#kind of capture the general vibes for each ship too
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fafayayarhen · 10 months ago
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lies down
LIES DOWN FOREVER
tfw u want to do that fun very very OVERDUE trend but as an aph austria stan u vibe with being multiship that you wanted to try and have fun a lil with drawing some of your fave pairings
swarski isn't a typo, it's on purpose just in case cause idk copyright stuff maybe
roddi modelling for swarovski product so true -- personal HC he's the eternal brand ambassador cAUSE COME ONNNN they got the prettiest gemstone of a representative, like hell they're not using him!?!??!
funny scenario of multiple generations of descendants/swarovski enthusiasts going "haven't we seen this model's face throughout the centuries, what's happening here?" and swarovski releases the statement that "this model's uh kids and grandkids got the same traits cause strong genes" --
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nah another way to circumvent it is changing up styles hence i present to you having made another version with longer hair cause tEE HEE
sorry aushun girlies i swear i had ideas to incorporate them somehow but the composition be set with these four already that had i added more it would've thrown it off balance
maybe i'll draw aushun next time
standalone:
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silvertws · 1 year ago
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"Hermit craft" and other ccs because they are cool. STAR WARS AU (I think imma do different ones depending on like Prequels, Sequels, and Present or whatever it's called yk, droids, Vader and Kylo)...? Unsure I'm just doing Vader now.
*Cries in the amount of research I'm going to have to do*
Xiuma and Mumbo -> def mechanics, ships repairing, Mumbo never drove any of his fucking ships, he would suck as a pilot, Xiuma is good at it tho!
Grian -> one of the best, if not the best pilot in the galaxy -> does bro have the force? Yuh, does he know or use it? Nuh uh also Pearl's sibling, they got separated when little.
Scar -> co-pilot of Grian, has a motored wheelchair, he's the most curious one out of the two. He is the one that tells Grian to do something and join the rebellion.
Doc ->maybe some imperial scientist of some kind???? He scares me.
Scott... You scare me but! Leader potential? Scavenging with Cleo, Scott -> the brain, Cleo -> them muscles, she's a skilled blaster fighter, possibly Mandalorian..? We're there mandalorians of that species....?????Cleo is a Togruta def.
Pearl -> definitely started off as a Padawan, sister of Grian -> = older (aka, yes the gist of "mf is too old to be trained, but his sister ain't, YOINK"), yeah he was not pleased. Pearl basic doesn't remember him, like, she knows she has a brother somewhere, but yk. Yeah so, Master dies, obviously 🙄, cause you know order 66, still debating who that should be... Uhhhhh Maybe Impulse? Yes you're dying boi. Be sad. Someone has to. So yeah, she escapes, and then I'm going to presume she's going in hiding... With another surviving Padawan... Maybe Gem, yeah. Yeah shiny duo why not. So they go into hiding, they survive by themselves, somehow, a bit of thievery never hurt anyone... Oh wait.
Anyway happiness doesn't last.
Bye bye Pearl, to get captured and become a sith you gooo.
Sorry Gem <\3 you'll see each other again.
While Pearl is "busy" turning to the Darkside and Just not having s good time, Gem joins the rebels, not revealing her past, he's lightsaber was broken during her qnd Pearl's escape after all. She does still have her Kyber cristal (green..? They focus more on defending to my knowledge, plus healing? Something like that) Pearl's used to be blue.
So yeah, Gem joins the rebels, where she does missions here and there and meets people like Tango.
Tango -> Pilot, and one of the leaders of a small squad that usually does ambushes to the Empire. (This is due to how fucking mental this guy was with EVERYTHING last season, he deserves to have a leading and planning spot)
Etho is a spy for the rebels. No questions asked. He is. Why? Don't exactly know...? He gives me spy vibes. Mf works for the Empire but is a double agent.
Joel and Lizzie have a bar where they try to keep it neutral, they don't enjoy the empire but don't want to risk loosing what they have to actively fight. They do hide rebels from time to time and share some rations. They know Tango, since he's the one who usually contacts them and also hid there a couple of times. They also know Etho since he goes there whenever he's dispatched to the planet.
Yes. The "Etho stop being obsessed with me" joke lives on.
Now... Owen. You sir. Terrify me. You're very scary as a villain but very adorable as a hero which you know what that means.
BETRAYAL.
oh this mf is playing the rebels like fools!
Nobody suspects the nice mechanic and co-pilot to be an imperial spy... Definitely didn't install a tracker on the ship AND the droid.
Grian and scar + Cleo and Scott + Etho, Gem, Owen all know each other.
Cleo and Scott do not care to join the rebellion and probably never will.
Scar convinces Grian to help.
Etho squad and Scott team have often had fights because of one stealing stuff before the other.
Joey is a pirate with Sausage, Skizz and Martyn. The often had fights with literally all of the other teams.
Ren -> imperial general.
Jimmy -> you know what..? Bounty hunter. And you may think. Jimmy..? A bounty hunter? Bro u cray cray, Nuh uh. Listen. Listen. He's not HORRIBLE at his job, he's not super great either. But he does get enough cash to survive.
Now. Who has a bounty on them..?
Literally everyone I mentioned tbh-
But for plot, and because you guys love flower husbands, I'm gonna go with Scott.
So yeah goofy bounty hunter×the one mf who keeps on slipping away.
And yes, he does go to Joel bar to complain and Joel keeps on taunting him about it.
Ok now.
We did flower husbands.
So I think it's time for the Nature wives.
Shelby is indeed a force user... Or maybe a Witch from Dathomir??? Or maybe.. ok.
Let's say.
She goes to Dathomir.
And like, I remember basically nothing about that so please don't come for me for inaccuracies.
If I remember, from Star wars fallen order (I have not played survivor yet.), the witches are dead. Except one yk, our beloved girlypop, so idk if I should do Shubble being the last one, and meeting Katherine as she crashed down on her planet. Or idk.
Also Katherine is a princess 100%
Think about her like Leia, cool, badass, and fights, I'm thinking for her to be a Mandalorian, because fighting you know. Wither that or she's just the princess of idek. My memory of the planets and systems is very limited ok? I'm very bad with names...
So yeah, maybe a bit of a black lightsaber situation could happen? Idek.
BigB and B-Dubs... I again have no idea.
I don't watch these two- they could be bounty hunters...? Merchants...???? Mercenaries....???? No clue- I mean, I have basically 0 villains planned but I don't think either of them could be an inquisitor or a general/commander of some kind- and I don't know how I wanna do the stormtroopers so... They could be Jedi masters? Maybe one died and the other didn't? Maybe they both died to protect the Padawans? Maybe they're both alive..???? Ughhhhhh ToT
I definitely need to put more villains-
But I don't wannaaaa ToT like sure, the pirate gang, sure, bounty hunter Jimmy.
But the inquisitors brooo.
Like other than Pearl idkkk
She slays so hard she doesn't need other inquisitors-
Like idek know who to make the BBEG
cause like... Scott could definitely be Vader ok. I know. I Know........ And Cleo be an inquisitor??? But I like Jimmy and Scott possible dynamic as bounty hunter×that one mf-
Likeeee arghhhhh
Ren is just too Goofy to be plays as a BBEG
Owen just has to betray someone ok? He needs the switch up.
Uhhhhhh...
Literally idek-
Do I randomly put Kier and Dev into this???
Quackity?????
Philza and Tommy could definitely be Jedi Master and young Padawan...
Like Ranboo is not giving villain.
Technoblade definitely would but, I don't want to put him in... In case I get yelled at TwT
Niki could be an inquisitor- definitely giving "the Jedi are corrupted at and so I decided to kill them all as revenge for taking away my childhood and my right of choice". So yeah.. definitely a "Padawan indoctrinated by the Darkside becomes inquisitor". Kinda like Pearl? But she didn't get tortured- it was kinda her choice sooooo. I guess I'm putting Niki in
FableSMP members???? Do I just put Fable as the BBEG????He could be more like Palpatine than Vader tho, since the manipulation and being well, powerful as fu- like, he works...Ok now I have ideas for FableSMP characters... Enderian would def be a witch of Datomir, my only issu with that is that I don't exactly know how that would work with Centross.
But. For what does work.
Wolf/Fenris??? Idk how it's written.
Used to be an imperial general, betrayed Fable. When he realized his kingdom was not safe even if he stayed with him.
Rae -> in this universe Enderian is out of the picture, like not even mentioned, sorry girly.
Rae is the child of Isla, who was the queen of whatever because again, this is just me writing down dumb ideas. So, Rae and Icarus were sent away when he was little by Isla, who wanted to keep him away from the empire's arms due to his connection to the force.
Icarus -> older sibling to Rae, has no connection to the force, (no Quixis, you're not doing shit this time >:(), when them and Rae were sent away, they didn't understand why fully. As he got older they resented Rae because they felt like if Rae didn't have a connection to the force then they'd be able to be a family. But that resentment soon moved to the force itself, the stores about the Jedis, the sith, all that chaos. They don't know exactly how to help Rae, all they can do is try to protect him from the empire. (I'm giving Rae and Icarus a good-ish relationship ok? We all need that)
Momboo and Ocie -> are sisters, both use the force and both were trained by the Jedis, needless to say they are not like 20 yo, I think imma make them around 35/40..? (Safe to say Icarus and Momboo won't have a relationship.No.)
They both survived order 66 but got separated.
Now for the angsty part.
Momboo during her travels tried to find and protect kids gifted with the force. She would then proceed to die, leaving Jamie and Uhh fuck I don't remember their name, well, her other kid ok? With one message, to find Ocie, she could help them.
Ocie did not have as much maternal instincts as her sister, but, she picked along a small child, Oscar, a child made orphan by the empire. I'm figuring out the species still. She would settle down, she thought she was away from everything, that she could heal. Then Momboos kids came, and boom, training arc for those little shits. (/Sarcastic /not mean /please I'm not serious)
Centross -> now, I know in FableSMP he's not on Fable's side but Enderian's, the problem with that is that I think that the only thing that fits Enderian is a Dathomir's witch. And I don't exactly know how that could work. Like sure, let's make her a sith, but she's supposed to be like on Fable's power level, and she's definitely not a Jedi. So. For Centross, he could 100% be an inquisitor. 100% not even questioning it. This is based upon when he was violet reaper, yes yes, I am aware he was not on Fable's side, but I believe Fable is more fit as Palpatine than Enderian, sorry girlboss. Also sorry Centross, you're not getting a redemption arc.
Origin members..?????? (Except you know who ofc)
Do I just mix up some Steve Saga like- I CAN'T DO THAT YK.
Like so many but yet arghhhhh
Idkkkkk
So many possible heroessss.
Like the only ones I KNOW could be great villains for sure are Pearl, Scott, and Owen. And Scott and Owen are the only ones who I could see as the BBEG.
But again, you know... TwT
Can't use Scott, Owen is already a traitor, unsure if he should be using the force.
And Pearl is just- s c a r y but she will have a redemption arc so yk.
Ughhhhh
Like Gem could also have villain potential but likeeeeee
®×`]?×¢{§`}~[¢÷!4(&(&(2)
I will maybe get more ideas in the future once I've done more research.
Please this is just a draft so don't come for me and the inaccuracies. I'm not even sure I'll actually bother to write an actual storyline, this is for funzies. Also the ages of characters might vary from the originals because again, this is an AU.
Also if anyone sees this and knows how to write and for some reason does anything with this, cool! :DDD it's not gonna happen, but cool!
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fipindustries · 1 year ago
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scott pilgrim vs the canon
boy you better have this tagged against spoilers because otherwise this is going to ruin a lot of stuff. all im going to say is, this show cannot be watched without having read the comic first so. keep that in mind.
scott pilgrim was the seminal work of my generation, it was the thing that defined us and the internet to a large extent after it came out in full back in 2010. now we are all here back again, in our late 20's, 30's and even 40's to take a second look at this franchise after everything that has been going on.
and this franchise had things to say.
i went in expecting scott pilgrim the comic, this time more lavishly (and faithfully) adapted than the movie could have ever been. suffice to say i was not dissapointed at all because i didnt get that in any way what so ever.
this is in some senses the modern cannibals of the scott pilgrim franchise, perhaps less cynical and bitter. this is an examination of this story from a slightly askew angle. this is a what if that takes itself to another level.
those who say that this "feels like fan fic" are half right, but if so i want to see what fan fics they are reading because i never saw a fanfic that take the world and its characters so wildly out of context, put them in outrageos new situations they would have never been in, do some genuine crack slash ships and yet still feel so genuine, so true to the original. just because none of what is happening here happened in the comic that doesnt mean these arent the characters we know and love and that this isnt the world and the mood and the vibe that that we all grew up with.
the brian lee o malley style is so incredibly hard to capture. its this wonderful mix of over the top anime/cartoony action mixed with incredibly grounded, down to earth, super chill vibe. we've seen the wonders that came out during the 2010's made by other artists inspired by it or directly trying to emulate it, and yet none of them were able to capture it quite right and this show is the bona fide real deal. it made me remember why scott pilgrim captured me so much back when i read it as a teenager, its a mood impossible to reproduce and yet reproduced all the same here in this show.
wonderful.
the animation is of course out of this world. the voice acting could do some work but im willing to let it slide considering that they went with the original cast from the movie.
this story feels almost like an answer to the observation many people made at the end of the comic and specially the end of the movie. that scott and ramona were obviously not meant to last. that they were still too young and too messed up as people and the relationship was probably going to end badly. the show examines all that with raw honestly and concludes at the end that, sure, maybe this is not going to work out. but that doesnt mean they shouldnt give it their best shot.
as i said at the beggining, this has to be understood as an addenum to the comic. it starts as an adaptation, it lulls you into thinking its a wacky what if and ends up being a covert sequel. with that in mind, this show understands that you already understand and know who scott is and what his deal is, so it chooses to focus squarely on ramona and the exes, and let me just say. the exes are the fucking break out stars of this show. i love every single one of them. the fact that each of them get their own little mini arc and a chance to either redeem or at the very least become genuenly sympathetic was absolutely brilliant. these guys are amazing.
this story in general just presents such a feel good, likeable, chill athmosfere, where even villains who seemed irredeemable can still have just a calm conversation with the hero and just chat for a while. share a coffee, wind down.
if i had one single complaint at all is that i was a little sad by the implication that scott wont learn his lesson at the end of the original story and will continue to be kind of a clueless immature douche. but it is tempered by the fact that this story still has a lot of sympathy for young scott and it makes the case that the guy still very much deserves a chance.
so yeah
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loved it, great work, it tried to do something super weird and it somehow succeeded. good job 9/10
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a-problematic-writer · 1 year ago
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20 Questions for Fic Writers
I was tagged by @space-cat-in-a-teacup! Thank you for the tag Bestie! Making a separate post just to keep things clean 😭
How many works do you have on ao3? Nine! Though, technically it's ten. One work has been archived.
What's your total AO3 word count? 125,596!
What fandoms do you write for? MCSM! I also write for Fortnite. MCSM fics are the only published ones.
What are your top five fics by kudos? Small Moments We Are but a Beautiful Chaos dance with me, make me sway Secret Admirer Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
Do you respond to comments? Yes! To the best of my ability, I try to respond to every comment I get! They are greatly appreciated 💚
What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Honestly? Probably something I haven't posted for the public to see, I'm not gonna lie to you.
What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I'm gonna vote my current WIP: Stop the Stars.
Do you get hate on fics? Haven't seen any! I think I'm too small of a fandom name to get it, I'm gonna be so real with you.
Do you write smut? If so, what kind? None that the general public will EVER see ;)
Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? One of my current projects is a crossover! Ain't No Rest for the Wicked (MCSM/Borderlands) Though I am also writing a MCSM/Fallout fic.
Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of 😭
What's the longest you've spent working on one fic? And the shortest? Longest? 3 years and it's currently still ongoing. That would be for a still unpublished fic: Stop the Stars. Hoping to get that one out by the end of this month, but the end of the year works too. Shortest, a couple of hours for a drabble.
Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes... technically. Me and my friends are all working on a for funsies personal project that will never be posted and we bounce off each others pieces and lore a lot!
What's your all-time favorite ship? From all fandoms? Aidesse (MCSM). I don't even think there ARE others at this point. Maybe Drift/Stray (Fortnite)? MacCready/Sole Survivor (Fallout)? MariChat (Miraculous)? But yeah, no, I think it's just Aidesse 😭
What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Carry the Fire. It was my first project and still holds a special place in my heart as my entrance long-fic into the fandom. But I don't think it'll ever be finished sad to say, but I'm leaving it up. I don't know. That's half the fun of writing fic, you never know which one might suddenly capture your attention.
What are your writing strengths? Dialogue definitely! I also am pleased with where my Description is right now!
What are your writing weaknesses? Oh most definitely plotting a piece out. It's why a lot of my longer fics fall through. Trying to remedy that! It's a... Work in Progress 😅
Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I wouldn't be against it and am not against it, if that person is mostly fluent in the language. Because oh boy can it get cringe fast 😭
First fandom you wrote for? The Walking Dead Game 💚 I was 13 years old lol. Published and then deleted. None of my stuff from then was saved.
Favorite fic you've written? Completed? What if it Doesn't End Well. Ongoing? Ain't No rest for the Wicked <3 Tagging @zonerz! Don't EVEN feel pressured, bestie! But! If you vibe with is :> I would like to see it <3 (sorry abt there being no blank btw ;;) Also tagging anyone else who see this and wants to do it!!
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pennkquest · 2 years ago
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Got tagged by the bringer of amazing headcanons and provider of gorgeous, jaw dropping interpretations @mr-laveau to assign some ships songs. Did my best here and 100% picked songs I already associate with other ships and characters because listen, sharing is caring. Let's get into it!
[D.A.M.N. Polycule]
This is all the boys @ FL and simultaneously FL @ all the bots. All of them are grateful to be in each other's lives and wouldn't have it any other way. They can't imagine things being different. Lyrics that specifically stick it: "It feels so good to know ya"
[Sam/Darlin']
It's a tad upbeat from what I envision the vibe of this pair to have but the lyrics fit to me. I'm also a sucker for any song that's like "I'm scared to love you but I love you too much not to try" so here we are /pos
[Huxley/Damien]
If there's one thing you need to know about are the blueprint to me. Alright, this is my top ship, can't be beat. I like to think that this song is from Damien's perspective once they get together. In general, I think they bring out the best in each other and this song fits that.
[Avior/Starlight]
LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN (/LH)— Avior is one of my favorite characters. Starlight is one of my favorite listeners. Their storyline is one of my favs overall. That being said, I also love a little pain and this song cuts me deep. It feels like it sums up where they're both at mentally when it comes to the meridian stuff.
[Cutie/Geordi]
Much more from Cutie's perspective, but I feel like this captures their inner turmoil and how that conflicts with their love for Geordi. I love them and their story in general, and I think this song shows a certain will for their relationship to work out while still highlighting how Cutie has their own stuff to work through.
[Vincent/Lovely]
This specific version. The almost quiet feel to it compared to the original draws you in, pulls you close. Gendering aside, it's even more fitting post-Inversion.
[David/Angel]
Reminds me of quiet nights and healing as you go, which I feel is a major part of their relationship development. To me, this gives off "I want to be there for you and help you when the darkness clouds your mind". Again, always a sucker for.
[Vega/Camelopardalis]
This is an ultra specific pick based entirely off of the fic "And That’s Why We Broke Up" by @dominimoonbeam (your writing is >>>). I get that it's canon divergence, I get that this ship ain't for everyone, I get that I'm 99% certain it'd never happen in canon. That doesn't change the fact that this is 100% what I think of when I think about this pairing in the context of this fic.
[Elliott/Sunshine]
Beginning of the song reminds me of Elliott showing Sunshine dreams dreamscapes and stuff. That mixed with the friends to lovers vibes from the beginning of their relationship/dynamic and overall energy this song has made it fit for me.
[Alexis/Sam] (LET ME EXPLAIN /LH)
This ship isn't for me and I debated adding it at all, but this is one of the first songs I thought to add for this. I think it absolutely fits from Alexis' perspective and, if you view her as a more complex character rather than one dimension, it makes you hurt in a "It is what it is but damn" kind of way. Especially the line "strangers to friends, friends into lovers, then strangers again". Like come on, it fucks me up to imagine that pain after everything that transpired between her and Sam.
[Bonus Honorable Mentions]
Hit my audio limit whoops but Friendly Dark by Ollie MN for similar reasons as Die Trying assigned to Avior/Starlight. Also Our Love by Curtis Harding and Jazmine Sullivan from Arcane for Milo/Sweetheart (gendering aside). The girls that get it get it, and the girls that don't don't (/lh).
This was a lot of fun, even if I had to rack my brain a bit. I hope you enjoy my selection~ Tagging @thefablefoxart because I'm always in love with your musical suggestions (and don't know anyone else to tag /lh)
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alikaheroes · 3 years ago
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WOW!! What a night. I can finally say I’ve seen @halsey in concert 🥺😭❤️ So thankful! Such a fun time! 💖💖 #LoveAndPowerTour
*Added July 16
Halsey: Love and Power Tour 2022
Five Point Amphitheater 
Irvine, CA 
Saturday, July 9, 2022 
The FivePoint Ampitheater is outdoors and looks amazing
Cornhole games!
Got my Whispers bag for merch (will print the poster at home LOL) 
Chicken strips, fries, and a Pepsi
Random friends: Mom with her daughter from Long Beach, guy from Long Beach, Marine girl from San Clemente
The Marias were so good, I highly recommend them.
They played “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High” by the Arctic Monkeys and I loved it
about-face ads, free shipping! With purchase of $50 or more 
Chapter 1: The Capture 
Love the intro like from the IICHLIWP trailer
THE TRADITION 
CASTLE! Mic flip!
Halsey asking if we know what to do when the chorus drops and me shouting OH YEAH!! 
Halsey saying to STOP THAT TRACK
She doesn’t usually like to pit cities against each other (random guy shouting, WHAT IRVINE??)
Show is almost 2 hours long, baby, gonna need a lot of energy! She can see everyone all over 
My OMG realizing she’s restarting Castle 
EASIER THAN LYING HIGH ENERGY 
you should be sad is the best country song ever, we all stomped our feet! 
Firework shower with the Yeah-Yeah-YeahYeah Yeah 
I loooove the rock demo version of 1121 and of course the Die For Me track-I SOLD 15 MILLION RECORDS FOR A BREAKUP NOTE 
CHAPTER 2: RELEASE
The intro for Graveyard from the LA show with the Euphoria vibes 
“I really like you guys. You’re a cool ass f*cking crowd, I really f’ing love you guys. Wanna sing along with me going forward? 
COLORS!! The Badlands feels are so real 
How are you guys feeling right now? 
Absolutely never ever stops to blow my f’ing mind that I get to perform on stage and perform in front of a crowd that looks like this!
First show she ever played around these parts, Observatory? Asked Sheperd 
Played for 100 people (might be generous) 
Lighting power run through the kitchen, no fries that night 
Don’t wanna spend too much time talking, last night of tour little emotional (aww) 
How many people is this your first time seeing me in concert? How many have seen me before? 
Oh My Good Goooood? Loudest response for this tour of that question
Can tell you been rocking with me from the beginning 
Whether here for beginning, or 5 min before walked in building
Really grateful to have you here
Make sure tonight is the best concert you’ve ever seen in your f’ing life 
Hurricane with the Room 93 visuals ahhh 
LILITH!! My favorite! I shouted YES because it wasn’t on the setlist the night before and I was too happy to see it! I’m all “AW YEAH” during the beginning before I sing along. I also love the visuals with the Titane vibes
I heard the Lighthouse Siren and was sooo hyped, them O’Jays Ship Ahoy vibes at this concert had me emotional. 
“This Woman Will Not Go Quietly” line from the film 
One of my favorites, the rock Banshee vibes, beautiful visuals, I’m so in love 
killing boys - The whole crowd shouting “I’mma Uma Thurman your ass” was poetic
“You’re gonna hear the weird sh*t before you get the hits because that’s my style, but you begged for this so you better f’ing sing!” 
GIRL IS A GUN!!! 
YES!
TALK 2 (Chapter 3: Reflect) 
Be Kind drawing time!! 
Done paintings every single time something different
Those close in her life, do you plan? I mean, come on
No, Absolutely Not 
Do you plan what you’re gonna say? Set list before you get there? Same. 
This tour has been a lesson for me in embracing surrendering control (mild cheer for that—I did for the song Control) 
Used to get on stage wanting so badly it all to be perfect
Looks back on pics of sparkly costumes doing choreography and goes who tf is that? 
You guys know that feeling? It’s not just a musician thing. You see pics of yourself when you were younger you’re like who tf is that?
Kinda the same thing, 50 million pictures like that on Google
Ask at the beginning of show, what matters more to the story, is it good or is it true? 
Look at self in pictures, true to herself then, being true 
Some songs that she’s written doesn’t relate to same way? Does that make them untrue? Words not me anymore even tho they were at some point…little bit of a mindf*ck. Idk, kinda crazy
Most true version of myself is up here with a pen in my hand, canvas in front of me, and like 20,000 people that I love with my f’ing heart (I screamed WE LOVE YOU) 
When I look back in a couple years, won’t think omg who tf is that, will think wow, I was so lucky to be that person once in my life, so thank you. 
Songs about difficult times, used to be very sad alll the time. Still pretty sad all the time but wanna say if you’re here and share that same mentality, look back at version of you that related to sad songs and not that person anymore, sing your heart out tonight. Get it all out. When you leave, don’t take that old person with you, you’re not that b*tch anymore. You gotta exercise the demons and leave them on the floor 
This song is called 100 Letter 
100 Letters, everyone had their phones up with lights
TALK 3 (Pre 929)
In the spirit of the show of not letting things being perfect. 
Like the worst ever sang, on the verge of tears the entire time. 
imma gonna fight this I’m not gonna f’ing cry, I’m gonna do it! 
I did not do it. I failed. Miserably haha 
G-damn not even halfway through the set and I’m already crying 
“Where the f you at?” I coughed. 
HALSEY CHANT
Are you trying to make you make me cry? Are you guys playing a game with me? This is some sick f’ing twisted sh*t you’re doing. And you guys trying to make me cry more this is some sick sh
Believe me sang song 100 times it doesn’t make me cry anymore 
About to cry because knew what song comes after it, haven’t played it in years 
Probably most important song written for self in entire life.Really wanted to perform it in front of you guys tonight 
Dad to finally call me, he did (AWW) 
I wasn’t in love them (but I sure as F am now!!!) 
Done being sad, no more being sad long night ahead of us, TIME TO BE GAY
HONEY 
Me: HONEYYYY 
Went into 3AM
ME: YESSS
She’s laughing during it so cute!!
Fireworks and playing with guitarist
Talked about how fast song is and you don’t need to know the words 
TALK 4 (Thankful to fans, curfew) 
I know for a fact people on my team backstage rn like, “She good?” 
Are you OK? Did somebody slip you something before the show? WTF is going on?
Soaking up every second possibly can because this is the last night and love what I do so f’ing much
I hope from bottom of night you can see it all over my face how much I love being up here and being with you
Why get out here and do a show 2 horus long
Other do hour, get on stage, F off and leave
Wanna be here every f’ing second until the cops come up and yank me off stage for breaking curfew
F’ing love what I do!
Thank you for letting me do it love you guys so f’ing much! 
STOMPING FEET
So Good - like a couple weeks new don’t get too excited. 
“I love getting to play this song when he’s standing back there” LOVE TO ALEV
BAD AT LOVE - YES 
HOLD ME DOWN 
SHE DID THE SPLITS 
TALK 4 (BAND/Ring Announcer)
Most incredible musicians and people and friends 
So lucky all agreed to come on the road with me
Could’ve been doing something much cooler, I promise haha 
Usually make fun of them during this part 
Drums - next season of Bachelorette
Keys - Terrified of goldfish 
Make something up and embarass them
Too heartfelt, need you guys to be so loud for me 
DRUMS: Harry (will you guys please give it up for Harry!) 
GUITAR: Liv 
Don’t f’ing look at me I’ll cry 
KEYS Bonnie 
Halsey says she’s calling them out like a ring announcer
AND OVER HERE CHECKING IN AT 245 POUNDS HE IS TOUGH (I audibly said omGGG LITERALLY MY BRAND WITH MY WRESTLING LOVING SELF I lost it here) HE HAILS FROM IRVINE CA
YESS WHOOO
That’s my impression…this is why everyone on my team is gonna say somebody drugged me
Last show with tme as well, grateful to have support on road 
Part do 2 more songs, prepare to leave, comeback and do encore 
HALSEY CHANT 
For what? What did I do? I didn’t even do anthing
WHISPERS
GO BACK AND F HIM 
GASOLINE! FIRE (I love hearing my name in it) 
Chapter 4: Reflect
Flashing lights and rock music
Jumps up with flames and PYRO
NIGHTMARE 
Statistics for Abortion (my camera shut off for it ofc but it was PHENOMENAL) 
TALK 5 (Abortion Rights/Political)
Put in show 5 weeks before Supreme Court decision and statistics were much different then
We’re here in our little island 
Second to say as long as I have a microphone and stage if your well being livelihood and happiness at stake I will always f’ing be political 
In case you couldn’t tell, so many people in the crowd I recognize I’ve met so many times, who stories I know, parents I know, journeys through school work and life that I know, break f’ing heart if something going on in this world cause you bodily harm to get care you need and I did nothing about it
If politics aren’t your thing all good, 
Just learned a valuable lesson don’t come to a Halsey concert then.
Little bit of time
CHANT
MY BODY - Audience: MY CHOICE 
“THANK YOU!”
Music is political. Everything is political. Brave to leave house come here exactly as you are. Clothes you were. Words you sing. People you love. Things you do. Everything is f’ing political 
Running up that hill with the flame bar
WITHOUT ME 
Went into audience, guy had sign said his BF broke his heart, Halsey said “F HIM” to flip off hurtful ex
Confetti!! 
Acapella, 
“Put you up there, I don’t know why” - audience
I Am Not A Woman I’m a God 
Irvine. Thank you guys so much for an incredible night. So glad I got to close out this tour with you. This will be my last tour here for a really long time playing shows here in the states so I really love you and I really appreciate you for a great night. Did you have fun? Get home safe. I love you!
Y’aburnee playing on way out 
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Shareable Review 
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dragimalsdaydreams · 4 years ago
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ok soooo... I’ve never played Pokemon or watched the show or anything, but my dear friend @cobwebbing got into SWSH a while back and infodumped a lot of interesting trivia onto me, including the thing about fossil combinations. we were both horrified by the implications, to the point that she wrote a fun fic exploring the concept (HIGHLY recommend it), and I got invested in speculating the ACTUAL original Pokemon (also, these designs are technically ‘canon’ to her fic)
I tried to mimic some of the official art in lining/shading, but I don’t think I stuck fully to the ‘cartoony’ vibe of Pokemon. ah well, good experience either way
for ease of reading, I’ll be slotting both the image descriptions AND the extra “Pokedex” info about these guys under the cut-- I thought a LOT about their behaviors lmao. for the image descriptions, please assume that the style of all pieces is a mix of ‘cartoony’ and realistic in form, with solid lines and base colors
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+bonus! to see the belly <3
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[IMAGE ID: text above the Pokemon reads “Zoomzolt” with a yellow button underneath reading “Electric”. the background is a dull yellow with some areas of shade.
this Pokemon is shaped like a prehistoric raptor, with a small/round horizontal torso, a thin neck curved upright, small arm-wings, lithe digitigrade hind legs, and a thin tail held stiffly out at an upward angle from the body. most of the body is bright yellow with small areas of purple, as will be described. the Pokemon is standing cheerily, facing to the left.
the head has a long snout with a prominent bump emphasizing the tip, where a small purple nostril sits on the visible side. the mouth is held open in a happy gape, showing a purple tongue. the front half of the upper and lower jaws have serrated edges resembling sharp teeth, which seem to interlock. the eyes are closed, the lines of the eyelashes turned up with the smile. a small doodle to the left of the head shows the head with jaw closed and eyes open, showing off glossy black-button eyes with tiny eyelashes, and sparkles floating around the eyes. the head is framed by a crown of large, decorative feathers, all of which are a lighter yellow than the body and sport a couple spots of purple. each cheek also has a single purple spot.
a pair of small arms are held loosely to the sides of the body, each with three bare-skin purple talons with long claws, peeking out from under the fluffy yellow feathers of the arm. each arm sports a set of primary feathers resembling a simple wing, ending at around the elbow. these primaries are a lighter yellow than the main body, with a couple spots of purple near the edges. the overall outline at the trailing edge of the primaries forms a lightning bolt shape. there’s a long decorative feather on each of the wings, close to the body, which extends out into a simple zig-zag, before ending in a rounded tip which resembles a peacock feather with a small wisp and a couple purple spots.
the bonus image removes the closest wing primaries, better showing the lighter-yellow underbelly, and the hind legs. the hind legs are long and lithe, covered in yellow feathers up until the ankle, below which the skin is bare and purple. each foot has three toes, two of which are based flat on the ground with mid-length claws. the third toe closest to the body is raised high, sporting a large, sickle-shaped claw, curved sharply compared to the other claws.
a fan of long, light-yellow feathers spans out from the tip of the tail, resembling both the wing feathers and the crown of feathers on the head, adorned with purple spots. the overall outline resembles a diamond, with a vague zig-zag formed by a few feathers on the sides. two long decorative feathers resembling those found on the wings sprout from the sides of the fan as well.
END ID]
Name: Zoomzolt
Type: Electric
Animal Inspirations: road-runners, cockatoos, microraptors in general
Extra design notes: since the spots on the cheeks canonically match the other fossil in the pair, that gave me free-rein to choose whatever color I felt like, and I eventually landed on purple. I also redesigned the arms/wings b/c the shape was just kinda awkward and dull? I think the new wing shape adds more flair to the design, especially in combination with the tail. btw I only thought of the partly-arboreal lifestyle halfway through the piece, and I didn’t feel like changing the claws to fit it better. just know I’m aware that the wing claws should be curvier, and the toe claws (sans sickle) shorter, lmao
Pokedex entry:
Zoomzolts are a highly social species, roaming the moors and forests in groups of 20 or more. while individuals aren’t particularly strong, their tight social bonds more than make up for the lack-- several Zoomzolts can combine their electric powers and deliver devastating blows to even the fiercest opponents. if this isn’t enough, Zoomzolts are a quick and agile species-- they can race away across the plains or climb up nearby trees before their opponent can recover. their unique feet provide an advantage here-- a marriage between an arboreal lifestyle with the curved sickle-claw for climbing, and a grounded lifestyle with the rest of the flat toes for stable running.
besides scaring off predators, Zoomzolts mainly use their electricity to attract and capture prey. at night, packs of Zoomzolts will gather in the upper foliage of tall trees, settle down, and allow small sparks of electricity to arc across their purple spots-- from one part of the body to another, and from one individual to another. this creates a dazzling light show that many nocturnal Bug Pokemon simply can’t resist. when these bugs venture close, the nearest Zoomzolt will quickly snatch them up before returning to formation.
Zoomzolts are friendly and curious to a fault, known for snooping among human belongings if left alone for too long. they’re very easy to train and bond well with humans, but a Zoomzolt will always need more of their own kind to truly thrive. at least 3 or 4 other Zoomzolts are needed for an individual Zoomzolt’s social/mental health, but not all trainers are committed to keeping that many of one species.
~~~
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[IMAGE ID: text to the right of the Pokemon reads “Dunkovish” with a tan button and blue button underneath reading “Rock” and “Water”, respectively. the background is a light blue with some areas of shade.
pictured is a fish-like Pokemon, with a typical torpedo-shaped body and a stocky, blunt head. most of the body is blue, with areas of orange and pale yellow, as will be described. the body is positioned in a downward curve, as if the Pokemon is poised to strike at something off-screen.
the head is heavily armored, with most of the main skull forming one large oblong-dish shape. much of this armor is dark blue, while other sections are a bronze-orange color. the jaws are formed out of large, jagged plates, creating massive interlocking orange teeth. the jaw is gaping slightly open, showing a pale blue inner mouth. the visible jaw hinge is rounded and prominent on the cheek. two small, round, bulging eyes sit just above the jaws, on either side of the head near the hinges. the eyes are pale yellow with black, vertical, rectangular pupils.
a few other large plates of armor (some dark blue, some bronze orange) extend out past the main head piece onto the body, arranged like overlapping scales. these plates all have lines at the trailing edges, implying a simple texture. the main body beyond these scales is pale blue, with splotches of dark blue and smaller spots of orange splattered across the body, arranged in a pattern to imply small scales.
there are two sets “limb fins”, one directly behind the lower jaw, and the other near the tail. both sets are built on prominent lobes extending from the main body and matching the main body colors, before the spines of the fin extend out from the ends, flaring out in a pale yellow. the front set of fins is medium-size, smaller than the head, while the back set is much smaller.
the tail fin starts on the back, in the middle of the spine, and extends down to the tip of the tail, then underneath into an extra lobe of spines. visually, this means the main fleshy part of the tail extends into the upper lobe of longer spines, while the lower, shorter lobe of spines flares out underneath, unsupported. this tail fin is pale yellow.
END ID]
Name: Dunkovish
Type: Rock, Water
Animal Inspirations: dunkleosteus, coelacanth
Extra design notes: added in a rock type b/c of the whole “armored fish” thing, and some orange to complement that
Pokedex entry:
this Pokemon roams the open ocean, traveling dozens of miles every day in search of large prey to attack. once spotted, Dunkovish will swim off an appropriate distance, then charge the prey at full speed, ramming their rock-hard skulls into their prey. these charging attacks can easily shatter bone and internal organs, leaving their prey weak and defenseless as Dunkovish feasts.
Dunkovish aren’t typically a danger to humans, as they usually steer clear of shorelines. small shipping vessels are more at risk, as Dunkovish can mistake the ships for prey and ram into them, causing shipwrecks and major losses.
while their power makes them dangerous for the inexperienced, Dunkovish are shockingly easy to train. they’re very food-motivated Pokemon, so all a prospective trainer needs is a lot of tasty chum and a bit of patience.
~~~
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[IMAGE ID: text to the upper left of the Pokemon reads “Arctoise” with a light blue button underneath reading “Ice”. the background is light blue with some areas of shade.
this Pokemon looks to be a cross between a tortoise and a plesiosaur, with a large, rounded shell, two sets of long fins, and a paddle-like tail. the shell is mostly snow-white, while the rest of the body is mostly blue with areas of white, as will be described. the body is floating at rest, fins spread-eagle from the body for balance.
the shell is fairly tall and dome-shaped, with the lower half wrapping underneath the torso, between the front and hind legs. the shell has some ridges at the back implying “layers” of snow, which smooth out as they reach the front of the shell. the base color is snow-white, while the lower two “layers” get progressively darker, into a blue-ish light grey. this grey peters out into spots as it reaches the front of the shell.
the head is long, thin, and sharply pointed, making for a thin spear shape. the snout resembles a dolphin beak-- long and rounded at the tip. the eyes are sharp and triangular, with visible white sclera, light blue irises, and round black pupils. the nostrils are based at the center of the beak, raised up along with a small ridge of bone at the center-line of the beak, meeting the forehead. the nostrils are merged together into a small heart shape. a set of small spiral shapes frames either side of the cranium, implying some kind of auditory system. the neck is tucked into the body in the main art, but a small doodle to the side shows the neck fully extended-- long and serpentine like a heron. while the main body (outside the shell) is an aqua blue, the head itself is mostly dark blue, with a few stripes of aqua blue at the tip of the beak.
there are two sets of long, pointed fins, the front set slightly larger than the back set. the front set of fins sit to either side of the neck, settled into the open body cavity of the shell. the back set extend from the shell as well, just in front of the tail. each fin’s base color is dark blue, with white tips and white spots that vaguely follow the inner bone structure of the fins.
the tail is thick and somewhat short, smoothly transitioning from the wide main body-shell down into a pointed tip. lobes of short cartilaginous fins sprout from the top and bottom of the tail tip, the top lobe taller but not as long, and the bottom lobe shorter height-wise but longer. the main tail is aqua blue, while the fins are dark blue.
END ID]
Name: Arctoise
Type: Ice
Animal Inspirations: sea turtles, tortoises, plesiosaur, herons, anhingas
Extra design notes: in retrospect, the ‘shell’ is prolly meant to be a mane of fur, but I like my shell idea too much to change it (if I were to redo it tho, I might’ve gone for like... seal inspiration? selkie lore?? hm). also certain restorations of plesiosaurs shaped the ‘paddle’ on the tail like I’ve shown, which makes more sense to me.
Pokedex entry:
this Pokemon is closely related to the modern Lapras, as seen in their many shared structural features. many researchers even believe Arctoise to be a direct ancestor to Lapras due to genetic similarities, but this question hasn’t been fully resolved.
Arctoise are very successful predators of the frigid southern pole, utilizing a unique hunting technique. they float patiently out near glaciers, necks tucked into their shells and staying perfectly still for hours on end. when other Pokemon see the Arctoise’s shiny white shell, they’re fooled into thinking it’s a snow-covered glacier, safe to rest on. when the Pokemon settles comfortably on the shell, Arctoise snaps into action, quickly flipping over so their prey is thrown into the water. sometimes this is enough to drown the prey (often true for Flying Pokemon that dropped down to rest), but usually this only stuns the prey. this gives Arctoise the chance to snap out their long neck and capture the prey in their powerful jaws. once subdued, Arctoise will right their body in the water and enjoy their meal.
despite the ponderous size/shape of this species, Arctoise are still able to float quite easily due to air sacs located near their spine (thus, near the top of their shell). these sacs allow Arctoise to carefully control how they float, and help hold the large dome of their shell above the water.
communities of small Water Pokemon often form around Arctoise. the large shell and quiet demeanor makes for a stable underwater haven, and a steady source of food from the scraps that Arctoise leaves behind. they’re usually safe from Arctoise’s appetite, as they’re too small to be considered a proper meal. additionally, these small Pokemon often attract larger prey to the area, providing Arctoise more hunting opportunities.
Arctoise is an aloof species, and won’t respond well to “overly-affectionate” bond-based training. but as long as their space and solitude is respected, an Arctoise is willing to cooperate with a trainer towards mutual goals.
~~~
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[IMAGE ID: text to the upper left reads “Dracoleon” with a purple button and magenta button underneath reading “Dragon” and “Poison”, respectively. the background is a light purple with some areas of shade.
there are two Pokemon in this image, one to the left with a “female” ♀ symbol, and one to the right with a “male” ♂ symbol. both Pokemon resemble stocky, low-set herbivorous dinosaurs, with short/thick legs, and round/heavy torsos. the female is far larger than the male, and sports two rows of large spikes along her back. the base color of both is a dark green, with large swathes of magenta patterns, as will be described. both are poised with their heads low to the ground, and the female’s tail raised in a defensive position.
the heads of both sexes are wide and triangular, with sharp points at either side of the skull, and a pointed beak at the tip. their round eyes rest underneath the flat top of the skull, facing outwards to either side. the female’s eyelids are pointed down in an angry expression, while the male’s eyelids are pointed up in a worried expression. their visible sclera are white, and their irises are dark magenta. their nostrils sit on either side at the point of the beak. there are prominent bumps on either side of the skull, just behind the eyes, implying an auditory system. the flat top of the skull is bright magenta, while the rest of the head is dark green.
the small head transitions into the larger body via a thick, short neck, held low to the ground. the torsos are both round, heavy, and somewhat horizontally flat like a lizard. the base color is dark green with a light green underbelly, while the magenta pattern on the head extends all the way down to the tail, covering the full back. several pointed spikes of color stick out from the pattern, trailing down the sides of the torso and legs.
the female has two rows of light magenta spikes sticking out from the upper-sides of her torso, 7 pairs in total. the front-most spikes are the largest, with a horn-like shape that curves out in a wave of out-up-out into a sharp tip. the shape of the spikes gradually transitions from round horns to triangular plates at the end of the tail. the sizes transition from the largest at the front, smaller on the torso, larger at the center of the tail, then small at the tip again. all the spikes point at an angle out/up from the body, except for the very last pair on the tip of the tail, which stick out flatly from the sides of the tail.
the legs of both sexes are short and stocky, with thick underlying muscles. the feet are all digitigrade, but the foot/”hand” sections are very short. the feet all have 3 main toes set flat on the ground, while the front feet have a dew claw set higher on the hand, above the ground. all claws are short/thick and hoof-like, though the female’s are slightly longer and sharper. the hind legs are longer than the front legs, pushing the hips higher than the shoulders. the legs are all dark green with light magenta claws. the female has extra magenta stripes running horizontal across the legs.
the tails are both thick, transitioning smoothly from the thick body down to a pointed tip. the male’s tail is short and stubby, while the female’s is longer, sporting the spikes.
END ID]
Name: Dracoleon
Type: Dragon, Poison
Animal Inspirations: stegosaurus, ankylosaurus. (also.... Kaim from Devilman......)
Extra design notes: I mostly color-picked for the other Pokes, but I shifted Dracoleon’s color a lot from the canon colors. the og colors were just a bit too much for me-- hurt a lil bit to look at. so I shifted the red more magenta, and the green to a duller, more subdued saturation. I’m hoping the purple-shifted red conveys the Poison type better. also added a couple more spikes to the tail for flair.
Pokedex Entry:
due to their heavy sexual dimorphism, researchers originally identified male Dracoleon remains as juveniles of the species. it wasn’t until this Pokemon was fully restored in the flesh that this misconception was corrected.
female Dracoleon are highly territorial, aggressively defending their territory against anything they perceive to be a threat. thus, females are generally solitary, only tolerating the presence of male Dracoleon. this aggression only increases during breeding season, when females compete for male attention, and then nesting season when defending their hatchlings.
male Dracoleon are much smaller and more docile than their female counterparts. while females will actively protect males when the males are still within their territory, males usually find protection in numbers by banding together into small groups. males are as attentive to nesting needs as the females, but since they end up mating with several females a year, they roam in small groups across several territories. they���ll visit one female’s nest to help with food and nest protection for a while, before heading off to the next territory for another round of nest-duty. these transition periods from one territory to another are where males are most vulnerable to predation, so they try to travel quickly.
females’ spikes are covered in a toxic oil which is mostly an irritant to fellow Dracoleon and Poison-types, but can easily kill other species if it penetrates the skin. their magenta patterns build an association between their bright coloring and toxicity, which helps protect the males from predation by association, despite the males not having toxic spikes.
while Dracoleon are herbivorous generalists of thick forest regions, they seem to prefer roots and tubers over foliage. Dracoleon territory is easily identified by scattered areas of dug-up soil and holes.
while male Dracoleon are generally easy to befriend and train, females are very stubborn and aggressive towards most training attempts. however, if an experienced trainer is determined enough to prove their worth to their Pokemon, Dracoleon can become one of the most loyal and trustworthy companions a trainer could hope for.
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iamdeltas · 2 years ago
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I posted 23,873 times in 2022
163 posts created (1%)
23,710 posts reblogged (99%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@linguisticparadox
@whencartoonsruletheworld
@acenerdsbian
@elliesgaymachete
@salithemage
I tagged 17,501 of my posts in 2022
Only 27% of my posts had no tags
#the queueniverse tends towards entropy - 8,776 posts
#critical role - 1,181 posts
#disney - 937 posts
#encanto - 831 posts
#the owl house - 805 posts
#dracula daily - 761 posts
#dracula - 722 posts
#dead end paranormal park - 636 posts
#marvel - 536 posts
#cr3 - 512 posts
Longest Tag: 139 characters
#honestly i thought it was just a me thing cuz i just normally don't vibe with characters who are portrayed as stupid for the point of comed
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
Luz 100% will stumble across Camila's old Cosmic Frontiers fanfic one day. I am willing it into being, because it would be hilarious.
64 notes - Posted October 17, 2022
#4
I haven't done any posts about general episode thoughts in a long time but I figure I ought to bring it back for Kamala's MCU debut, what with my icon being her right now and also what with her being my favorite Marvel character and my introduction to the comics.
I really think they captured Kamala's character well here and Iman Vellani is a delight playing her! It is interesting that they changed Kamala from being a fanfic writer to being a YouTuber discussing the Avengers, but it makes sense. I'll miss the fanfic angle but since fanfic of the Avengers in-universe is basically RPF, that probably gets into weird territory.
Now I'm not of Pakistani descent but I am Indian-American, and I'm Muslim, so I think I can speak to the accuracy of the cultural stuff. Honestly, I think it was dead on. The Bollywood music was a really nice touch, and I loved the scattered Urdu phrases throughout. And the aunty gossip is too real. I remember when a family friend was getting engaged to a white girl, the gossip was raging! (They all still came to the wedding though.) Also the Halal Guys shout out had me laughing, especially since I was considering getting lunch from there earlier today!
The family dynamic is very compelling and there was a lot that rang true for me. Honestly my parents would have reacted the exact same way if I'd asked to attend any cons. It was a bit amusing that the dialogue there seemed to be lifted from the comics since in the comics Kamala was actually asking to go to a party but it still worked because desi parents do overexaggerate things! That being said, I am kind of wary of how they've firmly slotted Muneeba as the "strict" parent and Yusuf as the "nice" parent when they were both equally strict in the comics. I don't know that I like that change. Anyway I'm also liking her sibling dynamic with Aamir and I'm looking forward to when we see his fiancee since she was really cool in the comics.
Kamala's and Bruno's dynamic is really fun. I did catch those ship teasing, which is... fine, they did that in the comics too. Anyway, they bounce off each other well! I enjoyed what little we saw of Nakia too and I hope we see more of her.
As expected, since I'm ornery like that, I still don't like the changes to her powers. I do appreciate the comic references though, like when she rescued Zoe in a similar way. And the end credits sequence with the art from the comics was VERY cool!
I am cautiously optimistic about the rest of this series!
72 notes - Posted June 8, 2022
#3
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I see that "they," Netflix After School. 👀
207 notes - Posted July 1, 2022
#2
I absolutely love that Phoenix Parks has an actual goddamn dungeon. I can 100% believe Pauline would be extra enough to have one built. Wonder who else she's thrown in there.
237 notes - Posted June 30, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
Me: *looking at the cast list for Dead End: Paranormal Park* What do you MEAN the demon guy is voiced by Lily from Hannah Montana?
409 notes - Posted June 18, 2022
Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →
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bandsanitizer · 4 years ago
Note
Hello!🤍🐥
5, 20, 43 & 51 for the 5sos asks
hi!! thank you for the ask!! hope you are doing well 💖
5. top five songs overall?
this is a difficult question LOL based solely on my tastes and preferences etc I’ll go with (in no particular order outside of the only reason as 1st):
the only reason, story of another us, os/co, close as strangers, and high (honorable mentions to moving along, over and over, red desert, and kill my time)
20. a song that indulges your emo needs?
I’m going to say over and out? first because drums. second because alex gaskarth writing credits.
43. what color do you associate with each of the members?
THANK YOU FOR THIS QUESTION! I have so so so many feelings about 5sos and colors that I’m putting it in small text to save space. if it’s difficult to read pls let me know and I’ll make it bigger. it just got a bit… long and honestly I have more thoughts about like their ships/pairings as well
okay so easily Calum is dark green. like specifically dark green like forest green-ish in terms of like range of green between yellow and blue, as well. this is because Calum is very very much a cool color—but blue is too cool, like even teal isn’t warm enough to capture the grounding that Calum has, yet he lacks the energized aspects of the warm colors. he definitely has some yellow—he’s pretty friendly and he has his brighter moments, etc (I’d say a lot of his luke and duke interactions are this) but he’s an earthy color. he’s grounded. he’s thoughtful and introspective and while that can be self-orientated he’s very aware and observant. like he’s just… he’s the dark green that resembles the non-creepy sort of comforting surrounding of a forest/trees.
michael is red and I mean bright red like his hair. an unforgiving and unapologetic red. the kind of red that sticks to everything it touches and sticks out in a crowd. which seems odd for michael, but to me he’s always comes across as someone who doesn’t go down quietly or without a fight. someone who wants to know they done something with their life. which is pretty universal, but michael is such a driven dude and he’s 5sos’ number one spokesperson regarding pushing them towards bigger risks and greater chances (them dropping out and the killer queen recording are two examples) and that’s something I find to be bright red? that it’s a fiery sort of passion that can be burning or just a light? that michael is emotions in the sense that I’m sure he has a bit of a temper? but also is so… when he’s happy and proud? he’s so genuine about it? like in general he’s very genuine whether he tries to pretend like he’s not and that’s bright red bc there’s no hiding bright red? it sticks to everything and I do think something about michael is so specific that he leaves behind something with everyone he meets.
luke is blue, usually a sky blue, but a wide array of blues. like everyone has duality but luke does in a way that’s unsuspecting? in the way that blue jeans aren’t usually bold but a swipe of blue eyeliner is a whole statement. he’s blue in that luke moves a lot between softer and harsher sides, deeper and brighter moments. that there are distinctions between front man luke and interview luke and livestream luke and luke posting things on social media that are… subtle but stand out. that he can take up a whole arena with his presence but just from an interview? hard to tell he’s the lead singer sometimes. he’s blue in how blue is full of things. full of meanings from stormy seas to clear skies. full of capacities from making an outfit go from dressy to casual to stepping up an all black fit to a focused statement moment. he’s also just a cool color in the sense he’s introspective and logically led (which is how I associate colors) but he’s a lot more free? airy? than a grounded color like green. he’s mostly clear skies though. and it’s a warm and happy that’s not necessarily the full warmth from the sun on skin? more like that feeling of “today will be a good day” that he’s a star but night skies and bright lights or going unseen in the daytime. just a whole lot of duality in this man i’d say.
last but not least, ashton is a deep red. the kind of red that’s usually velvety or viscous. to start, he and michael are both red (in general) for the emotions I associate them with. they both carry an ability for warmth (think red and fire etc) and they both are emotion dudes. passionate af. they’re the kind of colors with something to say and won’t go unheard. that said, ashton is the “layers” deep red can have. which is like more so the way ashton has very purposeful personalities for situations (like I said with luke) but they’re very *line down the middle* sort of distinct. that he’s the dad friend and the uncle and the older brother and the snippy cousin who won’t talk to you at family reunions and also that other cousin who will start up a conversation out of no where. he’s full of opinions and thoughts and it’s deep red in the sense that he won’t always share them? but they pull or reach out and sprinkle in things he creates. idk if calum’s the open comfort of a forest then ashton is the embrace of a library or comfy couch in a dimly lit room.
51. realistically, what member do you think you’d get along with the best and the least (based on how they appear to the public)?
I can tell you that I would get along with Ashton the least. Particularly as current Ashton, while earlier 2014 Ashton might’ve been the best for this question. I just don’t think I’d vibe with him? We’d probably get angry at each other lmao
Maybe I’d get along with Michael best? He comes across as a friend you don’t need to have a lot of shared interests to maintain a friendship with and I’d say he comes across as pretty patient with people. I think we’d get along regarding these burst of wanting to talk to people and hang out but also having moments of needing space and some realm of alone that isn’t lonely.
5SOS asks!
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myaekingheart · 4 years ago
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20 [Fanfic Writer] Questions Game
Thank you so much for tagging me, @lemony-snickers! This is tons of fun, I love answering these kinds of big questionnaires 😂💕 Also putting mine under a cut because there’s a lot of questions and I like to ramble. 
Also gonna go ahead and just tag whoever wants to do this! 😅💕
1. How many works do you have on AO3?
As of August 27, 2021, I have a total of 77 works on my AO3! 
2. What’s your total AO3 word count?
Funny enough, I was just looking at this, specifically, earlier today and kind of laughing about it. Right now, my total word count across all my works is 1,148,941 😬 
3. How many fandoms have you written for, and what are they?
Apparently 12, but some of them I don’t really consider “big” in my fandom repertoire. Naruto is my greatest fandom with a total of 60 fics so far, followed by The Chronicles of Narnia and Rise of the Guardians. The rest are ones I either did crossover fics with or just did one-off little pieces with--The Incredibles, Tangled, Brave, How to Train Your Dragon, Arthurian Mythology, Disney Princesses, Fairy Tales and Related Fandoms, Back to the Future, and Frozen. 
4. What are your Top Five fics by kudos?
The Scarecrow and The Bell (Naruto) - 470 kudos The Day Kakashi’s Mask Slipped (Naruto) - 139 kudos Sunflowers (Naruto) - 92 kudos Sakumo the House Husband (Naruto) - 81 kudos Someone to Lean On (Naruto) - 67 kudos
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
I always try to respond to comments, because I like to acknowledge when people respond to my work. I cherish comments like nobody’s business, especially when they’re kind and reactionary. I just really love seeing/hearing what people think of the way a story is progressing, or what they thought of a one-shot. Comments keep me going especially when it comes to longfic so I want to be able to let readers know that I do in fact see their comments, that I’m acknowledging what they’re saying, and that I appreciate them. Plus, it can be kind of fun to tease upcoming events in a fic through responses to people’s comments, too. Because I’m mean. 
6. What fic have you written with the angstiest ending?
Definitely Hothouse (Rise of the Guardians/The Incredibles; Jack Frost x Violet Parr; American Horror Story AU). This was the first multi-chaptered fic I ever wrote to completion and I honestly cringe when I remember it exists both because it’s so poorly organized (and full of nasty plot holes) and because I just went ham on the gore factor. It definitely has a really bittersweet and heartbreaking ending to it, too. 
7. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?
I think I’ll definitely have to say Temptation. The story itself was kind of a ride, and it’s only the first installment in a series, but it follows the plot of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe but remixed due to the presence of an original character, but the ending is still roughly the same as the original: they defeat the evil, the Pevensies are all crowned kings and queens, happy days. Reading the last few paragraphs of the last chapter honestly still gets me all up in my feelings. 
8. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?
I used to be more of a crossover writer due to one of my main ships being a crossover ship. They weren’t super crazy, though, because they were both CGI-animated films. The craziest crossover I’ve ever written is an in-progress/unfinished multichapter piece, Kakashi, Enchanted, that sees our favorite Copy Ninja get kamui’d into the Disney princess dimension and has to help the likes of Snow White, Cinderella, and Rapunzel on his journey to find a way back to his own world. It’s a super weird premise but definitely one of my more lighthearted works and fun to revisit when I need to decompress. 
9. Have you ever received hate on a fic?
I don’t think I’ve ever received hate so much as I’ve received criticism. The closest I ever got to hate on a fic, I think, was someone left an overly personal and mentally disturbed comment on a chapter of my main fic that made me convinced they needed to seek therapy and deal with their own personal issues rather than take it out on a fanfic about animated ninjas. 
10. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
Maybe 👀 I’m super vanilla when it comes to smut, though. I think the wildest thing I’ve ever written in smut is breeding kink. 
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not that I know of, and I hope I never will. 
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
Not yet! I had someone ask to translate a one-shot of mine in Russian but I never got a response back when I laid out my terms and conditions. 
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
I have not! I used to do paragraph-style roleplay which was kind of like cowriting fanfiction but writing is so personal and sacred to me that I don’t know if I could ever actually cowrite a fic with someone. I like brainstorming with other people, but writing for me is more of a deeply personal and independent endeavour. 
14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?
Oh god, this is a tricky question because it depends on fandom. I absolutely love New Dream (Rapunzel x Eugene, Tangled) and have for the past ten years, and my love for them as only grown since watching Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure. I don’t write or even really read a ton of fanfiction for them, though. I’m also still highly dedicated to my favorite crossover crackship, Frostfield (Jack Frost x Violet Parr, Rise of the Guardians/The Incredibles) and to this day, if you search for that ship on AO3, I am the sole provider of every single fic about them so far. I’m not as active with them as I used to be, but they got me through some really rough times back in the day and still mean so much to me. A lot of my favorite ships across fandoms, though, are honestly canon x OC ships of mine because I am a self-indulgent bitch who needs to project. So Peter Pevensie x Eilonwy (The Chronicles of Narnia) and Kakashi Hatake x Rei Natsuki (Naruto) are really important to me and I’ve poured so much of myself specifically into their stories. I think it’s safe to say Kakashi and Rei is my all-time favorite ship across all fandoms, though, just because of how much their story means to me. The Scarecrow and The Bell is my magnum opus, my pride and joy, and I’m sure it will be my biggest fandom footprint of my entire life. I’ve dedicated the past three years to this story and these characters and I intend to continue doing it until it no longer brings me joy (which I hope it always will). There’s just so much I could say about this story and Kakashi and Rei’s relationship but I don’t think we have enough time or space in this post for that 😅 Just know that they mean the world to me and I will always hold them in the highest regard as a beautifully messy, flawed, passionate, soulmate-y ship that I love with all of my heart 🥺
EDIT: I also feel obligated to tack on some of my absolute favorite Naruto ships because I may not have written for all of them (yet) but they still make me unbelievably happy or I find them really compelling and enjoy the idea of exploring them: 
Naruhina is precious happy sunshine and The Last honestly felt like a wonderful Disney princess movie to me, it was so cute and the romance was so on-point, Naruhina just makes me so incredibly happy and I love them with all my heart. 
MinaKushi also gets me all up in my feels and I adore them with every fiber of my being. Their romance also gave me Disney princess movie vibes which I love, their story is just so damn sweet as is their character dynamic and I am still so heartbroken that they never got to be a happy family with Naruto because you know what? It’s what they deserved!
SasuSaku is so compelling to me and I really feel like we were cheated out of seeing their relationship develop and evolve postwar in the same way The Last did for Naruhina. They’re my favorite angst ship and while I don’t think they were written that well in canon, I love the possibility and potential of them together and am excited to explore them more in-depth in my own writing. 
NejiTen is just too cute, I really love the way Neji and Tenten’s personalities compliment each other? I don’t have much else to say about them except that I really love them together and think they have so much untapped potential that I also can’t wait to explore in more depth in my own writing. 
15. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?
Paper Hearts and Impromptu Bookmarks, probably. I love the premise of this story a lot and I have so many interesting ideas for it but at the same time, it also feels kind of cheap and cringey to me, in a way? It takes all of these ideas I probably would have had if I had been into Naruto when I was a kid and kind of compiles them all into one big story. Kakashi and Aiko’s relationship and story is still really important to me and I want to continue it someday but for right now, I just haven’t had the motivation or desire to write any more of it. I think I’m just so overwhelmingly preoccupied with writing Kakashi and Rei’s story that I can’t imagine writing any other Kakashi x OC fics right now. 
16. What are your writing strengths?
I want to say that I’m really good at capturing complex emotion? I don’t know, I write a lot of angst and mental upheaval in my fics which can be really difficult to try and capture, but I think I do a decent enough job of it? And just writing difficult subjects in general. I think it’s really important to address difficult topics such as mental illness and relationship difficulties and everything but I also want to try and write those topics in a way that is both authentic to the experience while also still tasteful. I don’t want to drive readers away with heavy subject matter but rather present a situation that feels real and authentic while also still being digestible. I may not be doing a very good job of that during the current arc of my fic that I’m working on, but I’m trying haha
EDIT 2: I also want to add onto this to say that I’m really proud of my organizational techniques for writing longfic. It’s not necessarily a strength in terms of the prose itself but it’s something that’s taken me years to really get a grasp on and find a method that works perfectly for me and so far, it’s been extremely helpful and beneficial to me. I don’t know where I would be now as a writer without these essential tools in my pocket. 
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
I feel like I do a really bad job of the “show, don’t tell” thing. It can be really hard to balance descriptive prose with straightforward writing that moves things along. I don’t want to dwell on mental dialogue to the point where you lose track of what’s going on, but I also don’t want my stuff to read like “Character A did xyz. Character B said abc. They went to 123″, whatever. Another thing I struggle with is sentence variation. I always fall into the same patterns when I’m writing prose and I get really self-conscious about it because I don’t want to sound repetitive or disrupt the flow of the writing. One of my favorite things about prose is focusing on the cadence of the words, I think it’s one of the most beautiful things about writing in general, but it can just be really difficult to get a good grip on that. I’ve been told in the past that I apparently have a really good grasp/control of the language or whatever but sometimes I just find that really hard to believe when I look at my work with such scrutiny. I think one of my biggest pet peeves with my own writing, too, is feeling like I start all of my sentences the same five different ways. I’ll read other people’s works and they’ll write sentences like “Glass-blue water lapped against the shores of a deserted beach as a lonely woman gazed off into the distance” and I can just never figure out how to realistically write sentences that start like that in the context of my prose and it drives me fucking crazy, like I’m definitely jealous  😅
18. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?
I’ve never really thought much about it before, but I think there are pros and cons! For bilingual/multilingual readers, I think it can be a really enriching reading experience because they know what’s being said in both languages. For people who only know one language, however, unless a translation is provided, I feel like it can be really alienating. I think the best use of that for both worlds is using it as a means for miscommunication humor. Other than that, I think it can be a slippery slope that depends on what kind of reader you are and how it’s written. 
19. What was the first fandom you wrote for?
The Chronicles of Narnia! My very first fanfiction was a Narnia fanfic that I barely remember except that it laid the basis for Temptation and my Narnia fanfic series as a whole. I never posted this first iteration anyway, but I remember it was 2008/2009 and I wrote a solid 80 pages (which was wild for me at the time) and had gotten halfway through remixing the events of Prince Caspian when my computer crashed and I lost absolutely everything. I’m still heartbroken that it’s gone forever, not because I’d want to go back and read it necessarily (since I’m sure it was actually hot garbage) but at least for nostalgia’s sake. Either way, like I said, this long-lost fic laid the basis for the very first fanfiction I ever posted, the first published (and never finished) iteration of Temptation back in 2011 on deviantART and the since-defunct Figment. I fell out of the fandom around 2012/2013 and left the story alone for a while before ultimately deciding to completely redux and rewrite the story when the fixation swung back around again between 2016 and 2018. 
20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?
Despite the fact that it’s still in-progress, definitely The Scarecrow and The Bell. This fic just genuinely means so damn much to me and I will cherish it for the rest of my life because of how much it’s given me, how much love and passion and time and even parts of myself that I have poured into this, and also just how expansive of a story this is. Not only does it touch on some very dark and heavy topics, but I’ve also created so much of my own characters and meta for this story that it’s almost an entire universe in and of itself. I’ve just contributed so much additional world-building and created so many new OCs to fill important roles in this story and in Rei’s life, and they’ve all become so deeply important to me as they’ve developed further over the years. I’ve come up with so many interesting ideas for everyone and their lives, which are all slowly becoming so rich and varied. Not to mention that it’s my most popular fic to date as well as my longest fic at 632k and counting. I’ve really just genuinely poured so much of my heart and soul into this story, it’s my absolute favorite thing I’ve ever done and I really mean it when I say that I will cherish it for the rest of my life. 
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dianapocalypse · 4 years ago
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Alright y’all, with the release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, it’s time for me to share my playlist for the entire trilogy.
I’ve refined this over like six years so scientifically speaking it’s probably good right. oh also it’s four hours long. so if you have a road trip or a boring job, this one’s for you. disclaimer, it’s entirely possible I have garbage taste in music. I also missed some characters and moments because there’s 65 songs here and I am merely human.
If you don’t have the patience for four hours, I recommend starting at track 45 and listening to the end, as the Mass Effect 3 portion is the strongest in my opinion.
UNDER THE CUT FOR DESCRIPTIONS WE GO!
FIRST MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 1
1. Atlas - Coldplay Eden Prime
“Sometimes the wire Must tense for the note Caught in the fire, say oh We're about to explode“
I really like the atmosphere of this song. It’s ominous, but also somehow hopeful, and makes me feel like Something Huge Is Coming.
2. I Will Not Sing A Hateful Song - Constantines Paragon Shepard
“But I was also born and raised To always speak and listen clear To know the last sound that I make Could be the last sound that I hear“
OK, listen, I think this song is about vampires, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a metaphor or not. But I think this is a great song about controlling one’s temper, about knowing that you have to Rise Above the parts of you that want to lash out sometimes to get things done and have peace. Seeing as how paragon Shepard, to me, always seems like they’re three deep breaths away from snapping, but manage to keep it in check, it fits them to a T.
And also maybe they’re a vampire.
3. Hard to Kill - Beth Crowley Renegade Shepard
“So I let the rumors Turn me into a legend 'Cause I'm only human But a good myth is hard to kill”
This one’s a recent addition, but holy cow, I love it for Renegade Shep, particularly an Earthborn or Ruthless, but it works for any of them.
4. We Own the Skies - Five Iron Frenzy Joker
“My hands are bleeding where they often crack The stars will sometimes burn with longing Through the choking black Of night shifts piling each against the next”
This really vibes with Joker’s backstory for me, his super driven serious self in flight school, contrasted with who he is when he can fly a ship. He’s the best pilot in the goddamn fleet and I love him.
5. I Just Wanna See - Smash Mouth Kaidan Alenko
“Mister moon checkin' on how y'all livin' The stars all winkin' at the day that's dimmin' I just wanna see”
This song fits into his reactions to first showing up at the Citadel and his former romanticism about living in space. Ironically, it’s a song about Earth, but I feel like it works well for him. Also, Smash Mouth absolutely sounds like the kind of music Kaidan would listen to, no I will not be taking questions or constructive criticism.
6. Don’t Give Up - Noisettes Ashley Williams
“She's got a talented face and a suitcase Ain't got no desire to go no place In her case she's got no desire with her hand in the flame say's she don't feel the fire “
The energy of this song is just perfect for Ashley’s no-nonsense chip on her shoulder attitude.
7. About As Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All - Dan Mangan The Council
“I was thrown in the boat/Cast out to sea Friendly with waves/There were sharks below Hungry for me/So I dangled my leg”
I mean, the title says it all.
8. The Captain - Guster Anderson
“Courageous, just like the captain Marching forward with no doubt in his head”
I have adored this song ever since my friend played it for me, and it’s the ultimate mentor-protégé jam for me.
9. Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers Garrus Vakarian
“Here's a man who leads a life of danger To everyone he meets he stays a stranger Oh, with every move he makes another chance he takes The odds are he won't live to see tomorrow”
I have to poke a little fun at Garrus and how seriously he takes himself in Mass Effect 1. I romanced him across four playthrus, I’m allowed!
10. I’m Getting Too Old For This Shit - Kill Lincoln Urdnot Wrex
“This random apathy/I swear it's killing me But I guess it's all the same, till the devil knows my name”
I don’t know ANYTHING about this band, but this song fits Wrex’s disillusionment with the Krogan well, plus, like. The title. (And also, that he secretly DOES care what happens to the Krogan.)
11. Bird Song - Juniper Vale Tali’zorah nar Rayya
“I want to dance on the horizon line But there is something I am caged behind I have a heart made for take flight But I'm low, so low”
I adore this song and the sound of Juniper Vale in general. The etherealness of this one, combined with the youthful optimism, feels very Tali. The line about ‘something I am caged behind’ works well for the suits, too. This one’s especially good if you’re a Talimancer!
12. 11. Green Garden - Laura Mvula Liara T’Soni
“And I’ll fly on the wings of a butterfly High as a tree top and down again Putting my bag down, taking my shoes off Walk on the carpet of green velvet”
I really like this song’s vibes and I feel like Liara fits it well, particularly in ME1, before all her youthful optimism is stripped from her. The scenery descriptions feel very Thessia, too.
13. Feed Me (Git It) - Little Shop of Horrors The Thorian 
“The guy sure looks like plant food to me!”
Do you get it. Do you get my joke. It’s because the Thorian is a plant that eats people. (I’m not funny)
14. Blindness - Metric Matriarch Benezia
“I was a blind fool, never complained All the survivors singing in the rain “
I don’t love the use of blind here as a negative, albeit metaphorical, descriptor, but I think this song fits Benezia’s indoctrination and death well. If you have suggestions for another, though, let me know!
15. Technologic - Daft Punk Saren
“Buy it, use it, break it, fix it, trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it”
I just think it’s Neat
16. Watershed - Vienna Teng The Reapers
“ While you were building your empires I was still sleeping”
I think this is the song that inspired the entire playlist. Vienna Teng sat down and decided to write a song from the perspective of a natural disaster, and it’s so ominous and gut-wrenching.
17. Hourglass - The Hush Sound Virmire
“This is how it ends We believe every lie and say we'll be friends How long will it last? Before we scratch all the scripts and we rework the cast “
hahahahah rework the cast get it because you have to pick who DIES
Seriously tho I really like this song for Virmire and that moment of choice that feels like it lasts 100 years on some playthroughts.
18. Pompeii - Bastille The Siege of the Citadel
“ And the walls kept tumbling down In the city that we love”
Throwback to when this song was on the radio like three times an hour. Which is around the time I made the first draft of this playlist, incidentally! It’s such a good Final Battle Jam for the Citadel, and the part about “if you close your eyes/does it almost feel like nothing’s changed at all” I think work really well for Shepard in this sequence. Shepard knew the Reapers were coming, had been fighting them all along; this attack on the Citadel is just retreading familiar territory for them, as horrifying as the war being brought to their doorstep is for the Citadel’s citizens and the council. James Vega has some good dialogue about that kind of thing in ME3.
INTERLUDE THE FIRST
19. Starships - Nicki Minaj The Normandy Crew
Starships were meant to fly Hands up and touch the sky
I like to have a little fun OK
20. Gravity - Yoko Kanno The Death of Commander Shepard
“Am I alone? is somebody there beyond these heavy aching feet still the road keeps on telling me to go on”
Welcome to mood whiplash, it’s my specialty! This is the part where you die. I think it also works for her coma very well, when she’s just drifting between life and death, not sure what’s going on, but something keeps trying to pull her back to the world.
SECOND MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 2
21. The Phoenix - Fall Out Boy The Lazarus Project
“Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out? I'm gonna change you like a remix Then I'll raise you like a phoenix “
this song has no right to go as hard as it does and if  you think it’s melodramatic shut up
22. My Body Is A Cage - Peter Gabriel Commander Shepard
“I'm living in an age Whose name I don't know Though the fear keeps me moving Still my heart beats so slow “
This works particularly well if you romanced The Virmire Survivor, but this song captures the energy of Shepard freaking out bc they are trapped with Cerberus, because Cerberus rebuilt their body from the ground up. That jarring, caged feeling is so palpable in ME2 that when they gave me back Joker the first time I played, I BURST INTO SOBS from relief.
23. The Lady is a Vamp - The Spice Girls Miranda Lawson
“That's all in the past, legends built to last But she's got something new”
Listen. She’s a bond babe. Handbags, heels and pistols rock. She’s got class. This is a song about Miranda. That is all.
24. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down Jacob Taylor
“ I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon After all I knew, it had to be something to do with you “
This one’s about the Vibes for me. Also can apply to his past relationship with Miranda. I’m also super showing my age on this song, oof haha.
25. Stable Song - Death Cab For Cutie Colony Abduction
“Rows of deserted houses all Our stable mates highway bound “
I really like the mood of this one for showing up on the very first abducted colony, the eerieness and sadness of it all and Shepard’s resolve to do something about it.
26. Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn Kasumi Goto
“I'm so very hot that when I rob your mansion You ain't call the cops, you call the fire station”
THAT COUPLET ALONE MAKES THE ENTIRE SONG. I love how playful and cheeky it is.
27. Seven Nation Army Glitch Mob Remix - The White Stripes, Glitch Mob Zaeed Massani
“And I'm talking to myself at night Because I can't forget Back and forth through my mind Behind a cigarette”
Pretty sure we all had this on some playlist or another when it came out, and it’s the perfect Badass With A Grudge song.
28. Science is Real - They Might Be Giants Mordin Solus
“ And when a theory emerges Consistent with the facts The proof is with science The truth is with science “
This one actually got added by my wife to replace a song that wasn’t on Spotify, but that has the same energy; Hank Green’s “I Fucking Love Science”. I get more into the emotional side of Mordin in the ME3 section, but I also really just love his Hamster On Coffee energy and this song captures it really well.
29. Prove Yourself - Radiohead Garrus Vakarian
“I can't afford to breathe in this town Nowhere to sit without a gun in my hand Hooked back up to the cathode ray
I'm better off dead “
The absolute rock bottom mental state Garrus is in when you get back to him in ME2 is so heartwrenching. Might not always agree with my boy’s methods, but he’s one of my favorite fictional characters of all time.
30. Rat a Tat - Fallout Boy Feat. Courtney Love Jack
“We are professional ashes of roses, this kerosene's live You settled your score, this is where you come to beg”
It helps that Courtney Love sounds exactly like Jack to me, NGL.
31. Defeat You - Smash Mouth Grunt
“Hey I know what you've done It makes it that much better to defeat you “
Only I am brave enough to put two songs by Smash Mouth on the same playlist, to be shared in 2021
32. The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot - Brand New Horizon/The Virmire Survivor
“If it makes you less sad I will die by your hand Hope you find out what you want Already know what I am “
Hits harder if you romanced the Virmire Survivor. Mostly from Shep’s perspective. This is a Shep that feels Bad after that encounter rather than Mad, so Your Mileage May Vary.
33. Violet Stars Happy Hunting! - Janelle Monae Tali’zorah vas Neema
“I'm an alien from outer space I'm a cyber-girl without a face a heart or a mind”
I just like the vibes of this one for Tali! I know it’s more about an actual AI but...IDK. I like it. So there.
34. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd Thane Krios
“There is no pain you are receding A distant ship smoke on the horizon”
This song works both on a Literal level with his Kepral’s syndrome struggles, but also Metaphorical re: his Battle Sleep. Plus, Thane is a dad, so he gets Dad Rock.
35. My Medea - Vienna Teng Samara
“For I have made her prison be Her every step away from me And this child I would destroy If you tried to set her free “
Mom of the year award, here
36. Toxic - Britney Spears Morinth
“There's no escape, I can't wait I need a hit, baby, give me it You're dangerous, I'm loving it”
If Morinth weren’t so under-utilized after recruitment and didn’t get killed off in the background of ME3 I’d probably actually recruit her sometimes. I almost did on my most recent playthru bc that Shepard just HATES SPACE COPS. Anyway the song explains itself
37. Turn me On - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj EDI/The Collector Attack
“My body needs a hero Come and save me Something tells me you know how to save me”
I know this song is a metaphor but also it works really well both literally and metaphorically for Joker saving EDI
38. Robots - Dan Mangan Legion
“Robots need love too They want to be loved by you “
The Geth just want to live peacefullyyyyyy 
39. Be Still - The Killers Love Interest Theme
“Be still / someday you’ll leave fearlessness on your sleeve”
This song works so well for the night before Omega-4. If you had an ME2 love interest, anyway. Also “fearlessness on your sleeve” is one of my favorite set of words ever written.
40. No Cars Go - Arcade Fire The Omega-4 Relay
“We know a place no spaceships go We know a place where no subs go “
This one’s pretty literal.
41. Rocketman - Elton John Suicide Mission
“ And I think it's gonna be a long, long time 'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find I'm not the man they think I am at home “
I like sneaking some Classics onto my playlists, and I think this is how I generally approach Shepard’s mindset during the Suicide Mission, mostly the chorus. I’m also a sucker for ballads during action sequences. This one isn’t a perfect 1:1 but the Vibes check out.
42. Blast Off - David Guetta feat. Kaz James The Normandy Crew
“Got all my people with me And none of us give a fuck So put dem hands up higher Let's smash this party up”
You have to imagine they partied HARD after recovering from Suicide Mission, but before Shep got arrested, right??? This is the Starships for ME2.
INTERLUDE THE SECOND
43. I’m Not Your Hero - Tegan and Sara Liara T’soni
“ Feeling like I am now lighting up the hall I was used to standing in the shadow of a damaged heart Learning all I know now, losing all I did I never used to feel like I'd be standing so far ahead “
This feels like a good coming of age moment for Liara, as she copes with the choices she made in the 2 years of Shepard’s death (giving them to Cerberus), losing Feron, etc. This is her coming into her own as the Shadow Broker. She’s not meant to be an uncomplicated Big Damn Hero, but she can do good from this position.
44. The Well and the Lighthouse - Arcade Fire The Alpha Relay Incident
“I'm serving time All for a crime I did commit You want the truth? You know I'd do it all again“
These opening lines I feel capture the Alpha Relay Incident really well, and how Shepard did what they HAD to do there, and would do it again, but it still feels like shit. I always wished there was more choice on that mission, but also, having something like that happen without player agency is interesting. Shepard is at their most interesting, I think, in times where we DON’T have a say in what happens to them.
45. Reignite - Malukah Commander Shepard
“Crush my heart into embers, and I will reignite”
Is it cheating to use a Mass Effect fan song on my playlist? I certainly don’t think so, and this is the best Mass Effect fan song ever written.
THIRD MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 3
46. This Is War - Thirty Seconds to Mars Leaving Earth
“It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie The moment to live and the moment to die The moment to fight, the moment to fight To fight, to fight, to fight “
It feels Too Easy to use this here but I’m gonna anyway. You’ve seen AMVs of this set to everything. It’s the ending song of DA:O. It’s the quintessential World At War song.
47. Battleborn - The Killers James Vega
“Up against the wall There's something dying on the street When they knock you down You're gonna get back on your feet”
James Vega is massively underrated and I will love him til I’m cold in the ground. Aro icon.
48. Handlebars - Flobots The Illusive Man
“I can hand out a million vaccinations Or let 'em all die of exasperation Have 'em all healed of their lacerations Have 'em all killed by assassination”
The way this song escalates fits TIM and Cerberus’s fall back into being Just Full On Evil really well. Perfect song for a power trip.
49. Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect - The Decemberists The Virmire Survivor
“And I am nothing of a builder But here I dreamt I was an architect And I built this balustrade To keep you home, to keep you safe From the outside world”
I like this song for how the Virmire Survivor feels about their survivor’s guilt and also about Shepard. I honestly wish they were both more heavily utilized in ME2 and 3, but I realize it’s hard to write a ton of content for characters who just aren’t in half of all peoples’ playthrus.
50. Heaven Knows - The Pretty Reckless Grisson Academy
“One, two, three and four, the devil's knocking at your door Caught in the eye of a dead man's lie Show your life with your head held high“
This song is so perfect for Jack and her biotic kids that she’s one of the only returning characters that gets her own song on this playlist
51. The Great Fire - OK Go Javik
“But when the flames die down, and everything is gone, Will there be fire under the ashes still?”
Self explanatory. Javik is the fire remaining under the ashes.
52. Bring the Hammer Down - Paragon Priority: Tuchanka/Kalros
“ Hammer strikes the anvil A rage that breaks the chain Strikes down like a lightening In our ranks “
KALROOOOOS
53. Wake Up - Arcade Fire Curing The Genophage/Mordin Solus
“If the children don't grow up, Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up. We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turnin' every good thing to Rust I guess we'll just have to adjust”
I just really love this song as an image of Mordin’s spirit looking out over Tuchanka as the genophage cure is dispersed, and watching over future generations. If you didn’t cure the genophage, how dare you. No song for you.
Anyway started tearing up listening to this one while writing the description don’t look at me
54. Ballad of a Politician - Regina Spektor Councillor Udina/Priority Citadel 2
“A man inside a room is shaking hands with other men This is how it happens/Our carefully laid plans”
traitor
55. Cyborgs vs. Robots - Ludo The Geth-Quarian War
“But your iron fist will never knock me down 'Cause I'm powered By a conscious right to conduct my life without fear.”
This is probably a bit silly for this awful war. But also. It does fit. You can’t tell me it doesn’t. Just save them both at the end and you can feel fine having some fun with it!
56. Artificial Heart - Jonathan Coulton The Geth
“It's not a real heart It is a real artificial heart”
Just a little fun with the Geth! This works best with Reaper Upgrades.
57. With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Anderson, Jim Sturgess The Citadel DLC
“What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you, but I know it's mine
Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends”
I happen to prefer this version to any other because of how much fun it sounds like they’re having
58. Dark In Here - The Mountain Goats Priority: Earth
“Steal away at sundown, pick a place to hide Check for signs of ambush, hunker down inside Tired of running, tired of never standing still Hear them riding up the hill“
You know I had to get the Goats in here. Would it be a fan playlist if there wasn’t one?
59. Adieu - Yoko Kanno Leaving your Love Interest/Shepard and the Beam
“My love for you burns deep inside me / So strong Embers of times we had And now, here I stand / Lost in a memory I see your face, and smile”
...do I need to say more than that?
60. My Way (Minor Key) - Chase Holfelder The Indoctrination of The Illusive Man
“Regrets, I've had a few/But then again, too few to mention I did what I had to do/I saw it through, without exemption“
This cover takes this song from something I tolerate when I hear it to one of my FAVORITE songs. The frenzied way he sings the “through it all” verse is PEAK Indoctrinated TIM.
61. I’m Alive - Disturbed Refusal 
“There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice To change myself, I'd rather die/Though they will not understand”
Honestly I didn’t “get” the Refusal ending until I heard this song, then I was like, OH, I SEE IT ALL SO CLEARLY NOW. This is my favorite in-universe Shepard take on the Refusal ending. I always got it from the player’s perspective of being dissatisfied with the options, but this one puts it into the world for me. This is a Shepard who does not trust the Starchild. This is a Shepard that chooses to end things on their own terms rather than submit to their designs.
62. Machine - Regina Spektor Control 
“I collect my moments Into a correspondence With a mightier power Who just lacks my perspective And who lacks my organics And who covets my defects “
I used to have Adieu here, actually, because like Refusal, I didn’t used to GET the Control ending. Now, I do, in part thanks to hearing this song. I mean, just go look at the full lyrics. If this song hadn’t been written years before the end of Mass Effect 3, I’d swear it was a fan song for it.
63. Maybe Tomorrow - Yuki Kajiura Destroy 
“The moon is gone And the night is still so dark I'm a little bit afraid of tomorrow“
I’m a Destroy Ending person, I won’t lie. Full on “the starchild is a liar and my synthetic friends are FINE” indoctrination theory level destroy ending. But this song is not about that. It’s about the canonical destroy ending, and if you prefer a Shep that survives it, this song’s for you.
This song captures the exhaustion and melancholy of the end of a long journey so well. Shepard is afraid of what comes next, the collateral damage resulting from their actions. But they know that, at least, it’s over now. Maybe tomorrow will be better.
64. Waiting For the End - Linkin Park Synthesis
“ I know what it takes to move on I know how it feels to lie All I wanna do is trade this life for something new Holding on to what I haven't got”
This is one of my favorite songs of all time. The hardest part of ending is starting again. Oof. Gets me every single time. Shepard finding the resolve to sacrifice themself for the hope of something better, of things not going how they planned, ever, of learning to make peace with that and the people who loved them learning to carry on without them? OOF.
65. Shine - Vienna Teng Epilogue
“Shine with all the untold Hold the light given unto you Find the love to unfold In this broken world we choose“
Vienna Teng is a master of capturing life’s softer emotions, and this fits perfectly with the epilogue scene for me. Tell me again about the Shepard.
“Find the love to unfold in this broken world we choose” has to be one of the greatest lines about the human experience ever written.
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officialleotolstoy · 4 years ago
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Oh Natasha/Andrei brainrot we’re really in it now, aka Natasha/Andrei playlist annotations!
Honestly the age gap is so inherently uncomfortable it’s difficult for me to really ship this but I think in terms of the REALLY low bar of W&P marriages/almost-marriages, it’s one of the better ones because they at least mutually care about each other. It’s also just devastating on principle!
There are several distinct sections of song on here, this is one of the few I’ve actually put in a significant order, so I’m going to break it down into that.
Part 1: Initial Meeting/Falling In Love The First Time/General
Absolutely Smitten - dodie
“She wants to dance around the room, kiss you until her lips turn blue”
This song really reminds me of their first meeting when they’re both like 👀 at each other. I like how it captures the excitement but also nerves of the girl, which I feel like is an important feature of Natasha’s part of the relationship.
Helpless - Philippa Soo
“Tryin' to catch your eye from the side of the ballroom”
Sorry to all the ex-Hamilton stans I jumpscared with this, but it’s about the Philippa Soo Singing About Falling In Love vibe. Also the quoted lyric reminds me of their iconic dance scene, or at least the bits leading up to that.
To Noise Making (Sing) - Hozier
“Honey, the look of it was as sweet as the sound; Your head tilt back, your funny mouth to the clouds”
This reminds me of the scene where she sings for him and he’s like WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH im in love! I paraphrase, but you get the idea.
Golden Years - David Bowie
“Look at that sky, life's begun”
This is objectively the stupidest song on here. It’s here because I think it’s funny to imagine the iconic Natasha/Andrei dance just being the Golden Years dance from A Knight’s Tale, HOWEVER the quoted lyric is in fact Andreicore.
Stop The World I Wanna Get Off With You - The Arctic Monkeys
“And I know we got places to go, we got people to see/Think we both oughta put 'em on hold”
‘Wren there are several songs that are on this playlist AND your Andrei/Pierre playlist’ Thank you for noticing it’s because if Tolstoy can recycle the same lines of dialogue for these relationships I can recycle the same songs! This song is just. I Hate Everyone Except You :) which is deeply Andrei @ both of them. But also like wanting life to stop so you can just hang out with Your People.
Strawberry Blond - Mitski
“I love everybody because I love you”
I’m pretty sure someone once pointed out how this lyric fit Andrei/Natasha once in a post and I cannot for the life of me remember who but that made an impression on me. Mystery person, thanks <3 Also I forgot this was a Mitski song??
The Anchor - Bastille
“Bring me some hope by wandering into my mind”
One of Thee things about their relationship that sticks out to me is how Natasha is so lifelike and her very existence gives Andrei hope for the world. It’s so. It’s so much!
Something After All - Starry
“You’ve turned my world around”
Like I said above, falling in love with Natasha really changes Andrei’s entire worldview! I also think “I've spent years building up walls” is very Andrei, and Natasha kind of brought them down, like what happens in the song.
Cosmic Love - Florence + The Machine
“A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes”
IT’S ABOUT THE SPACE METAPHORS FOR LOVE. THIS IS NO ONE ELSE FROM GREAT COMET’S FAULT.
Cold Cold Man - Saint Motel
“I know I am a cold cold man: quite slow to pay you compliments or public displayed affections”
It’s about being generally not very emotional or expressive but being devoted to the person anyway...very Andrei-ish.
Ophelia - The Lumineers
“I don't feel nothing at all and you can't feel nothing small”
The quoted lyric just seems like a really good summary of their dynamic, but I also think “Heaven help a fool who falls in love” works well for bitter post-elopement vibes, so this song was difficult to place.
Part 2: Andrei Leaving For Abroad
Misbehavin’ - Pentatonix
For some reason this is on both the Nat/Andrei and Natasha playlists and I’m too lazy to change it. Just go look at those annotations.
No One Else - Great Comet
Duh
To a Poet - First Aid Kit
“I got on a plane and flew far away from you, though unwillingly I left”
This song makes me think of Andrei abroad missing Natasha :( Honey you’ve got a big storm coming
Part 3: Post-Elopement Breakup Songs
I Hope Your Husband Dies - Amigo The Devil
“All the distance that we've spent apart will never have to mean a thing”
This song is VERY much Andrei about Anatole. “Now you're with this asshole, you expect me to believe it's going to last” really works because her relationship with Anatole was never going to last, whether or not she knew that. And “I'm not so much afraid of being alone, just kind of feel I've had enough/And time and time again, time reminds me you'll never be my own/We'll never have a house to decorate, a place that we can call our home” as an Andrei thing makes me very sad!!!
Ruins - First Aid Kit
“Ruins, all the things we built assured that they would last”
I think you can safely say their relationship was in ruins after the elopement attempt. I also think “I lost you, didn't I? First I think I lost myself” is something Natasha would think about the whole scenario
Half of My Heart - John Mayer
“Half of my heart's got the right mind to tell you that I can't keep loving you with half of my heart”
I think this is supposed to be more of an “I don’t love you anymore and that’s on me” song, but I like to mentally frame it in the context of Andrei after the elopement refusing to take back Natasha. I also think all the bits about the singer’s love interest changing the singer’s outlook on life before really fits, like “Lonely was the song I sang 'til the day you came, showing me another way”
Love Like Ghosts - Lord Huron
“You don't want me baby please don't lie/Oh but if you're leaving, I gotta know why”
It’s all about the singer being haunted by a love that doesn’t necessarily reciprocate on the same level, and I think that really fits Andrei’s mindset. It breaks my heart to think about him trying to figure out what he did wrong, why he wasn’t enough for Natasha, and so that quoted lyric really makes me just. :(
Cold Day In Heaven - Delta Rae
“Keep thinking bout when we started, so innocent/Your heart was a mess and I was lost in it”
This whole song is so good for them, it’s essentially just a couple being disappointed that their relationship didn’t work out well. The quoted lyric is so. AAAAHHH. because both of their hearts were messes but for different reasons, Andrei was so hopeless and bleak but Natasha was so naive and not ready for it and it’s so. It’s so Much. Also “We watched, the stars fell, and oh you know we let them/We said it’ll never happen, we said it’ll never happen to us/But it’s a cold day in heaven my love” gets me because 1) star/sky references :( and 2) Natasha especially did say it’d never happen to them, she was adamant that she’d love Andrei forever and that uh. I think we all know how well that worked out!
2 Months. - Zach Adkins
Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi
“I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug”
This is kind of a generic betrayal/breakup/I-miss-you song, but I think it works. Especially with “I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain” and the focus on the singer’s lover getting them through difficult times and then abandoning them.
The Night We Met - Lord Huron
“Take me back to the night we met”
I think people are legally obligated to have this song on any playlist for a couple that doesn’t end well. It’s generic but it’s good! The entire Strange Trails album my BELOVED!
Careless Whisper - George Michael
“I should have known better than to cheat a friend and waste a chance that I'd been given, so I'm never gonna dance again the way I danced with you”
UNIRONICALLY THIS SONG. I think it’s the focus on dancing as like a significant marker of the relationship for me, especially given how heavily adaptations focus on their dance at that ball. The quoted lyric reminds me of Natasha’s mindset after all of this. Also “We could have been so good together, we could have lived this dance forever, but now, who's gonna dance with me? Please stay” reminds me of Natasha asking him to forgive her. Not to actually get sad over Careless Whisper but. :,(
With Or Without You - U2
“And you give yourself away”
The quoted lyric is in reference to the elopement in my head, and “I can’t live with or without you” is like. Andrei can’t continue on and let her back into his life, he admits that he can’t forgive her, but he also has no real will to live after she betrays him and goes off to die in war.
Atlantis - Seafret
“We've built this town on shaky ground”
“This town” is in reference to their relationship, and I like the acknowledgment that there was never a great foundation to begin with. And “maybe I’m not built for love” as an Andrei lyric is a little heartbreaking! Other than that it’s just a Breakup Song.
I Don’t Wanna See You Cryin’ Anymore - Adam Melchor
“I don't wanna be the reason you can't trust me like before/My head's in my hands as I'm shaking on the bathroom floor”
This reminds me of Natasha’s deep guilt over her betrayal of Andrei. The implication that Andrei would ever let anyone see him cry is a bit much for me, just ignore that HFJAHDHSH
Part 4: Reconciling While Andrei ✨Dies✨
Fake It - Bastille
“We can never go back, we can only do our best to recreate”
This whole is song is about trying to move forward from bad things in the past with your lover which is the whole vibe! But I also think it shows some reluctance on the part of the singer to forget, and a bit of a desperation to be able to leave the mistakes in the past. “Help me turn a blind eye” really captures that. I like this as the early stages of them reconnecting, because I think it’s realistic to have Andrei especially be wary but wanting it to get better.
Bad Blood - Bastille
“All this bad blood here, won’t you let it dry?”
Letting go of a grudge and trying to move on vibes!
Let It All Go - Birdy, Alvaro Soler
“We’re strong enough to let it go”
All their hurt surrounding the elopement is the Thing they’re letting go of in this case.
Flaws - Bastille
“You have always worn your flaws upon your sleeve and I have always buried them deep beneath the ground”
The quoted lyric just feels like their general dynamic to me. Natasha is so open about everything and does indeed wear her heart on her sleeve whereas Andrei represses every emotion he’s ever felt. I think this is a post-elopement song because of “Dig them up; let’s finish what we started”. That feels like them reexamining their relationship and what went wrong and trying again.
Moscow - Autoheart
“All I need’s a fraction of your happy heart”
This song is so 🥺. “We both know what we’ve got to do: head back to where the magic grew” reminds me of them accepting their reconnection and moving on and trying to rekindle whatever was between them. And “Let’s get a dog, an Irish red setter, it’s all we need to get better” feels emblematic of them looking forward to domestic happiness as the solution. And the quoted lyric screams Andrei about Natasha.
The Heart Is A Muscle - Gang of Youths
“I will look at love as more than just an instrument of pain”
Not to be off topic but this whole album is so good every single song makes me feel SHRIMP EMOTIONS god. Also the whole thing is very Andreicore and I had to stop myself from adding every song to his playlist. But I digress. This song is all about having been hurt by love in the past (“I let bad love betray me once”) but deciding to open your heart again which is very them! “I haven't had enough and I wanna love someone” AAAAHHHH. “I am human now and terrified, but want it all the same” Mr. GangOfYouths im going INSANE! “I just ask you to be patient if you’ll have me still” HELLO? Not to quote the whole song but “I wanna be loved, I wanna be whole again, so tuck my hair behind my ears and touch my soul again” as an Andrei/Natasha lyric...I need to sit down. Can you all tell this song makes me go all kinds of crazy. And this isn’t even my favorite song off the album!
Shrike - Hozier
“I couldn’t utter my love when it counted, ah but I’m flying like a bird to you now”
This song feels very “we tried to have a relationship a while ago and it didn’t work out that well but I still love you we could try again” to me which fits this time very well!
Part 5: Andrei Goes Splat :( [And The Aftermath]
Work Song - Hozier
“No grave can hold my body down, I’ll crawl home to her”
I can’t say what it is exactly, but something about persistent love framed around the death motif works for me here.
Dancing After Death - Matt Maeson
“As the sun waits to eclipse and the taste teases my lips, I'm too tired to wrestle with it”
The quoted lyric reminds me of Andrei giving up and shutting down when he realizes he’s gonna die :( oh ALSO my brain always mentally fills in “and no one else” after the “you and I” that ends the chorus which does NOT help with my depression!
One Last Time - Jaymes Young
“Could I feel your skin on mine before I have to say goodbye?”
SCREAMS SO LOUDLY. The whole song is like. Someone dying and wanting to see their person one last time and AAAAAAAAAAA. I am a little incoherent maybe. “I'm leavin' this cold world of mine, no pleadin' is gonna turn back time” really Gets Me in the context of Andrei accepting his own death and withdrawing and it’s so. Anyway.
Oblivion - Bastille
“When oblivion is calling out your name, you always take it further than I ever can”
I don’t think this is exactly what the song is talking about, but the quoted lyric in the context of Andrei dying and Natasha watching him fade and withdraw...good Lord. I need emotional support.
Haunt - Bastille
“I’ll come back to haunt you/Memories will taunt you”
Natasha being haunted by the memory of Andrei!!! Help me!!!! Also “I will try to love you/It’s not like I’m above you” as a callback to Andrei’s feelings for Natasha when they start to reconnect is so mental illness inducing. OOOH and “Questioning why as you look to the sky that is cloudless up above our heads and thoughts come to mind that our short little lives haven't left the path that they will tread” any lyric ever about looking at the sky is Andrei’s now.
Without You - for KING & COUNTRY
“What do you do when you don't get better/Strong arms get too, get too weak to hold her”
:( :( :( :( :( Also “I’m not ready to live without you” I am so sad.
Good Grief - Bastille
“Every minute and every hour I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more”
Pain! Agony, even!
I made myself SO sad writing the entire last half of these annotations geez
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letsunity · 4 years ago
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Not Afraid - Chapter 2
Summery -  
The Bad Batch go to Tatooine to resupply and avoid the Empire. As per the usual, Omega gets separated from the group. Fortunately for her, Krayt's Claw just so happens to be nearby. Bossk and Embo guide her to Boba Fett, who takes interest in why the Kaminoans want her. It's a reluctant partnership, with the Bad Batch having to rely on Krayt's Claw to navigate non-military life.
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Come the morning; Omega awoke inside of a ship she didn't recognise. It was cosy, the padding she lay on was soft, and the covering was warm. The smell of Kamino eased her anxieties, adding to the comfort. As she sat up, she saw carvings in the walls. They looked like stories, but she couldn't read them.
She heard chatter outside, the sound of Bossk and the Dengar man. The girl calmly slid off the bunk, not having slept like that in a long while. As she stepped outside, Dengar gave a short wave.
"Got some new clothes for ya," said the man, snapping his fingers as he pointed at the 'base'. "Sonic shower is just downstairs. High's down there if ya need a hand."
As they watched her walk inside, Bossk sighed, uncertain of the coming days. If the Kaminoans wanted her, Bane would be sniffing around. Whenever he's involved, things get complicated.
"She looks like Boba, don't she?" Dengar said casually, not bothered by the similarities. "Maybe those long-necked guys mixed his juice with someone else?"
The moron could be right, although Bossk couldn't be sure. That was something to investigate later on.
"All the more reason to keep her around. Where's Boba?"
"Buggered off with Black San. They think they've found the ship or something."
"Yes, the ship you were supposed to look for."
"Hey, if a lovely lady wants to grind my gears, I'm not gonna say no."
"What mental deficiency did she have?"
"I can get women!"
"Kidnapping doesn't count."
"You're just a total buzzkill; you know that? You're killing my vibe. It's Vibemicide right now."
"How about I move up to homicide?"
"I'm too pretty to die."
"How'd you know? You crack any surface showing your reflection."
Back and forth like that could go on for hours. Dengar had an answer for everything, prolonging verbal combat.
Omega entered a makeshift basement, a larger area containing their weapons. The droid tried speaking to her, but when that failed, they motioned for her to follow. They guided her to the 'shower', providing a box to put her old clothes.
The showers on Kamino were more like gusts of air. It was freezing and felt like sand against her skin. She hated them, even though they were infrequent.
Instead of a small tube, it was more spacious. As Omega touched a button, vibrations surrounded her body. The grime the days since Kamino fell away, stripped from her skin. Her hair felt funny, sifting out dead skin and natural oils. It wasn't long but didn't need to be.
When she stepped out, the droid had turned away from her, which was odd. The Kaminoans preferred her without clothing so they could examine her easier, even if it was uncomfortable. Omega looked at some folded clothing left on a tale for her, new and fresh.
As she put them on, the feeling was abnormal. She expected it since she was wearing new clothes, better suited for the outdoors. Her new shoes were heavier, made to last a while in tough terrain.
"Thank you," she smiled, earning a nod from the droid.
She ran back upstairs, greeted by Marrok and Embo. Embo gave her a thumbs-up as Marrok licked her cheek.
The atmosphere changed as the door opened, revealing a human in dark armour with similar colours to the Bad Batch. Marrok whined at the human, tipping as a treat flew his way.
"Any luck, Bo?" Bossk asked, coming from the back with Dengar, who had a bloody nose.
"I left a note," 'Bo' shrugged, turning to the kid. "You must be Omega. I'm Boba."
"I'll make breakfast," Bossk stated, moving to their pantry. Dengar protested, insulting his 'Mando' food. "Shut up, or you're breakfast!"
Highslinger beeped, making Dengar throw a tin at the droid. Embo supported the droid's statement, tipping his metal hat.
"Welcome to Krayt's Claw," Boba introduced, used to their antics. "How're you with spicy food?"
"What's spicy?"
"You're about to find out," he assured, removing his helmet. She was stunned to see a clone. He raised a scarred brow like he was reading her. He tossed a blaster to her, smirking. "Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it, kid."
She had her own blaster, all for her. Finding a holster, she pushed it in, feeling secure.
-------------------------
No matter where they looked, they couldn't find her.
It was terrifying. She was swallowed by the crowd, vanished without a trace. Tracking in the sand is a nightmare; there were too many trails to choose from. Wrecker felt responsible, which he partially was, even though Hunter might've done the same.
"There is a new development," Tech said, pointing to a 'note'.
Someone took a knife and carved a message into their ship. Angry, Hunter walked up to it, reading each symbol carefully. It was made roughly half an hour ago, meaning that they missed whoever has Omega. It gave coordinates, but Hunter was cautious. It could be a trap.
"If they're looking for credits, they aren't going to get any. We barely have enough for fuel and less for rations, let alone the kid," Echo pointed out, sounding incredibly irritated. "It's not like we have the resources to fight our way to her."
"If they wanted to fight, they'd have set up an ambush," Tech countered blandly, wanting to repair his ship. "Though cautious, we should investigate."
"Who's to say it isn't a Bounty Hunter wanting us as well as Omega?" Echo asked, rightfully unsure.
"Regardless, we're getting her back. We don't leave our own behind," Hunter affirmed, ready to get her back.
Warily, they followed the coordinates, weapons ready for combat. In the distance, they could see a black Wookie staring at them, observing quietly. He was probably steaming hot in this weather. The female Zabrak next to him stared as well, starting to talk in her comms.
Everyone was aware of them, which wasn't good. They came to Tatooine to be hidden but only became more obvious.
As they grew closer to the location, they saw fewer people. Those who weren't carrying blasters, many illegal, avoided this area. Not far, they could see a few ships, their style telling of Bounty Hunters. Bounty Hunting ships are usually very colourful, a warning to space pirates that they're a threat.
A few people got the idea to imitate Bounty Hunter ship styles for safe travel, but it didn't always work.
They saw a droid sitting outside without a care in the galaxy. With typical robotic movement, it pointed to the door, waiting for them.
The degenerate observed, unintimidated by Wrecker's size.
Hunter went to enter first, expecting a hostage situation.
That's not what he got, though.
Sitting on a bar table was a young clone, playing an instrument while singing some space shanty. A Trandoshan and man were singing along, playing along for the joy of it. Omega on a chair nearby, trying to learn the fun shanty with a Kyuzo. She wore different clothes and had a bowl of food in front of her.
This was a weird bunch.
The singing stopped when they noticed Hunter, but the young clone kept playing the guitar. Omega smiled, overjoyed to see her friend again. She jumped from the chair and ran to him, hugging him tightly.
"You've made some friends?" Hunter questioned, glad that she was ok.
"The Trandoshan is Bossk, that's Dengar, he's Embo, the one outside is Highslinger, and that's their boss, Boba."
Everyone had heard about that little shit.
The clone that destroyed the Endurance, who nearly killed General Skywalker and General Windu. He was the same scamp that played a part in the prison break and was nothing but trouble for the Republic. He stole, killed, captured and traded on the black market, a prominent figure in the underworld.
He had every reason to take Omega to whoever put a bounty on her but chose not to. His crew fed her, gave her shelter and new clothes. Although Hunter was thankful, he was suspicious.
"This could work to our benefit. They know more of the underworld than us, and we need supplies," Tech announced plainly, observing the Trandoshan. He was hissing protectively, though he couldn't tell who he was protecting.
Boba jumped down, eyeing the four curiously. After crossing his arms, an idea came to mind.
"Since you're protecting little Omega, you're not loyal to this Empire garbage. You're fugitives, and I'll postulate that criminal life isn't easy, hm?" He mused, finding potential profit in their presence.
"What's a postulate?" Wrecker asked, expecting an answer from Tech.
"I wouldn't use that exact word, but it's a synonym for suggest."
"Cinnamon?"
"No. It's a word that has a similar meaning to another word. An antonym is the opposite of a word, such as ice and fire."
"I hate this brainy word stuff!"
How funny, these idiots were similar to Boba's band of morons. That'll make working with them around a whole lot easier.
"Word meanings aside, it hasn't been easy," Echo admitted, feeling weird from the boy's gaze. He was looking into him; it felt violating. "You offering a hand?"
"Until I figure out what the Kaminoans want, sure. Whatever they want Omega for, I want to be in their way."
"Why?" Hunter questioned.
"Because fuck 'em," Bossk casually answered, getting an agreeing smirk from Boba.
Omega was happy to know they could stay. She liked them, even Dengar, and especially Marrok. He was so cute and fuzzy, and Embo was nice too. She wanted to play the guitar and learn how to make food. She could learn to use her blaster, so she didn't feel like a liability to the others.
She's a part of the Bad Batch and wanted to prove herself.
"Eh, what's that smell? Whatever it is, it smells good!" Wrecker announced, looking like a happy puppy. Bossk grinned at Dengar, claiming some kind of victory over the cyborg.
If it wasn't already chaotic for Hunter, it was about to get crazier.
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hellsingimpuresouls-a · 4 years ago
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1, 2, 7, 25 (Gonzo Hellsing)!
responding to this late, so sorry about that! hopefully i’m answering the questions from the correct meme orz. onward to the salt! ( i’m an idiot because only after i answered everything did i realize you put ‘for Gonzo’, so these answers are a mix )
1. What OTP(s) in the fandom do you just not get?
Seras/Integra. 
the most famous interaction that people go nuts over is the finger-sucking scene : it’s gross, rapey and just… uncomfortable how generally this is justified in so many ways. from ‘well, it didn’t ACTUALLY happen like that, that was just through the male gaze’ to ‘it’s just fan-service, Integra wouldn’t actually force herself on Seras’ to ‘uwu lesbian / sapphic rep.’ i just don’t vibe, canonically or fandom wise - there’s a very clear power dynamic in that rendition of Integra, and generally as a whole ( not that i’m infantilizing Seras by the way ), and people really like to use the finger-sucking scene as a sort of… foundation or undeniable evidence that they are very into each other, when if that same scene was done with Walter or god-forbid, Alucard, there would be riots left and right ( clarification : Alucard TO Seras, not Integra to Alucard ). it just really hit too because irl, women go through shit like this in the workplace, being sexually assaulted / harassed by their bosses. Integra being a woman doesn’t make it less rapey.
it’s also hard to ignore the fact that Seras was ‘taken in’ without anyone asking her what she wanted ( unlike Gonzo ) on her end - idc what people say, they literally abducted her ( that creepy smile Integra gives her in the first episode when Seras is being given her uniform, or that even creepier smile when she’s sexually assaulting her : miss me with that shit ). MAYBE i’d be into it a bit more if the finger-sucking scene never happened? who knows. 
i can say i enjoy shipping them in any other way but the fandom / general way. the manga-canon had a funny thing going between them ( even the finger sucking scene hit a little different? still not okay obviously but more… idk ig lighthearted and almost troll-like, ‘here suck it. do it. doooo iiiit.’ i could appreciate that. )
2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?
i know Millennium pairings aren’t popular, at least in current tumblr spaces, but Dok/Major. it was apparently a popular ship back in the day, and i still occasionally see stuff for it. i genuinely don’t get it, because i saw no kind of connection between those two that was even slightly romantic. Dok legit went ‘aight, i’m out’ when the zeppelin was shot to bits - he gave no fucks about Major lmao.
7. Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?
mm... maybe the dynamic between Integra/Alucard? idk, when i first watched Ultimate, no tumblr or fandom involved, i thought it was very complicated. there was definitely trust, suggestiveness, excitement, guardian-like qualities, and the list just goes on! but then i made the mistake of exposing myself to fandom spaces a bit much, and them being spoken about in a strictly romantic sense kind of annoys me now. same thing if people insist that there ISN’T romance. i’m on a high horse, but i genuinely don’t think i’ve seen many people truly understand / capture the Integra/Alucard dynamic. i roll my eyes when i see either extreme sides ( romance v. no romance ).
not that i was the biggest shipper or anything - i gave very little care for Alucard and Integra respectively, but now i just care for them even less. i literally just say ‘idk and idc’ when people ask me if i ship it.
25. How would you end XXX/Would you change the ending of XXX?
impure souls : would they have continued season 2 as planned, just continue to the canon. Integra would run the organization under the watch of the Crown, but everything else would run mostly the same. there would be interesting plot points when Integra and the Queen conflict on what to do with certain missions, and the pressure gets put on even more when they realize there’s literal Nazis behind everything. at some point, reveal that the traitor was the same guy we see in Ultimate, ergo Incognito and the whole FREAK mess was just more Millennium fuss. introduce Pip and Heinkel later on too ( as they were planned to also make an appearance in the anime as well ). i definitely wouldn’t have minded Gonzo’s take on canon, and it’d be easy to pick up from where they left off.
ultimate : everything was fine / dandy, i wouldn’t change anything except for the last minutes. this is the old, nostalgic, Walter-fangirl i once was, but since Alucard is almost close to a god ( or something ) at this point, have him lift up his cape at Integra, only to reveal that he somehow managed to take in Walter as a familiar ( unwillingly, of course ), not only that, but he’s forever stuck in his adolescent form. sort of to have the ‘gang’ back together, or something. Walter was a son of a bitch who deserved no good, but this would be a funny way to condemn him.
as far as canon goes, i am please with how things ended. it was pretty alright.
SALTY ASK LIST
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dweetwise · 5 years ago
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A Jeff x Ace prompt extending from the werebear ask, which you can make as nsfw or clean as you'd like: Ace and Jeff are relaxing and talking together away from the campire, which escalates to cuddling and rolling around, changing positions a lot. Ace rolls himself ontop of Jeff's torso, leaving Jeff on his back and face up... looking into the full moon hanging in the sky. 🐻 time.
ok ngl i vibed hard with this ask, i never even considered this ship before but now i love it bless you <3 this is just self-indulgent fluff with a sprinkle of angst, apologies if you wanted a crackfic! (based on these headcanons!)
word count: 3772
(werebear!)Jeff X Ace ft. tooth-rotting fluff
Jeff doesn’t know when he’s last been this happy. The warm laughter of the man next to him never fails to calm his nerves, and he smiles at the joke the other cracks despite it not being one of his best.
Ace is gesturing animatedly, in the middle of telling another story of riches and grandeur from his youth, a glint in his familiar brown eyes and a grin staying on his face the entire time. Jeff knows the other can come across as overbearing to some, seemingly never running out of bad jokes and incredulous tales, but Jeff can’t see himself ever tiring of hearing Ace talk.
One of Ace’s hands nearly smacks him in the face when he tries to show just how big of a pile of poker chips he won in the illegal game. Jeff is thankful for his quick reflexes when he’s able to grab the eager hand before it hits his brow, and Ace pauses mid-sentence to offer him a sheepish grin, looking apologetic.
When Jeff brings the hand to his mouth and brushes his lips over the dry knuckles, Ace’s expression softens into a fond smile that makes his eyes crinkle at the corners. When Ace looks at him like that, it’s almost enough for Jeff to forget what a monster he is.
He would have never imagined letting the others know about his curse could allow him to grow closer to some of them. He expected everyone to be scared and disgusted, distancing themselves and maybe even kicking him out of their shared camp. He wouldn’t have blamed them; who would want to share their only safe place with a werebear?
Instead, the majority had been surprisingly understanding, and Jeff was taken aback by just how worried Claudette and some of the others were about him instead of fearing for themselves. A few of the more tactical survivors like Bill vowed not to treat him any differently than before, recognizing the strategic advantage of his strength in trials.
But by far the biggest surprise had been Ace. The other reacting to the revelation with humor was nothing out of the ordinary, but he also made it a point to constantly BE there, often butting in with a well-timed joke when the likes of David or Tapp were giving Jeff a hard time.
“Gentlemen, please!” Ace had said with a warm smile, a hand on Tapp’s tense shoulder as he managed to slink between David and Jeff. “You know Jeff wouldn’t hurt a fly—he’s a big softie!”
“He’s unpredictable—” Tapp tried to argue.
“Hmm, see, I recall a certain ms. Kimura breaking my arm on one occasion, not to mention David clocking Quentin square in the face. Oh, remember the time Meg kicked Ash and broke his knee? That was fun!”
“What’s yer point?” David spat.
“That you should be grateful the one with this power is someone with better self-control,” Ace said and stared David straight in the eye, and Jeff saw defiance burning in the gamblers’ usually friendly eyes.
“I’m sorry baby, I got a little carried away,” Ace says, snapping Jeff out of his thoughts. “You know you can just tell me to shut up.”
“And miss hearing about the biggest jackpot of the decade? Not a chance,” he says with a smile, giving Ace’s hand a squeeze before releasing it.
“Sweet of you to pretend you haven’t heard this story ten times before,” Ace smirks, adjusting his wide-brimmed hat before leaning closer.
“My favorite part is how the pot gets bigger every retelling,” Jeff teases, and gets an amused huff and a light slap against his arm for his troubles.
“Had to tone it down at first, lest you not believe me,” Ace murmurs, face now only inches from his own. Jeff chuckles and tilts his head down to capture the man’s smiling lips in a kiss, having long since learned that Ace will keep talking until he gets the last word.
Jeff remembers when he first realized Ace’s friendliness might be more than just looking out for a brother. He’d gotten back from a trial where he had to transform, and his shirt had been ripped during the process, getting snagged on a tree branch. Back at camp, he loaned a needle and some thread from Quentin to mend the garment. He’d gone to the edge of camp and pulled the shirt off, not realizing he had an audience until he heard a gasp.
Jeff saw some of the girls look over, and he flushed a little at being on display. He wasn’t particularly self-conscious about his body, but the only other person to ever have been shirtless in camp was David, and he knew his own physique was vastly different from the brawler’s. Still, Jeff saw Nancy blush and Zarina avert her eyes, and Kate even blew him a little kiss—which made him feel a little better—before the trio went back to their previous conversation.
And then he spotted a blatantly staring Ace, barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes. So Ace had a certain kind of reputation, flirting with everyone and even trying some pick-up lines on the killers, and Jeff was no stranger to the occasional cheesy compliments. He expected a tacky wolf-whistle, or maybe some more bear puns due to the generous amount of hair covering his chest, but instead Ace just kept ogling him.
“Well?” Jeff had finally asked, bolder than he meant to, but it made Ace snap out of it and look up at his face, blinking a couple times as to piece his thoughts back together.
“Don’t stop on my behalf,” Ace eventually purred, offering an exaggerated wink before his gaze dropped down to Jeff’s jeans. Jeff gave an amused snort and shook his head in exasperation, sitting down on a tree stump to start fixing his shirt. But some of his focus remained on the gambler, and out of the corner of his eye he caught Ace sneaking glances and fidgeting more than usual, like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with his hands, trying and failing to appear casual.
A warm hand cups his cheek, and Jeff can’t see himself ever tiring of kissing Ace. If he had his art supplies, he’s pretty sure he could fill an entire gallery with just Ace as his muse. The way his well-trimmed goatee scrapes against Jeff’s own unruly beard, the faint scent of cheap cologne that seems permanently etched into some of his shirts, and the slight softness around his hip when Jeff wraps and arm around him. The way he moans when Jeff bites at his lip, and the way it makes Jeff’s heart flutter and warm feelings of affection spread through his chest.
Ace lays down on the ground and pulls Jeff with him, hands wrapped around his neck and lips never leaving each other’s. Jeff cups the back of Ace’s head to cushion the fall against the ground, careful to guide him away from the rock they have been leaning against.
Ace’s long limbs are sprawled out below Jeff and he tries to deepen the kiss, groaning softly and hands tangling in Jeff’s ponytail. Ace is not a patient man, as Jeff had figured out even before they started dating. Still, Jeff wants to savor the moment, feeling even more sentimental than usual due to the fond memories of the man. He pulls away from the kiss, moving to pepper Ace’s stubbled jawline with butterfly kisses while the other swears softly and yanks at his hair in retaliation.
He'll never forget realizing his own feelings for the man ran much deeper than friendliness and a fleeting infatuation. It had been an easy trial, generators popping left and right while Ace kept the Hillbilly busy. Dwight got the gate open just as Ace finally took a chainsaw to the back and went down with a scream, and Jeff and the remaining two teammates started planning a rescue, their chances looking good as Nea had brought Borrowed Time into the trial.
However, instead of hooking Ace, the killer had merely stood above his prone body, revving his chainsaw menacingly. Ace had clearly managed to get under his skin, and now he was going to make sure the man bled out on the ground even if it meant displeasing the Entity. Jeff didn’t blame Nea and Dwight for leaving, as there wasn’t anything they could do. But he could.
Jeff looked up at the full moon above the Autohaven junkyard and let himself transform into the alter form he hated so much, his determination drowning out some of the pain. With the steadily ticking end game timer leaving no time to waste, Jeff took off in a sprint back into the trial grounds, his four legs carrying him much faster than any other survivor could run.
The Hillbilly spotted him charging and as Jeff tackled the killer to the ground and away from Ace, the grimy chains of the machine dug into the flesh of his shoulder through the thick fur. It was far from enough to stop him, and he roared in pain and lifted his massive paw up to strike at the killer. The next few seconds were a blur, but soon the killer underneath him wasn’t moving at all and the discarded chainsaw laid to the side, sputtering quietly.
Not wasting any more time on the killer, Jeff hurried over to where Ace was laying. Relief flooded through him upon seeing the man was still conscious, looking at him even while he was too tired to lift his head up from the muddy ground.
“Didn’t have to come back for… little old me,” Ace croaked, his voice barely above a whisper, forcing a pained, blood-stained grin on his face.
Jeff knew they didn’t have much time, both Ace’s injuries and the Entity’s impatience ensuring the gambler’s impending doom. Jeff had never been able to change back to a human at will, and thus was unable to tend to the man’s gaping wounds. Ace wasn’t getting out of here on foot, and they both knew it.
Jeff laid down on his stomach next to the man, rolling a little on his side to hopefully allow Ace to crawl on top of his back. He was either carrying the bastard out of here or dying laying next to him; he refused to leave the broken man to suffer alone.
“Didn’t take you for a little spoon,” Ace, mangled badly enough to barely have the energy to raise his arm forward, still joked weakly. Jeff let out a small sigh, both relieved and annoyed, but it came out more like a low growl. Ace didn’t seem to care, his shaky hand finding purchase in the fur of Jeff’s neck and gripping tight. Jeff rolled back on his feet, hauling Ace’s mostly limp body with him. With only a small shrug he managed to position the man securely on his back, heart clenching painfully at the distressed gasp the other let out when his broken body was jostled around.
The ground was opening into angry red cracks by the time he managed to run out of the exit. He’s pretty sure Ace passed out on the way to the campfire, hanging limply over his back and the pained huffs of air calming to raspy breaths against Jeff’s neck. But at least he was alive.
Ace’s eyes are full of life when he pulls away from their kiss and smirks roguishly. His thigh bumps against Jeff’s knee and a hand is on his shoulder, and suddenly Jeff is on his back as Ace rolls them over. Ace is now straddling him, a hand on his chest holding him down and a playful grin on his face at having bested him. Jeff takes in his handsome features, his familiar silhouette illuminated against the perpetual night sky, the moonlight framing him beautifully—
“Shit,” Jeff breathes, and he barely has time to shove Ace off of him and roll the opposite way to put distance between them, a piece of his heart breaking at the surprised yelp when his lover falls back to the forest floor. And then, every muscle in his body is burning and he grits his teeth as his spine starts snapping and his nails dig into the ground, the moon awakening an ancient power inside of him that demands to be let out.
Ace’s voice is drowned out during the transformation, the pain and his own self-loathing silencing all his senses. He’s normally in control of his curse, but he hadn’t noticed the sky clearing up, and then he was suddenly on his back and staring right at the moon.
Now fully turned, Jeff bolts into the woods, leaving Ace and the small forest clearing behind, too ashamed to face the man he could have ended up crushing under his weight, or worse. Jeff screws his eyes shut and keeps running, needing to get away—
And then he smashes into something and everything goes black.
“Thanks for earlier,” Ace had said, approaching Jeff with a spring in his step, and it was a relief to see after the close call with the Hillbilly.
“No worries,” Jeff said, scooting over on the ground to make room next to the log he was leaning on, in case Ace decided he wanted to join. “Feeling better?”
“Like a new man!” Ace beamed with familiar bravado, happily taking the offered seat. “Kate and Adam patched me up. Can’t complain,” he grinned suggestively.
“Glad to hear,” Jeff said. He’d never been a particularly jealous person, and he knew Kate and Adam were both attractive. Still, the comment made something sting painfully in his chest.
“You know… I always thought you and Kate were an item,” Ace mused, slumping down against the log and moving his hands to cushion his neck. He was trying so hard to seem nonchalant, but Jeff caught his eyes flickering to Jeff’s face behind the shades. Maybe Jeff wasn’t the only one who was jealous.
“Hmm,” Jeff hummed in acknowledgement. “She’s not my type. Though I can see why you’d think that; she flirts with everyone, so it’s hard to tell when she means it.”
Ace, predictably, didn’t miss the on-the-nose subtext of his statement. The man gave a small smile in agreement, before leaning further back to look up at the stars.
“Want to play a game?” Ace asked, still looking up at the sky but a smirk now spreading over his lips.
“Sure,” Jeff said, shoving down the feeling of being a pawn in a game he didn’t yet see the bigger picture of. He’d never been much for bets or gambling, but surely, this was all in good nature.
“Truth or dare?” Ace asked, turning his head Jeff’s way and showing him the mischievous grin in its entirety.
“Truth,” Jeff decided, smiling at the childish choice of game but curious to see what the other came up with.
“What IS your type?” Ace prodded. “If Kate doesn’t cut it, I don’t know what will,” he joked.
“Hmm,” Jeff pretended to mull over the question. “I’m terribly fond of idiots who provoke the killer enough to get tunneled for five gens. And then use their dying breath as a chance to make inappropriate jokes.”
“Really now?” Ace asked, his smile somehow stretching even wider, but not lifting a finger to make any sort of move.
“Truth or dare?” Jeff asked, obediently playing along with the other’s little game.
“Dare,” Ace said, the word sounding a lot more husky as he removed his shades and gave Jeff a coy look.
Jeff only hesitated for a heartbeat.
“Kiss me.”
When Ace immediately sprung to action, leaning into him and eagerly moving his lips against Jeff’s like it was something he’d wanted to do for a long time, Jeff realized he’d played right into Ace’s hand.
Did he mind? Hell no.
Jeff fades back into consciousness to the sounds of a conversation.
“—but he didn’t mean to! If anything, it was my fault!” He recognizes Ace’s voice anywhere. It sounds like his lover is arguing with someone, but Jeff’s body refuses to move or even blink awake, stuck on the edge of consciousness.
“I told you, he’s dangerous! Whatever it is you think you have, it’s bad for all of us!” He thinks that’s Jane, which would make sense. She’s been one of the most vocal about seeing Jeff for the monster he is.
“What we have is a whole load of ‘mind your own damn business’,” Ace argues. “And I’m not going to ditch him just because you’re scared!”
“You’re insane! You’re going to end up hurt!” Jane tries to reason, and the words cut deep into Jeff’s heart because he knows she’s right. He has no right to be with Ace, but he so desperately wants to.
“Look here you prude bitch,” Ace snaps, and Jeff shares the sentiment of who he thinks is Claudette gasping. He’s never heard Ace insult anyone like that, usually being much wittier and more composed with his criticism. “I know you hate my guts, so don’t try to pretend you give a shit about my well-being. You just want us both to be miserable.”
“Alright, that’s enough,” a gruff voice commands, footsteps approaching the scene.
“Bill, tell him—” Jane demands.
“You shut your mouth,” Bill shoots back, causing Jane to let out an affronted scoff. “Ain’t none of your business what those two—”
“He’s waking up,” Jeff hears Quentin’s voice right above him, not having realized the boy had been so close. The statement is followed by hurried shuffling, and by the time Jeff manages to blink his bleary eyes open, Ace’s blurry face is all he sees.
“Hey, big guy,” Ace is grinning shakily, his features slowly coming into focus. “Feeling better?”
“What happened?” Jeff asks, the lingering awkwardness from having overheard the fight making way for confusion. The last thing he remembers is transforming and running off, and then he blacked out.
“You turned into a bear, ran into a tree and knocked yourself out,” Jake deadpans from his left, sitting by Jeff’s side with some bandages in his hands. “Also, if you guys could stop fucking next to my camp by the glade, that would be great.”
“Didn’t realize there was an audience,” Ace snarks, shooting a glare Jake’s way. Jeff brings his hand up to his head, only to feel bandages wrapped around it. There’s a sting when he presses at his forehead.
“Managed to get a pretty nasty cut,” Quentin says, slapping away his hand from poking at the wound. “Patched it up with some butterfly tape, shouldn’t bleed anymore.”
“Thank you,” Jeff says, offering a small bow of his head to both boys who apparently tended to his wounds.
“Thank us by staying the fuck away from the glade,” Quentin repeats, tired eyes fond even while his voice is filled with threat. Jake clears his throat awkwardly and Jeff fails to hide the surprise on his face. He never realized the two were more than friends.
“Yes yes, now shoo,” Ace butts in, waving the boys away and kneeling down next to Jeff. Jeff spares a glance over his shoulder and notices the others getting back to their normal tasks, apparently giving them some privacy. Though Jane still isn’t looking happy, angrily whispering something to Laurie, but he’ll take what he can get. “I was lucky Jake and Quentin were nearby, they came to check up on the noise and we were able to carry you back to camp. Oh, and apparently running head first into something makes you turn back!” Ace chatters nervously. “Wouldn’t recommend trying it again, though, seeing as you were in pretty bad shape—”
“Hey,” Jeff interrupts softly, grabbing Ace’s hand to ground the other’s racing thoughts. “I’m fine now. Thank you.”
Ace takes a shaky breath that seems to calm him down some. “Why did you run?” he asks in a low murmur, squeezing Jeff’s hand and not bothering to hide the hurt in his expressive eyes.
“I… freaked out,” Jeff confesses, fighting the urge to avert his eyes in shame. “The transformation is always unsettling, but because I didn’t see it coming, it was even worse. I was so afraid I’d accidentally hurt you.”
“I’m sorry, Pumpkin. I should have realized,” Ace says, eyes casting downward and a sad smile tugging at his lips. “It was my fault.”
“It was nobody’s fault,” Jeff lies, knowing full well the entire thing is one hundred percent on him. Jeff is the one responsible for his curse, and nobody else. Still, he knows the self-deprecating attitude wouldn’t fly with Ace, so he settles on an “It was just unlucky.”
“You know that word doesn’t exist in my vocabulary,” Ace jokes, looking up at him playfully and apparently accepting the reasoning.
“I said ‘unfortunate’, I don’t know what you heard,” Jeff teases and it makes Ace smile brightly and lean in for a quick peck on his lips. Jeff is pretty sure he hears a snort echoing from the other side of camp, but it doesn’t phase him.
“Soo,” Ace drawls, making himself comfortable leaning against Jeff who still doesn’t feel like his pounding head will allow him to walk properly. “Since we’re evidently being evicted from the usual spot, how about the next one not having a gigantic hole to see the moon? It’s not like there’s a shortage of trees around here.”
“Sounds good to me,” Jeff murmurs, stroking his thumb over the back of Ace’s hand.
“How did you even end up picking a place like that in the first place?” Ace realizes, arching an inquisitive eyebrow.
“Because I know you like looking at the stars,” Jeff says, smiling fondly. So many times, in camp or the trials, he’d caught the other staring up at the sky, and each time he’d wished he could join him. Ace falters from the confession, surprise clear on his features before his face morphs into a familiar smile.
“You’re such a moron,” Ace says, all the creases and laugh lines that Jeff adores visible from how wide his smile is. “A romantic moron, but a moron nonetheless.”
Ace leans in for another taste of his lips and this time he lingers, treasuring the moment. And this time, Jeff is certain he hears an “Ugh, gross” from a disgruntled Feng followed by a snicker from Yui, but the comments don’t bother him. He has everything he could hope for right here.
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kinetic-elaboration · 4 years ago
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100 Days of Writing: Day Forty
I’m getting really lazy about this lol. Today’s entry: the answers to a few random questions that have spoken to me, from days I skipped.
Project courtesy of @the-wip-project​. Tagging fellow participants @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold​, @thelittlefanpire​, @hopskipaway​, @easilydistractedbyfanfic​, @dylanobrienisbatman​ @fontainebleau22.
This got VERY verbose, sorry....!
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Day 34: Do you prefer to write fluff or angst?
Funny story. I once had a fic nominated in the Best Angst Category in a fandom fic awards event. The nomination was, of course, flattering, but also really confusing, because I didn’t think the fic was particularly angsty. It wasn’t super fluffy either. It...just was? It was a basic strangers-to-lovers modern AU somewhere in the 7k range, and the main ship was endgame. There was a period where half of the main ship was dating someone else, but that was mostly mentioned in passing during a time skip; most of the actual content was the endgame couple talking/flirting/pining, and, again, they did get together in the end.
The nomination made me reconsider what I think ‘fluff’ and ‘angst’ are and what my relationships are to the genres. I feel like a lot of my work is neither.
Some types of stories are obviously one or the other. MCD and/or illness is angst. Hurt/comfort is angst. Romantic stories where the characters don’t end up together are, generally, angst. Romantic stories where the characters DO end up together but only after considerable obstacles can be angst, also--which might have been the rationale behind nominating the above fic in ‘angst’ although, again, it was only 7k. It’s one thing to have a 300k+ story where the main characters pine for each other, wallow in their feelings, fight, feel jealousy, etc, and the finally kiss in the final chapter--I’ve done that, too. A shorter story is a different beast.
Fluff, to me, is a genre of stories without (significant) conflict. The point is you feel good reading them. Romantic stories with established couples, or first date stories, are fluff. Slice of life or ‘curtain�� fic is fluff. Holiday fic with a found family feel is fluff.
I’ve written some stories that clearly fall into one of these two genres, sometimes because the challenge I’m doing or request I’m fulfilling calls for it, and sometimes because I need a palette cleanser after writing the opposite type of fic.
Another place I’ve thought about genre is with Troped, but I don’t always feel confident in the stories I’ve written there, in terms of theme. The very, very first round had a Fluff theme but I wasn’t sure if my story was fluffy (I’m still not). It had a happy ending and the final scene was decidedly cute, but the characters came from angsty backgrounds, and some of the early scenes had, imo, a melancholy feel. Then one of the 2020 Madness rounds had an Angst theme. I tried to fit my entry into that genre by giving it a general feeling of helplessness and an ambiguous, dreary ending. I think it was angsty, but it wasn’t as... hardcore angsty? as some of the other entries. I also picked the theme “angst” for one of my Choice fics and that one was decidedly angsty, both in the specific-trope sense--it dealt with the aftermath of a major character death--and in the more general ‘mood’ sense. The main relationship wasn’t repaired at the end, and the ending was ambiguous.
I feel like for every fic I’ve written that’s decidedly fluffy or decidedly angsty, and I could give examples of both, I’ve written one or more that isn’t really either. Again, most of the time, unless I have a specific reason to think ‘time to write angst’ or ‘time to write fluff,’ I don’t go into an idea thinking it should be one or the other. I usually have a mood I want, but it might not be simple to categorize.
ALL that said... I think if I had to pick one, it would be angst. I don’t like truly unhappy endings, but I’ve done a decent number of ambiguous endings. It’s also easier for me to think of stories I’ve written that I think are fairly categorized as angst than stories that are clearly fluff. Third, I love writing about pining, and longing, and missing, and needing, and these are not ‘fluffy’ feelings. But most importantly, like I said, I think ‘fluff’ is a type of story that has minimal-to-zero conflict in it and I actually find those VERY hard to write. Maybe We Will is probably the fluffiest thing I’ve written (4k of a first date at a carnival) and my biggest challenge was figuring out: what are these people going to DO?
This isn’t an insult to fluff at all. Fluff writers have a real talent for creating a pleasant narrative, and I like reading outright fluff more than reading outright angst. But for me, there is a lot more flexibility outside of fluff, whether or not the resulting narrative is truly “angsty” or not. It might not have the primary goal of making you feel sad, but it probably doesn’t have the primary goal of making you feel happy either.
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Day 37: Post your favorite line of dialogue that you’ve written recently. 
Skimmed the Sleeping Beauty AU for this one. As soon as I’m asked to think about dialogue I like, I wonder if I’ve ever written good dialogue in my life! Lol. You think about it too much and it all sounds fake. Here’s an exchange I think is pretty good (perhaps just in comparison to a lot of the Really Rough Writing that surrounds it...).
"That sounded like it went pretty well," she says, as she balances awkwardly against the wall, pulling on her boots. "From what I could hear."
Bellamy shrugs. He's scanning the crowd, glancing over at her impatiently when she stumbles, trying to tie her laces without bothering to kneel. "Roma doesn't ask a lot of questions."
Clarke snorts. "Yes, she does. What you really mean is, she asks a lot of questions, then gets distracted whenever you turn on the charm."
"Yeah, sure. My well-known charm."
Clarke lets her foot fall heavily to the ground again, straightens up and pushes her hair back from her face. "If you weren't flirting and being charming, what were you doing?"
Bellamy hesitates, a light, embarrassed pink spreading across his cheeks, and Clarke rises up on her toes triumphantly, trying to lean into his space. "I should have gotten more ration points," he says, barely more than a grumble, and Clarke laughs and pulls her hat down over her head. Then she picks up the jacket, slips it on, and steps purposefully in front of him.
"How do I look?"
Day 38: What comes first, plot or characters?
Well, I write fanfiction, so I feel like this is a tricky question to define. My current fandom does have a lot of characters though, so it is possible to have a general idea of a plot but not know who to put in it. That’s happened to me on a few occasions I think, but generally speaking... I think the two come simultaneously?
When I’m writing for Troped, it’s easier to start with the plot because certain elements of the challenge suggest (or require) a plot but never the characters to go in it. So sometimes I do work from plot --> characters there. It’s usually pretty seamless in that the plot-idea usually comes with at least some idea of the characters, but sometimes there’s ambiguity--for example, deciding to include Bellamy in Mad Women when he wasn’t initially supposed to be in it, which ended up changing/defining the story quite a bit. Another example is Mountain Lion Mean, where I knew right away what the general plot would be but waffled a bit about precisely which characters would be in it and to what degree.
Other challenges often define the characters first and so then by definition that’s where I start. For example, a Bellarke challenge obviously requires you to write about Bellarke, but depending on the other rules, the plot may come entirely from each individual writer without any additional prompting.
If it’s a wholly original/spontaneous idea.... it either is necessarily about plot and characters at once (ex: AU where X character is in Y place or examination of Z ship in a modern AU) or it comes as nothing but Mood. That mood might have elements of plot and bits of character but the best way I can describe it is that I develop both at once. For example, my Southern Gothic AU came to me as certain elements--a character who does X, a relationship with Y feel, Z ship--and I’m working on combining all of those into a narrative. Or, as another example, I currently have a vague desire to write something with a Slow Summer Vibe but I have no idea what it will be about or who will be in it.
But again, it’s often “I want to write an angsty Jonty AU” or “hmm what about a Bravenlarke fic particularly about being in a poly relationship” or “this song makes me picture Bellarke at the beach; let’s write that”--ideas that essentially capture both character and plot at once.
I don’t know if I’m doing a good job of describing this but I write so much for challenges and events that I don’t have a huge pool of data for ‘spontaneous ideas’ to analyze.
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Day 40: How do you start a new story?
I feel like I kind of already answered this in the last question. The very first step is an Idea, obviously. That would either come, in part, from the challenge or event I’m participating in or the request I’m filling, or it arrives by itself from some bit of inspiration: a song, a thought about a certain character or relationship, a mood I’m feeling and want to capture, etc.
But I feel like this question is about what happens with the idea.
Most (though not all) of the time, I start with a process of brainstorming and outlining. I’ve talked about this elsewhere, but I start by just sitting down with a notebook and writing down my thoughts, in a conversational style--basically like these posts. I write down any images I have, any plot points that have already come to me, etc. Everything I know. Then I brainstorm some more elements, filling in all the stuff I don’t know. Then I distill the plot down to discrete plot points: an outline of the whole fic in order. What needs to happen and in what order? The outline is generally organized by scene, though it’s flexible: sometimes scenes can be combined; sometimes they need to be split. Sometimes I need to re-evaluate the outline later, but most stories are simple enough that this initial outline works for the whole writing process.
I always write in order. I cannot write out of order. I need to immerse myself in the narrative and that means that events follow logically from each other. Also, sometimes what I come up with in the moment in scene 1 can change what I want to happen in scene 5--not so drastically that I’m re-writing the outline, but drastically enough that I would have to rewrite scene 5 if it were already done. That’s too complicated for me. I think there are probably advantages, in terms of amount of fun to be had, as well as in capturing ideas before they disappear from your brain, in writing scenes as the spirit moves you rather than in order, but I just can’t do it. That’s not how my mind works.
In order to start a fic, or even a new scene, I need to know HOW it starts and some idea of how I will describe that opening image/event/whatever. I often practice this for days before I actually write. For example, I’m going to write another Sleeping Beauty scene soon and I know it starts with Clarke hearing conversation behind her, so I’ve been practicing what that dialogue might be and how I might describe her listening while looking at something else. When I have a strong sense of the opening and a decent sense of the rest--what needs to happen to move along the plot--I just start writing. I do most of my writing as sprints.
Sometimes I write without an outline, and it’s basically the same process as the last paragraph, except I only have the opening and a vague sense of what’s to come. I don’t do that often anymore. But I started a couple outline-less fics last summer when I was just desperate to break my block and didn’t really feel like planning and stuff. I just wanted to get words on a page. Thus I have a couple WIPs that are about 1,200 words long and then just abruptly reach a cliff’s edge and stop!! I don’t know if I’ll outline or not before I return to them but right now I’m thinking not.
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