Nice and simple base mechanics, easy to reskin, rewards imagination on the part of the players but doesn't require too much from scratch.
Very Specific Thresholds by @bendandsnap-cummerbund Gotta love stuff that's basically a shitpost, especially when I'd already known the thing which inspired it. I'm vaguely curious about how the number totals were assigned, and if they lead to an even spread of results (and also at which point you'd be able to rule out certain subjects), but I don't want to nerd-snipe myself. I wouldn't be able to play this, because I'm horrible at that specific type of improv (and it just grates against me when I try), but I'd love to watch some skilled improv people do it.
You are on the moon. etc by @moon-of-curses I'm not writing the whole title, it's a literal paragraph. Still love stuff based off memes, especially when they make it make sense; both gameplay, and WHY one guy might want to kill another guy on the moon (and that just in the space of one sentence).
Continuation from my previous thread (because it got long), of stuff from @200-word-rpgs that I find interesting.
THE CURSE: A Rabbit and Steel Fangame by @ringedretrospective I'm not sure I've even HEARD of "Rabbit and Steel" before, let alone know what it's like. But having "apologize for what you did last night", as the single sentence for the "day" phase, amuses me greatly.
Make Brown by @thee-rat-king I like colour stuff; I also appreciate how "should or shouldn't end up brown" is a 50% thing determined at the start of the game. And that's just SUCH a cool concept, how one player gets their colour combined with that of the other.
Paleolithic Fantasy by @cavetalesz I agree with the writer (whose url is PERFECTLY fitted for this game), we need more stuff set in this… setting. And also more FANTASY stuff in that setting; heck, if we're going from the thing we commonly see in fantasy of "magic has been fading from the world", then the earlier back we go, the more room there is for magic (and also it's not like there's any written documentation to contradict it). As to the game itself, I appreciate how the "stuff you find" table includes entries with relevant stats, and then at the end there's just "the antlered man", no detail given.
Elegy For A Better Yesterday by @notsomeoneyouknow I don't have enough familiarity with John Woo movies to properly appreciate this. But from the design notes, it seems like a lot of thought went into mechanics that properly match the theme.
Mires by @i-exist-for-spleen and manguypersondude I appreciate something that, as they put it, turns "how partial a GM is inevitably going to be" into a feature and not a bug. Also, something that started with a design requirement ("no dice math") and then built from there. And yeah, when you just stumble upon a theme or concept that ties everything neatly together, that is SUCH a good feeling; the spark of inspiration that lights up the tinder you've prepared from your own efforts.
You Know How This Story Ends by @indraklyr I just think it's cool; everyone has things that will happen, then those things get placed in an order, then you play out how the things happen.
You Sunk My Battleship! by @ineffable-gallimaufry Gotta respect something that finds a way to turn BATTLESHIP, of all things, into an RPG.
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The wives of all time? The wives of all time!!
@s1nn0hh I love Gaia and Erida so much c:
#the moment you drew Echo for me I went rabid and wanted to draw your girls for you!!#I hope you like them Sinnoh! I wanted to do them justice SO BAD so pls take this adoring doodle from me like you would a cool fistbump#I forgot how much I enjoy drawing dusknoirs they are SO SHAPED and Erida is a cutiepie#so thank you for reawakening that love in me cause I haven't drawn a dusknoir in what feels like ages#And... I've never drawn a claydol before but I decided to bite the bullet and give Gaia a shot because she is precious and needs love#these two... have given me brainrot... excessive amounts of it#Your ideas for them are always so good and I lurk on all of your posts Sinnoh just fyi#I take heavy writing inspiration from you all the time cause your analysis of stuff always makes my head spin#anyway.... enjoy the girlies!!!!! <3#Gaia and Erida my beloveds
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Yet another crochet and knit hack: the patterns are a mild suggestion. You can do what you want forever, you have free will 💛💛💛
#art#fiber art#crochet#knit#i want to write a variation of the blanket pattern i'm making right now because i don't know how i feel about it still#i like the pattern like it looks cool. but i kind of want more variety#i'll show a picture once i'm done - i frogged a huge portion again because i'm like. almost toxically and paradoxically a perfectionist#i tend to read patterns to understand what i like about it then if i have other ideas i'll incorporate them in#it's important to be able to read and understand patterns so you can see where your inspiration leads you#you don't necessarily *need* a pattern in order to achieve something you will like#and you don't HAVE to follow the pattern to the *exact* specifications#like i think i'm liking my blanket because i sozed down the hook size to an 8.00mm instead of the recommended 10.00mm#there is no WAY i would care for using that big of a hook especially because the pattern will leave holes due to the design
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1660 - Cavalryman - Several wars under Denmark against Sweden.
1697 - Gunner - pre-Great Nordic War under Denmark against Sweden.
1774 - Skiing Soldier - pre-Theater War under Denmark against Sweden.
1785 - Infantryman - pre-Great Northern War under Denmark against Sweden.
1808 - Coast Guard Officer - Napoleonic Wars under Denmark.
1845 - Infantryman - pre-First Schleswig War under Sweden against Germany.
1855 - Infantryman - during the Crimean War (Sweden-Norway debated joining the UK and France against Russia).
1905 - Hunter - preparing for wars of independence against Sweden.
1914 - Engineer Officer - First World War.
1940 - Infantry Officer - Second World War.
#historical hetalia#hetalia#aph norway#hws norway#damn this took a long time#if you haven't heard much from me the last three days it's because I was studying and doing this#had this idea ages ago but never did it because: very time-consuming :P#but now I did it!!#SNL (store norske leksikon) has this great illustration of all these uniforms and it is inspiring every time I look at it#and then norgeshistorie.no posted a new article about militarization in Norway during the union with Denmark and I had to do the project#we all know how much I like drawing uniforms and historical clothing 😔😔😔#even bought a book about historical clothing this spring - for references#but it's a bit confusing so might get another one if I see a good one#I do love the historical asks I get because then I get to nerd out about all the cool history I know 👀#I have mentioned before but; Norway was perhaps /the/ most militarized country in Europe during the 1600s#there are a lot of stories from towns and villages nearby about the results of this#anyway; hope everyone enjoys Norway in uniforms!! 😁#I am sure some minor details will be inaccurate but I tried
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mistystar n who
I think fratboy Podlight who sends his powerful grandmother stupid texts is a VERY funny concept.
"My dad didn't love me because he could never move on from the lover he had in his 20s. My sister is up to no good. I party hard at Aftergatherings about it, are you rockin' with me?"
He is 38 cat-years-old.
#BB!Podlight#Aftergatherings#Better bones au#Fennelposting#There's a secret AU of the AU where everything is exactly the same but the cats have the ability to text tbh#I do occasionally just for fun imagine what their phones would be like for no particular reason#Misty is the sort of old person you think you'll have to teach how to use an app#But the moment never comes and you find out she actually has a whole ass burner phone and even refuses to upgrade to--#--a more modern model because she doesn't trust a device she can't take the battery out of#And your blood goes cold for a moment because like... Gamgam?? Silly funny gamgam with the long speeches at gatherings???#When pressed she's just like ''once you give a secret to the world you can never take it back. Knowledge is power and power is a weapon.''#It's fun. I wish I had a way to translate half of these fun phone thought experiments into canon compliance lmao#Btw just as an aside. If this ever DID become an original project it would probably take some inspiration from like...#I really love the new Zelda games' magitech take on an apocalypse. VERY cool idea.#Months ago I had a passing thought of Fallen causing such an apocalypse and entertained it for fun for a while.#Put it down ofc because I like the project in its current form#But it was a fun thought.
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