#maybe I should come up with ship names lmao

[spookitordukeit]

In your fic tbasawas was there anything specific that inspired you to do your specific stories and or ships?

Yes and no—

For the story itself:

Originally, I only had concepts for Aeiisy, a dark fic with a skeleton reader who is constantly having a Bad Time. But, as with most of my ideas, it got split into two different paths. (This is how I end up with most of my fic ideas btw) You might see a few similarities, or even direct reflections between a few of my works, and that’s because they are all directly or indirectly formed from a few of the same ideas, split into separate paths.

Like an au I guess???

Tbasawas was made as a direct counter to Aeiisy, so I wouldn’t pass away from angst and could have something sweet a fluffy to write whenever I got burnt out. (Ignoring the amount of angst that ended up in Tbasawas anyway… and the fluff that got put into Aeiisy…. Don’t look at me!!)

So Tbasawas was inspired by Aeiisy, and Aeiisy was inspired by the need for a skele reader, Monster Frisk, and an apocalypse fic. Not sure how any of that connects, but that’s how it went down.

Tbasawas is a soft apocalypse, if that’s even a thing. Their changes aren’t gory and the world isn’t riddled with war and violence. Just people treated like lost puppies in a cozy adoption center waiting for their ‘forever home’. For the most part.

I take a lot of inspiration directly from animal adoption processes. The whole shebang. Paperwork, wait time, vetting, inspections, background checks, introductions, acclimation— Hell, even the Assigned Nurse can be compared to a Foster. The Mimic Monitors are essentially juiced up microchips.

I’m pretty sure I even used a template for the adoption of a dog from a serious breeder for the letter that Abbee gives Nerma to explain to process. And the email Edge receives  in chapter one.

There’s a lot of themes in Tbasawas going on. Another one is the grieving process, as hinted at in the title of the first chapter. Arc one: Shock.

I’m using this version of the grieving process in particular:

I’m not sure how strictly I’ll follow it, but it’s definitely there in the background, at the very least.

As for inspiration for the relationships:

It’s all kinda based around these themes and how I think the characters would be changed by them.

I’ve changed these characters a lot. Maybe not much physically for most,(that you can see.. wink wonk) but I’ve taken a lot of liberty with their stories and backgrounds. And in the tags for Tbasawas, this universe is listed under post neutral route… not pacifist. Do with that information what you will.

Based on these changes, I think about how they might act. What makes the most sense. What they feel, what kind of person would they feel most comfortable around and what kind would they hate? Do they have insecurities? Are there any fears that they might be judged? Would that stop them from getting close to specific skeletons in the pack? *cough* Sparrow *cough*

Are they jealous or possessive? Holding on to the one good thing that’s happened to them and waiting for the other show to drop?? Even if it hinders the others ability to seek out relationships with others of the pack??? *cough* Red *cough*

I kinda just zone out and smash dolls together in my mind until I get something I like. Not all that cool of a process, but it’s what works for me.

Speaking of! Let’s use Red and Sparrow as an example!!!

*grabs my mental dolls of Red and Sparrow in my hands and smacks them together*

*loud incorrect buzzer sound*

Yep. Knew that would happen. See— Red is chill around the pack, but there’s not a lot of… feelings??? He has this disconnect inside him, whether from his LV, his trauma, or if that’s simply just how he handles his emotions, I’m not sure.

There’s this wall that he has up. He cares for the pack, and for his brother, of course he does! He’d kill for them. That was never in question. He’s just… distant. The only one who can really, really get close is Comet. And that’s mainly because they’re so similar it hurts. They’re in the same, sinking boat. Drifting out in the middle of the ocean as they keep hammering in nails in hopes they won’t drown.

Red is heavily complex, and no one knows just how to solve him and tell him to stop making so many damn holes in his boat before it’s unrepairable.

He’s smoke and mirrors with knives that will cut you if you take a wrong step.

Sparrow, is also withdrawn. But for very different reasons.

He’s not shy, per say— but he’s very conscious how he looks and how he’s perceived. He knows that he’s not as handsome as he once was (lies), he knows that he looks frightening, even to other Monsters.

His self esteem is very low, it’s been getting better thanks to his pack, but it’s still not great. He hides a lot of things about himself, whether out of shame or for the perceived benefit of the other person is a 50/50 at any given moment.

His status as a sigma doesn’t help. There are already enough stigmas about people like him and Star, if Sparrow can’t do what’s expected of him— if he falls into stereotypes—

…he doesn’t like to think about it.

He’s not as able bodied anymore, and his senses are both dulled and heightened to uncomfortable degrees. He needs to be able to trust the people around him. He needs to know that they won’t think lower of him for his weakness. He needs to know that he can depend on them and they won’t just up and leave.

Red has given no indication that he is capable of providing any of those assurances. He has in fact proven quite the opposite.

At this point in time, Red and Sparrow could never be in a relationship. Sparrow would likely end up cut on Red’s knives and shattered glass, and Red would keep hammering more fucking nails into his boat. Unaware that it’s the very thing that keeps brining in more water.

Augh. So long story short: insanity.

The idea for the story popped in my head and then I stared at characters until the imploded in my brain like a super nova and then they kept forming fun new galaxies for me to explore.

I guess it’s my characters that give me inspiration. I just wanna slap my dolls together and see wtf happens, I have no idea where I’m going and I’m equally as surprised as you are at every chapter🗿🗿🗿

I just wanna see Edge be soft and have his little found family, and to feel like he’s allowed to exist in the world despite his sins.

I wanna see Grim be an absolute menace and Get Bitches, because he loves his idiots and just wants to live life at his laziest.

I wanna see Bear put a ring on as many hoes as he likes and get to be happy and smug and purr as he crushes them (lovingly) in his nest.

I wanna see Stretch be soft and fuss about his mates and then punish them for their stupidity with various pranks.

I wanna see Star huff and lovingly bully his mates into being kind to them selves, forcing them to take it easy or face the wrath of Self Care days.

I wanna see Comet get yoinked out of his tiny shell and actually mean it when he smiles his little bastard smiles, and to be able to reach out and form other relationships within the pack.

I wanna see Black get his ass Wooed and his icy rain bloom into spring showers because he feels loved and able to be soft and love in turn.

I wanna see Blue live his life to the fullest and prioritize his own feelings sometimes and remember that it’s okay to want things.

I wanna see Sparrow have each and every one of his boo boos kissed and told that he’s handsome and I want him to accept it and be confident.

And I wanna see Red get a happy ending. I want to see his sharp edges, both the ones facing inside and out, to get smoothed out. I wanna see this bastard get soft and mushy. I’m gonna turn his ass into a grumpy marshmallow just you wait.

And of course, I want to see Nerma be the spark that gets this thing moving.

I’m just a simp…. That is all 😔

[deus-ex-mona]

unnecessary comparison of the day!

volume 5’s release of one of asuna’s chapters changed the subject of her stan twt cancellation posts from mona to miyu (of frusu)!

[orimuraa]

ㅤㅤ ༊·˚ Like a fantasy - OT7

꒰ 𝔖𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 ꒱┆tropes enhypen would be ⨾

۶ৎ ot7!enhypen x fem!reader ┆fluff┆kisses, headcanons┆ wc 1k

⤷ 𝐲𝐞𝐣𝐢’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: hehe..someone get me a man like ni-ki 😔 reblogs and feedback appreciated ^^ comment or send in an ask if you think i should write individual oneshots based off of these scenarios 👀

꒰ঌ ℬℴℴ𝓀𝓈𝒽ℯ𝓁𝒻 ໒꒱

𝑳𝒆𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒖𝒏𝒈 - 이희승

hehe ok..hear me out...but heeseung definitely gives brother's best friend trope

like, imagine your jake's little sister

and heeseung is always at your house bc of jake

and you've developed a small crush on heeseung but who wouldn't

but you're scared that jake will be mad, being the overprotective brother he is

heeseung has also been silently crushing on you, too scared of his best friend though to make a move

so when he comes clean to jake and shockingly gets jake's go ahead to date you (after a bribe with ramyeon), he's rushing out to plan the perfect way to ask you out

idk but hee just seems like the type to be a forehead kisser bc he knows jake does NAWT wanna see him smoochin his little sis

but yeah <3 he loves you so much and is so grateful to have you <3

𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒈 - 박종성

uhh ok soo...i'm feeling maybe co-workers to lovers? don't question it

i see jay as one of your friendly co-workers who is insanely hot and you may or may not have a tiny crush on him

but it's okay bc he likes you too >//<

your desks are next to each other and so you have gotten many opportunities to talk and get to know each other better

he brings you coffee every morning as a sweet gesture

i feel like he would confess about his feelings first, then ask you out on a date

he's so over the moon when you say you've liked him too for a while now

when you guys are working, he'll definitely steal a couple kisses ���

the office most definitely ships you guys too

𝑺𝒊𝒎 𝑱𝒂𝒆𝒚𝒖𝒏 - 심재윤

childhood besties to lovers.

period.

he's so loser coded too...

like, he's know you since forever and he's also liked you since forever >.<

jake is so whipped for you though lmao

he's definitely the type to chase away all the guys who are interested in you because he's jealous~

jake is always at your house because duhh he's jake and he can be

no but seriously, i think that it would be like you catch feelings for him too, but you're scared of ruining the friendship so you distance yourself a bit

but when he confronts you, he ends up tripping over his words and accidentally spilling that he's liked you for years now

big on kissing cause he's so loser coded <3

jk i love him....but he's just childhood bestie material

𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒏 - 박성훈

so uhh i don't know what this one is called...but basically, sunghoon's super popular and he's like, a jock and all that

but you're kinda quiet, nerdy, and less about being in the spotlight

and so sunghoon is kinda dumb and failing some of his classes, so the teacher assigns you to tutor him

at first, sunghoon thinks he's gonna hate this, but when he sees you, a gorgeous, sweet girl, he decides to make it worth while

he's such a flirt yet you're a pro at ignoring it, making him fall for you even more

eventually, he gets you to fall for his charm and then asks you out <3

he's never been so happy with someone and you really bring out a playful side of him

sunghoon has no shame kissing you whenever and wherever

so you better get used to all the attention now >//<

𝑲𝒊𝒎 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒐𝒐 - 김선우

sunoo kinda gives strangers to lovers but like, cafe version

so he works at a cafe that you have just discovered and you really love it so you become a regular customer

you've always been too shy to ask the front worker for his number but you can read his little name tag that says his name is 'sunoo'

sunoo knows you as "pretty cafe girl" not having the guts to ask you

eventually, sunoo grows some balls and writes his number on a napkin one day, handing it to you along with your usual order

"hey, i think you're really pretty and i would love to get to know you <3 xxx-xxx-xxxx -sunoo"

AFGHJS he's so smooth

he'll take you out on a couple dates before making things official with you

and let me tell you, he absolutely adores you and you're the best thing that has ever happened to him <3

𝒀𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒘𝒐𝒏 - 양정원

screams academic rival to lovers

you and him have always been neck and neck with each other in terms of academics

you've beaten him in certain classes and so has he, fueling your hatred for each other

but one day, you get paired to work together

and at first, you hate it and you hate him

but slowly, you start to realize just how kind and funny he is

jungwon has a similar encounter because after a few study sessions together, he realizes that he really has no other reason to hate you

your smart, sweet, funny, and really pretty, so he thinks, why not just become friends? why continue this rivalry?

when you two start dating, it shocks the whole school because wdym the two rivals are dating now???

occasional teasing about higher scores still happens tho <3

𝑵𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒂 𝑹𝒊𝒌𝒊 - 西村 力

ni-ki kinda gives like, enemies to lovers ngl...

but not really true enemies, just kinda like, he teases you a lot and you find him annoying

you don't exactly remember when it happened, but one day, ni-ki just stopped teasing you completely, replacing all the teasing with kind actions

this confused you so bad and when you questioned him about it, he just shrugged it off, hiding the blush on his cheeks

turns out, he's actually liked you for a while and when he went to get advice from his hyungs, they told him to stop annoying you and start being kind

this is all revealed to you when you actually become friends with him

you also confess that you've had a small crush on him as well and he's so excited >//<

he will ask you out so quickly bc he's just so happy that you like him back (OH MY GOSH HE'S SO CUTE TT)

but yeah, he still enjoys teasing you very much <3 just not as much

𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬: @en-diaries, @k-films, @k-nets

⚘. Perm taglist: @vmpivory, @yuvany, @seozii, @pinknjm, @greentulip, @jomisu, @nxzz-skz, @ancnymcnzjy

[cupcakeshakesnake]

HELLO UM-

Your little Harbour PotC AU gives me absolute life, just for the record. Even tho i am very very late, thank you for making it :D

There is a headcanon I got that wouldn't leave my brain after looking at your art, originating from that one conversation between Beckett and Jack where there were some implications about canon being everyone’s previous lives. Whether this is actually a part of your au or not, it got me thinking eheheh

Theoretically, (perhaps in an au of an au, if this headcanon contradicts your lore,) what if your au and canon were the same 'verse, just several hundred years later? And what if not everybody were on their second life?

We obviously have a sprinkling of supernatural stuff, so what if the secretly-a-goddess Calypso and immortally-cursed Davy Jones were the OGs that they were in the films? Like, Davy Jones maybe came back somehow (as per movie 5's end-credit scene lol) and took back the role of the Dutchman's Captian after Will went back to Shipwreck Cove. All is good.

He learned his lesson now and actually does his job of ferrying souls. As times changed, so did his ship, in some magical way. She's no longer a sailing ship, and he'll always miss that, but he doesn't mind all that much. His crew usually only stay for that 100 yr contract, so he's seen plenty of sailors come and go. Eventually, he even hires living mortals. Less people die at sea, so by the 20th century, Jones takes a mortal job as a fisherman (or whatever his job is in your au) as well.

Whether or not he knows about the whole reincarnation thing doesn't really matter; the day he employs a familiar man by the name of Bill Turner, he chalks it up to coincidence. Even if Bill has a son named William, well- it's been 200 years, perhaps it's just a really really big coincidence. Either way, it doesn't matter to him.

It's not until he's docked in a small, out-of-the-way harbour, and three troublemaking kids sneak onto the Dutchman that he finally realises. Bill's boy, on his own, is just a matter of coincidence. Those three, together? It's unmistakable. And as bothersome those three pirates were, so long ago, I'd like to think that he looks back on that age, on those people, with some kind of fondness.

(Until he discovers they can be the most INFURIATING little gremlins he's ever met in all his centuries. But he'll find that out later.)

Anyway I drew it :D Have my humble, scribbly offerings.

(I feel bad about running away with this, even as just a headcanon-of-an-au, please don't take this as a 'you should do this' lmao, it's just me adoring all of your content it makes my brain go brrr you are amazing thankyou!!!)

This is so lovely 😭😭😭

The idea of Calypso and Jones being the same ones from canon but just... having had a lot of time to chill down and have a second chance is so??? Imagine what Jones must be thinking looking at those kids... this is so bittersweet (but mostly sweet)

I'm sorry it took so long to respond, I wanted to write a proper reply expressing just how much I love this but couldn't get around to it. Hope you don't mind me posting this publicly; I need everyone else to see this as well.

[mazuriri]

4.6 update

I'm continuing my thread on Lyney x traveller since Lyney can’t stop showing his ‘feelings’ 👏 (and I write here because I've run out of space to put photos in the other thread).

＊ Arlecchino’s story quest :

During Arlecchino’s quest, it was predictable to come across Lyney and his siblings, along with the inevitable moments shared between the magician and the traveler. Their paths crossed right at the start of the quest in Poisson, with Lyney who calls them from a distance.

The introduction of Lyney x Traveler right from the beginning of the quest is just heartwarming. It's truly delightful to witness their joyous reunion after being apart for such a long time. One cannot help but notice Lyney's excitement as he spots the Traveler from a distance and eagerly call out to them, and the Traveler reciprocating the same gesture is simply heart-melting.

As a fan of this ship, these small actions hold great significance for me. The previous interactions between them have paved the way for a newfound sense of friendliness, which is beautifully exemplified by the Traveler's warm greeting "It's been too long." This reunion with Lyney marks a significant milestone in their relationship, showcasing the evolution of their bond.

The traveler's arrival never fails to ignite a spark of joy in Lyney. This has been demonstrated multiple times and it is remarkable how this simple encounter can instantly brighten his entire day. What is truly comforting is that Lyney doesn’t hide his enthusiasm, openly expressing his delight at their reunion in Poisson.

According to him, this encounter seem destined, as if fate itself has orchestrated them.

After Arlecchino proposed that the traveler should stay in Poisson for a while, she then requested Lyney to entertain the guests, to which Lyney willingly agreed, expressing that it had always been his dream to welcome the traveler into his home and introduce them to his siblings. While others may have different dreams, Lyney's dream was centered around introducing his family to the traveler, as family holds immense importance to him. He had previously expressed his desire to invite the traveler to his home, considering them as a part of his own family. Now, in this quest, his long-awaited dream has finally come true.

(Now his dream has come true, will he have a dream to ask the traveler in marriage lol?)

This guy meticulously explained his process in Poisson, only to discover that it presented an ideal opportunity to exhibit his culinary skills to the traveler. Of course, Lyney... Go above and beyond to leave an even greater impression, as if your magic tricks weren't already enough.

Also dear magician… Other people have something else to do than show their talent in cooking 🤨 (Maybe he wants to be a skilled husband who can cook for his beloved in the future LOL)

As Lyney prepared to hand over the supplies, Chapleau was rendered speechless and filled with astonishment upon coming face to face with the famous traveler and Paimon, whose names had been circulating extensively in discussions among everyone.

Throughout the encounter, Lyney appeared either irritated or nonchalant, emitting an aura of "Dude... there's no need to be so shocked" or "Hey, don't stare at my crush like that" (Could it be that he was feeling jealous? 🤨 There are various interpretations of his expression in that moment, but let's assume it's jealousy lol). He even cautioned him and the other children to refrain from potentially annoying or frightening the traveler and Paimon.

(Let’s not forget that he was the one who was excited to introduce his siblings to the traveler and look what face he makes lmao, he can’t be more obvious.)

The traveler has gained immense popularity, and it is all thanks to Arlecchino and Lyney. Both of them constantly talk about the traveler, and Lyney never misses a chance to mention them. Arlecchino, on the other hand, not only talks about the traveler but also brings up Lyney in her conversations. It is amusing to see how Arlecchino knows about the bond between her son and the traveler share. (I will come back later about Arlecchino's perspective on their relationship)

This has led to children being well-informed about the traveler, with Arlecchino and Lyney playing a significant role in spreading awareness about the traveler's presence.

You know what’s the funny part? The irony lies in the fact that Lyney previously mentioned the traveler's fame within the organization, which raises the question of who is truly responsible for their popularity. It is evident that the traveler's popularity is attributed to the detailed accounts provided by Lyney and Arlecchino, as confirmed by the children during their conversation (because they told so much about the traveler according to Foltz and Chapleau.)

Lyney my boy… there is no way to avoid the children because it is evident that you have been discussing the traveler's actions quite often. This is why they are so well-informed about the situation. Alrecchino also contributes to this knowledge by frequently mentioning Lyney and how the traveler has been of great assistance to them.

Following Freminet's disclosure regarding Clervie, Lyney opts to engage in a private discussion with him in a secluded corner to address familial matters. The traveler and Paimon detect the escalating tension between the two and grow apprehensive. Consequently, they make the decision to intervene in order to avert any potential conflict that may arise between Lyney and Freminet during their conversation.

Paimon emphasizes the bond of friendship among the group, highlighting the shared experiences they have already gone through. What made me smile throughout was that the Traveler immediately agreed with Paimon and didn't hesitate to help Lyney and Freminet. Unlike in the past, there is no trace of doubt or suspicion, they were ready to offer their assistance. As they say, sometimes guests can be useful and Lyney immediately understood what they meant.

The Traveler's bond with Lyney and their siblings has been solidified as one of friendship and care, leading them to offer their help despite the dangerous circumstances. Lyney, aware of the risks involved, attempted to dissuade the Traveler from getting involved, but his pleas fell on deaf ears as the Traveler remained steadfast in their decision to stand by their friends. They just couldn't abondon the siblings, and that's the traveler we all know.

Lyney finds himself at a loss for words, but he expresses his sincere gratitude to the traveler for their assistance once again. The traveler's willingness to help in such a situation deeply touches Lyney, and he is truly moved by their continuous support. The numerous times the traveler has come to Lyney's aid have left an indelible mark on his memory, and he feels an immense sense of gratitude towards them. Each action taken by the traveler holds a special place in Lyney's heart, as he genuinely cares about their well-being. Despite his initial concern for the traveler's safety and his desire to shield them from harm, Lyney understands that they are not easily swayed by his protective gestures. As I mentioned before, he really wanted to keep them out of it, but knowing them for a while now, Lyney already knows they wouldn't easily accept what he would propose.

It is in this moment that he utters the heartfelt words, "I'll protect you like my life depends on it." This statement reflects Lyney's unwavering commitment to safeguarding the traveler, even if it means putting his own life at risk. He is truly willing to protect them at all costs, even if it means putting his own life in danger. He only cares about his family, including the traveler since Lyney considers them family too. It may seem very sweet at first but if we delve deeper, Lyney's words reveals a profound level of care.

• Do you remember when Wriothesley 'kidnapped' Lynette, causing Lyney to panic as he was ready to give himself to Wriothesley in exchange for Lynette’s release. In Arlecchino’s quest, he became upset with Freminet for putting his own life in 'danger' with Clervie's situation. Although Lyney said that the others will be punished by Arlecchino, he was especially really worried about Freminet, showing genuine concern for him. Lyney's deep-rooted fear of losing his siblings is palpable, as he cherishes them dearly and is willing to go to great lengths to protect them, showcasing a touching and sad aspect of his character. We already know that this is not the first time that Lyney has acted in this way, we have already been aware for a long time that Lyney will not hesitate to put his life at risk for his siblings.

However, it remains unclear whether Lyney values his own life or not, but what is certain is that he is ready to sacrifice his life for his loved ones.

(Here for example, Lyney immediately threw himself to protect Lynette before Freminet blocked Arlecchino's attack.)

Personally, I have the urge to give him a wake-up call and remind him that his life holds just as much value, urging him to be cautious. This is the reason why Lynette became angry with him during this quest, and I can empathize with her. Let's be honest, Lyney's actions come off as self-centered : he chooses to deal with the situation 'alone' and doesn't want Lynette to know (same situation in Lynette hangout), but unfortunately, she was there the whole time and got angry at everyone, especially Freminet and Lyney. (I swear their siblings relationship makes me emotional)

———————————

Upon knowing the secret activities that had been occurring behind her back, Arlecchino resolved to take matters into her own hands. However, just as she was on the verge of initiating her plan, Lyney stepped in to intervene and prevent the situation from escalating further (with Freminet, Lynette and Chapleau). Regrettably, their efforts proved to be in vain. Nevertheless, Arlecchino decided to change tactics : they have to fight her.

Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet all agree to this, prompting the traveler to recall the consideration given to them by Arlecchino. Before the punishment, she had asked for a consideration from the traveler and had clearly stated that when the time comes, they must make the appropriate choice when the time comes. Now, that moment came at the time of the punishment of the members of the house.

The traveler carefully considers Arlecchino’s words and because they had made a promise to do so, they ultimately make the choice to support Lyney and the siblings by joining them in battle. It brought a smile to my face to see that the traveler had decided to fight alongside Lyney and the others, as they too didn’t want to witness the 'traitors' get killed, which is understandable. However, their motivation was also to assist Lyney and show respect for his decision. Lyney is also taken aback by the traveler's decision to join them, and I am confident that he will appreciate and acknowledge their actions.

✨ Extra :

I hadn’t mentioned it in my previous thread but I have now made the decision to address this topic and delve into Arlecchino's perspective on the traveler.

Lyney's trust in the traveler is a significant revelation, especially considering his usual guarded nature towards others. This newfound openness towards the traveler showcases a level of comfort and confidence that Lyney rarely displays with anyone else, making it a noteworthy point in their relationship.

The significance of Lyney's statement to Arlecchino, where he identifies the traveler as the person he trusts the most, cannot be understated. Arlecchino, being well-acquainted with her children, understands the weight of these words and the depth of trust that Lyney has placed in the traveler. This revelation sheds light on the unique bond between Lyney and the traveler, highlighting the exceptional level of trust that exists between them, a bond that transcends Lyney's usual reservations towards others.

In the house, each individual see themselves as “family”, prioritizing their connections over engaging with the outside world. Arlecchino emphasizes the significance of regarding a stranger as a family, highlighting the gravity of this notion. Moreover, it is important to acknowledge that they are fatui and opening up to other people outside the house is crucial. Arlecchino understands that the children, particularly Lyney, hold an affection for the traveler. Therefore, when she emphasizes the importance of the traveler valuing this friendship, she warns the traveler to take this friendship seriously, that they should not break this relationship or it could lead to unfavorable consequences.

Arlecchino, after careful consideration, decided to place her ‘trust’ in Lyney and the other siblings. She effectively conveys to the traveler the depth of friendship that exists between Lyney and his siblings, emphasizing its significance. The traveler, having witnessed this bond, is not only accepting of it but also respects and admires Lyney's relationship with his siblings.

They literally have the blessing from Arlecchino since she supports and respect them. With the 'Father' now endorsing the friendship her son shares with the traveler, and Lynette supports what her brother feels (she told the traveler to take care of him many times), Lyney is indeed fortunate to have the blessings and support of both his ‘Father’ and sister. So….

When is the marriage lol?

———————

That's all for this analysis, it was to be expected to have moments between Lyney and the traveler in Arlecchino's quest, I mean... it was OBLIGED. It is now evident that the Traveler considers Lyney and his siblings as genuine friends and is willing to assist them in any situation, despite their affiliation with the Fatui.

Speaking of which, Arlecchino expressed her intention to make Lyney the next 'King' of the house if he stays, to which Lyney reluctantly agrees. Throughout the conversation, the Traveler remained silent, not objecting at all, simply listening throughout the conversation. Despite the fact that the house is part of the Fatui, the Traveler respects Lyney's decision. The development between them is remarkable, and I am pleased to see the Traveler finally opening up to Lyney despite their past, always being there for him and his siblings. Their friendship is truly endearing, and that's why I love them. Everything they have overcome in the past is now ‘resolved’, and they are always happy to reunite.

Despite the focus being primarily on Arlecchino in her quest, Lyney and the others played a significant role, and their contributions were exceptional.

[reggie-hedgie]

Since I actually really enjoyed the last payday post…. Have some heisters x reader garbage-

Side note, I forgot Duke in the last one, should I add him to it- this is also without the ships I mentioned in the last one, just one guy each-

TW: standard payday stuff, implied death of past partner (not yours), implied drug use (Jimmy, ofc), alcohol use, clingy partner (Jimmy again), mentions of being wounded (nothing explicit), implied violence against the police

Characters:

Jacket, Hoxton, Wolf, Duke, Jimmy, and Sokol

___________________ENJOY!________________

Jacket- 🐔

-He’s caught between wanting you to love on him and wanting to love on you.

-Honestly, he’s very wary about getting into a relationship in the first place, since the last one… didn’t end very well- ifykyk… plus, heisting isn’t the safest job.

-once he feels safe enough to get into a relationship with you though, he’s definitely sticking closer than he had been.

-He seems like the type to just want to be near you, maybe just hold your hand to know you’re there, especially when he’s sleeping.

-He has zero issue what your love language is, he gets it. Physical affection? He’s your teddy bear. Gifting? He’s keeping everything and taking great care of each thing. Acts of service? He does things for you as well, making your life easier. He basically mirrors whatever your thing is.

-He likes kisses and cuddles, he wouldn’t mind getting lots of those if that’s your thing. He personally likes giving kisses on your face and neck, if you don’t mind it. Hands feels too formal, and anywhere else… well, that’s for behind doors.

-with cuddling, he likes you on his chest, he just likes to see you comfortable and content. He likes laying on your chest too, he just likes being close.

-He’s very good at listening, for obvious reasons. He likes if you ramble, he likes seeing you enjoy something. Besides, it gives him ideas of things to get you for holidays or your birthday, or just because.

-As much as guys usually like it when you wear their clothes… you’ll want to warn Jacket before you borrow his jacket. Mostly because it’s a comfort item for him, and he’d like to know where it is at least.

-He’s not really a “go out to eat for a date” kind of guy. Especially since suits aren’t his thing, and it’s hard to order without it being awkward. He much prefers just a quiet movie night with pizza, and of course, you.

-He will lovingly scold you if you come back beat up, but happily bandage your wounds, cleaning them with utmost care.

-Usually he just cleans and patches his own wounds, but if you want to return the favor, you’re the only person he’ll allow to do it. Couple goals, you clean each others wounds, awwww

Hoxton- 🇬🇧

-Ah yes. British man. Love them.

-Honestly, I can’t see him being all that touchy to start with. He may call you questionable pet names but he definitely has to warm up to being cuddly.

-Once he does though, he comes up behind you and hugs you around the waist, maybe giving you a kiss on the neck, cheek or the back/top of your head, depending on your height compared to him.

-Very standard pet names once he gets past the awkward first month, he’ll call you ‘love’ and ‘darling’. If you’re on the short side, I can absolutely see him calling you ‘shortcake’ or ‘short stack’.

-As for cuddling, he seems like he’d like you on his lap, or having his head on yours. Chances are, he’s too big to sit in your lap, and even then, do you want a stinky British man on your lap? Idk, maybe you do, I don’t know you

-Again, I think he cooks pretty poorly, so don’t expect breakfast in bed, but sleepy morning cuddles? Absolutely. You go to get up, he just drags you back into the bed, tucks his face into your neck, and goes right back to sleep lmao

-Far less lax when you come back beat up, he’s torn between being absolutely PISSED that someone hurt you at all, let alone bad enough that it needs more than just a kiss and a plaster, and stressed that you’re hurt.

-The cops are getting their asses handed to them the next time he goes on a heist, he’s MAD. He absolutely patched you up, maybe even giving a little kiss over the bandages once he’s done. 🥺

Wolf- 🇸🇪

-The lovely man himself, I can’t imagine him being anything other than a big sweetheart when he’s not committing crimes against the Geneva convention

-Honestly, things don’t change that much between friends and dating, he’s just more affectionate and cuddly.

-I can see him being on a heist, seeing something that he thinks you’ll like, and just pocketing it for you, happily giving it to you when he gets back

-Lots of kisses, and just leaning against you when you’re sitting together. Definitely likes holding your hand, maybe playing with your fingers.

-He likes when you ramble, although I can’t guarantee all of it sticks. He’s not intentionally ignoring you, he just likes seeing how passionate you are that he forgets to actually retain the things you’re saying, and his brain doesn’t run at full power (just like me fr)

-Like hoxton, but less outwardly pissed, more like “how do I make them pay for this?”. He’s cleaning you up, kissing you better and cuddling you. He honestly feels guilty, even though it isn’t even remotely his fault.

Duke- 🥃

-Much like Jacket and Hoxton, he’s definitely cautious, just because he… isn’t honestly very good with relationships. He seems like he really needs to get to know someone before he can develop feelings.

-He’s more of a gift giver than a hugger (he’s a lover not a fighter- oh wait no, he just stabbed a man)

-But he doesn’t mind if you are more snuggly.

-I can see him laying in bed, reading something, just stroking your hair while you lay with your head on his chest. That’s his kind of cuddling.

-He’s very domestic, all things considered.

-Oh my god, if you do art, he’s gonna want to see your work. He’ll respect you not showing him everything, or not wanting to show him stuff until it’s done, but he will eat up anything you show him.

-He’s very good about GOOD constructive criticism.

-“Darling, that looks lovely. Perhaps next time you could do this here? Just a little extra something. I don’t make art though, you’re the expert. You are the art.” (Need someone like him in my life 😔)

-If you get hurt, he’s angrier than when his suit came back from the cleaners with a stain it didn’t have when he left it there. Not at you, although he will gently lecture you about being more careful, staying in cover, things like that.

-The cops are getting hell though, he’ll make sure of that.

Jimmy- 🦘

-Oh boy… here we go

-I can see him drunkenly flirting with you, and if you bring it up while he’s sober, he’s redder than the blood on his shirt lol

-You aren’t gonna get a minute of peace, unless you make it very clear he’s being ultra clingy.

-Cuz he’s clingy. Extremely clingy- He’s the small spoon 110% of the time, sorry lol

-Also, you’re never gonna not have white powder on your clothes… it’s like owning a white cat and wearing black clothing

-He’s a thigh guy imo. He likes napping with his head on your lap. Partly because he just crashes and slumps and that’s where he ends up most of the time, but if he had a choice, he’d probably still lay on your lap.

-If you come back hurt? Oh man… someone is getting punched by him because he doesn’t regulate well… it’s probably gonna be Dallas, let’s be real.

-He isn’t really very good at helping with wounds, so he might go find someone who is, like Joy, or maybe Bonnie. He’s apologizing too, he feels terrible, even though again, it isn’t his fault. He’s like a dog with separation anxiety for a while after, if he wasn’t already obnoxious enough lol

Sokol- 🏒

-He’s iffy at the start, but once he gets used to love and care, he wants more.

-Russian puppy behavior who said that

-I feel like he doesn’t have enough trauma, so he’s gonna have daddy issues

-Love didn’t come without conditions, so you’re just… loving him? Why?? What do you want in return??

-it takes him a while to trust that you aren’t going to withhold affection for dumb shit, like missing a text or not hearing you the first time, but once he gets it through his head, he’s all yours

-He likes laying his head on your shoulder, just enjoying your company. Maybe a neck kiss occasionally, he just likes feeling you being there.

-He likes when you play with his hair, it makes him feel special :3

-Trace his face or just hold his face, and you get to enjoy a melted Sokol

-if you get hurt, he’s surprisingly attentive. He’s used to patching his own wounds, so he knows what he’s doing. For whatever reason, he acts like he’s treating a kid.

-not like he’s mocking you, but like, he makes jokes, he’s super gentle, he tells you what he doing and warns you if something is gonna hurt. If it’s really bad, he gives you his belt to bite on so you don’t wake the whole neighborhood around the safehouse

__________________________________________

There you have it, my favorite goobers dating you! Thanks for bearing through how long this is-

[39nyx]

so. i just finished the winter soldier: cold front. and oh my god.

background: I never got into Marvel before Marvel Rivals gave me an excuse to. And I have specifically become really into Bucky/The Winter Soldier. I was so close to watching just the Captain America movies purely for him, but my best friend wanted me to properly watch all the MCU movies together. Problem is: he’s been sick for a bit, I have a newfound obsession with Bucky Barnes, and I can’t watch the movies he’s in yet. So I’m sitting here like a poser reblogging Bucky fanart with no prior knowledge save for a short rundown of his lore.

UNTIL I find out from a YouTube comment about this book. And that it seemingly has its own canon separate to the comics/MCU. So obviously I picked it up from my local library that day.

Therefore awkwardly enough this is my first real source of official Bucky content. I don’t know what’s changed here besides the book-exclusive characters. But I seriously enjoyed this so much. (spoilers ahead!)

I looove the back n forth between 1941 young Bucky + 1954 “Agent Vronsky”/The Winter Soldier, all the subtle parallels between the chapters and the way we slowly start to piece information together.

I think Ginny was a fun character, and seriously added to the heart-wrench. Especially when we see her die before we’re even through with their backstory T-T

I also oddly really loved Rostova. She was an interesting character because the way we see her, sorta through Bucky’s perspective, she was pretty much the only person seemingly there for him/backing him up. So even I found myself liking her before I remembered, like, where we are LMAO. That mixed with the small bouts of suspicion that would come up… Obviously I knew we couldn’t trust her, but she gave the illusion that she was different, that maybe she cared.

Which makes the end of the book. Oh, so much better.

It’s funny, knowing how the story will end, but still finding yourself rooting for Bucky to make it out.

Bucky struggling against Rostova, literally shot in both legs, talking back, being the most defiant and human she’s probably seen him, and it actually affecting her. How much easier it must be for her to do her job when he’s nothing but their soldier, an empty shell of a person. And when she finally gives in, and they exchange names, a piece of who they really are, SHE DIES, TOO— Everyone around this man just gets taken from him.

Another part I’m obsessed with is where Bucky starts realizing he’s missing memories and checks for all his scars, none of which he has any recollection of. Like, this whole idea is so terrifying, seeing these permanent marks of traumatic injuries and not even knowing where or when they came from. And the fact that one of them is from a suicide attempt??? When he was describing all the scars he found, and the one on his wrist was described, I was like… Am I misunderstanding?? Is that actually what it sounds like, only to be later confirmed, and ughhh. There’s something that just hits so different about a character who wants to die because they should have died, where death would actually be a mercy. But, still, he’s denied even that. (God, where he begs Rostova to kill him…)

And STEVE— oh my god the crumbs of Steve we get in this book. I almost wish there was more, but I guess that’s where the comics/movies come in, huh. But I can’t get over the way he was described in the small scene we did get. Bucky’s in such a low/lonely place and is immediately so enamored by/drawn to Steve. (not in a ship way bc the book goes by what i think are the comic ages but)

“His eyes were the blue of a gas-range flame, and Bucky felt himself leaning toward the warmth.” (367)

LIKE HELLO?? omfg

And another random thing in the 1954 chapters, he seems to nearly always have some sort of pain or discomfort in general/regarding his arm. Like, he’s just never comfortable, I really liked those little details that add to the terrible setting/vibe.

Ugh. This is a very messy jumble of my thoughts but I really really enjoyed this book, I nearly finished it the day I got it. I don’t know how it holds up in regards to greater canon depictions, but as something who is new here… so good!!!! so painful!!! I love my tragic characters and oh god is Bucky Barnes a tragedy. I actually want to buy this book at some point to own it bc 1) the cover art is sick 2) i wanna reread it now 3) i’ll definitely wanna reread it after watching the movies

I also want to draw, like, all of that second to last chapter. ack.

[practically-an-x-man]

ok but am I wrong? /lh

Quicksilver + Lionfish = Silverfish

Random funny thought but I just realized that if I'd paired Peter with Madison instead (which wouldn't work tbh he's too impatient for her) their ship name would be Silverfish XD

Omg that's a crazy ship name

[mannatea]

now that i'm back from vacation i'm literally soooo ripe for running my mouth again

looove that post about the fic-to-original pipeline tendencies that i don't need to repeat here because we know what fandom and what ship and every trope most of the popular serial-numbers-filed-off novels sprang from. i didn't wanna add my big fat two cents to that post because i'm truly a nobody but it won't stop me from screeching into the void on my own tumblr post lmao.

it's no secret that most of these stories worked as "file the serial numbers off" novels because the original fanfic work was wildly out of character (He Would Not Fucking Say That to the nth degree), an AU completely disconnected to the characters (There's Really Nothing Left of Your Blorbos*), and the author's greatest weakness is actually writing consistent or even interesting characterization.

*for example: the canon features a character who comes from extreme hardship and poverty but then the AU fic-turned-novel pops up and that character is living better than my DINK ass in a wildly more expensive area with zero explanation. that's not even close to the same character! and that's not even going into how their voice doesn't even sound close.

(call me bitter if you want since all my original publications are in various states of disarray, but it's actually a lot more complicated than iwishthatwereme.jpg, primarily because I do not wish that were me.)

ANYWAY, what i wanted to say, besides just agreeing with literally every word of that post, is that there's something interesting to think about with regards to the in between stories where the (probably an) AU fic is so well-done and well-characterized in a way that feels accurate to the canon and/or to the new situation the characters are in that you literally can't just file the serial numbers off and publish it.

this is hard to explain in a way that makes sense because most of these are big AUs and on paper should be fully publishable by filing off the serial numbers. however, they were written with the canon in mind—and are entrenched in it to the degree that filing off the serial numbers just doesn't feel like enough of a departure from the canon for the author to feel comfortable doing the bare minimum to make it "publishable."

and like, maybe technically you can still file off the serial numbers, because who is going to recognize your srpg blorbos in a sweeping drama taking place during the french revolution lol, but as a Writer Who Gives a Shit, the connections to the original work are SO SO HARD TO IGNORE and for the story to be fairly reinvented as original fiction, those connections have to be reexamined and, at times, reframed. or, you know, deleted entirely (and then you have a domino effect to contend with).

sure, no random person is going to connect the long modern au i wrote with kender in 2013 to fire emblem 7's pegasus sisters, let alone see hector, eliwood, ninian, and So Many More in the story...but i know that most of the dynamics were based on fe7 blorbos. i know where the $20,000.00 check concept came from—not to mention all that juicy power dynamic drama. and i don't think i'd be super comfortable just changing the names in that story and then publishing it with a cursory edit.

i'm not saying that specific work can't be turned into original fiction (it definitely could be done), but because it exists in that in between space of being based more securely off of canonical elements/characterization/ideas, it's not as easy or simple as just changing the goddamn names.

the work involved in making an in between fanfic publishable original fiction is INSANE most of the time, especially if you want to (in good faith) be able to direct fandom followers that way. like anyone who knows me and knows i've written hundreds of fe7 fics would clock that modern AU instantly if i only changed the names. sure, the story's still pretty original (it features a lot of elements not seen in the games at all) but if you know me and then see me writing a story that revolves around three sisters you'd be like Things That Make You Go Hmm.

for the record, i don't think this is a bad thing in the sense that I fully believe it's fine to be inspired by other works even heavily (The Lion King/Hamlet, for example, or Demon Copperhead/David Copperfield), but i think intent matters here! only changing the names when the original was so earnestly a fanfiction feels lazy.

fwiw, i'd argue most people who are even remotely normal about fanfic and original fiction, or at least consider themselves Serious Writers Who Care About Their Image/Integrity recognize the massive effort involved to rewrite an entire AU fanfic as serviceable original fiction.

it's a ton of work and, i'd argue, rarely worth it**.

**ymmv on this though

again, i could fine tune that fe7 modern au into an original story SO easily by changing the names and doing line edits, but i think the story and the characters deserve more effort from me than that because if i'm going to invest myself in turning fanfic into original work, i refuse to take shortcuts.

and it's SOOOOOO wild to me that so many people just literally do not care and do the bare minimum...but wilder still that they make good money doing it. (which, to be fair, i don't blame them for doing. it's obviously working for the people who never had a fanfic phase and have money to spend.) however, in this instance...i don't believe in "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

to be clear, do whatever you want! i just can't fathom putting in less than the bare minimum effort for published fiction but i'm curious about how other people feel about this. the publishing industry is so fucked up and shitty right now with the state of self pub and authors having to do all their marketing even in a lot of traditional publishing situations, so maybe i'm an idiot over here sitting on a goldmine since i have the ability to churn out nonsense stupid AUs constantly and could very easily have original fiction pieces due to that if i cared less about the quality of my work (and cared less about separating it from the source material).

like, is it me? am i maybe the dumbass?

[tricodekus]

me and my friend love ur tsukihina sm it became one of our OTPs now 😭🥹 we can't stop sending each other tskhn hcs every day jdjskdsjk Methinks tsukki is def one of the ppl who misses shoyo the most after he left for brazil .... he tries to act like he's nonchalant so he routinely just sends shoyo ONE message a week so he doesn't look too obsessed

and he tries to sound sarcastic as usual "shoyo u look like a roasted marshmallow did u forget ur sunscreen lol 💀" "shoyo wdym u havent had breakfast yet ur never growing taller lol 🫢💀" "shoyo why tf are u msging me at this hour isnt it 3am in brazil (tsukki saved brazil time in his phone💀) go to sleep shrimpy💀💀💀💀" but deep down he keeps denying that he misses & cares for shoyo, how uni is too exhausting and .... Quiet without this boisterous midget by his side :(

in reality his idgaf act was all for nothing bc he's the one who messages sho the most among their friends (everyone else got too busy to text LMAO)

HELLOOOOO oh my god! That makes me happy because this ship is perfect and needs MORE FANS!!! lmao.

And you're ABSOLUTELY right,,, he'd be jumble of emotions... just waking up like wheres shoyo.... i wonder what shoyo is doing right now... to being like IDGAF!!!!! and then back to oh i forgot to send shoyo his text today....gimmie a second.... he's so whooped it's actually hilarious and quite wholesome.

ALSO THE OVERUSAGE OF THE SKULL EMOJI IS SO FUCKING FUNNY omg. shoyo definitely has tsukkis name as "tsukki💀" as a form of endearment ahahahaah.

WAIT OH WAIT OH NNO please......theyve been separated during tsukki's uni years ur right. oh im not okay. BUT Hinata always sends Tsukishima pictures and he's like "You should come here!!!" And tsukis like "Maybe if flying was free, sure..." (<-- actually does want to go to brazil) and Hinata's like "we could go together!!! :)" and tsukki just stares at the text, breathlessand his heart racing although he tries to ignore it. He's absolutely tactical and on top of everything so you BET that he has the exact number of days in his head, of when Hinata will return.

I mean look at him!!! That's him when his weekly message isn't getting through! LMFAO. Help him, someone,,,, Akiteru....

[youngjusticerulez]

Young Justice PJO AU

Just realised the amount of AU neglect in this damn fandom

So you're getting a YJ PJO AU ✨

So I guess here are the main characters godly parents (according to me ig)

Kaldur: Son of Neptune, the Roman form of Poseidon who is the god of the sea. He would probably be in the third cohort and he is the centurion of the third cohort

Reason: i feel like it's a bit obvious y'know? I would have made him as a Greek but I feel like making him Roman would show his leadership qualities more y'know?

Dick Grayson: Son of Athena, goddess of wisdom, warfare and strategy. Maybe he's a golden child I can imagine that lmao. I'm not sure about this tho so feel free to give suggestions for other godly parents. And also he'd probably be the Head Councillor of the Athena Cabin

Reason: Cuz he's smart and I has a mean strategic thinking

Wally West: Son of Nike, goddess of victory, speed and strength. I would have made him Hermes but I think Nike fits more

Reason: He's a speedster and all, my boy go zooommmmm

Conner Kent: Son of Ares (I'm also not sure about this) my boy would be the best fighter of the Ares Cabin and you can't tell me otherwise

Reason: Ares kids are well violent at times??? And I'm pretty sure they're also loyal. Conner's loyal to the team so- (this is just me trying to make a reason) and the anger issues too (I know he has character development in S3 don't come after me-)

Megan Morse: (we're taking her human form for this) I didn't think this through at all so...daughter of Aphrodite??? Does that make sense??

Reason: Aphrodite kids have Charmspeak and M'gann's powers are a bit similar. Dw tho she's the nice one of the Aphrodite Cabin

Artemis Crock: Daughter of Apollo, of course she's mainly good at archery rather than music or medicine (one of Apollo's favourites shh don't tell anyone)

Reason: now before you bombard me with questions on why not Artemis and what not, Artemis (talking about the Greek goddess) does not have kids, i could've chosen the Hunters of Artemis too but I didn't want to since I still want Spitfire to exist- (I am NOT dooming ships in this AU) and so if not Artemis, why not her twin brother Apollo?

Zatanna Zatara: Daughter of Hecate, I don't know what to put here. ✨ Anyway ✨ she would probably team up with Artemis a hell lot

Reason: Again, I don't really think I should explain this too. It's obvious since she's a sorceress (is that how you spell it?) and all

Raquel Ervin: She's way more harder compared to the others since she doesn't have that much screen time compared to the others (she's such an underrated character smh) so maybe...hear me out now, daughter of Hermes (or Demeter idk)

Reason: you might be like "Hermes? Really?" Lemme explain. I feel like she's got that mischievous vibe going on alright- (yeah I'm still making excuses, tsk tsk -my future self)

Anyway bonus, Bruce is the Camp Director and Black Canary is the Activities Director thing or whatever you call it (i forgot the name)

I'm listening to Epic the Musical while writing this is that normal-

[dreamingkatfish]

Am drunk enough to ramble about idea. So, I love timeloops and more specifically I love NG+ timeloops. Persona 3, NG+ timeloop. It's occurring b/c the Abyss of Time and just running on idea that Yukari and Mitsuru keep winning the fight to go back in time.

Except, no one but Minato remembers, mostly b/c he'd be fucked over by the whole not knowing why time is looping thing.

And I want a fix-it (it's just what I do) and more specifically I want more unethical science experiments to be the solution. (It's just not something that's done often from what I could glean and I think it'd be an interesting way of going about trying to do a Everyone Lives scenario for P3.) That's the jist of it, under read-more will be current thoughts.

It begins with Minato being, rightfully, confused. With it having him slowly try to work through figuring out why the loop is occurring. Eventually remembering how the whole goal of the initial experiments by the Kirjio Group was time manipulation, he goes to find the old research.

With a lot of looking he learns about the abyss, but still doesn't know how to stop it. Only thing he manages on his own is figuring out how to get other people to remember. I'm thinking there should be limits like has to be able to be aware during the Dark Hour ofc, but also a very mean one of: cannot have been present when time goes back. Meaning only two people he can get to help is Ryoji and Shinjiro. Also means, still no one knows why exactly time is looping. However, with Ryoji present, Minato can get the confirmation that it isn't b/c he fucked making The Seal somehow.

So, progress.

I think it'd be Shinjiro who'd suggest trying something else to stop Nyx. Like yeah, okay, The Seal isn't fucked up. But clearly it's caused some other problem, so maybe try something else. Except what to do instead? Because all they really have is information about experiments with shadows to work with. So unless they want to try fighting fire with fire, it's not very helpful.

They try fighting fire with fire. OR well, actually consider it. Problem is none of them are scientists who spent a large amount of time researching shadows, so now they got learn the science behind that. (This au is all in the name of seeing these three interacting. I hadn't originally intended it to be a ship-focused au, but here we are. (What would be the ship name for these three anyway? Guess I'm gonna invent one for the tags later, lmao.)) (Their time together in the timeloop creates an unshakable trust that the others are their ride or dies. It's the mad science which is where the inherent homoeroticism comes from.)

They ofc know there's no killing Nyx permanently, so what are the options? Idea, balancing it out with life. Life and death are meant to exist in cycles, but by having only Nyx and Erebus for death and no one for life, the balance is thrown off and the cycle grinds to a halt. Mind you, Nyx and Erebus are the personifications of night and darkness respectively in Greek mythology. In it they have counterparts for the day and (well kind of but not fully) light in Hemera and Aether. So, why not simply counteract them.

It's not the most reasonable solution ever. However, I think it's an interesting one to consider. Made more tense by the time crunch they'd be under to get that done before needing to just do The Seal anyway in order to ensure the loop continues so that they would have another chance at it.

I have some dubious considerations for how involved with the unethical science the rest of SEES will be. B/c on one hand, Dead Boys Club. On the other, that's gonna be a fuck ton of work for them to do. There's zero shot no one notices that they're doing things. So very much, hmmmmmmm for the role the rest of SEES will play. (Tbh rest of the entire game's cast really.)

But yes, NG+ timeloop au, now with 86% unethical science.

Sober edits to expand upon details added. Primarily after this point (Though one joke addition in brackets above.)

Re:Shinjiro never sticking around long enough to learn about the rest of SEES getting stuck in the Abyss of Time. There's just no world where he doesn't agree to Ken's request and tries to save him. Sure he could try to talk to Ken before that, but this is Shinjiro and man has guilt carved into his bones that the timeloop starting from after Ken's mother's death isn't helping.

But also that requires him knowing what the fuck to say in that situation while he's not dying. And I don't think he'd know. I think part of what gave his words so much meaning before was that he had the action of him protecting Ken to back it up. But without that, he would look like he's all talk. Which wouldn't help either one of them in trying to move on from what happened.

Additionally, even if it did work out he'd just forget that loop entirely bc the cant remember if present when the decision to go back was made. So, him living would not help matters and he'd only become more inclined to let himself die so that he would be able to remember all of the loops and not start forgetting the progress they made. (The alternative I just briefly considered is him forgetting everything but it made me sad, so it's only him forgetting the loop if he makes it to the abyss of time in the end.)

Also the more I think about a ship with the 3 of them, the more insane I get. The 3 people who (want to) die for the sake of others. The way it would bring only them any degree of peace but emotionally devastates everyone else who cares for them. But also then, 3 boys who were happy to give their lives for others now having to learn how to live and look towards a future they never thought they'd get to see, let alone have.

But also how in all versions of the game, in the male route these 3 are the ones who no matter what choices you make, you can never save. (I know there's also Akinari but his situation is one where there is no universe where any choice could be made to save him. Only advancements in medical science would. Meanwhile, the other 3 could technically be saved, but only really by basically abandoning the story playing out and acting as an outside party to it. Or by being someone other than themselves. And i mean you can see it happen in canon even with the femc route. So, while I love him, his death is an outlier among these 3 even if he also is someone who can't be saved in canon.)

And all I can think about is the post about love in tragedies and how it doesn't save anyone, but it was still there and that matters. It was still important even if it never helped. Which I think does a good job at like emphasizing the messages of the game. And I really love relationships that end up embodying the work they're from. (Also means interestingly I don't care as much for Shinjiro and the femc's relationship bc in that case love does succeed. Which while nice isn't quite as thematically satisfying even though it is narratively satisfying.)

[madamefluffnstuff]

TES Crushes

Original here by @pyre-of-pages and tagged by @pocket-vvardvark!

I'll tag @hircines-hunter, @fangsandsoftgrass, @lithiumrev, and whomever else in my circle would like to do this and has not yet already.~

(Pretty sure I'm double-tagging some folks but I don't care lol.)

Which NPCs in TES (all games included!) do you crush on, and why? They don't have to be marriage candidates (in vanilla), just people you find yourself blushing around. Hell, it could be a Deadric Prince if that's what you're into. Name them and say what about them you find appealing! Then feel free to tag a friend or two!

For someone who's been playing Elder Scrolls since she was 15, this list is, surprisingly, not as long as it should be?? Must mean I'm loyal lol

∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘

Skyrim

Farkas. Sorry to disappoint, but he and I have a history: my then friend from High School suggested I romance Farkas because she married Vilkas. So if I married him we'd be sister-in-laws. Of course I had to be SIL's with my friend!! Lo and behold he's actually a big teddy bear and overall a really good character! (We've been married for 10 years now. 👌)

Marcurio. He's nowhere near the level of adoration I have for Farkas, but for someone who complains so much he's a great traveling companion! Plus his spells have saved my hide more than once.

Online

Razum-Dar. Okay, hear me ou- Hear. Me. Out. When I first started playing ESO about 6 months or so after launch (give or take), Raz was the first major NPC I made contact with. Don't ask me what it was; his sweet but teasing demeanor, the way he'd comfort the Vestige after any teammates died, or the voice. That damned voice. Ugh. Love him.

Prince Irnskar. Okay so when I first met the Prince, I was much closer in age to him. I'm not entirely sure what it was, maybe how close he is to his father and how protective he is, little teenage me thought he was sweet! Now I'm older and it's a little weird to think about aslakadff (for the record, according to the timeline he is exactly 18 at the start of the EP line.)

Goveled Herendas. Fam. FAM. This guy is the one who awakened a potential thing for Dark Elves in me. The way he says that ONE LINE HE HAS IN THE ENTIRE GAME made me set my controller down and contemplate my life choices.

Ritemaster Iachesis. Now normally I'm not one for High Elves buuuuut this guy?? I'd make an exception. Dude has the most velvety, dulcet tones and any time I hear him it's like a Prarie dog scouting, I look around so fast lmao. Can you tell I have a thing for husky voices hehehe~

Fennorian. Come on, as much as I write about him that should be fairly obvious, haha. He's such a sweet and caring guy, and his affinity for the supernatural and alchemy is 👌 right up my alley. (Also doesn't hurt his VA is Robbie Daymond.~)

Verandis Ravenwatch. Allllll about the voice for this guy, Jonah Scott could read a phone book and I'd be absolutely under his spell 😩👌

Bastian Hallix. If he were a real live person I'd ask for his hand in a heartbeat. My followers and mutuals know how I feel about him. Not to mention his VA is the same age as me---

Vole. Fam your guess is as good as mine as to what in god's good earth made me like this little weasel. I was this close to shipping him with Ebony. Then I realized I couldn't travel with him :,)

Braghis. Okay not so much a crush as so much I would absolutely 100000% hang out with him. I bet you he has amazing stories to tell. He'd be such a cool friend to have.

Sombren. I have no idea what it is with him but I almost couldn't help but develop a soft spot for him. Maybe how he is with the twins? Could be his determination to help his friends? Dunno. He's most likely too young for me though.

[gem-is-bored]

wowie I wrote something

Hal pov and Granite is my hatchy oc. no clue how I want to format this lmao

Granite seemed off today. Just yesterday they were so excited for their first solo launch, but today they were distant, barely aknowleging that this is their big day. Their whole demeanor seems to have changed, but if I tried telling anyone, they'd insist I was imagining things. They said anyone might act weird due to the nerves. But I've been inseperable from them since we hatched. We were best friends from the moment we could say each other's names. I, if anyone, would know if they were acting strange.

Right in the morning Hornfels told me to come to the museum's Nomai statue. Its eyes were open. Granite dropped by to get the launch codes, I presume, and I tried telling them how revolutionary this is. Could the change have been based on the same phenomenon which allows some objects to spontaneously appear and dissapear? They dismissed my hastily crafted theory, sounding almost bored. I know they are interested in quantum mechanics, and would not miss a chance to discuss this. Instead they stared at the statue. Something about their expression got stuck in my mind. I could not pin down what emotions they may have been feeling, or what thoughts were racing across their mind, and asking them led them to ignore the question. I'm worried for them.

After a brief discussion about the statue with Hornfels, I left the museum to watch Granite launch. I was happy for them, I can only imagine how thrilling it must have been to leave Timber Hearth to explore our solar system, as sad as it also is. I doubt they saw me from up there, but I waved at their ship for as long as I saw it. I wondered where they were going now. They didn't look like they were goung to visit the Attlerock, and I felt a little sad for Esker. I thought Granite would have visited them. As I stared at the sky, my eyes almost watering with bittersweet tears at the thought of not seeing my best friend for Hearth knows how long, I realized that they never got the launch codes. They just stared at the statue and left. How did they activate the elevator? I started to grow more worried.

"Slate!" I yelled their name to get their attention.

They lifted their gaze from the campfire to look at the young Hearthian, and gave them a greeting-nod.

"So. Granite left." I stated the obvious.

"Sure did." Slate replied, their eyes back on the flickering flames.

"Uhmm... they..." I tried to hide my nervousness. "Did they seem... off? To you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they were awfully distant, not interested in whatever happened to that statue – I'll explain later – and I'm quite sure they never got the launch codes."

"Never got the launch codes? You sure? Because they did use the elevator and I'm quite sure I built it to require the code." Slate said sarcastically. "Maybe they got it yesterday."

I was still not convinced. Yet at the same time, I didn't know what I should do. I just stood there stiff, hands fidgeting anxiously. It was frustrating, like the universe itself was ignoring me.

"If you're not going to leave," Slate grumbled, "I might as well admit that yeah, Granite acted weird. They woke up as if from a nightmare, stared at nothing-in-particular, and went straight on their way to you and whoever else they visited, without even greeting me. And they were murmuring whatever nonsense to themself the whole time."

"And you figured that was just first-launch nervousness?" I almost yelled.

Slate responded with a shrug and a: "I'm not one to bother someone who quite obviously doesn't want to be bothered. And I asked how they were when they returned."

A stare that said a lot without any words.

"And they looked fine. Cheered up too." Slate assured.

I was able to relax my shoulders now and rid my frown. I still thought I should try to contact Granite through radio. I needed to ask them directly if everything was okay. A vision of Granite lost, terrified in space flashed in my mind. I did my best to shake it out and begun taking determined steps towards communication with my best friend.

...

"Are they... Are they ignoring me on purpose?" I groaned and let my head hit the table. I probably looked quite pathetic hunched over in this chair, with the walls of a pitifully small room creating a smotheringly claustrophobic space. Bright orange light was beaming from the singular, small and high up window. I leaned back in the chair to allow the sun to be seen as much as it could from behind that damned rectangle. I had a feeling – or at least optimistically hoped – that Granite was staring at the same sun. Whatever comfort that brought, I cherised, although the heat the bkazing star brought upon us was starting to get on my nerves.

Today was an awfully hot day, the size of the room amplifying the unbearable temperature. I decided that it would be best to just go outside, and get some water to drink while up and about.

The old, wooden door creaked open and let a slight gust of wind hit my face with its cool touch. I let out a quiet sigh. Granite would be fine for sure, Gossan didn't make them practice everything under the sun for nothing. And speaking of the sun, it looked weirdly large and red. Just barely different to lead me to wonder if I was actually seeing and imagining things today. I laughed a bit at my own paranoia. Surely this was just a normal day, and surely tomorrow I'd feel better.

[wolfmoonwildflowers]

Ship Tropes Game

RULES: Pick one of your ships and name 5 tropes that apply to them. For each trope, explain why it fits — not just in terms of dynamics, but what it reveals about your blorbos as characters. Think of it as both ship analysis and character dissection.

Tagged by: @starlightsupernovae (thank you!! had a blast reading your rook x illario tropes 🥹)

no-pressure tags to some of my current faves: @postboxrose @khomabrutalist @rook-de-rivas @somuchforahobby & anyone who wants to do it!

Ship: Viago/Rook

This was such a fun way to get into the headspace for writing more of these two! You can read Spoonful of Sugar (which these answers are based on) and know that much, much more Rook x Viago is on the way very soon. 👀

Meet Cute: Rook is heading back to the Lighthouse through the Cantori Diamond when she literally runs head-first into Viago and twists her ankle. Ever a consummate host (the Diamond is his home away from home, after all), Viago personally ensures she is all healed up.

Their meeting takes place in Chapter 2 of Spoonful of Sugar, if you want to see it play out in real time! I loved the idea of them knowing vaguely of one another but not having officially met yet. Their story starts when it's still early-days of the veilguard team coming together. Lucanis told Rook about his contacts, and she's seen Viago from afar, but she's only had the chance to meet Teia. That doesn't mean she hasn't heard tales of the infamous Fifth Talon and his penchant for poison, though. And boy-oh-boy does he have her flustered. 😈

Mentor x Mentee: Many mages utilize spell blades when they fight. Rook, for her part, never did quite get the hang of that technique. Of course, it's never been much of a problem until Venatori cultists and Antaam started flinging themselves at her in dark alleyways. Suddenly, keeping the enemy at a distance isn't always feasible. When she asks Lucanis for some pointers on how to wield a dagger, the Crow offers to find her a better suited teacher; one that has more experience with blades smaller than Lucanis' preferred rapiers. This is how Rook finds herself spending every scant moment of down-time with Viago de Riva. Poisons and daggers pair perfectly together, or so he says. Every time he pins her in a practice fight (which is more often than not, but she's still a beginner so hold your judgment thankyouverymuch), Rook starts to wonder if it might be more merciful just to put her out of her misery.

Poor Rook. From the first time she saw him she thought he was nice to look at. And it's no secret that he's wicked smart. But being on the receiving end of his physical strength and at the mercy of his cunning at the same time is going to be her undoing. I'm having the literal time of my life writing it (and when I'm not writing it, daydreaming about it lmao).

Grumpy x Sunshine: Viago always has this serious little frown set on his face and Rook spends more time than she should thinking about what would happen if she just... kissed him. Right there. On the very corner of his mouth. He'd probably just pull his brows down into a scowl and frown harder, but maybe he wouldn't Maybe he would unclinch his jaw. Maybe his eyes would go a little round, a little soft, as he looked at her. Maybe he would kiss her back.

I am a SUCKER for grumpy x sunshine, especially when the grumpy one is soft just for their partner. Especially especially when everyone else knows that the grumpy one is soft just for them. UGH. PERFECTION. No further comments, your honor.

Allies to Lovers: It's not likely that Rook and Viago would have ever met if not for the necessity of the Veilguard. Regardless of the weight Lucanis' family name carries, Rook knows that treachery comes with the territory when working with assassins. The Crows make formidable allies, but they are just as likely to make formidable enemies for the right price. Having two well-liked and respected Talons like Viago de Riva and Teia Cantori on their side helps stabilize things. It also helps that Teia quickly shapes up to be a dear friend and Viago... well, Rook certainly isn't going to complain about having him around in any capacity.

Viago is an eager ally against the gods because "the Crows rule Antiva and Treviso will be free." Duh. But he's going to have a real hard time coming to terms with the fact that his allyship has gotten all twisted into *gasp* protectiveness and *double gasp* affection for a certain little would-be god-killer. *rubs hands together and cackles evilly*

Touch-Starved: Rook doesn't think that it's strange Viago is almost always covered entirely from neck to toe. It makes a certain amount of sense in his line of work. In fact, she doesn't think much about what he wears at all other than to occasionally appreciate the function it provides. (And to oogle the impeccable fit, of course; but anyone with a pair of functional eyes would do that, right? Gods above it should be criminal for a man to look so good.) The very first time his ungloved fingers brush against hers is after a strenuous practice session. Rook is so keen to grab the canteen of water being passed to her that she barely notices the way their hands overlap a bit in the process. She does notice when he passes her the lid in a way that feels deliberate. She also tries very hard to pretend she doesn't notice the way he holds onto it for just a moment longer than he should, eyes fixed on the press of her fingers on his.

I love this trope on its own but, imo, it plays really well with the others I've outlined for these two! Like, you're telling me grumpy, touch-starved mentor and his bubbly, eager-to-learn mentee going up against unthinkable odds as allies and falling in love isn't the most delicious combo you've ever heard of???

[7-penguins-eat-icecream]

Aventio in To be hero x AU

I just bingewatched the entirety of TBHX (tbf only three episodes so far) and, like with most things, my mind was like "can i stick Aventio here?" So here y'all go

Spoliers for TBHX, up to episode 3 (mostly discussing the concepts in the show)

Premise of TBHX: “faith” turns people into super heroes, i.e. if people believe that someone can fly, then that person gains the ability to fly. Conversely, heroes lose their powers if people stop believing in them. The trust that people place in heroes is measured and collected as data, and the heroes are ranked according to the public's faith in them. (from the wiki.)

In the first episode, this famous hero known as Nice kills himself in front of this Normal Guy called Lin Ling, who is then forced to become Nice, gaining his powers (and some personality traits) because people believe that he is Nice. So his hair and eye colour changes to be Nice's and he now suffers from perfectionsim. The only person who cares about the Original Nice's death seems to be his "best friend"/ (fake) "nemesis".

Premise of this AU: Kakavasha taking the place of Aventurine of Strategems after watching aventurine die. He is found out by Madame Bonajade (the Miss J of this AU) who forces him to become Aventurine.

Like in the show, Kakavasha begins to gain the characteristics of Aventurine, namely his blonder hair (K had "dirty blond" hair) and his unique magenta-blue heterochromia. Honestly loved this concept becuase its very much body horror, like you slowly becoming someone else, forced to take their mannerisms but now you can't ever take of the mask. Here, Aventurine was known to be in his HSR boss form (his face usually being masked during a fight but during press conferences he unmasks) so he looked a bit monstruous, had the impractical heels and unimaginable swag. Kakavasha becomes taller, his posture changes to a cocky gambler's and he develops claws that don't go away.

Aventurine was ofc known to be the Stoneheart's gambler, with people believing that he had divine luck and that he would always win. At first, Kakavasha is hesitant at going all in with his life and body, but soon he is also warped, in a way, by the public's trust in him. Soon the mask of being an insane gambler becomes part of Kakavasha (just like what happened to the original Aventurine). Like even when he's off the clock he can't shake his new-found gambling addiction. When he fights, he makes bets with his enemies especailly when he has a 1% chance of winning. He smiles in the same fabricated manner as the original, even when he's alone. His hands also begin to shake when he makes a risky gamble in battle (for this one, he doesn't know that Aven did the same thing).

OG! Aven was known to be Topaz's boyfriend, turns out they were fake dating for publicity. Like in the show, her powers also become connected to Aventurine because the general public very much shipped them and believed that they were stronger together, so they both get a power up when together (kinda like the anniversary business event LMAO). Topaz doesn't particularly care for OG Aven's death. The show had a bit of a messy love tangle and I want to make it worse: Topaz lowkey loving Madame Bonajade (even though she hates being forced to become Aven's gf, maybe she also believes that Jade is doing genuine good and so her suffering is just for the greater good. Maybe she trusts Jade more than she should. Maybe she feels indebted to Jade because Jade saved her by making her into a hero.)

Sidenote on names: in HSR, Jade only calls Topaz by her real name to invoke trust, whilst she calls Aven only by that name in order to distance Aven to his younger self. In this AU, she sometimes calls Topaz Jelena, but OG! Aventurine's actual name is lost, and soon Kakavasha's original identity is lost too.

AND HERE COMES DR. RATIO WITH ---- IS HE CRYING??

You know how in Crown of the Mundane and Divine, Ratio is initially portrayed as harsh and antagonistic (and does not care about being seen as such), whereas Ruan Mei is portrayed as trustworthy/sweet? Well in this AU, Ratio is a professor by day and a "villain" at night. Ratio was OG Aven's only true confidant (until Aven started to pull away, bit by bit) and is very much in love with him. Ratio wanted to be support Aven by the sidelines until he was like: what if I become Aven's "Nemesis" so that I can draw him away from actual danger and let him rest for a bit. (lowkey has that double indemnity feel to it lol, with both of them fooling people) Aven and Jade know and this solution seemed to raise Aven's spirits until,, well,,

Ratio immediately knows that Kakavasha is not Aven. When he is told that Aven killed himself he withdraws from his confrontation with Kakavasha immediately and is destroyed by how Aven never told him that he was suicidal and never went to him for help and support.

Ratio's "villain" persona has his plaster head and everything. He is a professor with a bad rep, leading the public (who know him as a villain) and his students (only know civillian side) to believe that he has a "stone face" (public literally, students think he shows little emotion). As a bit of body horror for my beloved doctor, maybe his face slowly loses its capacity to show emotion (and only news of Aven's death breaks it, as he was never as emotionless as others believed). Maybe it becomes literal.

Extra note on OG Aven: maybe his status as the last Sigonian was capitalised by Jade, with her creating a tragic underdog tale with Aven being the sole survivor and oh wow look at his beauty and divine luck!! There's a plotline that this rando knows that OG Aven and Kakavasha are not the same, so maybe he tries to trick Kakavasha into describing some Sigonian traditions, customs, culture etc and Kakavasha genuinely does not know. The real kicker? OG Aven also wouldn't know MUCH because the Sigonians were wiped out when he was young and he's been living as Aventurine of Strategems for so long that he can't quite recall much about his people.

A plothole i was suddenly aware of: yh nobody would believe that Aven was in love with Topaz, like look at his boss form!! Literal drag queen getup!! Hes defo gay af!!! Also Ratio only knew Aven AFTER he became a hero, and also does not know Aven's real name.

Ok but fr, even though Kakavasha IS Aventurine in HSR, how would this AU work when they are different people?? Well I kinda wanted to portray Aventurine more as a mask rather than an actual person in this AU, with the cockiness, flamboyance, gambling etc, so uh please have mercy even if this AU doesn't make 100% sense. It's very vibes based and spontaneous.

So if this hasn't convinced you to watch To Be Hero X then may I tempt you with some doomed yaoi? Also its genuinely STUNNING. OMFG.

Also im so sorry if this was AU and the actual show was explained shittily, i am still reeling from the doomed yaoi,,,