#or at least a very important side character

[cressidagrey]

The Queen of Romantasy and the Race Car Prince - Chapter 7

Pairing: Lando Norris x Elizabeth "Lizzie" Treshton (Original Character)

Summary:

Elizabeth Treshton—bestselling romantasy author, queen of fae heartbreak, and sworn devotee of a carefully structured routine—never expected her service dog to abandon protocol and diagnose a Formula 1 driver with something. But that’s exactly what happens when Mara the wonder-dog ditches Lizzie’s side to aggressively alert to none other than Lando Norris in the middle of a coffee shop.

Warnings and Notes: 

Mention of epilepsy, seizures, memory loss, hospitals, vomiting, blood and service animals. I don't myself suffer from epilepsy, so I asked my IRL friend, who thankfully was nice enough to let me ask her all the questions I could come up with. The rest I asked Reddit. So everything that's wrong...that's totally my fault and not on purpose.

As always big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble

Lizzie opened her eyes slowly, the world around her blurry and out of focus. She knew immediately she was in her hospital room, the smell of antiseptic and the dimmed lights a familiar, unwelcome presence.

She groaned softly, the small sound echoing faintly in the stillness of the room. Her throat felt like sandpaper, her mouth dry and aching. She tried to swallow, but her tongue felt too thick, sticking to the roof of her mouth.

“Welcome back,” Tasha said softly, and she turned her head to see her best friend.

"Tasha?" Lizzie croaked out, the simple word sounding like it was torn from her raw throat.

Tasha moved closer, her familiar face coming into focus. "Yeah, it’s me," she said with a quiet smile. "How are you feeling?"

Lizzie's forehead creased in a frown as she tried to take stock of her own body. "Everything hurts," she managed to say, her voice ragged.

Tasha reached out, her hand gentle as she tucked a strand of hair out of Lizzie's face. "I’d be surprised if it didn’t. You gave us quite a scare."

Tasha's eyes were filled with a mixture of affection and worry, something Lizzie was very familiar with.

Lizzie felt a twinge of guilt as she noticed the dark circles under Tasha's eyes, evidence that she'd probably spent the night here, watching over her once again.

“How bad?” She brought out weakly.

Tasha's face pulled into a frown, her usual carefree expression replaced by concern. "Bad," she said simply, not bothering to soften the blow.

Lizzie's eyes closed at the word, a wave of dread washing over her. She knew Tasha wasn't the kind to sugarcoat things, but still, hearing it confirmed was like a punch to the gut.

“You ripped out your IV line too by the way… your elbow is pretty ripped up…and you got stitches in your tongue.”

Lizzie let out a shuddering sigh, hearing the list of her injuries laid out in front of her.

“How many?” She asked weakly.

“Seizures? At least 6. But you were seizing when I found you and Mara was starting to get worried so we don’t know exactly.” Tasha said quietly. “Can you remember…anything?”

Lizzie’s brow furrowed as she tried to access her memories, but they were muddled and hazy. “Not much,” she admitted, her voice soft. “Just…flashes. And pain.”

Tasha nodded, her expression sympathetic. “That’s probably for the best, honestly. It wasn’t pretty.”

But there was something else…something important… “Who won Miami?” She croaked out.

Tasha laughed. “Your boyfriend did.”

Wait what?

Lizzie's eyes widened at Tasha's words. "Boyfriend?" she croaked out, her voice slightly higher than normal.

Tasha smirked, clearly amused by the mix of confusion and surprise on Lizzie's face. "Yep. Lando. Your boyfriend. He won Miami."

Lizzie's mind was reeling. Lando? Her boyfriend? She thought she must've been hallucinating. "He's not my boyfriend," she protested weakly.

Tasha raised an eyebrow, her face the portrait of skepticism. "Oh really? You want to tell me that the same bloke that flew around the globe the moment he heard that you were in the hospital after he finally won a Formula 1 Grand Prix isn't your boyfriend? The same guy that hasn't left you since you arrived? That keeps holding your hand?"

Tasha stared pointedly to the other side of her bed and Lizzie turned her head.

"It's all too much for little Lando Norris," Tasha chortled with some amusement.

Lando was there. deep asleep in a chair that Lizzie just knew was horribly uncomfortable.

Lizzie felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of him.

He looked exhausted. His hair was rumpled, his clothes slightly askew. There were bags under his eyes, and his mouth was open slightly as he snored softly, his head tilted back against the wall in a position that was bound to be painful.

It looked like he'd been there for a long time. Like he hadn't left her side at all.

Tasha chuckled softly. "Looks a bit cute when he sleeps," she commented, still amused. "Like a big ol’ puppy. Kinda like Mara. The only thing lacking is the twitching paws.”

Lizzie was still staring at Lando, feeling a strange mixture of emotions. She had so many questions. But right now, all she could focus on was the fact that he was here, fast asleep, keeping her company.

"Why..." Lizzie finally managed to get out, her voice hoarse. "Why is he..?"

Tasha's expression softened. "Because, love," she said gently. "That boy cares about you. A lot."

Lizzie swallowed thickly, her heart pounding in her chest. She was overwhelmed by the realisation. Lando cared for her. He cared enough to hop on a plane and fly halfway around the globe as soon as he found out she was hurt. And now, he was here. Fast asleep in a hospital chair, just so he could be near her.

Tasha patted her hand, clearly enjoying her inner turmoil. "Don’t look so shocked," she teased. "It’s not like it isn’t obvious.”

"Shut up," Lizzie grumbled weakly, still staring at Lando’s sleeping form.

"Though we are going to have a talk about the fact that you are dating a bloody F1 driver and haven't said a single word to me," Tasha told her with a snort. "A McLaren driver. Really?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "It's not like I planned it," she defended herself weakly. "It just happened."

Tasha shook her head, amused. "It just happened," she repeated drily. "With an F1 driver. I can’t believe you."

Lizzie huffed, turning her head to glare at her sister. But the effect was ruined by her exhaustion and the fact that she was propped up by a dozen pillows.

Tasha chuckled at her attempts to be intimidating, clearly not feeling threatened. "Relax, sweetie," she said. "I’m happy for you. But I am going to make fun of you for this."

Lizzie sighed, leaning her head back against her pillow. "You’re insufferable, you know that?"

Tasha grinned, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah, but you love me anyway."

"Besides, I am gonna go home now, and leave you with your boy," Tasha sing-songed. "You should thank me."

Lizzie groaned, letting her head drop back on her pillow. "Don’t leave,” she protested weakly.

Tasha just laughed, clearly enjoying her distress. "Don’t be such a baby. You’ve got your boyfriend to keep you company.”

"He’s asleep," Lizzie protested weakly, watching Lando’s sleeping form.

Tasha shrugged, undeterred. "So? Wake him up."

"I’m not going to wake him up." Lizzie grumbled, still eyeing Lando’s sleeping form. He looked adorable when his face was all relaxed.

Tasha smirked. "That’s because you enjoy watching him sleep," she teased. "Admit it."

Lizzie felt her face flush at her sister’s words, and she shot her a disapproving look. "I do not," she said stubbornly.

Tasha was clearly enjoying herself, her smirk growing wider. "Oh really? Then why are you blushing, hmm?"

Lizzie could feel her cheeks growing hotter, and she tried to hide her face, but the blasted hospital gown only exposed more of her already flushed face. "I’m not blushing. It's the drugs."

Tasha let out a hoot of laughter, clearly not buying her excuse. "Nice try. You're totally blushing and we both know why."

Lizzie grumbled, still staring at Lando's sleeping form. He was blissfully oblivious to their bickering, his snores still filling the room.

Tasha just smirked. "You know, it's kind of cute how you're watching him like a hawk," she teased.

Lizzie huffed, trying to ignore her sister's amusement. "I'm not watching him. I'm just... making sure he's comfortable."

"Sure, sure," Tasha said with a knowing smirk. "Because everyone knows the best way to make sure someone's comfortable is to stare at them like they're a cute puppy."

Lizzie shot her sister a withering look, but Tasha just chuckled. "Relax, Lizzie Lou. I’m just teasing you. I think it’s adorable."

Lizzie rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the hint of a smile that was creeping onto her face.

Tasha smirked, noticing the change in her expression. "Aww, look at that. You’re not denying you think he’s cute."

Lizzie huffed, trying to salvage some pride. "I... I’m not saying he isn’t cute," she mumbled.

"Oho, so you do think he’s cute," Tasha teased, the smirk still plastered on her face.

Lizzie groaned, her face flushing again. "Shut up."

Tasha just laughed, clearly enjoying her sister's embarrassment. "Don’t worry. It’s cute. You're acting like a little school girl with a crush."

"Go away," she told Tasha.

Tasha just chuckled and ruffled Lizzie's hair affectionately. "Alright, alright. I’ll leave you to your staring. But I’m not done teasing you about this."

Lizzie groaned, burying her face in her pillow dramatically. "You’re the worst, you know that?"

Tasha grinned, clearly relishing in Lizzie's dramatics. "Yep, I know. But you love me anyway."

Lizzie grumbled but didn’t deny it. Tasha just laughed again. "Alright, I’m gonna leave you to your... ogling," she teased, her voice full of mirth.

Lizzie gritted her teeth at Tasha's teasing tone but didn’t object. "Just go," she said, her voice still hoarse.

Tasha grinned one last time. "Alright, alright. I’m going. Have fun with your ogling."

Lizzie just rolled her eyes and huffed, sinking back into the pillows with a sigh.

Tasha chuckled again as she ruffled Lizzie’s hair fondly. "Don’t drool too much."

Lizzie groaned and swat at her hand, but Tasha just laughed, dodging the weak blow.

"Good night, Lizzie," Tasha said as she started walking towards the door.

Lizzie just grumbled and made a face at her, but the effect was ruined by the fact that she was still propped up by pillows and looking exhausted.

Tasha just smirked at her attempted protest and blew her a kiss, amused by Lizzie's grumpy expression. "Sleep tight. And try not to stare at your boyfriend too much. You might creep him out."

Lizzie just rolled her eyes and blew a raspberry in response, a childish gesture that made Tasha laugh and shake her head.

With a final wave, Tasha disappeared out the door, leaving Lizzie alone with Lando, who was still fast asleep in the chair.

She turned her head to look at him, her heart doing a strange little flutter as she watched his chest rise and fall with each slow breath.

Despite Tasha's teasing, Lizzie couldn’t help but stare at Lando. He looked so endearingly tired, his normally carefully styled hair now sticking up in all directions. It was a side of him that not many people got to see, and Lizzie felt a strange sense of privilege at the fact that she was able to witness it.

Mara took that moment to decide that Lizzie made a better place to sleep than the bed and came crawling up.

Lizzie groaned as Mara clambered onto the bed, the dog's weight making the mattress dip.

"You cheeky thing," Lizzie murmured, reaching out to pet Mara under the chin. Mara just wagged her tail and settled down, curling up against Lizzie's side.

Lizzie chuckled softly, her hand buried in Mara's fur. "Comfy, huh? Using me as a pillow now, are we?"

Mara just closed her eyes and leaned into her touch, clearly comfortable and relaxed.

Lizzie continued to pet her, her fingers running over the soft fur. It was nice to have a little bit of normalcy. Even when it was just this.

She glanced over at Lando, still fast asleep, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of affection. He looked so adorable, his face relaxed in sleep, his lips slightly parted.

...and then Mara decided that slobbering and licking all over their entertwined hands was the thing to do.

That woke up Lando, no question about that.

Lando’s eyes shot open at the unexpected sensation of Mara licking at his hands. He jerked upright, startled out of his sleep, and looked down at his now slobbery hand.

He glanced over at Lizzie, who was trying (and failing) to stifle a laugh.

"What the...?" Lando muttered, clearly befuddled and a little annoyed. He wiped his hand on the material of his trousers, trying to get rid of the slobber.

Lizzie couldn’t help but let out a soft giggle at his expression. "Sorry," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Mara thought you needed some extra canine affection."

Lando gave Lizzie an exasperated look, his annoyance melting away at the sound of her laugh. "Right," he said drily, shaking his head. "Because nothing says "affection" like having a dog slobber all over you while you’re trying to sleep.”

She wanted to laugh, but all that came out was: "You are here," Lizzie said weakly.

Lando looked over at her, his expression softening as he took in her weak form. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I am."

The simple words held so much weight in the quiet of the room, and Lizzie felt a surge of emotions. She had never been so glad to see someone in her life.

"You...you didn’t have to come all this way," Lizzie managed to say, her throat still raw.

Lando shook his head. "Yes, I did," he said, his voice firm. "You...you scared me, you know? Hearing what happened... I had to come."

Lizzie’s heart ached at the vulnerability in his voice, and she wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch him, to reassure him. But the IVs and monitors kept her firmly tethered to the bed.

Instead, she settled for a small smile. "I’m fine, you know," she said weakly. "Just a bit... sore."

Llando gave her a look that clearly said he didn’t believe her. "You call being hooked up to all these machines and having multiple seizures 'just a bit sore'?" he asked, his tone slightly harsh.

Lizzie flinched at the harshness in his tone, but she knew he was right. "Alright, alright," she mumbled. "Maybe it’s a bit more than just 'a bit sore'. But I’m still alive, aren’t I?"

Lando sighed and ran a hand through his already unruly hair. "Yeah," he admitted, his voice hoarse. "But... God, it's been so damn scary, Liz."

“I thought… you didn’t answer any of my text messages,” he said weakly.

Lizzie’s heart sank at his words. She hadn’t meant to worry him.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Lando shook his head and let out a hoarse laugh. "Of course you’re apologising," he said, his voice filled with a mix of irritation and affection. "You just went through hell and back and you’re apologising to me."

Lizzie just gave him a small smile. "Well, you know me," she said weakly. "I’m a big softie."

Lando huffed and ran a hand over his face. He looked exhausted and incredibly anxious, and it was clear that he had been worried sick about her.

“You won?” She asked him.

Lando looked at her in confusion for a moment before understanding dawned on his face.

"Oh," he said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah. I won."

Lizzie's eyes widened in surprise. "You did?" she asked, unable to keep the awe out of her voice.

Lando nodded, the pride in his eyes clear. "Yeah, I did."

A mixture of emotions washed over Lizzie - pride, amazement, but also sadness. Lando had won, but she hadn’t been there to witness it.

She swallowed thickly, the words sticking in her throat. "I... I wish I could have seen it," she said, her voice hoarse.

Lando’s expression softened, and he reached out to take her hand. "I’ll show you the highlights when you're feeling better, alright? You just focus on getting better."

Lizzie felt the comforting warmth of Lando's hand gripping hers, and she gave him a small, grateful smile.

"You better show me everything," she told him, her voice still weak. "I want to see every lap, every overtake. No skipping."

Lando chuckled softly, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. "Deal," he promised.

They were quiet for a moment, their hands still holding. Lizzie studied Lando's face, taking in weary lines and the dark circles under his eyes. It was clear that he hadn’t gotten much rest since the accident.

"When was the last time you slept?" Lizzie said quietly, breaking the silence.

“Literally five minutes ago, you woke me,” he said with a snort.

“From a nap on a hospital chair. I know how uncomfortable these are,” she shot back. “I meant in a real bed.”

Lando grimaced at the mention of the hospital chair. "Yeah, this chair is brutal," he agreed. "My back is killing me."

Lizzie chuckled weakly. "Maybe you should just get in the bed with me," she said teasingly. 

Lando’s eyes widened at her words, and he looked at her sceptically. "Are you sure that’s a good idea? You know, with the IV lines and all that."

Lizzie shrugged noncommittally. "I don’t think the nurse will mind," she said, her tone still teasing. "I’ll just tell them you’re my emotional support F1 driver."

Lando let out a snort of laughter at her words, his lips curving into a grin. "Yeah, I’m sure that’s a completely normal arrangement," he said sarcastically.

"Hey, it’s a valid medical need," Lizzie said with mock seriousness. "I need my F1 driver cuddles to help me heal."

Lando rolled his eyes, but he was still grinning. "You’re ridiculous, you know that?"

Lizzie feigned an offended expression. "Me? Ridiculous? I’m wounded, I’ll have you know.

Lando chuckled at her dramatic act. "Oh, trust me, I know you’re wounded. You’ve got enough cables and tubes attached to you to prove that."

Lizzie stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "Yeah, rub it in, why don’t you. I’m already suffering enough. I think the least you can do is give me some cuddles."

Lando pretended to consider her request for a moment before sighing dramatically. "Fine," he said, putting on a show of resignation. "I suppose I can sacrifice myself for your healing purposes."

Lizzie grinned victoriously as Lando stood up from the chair. He maneuvered himself onto the bed carefully, trying not to disturb the IV lines.

Once he was settled, Lizzie scooted closer to him, feeling the warmth of his body radiating through their clothes. She buried her face into his side, inhaling his familiar scent.

Lando wrapped his arm around her gently, his hand resting on the small of her back. "This better not be a ploy to steal all my body heat," he joked.

“Can you give me my phone?” She requested

Lando nodded and reached over to the bedside table, where Lizzie’s phone was resting. He grabbed it and handed it to her.

"Here you go," he said, "but don’t get too sucked into it. You need to rest."

Lizzie rolled her eyes playfully as she took her phone. "Relax, I’m just going to check my messages."

Lando eyed her suspiciously. "You’re not going to play Candy Crush or something, are you?"

Lizzie gave him a wounded look. "I’m only going to check my messages."

She opened the phone and started scrolling through her inbox. Lando shifted next to her, getting more comfortable as he made himself at home.

“…by the way, just ignore what I wrote you,” he said suddenly.

Lizzie looked up from her phone, a puzzled expression on her face. "Ignore what?" she asked, unsure of what he was talking about.

Lando let out a sigh, a weary look in his eyes. "Just… ignore any of the texts or voicemails I sent you while you were in here. They’re stupid, and they don’t matter."

Lizzie’s curiosity was piqued. She set her phone down and looked at him, her expression soft. "Why? What did you say?"

Lando ran a hand through his hair, his expression sheepish. "Just… things I shouldn’t have said. Things I didn’t mean. I was just... frustrated, and worried, and not thinking straight. I didn’t mean any of it, seriously."

Lizzie felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She could only imagine what kind of things he’d written or said to her while she’d been unconscious.

"Hey," she said softly, reaching out to place a comforting hand on his arm. "I’m sure it wasn’t that bad. You don’t have to feel embarrassed."

Lando let out a hoarse laugh, the sound lacking any real humor. "Trust me, it was. I was… not in a good headspace, and I may have said some things you didn’t need to hear."

Lizzie’s heart ached. She could imagine how stressful this situation had been for him and she couldn’t help but feel a little responsible for the pain he’s been through.

"I don’t care what you said," she said firmly, her grip on his arm tightening. "I still care about you, you big dummy."

Still, she scrolled through her text messages…and tapped on Lando’s name, scrolling up till her last message to him.

And then she got to read all of it.

Lizzie's heart sank as she read through the messages Lando had sent her, each one filled with panic, worry, and a hint of angry frustration. She could tell that he had been struggling, that the stress and worry had gotten the best of him.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and kept reading, each message more emotional and desperate than the last.

And the fact that he had thought she didn’t care about his win…that she was simply ghosting him…

As she continued reading, Lizzie's heart ached with every message. She could feel the pain, the fear, the frustration radiating from his words. And the fact that he had thought she was ignoring him… that she didn’t care about his win… that stung like a dagger to her heart.

The messages were a stark contrast to the Lando she knew, the confident, carefree guy who seemed to take everything in stride. These messages revealed a side of him that was vulnerable, insecure, and desperately in need of reassurance.

“Lando.”

Lando's attention snapped back to Lizzie, his eyes widening in surprise. "Yeah?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Lizzie let out a heavy sigh, her hand trembling as she held up the phone. "Did you really think I would just... ignore your messages like that? That I didn't care about your win?"

Lando fidgeted uncomfortably under her gaze, his eyes flickering away from hers. "I...I don't know," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "I just... you didn't reply, and I thought... I thought you were angry with me or something."

Lizzie's heart ached at his words. She could see the guilt and shame etched on his face, and she knew that he was beating himself up over his reaction.

"I… I was unconscious, Lando," she said softly. "I couldn’t exactly respond."

Lando let out a frustrated huff, his eyes still averting hers. "I know that," he said, his voice filled with regret. "I know that now, and I feel like an idiot for even thinking that. But at the time, I was just... scared. And angry. And worried."

Lizzie could see the mix of emotions on his face - guilt, shame, regret, and still that tinge of anger at himself. She scooted a little closer to him, her hand reaching out to take his.

"Hey, look at me," she said softly.

Lando bit his lip, his eyes flickering up to meet hers reluctantly. He looked so weary, so tired, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Lizzie took a deep breath, trying to choose her words carefully. "I want you to know that I would never, ever intentionally ignore you. Especially for something as important as your first win. I know how much it means to you. I care about you.”

Lando let out a hoarse laugh, his expression still marred with guilt. "I know you care about me," he said, his voice hoarse. "I just... I don’t know. Maybe I was just feeling selfish. I just wanted to hear from you, y’know?"

Lizzie nodded, her thumb rubbing soothing circles on the back of his hand. "I get it," she said softly. "I really do. But you have to know that I would never ignore you like that. You mean too much to me."

Lando’s expression softened, the tension in his shoulders easing a little. "I’m sorry," he said, his voice laced with regret. "I’m sorry for being an idiot. I should’ve handled things better."

"Hey," Lizzie said softly, her grip on his hand tightening. "You were worried. And scared. I get it. But you need to stop beating yourself up about it. I’m fine. We’re both fine. And I’m not going anywhere, okay?"

Lando let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders finally sagging in defeat. He looked at Lizzie, his expression weary but genuine. "Okay," he murmured. "Okay. I just... I needed to hear that, I guess."

Lizzie gave him a small smile, her hand still holding his. "You don’t have anything to be sorry for, you idiot," she said teasingly. "Just... try not to jump to conclusions next time, alright?"

Lando let out a huff of laughter, his expression finally lightening a bit. "Yeah, yeah, I’ll try," he said, a hint of his usual teasing tone back in his voice.

“And I am so fucking proud of you,” Lizzie told him softly.

Lando's expression softened, the guilt and worry in his eyes fading away. "You...you are?" he asked, like he couldn't quite believe her words.

Lizzie nodded fervently, her grip on his hand tightening. "Of course I am," she said firmly. "You won, Lando. You actually did it. I’m so incredibly proud of you."

Lando let out a shaky breath, his eyes welling up with emotion. "You really... you really mean that?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Lizzie's heart ached at the vulnerability in his voice. She wanted nothing more than to hold him close and tell him how proud she was.

"I do," she said softly. "I really do. You’re incredible, Lando. You have no idea how amazing you are."

Lando sniffed, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. "You’re just saying that because you’re drugged up," he said, a hint of his usual teasing tone still in his voice.

Lizzie rolled her eyes playfully. "I’m not that drugged up," she said, poking his side with her free hand. "I can still think clearly enough to know how incredible you are."

So incredible. She managed to lean up, and press a chaste kiss against his lips.

“Incredible enough that I get to call you my girlfriend? He asked her hoarsely as she pulled back.

Lizzie's heart fluttered at his words, her cheeks heating up.

"Of course you get to call me your girlfriend," she said, a soft smile playing on her lips. "And I get to call you my boyfriend. The incredible, amazing, F1 race-winning boyfriend."

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello! Do you have any theories as on why Skully was so popular in JPN? I remember you mentioning how Trey appeals to that crowd more because he's dependable(?). A more stable vibe than the others, whereas he comes off as basic/boring to Eng(?)

(I apologize, if not remembering your words right).

Trying to wonder how Skully got so high (#2). Maybe it's because he's fresh and new? Or maybe he falls (at least superficially) on the "gentleman"/ sort of lane with Trey and Jade who also placed in that poll. Or maybe spoopy tall boy in fancy suit who does hand kisses and a harmless(? Jack and Grim and Yuu weren't really injured right) kidnapping was just a fun time, haha

[Referencing this post!]

Every character is loved for different reasons; I previously proposed that Trey ranks high in JP but low in EN due to the age differences (and their related tastes) between the two fandoms. The older women in the JP fandom see Trey’s dad/house husband energy as appealing, whereas the younger fans in the EN fandom see Trey as a plain guy. Skully is popular across both JP and EN fandoms, so when I speculate on his rise to stardom, it applies to both sides and not just one.

I definitely think that part of Skully’s popularity is the boost he got from being brand new. If you look at previous years’ top 100 yume polls, Rollo and Fellow also got massive bumps in the rankings just because they were both shiny and novel.

I feel like a lot of people initially liked Skully because “he acts like he walked out of a dating sim”. This was a very common sentiment especially when we only had part 1 of the event to go off of; fans were swooning over his manner of speaking, how he kissed the back of our hands, and especially how he constantly lavished Yuu with praise, such as calling them a “wonderful person”. (That is already a HUGE departure from how the average NRC student treats the player.) He cries later too, so he has gap moe as well. Bro is practically designed to be yumejoshi bait 😂

I think he also appeals to those who like kind of a “pathetic” personality. Skully is stubborn with his ideals, and hints that he is a social outcast and not accepted by his peers who do not accept his special interest; perhaps people (and especially otaku) related to that and connected with him for his reason. When he is upset, you may feel like comforting him. When he is happy, you may feel like wanting to support and nurture his excitement. Like, you just want to take care of him.

Another detail I think is really important in explaining his popularity is ultimately what befell Skully. I know a ton of people were crushed at the plot twist at the end of the event. He got redeemed, but due to the circumstances, we end up not only forgetting him altogether but also missing out on our promised reunion. The bittersweet taste of tragedy may very well have propelled Skully to new heights; it’s a great vehicle for angst scenarios.

[anitablogs1931]

I am happy you like it!

I’m such a scifi and space nerd since I was a kid! The explanation up there was just the bare minimum of what I have planned, I tried telling people THE MOST BASIC information about Timedrifters

Of course I HAVE MORE, mind this is a little more complex

SOME MORE EXTRA INFO:

Drifterverse is not a real Multiverse, it’s a parallel Universe, like every human crafted Universe should be

Always separate dimensions from each other, even if they can effect each other!

THESE ARE NOT MATHEMATICAL DIMENSIONS! Of course, time itself is one dimensional!

Disclaimer: Drifterverse has only 3 true dimensions! I’ll still be calling other things overlapping with this universe “dimensions”, like the Shadow Dimension, the Time Dimension, etc.

“AUs” and stories are called “Concept” as a whole, with a Core Concept/Idea and Timelines that radiate from it, they are only visible and matter in the Time Dimension

Empty spots in the Time Dimension mean in this part of Drifterverse, there are no living life forms that can perceive time, pretty logical

Everyone exists in every dimension in some kind of form, dying in one doesn’t erase you from the others, but it effects them

For example, die in the one you physically matter and you’re still alive in the astral dimension until someone kills you there (that’s Reaper’s job). That way ghosts can exist and appear if you summon them, at least as long as a Reaper grants them

Reapers are not allowed to kill you in every dimension! Mind their job is only to kill a few versions of you from only one timeline! They have to be very precise and careful

If there are too many Timestrings coming from one timeline and the story is missing too many important people at different time stamps, it can rupture the entire timeline into pieces

Let’s say a character in story “kills the universe”. Does this erase the timeline? The Concept? Heck, Drifterverse?? No. Every concept is in some sort of bubble they think is a “universe” but none of them could ever endanger Drifterverse itself!

Most people forget how BIG and EMPTY an actual Universe is! The light years Concepts are away from each other are crazy. Pretty amateurish from those people.

The timeline might fade into nothing if they kill every living being there perceiving things (including themselves), but it doesn’t effect what happened in time before, you could technically still travel back before all the shit happened

You time-travel and change events? You’re scared of a paradox? Problem solved itself with the “copy, edit, paste” principle! You do that with the timeline and everything is fine, it just creates a new timeline

Metro (aka Error Sans) just hates when people do it because, like in the graphs before, can cause not only the timeline to be copy pasted, but also who’s currently out of it with a Timestring! Imagine that kind of chaos just because someone wanted to prevent their brother dying

That’s why he creates invisible firewalls around every whole Concept like a bubble and tells people they are in an AU they can’t leave and that the “Multiverse” outside has different rules and tears them apart like a black hole (necessary lie)

Too many Concepts completely rupturing besides each other at the same time could cause a black hole disc in the Time Dimension that feasts on all the time surrounding it till nothing is left, but let’s be honest, that timing is almost impossible

Worm holes only appear in the Time Dimension but they effect the physical matter one directly and can cause random individuals to glitch through their timeline and land somewhere entirely different

Wormholes are literally caused by almost parasitic negative matter grouping like a worm that chews holes in the Time Dimension

ALL OF THESE IDEAS ARE CREDITED TO ME AND MY NERDY BRAIN

Of course, these rules and organizational work are still a HUGE WIP and need a lot of attention and polishing from my side

[sweet-beezus]

Enya

A headstrong and mostly independent girl with a lot of compassion for the people of her home world. When things go south, she tries her best to pick up the pieces along the way, even if it means causing more harm for herself.

[idk-tbh-idk]

The queen herself

[palaceoftears]

Magnificent Century Rewatch: One Picspam per Episode

Episode 17: The Double Joy

-My dear mother used to say "walk barefoot on earth and it shall take away all your troubles and sorrows, earth shall give you happiness and joy"

-Your mother spoke well, one can only find peace in earth. But I'm not sure if it is on earth or in it.

[wildstar25]

What physical part(s) of Arsay does her partners find the most attractive! Is it the same for all partners or does it differ between them?

(also optional bonus ask of what part(s) of/about Arsay generally do they love the most, physical or not!)

Meanwhile, if you were to ask the same of Arsay:

[jessamine-rose]

*squeezes aine this time*

Read my Yandere! Dottore fics first (⁎⁍̴̆Ɛ⁍̴̆⁎)

Chemistry ๑ Magnum Opus

So @ainescribe decided to surprise me with more Darling fan art, this time of Dottore’s Assistant!! *sobs* I love it so much ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´ω`ﾟ)ﾟ｡

Once again, feedback will be in the tags. Thank you so much for enjoying my writing, Aine <3

[sysig]

A hero is only as good as his weapons, so make ‘em count (Patreon)

[enhanced-operatives-division]

One day I'll draw the ieytd cast with all the flower imagery i want

[arolesbianism]

Just realized I forgot to post these

[wherevenusholdssomeofficespace]

So Doof in Milo Murphy's Law?

In general, I think Doof was as funny as he always was. He's just a disaster of a man with few social skills. He sometimes seems a bit more annoying or inconsiderate than he used to be, though I'm pretty sure the reason for this is Doof in Phineas and Ferb hardly interacts with anyone but Perry, who doesn't talk, mostly in his apartment where his behavior doesn't really bother anyone else. Doof DOES have a full fledged supporting cast so to speak (Vanessa, Norm, Charlene, Roger, OWCA, LOVE MUFFIN), but their interactions often just set up an episode or close out an episode. Not to say he doesn't have storylines where he interacts with other characters, and Norm is around often, but that's not where he spends his time. And those characters he does interact with are usually foiled to him in some notable way. I think the only human characters he interacts with for more than a few lines at a time with are Major Monogram (who is a "good" guy but a bit of an asshole, who has a natural chemistry than , Rodney, who often specifically riles Doof up, and Vanessa whose issues with her dad is central to many of her stories and has a lot of patience for him. And the kids on occasion, where I think we see many of the same problems of his Milo Murphy's Law presence. Where he's basically the kids peer and is often called out for his ridiculousness, and irritates a lot of people. There are characters Doof bounces off wonderfully and characters he just doesn't. Orton Mahson, yes. Sara, Not so much.

It's just that in MML, he's regularly interacting with people so his inability to function is affecting people beyond his immediate family. It's a bit less funny when he's actually interacting with people who don't deserve the problems he's causing. Or who aren't on some level, obligated to deal with it. His behavior is just constant Agent Doof/At2D behavior, but its now directed at characters who shouldn't have to put up with his nonsense. And it's also a little bit Doof is in a context different than the one we saw him than during PnF. He's not as certain about who he is. He's lacking a solid goal. Despite sounding like I'm complaining, I don't really mind all that so to speak. I mean, he was pretty good in the Phineas and Ferb effect in my opinion precisely because he had Orton Mahlson and Cavendish to bounce off of. Doof's still funny, he's still got heart. But I think it just makes the actual problem worse.

Which is that it split S2's focus. S1 heavily focused on Milo and friends, with the pistachio stuff mostly going on in the background until it became actually important. 2 plot lines (not unlike PnF). But Season 2 added a third arc in addition to the Alien arc that replaced the time travel arc, Doof's professor time arc. And while it paralleled Cavendish and Dakota's, it still took up time. I didn't really dislike any of it per se. But it was taking significant time away from Milo, and to a certain extent the dynamics we could have between Milo characters. I don't necessarily have a problem with the episodes, its just between Milo and Gang, Cavendish's escapades, Doof was just too much. We know (due to all the failed backdoor pilots in PnF S4), that they wanted to continue Doof's story. Between Doof 101 and the OWCA Files, they were clearly been thinking about a Doof who is figuring out how to be good for a while. And Doof, DID have room to grow. I do completely agree with giving Doof an arc. But ultimately Doof is a character who is far more funny when he's diluted by other shenanigans, or has good people to bounce off, and Milo's less erratic formula didn't dilute him too much. What I mean by that is we didn't have B (and C) plots the way we did in Phineas. I LOVE Doof, let me make that clear, he was always a delight, but I think I speak for most of us when I say I didn't love Doof enough to give up limited Milo time for him.

Phineas and Ferb had like 65 episodes in its first two seasons alone while Milo Murphy's Law had 40 episodes total. And Doof was a main character in at least 8 segments. Which may not sound like a lot, but half of those episodes didn't feature Milo. He also featured as a major character in several others. And unlike PnF where most segments were shared with the Flynn-Fletcher's escapades, when Doof gets a segment, he's often its sole focus. I genuinely think cutting down a few of the more repetitive Doof episodes or giving them Milo centric B-plots could have done a world of good. That said, I just don't care that much about Doof's middle aged drama compared to the kids shenanigans.

So ultimately I have extremely mixed feelings on it. I do love Doof. Him being professor time and Cavendish's hero, Cavenpuss, his role in helping the kids with the aliens. All great. But I admit. I don't watch the episodes featuring him nearly as much as I do the ones that are just about him and Perry's drama. I think it was something Dan and Swampy cared about. And I respect that. I get it. I could never hate it. But Milo and his friends are great characters who easily can carry half a show, and their extended cast are incredibly engaging. Between the rest of the Murphy family and the rest of the middle school there was plenty of story opportunities. Not to mention Melissa and Zack's families (we never meet Zack's younger siblings, despite their existence being confirmed). I think we all wanted to see something new.

I think none of the episodes featuring Doof were particularly bad but they all together did felt a bit repetitive when the unexplored potential of Milo was right there. I enjoyed Doof's presence in pretty much any episode where Milo and his friends also played a role, because his presence felt beneficial to the story. I liked Doof in the finale for example. But I also can't help but feel that I would have rather had characters like Amanda and Sara in it, characters who were a lot more relevant to Milo, even if Doof was a delight. But when Milo dipped out of an episode to focus on Doof that was a huge problem.

And usually I love episodes which let's us explore new dynamics. And let's make it clear, I like Adventure Buddies. But did we really need it. Maybe if Milo got another season. Because that seems like the exact kind of episode that would have come out of season 3 or 4 of Phineas and Ferb, when they had already worked through a lot of the more expected combinations and started experimenting with weirder stuff. That's when we started getting, all the AU versions of the gang, the episodes that shuffled up the cast and status quo in more unusual ways, and while those are some of my favorite episodes, I feel they only worked because of how much we already had.

There are definitely a few episodes I would cut, or at least would have demoted to B plots of some other episode. But ultimately, Doof's journey was clearly a story they so desperately wanted to tell, and he is, for the most part, a delight. I can't imagine cutting him out of Milo Season 2 altogether. It's such an important piece of Doof lore that I would hate to lose. But I mourn the loss of Milo (and Cavendish and Dakota) episodes even more. I really do have mixed feelings about it. And I can only hope that Milo & co make their way into the new PnF seasons.

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

If there is at least one thing I can credit FE for doing better than Tales in localization, it's not trying to actively go out of their way for an entire game to avoid subtext or direct text between two men that is romantic or implied romantic. Funny when it's so present that the attempt doesn't even work; infuriating that it was attempted to begin with.

So as much as I often have issues with some of FE's localizations, at least they have a leg up on loc Tales for that.

[icewindandboringhorror]

Recent game related things .. hrmm...

[orcelito]

Also remembering that I get to write wolfwood next chapter and I'm a widdle nervous bc this is a Big Moment and I only wrote him a little bit with Sentido and it's been 8 months since then

But im also REALLY excited bc I get to finally (FINALLY) start executing the vashwood concepts I'd thought up at the damned START of this fic

So much relationship development to get to. So much Wolfwood to get to. Very exciting things.

[hauntingblue]

No thoughts about red hood the hill. Jason just appears to say some stuff about how he is so happy now that he isn't obsessed with vigilantism without showing why and then getting some on panel for no reason