#joy contained in a couple of characters just :D

[chainofclovers]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag, @tunemyart!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

162

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

695,994

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Ted Lasso is the only fandom I'm actively writing in right now. In the past I've also written for Grace and Frankie and The Devil Wears Prada (DWP) as an actual active member of the fandom. I've also dabbled in Doubt, a specific National Theatre production of Twelfth Night, Dead To Me, Killing Eve, 9 to 5 (film), Supergirl, and Carol.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Even now, all five are DWP Miranda/Andy fics. That is wild.

Clean Rooms and Dirty Light

Lightyear

Twenty Questions

Ice Water

Calibrated

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do! I think I've replied to nearly every comment I've received. I really, really appreciate comments no matter how quick or detailed they are and while I don't think writers have an obligation to respond to anything they don't want to, I always love hearing back from writers when I comment on their fic. Receiving a fic comment feels like an incredible opportunity to thank someone for reading and chat about the story. One of my favorite things about fandom is the interactive component; when I publish something in a lit mag, I might hear from a few people about it, but when I publish fic there's a built-in audience/community and I do not take that for granted.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Maybe "Millimeters" (Grace/Frankie), in which Grace ends the story pining for Frankie, who is in a relationship with someone else? But even that story doesn't actually have an angsty ending; by the time I published it, I was already in the process of publishing a multi-chapter fic that was the third and final part of the series and that has a very happy ending.

No matter how much angst I put characters through in fic, I am pretty committed to endings that have some degree of hope and at least the possibility of joy!

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I could answer with so many fics, but I'll go with "The Adventure" (Ted/Rebecca) because its ending is explicitly about Rebecca appreciating her life, sharing this appreciation with Ted, and feeling happy about her immediate future.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

If I have, I've blocked it out. I often put a note on my fics saying I am open to constructive criticism, and while I occasionally get criticism/questions/requests for additional tagging/etc. (all of which I welcome!), I've never gotten a properly hateful comment.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Absolutely! The sex I write tends to be relatively feelings-y, but that doesn't mean it isn't smutty! I absolutely love writing sex and a significant portion of my stories contain some kind of explicit content. I'm not totally sure what "what kind" means but by this point I've written solo sex, couple sex, and group sex in a variety of queer and hetero contexts. I've written more femslash sex than anything else, but I love writing it all!

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I have tried but never successfully published any. I was really trying to make a DWP + Grace and Frankie crossover work for a long time but it just isn't the way my brain operates. I did write a story about Grace and Frankie watching Killing Eve with their ex husbands, though! :D

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not word-for-word/reposted, but I've had significant passages and concepts from fic plagiarized. It annoyed me.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not yet but some may be in the works?! I've had lots of fic podficced before, and while all the podfics are in the same language, they still feel in some ways like a delightful act of translation.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! The Ted Lasso Ted/Beard podfic @boglady, @podklb, and @rockinhamburger "Just Missed You," which we created for @pod-together.

I've also collaborated more loosely on a couple fics, like the Ted/Rebecca fic "Rebecca Welton, 2021" (@boglady wrote the first chapter and gave me permission to write chapter two and @diane-lockharts permission to write chapter three) and the Beard/Ted + pre-Beard/Rebecca/Ted fic "Before and After" (@theodore-lasso wrote the first chapter and gave me permission to write a chapter two).

I might be forgetting something older, but those are the ones that come to mind.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Impossible question! When I'm fixated on something it's my most favorite thing forever in a way that sort of limits my ability to think broadly and actually answer the question. So it FEELS like my answer is a tie between Ted/Rebecca and Ted/Rebecca/Keeley/Roy and Beard/Rebecca/Ted and any Ted/soulmate situation and that might actually be accurate because I can't recall my brain deep-diving into character quite like this before. But also, Miranda/Andy?! To have started writing about them in 2008 and to still read them sometimes and to have beta-read stories about within the last few months...that's some wild staying power, man.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Oof, I've had a couple barely-started AU ideas for Ted Lasso that I am just 100% sure I'll never have the energy to write. Everything else, never say never! Either I don't want to finish and won't or I want to finish and might!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Detail, I think? I really love thinking about super-specific sensory experiences and exactly how a character would feel and respond, and trying to carve "meaning" from the ordinary little details that stack up to form life.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I sometimes struggle with blocking and describing movements. I also struggle a lot with conveying big feeling transitions. For instance, I might be able to write yearning, and I might be able to write that same character in a reciprocal relationship with the person they once yearned for, but that moment when things change can be really hard to write.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

As long as it's in-character, yeah! I don't think I've really had cause to do this. The closest thing recently might be Rebecca sending a text message in Dutch. I didn't translate it; translating it wasn't required to understand the meaning of the story, so it was more like a bonus for anyone who cared to translate it.

I don't love it when a character who speaks multiple languages peppers their speech with random well-known-to-English-speaking-audiences words in a non-English language when it feels like the writers is just reminding the reader about this fact about the character. But I love it when it's done in a way that resembles how people actually switch between languages as they speak!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Devil Wears Prada, back in 2008!

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Fic I haven't published yet! Always gotta have aspirations. <3

"Lavender II" (Beard/Rebecca/Ted) is a fic that I worked incredibly hard on and feel proud of because it just ended up being what I wanted and needed it to be, so maybe that's my favorite out of stuff I've actually already written.

tagging in a no-pressure way: anyone who was tagged throughout my answers + @talldecafcappuccino @dollsome-does-tumblr @broadwayfreak5357 @itsagutthing @kittensittin @thesumdancekid @fandomfrolics @waywardted @sapphicscholar @majolination + anyone who sees this and wants to do it (I probably meant to tag you anyway!)

[purplekoop]

Koop Talks About (#1)... Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves A 9th-Level Pleasant Surprise!

So the first of the movies I watched with my dearest partner during our thanksgiving meetup trip was the D&D movie, which... I'll be blunt, I didn't really expect much from. As much joy as I've had with DnD over the past few years, I don't really give much credit to DnD itself as a "brand". My memories come from the primarily homebrewed campaigns and thoroughly original PCs, saturated with house rules and whatever the hell I convinced my partner would fit in a DnD game. I even started a campaign of my own with an original setting, though it sadly didn't last long due to personal motivation. But all these memories I associate more with each game as separate entities from the nebulous basic concept of DnD, so an original story relying entirely on established official DnD monsters, locations, and characters didn't have much innate appeal to me.

Fortunately, Honor Among Thieves doesn't rely on pure DnD iconography and fanservice to be a solid film. It instead is a solid film on its own right, a fun and satisfying fantasy film that uses the props of established DnD material to tell a good story just as any Dungeon Master would. I have next to no complaints with it as just a movie, and the context of it serving as a big screen adaptation of a plausible DnD adventure smooth any gaps in its score for me. (Not that I'm scoring these things, don't expect THAT much from me.)

So let's start the in-depth topics where any DnD game does: the cast of characters.

What'd be of concern in a true DnD game but is more excusable in the context of a mainstream motion picture is the fact the movie has a clear main character: the questionably named Edgin, played by one of the Hollywood Chrises of all time, Pine. Pathetic as an alleged Bard (doesn't cast a SINGLE bard spell, he just sings a couple times, coward), Edgin is the cornerstone of the story, serving as the focal driving force of the plot and the (eventually assembled) party. We meet him and his longtime adventuring cohort, the barbarian Holga (played by Michelle Rodriguez), at the very start of the film, and follow their story throughout, from dramatic backstory retelling to the end. It's Edgin's story, which feels a bit skewed in focus for a DnD context, but I understand and agree with giving the story a definitive focal character for the sake of being a simple and cohesive film. It helps that his story is effective, with his character being charming yet flawed in a way that I thankfully think adds up to being likeable. Fortunate also that the overwhelming majority of this movie's "MCU dialogue" is confined to him, which I was personally unbothered by here. It contrasts a bit with most of the cast speaking in believable enough fantasy speak, but it fits for his sort of "scheming quick-witted bastard" persona, plus I guess also makes him a grounding point for an unfamiliar broader audience to attach to. The more modern speaking patterns are generally contained to the main cast of the four "player characters", so again, it's fair enough they don't keep the act quite as well as the "NPCs". I can see it be a bit grating to some, but personally I thought it was fine.

Oh yeah, I glossed over Holga. As great as she is, there's not much to say on her. Barbarians are usually pretty simple but great, lady barbarians are even better. She's not too "whimsical" of a barbarian, she doesn't say "I would like to rage" verbatim, much less do anything that looks like an active "rage state", but frankly it doesn't bother me too much. She's not too complicated, but she has some great moments, and has a subtle but solid performance.

Third of the four is Simon the sorcerer, played by Justice Smith of Detective Pikachu fame and also probably other things. He's the character with the second most "MCU dialogue", but his weird semi-accent he plays the character with hides it a little better. He's also the only one of the party's three casting classes to actively cast spells, but like. It'd be annoying to conveniently explain to a general audience what makes this magic different from this magic and this magic, so I get minimizing who actually gets to do casting. You could argue even that DnD has the problem of relying on casting as a mechanic a bit too much, but hey that's a different opinion ramble. Anyways Simon. He's fun too. He has the second most prominent story arc of the party, which while simple is still satisfying to see to its fruition. It's also fun to see an adaptation of wild magic specifically, which I do wish was extrapolated on further but again, I get keeping it simple.

Last up is Doric, the tiefling druid played by Sophia Lillis. Unfortunately she's also the least up, at least in screentime. She joins the story a significant portion after the rest of the main party, and while around for most of the ride she still feels a bit disconnected from the plot. After being shakily convinced to aid in the quest, she does get a really fun action scene to show off her wild shape abilities. While very much bending the technical rules backwards for most of her scenes with the ability (in some cases even impacting the official game, I believe the rules on what you can turn into were altered for the next major edition specifically to allow for turning into an owlbear like in the movie), I'm willing to ignore that for how fun they get with the gimmick. Again, slightly weird how her druid magic is limited to just wild shape, but again, it's fine, we're keeping it simple and approachable, I get it. I also get the choice to not give her the more conventional bright chromatic skin tone most players associate with tieflings. With the horror stories for how full-body painted live action characters have been on the actors (Drax being a notably egregious-sounding example), I don't blame them for keeping the demonic details restrained. The tail is cute at least, got that much. Her performance is also a bit low-impact, but she has her moments in the group dynamic, even if somewhat sparse.

The side characters meanwhile I have no complaints for. The hyper-competent temporary paladin party member Xenk (played by the eye-pleasing Regé-Jean Page) was a delight, both in the incidental comedy he brought and also the genuine sincerity he grounds the plot with.

The antagonists meanwhile are minor spoilers (though fairly obvious and short-term) so skip this next paragraph if you want to dodge those:

The glorious scheming bastard Forge Fitzwilliam (played by Hugh Grant, the glorious voice of the Pirate Captain from Pirates: Band of Misfits/In an Adventure with Scientists and nothing else possibly as important) is an absolute delight of a scheming love-to-hate villain, whose lack in actual threat besides financial power is made up for by the less entertaining but thoroughly menacing Red Wizard, Sofina (played by Daisy Head). They balance each other out nicely, and I feel like the movie's lineup of antagonists is both enjoyable and functional as a result.

Moving away from the characters themselves to how they're presented, the effects in this movies are faaaaaanTASTIC. The highest praises I heard sang for this movie in advance were towards its use of animatronics, suits, and other practical effects to depict some of the forgotten realms' more fantastical yet mundane inhabitants. About every other scene features a dragonborn, tabaxi, or aarakocra, which is brought to life with real, physical, classic effects. It adds such an element of richness to the world and makes the film feel so much more sincere. The more typical modern big-budget CGI effects are of course here in spades as well, but their presence feels earned and reserved for just the effects that like... yeah no, you're not doing that with modern physical technology. Helps that these effects also look good, which, yeah, they do. There's an effect or two for a gag that feels a little "modern" or otherwise out of place, but these are pretty sparse and still entertaining enough to pass as a suspension-bending bit that any DM with a sense of humor would allow.

I think that brings me to the last big thing that I think I need to give credit to this movie for: it works great as a movie, but it also feels right as a DnD movie. It's a well-told fantasy story that sets up and pays off a solid story with a solid cast in a beautifully depicted world. But just as much, it feels like DnD. The superficial references, like the specific array of iconic monsters the movie draws from and the names of locations and such, even the mechanics of certain spells and items, those are all great, and my partner especially adored some of the more niche references. But like I said earlier, DnD to me is just as much an energy, a feeling, as it is a set of rules and pre-built assets. It's the subtleties of how the party makes their plans and talks about their backstories, the way the world and adventure is framed, even the staging of the final fight scene, all bends conventional action film etiquette in favor of feeling authentic to the experience of playing DnD in a way that works shockingly well, all without shirking the film's duties as a film released in theaters for a mainstream audience. There's not really any moments where I think I'd need to explain something to my mom or anyone equally clueless on DnD's mechanics, they could just watch it as a solid fantasy adventure flick. It's two exceptionally well done layers of enjoyment, which I think is even more exceptional on its own.

So yeah, even to someone who literally knows nothing about DnD, I can recommend this one pretty comfortably. It's a fun action movie that doesn't fall into every pitfall of modern action movies, keeping a sincerely enjoyable solid story to the end. It's not groundbreaking, but it's still great. To someone who does know DnD... well uh, honestly my glowing review wavers a bit depending on how picky you are. If you're willing to excuse the mechanical inaccuracies and oversights for the sake of making the film a more accessible watch to broader audiences, then this film is even better than it is to those audiences. If you're not though, then... well honestly I think that's just as much a "you" problem as it is an issue with the movie. Yes I know nothing short of a level 20 druid can wildshape that much without a rest, just shut up and watch the lady turn into animals a bunch in this cool action scene, it's fine.

On a similar note to adaptations, the next two are also adaptations of game franchises: one that still thoroughly confuses my tiny brain, and one that I think I can confidently say I know a little more about.

[peculiarmarsu]

"Something completely different" continues, as I was about to throw away a comic reading challenge sheet that I snatched from Keski-Suomen Sarjakuvaseura, but decided to think through the prompts before doing so. So under -read more- you'll find some musings of mine about comics I ended up reading this year. There's some pics too!

I'll start with some comics that were the topic for book talk meetups arranged by the aforementioned comic group. I've never attended such meetups before, and these turned out really interesting! Even I babbled away my thoughts despite usually being on the silent and shy side. Way to go me!

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck - Don Rosa Prompt: The protagonist gets older during the events of the comic. Donald Duck comics were a part of my childhood, and I especially loved the works of Don Rosa. It's been ages since I read any though, so it was neat to jump back to this big chronicle and read it properly in its entirety. This time I read it in English, which was something with the different accents.

Valotusaika - Avi Heikkinen Prompt: Features a pet/other house or farm animal. I had read this before but had another go for the session. Interesting comic that uses edited photos, yet not in any stiff way I think - the posing and expressions are great! It tells a story about a man who's been kicked to the head by life a lot, who finds a camera that can show the past. The first part of the comic has quite heart-wrenching climax ;u;

Anne Frank's Diary - Ari Folman, David Polonsky Prompts: People oppose the leading powers & the comic tells of loneliness. This was my first touch on Anne Frank's Diary, and I think the comic form works well here and helps to visualize things such as how cramped the attic space really was. The art is really pretty too, and many panels look like frames straight out of an animated movie (which there later was).

Now onto comics I read outside of the book talk sessions.

This shelf used to contain art supplies...

4. Bird in Wonderland - Taiga Sassa Prompts: Comic is a travel story, comic is relaxing, comic where people are nude, comic where sweets are eaten, comic where something embarrassing happens, comic where a celebration is held. Many prompts... They started releasing this in Finnish this year, and I thought to give it a go! This year in general has felt like I wanted to try out more comics, and find new ones to follow to fill slowed down schedules of some. I hadn't heard of this series beforehand, but it's been a nice travel story to read, based on real journey by Isabella Bird. So far emphasis is definitely on comic is relaxing, as it really is joy to read.

5. Emma - Kaoru Mori Prompts: Includes a speech or public performance, comic that's been on your reading list for long, comic includes cleaning or laundry (definitely!), visit in a park or garden, includes hugs or kisses, includes travel by train. Many prompts again! This got a new release this year in Finnish, and I wanted to catch that because I was too much a teenager in its first run. I actually just today read the last two books :D This was another comfy read. Emma as a protagonist is fairly odd and distant as we hardly get to see her thoughts, her antics are rather followed from the view of the myriad of other characters. Yet I was still as invested how her love story develops as her maid colleagues and others :'D I was suprised to find out the later volumes were mostly side stories, some quite whatever but couple more interesting.

6. Night of the Living Cat - Hawkman, Mecha-Roots Prompts: Released 2023 (started 2022 but on-going... :D), series has an interesting name. A comic that I ran into here on tumblr, just from seeing one page with cat paws, that intrigued me enough to seek where this art was from. Amazing zombie parody, where people turn into cats upon contact. I love this, probably my THE COMIC of 2023. Apparently someone who's worked on the English publication is here on tumblr too *waves*

7. Hevosjumala - Sami Makkonen Prompts: The events aren't told in chronological order, interesting name. The name means 'horse god'. This randomly caught my eye in a book store, and on first glance I was little sceptic about the art style if it looked little too messy to comprehend, but took it with me anyway. Aside couple character mess-ups, the art didn't prove a problem after all, fits the feeling and themes definitely! And by that I mean it's a paranormal horror story with some nice folktale twists.

8. Candy & Cigarettes - Tomonori Inoue Prompts: Protagonist is a child/youngster, includes a crime. This was actually a recommendation at a panel in Tampere Kuplii. I'm not normally one for crime genre, but the art style spoke to me in this. Some of the goons remind me of early Toriyama's work :D Protagonist duo is made of a child assassin and an elderly ex-cop who has to join forces with the former to earn money for his grandson's treatment. Graphic violence and heavy themes, but also a lovable protagonist duo trying to help each other out.

9. Ilmarin Koijaiset - Jenni Välikangas Prompts: Features rainbow family or couple (is that term commonly used in English?), less than 100 pages, features pet. I got interested in this comic after seeing the original pages up on an exhibition - the paintwork is GORGEOUS. Tells a story of a guy who moves onto her aunt's island to take care of it and the dog while aunt is away. Turns out the island isn't quite what it seems!

10. Delicious in Dungeon - Ryoko Kui Prompts: Includes hunting/fishing/foraging, something surprising happens in the comic. Yep, been reading this too, and the volumes 11 and 12 are ordered. Idk what to say here, great and interesting story and worldbuilding, lovely and distinctive characters and great art! Even with the rather "monster of the week" style the chapters often have going on, the in-depth approach makes it interesting.

11. Fullmetal Alchemist - Hiromu Arakawa Prompts: Comic features a border, travel via train, features a pet. A classic that I re-read again this year after scavenging all the books from my folks' attic :D But I.. sure don't like... how the title is upsidedown when stacked like that... and it doesn't make sense to me to have the back up.. augh.

I read other titles too as well, but these listed here were the ones that came to mind for the prompts. Annnyway, congrats I guess if you read all that? Feel free to comment and babble your opinions if you will~

[picnokinesis]

hello!! newcomer here, just got caught up on part 6 and felt like I had to express how amazing the entire series is - its so insanely well-thought out and intricately plotted, I can't imagine the amount of work that's gone into it!

I really wanna know more about the doc's family, but obviously any info on tecteun is Massive Spoiler territory so I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on brax and the doctor's relationship in any AU you fancied talking about?

thanks again for blessing us with this incredible fic, I get so much joy from every single update ❤

HELLO!! Welcome, my friend!! :D And oh my goodness wow, thank you SO so much!! You're so kind <3 I'm so happy that you're enjoying the story so far. I'm honestly so excited to start getting into the climax of the whole series - there are scenes coming up in parts 8 and 9 that I've been working towards since 2020, so it's literally years in the making. (Although SKKS i had to laugh when you said it was 'insanely well thought out and intricately plotted' - I cannot express how much of this series I have written by the seat of my pants HAHAHAHAH but that said! The number of times things have just...fallen into place? Is a bit startling, but also really great for me personally hahah)

And oooooh yes regarding the Doctor's family - you're absolutely right, I can tell you nothing at all rip, but you might be intrigued to hear that there are things related to the Doctor's family that I still don't completely know about - I have my own questions!! And I keep asking the characters but they are not very forthright. The mystery of it is so interesting to me though. I might never find out - it might be one of those forever open ended questions. I think I almost like it being like that, in a way. Regarding Brax though, I do love them both in Campervan AU - I don't think Brax is really going to come up again much, other than a very brief mention later in Part 6, so I can tell you a couple of tidbits. I know that Brax was actually quite open to the idea of having a new sibling when his parents considered fostering the Doctor, but then obviously the Doctor was......a bit difficult HAHAH so he mostly just found her a bit of a nuisance, someone who came into the family's quite orderly household and disturbed all the peace and quiet, as she is wont to do. I feel like he regularly attempted to tell her to cut it out, that people were only trying to help her, and that she was making everything difficult for herself, which she stubbornly ignored. So then they only really ended up bonding at all because of the TARDIS. Brax inherited it from his somewhat eccentric uncle (who, tragically, the Doctor never met, because I bet they would have gotten along great), and it was a bit of a mess when Brax got it, PLUS he didn't really want it all that much. It was something to do, though, when he wasn't studying, and so he sort of half-heartedly went about fixing it up. Enter the Doctor, who sort of finds him in the garage and just watches him for ages before she starts telling him he's doing everything wrong, until eventually he lets her help him out. They mostly argue when doing it and generally annoy the hell out of each other, but I reckon it's one of the few relatively positive relationships she actually ends up developing during this time (the other two being with two of her teachers at her new school, Barbara and Ian, who both take it upon themselves to help her as best they can because they quickly recognise that she desperately needs it). I think Brax realises that she's never going to really fit into the normal expectations of society, and as she gets closer to ageing out, I think he actually figures out that she'll run away and take the TARDIS - which is why, when he hears her going downstairs that night, he just gets up and takes the keys. There's no point in trying to contain her, he realises, and it would just hurt her to try - might as well just let her go, and at least the darn van won't be his problem anymore. And that moment is actually...quite important, for both of them, but especially the Doctor. I think they both cared about each other more than they realised - they just have very different ways of going about doing things, and very different wants in life. I think Brax knew it was probably for the best if he helped her leave, and made sure she didn't get into any trouble about it. Like sksksk imagine the Doctor in prison - oh wait, I don't have to....

ANYWAY! I'll be posting tonight's chapter within the next half hour or so, so keep your ears to the metaphorical ground!

[blglplus]

My Top 10 BL’s of all time (and also 2022 because I’m new)

So I only discovered BL this year and what an incredible year of TV watching it has been. This year was difficult and I needed the escape. I first got obsessed with Heartstopper and then someone suggested I check out Thai BL and she was a goddamn genius. I had already been reading a lot of M/M romance novels and watching all the western queer shows I could like Heartstopper, Love, Simon, Young Royals etc. But the absolute joy and madness of BL knows no equal. 

So here is my personal top ten BL’s that I watched this year. Meaning many of these are from previous years it’s just that I only discovered them this year. So the title of this list could be very misleading

1. 2gether - this was the first one I watched and will always have a special place in y heart. It was like watching high production fanfiction and I’m INTO it. It loses some points for being homophobic/femmephobic towards Green of course. Also it had a LOT of “sing your feelings” but it was cute, funny and Bright was SO good. Not to mention insanely hot? I even watched Boys Over Flowers because he was in it and ENJOYED it. 

2. My Beautiful Man - this one hit me on a personal level and I just loved it. The complexity of the characters and their journeys. The actor who played Kiyoi was incredible! He deserved the award/awards he got. This one had depth in a way that I can’t quite articulate.

3. Seven Days - this was so freaking cute. I watched it because @absolutebl recced it and Phi was right - I have already re-watched bits of it multiple times. The chemistry was on point and again there was a complexity and depth to the characters that was explored really well. Love it. Also I love all the nods to the manga in the filming style, very cool. Phi was also right that you need to ignore the hair.

4. Cherry Magic - how is it possible for one show to be THIS adorable? This is the one I want to show all my friends and family. I was constantly giggling in that shy way you do when you’re texting someone you have a crush on. I loved it.

5. KinnPorsche - how much hotness can one show contain? And I’m not even into dudes very much! Was this show messy and at times illogical? Sure. Did I care? Not at all. I love every single inch of it. I loved the narrative behind it. It was a trip and it was amazing.

6. Semantic Error - this show is perfect. It’s cute, it’s funny, it’s beautifully shot, the leads have great chemistry. Perfect romcom. The uke is so hot!

7. Why R U - I honestly found this show hilarious. I love a neurotic meta thinker (Zon) and Tutor/Fighter had such good chemistry. It got messy towards the end sure. That scene where Zon was freaking out in Saifah’s bed and made a pillow fort was just so funny to me, I can’t explain it. I love them.

8. Love By Chance - the Ae/Pete only cut. Luckily I was warned by the internet about the rapiness of the side couples in this one so I skipped lots of them (though I still watched Pond’s story and Tin/Can). Ae and Pete are so freaking cute and Perth’s acting as Ae is incredible. I can’t believe he was only 16 at the time! When they look at each other I get all warm like drinking a hot chocolate. It’s so freaking cute. Also I love the read of Ae as demi.

9. We Best Love - No 1 for you. This was cute as was it’s sequel. Great chemistry, solid story, excellent.

10. The RamKing cut of My Engineer. If we were taking the whole show into account there are other shows I love more for sure, but I love this side couple SO MUCH. Even though I sort of enjoy the D/s elements of seme/uke I love it when there is less seme/uke or the lines are blurredand both characters take both roles and it feels more honestly queer. Also I’m a big fan of the silent, tough, loyal type that Ram is in this one. Plus the longing glances! And the flowers! Just so cute! I’ve already watched their cut at least 3 times through. I quickly started fast forwarding over the others when I was watching it.

Honourable Mentions:

Bad Buddy - this was great and solid plus I love that they are explicitly verse and some queer stuff is addressed. Not to mention side GL couple! We love! More of this please (though can we have some that aren’t femme please for the love of flannel?) It didn’t make the list because it just didn’t quite make me squee as hard as some of the ones above.

Love in the Air but only Payu/Rain. I feel like the dubcon with Payu/Rain is less dubious because of the non-verbal signals going on there. Consent doesn’t have to be just verbal - some people struggle with verbal. But maybe I’m just justifying this to myself haha, but hey, I won’t yuck your yum, don’t yuck mine. Plus Rain is hilarious, like honeslty hilarious. I mostly hated Prapai/Sky. The diary reading was especially terrible.

Secret Crush on You - yes it’s cringey. I love it anyway. I love the friends (especially Daisy of course - I wish Daisy’s story was more fleshed out!). I LOVE the chemistry and that there are seme/uke vibes but Toh, the uke, is hella into it! Love Jao/Sky. This show is happy and comforting and I can skip the extra painful bits!

I told the sunset about you - this one gave me too many feelings and it hurt. But it was beautiful and great also. The one I would show to my arty friends.

2moons2 but just the side couples. Especially Beam/Forth, so cute!

What I’m watching now:

I am participating in this strange antiquated tradition of watching TV shows AS THEY AIR with only one episode dropping per week! It’s madness! Absolute madness! I’m currently watching: Between Us (Win is so hot!), My School President (so cute!), Never Let Me Go (so exciting!), The New Employee, Ameiro Paradox and Gap: the series (I will watch all the GL dammit).

I’m also part way through:

The Eclipse

Be Loved in House (I do)

planning to start eternal yesterday because apparently I like pain?

[necrostasis]

# NECROSTASIS ⋯ INDEPENDANT, SELECTIVE & MUTUALS ONLY ISAAC CLARKE OF DEAD SPACE // featuring — a look into life pre & post the USG ISHIMURA incident, mental instability, denial of loss, just wingin' it. ( self promo )

RULES, INTEREST FORM & VERSES ⬇⬇⬇

A. This blog as stated is independent, selective & reserved for mutual followers only. I won't be interacting with or responding to inboxes from people I'm not in a mutual following with, this especially applies to non-RP blogs. Any headcanons I have might differ from canon, as well as my general interpretation of Isaac, but these are the joys of RP!

B. All followers MUST be over the age of 18! Not only is this for my own comfort but also because this blog ( & the Dead Space franchise as a whole ) contains explicit material not suited for younger audiences. As such, there will be NSFW themes present on this blog including - but not limited to - violence, general blood & gore, cult like religion, human experimentation, death, mutation etc.

C. I don't use icons, I'm simply too lazy, but feel free to use icons in your replies if you wish! Similarly I also won't be making fancy banners for ask replies or threads or a separate Carrd / Google Doc.

D. Open & friendly to multiple verses & original characters provided I can see a way for our muses to interact. If you'd like to discus a plot or see a way forward that I might not, then please CHECK OUT MY INTEREST FORM! On a related note, I tend to be more active in replying to ask memes / prompts & have a heavy preference toward threads full of action rather than run of the mill casual first meetings.

E. Lastly, RP is a HOBBY we all share! Being an adult ( 28, goes by Mimi ) with a full time job + other interests, I won't always have the time, energy or motivation to be active & it's something I'm working on not feeling guilty about. Please don't expect me to be active all of the time or press me for replies!

PSA — I use the BETA EDITOR as all new blogs are now locked into using it. If you personally prefer to use the legacy editor, I won't be able to trim threads on my end.

( A little side note : the Dead Space franchise lore is deep & expansive. I never played the 3rd game, my memory of the 2nd game has been somewhat refreshed by Youtube videos & the 1st game is fresh in my mind thanks to the remake. I also have some knowledge of the events from the prequel novels & various side stories thanks to Youtube summaries, but I'm no expert! )

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NAME — Isaac Clarke ( 47 ) OCCUPATION — Systems Engineer EMPLOYER — CEC ( Concordance Extraction Corporation ) ASSIGNED SHIP — USG Kellion SIGNIFICANT OTHER — Nicole Brennan †

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VERSE // DEAD SPACE

— Follows Dead Space canon. Isaac is an engineer aboard the USG Kellion, responding to the broken up SOS signals from the USG Ishimura. Once on board the Ishimura, the team discover the ship has been overrun by the mutated corpses of the former crew, turning them all into deadly alien-like creatures later known as Necromorphs. It's a fight for survival for Isaac as he has to deal with fighting back, searching for his ( unbeknownst to him ) dead girlfriend & delivering a strange, delusion inducing structure known as the Marker back to the planet of Aegis VII.

VERSE // UNITOLOGIST

— Similarly following the events from canon, but with a twist! The Marker's influence is more difficult for Isaac to shake off, causing his hallucinations of Nicole to feel more real & intense as his time on the Ishimura continues. Despite swearing off the cult like religion of Unitology after seeing how it ruined his mother, being so close to the Marker & coupled with the persuasion from the fanatic survivors aboard the ship, Isaac falls deep into believing. His goal now is aligned with the Unitologists: to bring the Marker back to Earth & experience Convergence.

VERSE // NECROMORPH

— Sometime during his time on the Ishumura, an Infector got hold of Isaac & despite his best efforts at fighting the creature off, it managed to inject the infection into his blood stream. Isaac doesn't die quickly, but as he slowly succumbs to his fate, his body begins to change. Be wary of him in this state or you might just end up the same way!

VERSE // RESIDENT EVIL

— Isaac is an employee of the Umbrella Corporation, a lab engineer who typically works on the maintenance of machines & systems used in the labs to ensure effective lab operations. ( 2 + 3 ) During the outbreak in Raccoon City, Isaac is able to escape the lab but was unable to leave the city before it was too late. Not a fighter by trade, he does his best to survive the nightmares he had a hand in creating. ( 4 ) Isaac is a new transfer to the facility located nearby the Spanish village in which the game takes place in. Upon finding out about the kidnapping of the President's daughter & the connection to the village cult, Isaac works to hinder their plans from within. ( 7 + 8 ) Work in progress, check back soon!

VERSE // SILENT HILL

— After failing to get in touch his with girlfriend after she passed through the town of Silent Hill, Isaac sets off to look for her, fearing she may have gotten into an accident without anyone around to help. As he drives through the seemingly abandoned town, his car tire punctures & the vehicle swerves into a street lamp. Exiting his car with what appears to be only minor injuries, he's now forced to keep looking for Nicole on foot, equipped with only the tools he finds along the way.

VERSE // DEAD BY DAYLIGHT

— ( A twist on what I know of DS3 + rumours about what DS4 might have been ) As the Brethren Moons descend upon Earth, Isaac finds himself on limited oxygen as he manoeuvres through space around the remains of the ship he'd used to try & stop the destruction from happening. As his oxygen starts getting dangerously low, his consciousness begins to fade & when he wakes up next, he finds himself living in a whole new nightmare.

+ More verses can & may be added at a later date!

[ficklepenguin]

all the cdramas sound really interesting, I've heard of the untamed and you've told me about it before, i can check it out on netflix since that's the easiest one for me to watch!! i can't promise i'll watch it quickly, i watch things while i crochet so subtitled things can be difficult but i'm getting better at crocheting while not looking so it'll be good practice!!!

okay okay okay i'm gonna put my rambles under a cut it got kind of long and.... rambly 😂

it's really hard for me to sum up taz in a way that doesn't spoil the whole thing but it's just like, it starts off a silly goofy one off that the mcelroy brothers did with their dad but they enjoyed it so they kept going, and it wasn't supposed to be a big thing so they don't take anything seriously and there's a lot of dick jokes and general goofing around at first but then something devastating happens and the tone starts to shift, you can actually feel the way they start to care more and more about these characters and this world. it stays silly, don't get me wrong, someone does a dance to the thong song to cheer someone up in like the fourth episode from the end and that silly moment is followed up immediately by one of the most depressing so it's like emotional whiplash.

BUT it's about three guys, taako, merle, and magnus, collecting these dangerous artifacts that the world has forgotten about but is slowly rediscovering, and it's full of hilarity and excitement and twists and LOVE and MORE LOVE, and i cannot begin to explain how much love is contained in this podcast. it makes me cry with joy sometimes and it makes me cry with sadness and it makes me cry with laughter. and honestly, one of the coolest things is kind of hard to describe to someone without listening but I'll try

so the dm, griffin, started this campaign from one of the official campaign books, specifically the one that comes with the d&d starter set. he takes things from that at first, but then he starts getting his own ideas and planting seeds and over the next couple of arcs, he starts to come up with the overarching story. but even though he didn't have the full story from episode one, you can still go back and see accidental foreshadowing for ideas that hadn't formed yet and it's GREAT.

there are graphic novels for the first five arcs of the podcast, they're still coming out, there's gonna be another 3 or so (depending on how they decide to break up the last few arcs) so if you wanted to start there, those are available, they cut out some things because they couldn't include everything, but they also fixed some of the early weirdness that caused contradictions in the podcast (due to the fact that the dm didn't have the overarching plot yet and two of the PCs had no real back stories). like one of my favorite things about the graphic novels is that they were absolutely made and edited by big fans of the podcast, because they know what the fans of the podcast will look for and they make sure to include those things (though they did cut out one of my absolute favorite bits from one arc, it wasn't plot relevant though it was just so hilarious)

quick summary of the main boys (aka Tres Horny Boys)

Taako is an elf wizard who is a chef. he is so mean and vain but he cares so deeply and he is soooo bad at expressing it. he has Serious Issues and i love that for him.

Magnus is a human fighter who is reckless to a fault, he has a compulsive need to save everyone. he's like a giant puppy who cares very deeply and will crush all your bones trying to hug you

Merle is a dwarf cleric who has a very blase attitude about his god Pan which is hilarious. he's very irreverent but Pan seems into it which is good for Merle. he also is waaaaaay too into plants if you know what i mean

then there's a whole huge cast of NPCs and i adore almost all of them. my favorite character is actually a spoiler if i explain them which SUCKS because that means i never get to talk about them and they aren't even in the comics yet..... so my favorite character is Taako.

this isn't really cohesive or coherent i think but it's just really hard for me to describe. it's honestly just a story about how love can save the universe and it's got everything, it's got laughs, it'll make you cry, it's got liches, it's got love and betrayal and forgiveness and tragedy and joy and found family and the grim reaper is a hot boy who is a huge romantic nerd. i really think you'd like it and would loooove to talk about it with you.

biiiish i miss u let's do fandom again together someday okay 🩷

I MISS YOU TOOOOO LET’S DO FANDOM AGAIN SOMETIME!!

I got deep in the cdrama hole recently (I’ve not seen loads, but the ones I have seen I am OBSESSED with) what about you??

[candlelight27]

NSFW alphabet - Itadori x F!Reader x Megumi

This is a College AU (with curses), all characters are aged up.

Warnings: Smut, obviously, oral sex, anal sex, vag sex, cum, breeding kink, toys, threesomes, masturbation, etc.,etc.,etc. Read at your own discretion because there's a ton of kink discussion there. Brief appearance of Sukuna.

WC: 3652

AO3

A/N: I have JJK, KNY and BNHA brainrot on main so everything I try to write right now is related to that! Can't wait to watch the JJK movie when it's released... If anyone wants to discuss anything related to anime hmu 👀

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

At first, Megumi is pretty awkward, completely at lost with what had just happened – that he fucked his best friend, and you, his most reliable classmate, two people he had a crush on – and completely at lost with what he should do next. However, Yuuji is there to save the day, as he proceeds to hug both of you and say just how happy he feels. As you laugh at his silliness, Yuuji peppers your face in kisses. Megumi just smiles and dozes off.

From then on, and after the ugly mess you all left behind, Megumi takes the role of reminding you and Yuuji to clean up. If he’s feeling romantic, the dark-haired sorcerer would even run a bath for you and Yuuji. Sometimes, he rubs Itadori’s shoulders, or your legs. It’s through those actions that he expresses how much he appreciates both of you. Yuuji, on the other hand, expresses himself with hugs, kisses and words. He’s not scared to say he loves you. And he does it while he hugs you from behind, or while he kisses Fushiguro’s cheeks repeatedly, only to fall asleep a mere minute after.

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Itadori has a clear winner. He loves your butt. It’s fatal attraction. He can’t keep his hands off it and he loves having a good view of your rear. About Megumi, it’s his hands, because he loves feeling them all over his body, especially on his cock. About himself, it’s his arms and back. He loves showing off his physical strength, and he quite enjoys the possibilities it gives him in bed.

Megumi loves your mouth, both yours and Yuuji’s. Because he adores the oral sex as much as the gentle kisses you are able to give him, and it drives him crazy the sole idea your lips on his neck, or his earlobes. Megumi doesn’t have any of his body parts in high esteem, but he’d say his favourite is his eyes, only because you and Yuuji always compliment him on them and he enjoys that.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

Yuuji loves facials. He loves to cum on your face and Megumi’s. He thinks you are adorable and incredibly alluring when covered in his seed, and even though he just came, he gets even harder. He also secretly likes when he stains your panties, he feels some sense of complicity he can’t get enough of. Coincidentally, his favourite place for you and Megumi to cum is also his face – for you, even better if you squirt. He’s not a fan of swallowing but he’ll lap all of it with joy for the thrill if Megumi or you feel dom enough to make him do so.

Megumi is simple in his preferences. He’s keen on cumming inside of you – blame it on a blooming breeding kink? The mere thought of finishing in you and filling you up just makes him harder until he can’t contain it anymore. However, if Yuuji’s cumming on your face he might join him too, since you’ll have to wash up anyways. About Yuuji, Megumi prefers coming in his mouth or ass, but those moments where they’re cumming together over each other and they end up messy have a special place in his heart.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Megumi is a panty sniffer and Yuuji wants to try pet play but is ashamed as fuck so he might never say it.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Itadori has been with a couple of girls, so he’s not totally at lost, but he’s still a bit naïve. Nevertheless, it’s the first time he’s been with a guy, so he doubts a lot when it comes to Megumi. He ends up asking permission for everything, asking for reassurance and being a chatterbox, but of course you love him anyways. Fushiguro plays annoyed but thinks it’s adorable.

The black-haired young man has no experience but somehow knows what to do in every moment. Yuuji is amazed, but you suspect he just fakes it till he makes it and calls it a day. One day though you surprised him at home, and he was on the couch reading the spiciest book you had ever seen. So, that and the fact that Gojo must have had a thousand of talks with him about sex, makes you put two and two together. Of course, you tell Itadori and tease him from then on until you get him to blush.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

Megumi hasn’t decided yet. He enjoys everything he does with his two sweethearts so… Probably spit roasting any of you. He’s fine as long as he’s not in the middle because he feels overwhelmed and hates to be seen so weak and out of control somehow.

Yuuji has a clear winner, though. He adores being in the middle, fucking you while Megumi fucks him. It’s better if you’re facing him and team up with Megumi, so you make out with him while his other partner leaves hickeys on his neck.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Yuuji is a goofball, takes any opportunity to joke, laugh, tease and smile. He’s adorable and can’t help it. Sometimes, even Megumi humours him. In general, it’s thanks to Itadori that you have so much fun. Still, Megumi isn’t as stuck-up as everyone may think! He likes a serious mood – which, honestly, just makes everything super hot and sexy – but he enjoys when you and Yuuji play around. For him, it’s refreshing, it puts a smile on his face.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Itadori shaves sporadically, you never know really when he does, but he doesn’t let it grow out of control. Megumi is well groomed and maintains the zone nice and cut.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

Both of them are way too intense. When they get horny and are in the middle of sex, they will lose a tiny bit of control and confess their undying love. Itadori is more prone to this, and he usually lets out of his mouth a string of courses. Megumi tries to contain himself, his face so red, his breath intermittent, but in the end, he fails and says something that makes him all shy.

The most romantically conscious one is Megumi, but Yuuji often does all kind of gestures that make your heart melt. If Megumi takes your hair off your face and presses your foreheads together, then Yuuji is more likely to caress you – because you’re so soft – and then do something you love – because he just remembered you once told him so.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

Megumi masturbates like twice a week. He doesn’t tell, it’s probably because of his spicy books since he rarely watches porn, and it’s in the shower. However, lately, his routines are being altered because of two idiots – Itadori and you – so he often finds himself in the dead of the night, under his sheets, remembering certain things, like how you had fucked the day before, or perhaps texting the group chat, which then turns into group sexting and he’s sure to make a mess.

Itadori is the opposite. He masturbates a lot if he has the occasion and he doesn’t care the place. He’s very curious… so he navigates the internet. Sometimes it doesn’t start as something sexual, but it turns out like that. So he’s very happy with the sexting situation when it happens. He’s not very shy about it, either, if it fits the conversation, he won’t hesitate to announce that he’s been jerking off to the thought of you two for three days in a row and leave Megumi blushing.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Megumi has a breeding kink directed at you. He doesn’t want kids, much less when you’re dealing with curses and could die at any given time, so he can’t explain it. But he adores cumming inside of you, watch it drip out and then put it back inside. Fushiguro will also lose his mind if you voice his thoughts. “Breed me, make me yours”, “cum inside, please”, “get me pregnant”, “make me a mommy”, whatever you say, it will drive him insane and he’ll thrust into you until you can’t walk next day. The best part is that it doesn’t even have to be him. When it’s Yuuji’s time to fuck you, he’ll watch hungrily and encourage you. “Don’t you want his seed too? Don’t you want us both to breed you?”. And poor Yuuji is not that into it, but he’s into watching Fushiguro lose it, so he’ll comply. At some point, a few years later maybe, don’t doubt that Itadori will be on full board with the breeding kink. And then they’d love the idea of filling you up with their cum and then making you cockwarm them.

Yuuji has a secret. He’s into pet play. He doesn’t really know what he’d like to do specifically, because he’s only watched a couple of videos and read a couple of hentai manga, but he’s hoping either of you would appear one day with fluffy ears and a fluffy tail to match. Merely thinking about it embarrasses him, but he can’t help it. Other times, he thinks maybe he’d prefer it was him playing the pet part, as either you or Megumi call him a ‘good boy’ and order him around for a bit.

Overstimulation is a kink both Yuuji and Megumi share. They are hooked to that feeling, because they never want to stop, even after reaching their orgasms. Either if you are fucking or sucking them, they’ll beg for more and more until they can’t keep going. Yuuji will last longer and sometimes it scares you how much stamina he owns. And they love overstimulating you, because you make the cutest face when you can’t take anymore. And this kink goes along another one, squirting. They’re hooked on making you squirt. Megumi, with his fingers, since it’s what he’s most comfortable with, and Itadori just wants you to mess up his face.

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

Megumi prefers a king size bed. It’s his favourite place because it’s comfortable and convenient for three people. Also, since he’s quite private, he prefers doing it in an enclosure where no unwanted attention can happen. Yuuji, on the other hand, likes more risks, so he’s not against doing things outside the comfort of your home. He also doesn’t really mind where to do it, since he likes the spontaneity of doing it wherever. Itadori has very tender memories of the kitchen and the living room.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Almost everything gets them going! A trip to the beach, with so much skin showing? Check. Doing something domestic, like cooking, repairing something? Check. Dressing up for a party? Check. Wearing each other’s clothes? Check. What really turns them on instantly are two things above everything else: lingerie and having a sexy surprise – like edible underwear, or a pair of fluffy cat ears. Also, they adore when you’re the one who’s taking the initiative, specially Megumi, he’s a bit of a sub.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Due to all their work as sorcerers, they’ll refuse doing rape-play and blood-play. Those are hard no. They’re not into the nasty stuff, even the degrading kink feels a little off for them.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

When you have two partners, you don’t have to choose on receiving or giving! Or that’s how Itadori thinks. Still, he loves giving oral and loves when you sit on his face specifically. Being buried in your heat makes him feel both in control and useful, so he thoroughly enjoys it when it happens. And it’s quite often, mainly when Megumi is away and you’re quite sad and worried, so he tries to distract you. Yuuji uses his strong arms to pin you in place and despite your initial worry of him suffocating at some point, he works his tongue and nose so well that you soon forget even your name. And he’s keen on overstimulating you. By the end of the whole ordeal, he’s completely covered in your juices and he’s probably made a mess down there, too.

Itadori is shyer when it comes to Megumi, so you decided you were going to teach him. And you do, with Megumi as your experiment subject. You’d demonstrate how to run his tongue along Fushiguro’s length, how to bob his head just the right way to make him cum, and Yuuji loves it. Megumi can’t really stand it for too long, watching both his lovers between his legs, a fierce blush in his features. So it might take more than one lesson.

Megumi prefers receiving because when he gives oral he’s usually too preoccupied on doing it right and focusing on his partner’s pleasure rather than his own, so he’s a bit nervous and he doesn’t enjoy it very much. However, as stated before, that isn’t a problem, because you and Itadori are quite eager then it’s foreplay and love focusing on him. As your relationship goes on, he’ll be more comfortable and he’ll find himself indulging in giving some more oral than in the beginning.

P = Pace (Are they fats and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

Yuuji is rougher generally, while Megumi is softer and more sensual. They both have a fast rhythm, though.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

You all are relatively young. That and with Itadori’s sex drive, expect lots of quickies. Even if you all prefer having proper sex, sometimes you don’t have the luxury to do so.

One of your favourite places for a fast one is the shower – with a lot of care, because it’s a dangerous place. Right after training, when you must take a shower, and right before dinner. You barely have half an hour to get clean and get fucked, but you all managed. In the earlier stages of your relationship, you’d go all out, leaving you practically unable to walk and the guys even more tired than before. But after some months of juggling with positions and all, you all are beginning to settle with coming from foreplay, too. So, sometimes it’s a quickie, sometimes it’s foreplay.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

As stated above, Itadori is the riskier one. He likes trying new things, so it’ll be often that he comes up with certain ideas. Megumi is happy to comply, because he likes to try things from time to time, but he doesn’t like coming up with things because he doesn’t know if either of you would like it. Another thing that surprised you – and it surprised Yuuji, too – is that the one with an exhibitionist side is Megumi. So, sometimes he’ll initiate some things in secluded places, like a lonesome park, or a car, but he doesn’t go all the way. At times, Yuuji plays the voyeur to humour him.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

Fushiguro lasts a few rounds and last a decent time, but he’s overshadowed by Itadori. This guy can go for hours and hours without getting tired. Yuuji has insane stamina and sometimes it scares you, but thankfully you have Megumi to share the load. Sometimes Yuuji is conscious about this, so he’ll let you sleep only to wake you up in the middle of the night, so needy. You’ve tried to find out what his limit is but due to his abnormal physical capacity it hasn’t been possible yet.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

The main instigator of the use of toys throughout your relationship is Yuuji. He’s always thrilled to try something new. Since restraints and such are often improvised, what you really own are a bunch of dildos and vibrators. But the real star of the collection is the strap on Yuuji got in secret only to gift it to you for his own birthday and to ask you to peg him. How could you say no? Megumi was pretty excited too to watch the while situation develop.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

You and Yuuji are the ones who usually tease Megumi. From time to time, he’s fed up with the situation and will edge you. In that moment, Megumi immensely enjoys teasing you, because it’s the sweetest payback. But his biggest secret is… that he also enjoys being teased. He’s the shy one, and he loves the attention he gains from being like that.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Megumi doesn’t make a sound often. You wonder how that’s possible. The only time you hear him is when he does some dirty talk or when he grunts when he’s about to come. Other than that, he’s great to fuck when you want to be secretive about it – or when you’re in a room that share’s a wall with noisy people, like Gojo. Thankfully, Yuuji is here to make up for the silence of his boyfriend. Yuuji grunts and pants, although he doesn’t really moan unless something is unexpected and it really, really turned him on. When they dirty talk, they both whisper. It’s romantic and intimate.

There are exceptions, of course. You’ll always remember the time when it was Megumi’s time to be in the middle of everyone and you got him to scream. It was a wonderful feeling, the way he pronounced your names without any restriction. Megumi cummed immediately after and his face was completely red. Yuuji and you cuddled him, without any care because the sheets were a mess anyways, and reassured him that he shouldn’t feel any shame about expressing himself like that. He begrudgingly accepted it and fell asleep with his face in your chest and coddled in Yuuji’s arms.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

Au where Sukuna is in fact inside of Yuuji. The first time he had the first threesome with you and Megumi, Sukuna was both impressed and disoriented. He didn’t know Itadori had it in him to fuck someone, let alone two of his best friends. There were some awkward moments where Sukuna didn’t say anything, but Itadori was painfully aware of the fact that the king of curses had, in fact, witnessed everything in great detail. And Megumi and you were also aware, just not as aware as Sukuna’s vessel. After the second time, Sukuna asked Yuuji if it was going to be a recurrent thing, and he declared that he loved it, since he was a curse and he despised all human norms, which you were twisting with your little arrangement. Of course, Yuuji didn’t say anything, but he was content with Sukuna’s acceptance, because he could be a real pain in the ass.

He wasn’t that happy when Sukuna insisted that he wanted to play around with Megumi – and, well, if you were up to it too it would be an extra. So Yuuji let him come out to play once you all agreed. He was clearly obsessed with Megumi, so you were content in being on the sidelines watching over everything in case things got out of hand – which they did, but in a good sense. Sukuna practically devoured Megumi, claiming he’d been sealed for so long he hasn’t felt any pleasure in hundreds of years. When he was finished, he looked at you in the eye and said: “I’ll let Yuuji out now because he’s frustrated and wants you all to himself, but soon enough you’ll be next.”

After that, Yuuji fucked you like there was no tomorrow, Megumi didn’t want to talk about it too much, and Sukuna’s mouth kept popping out of nowhere from time to time.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

Yuuji’s dick is slightly longer than average, but still pretty normal. It has a very uniform colour and it’s tilted to the side. Honestly it’s the perfect universal size to not be painful but still being able to fill you a lot. Megumi is longer, and thicker and he feels a mix of self-consciousness and pride when you both go crazy for his cock. It’s also very pale, with a pink head.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

It’s very high for both of them at the beginning. Like, if they could, they would’ve fucked twice or thrice a day – or more. Now, they still have high sex drives, but they can control themselves. Yuuji is horny more often than Megumi, but Megumi is crankier if he doesn’t have sex at least three times per week.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Itadori can fall asleep whenever he wants after sex. Sometimes, when you’re bathing after a good fuck, he’ll doze off. It’s adorable, because he really wants to stay awake, but his body refuses to do so. Megumi can stay awake as much time as he wants, that’s why he’s usually the one who cleans everything and takes care of you. Right before falling asleep, Fushiguro feels very vulnerable, so he likes having a small conversation with you, about anything really, although it always ends up in being small confessions or reassurance.

[sparxwrites]

that post you made talking about grian's greediness and comparing it to that one terry pratchett quote!!!!! oh my GOD you GET IT. these have been my exact interpretation of grians character!!!!! you GET IT!!!

:D thank you! i'm so glad there's someone else who's got the same kind of brain worms that i do

i thiiiiiiiink people have been reading that a little nicer than i meant- maybe my fault for putting the tiffany aching quote in there. i do not think grian is a good person. i think he is, fundamentally, actually not a nice person. at his core, he is selfish, and greedy, and inclined to callousness. he lacks empathy, he likes scaring people, he likes taking things that are not his, he likes hurting people a little bit. he doesn't know when he's going to far; doesn't know when to stop; has never heard of the concept of 'proportional retribution'. there's a reason the watchers took him! they saw something in him, they saw themselves in him, that edge of sadism, that desire to do damage in the most clever and dragged-out method possible, that bright glee in the suffering of others.

but.

i think grian doesn't like this about himself. i think he does, genuinely, love his friends, does care about them, is powerfully loyal to them - even if that is also accompanied by a little whisper of, "and you should be cruel to them because it's fun :)" in the back of his head. and some of that love and loyalty is tied to the selfishness and the greed, inextricaply coupled with the desire to own and have and mine mine mine and exercise dominion, but some of it's just... the inherent contradiction of humanity. you love your friends; they're yours; you think it's funny when you cry; you hate it when they're sad; it brings you joy to watch them scared and frustrated; you'd kill for them. he contains multitudes.

and what all this means is that grian is kind on purpose, when he's kind. when he plays his little jokes and his pranks, it's a continuous effort for him to keep that base nature on a leash. to keep the games normal. to not escalate into wholescale cruelty and violence. sometimes he... slips a little. sometimes he slips a lot (see also: third life).

but that's what the watchers missed. they were right when they thought grian would fit well with them; objectively, he would! he's cruel, he takes joy in others' suffering, he doesn't really have a native moral compass. what they forgot, though, is that he is, fundamentally, human. and humans, no matter what else they feel, no matter what else is natural to them, love. fiercely and with their whole heart. and the watchers didn't account for that. they didn't account for grian so fiercely fond of and loyal to his friends that he'd fight his own base nature for them.

[soramei]

Intentional - Part 2

Pairing: Bang Chan x Reader (she/her)

Summary: Landing your first real job at JYPE was something short of a miracle. You were prepared to face the new struggles of this elusive career whilst moving to a new country, however, nothing could have prepared you for him. Will stolen glances, secret touches, and hushed nights spent in the recording room ever be enough for the both of you?

Genre: idol!bang chan au, forbidden relationship, coworkers to eventual lovers, slow burn

Warnings: none right now, eventual smut,

Word Count: 5.2k

Masterlist

A/N: o my god i did not expect so many people to have read the first part… even if only one person reads im still happy :D anyways heres the second part (i swear bang chan wont just be a side character later on hhahaha)

The insistent beeping of the alarm on your phone was what first woke you up from your dazed sleep. Your head still pounded from the night before, and frankly, you were ready to get fired for an extra five minutes of sleep. Tapping the ‘cancel’ button on your phone, you flipped over head down on your pillow to find the beautiful dreamland you were in. However, after just five more minutes, the triggering beeping of your backup alarm took you out of your slumber again, this time really waking you up. 

You trudge towards your bathroom, still dreading the day, on your way to take a shower. Thankfully, the steam from the warm shower combined with the fragrant smell of your conditioner slightly woke you up and dampened the aching in your head. 

Being drastically more awake than before, you made your way over to your kitchen to prepare breakfast. You opened the fridge, mind blank, just staring at the empty shelves. I seriously need to do some grocery shopping, you thought before grabbing an egg. 

You struggled to turn on the stove, not knowing which knob correlated to which burner. Turning a random one, you flinched when an excessive amount of fire appeared. However, after an embarrassingly long amount of time, you finally figured out the stove. Why are there still gas range stoves when electrical stoves exist? You wondered. 

You looked at the sad cooked egg in front of you. 

Was this really how you were going to live from now on? You cursed your whole family for spoiling you so much back home. Sure you were grateful for being able to live with your family for twenty three years, but the consequences of your mother making a fuss when you tried to cook for yourself was really showing now. 

You were about to dig into your lonely meal when your phone buzzed all of a sudden. Taking a quick peek at it, you saw Na-eun’s name flash up. You beamed with joy. Although you already worked up the nerve to be the first one to contact her, you were thankful she did first to break the tension. However, there was a small — microscopic even — part of you that wondered: what if that were Bang Chan?

You unlocked your phone. 

Na-eun: Hey! I know it’s kinda last minute, but do you wanna meet for breakfast?

Na-eun: There’s a café five minutes away from the building. 

Na-eun: ^-^

Smiling to yourself, you quickly typed a reply.

Y/n: Sure! My breakfast looks too sad to eat… 

Y/n: ^-^

In a flash, you stuffed your egg into a plastic tupperware container and put it in the empty fridge before booking it out your door, making sure to carefully enter the passcode to lock it before running to the staircase. You almost tripped over the stairs going down as you tried to sprint and text Na-eun at the same time. Checking the maps app on your phone, you told her how long it would take for you to arrive at the café. 

Na-eun: Do you mind if I bring my roommate? She keeps complaining about how boring it is at home haha.... 

Na-eun: She’s really nice though! ^^;

You happily agreed since you weren’t in the position to turn down another potential friend. Already two potential friends? You were so excited. 

There was a bounce in your steps as you made your way down to the subway. Scanning your card, you made your way to the big group of people on the platform and waited for your train. Taking the subway was so new, yet refreshing. There was something exciting about seeing a brand new set of people board the cart every stop, it was almost like refreshing your Instagram feed over and over again. 

After just a couple minutes more of waiting, your subway came. You naturally found your way in by shuffling along with the flock of people and found a good place to stand. 

You surveyed your cart. Some high school students, a few elderly, and many many businesspeople dressed in attire very similar to you. They all seemed to be busy on their cellular devices, so you quickly pulled yours out as well, eager to blend in. Your little Tamagotchi friend was happy to see you. 

The sound of the automated woman’s voice was what drew you out of your concentration, as she announced that the subway would be stopping at your destination next. When the subway stopped, the sea of people rushed out in a big tidal wave and you just went along with the flow. 

The map posted on a big pillar in the station was difficult to read at first, but after embarrassingly asking a station officer, you were confident you knew where you were going. The station was big with many interwoven hallways, each connecting to a different location. It had a couple shops and convenience stores located along the sides where students running late could buy some bread or tired businesspeople could inject their early morning dose of caffeine. 

You weaved your way through the long halls, confident that you could remember how you got out the right exit yesterday. Finally, after passing by many familiar stores and signs, you eventually made it above ground at the right exit. It was a cloudy September morning, the wind flew past you at just the right speed to elicit a slight shiver. You curse yourself for not bringing a jacket in your rush to the café. The streets were busy with cars zooming by, but it was nowhere near as congested as the subway traffic.

You started following your phone’s GPS to the marked location, and after a couple minutes, you spot the café. You immediately recognized it as a chain café as you’ve seen a few more of these scattered around the city as you got around. This one, however, appeared to be larger than the others (presumably because it was near so many big name companies) as it had three floors in total. 

You texted Na-eun, telling her you’ve arrived. She let you know that they were both in one of the booths on the second floor, so you decided to order before heading up. Walking over to the cashier, you scanned their massive menu, trying to find what you were looking for.

“One mango juice, please.” You politely ordered. “And also a slice of the red velvet cake.”  

After you had paid, you waited patiently, hands folded in front of you for your food. Because it wasn’t busy in the morning, it wasn’t that long until one of the baristas handed your food to you on a tiny plastic tray and you started making your way up. You reached the top floor and scanned your eyes around the room to find a familiar face. 

“Y/n!” Na-eun waved.

You waved back and made your way over. She was in the booth, and there was another girl sitting beside her. 

“Y/n, this is my roommate Yoojin.” She smiled at you and made a gesture towards the smaller girl sitting beside her. She was a fluffy haired girl. Her appearance was puppy-like, with her wide eyes and a large smile that was almost too big for her face. 

“Hi Yoojin.” You said as you sat down. 

“Hi Y/n! Na-eun told me about you yesterday. It seems like you have similar jobs.” She looked back at you with wide eyes. “But I think you got luckier because you actually get to interact with the idols.” 

“I think both of us are lucky to even be working there,” you chuckled, “plus, I don’t actually get to be working directly with the artists. I could only wish.” You joked. 

“Still extremely lucky, Na-eun told me she saw Bang Chan and Felix from Stray Kids at your building’s cafeteria yesterday.” Her hair bounced. “Finally, now I can say I’ve indirectly met famous people.” 

You and Na-eun both laughed. Although Yoojin looked the same age as you, there was something about the way she acted that just seemed so precious and innocent — like a little sister. How old was she anyway?

“Yoojin’s younger than me by a few years,” Na-eun said as if she read your thoughts, “She graduated university a year early. Top of her programming class. She knows everything about technology; one time, I stupidly forgot the passcode to my P.O. box and she cracked it for me in less than fifteen minutes.”

“Stop it.” Yoojin whined, looking down and playfully hitting Na-eun on the shoulder. “I told you before that I don’t like it when you talk about me. Let’s talk about Y/n instead. Na-eun told me you’re not from here, what do you do at JYPE then?” 

“I’m an assistant to help market some of the artists in China.” You leaned in a bit. “Actually, to be honest, I’m working on a secret project and Bang Chan from Stray Kids is technically part of the team.” 

Both Yoojin and Na-eun’s eyes widened. “No way, you’re so lucky.” Yoojin said. “Why can’t you have a job like that?” She poked at Na-eun.

“Get your own job first,” Na-eun smirked, “then we can talk about mine.”  

“Hey! I do have a job.” Yoojin clenched her jaw, looking at her plate and avoiding eye contact.

“I’m not sure if talking to people online all day counts as a job.” 

“Whatever.” Yoojin swirled her fork on her plate, stabbing at a piece of her cake. The scraping of metal on ceramic made all of you wince. 

“Anyways,” you started, trying to change the atmosphere, “did anybody watch the first episode of that new drama?” 

The two girls seemed to have a mood switch, looking relieved to start a new conversation. They gladly added their input and opinions on the new drama, talking about both the plot and the actors. Time passed by twice as fast as the three of you sat at the booth talking about the most random things. However, it was soon time to go to work for both you and Na-eun. 

“Hey, before you leave, could I get your number?” Yoojin asked. “We should hang out again sometime.”  

You gladly typed your contact into her phone, excited to hang out with Yoojin again. She was so full of energy, it reminded you of your university days. Not to mention that fluffy curly hair. It was so cute. 

You and Na-eun both made it out of the café and walked side-by-side over to your building before parting ways at the elevator corridor. It was a miracle that you managed to arrive at your cubicle in time, without getting lost. There was a pile of papers on your desk; they were the files you worked on yesterday. You remember that yesterday Manager Chen marked some improvements that could be made to the papers, but you checked your email just to be sure. 

Hello Y/n,

I put the documents from yesterday on your desk for some final edits. I’ve also added a few more. Could you finish them all by the end of the day?

Best, 

Manager Chen

You flipped through the stack of documents, and sure enough, there were about five more letters that needed to be worked on. Feeling determined, you gritted your teeth, got out your pen, and started to do your job. 

There were more corrections to make than what you expected, plus, you wanted to make sure your work was perfect this time. You skipped a trip to the cafeteria for lunch and ate something from the vending machine at your desk instead. You tried your best to work diligently, but because of your inexperience, it was taking longer than expected. You lost track of time as the hours passed by. 

“Your team is working hard today, Manager Chen.” A voice came from across the room. You looked up from your stack of documents to see Manager Kim walking over towards Manager Chen, who was standing casually outside her office doors. 

“What can I say, I keep them busy.” She replied. “Are you heading home now?” 

“Yes, and so should you.” Manaker Kim stopped at your cubicle, putting a hand on the wall. It was cat-like the way he looked at you. “Y/n, you’re working hard. Are you going home now? I’ll give you a ride.” 

You couldn’t head home now, not with the amount of work you still had with the new letters Manager Chen added to the pile. “Thank you for the offer, Manager Kim, but I’ll stay later today. I need to finish this work by today.” 

“Let her be, Manager Kim, you know how new employees are.” Manager Chen nagged and crossed her arms. “Come, I’ll walk you to the parking lot.” 

You bowed at both your managers and stretched your back before getting back to your work. The black lines of both languages started to blur into one as you strained your eyes to hold a tighter focus on the documents. It wasn’t until two more gruesome hours later when you finished your work. You did a long deserved stretch of the arms and checked the clock for the time, praying that it wasn’t too late. Thankfully, with the time being only eight, it wasn’t that dark out. You took a quick peek at your phone to check your notifications before leaving the office. 

There were only two texts sent fifteen minutes ago. Both from Bang Chan. 

Your chest tightened when you unlocked your phone. 

Bang Chan: Hey, I know it’s a bit late, but I have some ideas for the project and I was thinking we could meet up to discuss them

Bang Chan: Only if you want that is…

Your brain was in jumbles as you thought of what to text back. There were a couple staff that wrote you emails about their ideas for the project, but none of them asked to meet in person. And now, the first person who asked you to have a meeting in person was Bang Chan. Whom you rode back to your apartment drunk with. On your first day at work. And now you missed his work-related text by fifteen minutes. However, even though it was late, you still felt like you needed to take his ideas in. After all, like Manager Chen said, you know how new employees are. 

Y/n: Hi, sorry my reply is late… Are you still free? 

You anxiously stared at the blue-lit screen of your phone, jumping in and out of the text app waiting for a reply. After less than a minute, you saw the little dots at the bottom which indicated that he was typing. It disappeared for a moment, only to come back less than a second later. Your thumbs started unconsciously fiddling with one another in front of your phone screen as you waited for what felt like eternity. 

Bang Chan: It’s alright haha 

Bang Chan: There’s a cafe about 5 minutes from our building, wanna meet there? 

You immediately knew which café he was talking about as you conveniently hung out with Na-eun there this morning. You texted Bang Chan back, letting him know that you would be there as soon as possible. You grabbed your bag, along with your trusty pen and notebook,  before leaving your desk for the elevators. The elevator ride was unusually fast as it was already well past working hours for most people.  

Once you were out of the building, you made your way down the familiar sidewalk, passing by the familiar street shops as you felt the bite of the wind against your face. The sky was becoming dim as the sun made its descent, but the illumination coming from the streetlamps helped guide you there. After five minutes of a brisk walk, you saw the familiar sign of the café. You also saw a familiar person standing outside the door, dressed in all black, with his head down looking at his phone. 

You tried to make your footsteps slightly louder the closer you got to him in order to make your presence known. It seemed to have worked, as Bang Chan heard you and turned his head up. He immediately gave you a boyish grin, putting his phone in the pocket of his hoodie and pulling his face mask down to his chin. 

“Hey,” You waved awkwardly, “did I make you wait long?”

“Not at all.” Bang Chan said as he held open the door, “Let’s go in, it’s pretty chilly today.” 

You thanked him and walked inside. You both made your way to the cashier and looked up at the menu, deciding on what to buy. 

“I think I’ll get an iced americano.” Bang Chan said. “Are you getting anything?”

“Hmm. I might get the mango juice.” You decided and lined up behind Bang Chan, waiting for him to order first. 

Bang Chan walked up to the waiting barista. “Hello, I’ll get an iced americano please.” A second passed. “Also a mango juice.” 

Your eyes widened as you silently tried to stop him from buying your drink, feeling embarrassed that Bang Chan — who was essentially your coworker — was buying your drink. He didn’t seem to notice your quiet protests, as he pulled his card out of his wallet and quickly tapped it on the pin pad. After he was done paying, he turned around and tucked his card back in his wallet, giving you a smug grin. 

“I’ll pay you back later.” You insisted, embarrassed once again that he was doing something for you. 

“Of course, of course.” He casually replied and stood beside you with his hands in the pocket of his hoodie. “I’ll wait for our drinks. You can go find a table.” 

You nodded and left to find a table on the first floor. Surprisingly, there were more people there at night than when you were there in the morning. Some people had their textbooks out to study, some were quietly enjoying a book. Some were on dates. 

Finally, after weaving through many fully filled tables, you found an empty one near the table. You sat down, taking out your pen and notebook to prepare for Bang Chan’s ideas. Not long after, you saw Bang Chan walking around, turning his head left and right to look for you. You caught his eye as you waved at him to come over. He strolled over and put the tray of drinks down on the table, placing yours beside your notebook. 

“So,” You took a sip of your delicious mango juice, “do you wanna get started now?” 

“Sure.” His usually friendly face turned serious. It seemed like he took his work seriously. “So I was thinking, we need to film some content to start promoting our debut right? How about we film content for the Mid-Autumn Festival? It falls on the same day as Chuseok, so we can use this as a small promotion for our debut.” 

You nodded in agreement. Although this idea would be a little last minute to carry out, it was a great opportunity to promote their group in order to gain more popularity before their debut in China. “This is a great idea Bang Chan,” You hurriedly jotted down everything he said, “did you have more to add on?”  

“We could make several episodes of this content. I was thinking we could camp in the mountains and maybe cook some food, make mooncakes.” 

“All of this is really good, we have three weeks until the actual Mid-Autumn Festival. If I rush this idea to Manager Chen, we could have one week to plan it, and two weeks to film and produce it.” You beamed, glad that you could be involved in a potential big production. 

You and Bang Chan kept discussing his idea for content, and as time passed, your conversation turned more casual as it eventually evolved into topics unrelated to work.

“So, why are you having coffee this late anyway?” You tipped your chin towards his glass. 

“There’s this part of a song I’m working on that I just can’t get perfect,” Bang Chan noticeably clenched his jaw, “I wanna figure it out before I leave.” 

“Do you usually stay up late to work?” You asked. 

“I can’t sleep anyways, so I might as well work.” 

“Insomnia?” You questioned. He shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his coffee. A few seconds of silence passed. “You know, my mom made me pack some of her special tea before leaving. She said it was for jet lag, which is weird because there’s only a time difference of an hour here.” You rambled. 

“Oh?” Bang Chan tipped his head. 

“I could give you some tomorrow.” You said. Your eyes wandered everywhere except to him. “If you want.” 

“Really, you’d do that?” His eyes widened as he stirred his coffee with his straw. 

It may have been your subconscious need to make friends, or just the fact that you mom gave you so much tea for your non-existent jet lag, but you gladly offered your mom’s solve-all remedy. “Of course, anything for a friend.” 

He blinked a couple times. He stopped stirring his coffee. “Thanks.” He looked at you with a slight grin. 

“Plus, this way I can pay you back.” You teased. 

“Okay, fair enough.” He chuckled. A dimple appeared on his cheek as his smile widened. “But seriously, you don’t need to worry about paying me back for anything next time.” 

Next time? You wondered. Of course he would have more ideas for his own group. You wanted to roll your eyes at yourself. It seemed like, despite his easy-going personality, that he cared a lot about not only his job, but the boys he worked with. His work ethic inspired you and made you want to work just as hard as he did. Except you definitely couldn’t stay up as late as he did. 

The two of you kept up the back and forth that was established, talking about whatever came to mind, with a few sprinklings of work-related conversations throughout. You talked about your first day impressions and how well you were adjusting to life in a new country, and he retaliated by sharing his own experiences of moving across the world. You were so enraptured by your riveting conversations that you easily lost track of time. It wasn’t until you had already spent minutes playing around with your straw in the empty glass that you finally remembered how late it was.

“It’s kinda late, I think I should get going now.” You said as you checked your phone for the time. 

“Are you taking the subway?” He asked as he started gathering the empty glasses. “It’s pretty dark now — I could walk you there.”

“It’s alright. I don’t wanna take time from your work” You said, gathering your notebook and pen. 

“It’s no problem, really, it’s just a five minute walk.” He stood up with the tray of empty glasses in one hand and pulled up his face mask with the other.

The two of you left the café and walked the short distance to the subway stairs.�� There, you parted ways and you started your trek home. Taking the subway at night was vastly different from morning; the morning rush was filled with rows and rows of busy people, whereas the night train had a completely different feeling to it. There were actually available seats, to begin with. You found an empty seat and took out your phone to kill time. You checked your missed notifications.

Yoojin: Hi Y/n!! ^-~ Today was so fun, we should go again sometime! 

You smiled at the little text from Yoojin, visioning her wide smile stretch across her face. Texting a quick reply back, you were about to put your phone back down when another notification popped up. 

Unknown: Stay away from him. This is a warning.  

A flash of panic rushed through your body making your chest tighten. Your heart was coming out of your chest, the beating was so hard you could hear it even in the running subway. Completely fixated on the bright white of your phone, your eyes strained from the light. Adrenaline filled your blood, and in the spur of the moment, you quickly blocked the number and deleted the text chain. It had to just be a prank text, after all, you have gotten pranked through text multiple times before in your past. 

You put your phone down slowly, turning your head to survey your subway cart for any suspicious acting people. There was only a grandma with her cane and a few middle school girls comparing their new lip tints. Your thumbs naturally started fiddling with each other. Your eyebrows knit together as you clutched your bag tight to your body for the rest of the subway ride. 

The walk back to your apartment was done carefully. You chose the side of the sidewalk with more light as you kept your senses open, trying to remember the face of every person that walked past you. Although it was more likely than not that the text was just a prank, you were still somebody living alone with very few connections in a new country. Your legs quickened at the thought and you hurried your way back.

Arriving at your apartment door, you carefully entered your lock combination and slammed your door shut, double checking that it was locked. Your home was dark, with only the moon casting long shadows on your furniture. You quickly switched your light on. You tried to put this text to the back of your mind as you got ready to sleep, but it loomed, feeling like a shadow cast by the moon. The shadow in your mind stayed as you closed your eyes, waiting for your sleep to chase it away. 

The next morning, you woke up to the obnoxious beeping of your alarm. You sleepily sat up, getting ready to perform your familiar morning routine. Everything felt like routine, so monotonous that the text from last night was completely forgotten. You opened the fridge and ate your suspicious egg from yesterday morning. 

Before leaving, you suddenly remembered to bring your mom’s magical tea. You rummaged through the cupboards until you found the ridiculous packaging your mom insisted on using. 

The route to work was already starting to feel familiar as you mindlessly made your way from your quaint apartment all the way to the opulent blue building. You entered the office and sat at your desk, checking for new emails. After nothing of immediate importance came up, you got out your notebook and started to type up your notes from yesterday. 

You were in a trance. The repetitive task of reading and typing completely hypnotised you as hours passed by without you even noticing. What broke you out of your trance, however, was the voice of your boss. 

“Bang Chan.” Manager Chen called out. You looked up from your monitor and peeked up from your cubicle to see the familiar hair of a certain man you knew. Assuming he was here for a meeting with Manager Chen, you went back to your hypnotising work. The walls of your cubicle were too high for him to see you anyways — something about eliminating distractions to maximise work efficiency. 

You hit ‘enter’ on your keyboard to start a new paragraph when all of a sudden, you spotted an object appear on your desk from the corner of your eye. 

A bottle of mango juice. 

Quickly turning your head around, you were met with Bang Chan’s back. He was already making strides towards Manager Chen, but something about the sway of his broad shoulders and the way his right hand stretched open told you that it was him who gave you this little bottle of happiness. You unscrewed the lid and took a sip before getting back to work.  

Thankfully, the gift you received was enough sugar content to keep you working efficiently for the rest of the day. You had finished all your work and could hopefully pitch Manager Chen the idea by tomorrow. You found your mom’s tea in your bag while gathering your stuff, remembering your promise to Bang Chan. 

Y/n: Hey, I have my mom’s tea — I could give it to you right now?

There was a reply almost immediately. 

Bang Chan: Sure ^^ I’m in a practice room on floor X right now, I’ll wait by the elevators. 

You made your way over to the elevators and tapped your nails on the package of tea whilst silently waiting for an elevator to arrive. The silence, however, was promptly cut off as your phone started to ring. It was from Yoojin. She probably wants to hang out soon, you thought as you happily answered right away. 

“Y/n!” Yoojin yelled into the phone, she sounded worried. 

“Yoojin, is there something wrong?” You frowned, concerned for the girl. 

“I-I was in the parking lot near your building, a-and I fell down the stairs.” She sniffed. “I think I sprained my ankle or something — I can’t stand up. It hurts so much.” 

“Oh god, Yoojin, do you want me to come help?” You were in the elevator by now, already pressing the button for the main floor. 

“If you’re not far, I don’t want to trouble you.” You heard sounds of her wincing. 

“It’s no trouble Yoojin,” You exclaimed, “your ankle is much more important now. I’ll be right there.” 

“Thank you Y/n.” You heard her sniff again through the phone. 

You bolted out of the elevator as soon as it reached the main floor, stuffing your forgotten package in your bag. Ignoring the looks of confusion of the people you sprinted past, you located the parking lot building as soon as you left the main doors of the JYPE building. Your chest burned and your breaths were heavy. 

You were worried for Yoojin. She seemed like such a sweet girl that it pained you to even imagine her hurt in any sort of way. With her fluffy hair and wide eyes, it made you feel like you were helping an injured puppy. 

Your legs felt like concrete after a while of running, but you finally made it to the parking lot building. Entering the parking lot, you looked for any sign of a staircase where Yoojin said she fell on. There were none. 

“Excuse me, where are the stairs to this parking lot?” You asked the parking lot attendant, assuming it was just hidden somewhere. 

“There are no stairs here,” He said, “if you want to get to the second floor, there is an elevator over there.” He pointed to the other side of the lot. 

You thanked the man and ran to the elevator, hoping Yoojin wasn’t too hurt by now. You’ve experienced injuries like these before whilst playing sports back home, they hurt like hell. Your breathing was staggered by the time you reached the elevator, however, you didn’t give up and kept looking around trying to find the girl. There was nobody. You were about to call Yoojin again just to make sure you were in the correct place, but a voice interrupted you. 

“Y/n.” 

It was Manager Kim.

[potteresque-ire]

🏳️‍🌈 Rec post!! A queer film + a queer TV series from Hong Kong ~

1) Twilight’s Kiss (叔·叔) (Dir. Ray Yeung 楊曜愷; 2019)

Twilight’s Kiss offers a very realistic depiction of two elderly, in-the-closet gays in Hong Kong, who have dedicated their lives building a conventional family before unexpectedly falling in love with each other. It is a quiet film, and the romance is told in the same subtle manner as love is expressed (and not expressed) in their generation. The actors were phenomenal at playing regular Hong Kong men of their age (Pak mentioned he “came to Hong Kong”, ie, he was a refugee from Mao’s China, as the vast majority of his demographics was), which added to the resonance of the story ~ they could’ve been anyone, and anyone could’ve been them. 

The director of the film, Ray Yeung, is an openly gay man.

(Long review: Hollywood Reporter) Streaming link to film (with English subtitles; pls ignore and close the pop-up window)

2) Ossan’s Love (大叔的愛) (2021)

The unlikely (and hilarious) love triangle between Muk (Left), Tin (Center) and KK (Right) in Ossan’s Love.

For those who found the name familiar, it’s because the series is a (faithful) remake of the popular 2018 Japanese series of the same name. The Hong Kong version is longer (15 episodes; ~ 40 min each) compared to the Japanese original, and its mood is cheerier, sweeter, and also ... more BL, with the lead characters Tin (Haruta in the original) and Muk (Maki in the original) played by two idols, Edan Lui 呂爵安 and Anson Lo 盧瀚霆, from the very popular local boy band MIRROR.

(Being idols didn’t prevent them from kissing. Not in Hong Kong, 2021.) (Yes, they kissed, and hugged and fought and bantered...)

Ossan’s Love is culturally significant in that it became the first gay drama to be aired primetime in Hong Kong, and by extension, in China. Beloved by the locals, it was also very much discussed—hk-queers expressed their (surprised) joy that finally, they got to see a respectful, dignified presentation of who they are and how they love. More importantly, they got to see HKers, older generations included, glued to the TV for their kind of love story, rooting for the lead male characters to get together. 

This signifies a broader acceptance of LGBT+ in the city than previously assumed; this is very important and comforting to the community in June, 2021, when the future of LGBT+ rights in the city is very uncertain. After the 2019 protests, pro-democracy leaders have been arrested and jailed in large numbers; newspaper that advocated for freedom has been shut down. Meanwhile, during the airing of Ossan’s Love , the (in)famous pro-Beijing politician, Junius Ho, claimed the series to have violated the city’s much feared, much abused National Security Law—the law that officially aims to catch “traitors”, but has been used as a “catch-all” excuse to arrest political dissidents and suppress the freedoms of the city. Ho was of sufficient prominence that his words could draw the attention of officials who have been sent from across the mainland-HK border to do Beijing’s bidding.

Also, Ossan’s Love was produced not by the powerful, once popular TVB (local TV station), which, with Chinese investors becoming its major shareholders like many other HK press and media companies, has become very pro-Beijing and conservative. The series was produced by ViuTV, a much smaller station preferred by young, pro-democracy Hong Kongers ... which means the future of the series, of its stars (MIRROR’s members are once-contestants of a ViuTV talent show), of even the station itself is also uncertain.

Hence, I’m recommending Ossan’s Love now ... even if the official version doesn’t have the best English subtitles. The full series is on Youtube (links below); the soundtrack is in Cantonese and (Traditional) Chinese subtitles are available, but English is only available via Youtube’s built-in Auto-Translate function. 

For those who would like to catch a short scene of two cute HK boys in love, the last 5 minutes of Ep 11 would be a nice place to watch. You can see how comfortable these two bandmates were with each other—Edan (Tin) had played two supporting roles before this series, while Anson (Muk) had never acted before. Edan and Anson have claimed that being close friends in RL meant their intimate scenes were easy to film (BTW, Anson is gay, Edan isn’t).

Edan Lui (Left) & Anson Lo (Right), Harper's Bazaar HK, May 2021. Edan was a uni student before joining hk-ent. Anson was a dance instructor.

(You can also see why, when I watched the Gg + Dd Happy Camp episode very, very early on in my turtlehood, I assumed Gg and Dd would have ample opportunities to work together again, to play and be happy in front of the camera ... just like how I remembered on-screen couples from my days in HK—the couples, the CPs of the time, would collaborate repeatedly after having demonstrated chemistry and become commercial success—in film and TV projects, in variety shows, in awards ceremonies as presenting guests etc etc. This multi-project collaboration was, and still is, viewed as a Very Good Thing, and not only for commercial reasons. The inter-personal fate (緣份) to play on-screen couples repeatedly, per the tradition of HK-ent, is something of a blessing, talked about as a small-scale version of having the destiny, the luck to be together across multiple lives, multiple incarnations. Actors treasure this kind of collaboration and the HK audience celebrates it, regardless of the marital status of the actors in RL. Entertainment news dedicate articles about it.) (There’s actually an example of that in Ossan’s Love: Kenny Wong 黃德斌, the actor who played the titular Ossan, KK, and Rachel Kan 簡慕華, who played his wife Francesca, had already played husband and wife three times before. Rachel had retired from acting in 2017 and moved to Canada; she told reporters that she returned to shoot Ossan’s Love primarily so that she could play Kenny’s wife again).

* Below is a small warning for Ossan’s Love ~ *

The humour of Ossan’s Love is often wild and zany, especially where it adapts from the Japanese original. Some of it, i-fandomers may find uncomfortable. Notably, the titular Ossan (Japanese, meaning “Older Man”) was Tin and Muk’s boss; and he and Darren, another superior of Tin and Muk, were also part of the romantic story line.

One can argue, therefore, that Ossan’s Love contains a *very* “Me Too” situation; however, this is also why I find Ossan’s Love interesting beyond being a Chinese-speaking gay drama—it is clear that the production team of this series meant no disrespect, and from the series’ reception, it’s also clear that hk-queers and other more progressive members among the audience didn’t see disrespect in the product. This series therefore offers a glimpse to the answers of some questions I’ve had: how does Hong Kong of 2021 translate respect for queers (as well as for older men and women) into day-to-day words and actions? How do these culturally-specific habits in speech and behaviour compare to the norms in, for example, the United States (that I’m familiar with)?

“Political incorrectness” was also found in some of Tin’s internal monologue. However, I thought, perhaps, that was why the series has proven to be disarming to the general audience both in HK and Japan, places with a tradition of homophobia stemming often not from malice, but from ignorance, from sex being considered taboo for so much of the places’ history. Tin, as someone who haven’t seemed to have spared a thought about homosexuality before the story had taken place, spoke the minds of the audiences who aren’t familiar with homosexuality. Muk, meanwhile, presented the perspective of someone who already understood what being gay was and wasn’t about. Tin, therefore, led the audience towards Muk and his views step by step, all the while without being judgemental—how could he be? He was one of them too during his journey. He was the student, and he was also the protagonist who everyone—and I mean everyone—loved (in a rather funny manner :D). 🌈

(Long review: BLwatcher)

Links to Ossan’s Love, official version uploaded by ViuTV: EP 1 EP 2 EP 3 EP 4 EP 5 EP 6 EP 7 EP 8 EP 9 EP 10 EP 11 EP 12 EP 13 EP 14 EP 15

ETA 2021/09/16: Streaming with English subtitles is available here.

[bts-reveries]

wishlist

characters: Yoongi x OC!Sohyun and Hana [ft. Yuna and Hoseok, mentions Huimang, Hana’s friends, and Taehyung(the group as well)]

genre: family and fluff

request: [anon] Hi there! My suggestion for the drabble series is maybe Hana puts down getting a baby brother/sister on her birthday wish list, and neither she nor Yoongi knows that Sohyun is already pregnant, so Sohyun gets to surprise her husband and daughter? 💛

a/n: hana is turning eight here (WEIRD.) i know it’s a big age gap, but she turned four in daddy diaries and she was seven by the end of the tmbmil series asdfghjkl this is assuming jungkook and rina got married right after taeyang was born and yoongi proposed right after their wedding and then got married in a few months and then hana’s birthday rolls around after and sohyun is already pregnant by then : D also my sister and i are seven years apart so it’s not tHaT bad~

➳➳➳➳➳➳➳

Hana’s birthday was nearing and it was always a special time for the couple. 

Not only is it almost their daughter’s special day, but also the anniversary of the first time they met and the anniversary of the bakery’s opening. 

Hana was only three when she came crashing into the grand opening of 24/7 Heaven, meeting Sohyun for the very first time. She was looking for the perfect birthday cake then. Now, four years later, the bakery owner became Hana’s mom and the wife of her dad. Yoongi and Sohyun got married not too long ago. 

He proposed to her in the most perfect way actually.

A cake, made by him and Hana, with the words ‘will you marry me’ written on top. 

So it was a special time. It’s their first meet-aversary as a married couple. The bakery was having an event for it’s fourth birthday. And of course, it was the start of getting Hana’s wishlist checked off.

As always, she had the general wishes.

As she got older, they started to change more and more. 

“Have you done your list yet?” Yoongi asks his daughter, peeking into her room. Hana scrambles out of her bed, where she was reading a book, and goes over to her desk.

“I finished it last night, I forgot to give it to you,” she said, pulling out the list from under her other books. “Here you go daddy. Do you and mommy need any help for the bakery’s fourth birthday by the way?” Yoongi was happy to know that as she grew up, she got sweeter and sweeter. 

Maybe it’s the effects of being in a bakery almost 24/7.

“Yes, mommy and I will need help later, but we’ll call you out then. For now, mommy and I will be looking at this,” he says, holding the list up. Hana smiles up at her dad, giving him an ‘okay’ sign. 

Yoongi turns and walks out the door, already scanning the list. 

“Why do you have that look on your face?” Sohyun asks her husband, watching him frown at Hana’s wishlist. Sohyun was on her laptop on the couch, ordering last minute party supplies for Hana’s birthday.

“She wants to invite boys from her class,” Yoongi says, looking up at his wife who starts to laugh at him. 

“Let me see,” she says, reaching out her hand for the paper. Yoongi hands it to her as he sits next to her. 

“It says: invite friends.” She turns to Yoongi with one eyebrow raised. “It didn’t specify whether it was all girls, all boys, or both.”

“Assuming it’s both, I’m sure her boyfriend is in there. She wouldn’t just write ‘invite Taeoh’,” he huffs. 

“Even if it did, you’d still invite him because it’s on your princess’ wishlist,” Sohyun says, knowing she was right. 

“I guess. Let’s look through it and see if we can get some done today. I’ll ask her for the names and make the invitations later.”

“Sounds good. Now let’s see,” Sohyun says, humming as she goes down the list. “Typical Hana, a lot of this is her general wishes. Party, perfect cake, all her friends and family~”

“There’s a back side!” Hana yells from her room. Both her parents look up, turning the paper around and their eyes widen. 

“Baby brother (or sister! That’s okay too)” 

“Hmm,” Yoongi says. “Well that’s a hard one.” Sohyun laughs nervously.

Little did they know.

That’s already one check done off of the list. 

It wasn’t too long ago that Sohyun found out that she was expecting. She figured that it would be perfect to announce it to both Yoongi and Hana on the night of her birthday. Once everyone’s gone and right when Hana thinks the presents have stopped coming.

- hana’s birthday -

“Is that the kid?” Hoseok asks, watching a little boy hand Hana a gift. Yoongi glares at them.

“Mhm,” he says. 

“Thank you Taeoh,” Hana says, taking the gift her friend was giving her. Boyfriend as Yoongi says. 

Hoseok laughs at his hyung, but that smile quickly drops when he sees his own daughter standing next to her boyfriend. Huimang and Hana take taekwondo together and share the same friends. Which is why her ‘boyfriend’ was also at Hana’s party. 

“You boys okay?” Sohyun asks, raising an eyebrow at the two. They both look away from their daughters. 

“Fine, why do you ask?” Yoongi says, giving her a close lip smile. Sohyun laughs at the both of them, turning to look at their daughters.

“They’re just kids, don’t worry,” she says. “It’s just a baby crush.”

“Speaking of babies,” Hoseok says, suddenly remembering what Yoongi had told the boys previously. He mentioned to them about Hana’s birthday wishlist. About how this might be the first year he fails giving her everything. 

Well, until the boys reminded him that four years ago when Hana wrote mommy on her list and he ended up breaking up with Sohyun.

That was something.

“What are you two telling Hana,” Hoseok says with a small laugh. “Should’ve told her to give you the wishlist 9 months ago.”

Yoongi sighs. “I know, I should’ve expected it. She’s been asking for one for so long.”

“I’m sure she’ll be understanding,” Sohyun says, trying hard to conceal her smile. She was pretty excited for the party to be over so she can spend some quality time with her family.

-

“Hey!” Yuna calls, rushing over to Sohyun and giving her a hug. “You’re telling them today, right?” She whispers, glancing down at her stomach. Yuna knew about Sohyun being pregnant.

Actually, all the girls did.

Only because Sohyun threw up at their mommy hangout and the girls had a feeling and told her to take a pregnancy test. 

It was Sohyun’s first test and she was nervous. So of course the girls all helped her out and taught her how to use one. It ended with all of them screaming three minutes later and Sohyun sobbing with tears of joy.

“Yes, tonight right before her birthday ends,” Sohyun answers. “I’m like 95% excited and 5% nervous.”

“Ah!! I’m so excited, tell us everything after,” Yuna says, holding onto Sohyun's arms tightly. Sohyun laughs, nodding her head.

“I will, definitely.”

-

“So, did you enjoy your birthday?” Yoongi asks Hana, laying in her bed. No matter how old she turns, Yoongi promised to give her birthday cuddles before she slept. Hana cuddles into her dad’s side. 

“Yeah, it was fun,” Hana says sleepily. It was nearing midnight, just about 10 minutes before. The group had stayed longer than everyone else (of course). Hana played with her cousins and was given extra hugs and kisses from her aunt and uncles before they left. Even Taehyung was crying, not wanting to let her go because, in his exact words: ‘Aigoo, you guys growing up is making me feel so old, I'm so sad. How are you already eight?’

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to check off everything on your list,” Yoongi tells her, rubbing her arm. He hugged her tightly, pressing his cheek to her head. As much as he just wanted to fulfill all of her wishes, he wanted Hana to have a sibling as much as she wanted one. 

“It’s okay, I still loved everything you gave me. I’d be happy with anything,” Hana tells him, looking up at her dad with a smile on her face. Yoongi pouts, raising his hand up to caress her cheeks. 

“How are you the sweetest girl ever?”

“Knock knock,” Sohyun says, peeking her head into the room. “Can I join?” The two smile up at her, motioning for her to come in. Sohyun reveals herself,  holding a cupcake with a lit candle on top. 

“Oh?” Hana says, sitting up in surprise. She smiles widely as she stares at the cupcake. 

“Another candle to blow?” Yoongi asks. His wife nods, careful sitting beside her daughter. 

“Your birthday ends in like 5 minutes. Is there one thing you really wanted today that you didn’t get?” Sohyun asks Hana. She knew what wish she would make. Hana looks up at her and nods. 

“Okay make the wish then,” Sohyun says. Hana closes her eyes, intertwining her fingers in front of her.

She whispers quietly.

“I wish I could have a little brother or sister.”

It was just loud enough for her parents to hear. Yoongi looks up at Sohyun as Hana blows the candle. 

“Done?” Sohyun asks. Hana nods and Sohyun puts the cupcake on her side table, turning back to her two loves. 

“So that completes everything from the list right?” Sohyun says, looking back at the two. Both Yoongi and Hana looked at her confused. 

“Oh didn’t I tell you two?” Sohyun says with a smile that she could no longer contain. “I’m pregnant.”

Yoongi’s eyes grew big and Hana smiled so wide, her cheeks turned pink. 

“Mommy you’re pregnant?” Hana repeats, putting her hand gently on her mom’s tummy. Sohyun nods, putting her hand over hers. She looks up at Yoongi and laughs.

“Are you okay, hun?” She says, reaching out and pushing his hair back. 

Yoongi’s face broke into a smile.

“Are you serious? Are you really pregnant?” Yoongi asks, hesitantly putting his hand on her tummy as well. 

“Yeah, I found out about three weeks ago,” Sohyun laughs. “I figured I’d surprise you two before midnight.” 

“You did it, you completed my wishes,” Hana laughs, leaning onto her mom and hugging her tightly. Yoongi couldn’t stop smiling as he joined in the hug, wrapping his arms tightly around his two girls. 

At that moment, the clock struck 12 and Hana’s birthday was over. 

They couldn’t help but think that at this time, next year, there'll be another person included in this hug. 

[frenchibi]

I was tagged by @buckysbears ​ to do this fanfic writer tag game - thank you so much, and sorry it took me so long :’D

What’s your all-time favourite ship?

This is a great question, and I honestly don’t know how to answer it xD I for sure have written the most for IwaOi from Haikyuu, but I have big soft spots for EdWin from FMA and Sophie and Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle!

How many works do you have on AO3?

95! Several of these are collections though, with every chapter being an unrelated short fic or drabble. I have deleted some original things and older fics that were no longer relevant to my interests and that barely got any hits (and I also had like. Idk, 20-ish fics on ff.net before I stopped using it haha)

What’s your total AO3 word count?

376k (damn??)!

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

They’re all Haikyuu (big surprise lmao):

Fix Me - my longest HQ fic, and also one of my first!! It still makes me happy when people find it, even though I think I would probably write it differently if I were writing it today.

I know the sound of your heart – a spin the bottle/party fic with an inevitable collision – this one is a lot of fun, in my opinion!

here’s to taking what you came for – fake dating but not quite; this is one of my personal favorites so I’m really happy to see it up here!!

Burning heart - firefighter!Iwa AU! This one was fun to write and research, though in retrospect idk if I would write it the same way again, I feel I was quite flippant about some more serious topics? It’s not terrible, but it’s for sure not for everyone, I think. There is an actual house fire in this one.

Evidence - this baffles me tbh, it’s also one of my first ever Iwaoi fics (and probably why it’s all the way up here, it’s been around the longest) but it’s… in my opinion it’s not very well-written, it’s not even very long, it’s just a cute little concept that I wanted to get onto virtual paper and posted on a whim xD And then because people kept finding and liking it, I wrote two follow-up chapters hahah - but sometimes that’s how it goes, I guess!

Do you reply to comments, why or why not?

Yes, always! I love talking to people and making friends (and have made most of my fandom friends by connecting after commenting on their work and getting comments on mine)! Also it just gives me SO MUCH JOY to hear people’s thoughts. That’s the main draw for fanfic writing in general for me, connecting with people about characters we love!! Exchanging concepts, building AUs, just like… interacting in fandom spaces yknow???

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I’m pretty sure it’s The Last Unicorn, an Iwaoi fic which contains major character death – not something I usually ever write, I am more partial to hurt/comfort or fluff ^^ I guess I was feeling particularly edgy that day. I don’t recommend revisiting it tbh?

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Like… every other fic I’ve written hahaha (ok but for real)

Do you write crossovers?

Not currently or actively. I’ve had some ideas, but mostly they turn into “Franchise AU” things rather than actual crossovers (I’m honestly not really sure where the line of distinction is here anyway).

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Genuinely, no. I’ve received some comments that were… dissatisfied, but that was mostly on ff.net and they were usually outliers. Never any outright hate, at any rate.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I have written maybe… two (?) explicit fics that I’ve posted, but it’s not really what I gravitate towards. I’m not opposed to it, but usually I prefer to write fluff! And I’ve got a bunch of unposted drafts of things, who knows if I’ll ever finish them or post them if I do xD I don’t feel like that’s really entirely My Brand (not that I know what is sksksk).

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I am aware of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, one of my fics was translated into Russian! There are also podfics for a couple of my fics :D

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, many times! Most of those have not been finished though :’)

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Tbh the older the WIP, the less likely it is that I’ll return to it. Although I’ll never say never, sometimes all it takes for me to get excited about a fic again is for someone else to get excited and drag me along ^^ Generally though I would love to finish all my unfinished works. It bugs me that they’re unfinished xD

What are your writing strengths?

I think I’m quite good at writing dialogues and inner monologues. I like finding voices for characters, putting them in situations and seeing how they’ll react, that sort of stuff! I also am always excited to try new styles, patterns, narrative voices etc and I think that’s an asset :D

What are your writing weaknesses?

I struggle a lot with creating characters these days (that are not taken from other works, i.e. writing things that are not fanfic) because I am so used to fanfic writing? I’ve truly built up a deficit and really want to work on improving there (so if anyone has suggestions, I’m all ears!!!)

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Another super good question tbh!!! Generally I think it’s cool as long as it’s done well? As a bilingual person, it’s kind of painful to see… bad bilingual rep? But I wouldn’t go around policing anyone on how they’ve written things, idk, I do like to give people the benefit of the doubt (and offer to help if it seems like they might like some tips). And as a translator I am also not against just… explaining what words mean in author’s notes or footnotes tbh! At the end of the day you want your reader to understand what you’re writing, right??

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Genuinely the first thing I ever wrote was technically “fan fiction” for a children’s book series, Mercer Mayer’s “Little Critter”, when I was 5 years old (I wrote a story for my younger siblings, so we wouldn’t “always have to read the same books over and over” xD My mom saved it, and I have it now – a true relic!! I even made art to go with it and it’s TERRIBLE and I love it!!!)

But the first piece of writing that I posted was…huh. I’m actually not sure – Bleach, maybe? It was on ff.net under a different name lmao

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

This changes all the time but currently these are my faves:

Fix my head, it’s pouring at the seams for Polygon’s Cyberpunk Red ttrpg – I have a LOT of feelings about these characters and also about the poly ship, and the fandom is so small but it truly was a labor of love and I am SO PROUD OF IT (so if you want to, please read it, you don’t really need to know much before you go into it)

cause every time I run, I run to you for Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (I just. love Ed and Winry so much. AAAA.)

You bring me home for Good Omens (it’s not my most popular fic, that’s a different one that got a load of notes here on tumblr of all places, but I still love it)

and these two Haikyuu/Iwaoi fics: can’t control the weather, which is an AU in which Oikawa has a daughter and she has magic and chaos ensues; and here’s to taking what you came for, see above, my subversion of the classic fake dating trope :D Both were such a BLAST to write!!!

((honorable mention to the Tiny!Oikawa fic in which Oikawa shrinks – I finished it relatively recently and am VERY happy with how it turned out, despite the significant time between chapters hahah))

These were super fun, but obviously no pressure: I tag @ricekrispyjoints, @antiiva, @imaginarydragonling, @astersandstuffs, and @rauchblauwrites!!

[xiaomomowrites]

zhongli, come down

Genshin Impact | TartaLi/ZhongChi

Summary: “When I’m with you, I feel happy,” his eyes are fixated on the ceiling as he speaks. Childe, on the other hand, can’t look anywhere but at him. And although he speaks of his happiness, there are deep waves of sorrow rolling off of him. Zhongli’s makeup had washed off when he took a steaming shower, leaving Tartaglia to see the dark circles under his eyes and the faint wrinkles underneath. The light in his eyes had dulled without the bold presence of his usual red eyeliner, and it seemed as though his face appeared more sunken in when the light hit him at a certain angle. 

Childe’s heart pangs in his chest. Sometimes, his husband really looks his age.

Or, Zhongli and Childe visit Snezhnaya, but there’s a certain adeptus on Zhongli’s mind.

Find it on Ao3!

WARNING: this fic contains mentions of death/minor character death. Read at your own risk!

This part takes place between act V and act VI, which is still in the works~

A/N: I had meant to get this out earlier, but I live in Texas so we’ve been having sporadic power outages for the past three or four days. I had spotty connection and it was freezing in my house so this ended up a little delayed! Plus, act VI really just doesn’t wanna be written :( I want it to be perfect before I post it though, I don’t wanna give y’all mediocre Tartali food lol. But I hope you all enjoy, I’ll be adding a little message at the end if you’re interested, so stay tuned. -u.n.

--

Zhongli felt another full-body shiver rack through him when the wind whistled by again ruthlessly. Archaic divinity and equity aside, he wanted nothing more but to spit and curse the harsh ice beneath his feet. He had all but lost feeling in his fingers and toes as he stood still in the snow, waiting for Childe to finish grabbing them coffee. The Harbinger had offered the drink out of the kindness of his heart when he had seen how badly Zhongli was shivering, as if they hadn’t come here together before. Zhongli accepted the coffee with enthusiasm, knowing it makes Childe happy when he accepts his gifts.

He found himself at the doorstep of Snezhnaya with Childe, visiting his family for the year as they did each November. Unfortunately, November through February seemed to be the harshest that the winters got. The weather would breach zero degrees and drop past negative ten, the wind would lash furiously past parkas and scarves and mittens and kiss bare skin. And Zhongli, in all his divine beauty, would miss the warm summer nights of Liyue so much that he needed to remind himself of how much he loved his husband just to agree to get on the train with him. 

Childe, his darling ginger, simply hummed alongside him and tucked Zhongli’s arm beneath his own to keep him from slipping on the ice. His time in Liyue had not shaken his immunity to the cold at all. His other hand sipped at the warm coffee encapsulated in green cardboard, humming a happy noise from the back of his throat. Even if it was a one time occurrence years ago that ended with minor bruising along the ex-Archon’s back, Childe never let him live the moment down and swore to hold onto him every second they found themselves in his hometown. Zhongli had insisted that he need not pace himself just to walk alongside an old man like him, but he had just pinched his cheeks, kissed his nose, and reminded him that he wasn’t that old. 

“You’ve got that sexy rich-middle-aged-man thing going on for you. Except, all your money comes from me, and you’re actually six thousand years old,” Tartaglia had told him then, beaming up at him so brightly it made Zhongli blink. 

Soon enough, Zhongli finds himself at his in-law’s residence. He takes a deep breath, preparing for the onslaught of Childe’s siblings enthusiasm, and waits for Childe to knock. The Harbinger grins at his anticipation and raps his knuckles against the comforting wood. Not even a beat later and the oak swings open, revealing Teucer, Tonia, and Anthon. They’ve all gotten so big since he last saw them, watching them grow fills the ex-Archon with pride. Zhongli finds himself smiling, squeezing Childe’s hand partially because he’s overwhelmed with joy, and also so he doesn’t slip and fall on his ass too hard when he’s tackled. 

Seconds later he finds himself with an armful of red headed siblings. He stumbles, but thankfully Childe’s there to steady him upright. Zhongli squeezes his hand again in thanks. 

“Mr. Zhongli!” One of them screeches in his ear, “You’re back! Do you have any presents for us?”

“Mr. Zhongli!” Another one yells, “did you bring me a new book?” 

Luckily, Tartaglia’s mother begins barking at her children to reign them back inside and to  ‘leave the nice man alone’, so that he has time to readjust and step inside the warmth of their cozy abode. Zhongli smiles, cheeks red and ears redder, and bows as deep as he can. 

“Thank you for having me,” the honey-like voice glides against the wooden walls like it belongs there, “it is a pleasure to see you all again.” 

“Oh stop,” his mother-in-law gushes, “we’ve seen you every year for years now, honey, drop the formalities!” she waves him off while pulling her own son into a bone crushing hug. “And it’s good to see you too, hun.”

“Hi mom,” Childe responds sheepishly, careful not to squeeze her too hard, lest her back start cracking again. He raises a hand to cradle the back of her head with a fondness reserved only for her. “Where’s dad?” 

The question hangs above their heads heavily. A beat of silence passes before she smiles warily and squeezes her son’s cheeks. “He’s at the fireplace, Ajax.”

Childe nods, and eyes the urn sitting high above the crackling fireplace. It’s a beautiful marble urn that Tartaglia paid for in full, with a single ruby gem nestled right beside his father’s name. Even in this state, his father has the largest presence in the house. It is a presence even Zhongli can acknowledge and respect. The thought pushes Zhongli to squeeze his hand and mutter, “Go?” 

Tartaglia nods, and swallows hard. Zhongli urges him forward carefully with a gloved hand against the small of his back. His mother watches him go along with sullen and somber eyes. And it is only when Childe is stationed in front of the fire, a single gloved hand covering his mouth, when Zhongli breaks the silence. 

“So,” Zhongli begins, turning to his in-law. “The last time we spoke, you promised me a recipe for that delicious meal you served us last year. Were you able to hold up your end of the contract?” 

The red-headed woman beams up at him and grabs at his hands. Her hands are so small, so soft and delicate, Zhongli wishes nothing more but to protect this family with his life. And well, that makes two of them. 

“Of course, dear,” she says excitedly, “come with me.”

The next hour or so consisted of Zhongli patiently waiting in the kitchen while his mother-in-law bustled around, excitedly explaining the process of dough rolling, frying, meat filling, and then frying again. Zhongli watched with fascination, always one to appreciate cultures from all around the world. He hummed and nodded in confirmation every once in a while when she would turn to him, asking him if he understood, and he smiled. 

Tartaglia came padding into the kitchen later, eyes slightly red and puffy, and Zhongli didn’t need to ask if something was wrong to understand what was going on. He knew all too well of his feelings of conflict toward his father in the past. Now that the man himself was gone, Zhongli could only imagine the things Childe was feeling at the moment. 

Zhongli never exactly had a family to grieve, anyway. As far as he knew, all the family he had was in this very house alone. 

And Xiao, the voice in his head whispered, snapping him out of his reverie. Zhongli blinked the voice away. Now was not the time. 

“Talking behind my back, Xiansheng?” Childe teases, coming up behind him to snake his arms around his waist. “That’s not very husband-like of you, you know.”

“Yes, yes,” Zhongli played along, “your mother and I were just discussing how unruly you are in the morning, and how you leave wet towels on the floor after you shower. Truly a horrendous habit, Tartaglia.”

The ginger pouts over his shoulder and leans in to bite his cheek, reveling in the way Zhongli squeezes one eye shut in a faux flinch. He quickly kisses the flesh he sunk his teeth into and settles back against his husband. 

“Smells good, mom.” 

“It always smells good, Ajax,” she tuts, waving her spoon in his face, “what do you think of your mother, huh?”

“Why am I being attacked,” Tartaglia pouts, the end of the sentence lilting upward in a whine. Zhongli clicks his tongue at his behavior and pats his head reassuringly. 

“The food will be ready soon,” he reassures, “besides, she was just telling me all about a soup that I must try my hand at next year.”

Tartaglia groans dramatically and leans all his weight against Zhongli in response. 

—

Night falls, and Childe finds himself lighting the fireplace in the room they stay in upstairs, letting the flames embrace the room in an auburn glow. His siblings are tucked in and finally quiet after Zhongli’s endless stories of Liyue. His mother had turned in an hour earlier after smothering the two in kisses, and the couple had stayed in the kitchen for a bit sipping wine and conversing in the moonlight. After downing a good amount and feeling a light buzz through their systems, they called it a night and headed upstairs, pinkies linked as always. 

But Zhongli was off during the entire conversation. It may have seemed like he was himself to an outsider, but Tartaglia knew better. He knew when his husband was somewhere else. He had seen it too many times before.

So later, when Zhongli finds himself sitting on their windowsill rather melancholic, watching the snow fall, Childe regards him with a careful stare. The ex-Archon eyes the way the snow falls so tenderly yet so purposefully, as if they all held a secret that even an ancient being like him didn’t understand. He shivers at the cold that seeps in through the windows and kisses his fingertips where they meet the glass, and cradles his hand back to his chest slowly. 

“Zhongli,” Childe calls. The said man turns from the window, eyes bright and oddly wet. Oh, Childe knows that look. “C’mere,” he beckons. Zhongli obeys and pads over to where his husband is situated on their bed. He crawls onto the mattress next to him and slumps against the headboard, still deep in his thoughts. 

The Harbinger looks at him with concern and squirms over to where Zhongli sits. He uses his chest as a pillow, wrapping his arms around a lithe waist and tucking his nose in the crook of his neck. He breathes deeply the mature scent of silk flowers and feels his heart thump happily in his chest. Childe stays quiet for a moment, and allows himself to focus on the rise and fall of his sturdy chest. Zhongli runs the length of his palm up and down Tartaglia’s side as he ponders.

Childe decides to break the silence before he falls asleep. “What’s wrong?” he asks quietly, voice barely above a whisper. Zhongli’s hand comes up to his hair and scratches at his scalp the way he knows Childe likes it. 

“Nothing. I am just… thinking.” His voice trails off pensively.

“Hmm. As usual,” he hums, “what about?” Childe prods gently, knowing there’s a fifty-fifty chance his husband will indulge him.

He’s quiet for a moment. Far too quiet. Childe wonders if he should drop the subject.

“Xiao, actually,” he says suddenly. “I am thinking of Xiao.”

“Xiao,” Childe parrots, confused as to why the legendary adeptus lingers in his beloved’s head at a time like this.

Zhongli sighs, and his shoulders hunch forward, eyebrows furrowing in mild discomfort. “Whenever I am with you, I cannot help but think of him.”

Childe’s eyebrows shoot up to his forehead. “Elaborate?” He’s only mildly offended, but he jests nonetheless in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

Zhongli chuckles and pushes a thumb between Childe’s frown. “Not like that. You know there’s no one in my heart except you. Besides, he’s like… family to me. I simply care deeply for his well being.”

Childe offers a wry smile. He knows, he’s just teasing. “So what’s wrong?”

“When I’m with you, I feel happy,” his eyes are fixated on the ceiling as he speaks. Childe, on the other hand, can’t look anywhere but at him. And although he speaks of his happiness, there are deep waves of sorrow rolling off of him. Zhongli’s makeup had washed off when he took a steaming shower, leaving Tartaglia to see the dark circles under his eyes and the faint wrinkles underneath. The light in his eyes had dulled without the bold presence of his usual red eyeliner, and it seemed as though his face appeared more sunken in when the light hit him at a certain angle. 

Childe’s heart pangs in his chest. Sometimes, his husband really looks his age.

“When I’m with you, I forget all my troubles. My burdens are made lighter simply by your presence. I forget what it felt like to be a part of the Archon War, or what it was like having so much blood on my hands. When I’m with you, I forget all of that. And I am happy.” Zhongli’s tone of  voice certainly does not match the topic he speaks of.

Still, Childe gulps. The ex-Archon can be too sappy for his own good, he might have a heart attack.

“Xiao, on the other hand, carries burdens almost heavier than mine,” he speaks as if it were an irrefutable fact. Although Childe wants to protest, he allows him to continue. “Millennia of suffering. Centuries of torture. Generations worth of karma building up on his plate. And he has no one he can turn to to help him forget; no one to help him bear it. Xiao is… alone.” His voice cracks pathetically.

Ah. 

The wind turns colder. There’s a chill that goes through the room, and it seeps into Childe’s bones. The Harbinger’s eyes dart to the fireplace, almost accusing it of not doing its job. He’s mildly aware of the new presence outside of the window that reeks of karma and a heavy heart. The tidal waves of grief and remorse spill into the room, and Tartaglia almost wants to wave a hand in front of his face to waft the energy away. Nevertheless, Childe dismisses it knowing that it is harmless, and turns all of his attention on his partner. 

“What about that traveler,” Childe offers, “Xiao seems to be fixated on him.” 

Zhongli shakes his head. “Young Traveler is far too free spirited for that, and Xiao is the type to only give his heart when he is certain that the source is stable and everlasting.”

Childe nods in understanding. He’s the same way, after all. “He was right to give his heart to you.”

“And yet I betrayed him, did I not?” Zhongli asks.

Childe frowns once again. He wills his voice to not sound too accusing when he asks, “In what way?” 

Zhongli waves his free hand in the air, trying his best to convey the emotions that had been eating at him all evening. 

“I am here, parading away with my husband while he still watches over Liyue per my request. Even though our contract ended, he still persists. He still fights the demons of the gods I slayed myself. He still is trapped by the shackles of Liyue, cleaning up my mess, worshipping my name, while I lay here wondering if I want coffee or tea when the sun rises.” 

His voice wavers. Childe’s heart tugs. The Harbinger shuffles closer and squeezes him tighter. 

“I can’t help but feel as though I am responsible for his suffering. I am the one who summoned him, am I not? The fierce Yakshas… oh how truly amazing they were,” Zhongli rambles, fingers tightening their hold on Childe. “And now they are all…”

“Zhongli.” He cuts him off sternly. The man in question shakes out his reverie, glassy amber eyes meeting cerulean. Childe brings a hand to his cheek to caress the sinfully soft skin there. The ginger leans in, pressing his forehead against his temple and pleads.

“Stop,” he whispers, and then his hand finds purchase on his husband’s neck. “Stop.” 

“I am not worthy of it any longer, Ajax,” Zhongli’s voice warbles, “all I want is for Young Xiao to rest and finally find peace. I no longer want him to have nightmares, asleep or not. I want to be the one to be rid of his burdens. I want him to be happy, Ajax, I want—“

“No,” Childe interrupts again, “there is nothing you can do, my love. And I’m so sorry you feel that way. I truly am. But his suffering has nothing to do with you anymore. Xiao looks up to you—“

“But he shouldn’t.” 

“Xiao looks up to you,” he persists, “for a reason. He adores you, okay? No matter what you do. No matter what you say. No matter how you look. Even if you’re skin and bone and wrinkly with gray hair, Xiao would still admire you. Your strength has withstood the test of time, and so has his loyalty to you.” He brushes a stray hair from Zhongli’s face and continues.

“You were the one that saved him. Have you ever thought of that, old man? You saved him and named him. I mean, if someone were to pull me out of the abyss and give me a hug for god’s sake, I probably would have turned out different,” Zhongli’s eyes soften even more, but Childe refuses to make this about him. He thumps a fist against Zhongli’s chest in mock petulance. “Xiao respects you because you deserve it. It is as simple as that.”

Zhongli is quiet, pondering, so Tartaglia takes that as an invitation to continue. 

“You have served your time bearing your burdens. You have saved souls and you have killed your own share of demons, and you fought to get where you are now. You deserve a break, Zhongli. And you don’t need to feel guilty that someone out there hasn’t been liberated of their own issues. You of all people understand Xiao’s strength. Probably more than Xiao himself, right? So have faith in him, Xiansheng. And know that you don’t have to carry the burden of freedom on your own. Burdens are meant to be shared, and I’m your husband, remember?”

“Oh, how could I forget,” Zhongli chuckles as he jests. His voice still warbles, but Tartaglia will take what he can get. Childe pinches his cheek playfully. 

“Sooo,” Childe trails off, running a finger down the length of Zhongli’s pale neck. “With that being said, I think you should enjoy the time you have now, with me, instead of reminiscing about the past.”

Zhongli nods. 

“After all, I won’t be here forever-”

“Do not.” Zhongli interrupts, looking away. His chest stops fluctuating, and it takes a moment for Childe to realize he was holding his breath. And just like that, his defensive wall is back up again. Tartaglia looks at him with wide eyes. Obviously he had struck a chord he hadn’t meant to. The grip Zhongli had around the back of his neck tightened like he meant to keep him close to his chest forever; greedy, selfish hands continue to grasp at the back of his shirt.

“Oh,” Tartaglia breathes, “I’m sorry, I was just joking.”

“I know,” Zhongli all but whimpers, “but my brain doesn’t exactly register those kinds of things as jokes.”

Tartaglia nods, unsure of what else to say. So, he ditches the thought of saying anything, and lifts a deft finger to tilt Zhongli’s face back to him. He abandons his words and leans in instead. He captures his God’s lips with his own and presses close, desperate to show him that he’s there. Tartaglia’s alive and well and very much in love, and he’s there. He’s not going anywhere; he wouldn’t even dare to think about going anywhere. Their marriage was more than a contract, it was a covenant. The vows that were sworn on that night kept them glued together, and only ‘til death do they part. 

Well, until Ajax’s death, at least.

The thought makes Tartaglia’s head pound, and he shakes the thoughts away with determination.

“I’m here,” he reassures anyway when they part, kiss-bruised lips brush against his cheek as he speaks. “Let me prove it to you.”

Zhongli nods wordlessly, cupping Childe’s face with one hand and dragging the Harbinger onto his lap with the other. They press against each other, nice and close, so that one would not be able to decipher where one began and the other ended. 

“I love you,” Tartaglia confesses into the dark, breathless. Zhongli drags him impossibly closer. 

Xiao takes that as his cue to leave, the wind chill harsh and no longer gentle as he vanishes into thin air.

--

A/N: Okayy I’m gonna get a little serious in the end notes hehe so if you wanna skip out on that, thank you so much for reading! And I hope you have a wonderful week :) find me on twitter @/xiaoscribbles and AO3 @/unironicallynapping

I wanted to write this because I’ve been on my own journey to recovery lately. My family suffered many losses in 2020 and since then, I had been struggling to get back on path and find a healthy mindset. But there’s a passage that I read in a book I’ve been reading that covers the guilt we sometimes feel when we recover, knowing and know that there’s someone out there who is suffering, too. The guilt can become unbearable, but it doesn’t need to be felt. You can take your feelings of guilt and turn it into something good. You can enjoy the life of recovery you’re living while still being there for those who need it. You can show someone you love them while also reveling in the happiness that you deserve. You don’t need to feel like you don’t deserve it just because you recovered, and someone else hasn’t. Everyone is on their own path, so rejoice in the fact that you’ve made it to your own happiness! 

I hope this fic/message spoke to some of you. It’s a really important message to me, and I just wanted to share :)

[riisinaakka-draws]

part 2/6

2nd part of my old Black Sails scraps and doodles from 2016–2021. Not in any particular order.

This time the drawings are short comics that were abandoned for a reason or another, mostly because I lost the interest or felt like there was too much to redraw compared to the satisfaction of finishing something else more interesting. There’s also some talk about rigid mindset and how overthinking can lead to stagnation.

Contains early silverflint moments, specks of dust, rackham's glasses are found, jealous-Billy spying, desk-Flint gets caught, "squint-squint", a quiet moment and its bird dilemma etc.

And please do not steal and repost elsewhere. But if you do get inspired, feel free to make your own interpretations!

Long-ish post under the cut!

“What are you thinking about?”

“Specks of dust.”

“Liar.”

The idea was to show how much they and their relationship had changed. This was around 2016 when the season 3 began and I was still re-learning to draw with a tablet. Another art from the same time period (and idea) is this art: The Dynamic Duet. 

And for some reason I was really stuck up thinking that I’d have to first do the sketch, then the clean line art, then planes underneath, then shadows etc. and I have always struggled with that kind of approach! Mainly because I hate doing clean line work, lol. And I was a fool for trying to start with a white canvas! It’s so much harder to find values and plan things, or at least in my opinion..

“Rackham’s glasses are found”

To celebrate their new pirate alliance, they share the four lenses of Rackham’s sunglasses as they were also found at the time (because I wanted it to resurface and they could be made into jewellery you know...). This was right after the episode where Anne fights and hurts her hands (here wearing protecting mittens from Max even though she’s not trusted at the moment). Uh, this doesn’t spark joy interest me much and it’s quite stiff and would recuire a lot of redrawing faces, so - discarded!  

I somewhat like the idea still (them having something to share, although it’s on Jack’s detriment). I tried to find a stylished comical easier doodlier? way to draw them and draw clean lines etc, but it just wasn’t for me. Also here too, the background is blank and too bright. Later I started to think things as scenes and draw everything at the same time instead of adding the bg later or trying to show everything (and everyone) at the same time.

Here’s also Billy in the same story:

He’s spying on them and since it’s so bright he’s wearing his diy “sunglasses” and being envious to the others. *cough* uhhh...Idk? Also people were shipping Ben Gunn (and cheese) with Billy, so that bled into this too... Charles’ spirit is riding the “big white bird” that was mentioned in Teach’ story and in this case it’s a pelican.

As you can see, I also wasn’t using the brushes that I use nowadays. A hard (or soft) round brushes with no change in opacity just aren’t for me. For example, in traditional art, I struggle with markers and copics, but really enjoy charcoals and watercolours. I prefer ragged edges, layering and thus blending things into each other (and leaving the viewer to fill in the gaps) instead of having stark or definite things. I also struggle with vector drawings, although I have decided to finally start learning to use them...somedayyyy.

Also, I wasn’t paying attention to anatomy, like, at all LMAO. I was just so happy to be able to put something on the canvas.

This is one of my first ink drawings, but I cannot find the original anymore. Again, I like the idea, but not how things look art-wise. And I was so adamant, that I have to get everything right in the traditional drawing and not fix anything later on on photoshop because then it would be cheating. And thus, I was never able to move on or finish this properly the way I liked it (idiot).

BUT! It was a good practise to just draw and test things on paper and gain confidense on drawing things in overall (as I was still getting back into art). To get over the fear of blank paper you know, and try to find my style whatever it would start to form into.

Oh, yeah, Desk Flint.

Desk Flint was a thing for a while (still is, lol). Another drawing from that time is this Slingshot Pirate (2016). And Desk Flint keeps repeating in many later works too. The point is mainly “Flint sitting behind his desk and people interrupt him and I don’t have to draw him fully”

Well, anyway... moving on.

Here’s a plan that has been stuck for years. It’s name is “Squint-squint.” Left is the sketch (with another sketch underneath because the expressions were clearer in the old one). On the right is the continued piece with colour scheme but I cropped the eyes panel and faces out (it was so ugly for some reason) but if I ever continue/finish this, it will be redrawn there in the middle.)

Left. “On that moment their eyes were literally open(ed).”

Right. “After squinting on the shore for days, they had actually forgotten how pretty the other idiot’s eyes were.”

I still like it, quite a lot, but my perfectionist ass only sees too much “boring” things to draw and get right, so it hasn’t been a priority for a long time and other works have kept me occupied and more interested in them.

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

“Quiet Moment.” 2018 (a wordless comic happening after the events of Charles Town)

I’m going to explain after these pictures, but see how big the difference is when you start to look at references and plan things together (the space, “camera” movement, background etc). I also started to colour with coarser brushes:

I drew this around early 2018. A lot of improvement! Still quite a lot of negative space (empty white backgrounds), but it fits this work. A few things tell where we are (the ship’s cabin and the balcony). Changing distances and how things are cropped/framed make things more moving and focused (and less to draw, lol). Colours and brush strokes are softer, more layered and so on.

But guess why it’s still a wip!

I couldn’t decide what bird is flying over there.

Yeap! At first it was an albatross (doesn’t go to Bahamas?). Then a seagull (but which seagull? there’s so many subspecies! Is the ship at sea or at the harbour? what birds are there on the open water/ close to the shore?? oh noo...) So, yeah, wayyyy too much over-thinking.

At some point I ended up with white-tailed-tropic-bird which was a plus! because it sounds like the bosun’s whistle, but at that point I was so tangled and frustrated and still had so much to finish with this that I left it be. Also Flint’s face looks different in every frame so I would’ve had to change some parts, lol. And then I forgot it for a couple of years! And then I had learned to draw a bit differently and again saw too much things to do, so it’s quite hard to take on this again, especially when there are so many other interesting wips waiting...

But I still really like the feeling of it! And the colour scheme. So I might just limit the things I’m allowed to fix and then post it as it own someday. I mean, it’s 90% finished, but the last reach just feels like miles.

And that’s what usually happens with my wips. They reach a certain point and it suddenly becomes really hard to finish or get back into.

But every time I learn things and then use the information in another work! :D

Final note for this post (altough this has been said hundreds of times): use references and look how things go and try to see the structure and form beneath things. And think where it is happening and how the light and surroundings affects the characters and/or spaces. And maybe think what you’re trying to convey with the art, what idea? what emotions? what purpose? or like, what are you trying to learn with the piece? and so on...

Thanks for checking this out, I hope you had fun <3

[queenof-literature]

Ok okokok I’m sorry if this is already asked but how would the Links react to finding out that Wild helped (and practically built) Tarrey Town?

Hi thank you so much for the request! I took some creative liberties for this one. For example I know that as Link you just get bundles of wood and find people mostly, but I expanded it to have him helping to build homes and help the elderly move in because he’s Wild of course he would. Also I 100% Wild and Hyrule both, if not more of the group, have Imposter Syndrome because 1) It fits with their characters 2) I like self projecting :D This turned out to be so much longer than I intended I’m so sorry. 

“Wild!” Legend whined. No, he did not whine. Legend did not whine, he simply was tired of walking. “Tell us where we’re going!” Groaning as Wild simply walked on. Legend would almost call it skipping. The boy seemed much more lively than he was in Twilight’s Hyrule, although that made sense since they landed in Wild’s this morning. When Legend first met Wild, he mistook his silence for some kind hatred or malice. Towards the group, or his Hyrule, or himself, Legend didn’t know. But Legend had come to learn that Wild’s heart was full of love, all of the heroes' hearts were. It was something he was jealous of at first.

Watching the Hero of Time, the Hero of Twilight, all of them, he hated them in the beginning. Perhaps hate is a strong word. He knew they weren’t bad people, quite the opposite. Every time he saw Twilight do something right and be praised by Time, a hot knife went through him. He thought it was out of anger, that some farm boy seemed perfect. But he realized it was hurt later on. 

But then he truly saw them. He saw Sky struggle to think about how to build an entire Hyrule with his Zelda. He saw Twilight struggle to simply be in Ordon again, where he felt he didn’t belong after all he had been through. He saw Four struggle with some unnamed figures of his past. He saw Hyrule struggle with the weight of his new role in a group setting. He saw Warriors act proud and mighty, when in reality his shoulders sagged deep in the night under all the weight placed upon them. He saw Wind run his mouth until he wrote letters to his little sister, silent as the dead. He saw the Hero of Time clutch his blanket some nights, perhaps dreaming it was his wife, the only one who brought him comfort on lonely nights. Finally he saw Wild, silent and calculating, but also a tornado of untamed hair and a contagious smiles.

He wasn’t perfect and he never would be, even with an insane amount of quests and items in his back pocket. But his companions were nowhere near perfect themselves. If Legend were being honest, he finally felt like he belonged to this team of heroes. He felt he had a purpose, no longer just a lone spirit floating from quest to quest, only to be thrown into more danger his entire life. Sometimes he was kept awake by the thoughts of what happened after. Legend desperately hoped he would still be able to see the others after this quest was over. If not for him, but for the ones like Twilight and Wild who didn’t feel like they quite belonged completely in their Hyrules after all they had been through. Wild still had Zelda and Twilight still had Ordon, Legend could tell by the way they talked that they loved their Hyrules, but they were sometimes painful to be in after their journeys. Some of the other boys struggled with that too. In some twisted way, this quest was a blessing for all of them in one way or another. 

Legend had absolutely no idea how Time felt. He had to leave his beautiful and caring wife behind, even though he had obviously gone through hell in his adventures. And that was just the things he told them about. Everytime they were on Lon Lon Ranch they were fed, housed, and loved, all in exchange for some farm work. Did Time resent them? Twilight was Time’s descendant somehow, that meant Time would have children. And dear Hylia did that hurt. Time had to live, he had to raise his children. 

“What’s got you so excited, Cub?” Twilight asked fondly, thankfully bringing Legend from his thoughts. The group had taken a brisk walking pace through a bright green meadow, Wild barley containing himself to not break out in a run to get to their mysterious destination. Four gazed into the distance, and half of his mind cried out in joy when their gaze landed on one of the ‘shrines’ Wild had completed. 

‘Who cares about a shine?’

‘That could mean we’re near a village!’

‘Don’t get our hopes up, Wild said there's almost 140.’

‘But this one is super obvious!’

Four decided just to ask Wild himself to quiet the others in his head. He wasn’t answering Twilight and Legend. That didn’t say much though, Wild just enjoyed messing with them. 

“Hey, Wild? Does that shrine mean a village is nearby?” Four asked the boy leading the group. Wild simply turned and smiled widely. The group all whooped. Wild wouldn’t get their hopes up at the thought of staying in a village for the night only to crush them. 

Wild picked up the pace and gestured for the others to do so as well. He was excited to get back to the town and see Hudson and Rhodson again. Hudson was one man that was always genuinely kind to Wild, not forcing him into a job for him and always being hesitant to ask for help. It was honestly a nice change of pace. Wild certainly didn’t hate the people of his Hyrule, quite the opposite. But everyone was so desperate for help it sometimes came off as rude and it stacked up all at once. Hudson never snapped at him for taking too long, or being too quiet. He would simply ask if Link was okay and eating properly. Wild didn’t feel at home for a long time, but there were definitely places that came close to it. His house, the koroks and Deku tree who had memories of Zelda, and Tarry Town were at the top of that list. 

He wanted to show his friends Tarry Town so bad! They had been traveling together for months and yet they had never seen it. Wild couldn’t travel with more than a couple of people at a time with his slate, and even then it wasn’t the best idea to do it often. They had never traveled close enough for Wild to show them. It had been a while since they had been able to sleep in a village. They didn’t stay in every civilization they came across, they had other jobs to complete. But Wild’s Hyrule was so vast compared to the others that everytime they landed near a village, they would usually stay there for a night or two. 

Wild wanted his friends to see a place he loved, and he was excited to share it with them. He would most likely have jobs to do once there, but his friends could relax in the small town before they continued on. They were approaching the edge of the surrounding cliffs, sparkling waters calmly lapping the shores below. Wild led them to the edge of the cliffs, then tugged Twilight’s sleeve to get them to look in the direction he was pointing. Some of the others gasped at the sight, wondering how they missed it. 

Looking below, they could see a rising island protruding from the lake below, rising high above the water with a natural bridge connecting the mainland to the island-like structure. There, the village rested. From a distance the others could see houses similar to those surrounding Wild’s house in Hateno. Geometric squares and rectangles combining to create compact but roomy homes for those that lived in them. 

“It looks comfortable, Wild.” Time smiled. He wished more than anything he could let the others stop as often as possible. These boys deserved rest and slept on the ground far too often. Villages also had cooking pots in Wild’s Hyrule, which caused the others’ mouth to water just thinking about it. Wild could create cooking fires pretty much wherever, but he was apparently limited on what he could make. Cooking pots allowed for more complicated recipes and stronger potions than a makeshift one. 

Wild beamed and led them along the cliff. Not close enough to be dangerous, but Twilight always feared Wild would see something useful to them and go jumping off a cliff to retrieve it. Like a goddamn toddler seeing something shiny, not using his paraglider until the last fucking minute and giving him a heart atta-

Wild tugged on his sleeve again to gain his attention. Wild’s scars had been acting up today, causing his throat to close up more than usual. He could still talk, it was just harder and hurt more some days. It had become rarer as time went on, but it still happened. 

‘Not going to jump’ Wild signed while smirking. Twilight glared at him and swatted the hand away from his sleeve. Wild grinned that shit eating grin wider, and Twilight was pissed his cub knew exactly what he was thinking. 

The group continued walking along the cliffside, admiring Wild’s Hyrule and its stunning colors along the way. Wild, although excited, seemed a little rigid, hand resting on his knife.

“Is everything alright, Wild?” Sky questioned.

‘Yes. Lots of rocks for Yiga to hide behind.’ Wild sighed widely for everyone to see. He was about to warn them anyway, he didn’t want them to be caught off guard. 

“We’ll keep an eye out.” Warriors confirmed. There was no reason to tell the kid to not worry, that would be a lie. 

Wild smiled freer this time and nodded. Warriors was glad the kid didn’t get as frustrated when he couldn’t talk anymore. Wild was finally learning that there were some things that were simply out of his control. 

They eventually approached the large arch that acted as a bridge into the village. 

"Can this support all of us?” Twilight asked, glancing towards Epona. 

‘It's a lot stronger than it looks. I ride across it all the time.’ Wild responded while already beginning to cross, the others following without another moment of hesitation. Wild led the way into the small town.

Upon approaching, the first thing they noticed was a platform in the middle of the town with a statue of Hylia in the center. It always struck the group as interesting that even in Wild’s Hyrule in ruins, people still believe very strongly in the Gods, most likely taking comfort in them. Surrounding along the edge of the island were houses all facing towards the center. That wouldn't really provide any space to build more houses in the future but it opened the door to close knit neighbors. In front of the houses were tables selling arrows by a Rito, gems by a small Goron, and what appeared to be armor by a Gerudo. Overall it seemed very culturally diverse. 

"Link!" A hearty voice called out. The group turned to see a man with a head that was… odd to say the least. Like an elongated egg to be frank, with chestnut hair cut in a long bowl cut all the way down to the man’s ears. On his arm was a beautiful Gerudo woman wearing bright white loose pants decorated with yellow swirls, along with a crimson top, the same swirls adorning it. Her bright red hair in a large high ponytail. 

Wild waved at them and signed something they didn't understand, most likely their names. 

“It’s so good to see you, little one.” The Gerudo woman gave a small smile which Wild eagerly returned. 

‘Good to see you too!’ Wild signed to the two of them. 

“Who are your companions my boy? And what have they done to travel with the elusive Link?” Hudson teased, laughing loudly at Wild’s red face as the other’s snickered quietly. 

‘These are my friends I’ve been traveling with.’ Looking back to Time who usually took care of starting introductions. 

“Hello, sir. Please call me Time.” Time stepped forward and shook Hudson’s hand. 

“I’m Wind!”

“Hey, ‘m Twilight.”

“My name’s Four”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Warriors.”

“Legend.” 

“Hi, I’m Hyrule.”

“Hello sir, I’m Sky.”

“Those are all… very interesting names.” Hudson stared at them.

‘Why, because they don’t end in son?’ Wild signed with a smirk, fingerspelling son at the end. 

“It’s Bolson Construction Policy!” 

“Okay darling, I believe we do not need to get into this argument again.” Rhodson quickly dispelled the rant she knew her proud husband would get into.

They’re nicknames.” Twilight offered simply. He would ask Wild what he was talking about with the whole ‘son’ thing later. 

“Awe I see. Well any friend of Link’s is welcome here. Afraid we can’t give you much of a discount at the inn, we’re still a new village. But I’m sure Kapson will find a way to fit you all in there.” Hudson said in a gruff voice. “I have to go help Monari with her leaky roof. Are you staying long, Link?” Hudson finished.

‘A night or two. Does Monari need help?’ Wild signed. Monari had always been kind to him. 

“Oh, Link you’re always so eager to help. Relax for once. You practically built the town, you don’t need to repair it all too.” Hudson chided with a grateful smile. 

“Wait… what?” Warriors interrupted from the back. “Did Wild help build a house or something?” During his quest? Was an un added question on everyone’s mind. 

“A house? Try the town. Boy got me over a hundred bundles of wood, traveled all over Hyrule to find the exact people I needed, helped me build and paint the houses, you name it.” Hudson finished proudly, looking like he wanted to clap Wild on the back but thought better of it. 

“Wild… what?” Warriors looked over at his smaller companion in shock.

“When did this happen?” Twilight looked equally as puzzled. Wind looked as if his brain had stopped working all together, expressive face frozen with his jaw to the floor. Sky also looked shocked. 

“You built an entire town and you didn’t tell me?” Hyrule had a look of utter betrayal. 

“Damn, kid. And here I thought you couldn’t get more selfless.” Legend’s eyebrows were raised, but underneath he looked impressed and almost proud. 

“Don’t challenge him.” Four scolded. They all knew what happened the last time Legend challenged Wild over something innocent and seemingly stupid. They don’t remember much of the challenge itself but they do remember the end result. Wild, with a shit eating grin and three broken bones, cackling as fire rained from above. That was the day Twilight almost went comatose. 

As the others expressed their shock, Wild’s face grew as red as an apple. 

“Did you not tell them, Link?” Hudson’s voice reflected pure amusement at the young boy’s bright red face.

‘It never came up. I did it mostly after I finished the Divine Beasts, some was before though’ Wild signed before pulling his hood up to hide his embarrassingly warm face.

“Wha- never came up? You helped build an entire town while on your Hyrule-wide quest, and still saved your Zelda in a timely manner along with every other town in your Hyrule?” Warriors yelled aghast, forgetting for the moment that Hudson and Rhodson were probably confused by what Warriors had just said. Wild shrugged. 

‘Can I help with repairs?’ Wild asked again, ignoring Warriors’ spluttering and Time’s amused chuckles behind his hand at the rest of the group joining in Warriors’ shock. 

“As I said, you should relax with your friends, but I’m sure Moggs and Monari would love to see you!” Rhodson exclaimed, moving her hand from around Hudson’s arm and gripping him by the hand instead, leading the group over to a house near the middle of the circle, just behind a table full of gems. 

“Brother!” A rough voice called as they approached the table. A large Goron rolled over, followed by a smaller Goron trailing behind. Once reaching their destination right in front of the group, the two Goron emerged from their balls, revealing an adult Goron with dark orange skin, and the smaller Goron having light yellow. Both of them were wearing bright yellow hard hats. 

‘Hi Greyson! Hi Pelison!’ Wild signed with a large smile. He had a hard time with the Gorons at first. For being rock hard people, they were certainly touchy feely with gratitude like Sidon was. Wild knew they meant no harm though, that was simply something he struggled with before he met the other Links. Greyson and Pelison never touched him though, which he was silently grateful for during his quest. Wild did like when the Gorons called him ‘brother’ though, it made him feel a part of something on the lonely days of conquering the Divine Beasts. 

‘These are my friends!’ Wild beamed, gesturing to the people behind him. Time softened looking at the proud face as Wild presented them like prized cattle at a fair. It was sweet… in a way.

“Nice to see Wild has someone to travel with him now.” Greyson laughed at Wild’s betrayed expression. 

“Yeah! Wild never brings anyone with him into town! I didn’t think he had any friends! Take your hood off, you look like a villain.” Pelison added bluntly, ignoring Wild making a frantic motion to cut it out, the group roaring with laughter. They could tell by Wild’s face he didn’t take any of it personally as he pulled off his hood with an entertained smile. 

“Link!” The group looked up to see a light teal Rito approaching Wild.

‘Hello Fyson!’ Wild greeted. Okay, Wild would definitely have to explain what the hell was up with with all the ‘son’ names. 

“Hello, my friend!” Fyson replied happily.

‘How’s your mom?’ Wild asked with a kind smile.

“She’s well thank you for asking! Our relationship has gotten much better since she realized I had my own shop you helped me set up! I must thank you again my friend!” Wild tried to wave it off, but Wind wouldn’t let him.

“Oh! Wild helped you and your mom?” Wind asked with wide eyes, while Wild had to resist rolling his own. Wind and his damn puppy eyes. Wild assumed he learned how to use that to his advantage from his pirate crew.

“Oh yes. My mom and I got in constant fights about me taking over the shop, but I wanted to start my own! When Wild was building tarry Town with Hudson, he told me I could set up a shop here!” Fyson nodded at Wild thankfully.

“Oh yeah, same with me. I hated the Southern Mines in Gerudo Town. I’m much happier here since Wild told me about this place and helped Pelison set up his shop.” Greyson clapped his little brother on the back. Even Pelison looked grateful for Wild.  

“Yes, Wild told me of this place as well when I was pressured to leave Gerudo Town to find a husband, which worked out very well.” Rhodson smiled down at her husband.

“He also found a Zora Priest for our wedding. He works at the inn now.” Hudson added. The group was shocked. Wild had gone out of his way to help people not only by saving Hyrule, but also personally as well. Going out of his way to help build an entire town for people to feel included. Even though it wasn’t Wild’s idea, he had still helped to execute it. 

Meanwhile, as more tales were strung about his good deeds, Wild looked incredibly flustered by all the attention and praise he was getting. Hyrule stepped forward and put a hand on his back. Wild jumped in surprise before relaxing into the traveler’s touch, smiling gratefully. It was hard to acknowledge what he had done for people sometimes. No matter how he was rewarded Wild still just felt wrong sometimes, and Hyrule felt the same way about his land. 

“Well, we will let you and your friends settle Link.” Fyson finished the conversation, thankfully seeing Wild’s squirming posture. Wild smiled and waved as the Gorons and Rito went back to their businesses.

“Oh! Moggs and Monari! Let’s go see them and then you can take your friends to the inn and get beds for the night.” Sky continued to look around at the sights before him. Perhaps he could ask Wild for advice, he had to help Sky build a Hyrule afterall. Not now, he didn’t want to overwhelm him. Sky noticed a dog trotting around asking for food on various doorsteps, along with an odd looking horse with packs. Looking closer, Sky noticed it was what Wild called a donkey. On the roof of the house the donkey was at, was a man who seemed to be watching it all from above. Sky yearned to be higher up as well, he missed his Loftwing dearly afterall. He hadn’t had the time to teach all the boys how to fly on one yet. Hopefully that was in the near future. 

“Link my boy! How are you this fine day?” This must be Moggs then, Sky thought as he saw a wrinkled old man standing next to a small old woman. 

“Oh, Link! How are you?” The woman called. Wild smiled down at them, about to sign that he was fine, before Monari tugged him down and pinched his cheeks. Dear, Hylia. This old woman was doing the most grandmother thing in the book of grandmothers. Wild flushed a bright red as the woman went on about what a fine young man he was for helping her move in, and if he was injured at all. The two elderly Hylians seemed to be frail and a little odd in their old age, but sweet all the same.

Sky looked over at the others. Legend and Warriors were bent over clutching their stomachs and their mouths to prevent them from laughing. Four and Wind were openly giggling quietly and chattering with each other, probably thankful it wasn’t them for once. Twilight and Hyrule looked on with maniacal grins of pure glee, probably planning on using that against Wild later. Even Time seemed like he was having trouble controlling himself. Wild was finally able to gently wrestle out of the woman’s hold. 

‘Monari taught me how to make the honey crepe.’ Wild signed, desperate for a change in subject. Luckily, it worked. Although Wild knew he would get teased for this later. 

“Really?” Wind gasped. “It’s amazing.”

“I’m so glad you like it.” The old woman smiled at Wind, who stayed well out of pinching distance. The group continued to talk to the elderly couple before saying goodbye to reserve bed at the inn. It was still mid afternoon, but they had learned early on that with nine of them, it was better to ask for beds as soon as possible so there was room for them and a stable for Epona. As the group followed Wild a small distance to the inn, a voice that was somehow the embodiment of snotty noble called out.

“Boy!” The voice called harshly. Wild took a deep breath and turned to the side instead, going to the edge of the village as if it were a routine. The group approached a man with bleached blonde hair, and to the side was a little girl. She had similar features to the man. His daughter then.  

‘Yes Hagie wha-’ Wild started to sign. 

“You know I don’t care for your common hand motions. Those things are back again! What did you do?” The group bristled behind him at the man’s easy dismissal of their friend. Warriors stepped forward but Wild gave him a subtle look that stopped him. For now.

‘Blood moon.’ Wild finger spelled, knowing Haggis would at least understand that. He could maybe talk if he tried hard enough, but he didn’t want Hagie to hear his scarred voice while it was so rough. 

“I don’t care, I’ll give you another down payment to get rid of them. I can always tell by your clothes you need it, commoner.” The man, apparently named Hagie (And wasn’t that accurate), shoved a silver rupee into Wild’s hand. Sky bit his tongue. How dare this man treat Wild this way! After everything Wild had done to help them! Sky stepped forward and put himself between the two. 

“We’ll do whatever. Just stop talking.” Sky scowled, reminding Wild of when he broke the Master Sword in front of him. Sky grabbed Wild’s hand and dragged him away from the man, who simply huffed loudly and stalked to the cliff he was sitting on. Legend got the urge to push him into the waters below, but thought against it. Too many witnesses. 

“Does he always treat you like that?” Twilight asked his protege,  a sound similar to a growl deep in his throat.

‘No big deal.’ Wild signed, looking away from the fiery eyes of his mentor.

“It is Wild. I understand why you ignore him, but you still don’t deserve to be treated like that. Especially after you built the town he’s living in.” Time reminded Wild.

‘Helped build.’ Wild corrected, but it was nice to hear Time say that.

Wild led the group to the inn, only hearing half of the grumbled insults of the rich man on the cliff. 

‘Hi Kapson!’ Wild signed once the group was in the small inn. Like the other buildings, it was small, but roomier and homey on the inside. ‘These are my friends!’ Wild introduced them all by fingerspelling their names before asking for them all to stay.

“There’s a lot of you and only two beds.” Kapson stated gruffly. 

“We can share, sir.” Twilight stated for the group. 

“You could set the mattresses upstairs if you want to do that.” Kapson agreed, asking Time for their payment. 

‘I’ll be right back.’ Wild signed to the group after they moved the two mattresses.

“Where are you going?” Four asked.

‘Killing Guardians for Hagie. They never disappeared completely after the Calamity.’ Wild pulled a bow from his slate.

“Woah woah. We’re not letting you go alone. They’re Guardians!” Four scolded.

‘I have my paraglider and I can’t teleport with you all. There’s only two, I’ll be back in 20 minutes at most.’ Wild reassured.

“If you’re not back in 20 minutes, Wind is contacting you with his necklace.” Time ordered. Wild nodded and set out, leaving the group alone in Tarry Town. The group decided to explore the town a little bit more while it was still light out. Outside the inn in front of a nearby house, there was a woman sweeping on the porch. 

“Are you all friends of Link?” She called out quietly, barely catching their attention.

“Yes, ma’am. We are.” Time and the rest of the group approached.

“Oh. I was just wondering if you can give him my thanks. He helped my daughter heal. She wasn’t eating healthy, or running around anymore. He gave her something and she was better by morning. I thanked him, but I’m scared that it seems insincere because of my husband.” The woman pointed at the man on the cliffside much to the group's surprise. “My daughter is my everything. Please let Link know he has my thanks.” The woman finished with a bittersweet smile.

“Of course we will.” Warriors responded, floored by Wild’s selflessness once again. The woman thanked them and went inside to cook for her family. The group continued to explore the town and look at the surrounding areas before Wild returned. 

“You know. We could drug Hagie with one of Legend’s sleeping potions.” Wind whispered to the group when they were out of earshot from the other villagers. 

“Where would we take him?” Hyrule smiled, a truly horrifying look of evil in his eyes.

“Down to the place Wild is getting rid of the Guardians. He'd really piss himself if he woke up down there. You see all the dead ones down there?” Fours blue eyes shined.

“I’d happily volunteer a potion to see that happen.” Legend’s smile was as sharp as a knife. 

“Maybe we should blindfold him to make the experience more real and terrifying.” Sky suggested.

“You idiots!” Twilight chided. The other’s almost protested at Twilight ruining their fun before he interrupted them. “How the hell are we going to get him away from his daughter and wife?” Twilight finished as Warriors clapped his back.

“Eh, we’ll figure it out.” Warriors replied. At this point, no one could tell who was joking and who wasn’t. They all remembered Time, and looked to him nervously, half expecting a lecture from their leader.

“Don’t get caught.” Time stated, seemingly impassive. His eye, however, gave him away with a mischievous glint as the rest of the group cheered and laughed. 

~

Wild made it back safe and sound, albeit confused at the mentions of drugging and kidnapping he did not even want to know about at the moment. That evening, Wild and Monari made dessert for their dinner, honey crepes. The group all cheered and thanked them profusely through full mouths, eating far more than their stomachs could probably handle. Even Time stuffed his face full. That night, they all shoved themselves onto the two mattresses pushed together on the floor of the inn. At some point in the night, they all became an entangled pile of elbows and knees.

Twilight slept buried in Time’s shoulder, one arm taken captive by Wild. The rest of Wild was taken captive by Hyrule. Hyrule’s head rested on Legend’s arm. Warriors had curled an arm around Legend and Wind, who shoved himself between them. Both Warriors and Legend would absolutely deny this in the morning. Four curled up facing Warriors, snuggled in with Sky in his sailcloth. Finally, the group had a chance to rest with stomachs full and a good night sleep.