#need to post snippets of this to release it from my brain

[turian]

garrus's position as what is essentially a police officer puts him in the line of fire of various tired copaganda tropes. worthy of note is the "cowboy cop" trope, which can be summarized as a renegade police officer who breaks the rules in favor of vengeance, justice, or righteousness. the "cowboy cop" is usually framed as being in the right; this trope largely belongs to antiheroes. "cowboy cop" is considered by tvtropes to apply to both garrus vakarian and renegade shepard. garrus, though noted as being more "polite and soft-spoken" than those the trope generally applies to, is a character who defies authority and values his own sense of justice above the law. he voices his preference for killing criminals rather than letting them slip away. his personal quest in me2 is heavily related to this - he seeks to hunt down and kill a man who he perceives (whether or not he is correct is not relevant; all that's relevant is that garrus believes wholeheartedly in this conviction and this method of justice) was responsible for horrific human rights abuses. as a paragon or renegade shepard, you can either aid garrus in this or stay his hand and insist that you seek another more measured form of justice.

garrus has, by this point in the narrative, essentially become a vigilante. he is a dog with a bone when it comes to his view of justice, and he is not capable of letting an investigation go because beureaucracy - or hierarchy - dictates he must. this is why he quits c-sec, so that he can chase justice along shepard's side. after shepard and him are separated, garrus, rather than resuming a c-sec career, decides to go clean up crime on omega. he is granted the nickname archangel. these exploits nearly get him killed - it is only shepard's intervention (which occurs just in the nick of time) which save him from near-certain death. even with shepard's help, he does not leave omega unscathed - he has, by the end of his recruitment mission, taken a rocket to the face, and for the rest of the game series, carries those scars.

garrus's story would not be terribly out of place in gotham, though its politics differ from batman's. the "cowboy cop" trope doesn't technically apply to bruce wayne. bruce wayne's vigilantism, gothic or not, is shown to be directly in community with police. batman serves the empire in which he lurks. batman may take issue with some corruption in that system, but he naively believes in good cops. batman is elevated by one thing only - his refusal to kill. that said, he is happy to hand victims of his justice to institutions that will kill.

garrus vakarian has oft been called the batman of his universe, but should instead be likened to jason todd, aka red hood. red hood is fuelled by anger at a system that failed him, and seeks to work outside of that system. however, even in working outside of that system, jason carries the system's view of justice with him when he dispenses his own violent form of vigilante justice. red hood fights the same people that batman fights - the only difference, really, is that jason fights with bullets rather than batarangs.

garrus's motivations are alleged to be a desire to stand against and work independently of corruption. and to be clear, taking a stance against corrupt police is good. violence against corruption is good. violence against police is good. however, based on garrus's aims and actions, it seems clear that garrus is not against policing, nor is he necessarily against corruption in all its forms. garrus is instead against being controlled. garrus would like to step outside of the system, but unwittingly brings the system with him when he makes that move. quoting from tvtropes:

Paragon Shepard's influence can inspire [garrus] to rejoin C-Sec with a new appreciation for playing by the rules, in addition to reapplying for Spectre candidacy (which happens either route you take). Renegade Shepard's influence, conversely, will encourage his tendencies to the extent that he envies Shepard's lack of problems with red tape.

garrus's frustration may be with c-sec and corruption within c-sec in part, but garrus is distinguished from corrupt officers only through his disdain for anything he perceives as leashing him. it's made clear by his respect for renegade shepard and the ability of a pro-police paragon shepard to sway him back c-sec's way that garrus is more than fine with the police. his disdain for them is in no way radical. it should also be noted that garrus leaves c-sec to serve the alliance military, who are enforcing laws in their own right. garrus simply moves to doing the same things he's always done in proverbial international waters.

characters like garrus and bruce wayne (and, for that matter, jason todd) act with authority based on their own convictions. because they operate within stories and are intended as sympathetic characters, their convictions go largely unquestioned by the narrative. batman is right because he's batman. red hood is right because he's red hood, except when batman is right instead. shepard is right because they're shepard. garrus is right because he's garrus, except when shepard is right instead. the question mass effect really poses in garrus's arm of the story is as follows: should garrus dispense violence for the system within the system, or should he dispense violence for the system while pretending he exists outside of it?

[inexplicifics]

Hiya! I was wondering if you’d been having any luck making the Cats Among Wolves bunnies cooperate lately? If not, that’s cool. Plot bunnies are not the most cooperative creatures, but I figured I’d ask. I was also curious about what the writing process usually looks like for you if you were willing to explain it a bit. Do you tend to jump around between projects just following the inspiration, or do you write out at least a whole scene or chapter before letting yourself move around? How many times do you usually send a fic to Rose for betaing before you feel ready to release it? I always find different people’s processes so interesting.

So Cats Among Wolves is mostly not cooperating at the moment - I am weirdly low on Brain and the bunnies are not doing long-form very well just now. But here's a snippet from the Cedric & Axel fic:

Fuck, this is good, Cedric opines, sipping greedily at the soup Gaetan is holding for him. “The old Wolf knows his way around a kitchen,” Gaetan agrees, nodding. “I think I gained most of a stone the first winter I spent here.” “You needed it,” Eskel puts in. “All you Cats are too damn scrawny.” “Wolves are just absurdly big,” Gaetan sniffs. “And what are Vipers, then?” Eskel - teases. And Gaetan is grinning. Axel has never seen Gaetan so relaxed around an alpha before. Not even Cedric. But there’s not even a hint of tension in his littlest brother. He’s utterly unafraid. “Vipers are mostly perfectly normal sizes, Letho’s just special,” Gaetan says cheerfully. Letho smirks.

As to my writing process - oh gods, it's like a pogo stick. I often have eight or ten docs open, and I create a new WIP at least three times a week. (I am very easy to plotbunny. And I am surrounded by enablers.) I write until I get stuck and then I go to something else. Sometimes, if something really grabs me, I can get a whole longfic out in a week; sometimes I have to come back to it again and again until it clicks. My personal feeling is that as long as words are ending up in a row, it's all good.

I don't outline. Outlines kill fic for me. Once I've written down what's going to happen, why bother writing it again? Even for something like MBtT, I had the very loosest possible sketch of the plot and the desired relationships. I also can't estimate how long a fic is going to be to save my life. I thought MBtT was going to be 50K. I have to very deliberately keep from putting plot into things like prompt fills and flash fics, because once I've added plot, that fic isn't getting done in less than 10K.

I usually send the fic to Rose when it's completely done, and then do a pass through it once she's left comments, fixing all the plot holes she finds. Then she checks my work and I put it in the posting queue.

One thing I have found that helps me is that I color-code my docs. Blue is in progress, purple is ready for beta, and green is ready to be posted. It makes it easier for me to track things visually.

The other thing that really helps is cheer-readers. Because I try to only post finished fics, sometimes I'll start wondering if what I'm writing is really any good. Rose and Twist and Ray have all been wonderful at Encouraging me enthusiastically to keep going, and suggesting directions when I get stuck. Cheer-readers are great and I encourage writers to find them if they can.

Hope that was interesting!

[jumpywhumpywriter]

do you have any tricks for getting your brain to listen to you and Actually Write

YES! There are several useful tricks I use to get motivated or jumpstart my brain into writing mode (because brains have a mind of their own sometimes and are incredibly stubborn). It doesn't work 100% of the time but here's all the stuff I try that can increase chances of successful writing by a large amount:

1. Listening to music scientifically stimulates the parts of the brain that control imagination and creativity, which can really help get you going. For me, I like to find songs that represent certain characters or particular moods based on what scenes I'm writing. This has helped me a TON in writing. Example: if I'm writing a sad death scene, I like to listen to sad/melancholy music to help bring me the emotions that I can then transfer to the characters I'm writing, or giving me the right "mindset" for certain scenes. Action scenes would be something like adventurous or rock music. (If you'd like, I have an awesome list of perfect music for different moods I could share that you can try out and see if it helps -- songs that are like "saying goodbye to someone" themed, etc.)

This has literally saves me so many times, and is my #1 go-to method above all others.

2. Try writing something different or unrelated to your main story, just to keep your mind sharp and active until the inspiration comes. It could be a random funny/fluff scene including your characters, OR it could be completely unrelated -- you'll see this in a lot of my writing I've posted on Tumblr Almost 100% of the stories I've posted here are ones I made completely unrelated to the fantasy trilogy I'm writing (located in Masterlist #2). Because I have learned about myself that my best work comes from when I'm "in the mood" for it. If I try to force myself to have a certain amount of chapters I write each day for my main story, I tend to burn out and the quality of my writing declines very obviously. So I write what seems fun in the moment, just to keep my imagination active until the creativity comes and I can switch back to my fantasy trilogy. Try not to limit yourself with the "I have to write every single day", it's perfectly fine to take breaks and write other short stories and snippets, or even take a break from writing altogether.

3. Okay, this one is going to sound kind of weird and quirky, but PROTEIN. For some odd reason, I think better when I have plenty of protein in my system. So eating foods high in protein (or even just using protein powder for a quick boost) an hour before you plan to sit down and write can actually make a noticeable difference in your mental energy. It's so weird, but it surprisingly works for me, so I just thought I'd throw it out there as another option.

4. Getting fresh air. Literally a lifesaver. You can take your phone/whatever electronic you write on outdoors, find a nice shady place to sit down and write away. This helps in particular with writing scenes where characters are outdoors as well, because you can use your own senses to observe your surroundings and weaving it into writing (like "the air was crisp with the scent of fresh-cut grass" or something like that.) It's also scientifically proven to boost mood, and can help your mind wander until it stumbles upon inspiration.

5. EXERCISE! it releases a bunch of dopamine into your system that makes you feel happy and has many mood-boosting effects, great for creating a solid foundation to let inspiration flow in!

I hope all this helps! (And if it doesn't, or you need advice on a particular area of writing, feel free to ask for more!)

[k-s-morgan]

Those Gentle Slopes: Snippet

Thought to share a final snippet before the posting of the chapter! Have some protective Sebastian and unhinged Ciel)) Also, I have to say that when I'll be writing this chapter from Sebastian's POV, it will be probably creepier than anything that happened so far. He broke my plans and started getting a lot more physical than I expected, having a couple of unplanned realizations. Huh. I love the mystery writing.

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

“Sebastian,” he barked. His commanding tone must have reached some part of Sebastian’s brain because he turned his head slightly, but he still didn’t let go, and this was infuriating as much as it was flattering.

Looked like not sensing his soul didn’t make Sebastian any less willing to protect him. He still got angry on Ciel’s behalf — angry enough to ignore his orders and common sense.

Good. But unacceptable. If speaking didn’t work…

Ciel stepped out from behind Sebastian and wrapped his hand around his wrist. Shivers of strange, heady heat blossomed all over his body when he sank into the inviting unnatural energy Sebastian was radiating, feeling it sing under his touch. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his head cool, but fortunately, Randall’s gurgling sounds helped a little.

And it seemed like he’d already succeeded in something — Sebastian was staring at him now, the deadly redness of his stare quickly softening to a more human shade. Holding his gaze, Ciel tapped against his wrist in rapid succession, recreating the secret language they had devised a long time ago.

Stop. This is an order. You’re still mine, you have to obey me.

He wasn’t certain it would work any better than his verbal commands did, but something about his new approach must have finally gotten through. Sebastian released his grip and let Randall crash to the floor like a sack of sand. He seemed far more interested in Ciel now — one of his hands wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer, and another one touched his chin, tilting his head back to reveal his neck.

The futility of this evaluation was blatantly apparent. Randall hadn’t managed to touch him, so whatever damage Sebastian was checking him for couldn’t be there. It was absolutely ridiculous, but for some reason, Ciel didn’t protest. He stood there patiently, allowing Sebastian to examine him to his satisfaction.

Finally, Sebastian hummed in contentment and let him go. Almost. His fingers slid down to Ciel’s wrist and stayed there, holding it firmly but unobtrusively. His attention returned to Randall’s panting form, and this time, Ciel caught the moment when the darkness flared in his eyes.

“Let me make one thing clear,” Sebastian uttered. A smile touched his lips, but it was as far from what a smile was supposed to be that even Ciel found it disturbing. “If you attempt to inflict any kind of damage on my Master again, the next time your family sees you, you will be chopped into more pieces than your daughter will be able to count. Perhaps I will feed your liquefied remains to her. Would you like that?”                

The desire for something Ciel couldn’t identify took over his rational thoughts again. He almost swayed on his feet, his skin burning, his lips parting in a pleased sigh. More waves of joy crashed into him when Sebastian placed his shoe on Randall’s ankle and pressed against it carefully. His movements seemed feather-light, but the bone cracked anyway, followed by Randall’s pained shout.

“It’s not broken,” Sebastian noted disdainfully. “Consider it your warning. You will leave this house and you will not bring anything that happened here up with anyone. Because I know where you live, and I know how to slip into places unnoticed.” The sharp grin he gave Randall was downright frightening, but Ciel felt like he could drown in it. He shook his head, hoping it would be enough to sober him up. His body was behaving in an increasingly odd way, and it was getting tedious to make sense of its incomprehensive needs and demands.

Wheezing but trying to keep all the sounds locked in his mouth, Randall stood up. He nearly fell down, a pained grimace twisting his red face. What was even more fascinating was the wetness of frustrated tears shining in his eyes. The sight was completely unprecedented, and Ciel stared at it greedily, committing every inch of it to memory.

“You may not believe it right now,” Randall said, his voice hoarse, “but there will be a reckoning. One day, the both of you monsters will die, and I’ll become the last thing you see.”

[holmesxwatson]

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes dir: Billy Wilder, 1970

I only watched The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes for the first time a few days ago but it lights my brain up in that special way that I know I’ll revisit it a lot. Don’t get me wrong, it’s far from perfect, for one thing Colin Blakely’s Watson is a little too shouty for me, but it’s very worthwhile to check out despite its shortcomings, which I think mostly come from the fact that so much was cut from the intended script.

I absolutely love Robert Stephens as Holmes. His face is so good, he has a way of looking at Watson when he doesn’t know he’s being observed that is very soft. I thought I was hallucinating the beginning of this movie with Holmes telling the ballet dancer he’s gay and in a relationship with Watson. I thought it was going to be played for a joke, and it was a bit, but it didn’t just end there. Holmes and Watson have a conversation about the repercussions in a lengthy scene that turns very serious by the end. I can’t believe this was 1970 and no one has since tried to build on this specific dynamic in a more meaningful way. Someone needs to remake this into a mini-series exactly how Billy Wilder intended it to be, here’s hoping public domain can make it so.

[above: script page from the cut story The Curious Case of the Upside Down Room, where Watson creates a fake case to make Holmes feel better]

Also, the backstory of the making of this film is so out of control: Robert Stephens’s nervous breakdown and suicide attempt during the production, the amount of years Billy Wilder was trying to write it and get it made, the interference of ACD’s son, the Loch Ness monster prop that the crew lost in actual Loch Ness, the immense scope of the episodic story they were going for, the way it got cut down from its original 3 hour 45 minute runtime and how that cut footage was lost forever! (this is crazy! everyone go check your attics and storage lockers right now).

In one of the interviews I found, Robert Stephens says “if something is boring — if it’s three minutes long it’s too long, but if it’s interesting it’s never long enough…you don’t want it to end.” Big same Toby Stephens’ dad, big SAME. I didn’t want it to end. I read the uncut script and I am just floored at what we missed out on. Thankfully some footage and audio remain of some of the cut scenes (but still! check your basements too).

Just fully let it settle into your brain that they filmed all of these stories in the script, and then cut most of it away. Like that is mind-blowing to me, it existed at one point as it was fully intended to be. If this was made now during home entertainment times, they would have no problem releasing an almost four-hour movie, but at the very least there would be a big director’s cut dvd release and we would be enjoying all the small Holmes x Watson moments we deserve.

Anyway, in pretty short order I found a bunch of interesting links to stuff, details below. I also consulted my very well-thumbed Conversations with Wilder book by Cameron Crowe, but there wasn’t that much more information in there. I have Robert Stephens’ memoir Knight Errant and the TPLOSH blu-ray on order so I’ll add to this post if I find any more good resources. Let me know if I’m missing anything, and enjoy!

Full movie on YouTube (x) <-update: this link went private, but it's also streaming for free on Tubi and Freevee, and available to rent on YouTube, Google Play, and Apple TV

Original roadshow draft of script on Internet Archive (x)

Missing footage: Prologue [sound only plus stills] (x), The Curious Case of the Upside Down Room [sound only plus stills] (x), The Dreadful Business of the Naked Honeymooners [footage and soundtrack only, no sound dialogue] (x), alternate ending [sound only] (x)

Making of documentary that includes behind-the-scenes snippets of some of the cut scenes [this doc is in German, but you can turn on the auto-translate to English in the YouTube settings] (x)

Interview with Ernst Walter, film editor of TPLOSH (x)

Interview with Christopher Lee “Mr. Holmes, Mr. Wilder” 2003 (x)

My YouTube playlist with all of the above links in one place plus an excellent fan vid by Just Bee that I added to the list because it’s just so good (x)

Missing Movies: A Case for Sherlock Holmes from 1994 BBC Radio 2 on Soundcloud [includes interview with Robert Stephens and folks involved in the production] (x)

Articles about the lost Loch Ness monster prop (x) (x)

The soundtrack by Miklós Rózsa (x)

[childotkw]

Hi! I'm a fan of your Lucemond content and I'm finally brave enough to ask about your "Dichotomy of Loyalty" AU (that is if you're okay with answering). What exactly happens during Lucerys's abduction / forced familial reunion? Your post says that the house is ransacked, Laenor is gone, and there's a black car outside. What goes on during Lucerys's last minutes of freedom before he is brought back into the family?

Does he attempt to call the police and find a hiding place? Does Aemond pop out like Michael Myers if he's inside the house or does he force his way in? If Laenor has a weapon someplace (despite wanting a normal life, the man has to be aware that he's a fugitive in the mafia underworld now and needs to have a just-in-case weapon handy), does Lucerys try to reach it? Or does Lucerys arm himself with a knife and a near reenactment of what happened years before take place between him and Aemond?

I'm sorry to force this on you, but this time placement in your AU is probably the most suspenseful and action-packed scene. Would it be alright if I ask more questions I have on this AU or do you want your focus on your other writings? Thank you so much for sharing your creations!

Hello, darling! Thank you for your message 💕

Lucerys was actually meant to be at their home when it got raided. They’d been watching and following him for weeks before they made their move, learning his habits and schedules and confirming that he was actually their Lucerys.

Normally, Lucerys would have finished work early on Fridays, but something came up and he had to stay back - which wasn’t uncommon but it hadn’t happened since the Targaryen’s had begun their reconnaissance. So they raided the house, expecting both, but it was only Laenor there at the time. They took him and threw him in the second car, then settled in to wait.

Lucerys came home, and when he found the house wrecked he immediately tried to phone Laenor, and then the police. Before the call went through, he was grabbed from behind - but Lucerys, despite being small and looking soft, did know some self-defence. His elbow slammed into the guy’s face, and the second he was released he bolted.

Unfortunately though, Lucerys couldn’t outrun the men sent to retrieve him. He was subdued, knocked out, and whisked away.

Aemond was, in an impressive show of restraint on his part, not actually part of the retrieval team. Everyone, including him, knew that if he had been there, there was the chance that he’d be too emotional and things might go wrong. Instead, he was waiting at the main house for the men to return.

When they did rock up with an unconscious Lucerys something loosened inside Aemond, because they had suspected that Lucerys had no memories of them or their family, but not everything about his nephew was lost. There was still that savagery in his blood, the savagery that sang out to Aemond, evident in the bruise forming on one guard’s cheekbone, the deep scratches on another’s arms, and the scuffed clothes and cut eyebrow of the other.

And feel free to ask me whatever you like! I don’t always write snippets, but who knows - something you ask may kick my brain into gear!

[robinyourcreator]

@oldlight117 tagged me for WIP Wednesday yesterday, but I'd already posted that day's work so have a snippet of some more of our favorite Dark Justiciar I was poking at the other day

aaaaand I tag you 🫵 person reading this! because my brain is too scrambled today on soooo many flare ups happening all at once to remember who's been tagged already

excerpt under the cut

It was easy enough to slip away. Everything was easy, with her, a weight off your shoulders, the release of a breath you never seemed to realize you'd been holding until you were in her presence once more.

You were the one meant to be doing the unburdening, and yet it seemed to always be you who walked away from your little encounters feeling lighter. You don't... you don't know if she feels the same. She’s never said. It wasn't her way. It wasn't your way.

Words were not needed between you-- words would only get in the way between you, only entangle the most fragile and precious thread that still tied you together.

And you were so careful, so very, very careful, to never, ever pull that thread.

You've come to her tonight; a novelty for you. She was meant to darken your door, and never the other way around. But it had been some time since she had last come to you-- long enough that you could get away with... indulging yourself, if only a little.

Your Lady's work was going well. The ranks of the Cloister of Somber Embrace grew with every passing day. Your Lady's blessed darkness was taking root in every corner of Baldur's Gate, your influence, Her influence, spreading throughout the Sword Coast and beyond.

You had earned a little indulgence. A reprieve. A moment to breathe.

So you had come to her, to her home, a modest apartment in a quieter corner of the Lower City. Its proximity to the House of Grief hadn't gone unnoticed, but you had never dared to comment on it. She had sought a quieter life after the Absolute Crisis-- wasting her talents on spoiled patriar's brats, tutoring them in music and rhetoric-- and as nauseating as you found the idea personally... It suited her.

She had yet to arrive, but you had anticipated that-- you hardly needed spies to track her movements in the city, the heralded Hero of Baldur's Gate had eyes enough on her already, and word of her packed performances reached every corner of the city. You had timed your own arrival precisely to give yourself enough time to prepare a surprise for her, knowing how little she liked to linger and socialize with her vapid and adoring public.

She preferred more... intimate company when she chose to indulge in the notion. In that you and she were much the same.

Your implements are all spread on her side table, silk ropes secured to all four posts of the bed. And there you lay in wait, obscured in shadow, nearly invisible.

You hear the latch at the door, and a whispered prestidigitation, watching the shadows dance through the crack at the bottom of her bedchamber doors from the candle she's lit. Hear the long, tedious process of her checking and then painstakingly rearming the traps she's placed in her entryway that you had chosen simply to avoid rather than deal with when you'd come in.

Her steps are silent. So too is the swinging of the door's well-greased hinges, with barely a click in the lock to warn you of her approach. You approve.

She finds you seated at the end of her bed, your legs crossed and taking advantage of every inch of slit in your dress, sipping a glass of her wine-- your favorite vintage, and considering how little she cared to indulge in that particular vice of yours, a particularly interesting choice for her to keep around.

She freezes, fear flashing in her eyes for a fraction of an instant before she relaxes into herself, her higher functions catching up to override simple animal terror when she recognizes you.

Funny, that. She may be the only person in all the world who relaxes at the sight of you. "You're back late, dear," you tease her, setting your drink aside.

You have more entertaining vices to indulge, after all.

"I didn't realize you kept me on such a tight leash, darling," she teases you right back, falling into the pantomime of a relationship you've set as naturally as she breathes.

You flash a smirk at her. "Oh, don't tempt me. I just might."

[wolfofcelestia]

Welcome! Now that this blog has been fully converted into a Zayne loveblog, I've finally decided to make an actual introduction.

─── ･*☆･ﾟ: 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓵𝓸𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻

My name is Elara (she/her). I am an adult and will be posting adult content. Minors, blank blogs, art theives, and toxic people will be blocked

Most of what I write here will be about fictional boys voiced by Satou Takuya

Most of my analysis posts are usually very stream of conscious-y because I never stop thinking about this stupid ice man

Sylus will also appear on my blog. He's settled in as my second favourite so he will be around too

─── ･*☆･ﾟ: 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓦𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓻

I write when my brain allows me to. Most of what you'll see here are short clips of dialogue, headcanons, scenarios, and scenes in the style of LADS's social media posts. These snippets tend to be comedy, fluff, smut, angst, and occasional dark content

Got a request? Feel free to drop an idea in my askbox. No guarantees it will get filled, though

─── ･*☆･ﾟ: 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓨𝓾𝓶𝓮𝓳𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 💙❤️🩵

This blog is my self-indulgent yumejoshi (self-insert) safe space, with my F/Os being Shokudaikiri Mitsutada and Rei.

I am extremely sappy and sentimental. Also extremely thirsty. I am parched. Dehydrated. I just have a lot of feelings for these boys. If you have a problem with that, feel free to block or unfollow me. You don't need to be in my space.

─── ･*☆･ﾟ: 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓦𝓮𝓵𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮

Thanks for stopping by and reading this far! There's more information about my name and Rei under the cut below for the curious.

Feel free to have a look around and interact with me whenever you like! I’d love to hear what you think of my ideas.

All of my writing can be found in my blog directory.

Quick tags:

─── ･*☆･ﾟ Zayne, Dawnbreaker, Foreseer, Master

─── ･*☆･ﾟ Scenarios, Headcanons, Poems

─── ･*☆･ﾟ Vampire AU, LADS Soundtrack, Zayne Tier Lists

─── ･*☆･ﾟ Hunter's Diary, Glint Photos

─── ･*☆･ﾟ Zayne Favourites, Sylus Favourites

─── ･*☆･ﾟ: 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓦𝓸𝓵𝓯 𝓸𝓯 𝓒𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓪

A rough translation of my Saniwa username: 天狼星

This is the star Sirius, which roughly translates to "heavenly wolf star" in Chinese/Japanese.

I wanted a daimyou-style title for my saniwa self-insert, so it turned into Wolf of Celestia.

Don't be fooled by the name, though. I'm actually just a smol wet puppy burdened with feelings for boys who don't exist.

─── ･*☆･ﾟ: 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓜𝓸𝓸𝓷 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼

“Elara” is the name of one of Jupiter's moons. In Greek mythology, she is a mortal princess with an unfortunately lame story. But I liked the sound of the name so I kept it.

The pronunciation on wikipedia is EL-ara. I also accept el-ARA.

─── ･*☆･ﾟ: 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓓𝓪𝔀𝓷

You may have noticed that I call him Rei in some posts and Zayne in other posts. Sometimes even in the same post, like this one. This is a very deliberate choice.

I first learned of his existence from Satou Takuya retweeting one of the promo videos for the game before it was released, so even before Day 1, I knew him as Rei. (And I was downbad for him without even knowing a thing about him.)

He is still Rei to me and always will be, but for ease of communication, I call him Zayne.

Long story short,

I call him Zayne when:

I'm referring to his character in general

I'm writing something meant for the rest of tumblr to reblog or engage with

I call him Rei when:

I'm referring to "My Rei", the Rei in my game, and the F/O of my yume ship.

─── Usually used in personal posts about my sappy feelings, not really meant to be engaged with

I'm referring to the character who is voiced by Satou Takuya and speaks Japanese.

─── Usually used to comment on SatoTaku's voice work specifically

─── ･*☆･ﾟ: 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼

In my scenarios, I usually put dialogue and emphasized words in certain colours

MC is red because… put simply, that’s my colour

Zayne is always blue

Foreseer is always purple

Master is always green

But because tumblr is mostly in dark mode and I’m too lazy to add colours that aren’t on the default options, Dawnbreaker is usually red

Because if he were to choose a colour, it would always be hers

The only time Dawnbreaker isn’t in red is when MC is in the same scenario. In those cases, Dawnbreaker is the default text colour, relinquishing his colour to her

Because he would choose to be empty if it meant he could stay with her for just a little longer

That's all for now! I'll keep this updated if I need to add more links or information.

Final note: Yes my whole aesthetic is space and stars. Yes, my main is 10000% Rei LMAO I am so sorry Seiya

Dividers by saradika-graphics, cafekitsune

[goatunderthebridge]

that pretty boy just bit me! he bit me! are you fucking kidding me-?

thinking about the hq characters whenever I listen to the Warriors album that came out recently (I actually really like it - I watched the film as a kid when I shouldn't have and was so scared of it that this album has healed that fear a little - the bottle clinking is still the soundtrack for my nightmares though).

yes I have daydreamed the entire story, yes you will see snippets of it if this stays latched on my brain for long enough. for now, enjoy my match-ups of hq characters to the main gang members because I have been thinking non-stop about how easy it is to transfer their personalities over since the album was released. if you know nothing about The Warriors (book, film, or album), this will probs not make much sense but enjoy anyways!

tw for anyone who needs it: The Warriors is about gang violence and murder so caution engaging with it + this post thus mentions it briefly

The Gramercy Riffs = Aoba Johsai

Oikawa is absolutely Cyrus who believes in everyone to come together for a common dream (and in turn they build a belief in him). Iwaizumi is Masai and grieves so hopelessly for Oikawa. Aside from the devastating iwaoi, it's funny on a meta-level to imagine Oikawa saying "can you dig it?" when thinking about his serves like no they can't dig it babe !!! But we love you king

The Warriors = Karasuno

Ofc Karasuno are the stars of this daydream. Daichi is Cleon who helps Iwaizumi find the killer gang, obviously renamed Odysseus because that man just wants to go home (although he would defo believe in Oikawa's ideals and want to set things right, even at the expense of himself). Kageyama is his right hand man, Swan (renamed King ofc), and leads the gang back home - imagining Kageyama saying that he has a gang loyal to him makes me want to cry when thinking about hq, trust me and listen to the album whilst imagining Kageyama as Swan. It will change your life.

Suga is Cochise (renamed Polaris/Sirius bc symbolism), Asahi is Rembrandt, Noya is Ajax (we love a fighter who refuses to back down from a challenge), Tanaka is Cowboy (ofc he gives in to the Sirens), Tsukishima is Vermin/Snow (renamed to idk something like Clock bc he tsks a lot and it sounds like ticking), Yamaguchi is Fox and I cry every time I think about him as Fox (currently listening to that song and sniffling as I type). Hinata absolutely is Mercy (renamed Sunshine or something) and I cannot listen to A Light Or Somethin' without thinking about kagehina. They like and want each other instantly but can't express that in the 'right' way !! Kageyama lifting Hinata's face when he's embarrassed being seen by others and then kissing him??? Oh. oh the humanity.

The Rogues (killer gang) = Shiratorizawa or Johzenji

Ahhh the killers (no, not Mr Brightside). I love Luther's character because he is so unhinged for little reason which is why Tendou springs to mind BUT I cannot see Tendou in this. So my mind goes to Terushima (likes fun and pushes boundaries => obvs transfers to being a maniacal villain who kills for no reason (jk)).

The Hurricanes = Nekoma

I just love the idea of these guys acting as alley cats on skates. that is very funny to me. Also: Kenma on skates?? I love that visual. I fully believe he would hate it and either be the only one in the gang to walk or is dragged around by a leash so someone pulls him along on the skates OR Kuroo straight up carries him. Anyways: Kuroo is the gang leader, Kenma is the one who convinces them to let the Crows go because he uses one of his many braincells to realise that they absolutely didn't kill Cyrus (unlike many others in this story).

The Furies = Fukurodani

If you haven't listened to the song about them, please do. I get chills every time - they only come out at night?? Oh yes please, the ideas are flowing. These are the Night Owls with metal bats and painted faces. Bokuto is the leader but I can't imagine him to be willingly silent in a gang hmmm.

The Orphans = Inarizaki

Atsumu and Osamu as twin leaders of a weak but large gang makes me giggle okay? Hinata calling them chickens and trying to get into the Crows' gang? yeah i like that idea. Also the idea that Atsumu follows the vibe of the music album by letting the Crows walk through Orphan Town after flirting with Kageyama and Yamaguchi makes me laugh.

The Lizzies = The Sirens (aka any pretty people in hq not already mentioned in a gang)

Kiyoko is a given as the gang leader who Tanaka falls for and derails the Crows for a little bit. However, as the title suggests, the lines 'that pretty boy just bit me! he bit me! are you fucking kidding me?' are really catching onto my brain and I can't stop vocally stimming with it so maybe we follow ennotana and let Ennoshita bite Tanaka idk.

Honourable mentions: UshiTen as the radio DJs.

That's it. You read it right. Tendou is the radio DJ calling out to the boppers and chilling me to the bone but Ushijima is the one behind the scenes whenever I think about this, ensuring the radio show goes smoothly lmao

And I'm finished :D I really had to get this out lmao I cannot stop thinking about this nor stop listening to the album so this will be something I obsess about for a while longer !!! If you see references to it in future fics, no you don't <3

[umbracirrus]

WIP Wednesday-!! 💛

I'm not sure why, but it felt incredibly hard to pinpoint something to post as a WIP this week! Maybe it's because my brain has been focussed on getting the smut which I posted of my idiots Elyse and Balgruuf finished... But anyway. Back to The Perfect Storm. Back to a time before they're happily married, or even together in the first place ;-; This snippet features a lil bit of main quest deja vu :3

Tagged by @hircines-hunter and @skyrim-forever! Tagging @thequeenofthewinter and anyone who wants to share a WIP!!

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

“M-My Jarl! Dragonborn-!” Elyse and Balgruuf were cut off from their conversation by a guard running over to them. Elyse recognised her straight away, it was Fjora – she looked out of breath and frantic.

“Take a breath,” Elyse stated, approaching her and taking hold of her shoulders as she clutched at her chest. “Has something happened?”

“A... A dragon. It came down the mountain and started attacking the road between here and the east. N-Near the Ritual standing stone...” Fjora’s free hand was shaking as she reached up to grasp hold of one of Elyse’s wrists. “I- I was told by the lad I was on patrol with to- to report to you moments before he- before he was-!”

Both Elyse and Balgruuf exchanged a concerned look as Fjora continued to breathe heavily, before slowly releasing her grasp.

“Thank you for letting us know. Go inform Commander Caius of what happened to your partner, then get some rest.”

“A... Aye, Jarl.”

Fjora looked between the pair as she pursed her lips together, before turning on her heel and quickly making her way out of the room. When the door fell shut, Balgruuf noticed that Elyse was slowly clenching and unclenching her fists. He made his way over to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you going?”

She was quiet for a moment, then nodded. “I have to. I am the Dragonborn after all...” She inhaled sharply. “This reminds me of that first dragon. When it attacked the watchtower... I’ve got that same anxiety that I felt back then.”

“Elyse...”

“It has been so long since a dragon has emerged to stir trouble. I’ve been keeping on my feet by training with Lydia and teaching Frothar, but a dragon...” She then folded her arms over and frowned. “But unlike then, I actually have some tricks up my sleeve... Like dragonrend.” In spite of her level tone of voice, her body was just noticeably shaking. “Divines... Can I even do it? I don’t know-“

“Elyse... You can do it. I believe in you. We all believe in you,” he whispered, taking hold of the sides of her face gently. “Take Lydia with you, if you feel that you need the support. By the Nine... I would even go with you to help, if not for my responsibilities keeping me tied to the palace.”

She was silent as she looked up at him, before she weakly smiled. “Thank you...”

[ilysungho]

I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF GETTING BACK TO YOU WHEN I GOT A NOTIFICATION FOR YOUR LATEST POST.

THAT SNIPPET????? I'M FERAL NOW.

I NEED THAT RELEASED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I SWEAR I'M GOING CRAZY. I WANNA KISS YOUR BRAIN AS A SIGN OF MY GRATITUDE FOR CONSTANTLY CREASTING MASTERPIECE SCENARIOS.

ALSO, i'm so sorry to hear that you're on your period, is it just me or lately having them has become even more insufferable than before? mine ended a few days ago and i'm so beyond thankful 'cause i was about to rip my hair off of my scalp. (also, i find it so funny that you mention periods because while i was on mine i was thinking of sending an ask about period sex with one of the bnds but ultimately decided against it 'cause i don't wanna fill your inbox)

BUT THAT SHIRT SOUND SO CUTE, wearing cute stuff is always such a mood uplifter.

to be completely honest, i'm feeling awful 'cause last night i got sick and now i have a full on cold, which means i have to miss rehearsals for a play i'm in and that makes me so sad. </3

hopefully i'll feel better tomorrow tho.

— ⭐️

giggling so bad IT’S COMINGGGGG FINALLY!!!!!!! i kid you not this has been in my drafts since DECEMBER 😭 finally letting my baby out into the world i’m so hyped for it omg 🥹 and honestly. i’m gonna be so honest. i was out of it before but now im IN IT! this period isn’t gonna stop me from being at my absolute best (can you tell something great happened? my professor cancelled all classes until exam day for my least fav class I CHEERED!)! but omg YES idk why but it’s been especially terrible these past couple times it’s happened but it’s whatever, we just gotta keep rolling on 🙂‍↕️ also omg SEND IT!!! it would’ve been the perfect time if you did im giggling 🤭 and yessss it’s such a silly shirt, i love it 😭 i can post a pic or something of it if you wanna see LOL but omg :( i hope you’ve feel better soon sweetheart :( colds actually suck SO BAD i’m hoping it goes away super soon </3 take care love 💗

[alwaysamage]

How Much is Too Much?

I am doing something very self indulgent and making 5 pathfinder 2e characters, and plan to run them through the Strength of Thousands campaign and write it up instead of like playing it at a table. Possibly even posting it or snippets of it to Ao3 for the fun of it.

Reasoning behind doing this is in part cause it’s a campaign I’ve desperately wanted to play since it was first released, and only got through about 1 out of its 6 books before the group fell apart. The other part is just self indulgent self insert with other characters based on characters from other media I’ve always liked/resonated with.

Now this campaign is a bit unique in that since everyone is a student at a magical university, it gives a bunch of free things towards character creation. The first being a free archetype in wizard or Druid, aka free 10 feats to do watered down Wizard or Druid. It also gives a number of skill/general feats and trainings thematic to your branches of the university. You pretty much need a whole extra page for your character sheet for these bonuses. On top of this I am also doing the dual class optional rule, cause I just always love playing characters with that. So right now I have 5 characters that have 2 full classes, 1 half class, and a bunch of extra skill based trainings and feats. And I’m giving them each a relic that will grow with them. At this point my brain is pulling out the Bilbo meme of “why not? why shouldn’t I?” and telling me to use the variant rule of ancestral paragon too, which would double the ancestry feats they would get.

So my question is, how much is too much? Or should I just go full camp and give them everything.

If it helps, while I haven’t settled in this idea yet, I’ve been debating deviating from the SoT campaign with this after book one or two and possibly having each of them chase personal goals (end enslavement of their people, make a country change their genocidal policies, bridge gaps between androids and humanoids, etc) with the possibility of running into the star stone and becoming gods after all that. So maybe they should have more?

[supernotnatural2005]

Coming for the WIP game 😎✌️

Please tell me all the things about:

✨ In The End (Endverse!Dean x reader) -> Uuuuh I blacked out after reading Endverse!Dean, so obviously I needs to know stat 🤌

✨ Life as We Know It (Mechanic!Dean x reader) -> Gimme Mechanic!Dean under a car (or me) all day long 😏 (I've also been working on a mechanic!Dean series but his job is pretty much secondary to the story lol)

Have a nice day/night/morning, Abbie!! ☺️🩵

Aww thank you Wayne! ☺️ I'm still trying to catch up on everyones WIP posts that I got tagged in, I still need to look at yours because I absolutely adore everything you put out and if I can get more deets on your WIP's---

Now In The End will be a two parter that I'm hoping to release after The arrangement series, or maybe a little before, if I finish up chapter 2. But it's going to be very Angsty and emotional.. I have to admit, I actually teared up writing the first chapter 😅. The first part will be set 3 years into the apocalypse (2012), so a little glimpse of Dean before the one we meet in 'The end' episode, and then part 2 will be two years after, with the Dean we all know.

Here is a little snippet of a tender moment between the two of them, there is a lot in the first chapter, but this scene is one of my favourite parts. 🥲

In The End - sneak peak...

“I scoped the place out two days ago with Marcus,” you murmured, voice gentle. “There aren’t too many croats, which means we won’t have to use as much ammo. It’ll be a quick in-and-out job.” He knew you were trying to reassure him, but it didn’t help. If he wasn’t there himself, he wouldn’t be at ease. “Hey, look at me,” you said, your voice firmer this time. You guided his chin up, your fingers gentle but insistent. When he met your eyes, the early morning sunlight streamed into the hut, casting a soft glow around you. For a moment, you looked ethereal, almost angelic—a stark contrast to the broken, dark world outside. “I’ll be okay.” You whispered, your hands framing his jaw on either side, thumbs running back and forth over the few say old scruff on his cheeks. “Nothing, I repeat nothing, can keep me from coming back to you, Dean Winchester.” Your words hit him harder than he expected, lodging deep in his chest. His heart fluttered, his stomach twisted—a cocktail of nerves and the overwhelming love he felt for you. Love he realised he’d carried for years. Without words—he was never good with them—he tugged at the neckline of your/his shirt and guided your lips to his. He hoped the kiss could say what he couldn’t: I love you. I need you. Please come back to me. 

Funny, in my mechanic!Dean series, his job is a bit more of a background thought too 😅, more so to do with Dean's self esteem. But yes, gimme some Mechanic!Dean either way 🥵

I'm sorry I'm rambling, you're here for answers Dammit! 🤪

Life As We Know It will be following Dean and the reader as high school sweethearts, homeowners and engaged to be married. The reader has had a little set back in her career at the Lawrence times paper (dickhead boss) which has put a little strain on their relationship.

But then an old college friend of hers -enter- Jimmy Novak, who happens to be Chief editor of the Kansas City Star, which she had applied for, offers her the job off the bat.

However, there is some jealousy involved here (again with the Friends references 😆 I'm thinking a little Mark, Rachel, Ross scenario) then drama, angst, the usual occurs... ���

I hope this has answered your ask? I'm sorry if I've rambled, but I've had such brain fog lately, it feels good to be getting back into things again 😀

Thanks again Wayne for the interest! I appreciate it so much 🥰💜

[affixjoy]

What I’m working on this year:

Original writing:

Romance novella: this is 2/3 of the way done, deals with polyamory and endometriosis, very spicy. My goal is to finish it by the end of February and then decide if I want to self publish it or try to find an agent.

Romantasy novel: queer witches, disability, time loop stuff. This one started as my 2022 NaNoWriMo book and is also about 2/3 done! My goal is to decide whether I’m finishing it or trashing it, and if I’m finishing it have it done by the end of the year.

Ephemera novel: I’ve got an outline for this one, it will be told through “found” newspaper articles, blog posts, interview snippets… I’m excited about this idea and hoping to actually start writing it this year!

Short stories: I’ve got a few ideas for short stories I want to write, including one set in the future about kids “remembering” their past and family through the huge amount of data collected in their childhoods, one about sisters and climate change in the vein of Years and Years, a few little romance things…

I’ve also got drafts of two picture books I want to illustrate and self publish!

Fanfic WIPs:

My goal is to better balance my original writing and fanfic writing this year. 2024 was my year of lots and lots of fanfic, and it was excellent for my brain but less excellent for actually writing MY ideas. To that end, I’m mostly planning on using fanfic as a palate cleanser when I need a break from my stuff. Expect mostly short, smutty fics from me this year and fewer longer works—I’m not planning on doing any big events!

I am working on one Trek fic that I’m excited about though! I decided to challenge myself to write one that’s set up like an episode of TOS, with a science fiction mystery to be solved! It’s outlined and about 1/4 of the way written.

Oh, and yesterday @mcspirkevents released the prompts for McSpirk month and that certainly got some gears going in my brain… I will certainly have at least a few fics for that!

So wish me luck! Last year I wrote over 200,000 words, and I’m hoping I can write a similar amount this year! I’ve got a lot of exciting plans and I’ll be proud of myself if I can accomplish even one of them!

[baradesign]

✏️, 🖊, 🌝, 🍰?

✏️ Do you write every day? HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHA.... no :V I've been trying to write at least for 1 hr each day, but that hasn't been hapening ;w; 🖊 Post a snippet from a current WIP. Beware!

“Home! I need to get home and help look for Sidon!”

“I know that, Link, but you can’t just go and search for him!” The blond chuffed at such a ridiculous statement. Of course he could just go and search for him. He could already be doing that if Pipit would just let him! He turned away from the brunet, as if to prove a point, and managed to take only a couple of steps before he felt Pipit’s hands hold him in place once again. “Link you can’t!”

“I can and I will!”

“No, you can’t! We’re on duty, Link. You’ll be a deserter! A traitor!”

“I don’t care!” Link felt the hands on his arm release him in an instant and, just as he thought the brunet had finally understood his urgency to leave, a sharp, burning pain coming from his scalp morphed his angry roar into a pitiful yelp. The hand grasping at the base of his ponytail pulled his head backwards with such strength that he could only throw his head back and follow its movement until his gravity center shifted and he found himself falling backwards against the wooden floor.

“Well, I do, and you should, too!” Pipit shouted from above. His enraged face put an immediate end to whatever stream of colourful language was about to come out from the blond’s mouth. Link was not used to seeing Pipit with such an expression, and by the looks of it, he was about to learn not to summon it again any time soon. “ A deserter, Link! Do you even understand what that means?! Is your fish-brain big enough to comprehend the meaning of it?! You’ll get court-martialed and probably imprisoned, since there is nobody here who can say you were being forced to leave your post! And even if I were to speak for you, what am I gonna say?! ‘Please, Your Highness, have mercy on this idiot. He suffered from a stroke.’?! You’d still get banished from Hyrule, at the very least! And where are you gonna go after that? You can’t go back into Zora’s Domain, so what’s your plan? Run away for the rest of your life, hoping to not be captured while trying to survive by eating nuts and berries like a squirrel? Go live up the volcano with the Gorons? Dress in fucking drag and get lost in the desert?!”

“I-I just-”

“No! You can’t possibly think you can ask me to just sit down and watch you do this. You. Just. Can’t!” Pipit stomped his boots against the dock, so close to the blond’s head, Link found himself flinching every time the sole made contact with the creaking wood. Blue eyes braved taking a look while the brunet struggled to catch his breath after the sudden outburst. He saw Pipit bit his lip and press a thumb and an index against his eyes, the fingers pulling on his sin as he dragged his whole hand against the side of his face. A deep groan left him, his usually energetic voice sounded as if he had aged ten years in the last ten minutes. “You can’t ask me to let you do this to yourself. You can’t…I hate nuts…I look awful in drag…” 🌝 Who is one character you haven’t yet written for that you would like to? To ot duplicate my answer, this tim I'll saaaaaaaaaaaaaaay... Gildan. I know he's an oc, but... I need to write him as an actual talking character. I NEED IT! 🍰 Name one of your fave comfort fics (doesn’t have to be your all time fave). These Tasks Three by @only-by-the-stars ! It gives me happy feels!

[venillopewrites]

August 2, 2023

I feel like an estranged aunt every time I return to this blog with news, but not a rich wine aunt but one of those aunt's who disappears into the woods for a few months and comes back with a pet skunk and a handful of berries.

WHAT'S DONE 🪐

➠ 3% of chapter 1 pt. 1 has been written! I know it doesn't sound like much but I'm vibing. With how I've outlined this chapter, 3% is a drop in the ocean. What was I thinking. Poor host, I love writing their existential crisis tho.

➠ The prologue is DONE! Or done enough to go through another round of testing and editing, and now I just have to check that all variables do what they're supposed to. Might even add more, knowing me and my wayward writing hands.

➠ The character profiles are coming! I'm just trying to reach my backup files because they got lost in the freak accident called 'Ven deleting stuff willy nilly and being a dumb'. Let's hope they're out there somewhere 🥹.

TO DO 🪐

➠ Still need to write chapter one, part one to completion. After that I can start thinking of demo release. Just saying that makes me shake in my boots!

➠ Check wtf I was thinking for ch1, pt2, because I have completely forgotten. Had to take a break and it just made my brain blank out 😶‍🌫️

➠ Post some character snippets! I have some very fluffy writings sitting in my notepad on the phone, drunk Ven really doesn't socialize but writes instead.

➠ Reintegrate to Tumblr. Be more active! I've missed so much during the impromptu break, breaks my heart 😞

While I've been gone from the online world, the game has been in the works. Things are going smoothly on that front! While I know the Tumblr for this game isn't popping off, I appreciate all of you who have had patience with me thus far 🧡 Good things are coming, I promise.

(There might also be a side project in the works, but that's still under wraps shhhh)