#might do the companions next idk i just love these three

[tavshortfortavern]

Imagine: Tav is about to face a near cerntain death battle. There's a high chance they're not coming back from this even with their allies present. Before they run into the fray with their companions, they keep turning back to the person they have feelings for but never showed it for reasons and just decides to go "fuck it" and pulls them in for a kiss. After they pull away they don't wait for the other party to get a word in before running off. Now with less regrets incase they don't make it.

Zevlor

At first regretted they couldn't head in with you but knows you and your companions are the only ones capable of defeating the incoming threat

Is there to wish you luck and give a few words if encouragement but he's internally scared and worried you'll never come back

But then you keep looking back at him and it looks like you desperately want to say something

"Is something wrong? Do you need-" you curse and apologise in the same breath before there's a hand on his cheek and soft lips on his own

Mentally blanks before settling into the kiss. He's in shock but his shoulders relax like usual whenever Tav is speaking to them. He's chasing your lips the moment you pull away but all you mutter is "I'm sorry but gods I've been wanting to do that."

You leave quickly. He's calling your name but you're gone by then to fight the unthinkable

You've effectively left a mess of him. Now he's not just worried for your safety, his mind is spiralling with all different thoughts. It feels like it came out of nowhere. Were his brief looks and feelings actually returned?

What do you mean you've wanted to do that? How long? Was he even worthy of a kiss? What did you see in him? Questions, questions and no answers to them.

If he wanted you to come back before he's absolutely praying for your victory. He needs to see you again but also terrified. He has no idea what he's going to say.

Almost follows after you then but either more people need protecting on his side or he knows he'll get in the way and make things worse.

Just please come back.

Rolan

Picture this, he's there with a rare expression of worry and even rarer words of encouragement. Hes not usually like this with most people.

Their local hero off to save the day again. But even he's worried. This looks serious. Something even out of your league. As you both stare at the battle ahead your suddenly turn to him with an odd expression.

Your eyes dart back and forth between him and the way forward. Of course he's running his mouth asking why you looked like that until it's eventually shut by you grabbing his collar.

He's baffled as you kiss him before pulling away with your typical annoying smile that not just infuriates him but does something else to him he can't pinpoint.

"You're cute when you're flustered." was the explanation before bounding off as if you weren't about to possibly die.

You've left him speechless, staring at your retrating form with a massive blush on his face. Its interrupted by the sound of cheering in the back. His siblings were passing around some money having placed bets.

"Why are you so surprised? They've been flirting with you since they got to the city." "They have not!" "They literally told us they thought you were cute after helping again." "They WHAT"

You were more obvious when it came to flirting with him. Everyone saw when you eagerly walked up to him at Sorcerous Sundries. When you paused noticing that state he was in. When you touched his bruised cheek and asked in a controlled tone "Who did this." That same day his abusive mentor was brutally murdered.

He's grappling with the revelation that you were interested the whole time and his siblings teasing him for being so oblivious

There's definitely an incoming rant in your future if you do survive. But he'll be lost in thought the whole time. Mind returning back to that moment you kissed him, how you look, how it felt. Before violently snapping out of it.

Dammon

Is there to see you off with a new weapon or armor to help you in the fight ahead. He's got full faith in you and your companions. You've done so much already.

You stand there, gripping the gifted item with conflicted thoughts. You've liked him for a while now, perhaps even more but kept quiet for mutliple reasons. In different circumstances you would never entertain just kissing him without permission. But there was a high chance this would be your end this time. And this thought won't leave you. Did you want to leave with regrets?

Your reckless nature and selfishness is at war with your manners (and possibly noble upbringing if thats what you chose) who will win: the free spirited adventurer or the honorable hero?

Time is ticking and there are precious few seconds before danger comes. Adrenaline kicks in and the literal fear of death pushes you to pull him in for a kiss guiltily.

Its desperate and doesn't last for more than a couple of seconds. The typical the world is ending and i might die soon type of kiss. Dammon is frozen, not expecting this. Your not surprised to feel warmth. Besides your self conscious and sense of propriety screaming at you, another voice in your head cheers

"sorry. I've always wanted to- uh a kiss for goodluck?" you pulled away and stammered out. He looked at a loss and adorable with a bronze blush. Equal parts of shame and urgency to face the fight has you running away as fast as your legs could carry you.

You couldn't help the adrenaline high as you ran ahead. No regrets would plague you this time. Going out with a kiss was one of the better ways to go right?

While you were focused on other matters, Dammon was left holding his mouth and staring at your retreated form. Face warm for a long while. He'll have to be there thinking on your actions and words.

You've always wanted to? Was it really just a spur in the moment or something more. Now you had to come back, if just to resolve this plaguing his mind. Its a harder time focusing on whatever work he had.

It seems like he spends a lot of time in thought. He'll be over analysing all your interactions. Wondering what he missed. Did he want something with you? Has to put down his tools to think about it. He'll be so awkward next time you meet, flushed but wanting to talk.

[xo-cod]

141 + reader

hc's when you five share the barracks together/just in general <3 (ooc, rushed my bad lmao, can be read platonically/romantically, reader is v close to them!!) kinda long oops 😩 might do a part 2 idk

nsfw version 🩷

there's a whole lot of testosterone and musk in the air when you're sharing living spaces with 4 men ‼️

all four men compete with each other to get your attention, even if it's unknowingly

whole lotta pouting when you're spending time with more man than the other, you're a great companion ;) and the army is lonely. they all need equal love and attention

speaking of, if you're smelling like one of them the other will immediately bundle you in his arms to put his scent on you instead and to cancel out the other (alpha behaviour 😵‍💫)

whole lotta flirting from each of them. they're all very intelligent soldiers, they know exactly what to say to get you going 😙

all of them adore the height difference with you. you get teased about it relentlessly (out of love obvi)

i don't think they're particularly messy men but ghost and gaz are the most cleanest, they like having their things in order and knowing where everything is

price is next because he's slumped with being captain so you'll see a lot of his paperwork around with coffee mugs from pulling all nighters

soap is more organised mess. it might look messy to you but he knows exactly where everything is

you, soap and gaz definitely have rap battles late at night. it starts of quiet but you'll usually hear price shouting at you three from his bedroom to stfu. ghost threatens to pull a grenade if you don't be quiet

assuming you're naturally a good cook, they'd all be so appreciative :") especially on bad days, your cooking reminds each of them of home (or lack of)

face masks! gaz would 100% be down to do them with you, soap would follow next because if gaz is doing it then he too???

ghost would roll his eyes, continuing polishing his guns with a rag "you ain't putting that muck on my face"

price would just look at you, shaking his head "got too much to do, sweetness"

but you're quite the convincer and all four men are on the floor of your bedroom, gossiping about the last mission with their preferred colour of face mask across their faces

assuming you're the only woman, they get very protective when you're hurt. soldiers get hurt from time to time but its different when it's you

"you alright, bonnie?" soap's gentle voice comes through your room as he hands you a warm mug of your fave drink

gaz had you wrapped in a big fluffy blanket, gently stroking your back

"who was it?" ghost's voice is firm, wanting to know who dared injured the youngest member of their team

"already got a handle on 'em" price follows, looking at the computer. whatever enemy dared to raise their hands on wished they'd be six feet under after all four men are done with them

you're the one each man needs when they're having a particularly bad day which are usually far in few between but sometimes it happens

gaz and soap are the types to seek you out, their faces settled in a troubled frown before they place their arms around you. no questions just yet, they just want to feel skin to skin for now. keeping them grounded before they can explain what happened. they're not looking for a fixer, just someone who'll listen

ghost and price are the type to isolate themselves for a while until it's night and then you'll find them gently knocking on your bedroom door and slipping inside, between your covers. their grip is strong, burying their faces deep into your neck whilst trying to wrap his arms as much as he can. these two won't talk much either, just looking to be held and stroked to calm down

ghost and soap are the type to show affection through lingering touches while gaz and price show affections through their words.

but speaking of hugs, each of them have their own special way they like to embrace

ghost thinks he's being slick but you realise just how touchstarved he really is, he gives hugs with his arms around your shoulders bringing you in to his chest. mostly because he's tall and broad but he likes how he can manhandle you from this position and smelling your scent <3

soap's the type to tackle you in a playful hug, maybe a spin to get a laugh out of you before he gently strokes your skin for a few seconds, a gentle kiss to your temple <3

price likes to hug from behind, resting his chin on your head while he looks at what you're doing. depending on you, his big arms are either wrapped on your waist or your shoulders <3

gaz gives side hugs because he likes linking his arm around your hips and he likes how you fit snugly into his body. and this way he can lean his head against yours and can bring you in closer with his other arm <3

all four can immediately smell you before you come in because they adore whatever perfume/spray you have

each of them would absolutely melt into pieces if you joined them/kept them company in what they were doing

and if they catch you in a towel after having a shower, best believe they're quickly walking back around to where they came from to help alleviate the growing... tent in their pants

lowkey kinda pervy 🫣 (never in a harmful way)

each of them have their strong points and would 100% train you in becoming stronger

even if you're a well established soldier, they all worry for your safety

price would teach you sniper techniques, ghost teaches you combat, gaz teaches you how to sharpen your aim and soap teaches you about explosives and how to construct/dismantle each of them

they take the training very seriously with you

a ton of cursing when their fave team loses lmaoo

if you're avid tea drinker, join the gaz/ghost/price club. if you're not, join the hater club with soap <3

ghost/gaz/soap will playfully fight with you, careful not to use their full strength and not to harm you. but it's so cute to them when you're struggling a little under them.

but when price scolds them in doing so, "i'm just helping in case there's an attack!"

if you're arguing against one of them, another will come to your defence. unless you're arguing all four then it's the silent treatment from you 🤭

all four of them melt when you call them by their real name instead of their callsign :")

ghost usually comes to you when his balaclava is broken and he'll keep you company as your fingers work their magic to the fabric, gently leaning against you as you speak to him

price will let you shape up his beard after you begging to do so and he grows to enjoy those tender moments

soap definitely calls for your help to shape up his mohawk, he trusts your hand to eye coordination above anyone elses

ghost will playfully ruffle your hair whenever you both pass each other

price gives you a gentle squeeze on the shoulder

gaz gives you a soft stroke on your arm or back whenever he's passing by

soap will gently tap his head against yours, not too hard to cause pain but just enough to know that he's there

but above all, the barracks you five share is definitely a safe space for each of them the second they come through the door <333

[niiine]

𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍

Character(s). Wanderer (Scaramouche)

Synopsis. Wanderer's voice lines (omg talk about redundancy) as your slow burn love story.

Fluff, comfort, CLICHE! CLICHE! CLICHE!

Mentions of Scara being taller than the reader. F! reader (because this is safer. I keep messing up gn reader fics because I always put her or any fem pronouns.)

Surely you don't expect me to proofread, right?

Not all of his voice lines are included, only the few where I can write something I enjoy BUT STILL WHY IS THIS SO LONG? Might do Xiao next but idk.

Babygirl Xiao ver.

NAMES

The first time you met was when lesser Lord Kusanali introduced you to the wanderer as his temporary companion. Something the latter deemed unnecessary as he will be staying under the Dendro Archon's supervision for a while.

It would be nice to have someone to talk to aside from me. The archon mused before leaving the two of you, saying something about discussing a few things with the traveller.

Your eyes travelled towards the lad in front of you, slender figure towering over yours. And his eyes— you couldn't point a finger at the emotions blaring through it, He's scary.

You inquire about his name, trying to start a proper conversation that may make him feel comfortable. But then all he did is stare at you for a good three seconds before clicking his tongue and walks away.

Talk about manners.

A bit irked by his actions, you followed through his steps before yanking his sleeves, "I asked what's your name"

The irritation in your voice and your bold actions amused the lad, if Kusanali thinks it's a good thing to have another companion, then surely she'll not complain if he enjoys himself a little, right?

"I've gone by many names throughout my life—" you noticed how he paused, and a flash of misery waved in his indigo orbs "But you can call me anything you want. Just don't disappoint me by your choices"

It took you days to decide, until you learned from the traveler that he was referred to as SCARAMOUCHE before things happen.

When you told the lad that it is what you plan on addressing him as, he refused right away. But your words struck something in him and somehow, he's glad it is what you've decided to.

"You've had so many unwanted things that relates to this name, and I want to turn it around."

SMALL TALKS

He always looks at you with bored eyes and crossed arms before turning his back at your every attempt to spark little chat.

And when I say every time, it means every time. Your first few days accompanying the lad were just awkward with him denying you any form of conversation.

But don't get me wrong, as much frustration it gave you, the wanderer is enjoying it. How your nose scrunch up, vivid annoyance, etc. He's loving how much entertainment you're giving him.

You've caught up to this, you really do. But you just want to feel the satisfaction of making him talk. Besides, how are you gonna comply to your archon's wishes if you can't talk to him?

That is until you stumbled unto the man in question sleeping. His face drawn in between fear and resentment as his chest heaved heavily, a drop of tears adorns his visage— A nightmare.

You shake the man awake, saving him from further heartbreak the dreamland is serving him.

And when he opened his eyes to look at you—archon's, when he looked at you. The steel emotions are gone, it doesn't looks like he's intimidating or anything alike.

To you, Scaramouche looks like a love deprived child.

His eyes flashed pain and exhaustion boring holes onto yours before he regained composure, the usual wanderer now back.

Yet you noticed how his hands still tremble, so you took it in yours, him wincing in the process. "What are your doing?"

"I don't know, but I'm here" you really don't, yet as he laid his head on your shoulders, shushing you as he do so, you know you're doing something good.

"Don't speak. It's aggravating when you try not to be awkward with silence"

ATTACHMENTS

If he weren't so pretty, you might have bruised his face by now.

Three months have passed after your fated interaction with the wanderer. And in such time, your patience isn't getting any longer.

"What? Gonna cry to Mama Kusanali now and ask to take you away from the meanie?" Scaramouche taunted you, just like yesterday, and the day before, and so on. "Such a crybaby, this is why you've got no lover still"

"Hah?! As if you have one! You're so tactless people will scurry away even before you speak" you spat back, missing the way he flinched at the thought.

"Heh? You think I've got a sharp tongue? I just tell things the way I see it. Isn't your problem that you're too sensitive?"

You end up arguing more, of course. But much to your amusement, and unusual worry, the lad toned down his insults for the following days.

You tried to confront him and his poor attempt at being friendly, but it's Scaramouche we're talking about. There's no way in hell he'll let you have what you want.

"Fine, fine. If you don't want to tell me, then don't" you notice how his face contorts into that of his when he's about to insult you, but then he holds it back.

You're not sure where you'll be shocked at. The way he controls his mouth, or his next choice of words—

"Since—since Buer brought you hear, you will not leave me right away even if I'm a bit tactless—right? "

I'M HERE

You watch his eyes narrow at the painful memory as he recalls what his creator did to him. Scara barely talks, and you appreciate the small moments he decides to tell stories about him self.

But when hurt become evident in his indigo orbs, you feel guilty for asking the wanderer.

He probably guessed your thoughts, flicking your forehead and muttering "I don't need pity, dumbass" before hiding his emotions once again.

"I don't pity you, idiot—" you started, gaining his attention. "You're kind. The world did things that made you mean though" he rolled his eyes at your words, ready to say something but you beat him to it

"But I admire you. You're strong. You've been wronged so many times and yet you're still willing to atone"

Your companion looks at you with confusion adorning his pretty face, words long died down in his throat so you decided to speak more.

"They may leave you, but I won't. If there will be a time that the strong you needs someone to wipe your tears, "

You took his gentle digits into yours, on usual occasion, he may have slap it away, but something tells him not to.

"I'm here. I will be here. " and with that, you have his eternal, undying loyalty.

SPECIAL TREATMENT

"Buer told you to bring an umbrella, didn't she?" you pursed your lips at his words. Your archon did remind you about bringing the said item, but then the sun was all high and mighty earlier today that you decided to neglect her words.

"Yes, but it doesn't look like it's gonna rain today!" you huffed, surely he wouldn't be that drenched if you two share his hat, right?

"But it did. So now, suffer"

Annoyed at the lad, and by the fact that he's right, you proceeds to stomp your feet away from the shed the two of you are currently residing, determined to get back to the city before the downpour comes heavy.

The wanderer watch as you angrily walked away from his direction. His idea of staying a little longer outside with you now in the dumps because your stubborn ass can't get a hint.

Sighing, he unleashes his elemental skill and hover towards you.

You met his indigo eyes, annoyance still vivid in yours. "You act like a five year old sometimes"

His words, as usual, irked you. but then the irritation quickly dissipates when he put his hat on your head and gestures you to climb up his back as he kneeled.

"We don't have the whole day dumbass"

You comfortably settled on his back while he secure your knees.

The journey back to the city was silent until you speak, and archons, the wanderer is grateful that his face is hidden from your sight.

"You smell nice"

CONFESSIONS

"Just do it"

You hesitantly placed your palms on his before he maneuvered your body and carried you princess style.

"Scara not too high!" you warned as he gives you a soft chuckle and called you a scaredy cat.

"Look" you heard him say, gesturing towards the scenery the night of Sumeru City can offer. To say that it was breathtaking was an understatement— the image before you is enchanting.

The flickering lights of the busy streets adorned the darkened city, and the stars above aren't taking any competition into account. The air up high is cold, considering the altitude, but something keeps you warm.

Scaramouche.

"It's beautiful"

The wanderer's gaze flicks towards you and saw how in awe you are at the view. He wonders, will you ever look at him the same way? he'll never know.

"Of course it is." he huffed, proud that he get to show you such a wonderful view. He almost dropped you, though, when you voiced out another thought of you.

"Do you consider me as pretty as this?"

one... two... three seconds and you brushed it off with a laugh. His silence is enough proof that once again, you sound so stupid.

"Kidding. idiot."

You thought that the discussion is over, but then when you were about to wave him good bye for the day, you felt a small tug at your sleeves.

You turned around to see a flustered wanderer, his eyes avoiding yours. "There's only one similarity between you and this city,"

He began, not entirely sure of whether to continue his little speech or not.

"I'm in peace."

Your heart flutters at his words. Maybe he feels the same way about you, maybe he doesn't. But he's an immortal, and you have a lifetime.

[dearloonies]

Some thoughts and theories I'd like to share about DGM (Spoilers!)

JUST A FAIR WARNING: THERE ARE TONS OF SPOILERS HERE!!

So I just got into contact with my friend who was busy and aboard and we talked about dgm, about the recent chapter (253) and a few other theories that are floating around in the fandom and, after a few exchange we both conjured up some questions, thoughts and theories:

Is Allen the Dog's name a coincidence? Was Mana even aware of Allen Sr.'s existence? What was Katerina's relationship with Adam? Was it friendship or something more? And who TF is Cyrus exactly? When exactly did Nea met Allen Sr.? Was it before or after his betrayal? How exactly did Lavi Sr. and Allen Sr. met? Were they introduced to each other by Nea?

All these questions, we tried to figure some of them out, one by one! So, let's start with Allen the Dog and the name.

So originally, some of us figured that Lavi Sr. (previously known as Past Allen... 😅) to have met and was even friends with Mana, and that in his confusion and grief, Mana named the dog (his only companion before our Allen) Allen! It made sense, but then 252 and 253 released and we had to go back to serval chapters before. My friend and I thought that, perhaps, Nea might have told Mana of his host being named Allen but then it doesn't make sense for Mana to name the dog Allen. My friend thought that with Mana's personality and deteriorating sanity, might've have been touched... in some way or another that Allen Sr. is willing to become his brother's host and disappear! So, in honor of this unknown man, Mana named the dog Allen. It made sense, but who knows?

Now, to the Campbells! We know that Katerina met Adam, and became close enough with him to mourn and cry when Adam dies/splits and even took in the twins that is essentially, his sons. Katerina is portrayed to be a very loving mother who nursed Mana back to health. Katerina's name means "purity" while her middle name Eve...is already a hint itself to her possible relationship with Adam.

Now let's go to Cyrus whose face we don't even know and is only mentioned like once. Let's first start with his name, because I found it interesting. Now Cyrus is a fairly popular given name and the name of several Persian kings, particularly Cyrus the Great (c. 600–530 BC), but also Cyrus I of Anshan (c. 650 BC), King of Persia and the grandfather of Cyrus the Great, and Cyrus the Younger (died 401 BC), brother to the Persian king Artaxerxes II of Persia. Cyrus, as a word in English, is the Latinized form of the Greek Κῦρος, Kȳros, from Old Persian 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 Kūruš. Now the meaning of the name Cyrus has been and continues to be a topic of discussion amongst historians, linguists, and Iranologist. The Old Persian name "kuruš" has been interpreted in various forms such as "the Sun", "like Sun", "young", "hero," and "humiliator of the enemy in verbal contest" and the Elamite "kuraš" has been translated as one "who bestows care". Interesting right?

So, the thing is me and my friend came up with one, fairly ridiculous but likely plausible theory: Cyrus could be Cross' father. Idk why, but it's what we came up with, now, we do have the theory somewhere that Cyrus = Cross but it's rather unlikely. @allen-fanfan theorized that Cyrus may be the elderly people mentioned in ch. 137, which is, again a highly plausible theory than anything proposed (so far at least). We do know that Cyrus is apparently a very weird and eccentric individual, but I am curious about the fact that Nea mentions how Cyrus is "where the strangely colored smoke". But this is all I have sooo 🤷

Now, let's get into our next topic. Which is Nea, Allen Sr. and Lavi Sr.! Now, I'll have to say that this is somewhat connected to the Allen the Dog theory I mentioned above, but I'll first explain me and my friend's thoughts about these three central figures: Now, Nea and Allen Sr first met when Allen Sr was dying after his entire squad all died, the first question was how exactly did they die? And which military did Allen Sr came from? What war were they fighting? Timeline is important but considering how we were given no dates and only an approx. timeline, ehh... My friend very quickly abandoned the entire "what war?" question. I don't blame her tbh, since the question is somewhat unimportant since we get an indirect confirmation that Allen Sr is likely an ordinary soldier. Anyways, regarding Nea and Allen Sr's meeting, I did post a question whether Allen's wish was to die by his own terms, since, he is...a soldier and all that.

But, the most important question that I do wanna ask is when exactly did our Noah and dearest Allen met? Was it before the betrayal or after? If before, there's this possibility of Nea telling Mana of his willing host, thus the entire theory above this section. But if it's after the betrayal then, well, it would explain why Nea and Allen Sr didn't seem to know each other well despite Nea's apparent attachment but then again according to Lavi Sr, Nea is the kind of person who has trouble admitting he is friends with someone, but still cares for them deeply. So, who knows, he could've gotten attached despite their short-lived time spent together.

Here's my final question asked; when and how exactly did Lavi Sr and Allen Sr met? When is important, because timeline, again is important, timeline would help us better understand the story and it would give us some context on how long our dear characters have known/spent time together. As for the how, it could be a possibility that Nea might have introduced them to each other or Nea might have told Lavi Sr, but then again, how would Lavi Sr know where/who Allen is? If Nea and Allen Sr. ever separated that is, but it wouldn't make sense since it'd be like "hey so you'll carry my memories so that I can reincarnate and erase your existence once I wake up goodbye!" like. That would be so weird and awkward, so me and my friend went to an assumption that Nea likely spent some time with Allen Sr. although it was very brief until Lavi Sr and Allen Sr met. But who knows,idk me and my friend were just bullshitting and speculating about all these things sooo 🤷

Welp, this is all we had, so uh, comment/ask or reblog if you guys have something to add, correct or ask since me and my friend kinda of gave our all about this theories.

[gallifreyanhotfive]

I am so, so insane about your watching the show fic. I have reread it like 4 times by now lol (I am such a sucker for doctor/master and their incredibly toxic dynamic <3). I'm assuming at some point we'll see The Parting of the Ways bc I think Jack is a pretty big source of guilt for this doctor, but would we see The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances? and if you haven't thought abt it, would you consider it? I'm very biased about Jack lol (and the 9th doctor in general), so I'm rly curious abt it!

also, idk how you've managed to write so much in such a short amount of time it is incredibly impressive and I wish I had your powers of. write

Hi hi hi!!!! Thank you so much!!! (Feeling very blessed with interaction rn. Much serotonin. :))

I am also rather biased towards Jack. :) My favorite Doctor changes on almost a daily basis (depending on who I watched/listened to last usually), but Nine is also quite amazing.

I definitely plan on doing all three titles you listed above at some point. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances is basically my favorite Nine story. :)

I'm not sure when I'll get there quite yet though. I tend to plan out several chapters in advance, but even those are subject to change until the moment I start writing them lollll

But the way things are going so far is that after The Giggle we are having an interlude, going away from the new series for a chapter, back to the new series for two chapters, and then going to the audios for a little bit. I kind of have an absolutely crazy plan going on in the back of my head right now (like dear God y'all have no idea the horrors I'm planning on pulling out of my sleeve).

But after I subject them to the next round of horrors, I was thinking of using The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances in particular as a 'cool down,' just as they will be having a cool down period after The Giggle. And I always love a quick reference to the Doctor’s early life of course, which that story has.

Anyway, I'm not going to reveal too many cards yet because I'm cackling to myself about my evil plan rn, but this is sort of the plan as of rn (but as I said, until it is being written, the order is subject to change)

An interlude (and the possible addition of some of my favorite companions I desperately regret deleting from my first draft - seriously I have been kicking myself for months - which would involve quickly catching them up)

A regeneration story (funny as hell considering they're expecting a calm adventure, but the Doctor doesn't even think this one is that bad in comparison...)

Oh My God What Happened to Him (another regeneration story, but this one is Painful)

Poor Clara had to deal with THREE of you?

There's three of you again here too. Who's Vansell? Oh no you got shot. Now your leg is broken. God damn it now you're screaming your head off.

Did Shakespeare just roofie you with ginger?!?!?!?!

You might want to get off that airship. It's going to crash. Did you just save someone who was supposed to die? Oh fuck now you're emotionally invested in her. Oh no now she's your best friend.

Plastic Daffodils and a Doomsday Weapon - Sounds Like a Date To Me

And then the next round of Horrors commence, after which will likely be The Empty Child because yes.

And so on and so forth...

[yume-x-hanabi]

So I've played enough Veilguard that I've finally recruited all companions. I've been enjoying the game so far, but ngl I really miss Inquisition in many ways. I think I'll replay it after this (but I need to finish Zelda too, aaah so many games, so little time).

Anyway, some thoughts so far. (If you respond, please keep your response spoiler free for anything that happens after recruiting the last two companions.)

The three main things I really miss from Inquisition are:

1. Exploration

Like I know, there's a lot to do on the areas we get, but... idk, it feels kinda linear and disconnected at the same time. I really loved how vast the zones in DAI were, like there's this meme about never leaving the Hinterlands but honestly that's what got me hooked to the game in the first place, there was just so much to explore, it felt like the possibilities were endless. Here it's a bit too much like Xillia lol, follow a path, maybe come back later to open up new zones, but otherwise it's pretty linear. (ik it's closer to DAO and DA2 in that regard so it's not like they're changing the formula entirely, but personally I preferred the DAI style and I really miss it.)

2. Skyhold

I know it fits the circumstances better, but... the Lighthouse feels so empty. I miss how bustling the homebase was. I miss going to the companions and talking to them about random stuff. I miss the NPC populating the area (you can find them in other cities mind you, but it's not the same thing if you have to travel to different places instead of just hearing their ambient dialogue as you run around your own castle). I miss the war table missions.

3. Getting a feel of your character from early on

I like Rook but gosh building up headcanon for her is a struggle. We're told next to nothing about her background, so ig you could feel like "great, a blank slate to headcanon in any way" except wrong, because you'll then get details that contradict it later on. I really, really wish they'd either been clearer about certain stuff in the character creator, or even better, let you set things up at the beginning through dialogue wheel choices. Like, one of my fave parts of Inquisition was to develop my Inky through the options given through conversations with companions or story moments. I played a Lavellan, and I had fun establishing her feelings about her clan and elf culture, how she hated the Andraste thing being forced upon her, stuff like that. With Rook, I made her a Veil Jumper elf mage, so I thought she was Dalish, picked vallaslin and everything... only to learn she's not Dalish when picking the option to comment on her vallaslin. But then she speaks elvish and knows Dalish cultural things (which would make sense for a Veil Jumper as she did spend some time with a Dalish clan but I'm told other faction Rooks also have that when it makes no sense for them). Also apparently she might have been in a Circle? Not sure, the game isn't entirely clear but seems to both imply it and not. I guess it's to leave stuff out for interpretation but I would have much preferred it if it was something you could define clearly through options.

Like take the Dalish vs city elf thing - quite easy, instead of that weird comment when picking the vallaslin option in the mirror scene, have several options, one that's like "I remember the day I got my vallaslin like it was yesterday" (cue more options like "I was so nervous/excited/happy/scared/whatever"), one that's "I got it when I joined the VJ", and one that's "I know I'm not Dalish but I thought it was cool". Or something like that. And based on those options you get slightly altered lines when your background becomes relevant later on. Like, please help me build my character, game. Don't just let me make stuff up in my head only and then spring details at me out of nowhere.

A few others things I'm a bit eh about:

Dialogues often feel very stilted. Could be due to the voice acting tho; the voice I picked for my Rook has a rather unnatural speech cadence in a lot of instances, I wish she sounded more like how a real person talks rather than a pre-recorded train announcement lol. Do English-speaking players have the same issue or is it just the French VO?

It feels weird saying this, but where's the discrimination gone? I'm playing an elven mage, and I've yet to hear a single "knife-ear", even in fricking Tevinter. The tension between all the races and mage vs non-mage etc was part of what made this world so rich, so it feels like we're in a diluted version of the setting, which as worldbuilding nerd is pretty disappointing.

The lack of continuity with your previous games' playthroughs. Like I don't need a full report on how my every choices impacted the current story, but I wish we could have carried more over, if only for throwaway lines and little world tidbits. Like talking to Harding about the Inquisition is frustrating compared to how detailed Varric was about the DA2 cast in DAI. And there are some choices I thought would be significant, like who is made Divine, Bull's fate in Trespasser (and whether he romanced Dorian ;p) etc. Like seriously I don't need much, just a throwaway line here and there, which is sad not to even have.

That said, there's a lot of things I like so far:

The little visual details. Like I'm obsessed with the way long hair falls off the shoulder when Rook moves. So cool. Also injured companion's scars fading progressively. Little things like that are pretty neat, I spend a lot of time just staring at the screen lol.

Some areas are really pretty. I also spend a lot of time staring at the scenery lol

The way you can set appearance independent from equipment. Also the personalization of the Lighthouse. Yeah ik I'm a sucker for fashion and interior design options XD

All the accessibility options. I don't really need them, and idk if they're well implemented, but looking at all the ways to customize your gameplay is pretty cool.

Also this is the first time I've actually heard "iel" spoken out loud.

The puzzles. Sometimes it's a bit frustrating to be stuck on a thing until you have more companions (can't help it, I see a treasure chest, I need it now), but otherwise figuring out how to get the stuff can be pretty satisfying. Sometimes I spend a lot of time on it, thinking I should probably come back later then, but end up solving it anyway. I wish there'd be more sidequests tho.

ASSAN. I'm tempted to romance Davrin just for Assan lmao. Also, petting cats and dogs everywhere. The cats purring. Gimme all the cats.

Overall I'm quite liking all the companions so far. There's still a lot to discover about them, but they're all compelling in their own way, and it's always hard to choose who to take along (while in Inquisition I had clear favorites rather easily). Also banter between them when exploring being more frequent really makes me want to bring different combinations to get to know them and help them get to know each other heheh. (Honestly I might end up shipping them between each other more than with Rook lol)

Varric's dramatic storytelling at the end of each story point.

The basic premise. Solas' 10-year grand plot to tear down the Veil being thwarted by a reckless dumbass knocking down a statue and him getting trapped as a result and being relegated to giving cryptic advice in her dreams is peak comedy. A+ execution, would do it again.

Bellara and Neve starting a bookclub. I think I'm more invested in this ambient subplot than in the main story at the moment lmao

[madrabit]

for the fic ask game: 🍈🥝🍍

Heho 💖 thank you for the ask! ☺️

For everyone else feel free to also send me some fruits 🍏🍒🍑🥭 ✨️

🍈 Who’s your blorbo and what are some of your favorite headcanons/ideas about them that repeatedly show up in your fics? Free pass to rant about blorbo opinions. 

To preface this, I love all the boys. They're all very cute/adorable/hot/attractive (take your pick), and they all are amazing musicians and very, very talented! But I think I do let my bias show a lot, so it would come to no surprise when I say my fav is Bojan. (I’m basic ik, but have you looked at his big ass puppy eyes?) 

If you read my fics, you might already guess what this is going to entail. I generally love that he's absolutely tiny next to the others (I’m sure he hates that fact, but it’s cute and him being pocket sized makes it so much funnier, sorry, puppy boi, you're three blueberries stacked on top of each other, I don't make the rules and neither do you). But that’s not a headcanon right?

So yeah, some headcanons I love are writing about him whining and whimpering and begging. He's a vocal boi, so it just makes sense to me.

We also all know about his little naps, and one of my headcanons is him just dropping immediately once he goes tired, idk, it's just very cute, I think. 

One of my absolute fav headcanons is him loving to get manhandled, but once again, we've seen him enjoy being pushed around, so is that really a headcanon or is it just… him?

There are probably a lot more and I think I unintentionally keep bringing up the same things in my fics, if you have any questions about that, feels free to ask some more 😊☺️

🥝 What’s your favorite trope/AO3 tag to write?

Ohhhh, that's interesting, ngl. I like writing a lot of different things and I like reading a thousand things more… but I think my favorite trope to write atm might be friends to lovers, sharing one bed, tour bus is also quiet nice (and very JO focused 😂).

I also tend to like a lot of smutty tropes, like biting and hair pulling, but idk if we then go over into the kink side of the tags and less trope-y 😅

🍍 What kind of AUs do you like? Are there any AUs you hate or just generally have beef with? 

Usually I really like most AUs! It all depends on how it's portrayed and if I like the author or not. But generally I really enjoy supernatural AUs, like Vampires, witches and demons and stuff, but I also am really font of a good dæmon fic (I love the concept of having a little animal companion that is literally your soul, reminds me of familiars of witches and I love that). 

I do also enjoy a nice sports AU if it's not too focused on the sport and makes me read about matches and rules and an accurate paragraph long description of technical gameplay, if I want to read a rulebook I can watch a yt tutorial or google. I also like a good f1 AU.

The classical ones like College AU and Coffee shop, tattoo parlor/flower shop are also so nice to read and always make me happy! 

So there is generally no AU I could say I have beef with from the top of my mind… ohhhhh, okay, no, there is one! 

I don't really enjoy Space AUs… like… the funky Guardians of the Galaxy types or Star Wars or Star Trek are nice and fine. It's space horror that freaks me out, when ppl get lost in space and have to either survive or die alone in the middle of nothing. That might also have to be connected to my dislike of cosmic horror that happens in space (like the Alien movies, which I don't dislike, but just can't appreciate the way other ppl can). If it's like… Alien invasion and it happens on earth its different tho, then it's funky and fun again.

Space is incredibly beautiful and I'm so fascinated by planets, the milky way and solar systems and all the Star signs and constellations, but at the same time I just think I don't like the vastness of it as well as the sheer nothingness and the ominous nature of it all. Maybe it's also just existential dread I feel when I think of it, but I just am not having a good time when I'm being anxious, so yeah 😅

[jamiscrazy4krerdly]

Happy Mermay gamers!! To celebrate I ate a gummy bear and wrote an ENTIRE 60 Chapter mermaid Krerdly fanfic just last night!! Not really but trust me I am tempted, instead here’s something smaller because I found the concept funny. I call this one… “Fishing For Crits”!

EXT. SECLUDED ROCKY SHORE SIDE - SUNSET

Merbird Berdly, posing tentatively against a rock with soggy feathers: I concur, you WOULD make good company for my impending excursions… alas, the only way for us to walk along the same soil is if I beseech THE SEA WITCH *lightning strike x4* to grant me a pair of stick-structured chicken legs and you’d be a PLEBIAN to think I’d go to such lengths for a single travel companion- ACK!

Kris cannonballs into the water, splashing the avi-phibian and further dampening his vaguely water resistant feathers.

Kris, grinning cheekily behind their already kelp-filled hair: Lets go turn me into a merperson.

Kris snatches up Berdly’s wing in their fishnet-styled, fingerless glove covered hands and watches him expectantly.

Berdly, adjusting his glasses (GOGGLES??) as his seafoam irises glimmer: Y-yes! Lets!

-one epic five-minute-swim adventure later-

Kris with their head in an air bubble: *signing at Catti that ghoul should totally give them gills and shit*

Catti with tentacle hair or whatever: k *blasts them with dark magic*

And then Kris swims out the door and shows Berdly (who was required to wait outside) that they are a mer now!!!! YAY!! Then the two of them go off to dress up and travel together and MAYBE fall in love, idk… you can’t really say for sure… its up to interpretation, really… (they eventually make a habit of gazing longingly into each others’ eyes and exchanging ocean facts late into the night as they lock their tails together and lay alongside one another at the bottom of the sea).

The End!!!!

—

Okie that was fun, I’m just gonna type a bunch of randomly selected but definitely Deltarune related thoughts down now. :P

You won’t even believe which character I’m not done talking excessively about yet- it’s CATTI!! This demigirl just unlocked a new pronoun and by the goddess it is he. WOOHOO! Rockin that She/He/Ghoul swag… I probably won’t actively use it in my w.i.p fics because there’s almost always someone with a he pronoun on screen and I don’t want all that stuff to get jumbled up but it will DEFINITELY be in the fic tags and perhaps actively said by Catti ghoulself. YAYAYA!! Y’all have no idea how long I’ve been itching to post about this, applying the he pronoun to ghoul just makes so much sense to me idk how to describe it but yeah. YEAH!

I’m genuinely terrified of writing a Catti POV fic thing because I love a good side character that makes a lasting impression but I could TOTALLY flesh ghoul out more if I tried… maybe after I get through my current projects I’ll consider it.

SPEAKING OF PROJECTS!! I may or may not have three now. Derp. The new one is smaller and I’ll probably be done with it first to get it out of the way but I don’t plan to post it until the first two projects are done but yeah. Don’t think I’m going to do a Halloween fic afterall ;n; but there’s always next year.

Btw this is random but in my first ever Krerdly fic I had the two attend this thing called Alternative Prom and apparently that doesn’t… HAPPEN in the mainland?? I feel like I made it pretty clear what it was but I’m making a callback to it in my super secret fourth project *GASP* so I mine as well address it: Alternative Prom is a dance held specifically for LGBTQ+ teens, basically. I went once when I was in 8th grade and it was MAGICAL y’all… and then I proceeded to NEVER GET TO GO AGAIN because it got cancelled due to covid hitting during my freshman year and it hadn’t recovered by the time I graduated my senior year (this year) so yeah. I really hope it comes back for the future teens tho!! I MIGHT be romanticizing it a bit but oh my godssss was it such a fun night. I still have the rainbow flower crown and pin as a souvenir. I used to wear my pride shit to school like allll the time, I was a rainbow princex and shit!!! Hell yeah!! I’m a frickin inspiration!!

Ok ok less about me now. I lowkey already outright said so in my Valentines fic but I headcanon that Kris and Catti are exes, right? Well it’s about time that I reveal the dramatic story behind their breakup… Kris wanted to kindate Beastboy and Raven from Teen Titan with ghoul and when ghoul said no it was all over. </3 I hope I didn’t make anyone too emotional with that one. /s

BY THE WAY… a new challenger might have entered the ring that is my infested brain. I’m definitely not gonna tell you guys because it’s my little secret OK FINE it’s M.K!! They are the guy ever and I’m DEFINITELY biased due to their iconic role in Undertale (ty Ask Frisk and Co. ask blog for changing my life for the better). Anyway so yeah they’re awesome and they’re precious and if I’m alone for two seconds I’m going to start shipping them with everybody so. Uhm. Idk if the world is ready for my M.K x Berdly rare pair…

BUT THEY BETTER BE READY FOR CATSEI because it’s been festering in my mind an d oo ooh my g osh… it is so based……………. almost too based, honestly. Like in my headcanon-ing brain the puzzle pieces fit together really well (fashionista x fashion designer) but I don’t. Know... there’s like a mental block that’s not letting me enjoy much past the original idea of their first meeting. If I try to envision their domestic life together I end up with big blurry blanks in the picture where their bodies should be. Which is PRECISELY WHY in my SUPER SECRET FOURTH PROJECT that isn’t super secret anymore they will undertake a magical adventure together through a dark world and tighten their bonds and Jockington will tag along and maybe put them in precarious situations and help them… do something idk it’s just a spontaneously slapped on B-Plot addition to one of my older Krerdly fic ideas but idk maybe something beautiful will bloom out of it!! IN DUE TIME, because it’s gonna take a while. Yea yea yea. Plus I need the excuse to write Ralsei more. His jolly little clap has been one of my dominating stims for a while now.

Also!! Also!!!!! Uhm!! @v@‘ Not super related at all but as I briefly mentioned I finished high school recently and it’s scary (bad thing) and I’m not in contact with anyone I know from there anymore (good thing) and like I’m kind of a bump on a log that’s in dire need of a job (the library thing was a student position) and am definitely nearing a low mentally (very bad thing) BUT I am battling so hard and writing helps so much (it’s like the only active thing in my life right now lol) and yeah… it’s giving going into chat rooms in Amino and telling people I’m depressed (NOT SOMETHING I DID I SWEAR)

As a reward for making it this far here’s two out of four of my outfit boards for my not-so-secret third project that isn’t coming out anytime soon!! Once again featuring my ultra cringe sprite edit of Kris that gets me giggling every time and doesn’t even apply here because both of their eyes will be concealed in this one but yeah!

It’s so obvious I’m a Nintendo kid it’s not even funny. -v- (HIGHLY EMBARRASSING!!)

[dinaive]

Khawla bint al-Azwar

a Warrior

Her grave is in Damascus, Syria.

She is big, tall and strong.

She is in the campaigns of the companions that go to Syria to engage the Byzantines. And she goes in this campaign to keep the company of her brother. This is usually, the women would be in the army, that the army of the sahabah and those early generation, usually when the men go forth in a military campaign, the will bring the with the women folk. They will take their mothers, their sisters, their wives, possibly their daughters. Usually they will take women folks who will help them, who will cook for them, who will take care of the sick, and to do other things. Other thing that you have to remember that these women also could fight. They also know how to fight. When it is necessary they would fight. They will encourage the men to be courageous.

In the case of Khawla bint alAzwar, she is there in the army, to keep the company of her beloved brother and he is "Dhiraar" - which is a name means "a person who causes other people harm". It is kind of a bedouin name. Bedouin like names like that. It is like "i cause you harm if we fight, you will be in trouble".

Her brother was Dhiraar, and he was big. He fought without armour, the armours the arab wore during the battle is heavy and so was their swords. Arab also have spears, almost like an arrow, they have thin shaft and they would have a long blade on the spear. Perhaps, they use the spear like sword, they perhaps did not throw it very much.

Dhiraar did not wear armour, he did not wear helmet and he was a frightening soldier. And when he fought the Byzantines, he basically attack the at will, he was so effective, he was so dangerous, using sword, using a spear, maybe he had other weapon like arrow but idk.

And one of the thing he did was, he did not care about common soldier, he did not want to hurt the ordinary soldier. This is actually a good battle technique, if we look at the Europeans, the Swiss was a very good soldier. That was a Swiss technique. The Swiss was undefeated for three hundred years. And the Swiss when they fight, they go to the leaders, they go right to the King or right to the Prince.

Dhiraar was like that too. Dhiraar when right to the head of the Byzantine army - who was the son of Heraclius the Byzantine emperor and dispatch him to wherever he goes. Once he did that, the Byzantine caught him. They overwhelm him. And they took him as a prisoner.

Dhiraar does not come home for dinner. And when he does not come home for dinner, Khawla is broken hearted, because that is her brother. There is poetry of Khawla - Where is my brother, are you dead or alive? was he taken captive? I have to know. It is a beautiful poetry, it might make you cry. And arabs love poetry, they express themselves in poetry.

But the next day Khawla was not crying, the next day she puts on armour, and she put on black armour. So Dr Umar Faruq called her the black night. And then, to conceal her identity, so you do not know she is a women, she puts on a veil. Because the Arab actually, the veil was not distinctively for women. And therefore, she veil her face so that no want know who she is, so they do not know she was a women.

And, the veiling of women, the exclusion of women from the society, that really not part of the prophetic society. Nor was it part of, the Umayyad society. This is a custom that developed in the Abbasid society. And it was taken primarily from the Persians and also from the Greeks. Because the Greek did that too.

So Khawla put on a Niqab, so you did not know she was a women, you can not look at her face, i do not know if she was beautiful or frightening. idk.

Khawla fight just like her brother and she fight by herself. And she terrifies the Byzantines. She did Jihad, but actually she is trying to find her brother. She wanted to now whether he is dead or alive. And the Muslim was astounded by Khawla, they wanted to know who is that, "HERO" not who is that "HEROINE". Who is that hero? They wanted to know from which tribe this hero belong to, because they would want to compose a poetry if the hero came from their tribe.

They say, who is he? Who is he? And Khalid called "him" come with us. Khalid was actually tries to catch her. Would you come join the army, why are you fighting on your own. And he can't catch up with her, she is a warrior, she is a horsewomen, she kept plugging into the Byzantines army, and they were terrified of her. They can't stand in front of her. You can say she is the equal of Khalid Al Walid who has no equal among the men, but if he did had an equal it would be Khawla among the women.

And finally, Khalid finally catches up with Khawla, and he says to 'him' somehow like " i happen to be the commander of the army, it would be really good if you would fight with us. it is not a one man show". And he also say " i was startled, under the niqab, the voice of a women." and Khalid ask her, to explain, and she say, that she is the sister of Dhiraar. And Diraar was lost in battle. And i have to find my brother. And Khalid says, we can help you do that. And then Khalid puts her, right in front. When the byzantines notice the position of the unknown "Black Knight" was in front line of the Muslim army, they was devastated. the Muslim win the victory. And when the Muslin win the victory. Of course, they took the prisoners of war. And Khalid ask the prisoners of war if they know about Dhiraar, and of course they have to describe Dhiraar, he is a soldier, who fought without armour, he was fighting mostly own his own and he is the one who kill the emperor's son. And it does not take long until they would find out that Dhiraar was taken prisoner. And was being march to Constantinople, which century later would be Istanbul.

Khalid says, lets put together a party, and lets rescue him. And Khawla says do you mind if i come? Absolutely not. You are honoured to come. So this party of soldiers, they set out to intercept the party whose taken Dhiraar as prisoner in chains to Constantinople. Who does the scouting ? Who does the tracking ? it is Khawla. She is a Bedouin women. So she is actually the one who discovers, where they are, how they went, follow this path. And then finally she came to Khalid. She ride ahead. She says, we are now ahead of them. They're coming.

Khalid let her lead the attack. And they save her brother. They are able to rescue her brother.

And of course Khawla have a poetry about finding her brother and how happy she is.

On another occasion, Khawla is take prisoner herself. And in this case. The Muslim army would have women in it. And this women as you know that were going was mostly mothers, wives and daughters. they would have a kinship relationship with somebody in the army. And they will fight. If the men begin to lose the women, the women would fight, they will join.

In this case, the Byzantines are able to capture a number of the women. So they get hundreds of women. And it happen, one of those is Khawla, but the don't know that. The women was talking with each other in the camp of prisoner of war, most of them are Yemeni women, most of them are from the southern part of Hadramout, where was most and a lot of the Nusantara ancestors came from.

Khawla is saying to them so women, you're contempt to be slaves? You're contempt to be slave women. to be taken to Byzantine and be sold in the market. One of them says, we don't want to be that, we want to be free. It would be nice if we have weapons - we do not have any weapons. and Khawla says, you do not have weapons ? you dont have tents? you dont have tent poles?

You have tent poles, your tent are being held up by poles. so she organises the women. And she take one of the biggest tent poles. and she says, we will break out at night time. She says you will see the Byzantines (the Roman) have their weapons stack together.

So she says, break those weapons, break them in two. and she with some other women, if they are attacked by the men, they will fight with the tent poles and that what she does. and she liberates all the women.

from one of Dr. Umar Faruq's lecture.

[fiddlin-across-faerun]

Twenty Tav Questions Meme!

tagged by @clandekariios idk who to tag

I. what do they smell like at their freshest? (and/or after a tenday. your choice)

Probably pine, you can actually make soap out of pine tar and remember the inspiration for him is "Devil Went Down to Georgia" and pine trees are super common in Georgia...don't ask about after a day of fighting or working on the farm you don't wanna know.

II. what would their blood taste like to vampires?

Either incredibly sweet, or like whiskey. Depends on if he's had access to sweet tea lol.

III. how would they kiss their LI?

Depends. Could be just a cute little peck on the cheek all the way up to the we might die in this next fight so let's make out like our lives depend on it. Without any constraints I think he'd just like a long slow kiss.

IV. how do they sleep with their LI (what position, does one steal the blankets, is one too hot/cold, etc)?

I think this is going to vary depending on the love interest. But I imagine Johnny runs a bit hot so he probably doesn't like too much cover, but he likes to cuddle so...good luck.

V. what does their tent area look like? where do they prefer to pitch their tent (next to water, covered on three sides, etc)?

He'd have a very simple tent, he's not a fancy guy. Probably a stool or a rug to sit on. His violin and a bottle of whatever he's drinking. He would probably prefer under a tree or by the water. Later it will be whichever spot is closest to the companion he's the most interested in.

VI. if they had a set of dnd dice, what would they look like?

Ah...blue? He likes blue.

VII. do they collect anything (gems, bottles, keys, etc)?

Instruments, hats, boots, animals and booze.

VIII. if either, are they part of the astarion/gale book club (magic & literature) or the wyll/shadowheart book club (trashy romance novels)?

This man can't read. He's either in the animal loving or whittling corner with Halsin or having three am thoughts with Karlach.

IX. if they had to be put in a “get along shirt” with a companion, who would it be?

Either Minthara or Astarion. He legitimately tries to get Astarion to like him, but is always putting his foot in his mouth. Minthy just scares him.

X. do they prefer speak with dead or speak with animals?

Speak with animals 100%.

XI. what are their thoughts on clowns?

Johnny likes clowns...up until Dribbles.

XII. their companions are gossiping about them behind their back! who is it and what are they saying?

Could be anyone. Complaining about his accent, phrases they don't understand, his music and when he's opted to practice, bringing in another stray, bad decisions, his intelligence, and maybe an instance or two where he failed persuasion or performance rolls.

XIII. what makes them laugh? what does their laugh sound like?

It's pretty easy to make Johnny laugh. It's a pretty warm laugh, but also a little goofy, the kind that makes you want to laugh too. He will also do the classic slap his knee and you'll probably hear "Oh/now that's funny!"

XIV. do they have any inside jokes among their companions?

Probably the fact that only Wyll and Halsin know when Johnny says "Bless your heart" that's not a good thing. Maybe he might have a silly one with Karlach.

Ok this is a correct me if I'm wrong, but I think one companion has a line that's like "They could argue in an empty room." that's a southern phrase and Johnny would agree with them

XV. what’s the description of their camp clothes in the inventory menu?

Johnny's simple sleepwear, These well-worn clothes have been repaired several times, but some fixes are coming undone. As if whoever was repairing hasn't been able to do so in some time.

(his mother)

XVI. what’s the description of their underwear in the inventory menu?

Johnny's "drawers", surprising to find these in his inventory and not in someone's tent.

XVII. how do they celebrate their birthday?

Nothing too special, maybe have a casual hang out with friends and or family. Maybe sleeping in and having breakfast in bed with his partner.

XVIII. what modern day tv show would they binge over a weekend? do they get their LI to watch with them?

He would probably be into shows like Yellowstone, maybe the singing contest shows like American Idol. Then again he'd probably watch a lot of stuff like America's Funniest Home Videos and Ridiculous. The man appreciates some good slapstick humor.

XIX. do you have a playlist for your tav? if so, what’s the title + description

Yes...it is 81 songs long (bc I am a country music girlie). Just his name, and it's nothing but country music. As recent as Dixon Dallas's latest song all the way back to Conway Twitty.

XX. if you were to try pickpocketing them, what would they be carrying?

Fiddle, harmonica, Bean, shovel, at least one bottle of whiskey or moonshine, a few pieces of gold, lasso, crossbow. If you're pickpocketing him in Act 3 you can get his recently obtained golden fiddle (yeah the one he bet his soul for).

[kyuusou]

//I fell into the trap of looking at the next-gen Canon X OCs, and here I am. It's nothing serious, just something I enjoyed doing. I might use Sachiko at some point to interact with other next-gen OCs. Idk yet...

If Izumi were to have a baby girl, she’d call her Sachiko (幸子), which means "Child of Happiness". 

I imagine Sachiko to be a little ball of sunshine with the biggest and brightest smile. As a toddler, she’s studious and shows a lot of interest in what she’s being taught. She’s smart and quick to learn. Izumi made sure to raise her in such a way that she stays humble and doesn't look down on others just because she has a head start. Prior to going to the Ninja Academy, Izumi had already taught Sachiko how to manipulate her chakra during their afternoon visits to a large pool outside the village.

Sachiko loves to run over water and stare into the clear water while observing life underwater. As her mother has a tea shop and serves dangos among other dishes, she loves to eat dangos and to share them with others. She’s proud of helping out in the shop. Sachiko totally loves to watch the clouds drift by with her mother while laying in the grass. It’s when she lets her fantasy go wild. She doesn’t like the darkness and is prone to crying when there’s no light in her room. She sustained trauma when she was playing at a friend’s house and they played hide-and-seek. The older sibling of her friend locked her up in a dark closet for hours. She was only three years old. Izumi tries to go outside with Sachiko at night when the sky is clear and filled with stars. Sachiko is still hesitant but will go outside with her mother if she’s allowed to bring her lantern. Dango, Izumi’s pet crow companion, is very protective over Sachiko. Sachiko likes Dango, but she doesn’t like the loud cawing of a large group of crows. It scares her. This is probably due to Izumi reacting negatively to the sound.

Overall, Sachiko is a happy child who’s easily pleased and doesn’t ask much.

Traced over from Himawari.

[the-blivyverse]

Ok! Character Info Dump Time!!!

I've had these guys rattling around in my brain and marinading in daydreams for a while now so I've decided to officially give them spots in the scrimblo roster.

First three are togther! The first two are actually even closer togther than the third one. Idk I just made them and ended up also giving them dynamics with eachother.

Warhawk <- placeholder name but I might make it a moniker she often is known by by others. I was also thinking Kaylus for her name cuz it means "troublemaker" but I'm still unsure... ) She's a highly intelligent highly skilled indivdual who goes around stirring up conflict between factions, be it by stealing important items, instigating gang wars/fights etc. I haven't decided why exactly she does this yet? But I was thinking she just does it out of bordem, becuase she's some sort of guns for hire, or becuase she just enjoys the rush of adrenilin that she gets from it all. Perhaps it's a mixture of all three. She's very much not a morall person though. Personalitywise, she's very level headed and calm most of the time, at least she is compared to her sole companion who's up next.

Weapons Dealer <- ALSO a placeholder name. Weapons Dealer is much more chaotic than her cooler counterpart. And by chaotic I mean absolutely unhinged. She has a very vibrant and animated personality unlike Warhawk and always has a bright smile and a wild look in her eyes. I've got more of an idea of how she looks unlike Warhawk. Her palletes gonna have a LOT of pink in it cuz idk it just fits her in my head. Like her hairs gonna be all pink. She has a very big passion for weaponry and LOVES designing them. She doesn't care too much about money. All she cares about is her employers lending her the necessary resources to create her massive weapons of mass destruction. She just wants to blow shit up. That's it. This is why she sticks around Warhawk; because, as she puts it, "She lets me do whatever I want"

This is entirely what Warhawk and Weapons Dealer's partnership is based off of. They find eachother equally useful. Weapons Dealer provides Warhawk with very useful and effective weaponry, and Warhawk provides many oppertinities and chances to build and test out her creations on whatever Warhawk's next target is. Easy to say, they are both walking a very fine line between chaotic neutral and chaotic evil. idk man I just wanted to make characters that are agents of chaos with zero morals ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Beastcharmer <- placeholder name~ I was thinking maybe Faunia for a name but idk yet Beastcharmer has the ability to befriend any sort of creature, regardless of how hostile they are. She's just very friendshaped to them I guess. She's also got a pet mimic named Nym who spends a majority of her time coiled around Beastcharmer's neck as a scarf(Nym can only change into inanimate objects). Now THIS is where things get interesting. Unlike the last two, Beastcharmer actually has morals. She's much more gentle than they both are and serves as their temporary moral compass. I say temporary because Beastcharmer is classified as a Heightened in their "world".

(I forget if I've ever talked about "The Inbetween City" <- placed holder name number 4 here before. I'm only gonna talk about the parts that are relevent to these characters in this post though so I guess if anyone is really interested enough about it, they can ask. Other than that, im skimming over this.)

So it's very dangerous to associate with a Heightened in the inbetween city since they are seen as incredibly valuable to a certain powerful party that oversees the city in its entirety. I don't really have a name for them so I call them HQ in the meantime. HQ has no quarrel in harming citizens that get inbetween them and their retrieval of Heighteneds so both Warhawk and Weapons Dealer are fully prepared to ditch Beastcharmer if she were to ever end up on the HQ's radar and become a target. Beastcharmer's abilities are concealable though so she's undetectable at the moment. Warhawk and Weapons Dealer think Beastcharmer doesn't know about this failsafe plan, but she in fact does. Why she continues to follow them regardless of this, she doesn't really know.

That's all I got for now. I've actually got one more character to talk about but I don't wanna make this post too long...

[tiredassmage]

3 Least Favorite Companions

Edit: It would sure be nice if I had remembered to put a title on this, wouldn't it?????

Fun fact, Tumblr died in the middle of making this post the first time, but maybe I'll just keep my blabbering shorter for it this time.

Anyway, I started because I naturally was trying to mentally put together who my 3 least favorite companions are because I love seeing asks go around the community and, long story short, I realized I could populate that list, technically, exclusively with Trooper companions and, yes, I realize that's possibly my Unpopularest Opinion. If we count Vik as a freebie though, I can squeeze in one from one of the other classes, though it's sort of like a revolving door case at that point where we get into I just find them mildly annoying or their contributions are lacking to the team or whatever. So that still leaves me with my three strongest opinions are Trooper companions - which also probably explains why it's probably my least favorite class to try to go through and why it's such a slog to get my second one done, rip.

SO. I also decided after all that that I might as well finish what I started and just get the list over with, so, here you go, relatively unprompted, Dot's least favorite SWTOR companions. 4, technically, because I'm going to cheat and count Vik as a freebie and still explain why.

Freebie!! Tanno Vik

Needs no introduction. This man has no business being in Havoc Squad. There's no satisfying way to rebuke his bullshit and get him consequences for his actions once Garza and the story strong-arm him onto your team even though you and literally everyone else on the squad at that point does not like it. I would almost have paid for them to give me Fuse back. In a story rife with betrayals, the fact that we can't excuse the one former Havoc member and have to replace him with actual bastard Vik and turn around and rescue the seemingly wrongfully convicted Dagger Wings is just a left-right-left punch series across the face.

And then this is where I apologize because the next one is probably my unpopularest take, but I'm gonna rip the band-aid off here.

Aric Jorgan

I wanna lead with I, as an outside person, completely understand why he feels the way he does. I get it. And I also agree that what happened to him on Ord Mantell was absolute bullshit that doesn't make sense to me, either. But he also is a stiff, snarky man for the majority of the Trooper story so, on the whole, it's not an enjoyable time. That all said, I don't hesitate to help him with the Deadeyes and we should absolutely nail that SIS bastard!! I agree! I also know eventually he admits, hey, maybe I was wrong about you, and that's nice, but spending so long in opposition does give me, like, active feelings of annoyance rather than passive 'meh' like some other companions, so that's how we ended up here.

I've also never been able to make him my Commanding Officer because the sense of entitlement. Yes, he was already a lieutenant. Yes, it was wrong he was demoted. But very rarely does actually giving people power when they openly claim 'it's obvious' like that actually do favors for anyone. No, Jorgan doesn't strike me as that kind of person, but it still rubs me the wrong way.

But also blue-eyed customization Jorgan is pretty, so I'll still give him that. It's a really nice set of blues. Idk if any of this would be improved by playing a F!Trooper, but I can't unhear my Shepherd (blows a kiss to the sky for her) and I don't enjoy the Trooper storyline enough to play it like... Mass Effect but Star War when I could just as easily go play Mass Effect, so the two I've played have been males. And idk if I'd want to try a romance path starting with such... you know. The start of the Trooper story where you two don't get along at all.

M1-4X

I know I said I could fill this with Trooper companions. It still feels a little cheap to do so. But Forex makes me almost... actually uncomfortable. Similar to Vik's problem in that there's no strong way to disagree with his missions in a way that I'd like, so it ends up being easier to just ride along. But his brand of patriotism reminds me terrifyingly of some American military level shit and coming from a small town with little opportunity, that exact brand of almost blindly patriotic 'the enemy is completely evil and we are completely righteous' just. Mmmm. I'll pass. I'll pass so hard.

Guss Tuno

I actually could probably just cap this list with the Trooper ones because now we're in like meh, take it or leave it territory, but if I've gotta choose, atm I'm gonna say Guss. With a (dis?)honorable mention to Broonmark, who only doesn't make the list because my more off-the-rails DS Sith Warriors can enjoy his bloodthirstiness, I guess. Close call though.

Guss is not necessarily bad. There were times when it was a bit amusing. But the one Smuggler I've finished did spend most of her time rolling her eyes through their conversations because she's a Smuggler, not a babysitter, and I really don't think she was convinced about his use on the crew. And his Alliance Alert is still him just kinda floundering about haphazardly, so ehhh.

[sanzu-sanzu-sanzu]

songs about toxic people 7*

Sanzu Haruchiyo X Reader

Summary: In which you are Bonten’s No. 2 and Sanzu is No. 3. Almost ten years of being stuck working together means you’re both bound to pick up on each other’s idiosyncrasies, yeah?

—

*IMPORTANT NOTE: this is more like an interlude/bonus chapter actually centering more on misc bonten x reader Gen! interactions. it still ties in with the whole story, it’s just there’s less to zero sanzu in this one cus the focus will be more on the other bonten haha, so if you’re here exclusively for sanzu x reader, you may skip this if you like! 😬  

it’s just i got these headcanons that idk what to do with and also they are somewhat short 😭

—

chapter 1 / chapter 2 / chapter 3 / chapter 4 / chapter 5 / chapter 6

chapter 7: We may not be a perfect family but we love each other (until we don’t) - koko

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Koko thinks of cats when he thinks of you; partly from the circumstances of your first meeting, partly ‘cause of the way you sort of simply glide in and out of rooms quietly with the stealth and fluidity of one.

(Although Sanzu had insisted he thought more of ghosts and wraiths, a comment which Koko only made light of even though he wasn’t wrong.)

She even kinda fights like a feline, he’d told Inupi one time all those years ago, as he thought of the way your lithe and minimal movements were always able to take bigger guys down along with the quiet ferocity to match.

Maybe she learns from all the cats back in the shrine, Inupi responded—a joke, essentially, in his own terms. Koko suppressed a smile: cat and dog, you and her, maybe that’s why you two get along so well went his own, sad attempt at humor, because you and your second-in-command were obviously very close and very unlike cats and dogs. The joke, however, sadly did not seem to land, and Inupi’s forehead only creased, his expression dumbfounded.

That’s not how it works.

Koko never forgets the day you were first introduced by Mikey. It’s at the back of Toman’s abandoned shrine, at the edge of the thick forest surrounding the area, that their new leader had said they’ll be meeting Black Dragon’s temporary captain. He never specified what anyone would be doing in the forest at this hour in the afternoon, and neither him nor Inupi had asked, but then there you were: in your bare feet and in your school uniform, attempting to move a big pot of plant from one spot of land to another, your expression almost annoyed. (At the pot, most likely, which did not seem to budge.)

Mikey called your attention still a few meters afar:

“Hey. Whatcha up to—”

in a tone that very clearly did not seem to intend to place whatever you were up to above this particular Toman business at the moment, so really, it would not have made any difference whether you answered or not. Which you didn’t, only glancing at your president once—not with the angry expression, at least—before continuing with your ordeal.

The pot nudged just a tiny bit.

Only when Mikey finally stopped right in front of you and you noticed Koko’s and Inupi’s figures behind him did you finally stand straight, looking at Mikey quizzically. “What’s up?” Quick nods to Inupi and him. “Hello.”

Mikey briefly introduced all of you and proceeded to explain that you were to be formally placed as the Black Dragon’s new captain today, to which your eyes slightly widened.

“Oh, I thought you said tomorrow.”

Mikey hesitated at first but then shrugged. “Hm, they came here already today so I thought might as well. Come on, it’ll be quick.”

You narrowed your eyes at him and then to his two quiet companions but then so agreed anyway, and as Mikey ushered you in front nobody else aside from Koko seemed to notice your lack of shoes. You’d only taken a few steps ahead when you tugged at the sleeve of Mikey’s coat, making him pause.

“I don’t have my Toman jacket,” which was obvious but was not what Koko was expecting for you to say, if he were to be honest.

Mikey looked at you blankly. “Well, where is it?”

“Well, something happened to it,” was your only vague response, but then you turned your head to where you just came from making all three boys follow suit. On a wooden bench slightly obscured by the plants were a family of cats consisting of a mother and her kittens, all sleeping peacefully in a cozy pile on top of your balled up Toman jacket.

“Oh. Okay.” Mikey only nodded like he completely understood. Without thinking about it twice, Sano Manjiro, Tokyo Manji gang’s No. 1—feared around the streets of Tokyo, bowed to no one and stepped over everyone—took off his billowing Toman coat and draped it over your shoulders. “Here, you can borrow mine,” he simply said. “I mean, you gotta look the part.”

Your mouth stretched into a grin.

Beside him, Inupi gave Koko a quick, wordless glance accompanied by that tiny, upward curve on the corner of his mouth that anyone else could’ve missed. Inupi rarely smiled at anything anymore those days—perhaps one of the reasons why this singular, initial meeting had stuck in his mind all these years. It’s one of those memories Koko always thought he could probably live without, occupying a quiet little corner in his mind which, frankly, a much more practical or life-changing memory could have occupied, if it were up to him. But then there you were with your cats and your air of schoolgirl abandon making Inupi smile, an information that he simply didn’t know what to do about.

“Alright, boss. But please, no speeches.”

This made Mikey laugh. “Can’t promise you that, I’m sorry.” It’s only after a few more steps that Mikey did finally notice your bare feet.

“Where the hell are your shoes?”

“Oh, they got wet,” you quietly said. “I was playing with the cats…” and three pairs of eyes stared at you like it wasn’t enough of an answer. “With a hose. Manjiro, I was watering the plants.”

And so you stood atop the shrine steps while addressing the men from Black Dragons, your feet bare and covered in scratches and the Toman president’s much bigger coat over your shoulders. Nobody questioned the absence of shoes—at least not out loud—not with your leader Manjiro right by your side, in his flip flops holding a half-eaten taiyaki in one hand.

The memory comes unannounced in snips and pieces some years later as another Bonten meeting ends. There’s various movements around the table by now, but then Koko catches your undivided staring as you sat across from him, your chin propped up against one hand. He ignores you for a short while as he fixes his things, until he finally decides to look up.

“Anything wrong?”

You suddenly purse your lips in a small smile amidst the gloomy and rigid air of mid-morning Monday meetings and for a moment, it’s as if Koko is thinking of another memory.

“I just realized you kinda look like my Mr. Kaku,” is all you say. The little remark makes not-your Kakucho look up from the document he’s reading without really turning his head, while Rindou who is seated beside you squints—in curiosity or amusement, Koko can’t tell. From his own right side, Takeomi is slowly angling his head as if meaning to take a better look at Koko behind his curtain of silver hair.

Mr. Kaku, of course, is your pet cat, the one with the smooth silver fur that you’d rescued from an abandoned site during an out-of-town business trip some months ago. You and your unimaginative pet naming sense landed on “Mr. Kaku,” in honor of your then-partner Kakucho who had volunteered to keep the cat inside his bag thru the doors of the hotel that didn’t allow pets. But he looks nothing like Kaku, Manjiro had quipped, earning a few grunts of approval from your ever-biased circle, but you couldn’t have been bothered so you stuck with the name.

Koko is quick to decipher that in your-speak, cat comparisons are more or less compliments and never a form of insult—not that in your mid-20s, you all haven’t already gotten above petty verbal affronts, after all. So he humors you, eyes now back to his things but with his attention still on the matter at hand. “What, is it the hair?”

“Yeah, it’s the hair,” Rindou says before you can answer, his head lolling lazily on one shoulder. “Can’t believe no one had noticed before.”

“And the eyes,” you simply nod. “They both got these nice, sharp eyes.”

Would you have named him Mr. Koko if you thought he resembled Kokonoi before? is the one lingering question that none of the men around you bother to ask.

It’s only a couple of weeks later, after another Bonten meeting, when Koko hands you a souvenir from his weekend business trip: a red cat collar with a customized pendant, a tiny enamel engraving of your Bonten tattoo. The pendant is black on one side and gold on the other, and the small gasp you let out makes every head in the room turn—the almost unfamiliar, genuine sound of delight thawing the usual morning’s stern atmosphere.

“There’s a shop right across the hotel where they make rush engravings like that.” Koko is saying casually like it’s no big deal, but he sees the expression on your face and he can’t help but grin. “Thought Mr. Kaku might like it.”

Your eyes perk up at the mention of ‘Mr. Kaku’ like Koko is the first person to ever acknowledge that Mr. Kaku doesn’t need to be named anything else apart from ‘Mr. Kaku.’ “Oh, it’s perfect, Koko. I’ll send you pictures once I make him wear it,” you say, your attention instantly back to your hands, choosing to ignore his ‘I think just one picture might be enough.’

From the other end of the room, Sanzu is making his way towards the door. “Congratulations,” he smirks as he passes by behind you, quirking one eyebrow up at Koko. “Now she won’t be shutting up about it all weekend,” because Sanzu will be spending the next three days with you over in another city to conduct business with another drug scion, of course.

Across the table, Kakucho only sighs before shaking his head. “I still wish you could’ve picked a better name for your cat,” he says—a valid complaint, Koko thinks bemusedly, now that your own Mr. Kaku looks more like a feline version of himself.

chapter 8 >

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this one goes out to my closest friends the ones who make me feel less alien

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[forest-of-cheem]

my initial reaction to the power of the doctor was… well. bloody loving every single minute of it.

now that i’ve had some time to think it all over…

(under the cut because spoilers!!)

thirteen

this really did feel like such an excellent send-off for her.

she might well have made my favourite regeneration scene of new!who. the way she was so desperate for more time… but in the end, went into the sunrise with peace and happiness, and no regrets except wanting to know what comes next… and the visuals, on the clifftop with light shooting off in all directions…

the AI hologram!! i love that it was responsive rather than just reeling off the standard “if you’re seeing this, then i’m dead” message.

i love how expressive whittaker is. just. her face is doing so much, all the time, and it’s brilliant.

yaz

she’s come so far…

watching her pilot the tardis with her notes!! and even being able to catch ace as she was plummeting from the top of a building!!

i love her literally shoving the master to the ground and taking the tardis with her.

not to mention the way she fooled his ass, and forced him out of the doctor.

she carried the doctor!! yaz really stepped up and said i will be the goddamn hero today!!

i get the sadness over no thasmin kiss, but i guess. to me it makes sense, in a way. it’d be more painful for them to have some intimacy now when 13 is right on the brink of regenerating. and i’m a sucker for a tragic romance.

especially when new!who has only really seen two doctor/companion couples get romantic kisses in its entire run - 11/river, and 10/astrid. (yes, rose kisses tentoo, but he’s part donna, so i would argue it doesn’t entirely count.)

idk. what i’m trying to say is: romantic associations with the doctor rarely end well, for multiple reasons. that we got explicit confirmation of 13 and yaz’s mutual feelings at all is enough for me.

the master

dhawan is the best new!who incarnation of the master and i will die on that hill

inserting himself into all of those paintings was so uncalled for and so unnecessary, and i loved it

ra ra rasputin… artistic poetry. a masterpiece of the screen.

the master wearing 13’s outfit?? i am half-feral. i need more of it.

not trying to be rude, but i genuinely don’t get the people complaining that his plan/motives were too confusing/unclear. like… it was pretty clear to me…

“don’t make me go back to being me” i WILL cry.

playing the recorder when yaz abandons him…

and the way he squealed when the elevator doors closed on the way down to the bunker?? this episode really said here’s all the things you never knew you wanted sacha dhawan to do.

he was delightfully unhinged throughout this entire episode. if rtd doesn’t bring him back, it’ll be a damn crime.

fourteen

look, i love 10. he’s my favourite doctor. but i am… conflicted about his return.

for one thing, i simply refuse to refer to him as 14 when that’s supposed to be ncuti gatwa!!

also, 13 leaves full of optimism and excitement, and then the first trailer for next year sounds all gloomy and severe?? i’m not feeling it.

also, i already feel like those specials simply will not compare to POTD. this was THE anniversary special for me, and it wasn’t even really intended as such. this ep had old doctors and companions alike, and so far the 60th is three episodes of… 10 and donna. and that’s it.

some of my bitterness here may well be the fact that i’m already sick and tired of seeing people all ~hooray the boring mediocre woman is gone it’s time for my favourite MAN doctor, yay, doctor who is saved!!~ like. shut the fuck up already.

everything else

no surprise that dan left, but tbh i feel like that could have been reworked into him leaving at the end of the preceding ep. it feels weird having him only at the very beginning and then near the end.

gonna be honest, before this ep i thought kate stewart was a perfectly decent character, but simply didn’t care much about her. but she was excellent in this episode, and now i definitely want to see more of her!!

the group for past companions is such a fantastic idea and i’m amazed it’s not been done before. everything about that bit was perfect. and it was so cool seeing classic companions! even if i didn’t have any real idea who they were!

this episode is gonna be what makes me watch classic who. i tried several years ago but… i got bored halfway through the second episode. keep meaning to go back, but i never have. now i definitely intend to.

on that note, i thought this was a great introduction to ace and tegan. their bits with the AI hologram were very sweet and have left me really wanting to see their classic stories.

i really thought vinder was gonna be the timeless child daddy, and instead. he was just there. he helped yaz, fair enough, but what was he even there for in the first place?? are he, bel and karvanista investigating alien shenanigans too now??

me, pretending to be shocked when graham arrives, despite having known for months about that set photo circulating of him and dan together…

all in all, this was a top-notch episode for me. my only quibbles are with dan’s early exit, and vinder’s presence feeling a bit random… and tennant’s return that may or may not go down well next year. idk. i have faith in rtd to deliver a fantastic era, but i have my doubts as to whether this is the way to kickstart it.

all else aside, jodie whittaker and mandip gill have made one of my favourite tardis teams, and sacha dhawan has cemented his place as my favourite master. and despite most of my actual predictions for this ep being wrong, i was right about this: it was chaotic, it was heartbreaking, and it was wonderful.

[shintorikhazumi]

(Dianakko Week) There’s no way she- (3): “There’s no way she tamed that.”

@dianakko-week​

A/N: Okay! So I’m really sorry if day 2 confused y’all ;-;. I just couldn’t reveal as much info to be clear as I thought ;-; I dunno if this chapter will do any good of explaining, but here’s to hoping  that it does! T-T Also apologies if the whole story goes south or off the rails since I’m really running on fumes this week and am at peak exhaustion capacity woo! So these chapters/days might just be getting weird and incoherent idk. Sorry. This is kind of like... going back and forth between days 2-4 in terms of theme, I think. But well. uh... Idk anymore.

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

Day 3: Familiars/Animals

“There’s no way she tamed that.”

“I’m just glad you’ve all settled in just fine.”

“Honestly? Same.” Barbara sighed, looking into the orb that showed Lotte and Sucy’s faces. “I guess it’s just that we’ve been here for a few months- two? Three? It’s a good start.”

“How’s her majesty holding up?” Sucy asked teasingly, but with concern clear in her visible eye.

Barbara bit her lip, not really sure of the answer herself. “She never showed me or Han, but I know that she’s cried to Akko-with Akko” Barbara shook her head fondly, recalling their sweet dork. “-when we all went to bed. It went on for a few weeks. Right now, she’s... she’s holding up. She’s tough, we all know.”

“Yes. You all are.” Lotte said with a smile that quickly melted away into a deep frown. “I can’t believe they burned down the mansion.”

“I can’t believe they were able to get through Diana’s cloaking spell.” Sucy commented. “Something isn’t right, but no one can pinpoint just what it is yet.” She said, swirling an ominous-looking fluid in one of her flasks.

Barbara nodded. “Well, anyway, I’ll get back to you later. I’m on dinner duty and the sun has been sending me warnings.” She chuckled, noticing the changing hues of the horizon. “Talk to you again sometime?”

“We’ll update you on the situation.” Lotte assured, waving to her friend before the connection cut and the orb turned blank.

Barbara sighed, standing up from the table to return the orb on their shelf in the living room of the cozy stone cottage they had settled in, deep in a forest of some unknown country far away from home.

It was a new world with so many unknowns. Maybe too many. Including why Diana and Akko had been targeted this way. Diana had told them that she’d been stripped of her position on the magic council, and had been ‘warned’ that she would someday suffer the consequences of not complying with the other members. So far, that was all they knew. They just found that Diana had a hunch that they needed to leave soon. They were so glad they did.

Barbara began prepping in the kitchen, getting all her ingredients from the fridge that she’d need for the dish she wanted to cook. Suddenly, a chorus of yells from her two teammates caught her attention, telling her that they were close to home, along with their other friend whose name was pronounced loud on their lips-

“AKKO?!”

//

“What?” Akko shrugged, clearly not getting why this was such a big deal. Florence was one of her sweetest familiars!

“No, no, no. Not ‘what?’, Akko... how... why? Who? Where did you even-” Hannah stammered. “There’s no way she tamed that. Right, Diana?” She turned to their team leader, still staring up at the very real, and very large griffin.

“Akko... how did you even... you say this is your familiar??? A gryphon of this size? We all know that contracting familiars are difficult, but you just-”

She and Hannah watched as Akko continued to play with the somehow puppy-like griffin, Akko rubbing it’s belly as it rolled on the grass in front of their home.

“Diana.” Akko deadpanned. “You literally kept a Kelpie at home.” She saw Diana open her mouth about to deny the statement, and cut her off. “Don’t lie. I saw you feeding it by the lake the other day.”

“Well...”

“I watched you train it the other day.”

“I-”

“I’ve also seen it playing in the fountain in the yard back at home-” As that word slipped, Akko realized her mistake, seeing Hannah giving her a disproving look as Diana’s face looked momentarily downcast, before masking it with a smile.

“Diana-” Akko tried to reach out, but her girlfriend had taken a careful step back, leaving a pang in Akko’s heart. “I’m sor-”

“I’ve been caught red-handed, I suppose.” Diana laughed mirthlessly, a hand rubbing up and down her opposite arm as she looked off into the distance. “Oh look at that! The sun is setting. We should go inside.” She quickly changed the topic, being the first one to turn around and head for their house, not waiting for her companions to follow.

Hannah groaned, smacking the back of Akko’s head. “Nice going, Akko.”

“Hey!”

“Make sure to hide that familiar somewhere and wash your hands before dinner! Barbara’s going to have your head the next time you touch her table with those filthy hands.” She warned before disappearing into the cottage after Diana.

“I already know that. You don’t have to tell me.” Akko scoffed, crossing her arms before getting nuzzled by her Griffin, a cute confused look on his face. She smiled, petting it’s side before doing what Hannah had told her to do. “Come on, Florence. Let’s get you back in with the others?”

Reaching into her shirt, Akko pulled out a locket, casting a spell on it that made it larger, revealing a briefcase that looked like any other. However, as she turned the dials of it’s lock code, multiple sounds spring forth from it as the case shook.

Florence nuzzled against her back, whining about her actions. Akko got the message. “Sorry, buddy. I know it’s been a while since I let you out free, but I don’t have anywhere better to keep you all yet. Hang on just a bit more? For me?” She rubbed the Griffin’s head before holding the briefcase closer to him and Florence disappeared into the container. “Thank you.” She patted the lid.

After closing it securely, she spun the numbers to form a different code that brought about silence before shrinking it back into the size that she kept around her neck.

“I hope they waited for me for dinner.”

//

“Are you alright?”

Diana looked up from her seat on the small porch, gaze warming as she was met by the sight of her old friend with two mugs in hand, steaming and warm. She simply nodded, patting the seat next to her.

Hannah nodded, settling down next to Diana and handing her her drink. Before Diana could even greet and thank her, a thick blanket was draped across her shoulders from her other side. Barbara promptly took seat on that free space, leaning her weight against Diana and closing her eyes.

“Girls...”

“You can trust us with your pain as much as you do with Akko, you know?” Hannah murmured, Barbara nodding against Diana’s side.

“...I know.” Biting her lip, Diana tried her best to form the appropriate words. Seconds slipped by and she continued failing at being open to her best friends. “I’m sorry. It’s still a little difficult.” She felt the pair sigh on each side of her, and felt a little bad.

“We suppose that one is on us for constantly placing you up on a pedestal. Both then and now.” Barbara chuckled, the statement supposedly lighthearted despite all three knowing it was the heavy truth. “Just know that when you’re ready, we will always be willing to listen, yes?” She turned her body around, enough to embrace Diana, Hannah mirroring the action as they both squeezed her tight.

Diana squeaked as they planted a kiss on each side of her face before laughing at how bashful she was being.

“Well, that’s all from us. We’ll be heading in now.”

Diana had wanted a few more minutes of time with them, but as she followed them with her eyes, she saw someone else waiting by the door.

“Fix this.” She heard Hannah whisper to the dejected-looking Akko, loud enough for all of them to hear. Barbara giggled as she entered the house first, and Diana found her own chuckles slipping out as Akko grumbled her way towards Diana until she stood face to face with her.

“...”

“...”

“Hi.”

“Hello, dear.”

Diana felt her heart ache in a bittersweet way as she saw tears form in Akko’s eyes, and the girl kneeled in front of her, relocating Diana’s mug of hot chocolate somewhere safe on the wooden porch before taking both of her hands in hers and kissing each knuckle.

“I love you...” She whispered, holding Diana’s hands to her forehead as Akko bowed her head to hide her face from her. “And I’m sorry...”

“Darling...” Diana sighed with a smile. “Come here.”

Diana watched Akko briefly hesitate before gingerly snaking her arms round about Diana, snuggling into her fully.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. You didn’t mean to hurt me or anything.”

“But I did.” Akko sniffled, remembering that Diana had entrusted her sorrows and fears to her for nights and nights since they lost their old home, and how carelessly Akko had mentioned it while Diana was still touchy about the subject. “So I’m still sorry.”

Diana turned her head slightly to the side, enough to place a tender kiss on Akko’s cheek, “Then, Thank you. Thank you for apologizing, Love.”

“Mmm.”

They stayed that a way a few moments before Akko pulled away, a big grin plastered over her face.

“I have something to show you. Just to make it up to you.” She’d said, turning to the sky with lips pursed to release a unique whistling sound that Diana was not so familiar with.

She decided to face where Akko had been directing her attention, squinting at the night sky dotted with stars she knew all too well. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, so what was Akko trying to do-

There was a flash of gold and of a passionate color. It wasn’t lightning, Diana knew; neither was it the twinkling of the stars overhead.  So what exactly...

Then it came closer, perching on Akko’s arm that she had left outstretched.

Diana’s mouth gaped, a surprise much similar to what she had experienced earlier today, returning.

“Akko, this is a...”

Akko scratched the back of her head sheepishly, smiling adorably awkward as she attempted to ‘introduce’ them. “Alfred, this is Diana. Diana, this is Alfred.”

Diana nodded at the creature that stared at her with it’s bright beady eyes. Literally bright, it was in its entirety.

“He’s a baby phoenix.”

Diana nodded solemnly, still in awe. Of both the creature and Akko who was currently petting it with a magically protected hand.

Diana knew that Akko always had a strange affinity for communicating with animals. Even back in her years as ‘Luna Nova’s Dunce’- or so many had labeled her as (Diana was forever mad at that fact)- Akko had already shown her uncanny ability to empathize with non-human beings. She so easily befriended fae, was able to get along with both of Chariot’s own familiars: Alcor and Arcas of all creatures. There was also the fact that she had learned fish language in her own unconventional way and had become increasingly fluent in it and other magical creature languages over the next few years.

Now that she really about it, she realized that she usually saw Akko tending to the magical animals used by the security sector of the council, or doing work related to that. She had at first seen it as them pushing all the mucky work onto her like cleaning stables for pegasi, or feeding the more exotic research birds.

Seeing Akko right now, she felt like it should explain a whole lot more than she thought she knew about her. It made Diana feel slightly ashamed and insecure that she had yet to uncover this fact about her own lover that she had been with for so long now.

Diana shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts. This wasn’t the time to doubt their relationship with one another.

In this new light she was now viewing Akko in, Diana now suspected one of the reasons why the council desperately tried to keep Akko from quitting back then despite not making much use of her at her actual supposed job. They had probably realized all too quickly, and for reasons Diana doubted were good.

But did Akko know this? Was she aware?

Diana fiddled with her hands. Maybe she should ask.

“Akko?” She tugged on the girl’s shirt sleeve.

“Hmm?”  

Diana took a breath. “I know... that one of the reasons you left your old duties behind was because you didn’t really love the job at the council... and all that.” She watched Akko nod slowly, hands stilling from caressing Alfred.

“Go on?”

“But I can’t help but think now that there’s another reason... you know, something more?” Diana looked at her dearest friend and lover with hopeful eyes, wondering if she’d tell her something she didn’t know. Something that wasn’t in the written letters Akko’s various familiars had brought to her during the moments they were apart, something that she couldn’t have observed despite having worked in generally the same establishment because they had been firmly kept apart.

Why did it suddenly feel like Diana... didn’t know a lot about Akko?

She felt a pang in her heart, only supplemented by the silence that Akko had met her with.

“Sorry.” She quickly said. “Maybe it wasn’t right of me to ask.” She was about to get up when Akko stopped her, a hand holding onto Diana’s, silently bidding her to stay.

Diana sat back down and Akko rested her head on her shoulder, rubbing patterns on Diana’s hand with her thumb as she began to speak.

“Diana, did you know? That magical creatures have so much more magical energy stored in their bodies than any other living things? So much so that a magical sparrow could probably power Luna Nova for almost a week, maybe.” Akko chuckled and Diana smiled at the lovely sound.

Nodding, she responded. “Well, I knew something of that nature, yes. Did Pisces teach you that? Chariot?” She asked, squeezing Akko’s hand gently in hers.

“Partially... but...” Akko sighed. “I also found it out myself.”

Diana nodded, not wanting to interrupt anything.

“You know me so well Diana, so I’m sure that you’ve noticed by now that I have...” Akko paused, in thought of how she should word it. “Quite a few? Familiars?”

Diana snorted, bringing their joined hands up to her lips and kissing the back of Akko’s hand. “A lot, dear. A whole lot.”

Akko giggled alongside her before calming and adopting a more serious look. Diana lent her ears once more, preparing herself for what was to come.

“It started when they discovered I could easily befriend them. The magical beasts and creatures.” Akko frowned, surely remembering things she did not want to. “They sent me out to catch, acquire, and well tame magical beasts. Pfft-Like I could do that.”

Diana was about to argue that Akko could- as could clearly be observed, but was beaten to the punch.

“It was much easier than I believed it should be.” She admitted. “At first, I had no clue what they needed it for. I assumed more research on animals, extending our knowledge, and all that good stuff, you know?” Akko huffed, lifting her other hand up to guide her little phoenix into flight so that it would return to where it came from.

Diana guessed it was because Akko didn’t want it understanding what she was about to reveal next.

“Of course, I had felt bad about intruding into their habitats and taking one of their kind, but I had hoped that after whatever observations the council and researchers had, I could just return them to their families and homes.”

Diana felt Akko’s grip tightening around her hand, breathing shallowing.

“Then one day, I saw these beautiful, beautiful creatures in one of the outer courtyards...” Akko squeezed her eyes shut, painfully recalling the memory of what she saw that day.  “They killed them, Diana. Killed them in order to power some device that I have no clue about. I saw it in passing when I accompanied the secretary around before I was shut out.” Akko confessed.

Diana leaned her head on Akko’s, mind flying to places she had tried forgetting about because of the pain they caused her as she tried to make sense of what Akko knew, and what she had also found out.

“That’s when I decided to quit and go to the places I believed more beasts resided in...  especially the more endangered and possibly more powerful ones from what I had looked into, and what Chariot and Pisces had told me. I thought that maybe I could keep them safe that way. I’m sure the council had someone replace me in my... ‘work’.”

Akko allowed herself to fall over and lay herself on Diana’s lap, turning around to bury her face in the woman’s stomach.

Diana felt arms wrap around her waist, and she brought her hands atop Akko’s head to comb through silky chocolate strands. She felt the tension in Akko’s body release, before hearing another quiet, “I’m sorry”.

Diana would have asked what for, but they both already knew that.

“I just couldn’t tell you at that time. Not when you were also trying your best to establish your position in that very same council. I thought it would put you at risk of losing your job... or worse.”

Diana could just hear her choke up on that word, having now been acquainted with the ‘worse’ bit.

“So I decided to distance myself for a bit. I’m sorry, Diana. I’m sorry.” Akko murmured against her stomach. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

Diana could feel a wet patch growing on her stomach. She continued to gently run her fingers through Akko’s hair in hopes of soothing her lover and reassuring her that it was all alright. That she understood. That she was grateful that Akko did it to protect her.

“I just wish I had told you back then, now that all of this happened. It’s still very much my fault, isn’t it?” Akko sniffled, turning away to wipe her nose on her sleeve. “Aaagghh, I really am sorry. To you, to Hannah and Barbara, and to everyone else.” Akko tried to slow her breathing in order to stop crying as she looked straight up at the night sky. “This is all my fault.”

Her view of the starry sky was obstructed, but replaced with the blues of a summery morning, even though it was the dead of night.

She was entranced, just like she’d always been since a long time ago.

Akko felt her eyelids flutter shut as Diana leaned down, closer, closer, and closer...

Thwack-

“Ouch!”

Akko’s eyes shot open as she was met with a stern Diana.

“Don’t just take all the blame like that and treat this whole thing as your decision solely. We all came here on our own accord. Hannah, Barbara, and I. Actually, didn’t we drag you hear in the first place?” Diana scolded a thoroughly shocked Akko.

“Y-yes.”

Diana’s expression relaxed as she chuckled, finally giving Akko the kiss she’d been expecting. “That’s why, my love, please. Continue to trust us.”

Diana could swear she could read a million I love you’s written all over Akko’s face. The sweetheart.

“Besides. I have things I need to discuss with you all as well. And I think- no. I know that it is connected with what you’ve just told me tonight.”

Diana nudged Akko up, guiding them both back on their feet.

“But for now, can we finally get some shut-eye?” She looked at Akko with a pleading face that the latter dared not say no to.

“Definitely.”

Diana squealed as she was hoisted up into strong arms and carried into the house, across their small living room and into their shared bedroom, careful not to make as much noise when they passed by their friends’.

As Akko lay Diana down on the soft sheets, she peppered kisses about her face, the pair giggling and whispering until they were all out of mirth.

Tomorrow was another day, and it might just be another frightful one.

But well, they had each other and it didn’t matter as much anymore.

“I love you.”

“I love you more.”

Snuggled beneath the covers, to the soft cooing of the breezes of the forest, they began to drift to slumber-

“Oh, that’s right, Love.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you mind showing me your other animals?”

“Not at all, dear.”

“Great.”

“Any reason why?”

“I just want to see Hannah’s shocked face again if we ever find something like a manticore or minotaur with you, haha.”

“...”

“I’m jesting, Love- Akko... why are you wearing that expression? Akko... no way... No. Really?!”

“...You see...”

“There’s no way you tamed that!”

A/N: If you’ve seen fantastic beasts- I just loved the suitcase concept. Also I dunno, I thought of the whistling thing and wondered if it was an actual summoning technique and found a transcendental- was it- whistling. Welp. It’s almost 2am and I’m doing this while also doing my lab reports skgmdsoigndfngsdr okay. Time to di-p. Time to dip into work. Ciao!

~Shintori Khazumi