#she never did foundation xD

[phlurrii]

Really hoping I am posting this at the right spot…

Hey there, loving your work, you got me to jump into the theory wagon out of sheer suspense. Here is my try at seeing what will stick to this massive theoryboard of mysteries~

Missingo went from a creature stuck to Meau's shadow to having a body/vessel powerfull enough to kill Palkia.

Which braught me to what vessel could be powerful enough to do so? Meau's first cub died somehow (stillborn? Necktube fatality?) Meau designed Bucket after the Necktube drama to remove the necktube. But a cub that predates or happened to die during that drama should still have the old blueprints of being bigger and having a necktube. Traits Noe physically holds. Noe being a prototype non-ancient mew baby could explain why he and Meau could exist at the same time.

But that leaves an additional questionmark on why their lifeforce are linked.

Which is where I bumped into theory two (the most probable one I think) in which Meau was so done with living that she tried to birth an ancient mew. But if the birth went wrong and the ancient cub died there could have been a glitch. The world must have one ancient mew. If Meau passed her lifeforce to the cub yet the cub still died both should technically be dead. But that goes against the laws of the world. There needed to be something to fix/ballance that glitch. Missingo could be the way the world tried to fix that mess. Missingo might have inhabited the dead cub and taken on a weird alive status of not quite living. And whatever ballance his manifestation created could have allowed Meau to wake up (a lot more weakened than an ancient mew should be but alive nonetheless)

Both are merged to the same lifeforce and function or count as a placeholder for one ancient mew.

Meau + Noe = one ancient mew. Cause of problem? = Lifeforce transference issue.

Why would the world chose Noe over deca? Probably becouse Noe was already present. Being at the right time at the right place. Or technically wrong time since he was way too early…

Basically the ingredients of stopping the whole world from imploding where already in the bowl so the world just mashed them all together into a weird yet functioning chimerical mush. What a way to recycle your resources.

Deca born all late because he became extra. When could this have happened? Why was it the domain of space that had to die? When and why did Noe and Giratina go rebel? My brain does not compute numbers very well. Not touching anything timerelated with a ten foot pole.

Anyways congratulations Phlurri, you got me to use the comment function on this site for the first time. Got me typing out a whole tower of text from the get go, have a good day~

First, let me say I am HONOURED to be the cause for your first even commenting, as a lurker myself I feel that XD

Second, 100% correct place, I LOVE these asks, but they definitely make me go dormant for a day or two in order to proceed and write my response carefully ehe

Anywho, ONTO THE THEORY!!!

To start off, Meau’s first cub did not die, Bucket is Meau’s first mew child. Bucket is currently comatose in a bubble in the Tree of Life. So I know that throws a wrench in the theory, but dw you have a lot of foundational things correct; just the bridging between points isn’t X3

As for the necktube stuff, Meau did create bucket without many of her own traits/characteristics due to her own experiences. She wanted to remove those issues from afflicting her child!

However, Meau specifically avoided EVER having a child until she felt she was mentally capable of raising one. Hence why she never had one in the nearly 4.5 billion years she’s been alive. Adopting? Sure, but raising a functionally immortal mew? Definitely not ready…. Given she was struggling a lot mentally with… things. So bringing a child into that mix was something she actively refused to do until those issues were no longer severely afflicting her. So she never attempted to have a cub, let alone an ancient cub, to remove herself from the picture.

But, I am genuinely impressed beacuse again, your foundations for things… are mostly correct, which makes me very excited to know someone can go through the comic and asks and get EXACTLY that,,, the foundations correct,,, meaning the rules and whatnot I attempted to put in place has indeed made it though in time for the Noe arc >W<

Noe indeed did not have a vessel and COULD not have one until a certain criteria was meant. Meau did assist in that criteria being meant, however his appearance was early and not how it was suppose to occur. It was a glitch, just like Noe is himself. The way he obtained a vessel… you’re awfully close, but it does not involve dead children I want to be clear!! Regardless, it’s scary and exciting at the same time at how close you are, I think one person (you know who you are.) may figure it out with the publication of this, but until then… I cannot comment further.

The way he obtained a vessel and comes into the world connects into how and why him and Meau share their life force. Though I will say, Missingno. cause the split, not Meau.

Also for the rest of time stuff you are too scared to touch, don’t worry, I spent 3 weeks figuring out how all it would work and then another 2 making. Digestible and simplifying XD

It will make sense, I have made SURE of it. As well as it will be satisfying most importantly. Very excited to be looser lipped about this all with how close it is ehe,,

Anywho, ty for your tower of words I quite enjoyed them and well DONE on the foundations, again that’s huge. Your skeleton is very close, the connecting tissues though would be hard to guess for anyone X3

[the-words-we-sung]

Thoughts and pictures - S3E4

I've never been that slow with a Young Royals rewatch >< It's hard for me to get through this season (especially now that I'm in the last 3 episodes...)

And here we go, starting directly with a very sad Simon 😞 Omar plays a crying Simon way too well, it breaks my heart every damn time...

I like hearing Wilhelm call Simon his boyfriend 🥰 Also is it me, or do we have a lot more close up shots in season 3? (No clue if that's what it's called, I mean shots that are very zoomed in on their faces like this one.)

Vincent drawing a dick on the ground, of course... And I don't get his explanation: "why even try if there's no reward for the effort?". It means if the school closes, they all won't graduate and have to do their grade all over again? Surely if they're taking tests and all, it counts for something? Why fail an important test and take the risk to fail your year? 🤔 (Not gonna lie, most of Vincent's reactions to what's happening to the school this season left me quite perplexed ^^') And if it's just the graduation ceremony that is cancelled, it still doesn't mean they're not graduating, does it? 🤔

But can you really Simon?

And Wilhelm repeating his mother's words "it's a privilege, not a punishment" breaks my heart >< (Also I'm gonna be a little shit about it but even the Royals have a choice in the end about accepting or not their role and job: after all, Wille is gonna renounce it in 2 episodes :p)

I do like what he said about the role of the royal family in Sweden! We have very little information on that in the show so I appreciate it here. And he looks so pretty in this light!

Wilhelm sounded so surprised that Farima said yes immediately when he told her they needed to help Simon. He was expecting to have to fight them on that.

Why did he have to delete his whole account? Why not just put it on private? (I know I've read in several fanfics the idea that searching and deleting through all the new people who followed him before going on private would be too much of a hassle but I feel like it's a stretch, and an acceptable price to pay to keep his account?)

Their conversation about Wilhelm's choice of foundation makes me so so sad! I had hoped that he would see Simon's point of view on how he can use his role as Crown Prince to try and make things better! I was actually pretty surprised that he was 100% not interested. It's a new facet of Wilhelm's personality that we hadn't really seen before I guess? And it feels like it creates a serious gap between them, it shows that they're not on the same page at all about a pretty serious subject (which is not good for the future of their relationship...)

This shot of these 3 made me laugh :p

This one hurts... Another crack in their relationship 😩 Simon is realizing how different they are. He knew they were but this season is showing us a side of Wilhelm that just seems incompatible with Simon :/ It's not just differences in tastes or personality, now it's differences in their core values also. And that is a huge problem.

So we learn that Simon mostly avoided Micke for Sara's sake. Or maybe he's exaggerating that fact because he's really angry at her.

The sit-in scene is very funny, they're all so dramatic, thinking they might starve to death xD I didn't think that August's eating disorder would be confirmed this way! Also I guess Vincent does have ADHD then? It was not just an excuse to get pills.

"Because we are different?" Yeah... that's what this episode is really about, how different you both are. Which wouldn't be an issue for me if it was less about such important matters :/ I wish we had seen them learn more from each other this season, instead of being in conflict to much.

I agree with Felice that it's getting out of hand! (I still enjoy the whole thing though 😁). I don't dislike Stella as much as a lot of people seem to, but I don't like her in this scene and how she talks to Felice!

Cutest scene of the episode.

I adore this scene. It makes me want to cry. I love them both and I'm so happy that they're slowly finding their way back to each other <3

"Erik was there." This sceeeeene!! Such a punch in the face, so fucking terrible >< (So well acted also!!)

Another trauma for my poor boy...

So lots of mixed feelings with this episode! I'm very frustrated with Wilhelm and his reactions, but I love the Sara arc. I really like the end of the episode, with some very good scenes. But now I really don't wanna go watch the next one ><

[slashingdisneypasta]

Cruella De Vil x Fem!Seamstress!Reader || Oneshot

Plot: Plot?... uh, I saw a picture on Pinterest of a bat corset (From JanesCorsets on Etsy) and wanted to see my wife in it XD Thats pretty much it. But um. Uh- This'll do;

You sew your boss into her outfit for the party tonight and some unexpected feelings come to life in the pit of your belly. And maybe other places, up higher.

When Cruella notices... she offers you a deal.

Warnings: Reader has a wandering eye and there's a splash of blackmail on Cruella's end.

Tagging: @asperol-with-izzy , @disney-android-foundation , @ghouletka , @lady-love88 , @marinerainbow , and @ryantryan6969 .

She looked amazing in the bat corset and skirt- and thankfully, it wasn't made of bat skin.

... it was painted crocodile leather and silk lining. But still, the fact that you managed to talk the fashion hawk of London out of killing a 50 bats for her corset and skirt combo, was an achievement.

And she really did look good in it. As you sewed her into it (Yes, the outfit needed to be sewed around her), you couldn't help but notice that fact. And not in a seamstress kind of way- in a lesbian way. Vaguely you were aware that these thoughts were unprofessional, thoughts like fuck is this woman hot and maybe i should do some last-minute adjustments to the breast plate,.. but also, working for her was unprofessional to start with. The House of De Vil was more like a battle field or Italy with the Borgia Family in charge; filled with betrayal and visciousness. So merely noticing Cruella's tits didn't really seem like that big a sin.

Once you'd managed to sew the back of Cruella's corset closed tightly, so she could not slouch and so it wouldn't come loose, you take your little thread scissors and cut the string free. Then you make sure that all the string is hidden away, and no loose ends hang free... then back up to get a good look at the outfit as a whole.

... good work, if you do say so yourself. (Its not as if she'll tell you so, after all. The cold, wicked bitch that she is- even if she is remarkably appealing all of a sudden)

As you smirk and appreciate your excellent handy work (Why be humble, anyway?? You weren't hired for humble), Cruella becomes impatient. "... Well?? Are you finished?? It looks like the drawing, so I assume you are- "

"-'It looks like the picture'?? Cruella, this is a masterpiece." You snap back, waiving a hand dismissively at her. You were never one to let your work by unappreciated- even by Cruella De Vil. Never. "Take it in!; you got a wall fulla' mirrors here. The dress, and the woman in it, look beautiful."

"Ugh, honestly. You are a pest Y/N." Cruella snaps back, rolling her eyes and scowling with those pretty painted lips of hers. She doesn't, however, threaten your job like she would anyone else for the lip you just gave her. Why?? Well you both know you're the best in your field. You can speak to her any way you want- she'll never risk you getting scooped up by a competitor. All her best outfits have been by you. Have had your name sewed minutely on the inside somewhere.

... For example, this particular outfit, has you name sewed into one of the breast cups- and right now as you look at her you're quite pleased you decided to put it there this time.

Cruella's eyes stray from her form in the mirror to you; catches your gaze on her chest. " -what are you looking at??"

"My work, madam." You shrug, smoothly, brushing it off with a sarcastic tone and lifting your eyes to hers- a challenging look on your face. ... is she gonna say anything?

Her eyes, so like a snake's from beneath a rock, settle on you darkly and challenge you right back. You wish you could say this was out of the ordinary, that you didn't often engage in optical battle with your employer; but you cant. This is a regular occurrence. So you don't have any trouble giving her the eye right back for a few moments.

"... I could've sworn you were staring at my chest, darling, like some common pervert. Am I wrong??" She knows she's not wrong. You know she's not wrong.

... You part your lips to say something, but the hesitation was just enough chance for her to strike. Damnit. With her hands (Claws) on her defined hips, Cruella narrows her eyes. "-because if you were, I'd have to file a harassment complaint- or something else silly, that the board always waffle on about." For a split second, you feel frustrated- but then Cruella simpers. She pouts her lips, and bats her eyelashes. She approaches you in that skin tight black leather bat corset and while you stand there perfectly relaxed, albeit a little honestly surprised, Cruella curls a loose strand of your hair around one of her talons. "... or," Or? "We could come to some sort of agreement? What do you think?"

Narrowing your eyes suspiciously, you squint at her. "... -are you serious??"

"As the plague, darling!" Her eyes go wide, almost innocent. When you don't respond, she sighs huffily with impatience. "Look- I haven't had a woman in months because of work. And I know you haven't had a woman in months- yes, I'm well aware you're a lesbian, dear." Well, its not as if you hide it; there's a sapphic erotica novel sitting on your desk that you've been flipping through on lunch breaks. "And I also know, that neither of us are going to meet anyone outside of work for months still, because I'm about to push the work load even further," That gives you pause, and you almost drop your jaw in outrage. She's what!?- Goddamit, this woman already has you all working 10 hour days in this hellhole- but Cruella just goes on. "So, I suggest that since we work so closely, together, anyway... -and also since you're not terribly offensive to be around... that we... " She shrugs, that pouty simpering 'innocent' look once again on her pretty face. "Make the best of it. Hm?"

With this woman's fingers in your hair, and her heated eyes on you, and her cleavage in front of you- it seems like a dream opportunity.

But you're not a dumb woman.

After an obvious look downwards towards her breasts, you give her pointed, raised-eyebrow-look. "What's the catch?"

She shrugs. She knows you're not a dumb woman. "You forfeit the chance to find a meaningful relationship outside of work, your whole life stays at work, I own you pretty much... but I already do, so that doesn't really change, does it?"

"... you own me??" You ask, deftly. Hmm... you kinda like that.

"What?.. You didn't read your employment contract?" She smiles broadly, and you're not sure if she's joking or not to be quite honest. Because no, you did not. Not fully; You were drinking when you signed it.

To be quite honest, though, you don't particularly care right now. She's right, you haven't had anything to do with another woman's body except to fit her, for too long. Your pussy's practically screaming for a fuck right now- you can barely think.

... would this be much different from your life already? You life is work- how else does one get as good as you are? And you've never been very good at relationships... not platonic ones, and not romantic ones. You're good for fashion, lesbian sex and the occasional scathing insult; thats it.

So this, with Cruella who's no slouch in at least 2 of those things as well (To your knowledge thus far), sounds...

Kind of perfect.

~

Instead of responding, instead of attempting to outdo her with the words she's so clearly superior with, you take the beautiful woman's face in your hands and draw her in for your first kiss which she responds to with intense satisfaction. Your hands trail down her neck, over the smooth skin of her chest and the tops of her soft breasts, then over the rough leather of her corset while her long, painted talon's scratch gently over your cheeks probably leaving marks behind.

After a few moments of voracious kissing, you both pull back; a satisfied smile on your lips and a gleeful on on hers.

"Excellent~ ... meet me at my home after the event, darling."

"See you then."

[writing-for-life]

Hey there! I hope you’re having a good day. I just saw a post you made about Dream’s type romantically. Thoughts on Calliope and Dream’s relationship specifically? It always stands out to me how though Dream has had a number of lovers throughout the millennia, Calliope is the only one he married. (And of course, Melissanthi Mahut and Tom Sturridge’s blistering chemistry in the show is an additional component for me xD but feel free to respond only based on the comics if you wish!)

Hey, always happy to see your asks in my inbox!

So, first of all; I don’t care what everyone else thinks:

Dream and Calliope are the OTP even though I’m not a shipper. There, I said it, hit me over the head with a hammer, I live well in that tiny little corner of fandom 🤣

Conceptually, they are very, very alike. There is definitely something in there about dreams marrying epic poetry (and eloquence!) that’s just so on the nose.

But I also can’t help thinking: Slight power imbalance maybe, and we also get this more directly via the “all gods get born and die in the Dreaming.” I think often about how this would have played out for them once Calliope’s last worshippers have died—it’s certainly a tough one, even if their relationship hadn’t soured.

But even so: She is the Muse of Epic Poetry, he is the Prince of Stories, so there is A LOT of overlap between what they stand for. And hence, a lot of mutual understanding. They always struck me as *getting* each other (probably why they fell in love in the first place)—until they didn’t. The fact they didn’t live together was good for them I think, because thoughts need to be allowed freedom to form and develop. Plus, there’s also a lot to be said for Calliope keeping her independence that way. Not just in terms of personhood, but again if you think of how she was essentially created in, and will return to, the Dreaming. It’s probably wise for her (in conceptual terms) not to hang out there ALL the time?

She seems a lot more grounded in the mortal world than Dream is though. I always thought that was down to the fact that humans know her, as in actively worship her/ask her for inspiration, which must make her much closer in a way? Because bar a few, no one really *knows* Dream exists, although everyone does, if that makes any sense? Mortals know him on a subconscious level (that’s why he’s forever nebulous and *lonely*), but people know Calliope as a deity and seek connection explicitly. I’m not sure what I’m trying to say here, but to me, that was always a reason why, although a goddess, she seemed far less removed from the mortal plight than Dream was (at least when they were still an item—we all know he changed, even if he didn’t admit it [well, he did in the end to Nuala, which is a whole ‘nother topic]).

And when I think about why they didn’t work out, I can only think: “Orpheus”.

I mean yes, she said that they were already starting to drift apart slightly before she was with child, but there was still a lot of love between them even so. I think the death knell was to have a child on these wonky foundations. Why they did, we’ll never know.

Conceptually, there’s again something very deep and painful about dreams and poetry becoming something real. And then, that mortal child becoming immortal (until his father finally intervenes). But Orpheus was still all mortal and human to his core, even when he became immortal for a while, and that was *always* at the base of their rift. But I digress…

Back to why was Orpheus the death of their marriage? Dream’s advice to Orpheus was sound, yet it was unfeeling and lacked empathy. Calliope’s was maybe (?) not as reasonable, but she understood her child because a mother’s love is (usually) unconditional. We all know Dream’s wasn’t for a long time although it should have been.

I think if they’d all sat together as a family, supported their son in his grief in a balanced way, this whole catastrophe could have been avoided (I mean no, not really—it’s a tragedy, “doomed by the narrative” and all that). But all of Dream’s relationships (be that to his son or his lovers) fail because he is unreality (hence he has a hard time when things quite literally get real), and despite *knowing* mortals on a very deep level, I don’t believe he truly *understood* them at this point. But I think Calliope did—maybe due to who she was, maybe just because she actually *allowed* them in? Because Dream never truly did that. And when he finally did and truly understood what unconditional love actually means, he came apart at the seams and unravelled.

There’s also something really interesting conceptually in thinking of the Prince of Stories who doesn’t believe he has his own, and the Muse of Epic Poetry who inspires. Who is trying to control whom in this scenario? It’s mirrored in how they behave when the whole Orpheus tragedy takes off:

Calliope tries to inspire and, dare I say try to control the narrative a bit, and I don’t mean this in a bad way, quite the opposite: She looks for the most favourable outcome for everyone involved, even if it means bending the rules: She tries to convince Dream to put in a good word with Hades and believes he would listen because Gods respect him and, dare I say it, are even a bit scared of him.

Dream is rigid. Which is so mind-bending for someone who is the personification of hopes, wishes and possibility. But he is an immovable object: If he’s right, he’s right. That’s the rules, that’s it. And he won’t bend them, not even for his son. I’m not saying that it’s not understandable from his point of view, because he might know things we don’t (potentially also that although he *could* bend the rules because he has the power to do so, it might have knock-on effects no one else can understand or see—it’s impossible to say), only that they are fundamentally different in their approach although they are *both* about inspiration. And inspiration is so closely related to bringing on change (ouch!).

Part of me wants to say that Calliope uses it to control the narrative while Dream doesn’t, that Calliope believes that we can change our destiny while Dream doesn’t, but that’s also too simple. Because Dream *can* be controlling, but in totally different ways and areas.

I feel like I’m rambling out a lot of unordered thoughts, but I guess what I’m trying to say is that Dream and Calliope were so close because they are so similar in so many ways bar one:

Their understanding how inspiration can be used to bring on change. I would somehow go as far as saying that Calliope understands what it means to have personhood, also for herself, and that’s why she understands it in others (I think this is made *very* clear when Richard Madoc holds her hostage). Dream doesn’t—least not at the point where it would have mattered with regards to their relationship, because I think the fishbowl has changed him in that regard. This is also why he wants to make things right with her I believe. But of course he would never openly admit it (he basically stops himself before blurting it out), simply because it would also mean he’d need to admit it to himself…

With regard to that meta:

I definitely think they were highly romantically attracted, purely down to who/what they are. I can’t say too much about their sexual attraction, but after Calliope’s speech at his wake, it would be somewhat unlikely to assume they weren’t 🙈🤣

Was it unconditional though? No.

Was it pragmatic (that sounds so bad and unfeeling, but it’s not a bad thing, because a certain level of pragmatism is what grounds love in reality and makes it last)? I think they tried. But ultimately, he can never live that way because he is unreality, and I often wonder if they both knew 😭

@two-hands-toward-the-sun ask answered

[dangerously-human]

FIRST PREGNANCY, GEORGE BABYFIC, LAUNDRY AND TAXES, TORTURE BUT MARRIED 💕😍💖🙏🤲🩷

Your selections are, shall we say, unsurprising. XD Half of these I have snippets for, half are still in the conceptual/outlining stage.

First pregnancy (My Heart Walked into the World): This is from a future chapter where Lucy and Lockwood are sparring in the basement and Lockwood has an "oh this is real real, I'm actually gonna be a dad" moment.

From this angle, the swell of her belly was more apparent; in another month, if she pulled the same move, it would be prodding him in the face. Not that they’d be keeping up with sparring then — or maybe they would; the pregnancy manuals weren’t exactly written with active agents in mind. He’d have to brush up on some of the chapters toward the back of the book later. Suddenly, it was difficult to drag his gaze away from that new shape. There really was a tiny person growing in there, a person he and Lucy had made together. It was incredible and unfathomable and frankly a little bit bizarre, and it was really, actually happening. Contrary to what George might tease, Lockwood hadn’t spent much time imagining this — had assumed, maybe, that if he lived long enough, he’d eventually have children, because that was what adults did. The time before his parents died was foggy at best, so it was hard to guess at his childhood dreams; but as far back as he could remember, to little Anthony Lockwood, the options for adults were either dad or DEPRAC agent, probably, and the latter sounded terribly boring. But that was the future, and before he was ten, the future had let him down too many times to be trusted, so it didn’t bear thinking about in much detail. And then came Lucy. And somewhere along the way, even when she was still Lucy Carlyle, the vision had crystallized. Not so much the when, but the whether. And now that hazy someday was here, and Lockwood was maybe forgetting a little how to breathe.

George-centric babyfic: This one's a little tricky only because I originally started it before I had any intention of writing the first pregnancy fic, and there's a good bit of information (mainly about our faves' futures, but also about life and culture during the Problem) I was trying to convey that makes more sense there than here. In actuality I think this will be a good thing: this fic was turning into a lot of infodumping and needs to find its own identity instead. But it's going to take some rewrites, and, well. Redoing things is never my favorite. But I'm very attached to this fic; it plays a lot on George and Lucy's friendship, which is always one of my favorite things to write, and it's also sort of the foundation of the Restore the Years 'verse, in that I kept daydreaming this scene and invented seven Lockwood children to justify it and started establishing headcanons and then went, hmm, maybe I should actually flesh out how we got here. 20+ works later...

Right, so. This one does feed quite a bit off of that post that's like, we all know George lives with Lucy and Lockwood until at least their third child (this is #4), and Lockwood gets all sad puppy eyes when he says he's moving out and Flo tries to extricate him from the Lockwood commune, etc etc. My take on that:

“It’s not about that, Lockwood. You know I love Ivy, and the twins, even if I am convinced they conspired to steal all my beakers last week.” “They’re all of eight months old, George, they’re not conspiring on anything,” I said, punctuating my statement with a hefty eyeroll. “Their worst crime is mouthing salt bombs. That, or using those fancy new teeth to bite their sister.” “Nonetheless, my point stands that it’s not about the kids. As I was saying, Flo’s finally getting less antsy indoors, and I think it’s high time we started our lives together properly.” Lockwood frowned. “Now, don’t feel like you need to rush into anything—” George snorted. “Oh, yes, moving in together two years into marriage, that’s really a scandalously condensed timeline.”

Laundry and taxes: Still in the planning stage. This is the Locklyle proposal from Lockwood's POV (Lucy's POV being Where O Grave). Lockwood buys the ring (as we saw in Here's a Safe Place to Lay Your Heart Down), and then takes to carrying it with him everywhere as he tries to figure out the perfect way to propose. Everything he comes up with either doesn't suit Lucy, doesn't work out, or gets vetoed by Kipps. Eventually he's just doing laundry in the basement with Lucy and can't wait another second, and pulls out the ring from his pocket. My nickname for the story comes from that quote from Everything Everywhere All at Once (which I really need to actually watch!) about, like, "I would have liked just doing laundry and taxes with you," and my fondness for the way accepting a mundane life together is actually a really important part of the development of Lockwood's romance with Lucy, and the way the necklace of devotion symbolizes all that.

Torture but married: Basically the Winkman interrogation scene but what if they were married. I actually haven't fully decided who's in which role in this scene, although they both get beat up, so I'll be happy either way, lol. Lockwood and Lucy are doing some undercover investigation work related to their mission on the Other Side, and one of them (probably Lockwood) gets captured and mid-interrogation, the other (probably Lucy) intervenes to rescue him, also gets whammied a little in the process, there's lots of worry for each other, and the comfort and wound tending we were denied in the show episode. Also there's a line in there where he's pleading for his captors to let him go and he's like, "I have a wife and child and child at home, please," and because the entire point of this fic was for me to get to write a "that's my wife!" scene for Lockwood, eventually he gets to go, "yeah, actually that's my wife who's currently making problems for you, the baby's at home with the nanny though" and then they get to cuddle Ivy when they get home because I never got over that scene in The Peacekeeper Wars of a bloodied, nearly dead John cradling his newborn son with Aeryn looking on.

[highfantasy-soul]

Moments I loved from NATLA Episode 4 - Into the Dark ❤️️❤️️

Aang and Iroh interacting more - love that they're not friendly to each other, per se, but it builds a foundation that makes their later respect make sense

The Earth Kingdom being harsh with their 'fallen foes' is nice to seed in here as in the animated version (season 1), most of the 'bad' stuff was relegated solely to the Fire Nation

The Earth Kingdom is no pushover and it's nice to see that early

Sokka defending his dad "My dad would have never done what you did" even after he commiserated with the Mechanist about his dad 'not valuing' what Sokka could bring to the table.

Though Sokka is frustrated that his dad doesn't see "him", he knows his dad is an honorable man doing his best and when Sai tries to use him as an example of 'doing the wrong thing just to survive', love that Sokka calls him on it

SECRET TUNNEEELLLL!!!

Like them introducing this now - all old buildings have secret passages - it's just a law

Teo's "its time to fight!" attitude - love it. He's so ready to stop cowering and wants to hit back

Flopsy statues!!!!!

Rolly ball throne? Nice touch

"Bumi? BUMI!!" :D

"You did 🤨" Love how Aang keeps his "I'm just gonna say the truth and I don't care if that's 'not allowed' I'm gonna do it anyways because your social rules are stupid" attitude

Katara's water pouch!!

Love the shake in Jet's voice as he tells Katara "I am nothing like the firebenders"

Katara's assessment is shallow on her part, but the core has a ring of truth - no, freedom fighters aren't the same as their oppressors, but when you start harming your own people to hurt the enemy, then you really have lost sight of what's right and wrong - why you're fighting.

FREEZE JET'S ASS!

I love Jet, especially this version of him, but yeah, no touchy

And Katara is absolutely right: Jet might have helped her through her block, but her power, that's all hers.

What are you going to do, Zuko?? What choice will you make!!??

Love that we're getting this choice of his here in Omashu

Bumi's puns 😭 kill me now - though very canon accurate

Like the vibe that everyone just has to laugh as to not anger him - there's less of a whimsical madness vibe to Bumi here and a more serious - yeah, this guy is our leader vibe that's quite unsettling

The tonal shift with Bumi did give me pause, but I like how the writers kept the jokes, the games, his eccentricities, but shifted the vibe to make them darker

In the cartoon, whimsy might work, but if you think about it realistically, that leadership style would NOT work during a war - a 100 year war, at that.

HIPPIIEESSSS!!!!

Sokka getting into that maraca - you let your little musical heart fly

"What are you doing here?" "We're doin' what we're doin'" :)

Oma and Shu lesbian supremacy!!!

Always get chills when this story is told

Lol Sokka's "There's no such thing as angry spirits." Right before the episode where they're kidnapped by an angry spirit XD

Love the switch up of the rocks not really being the path out - keeping us animated show fans on our toes as to what the lesson will be this time

Everything about the Earth Kingdom soldier's interaction with Iroh - all of it is just so good.

The cartoon glossed over Iroh's warmongering past - but he did do terrible things that hurt so many people. No, 'it was war, I was a soldier' is not an acceptable excuse (we didn’t accept it with Jet, so why the double standard for a ROYAL MILITARY GENERAL??)

The funeral scene

Leaves from the Vine

Zuko offering a soft and kind memory of Liu Ten instead of just talk about him being a soldier

Zuko sitting next to Iroh so he won't be alone!!!!!!!!!

The conversation between Katara and Sokka in the cave where she talks about how Jet helped her and Sokka how Sai helped him - then Katara reminding Sokka that when he was forced into a leadership position for the Southern Water Tribe, he didn't have anyone to help him through that

The concept of us all needing people to help us through our journeys is so important and really comes around at the end of the episode and just through the entire series

BADGERMOOOLLLEEE!!!!

Is it bad that all I could think about was how cute it was the entire time it was on screen?

Dallas Liu is so. Freaking. Good. At. His. Stunts!!!!

And the first mention of the theme Zuko struggles with of compassion being weakness!

Sokka's little 'thanks!' as Katara saves him from the badgermole XD

Seriously, all the little touches in Ian Ousley's performance are great

Idk why Sokka assumed the badgermole was a man, that's clearly a dignified lady

The power of sibling love guiding the badgermole was a great alteration from the OG - if they can be controlled through music, they can definitely respond to emotions

Bumi's whole speech here - and his willingness to get crushed - is what brought me around on this portrayal of him

He's right: it's a game where you have to make impossible choices - you have to fight even when you don't want to (a much more poignant message for Aang than 'look at things a different way')

The power of friendship saves the day!!!

"You CAN rely on your friends - and that's the only way I'm going to save the world: with my friends"

"You think like a child" (derogatory) "Is that really so bad?" (genuine)

Bumi made Appa's whistle!!! 😭😭😭😭

One last time Zuko chooses protecting his uncle over capturing the Avatar 🥲

"Everything I need is right here on this boat" 😭😭😭

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

[panderp123]

C3 EP 78

•

•

•

⚠️ SPOILERS CR ⚠️

The Lost Children

Seeing Bells Hells aftermath of the shard rejection and how Ashton has brought down those walls. The group goes off in different directions to come to terms with Ashton doing a selfish thing.

The moment…of all characters to say this…Delilah tells Laudna

“He’s a child…”

Which sparked Laudna to make one of her quirky dolls and pulled at my heartstrings.

But before this happened Fearne was so upset she had a somewhat childish tantrum about Ashton almost dying. Three of the party members have severe childish tendencies all different but wow!

Fearne doesn’t know how to handle anger because in EXU she got scared of being evil or turning. Which resulted in her having silent storm-offs or unusual lashouts. It’s very Fearne and how much isolation she’s had from being protected by Nana Mori. A being of the Feywild, Fearne is a delight but it’s so heartbreaking when something scary happens she becomes this little girl. Or a difficult decision such as reviving Orym earlier in the campaign.

Once Fearne storms off and as predicted Chetney goes off to console her. Ashton became this small thing and the walls were all gone. Some moments caught me by surprise.

“I…just want my parents.”

“I wanted someone to blame other than myself…”

“I don’t like myself very much…”

These are important points because I think Ashton…never really left the desert. Their inner child is constantly crying out for their missing parents. This also concluded my point before that the Greymoore home wasn’t as great as it should have been.

To link back to the doll Laudna makes later in this episode, Ashton sees Laudna and apologises. He didn’t betray her. He just did a dumb thing and that triggers Laudna’s childish tendencies. Laudna doesn’t understand the difference between betrayal over doing something dumb in a selfish manner. However, when the doll is handed to Ashton they start to cry.

Holding it and looking at it which a new look at their mistakes. Ashton is just this broken child deep down.

“I’ve never had a doll before…thank you.”

The fact Ashton had never been given a toy shows you how messed up their time must’ve been at the orphanage. Before they plain jump he tucks the Ashton Doll on his person.

Now on to Laudna, the weight of the events pulls her closer to her patron Delilah. As much as we don’t want her to awaken more I’m kind of glad Laudna had her to talk to for this as I feel Imogen would have sugar-coated it too much.

Delilah albeit dark, evil and narcissistic did make an effort to console Laudna. Not only that but Laudna defied her when Delilah suggested she take the shard.

The childish nature of Laudna is due to her traumatic past. So she clings to her inner child Matilda as those memories are not overshadowed by her time in the castle or with the Brairwoods. By all means this isn’t healthy at all! However, it is character growth.

Naming off all the sad things of her friends' pasts or her own Laudna finds a way to mend Ashton’s inner child by making a doll out of graffitied wood, a chipmunk skull & quartz. It’s simple but it made the tough punk cry so it must have worked.

I’m glad the ice was broken before they took respite in the Feywilds. Despite being homesick Fearne didn’t want to be selfish like Ashton in asking could they go. Given that the group are not mentally stable to face Ruidius they all agreed a needed R&R is needed due to lack of communication.

I like how Matt added Birdie & Ollie at Nana’s because the whole group needs a loving parent unite to help.

Things I’d like to see upcoming:

• Chetney is the Grandpa of wisdom of the group & there’s no BS so more of that. (Be funny if he hit on Alura more just for a laugh xD)

• Laudna & Ashton connect on a wholesome level with childish joys (toys or puppetry)

• Ashton & Fearne reconcile more. No romance but more fixing the foundations before anything happens

• Birdie has a secret 👀

• Allura becomes a more Mother like figure for Imogen in regards to her power.

• Orym gives Ashton a stern talk (Liam was AFK so it be good to see what happens there.)

• Nani Mori knows what to do with the shard 🔥

[prismaticpichu]

If you’re someone out there who enjoys my writing—enjoys anything that I do with my words or prose or style—I feel there’s something you oughta know!

I would not be anywhere without the incredible authors I took inspiration from.

I’m admittedly still a wee lad trudging through high school, and I still gotta whole lot to learn! And I’m gonna have fun on that journey. But I legit think I’ve absorbed and learned more from reading all these gifted works more than the lessons we were taught over the years. Ofc, the fundamentals were taught there—teaching me the rules before I could break them. But it was these people that taught me how to break those rules and how to do them effectively. And when you’re a writer, I find, there is no better learning experience than reading words on a page!

My style really seems to be an amalgamation of so many different things and people—prolly a lot of subliminal stuff, too. Though I feel like there’s at least two I gotta give HUGE hugs to for being so influential <3

~

LuckyLadybug on FF.Net! ~ Literally the first ever FF7 fics I’ve ever read. Literally the sole reason I love Zack & Sephiroth’s friendship. Her fics are absolutely legendary, all written in a very consistently clean and swift style. It’s not an overload on sensory detail, but it also ain’t choppy in the slightest. It really does strike that perfect balance of rhythmic and simple that I always try to fall back on when I find myself getting too flowery! It’s a real life savor—for real! And speaking of For Reals, almost everything I craft about Zack & Sephiroth’s relationship stems from the bond she created. I learned so much about how to make emotional, powerful scenes that really can convey just how much people can platonically love each other. She’ll always be the true power of friendship queen! And the best Zack & Sephiroth author I’ve ever had the honor of reading.

@altocat! ~ Oh boy… there is SO much to say xD Where to even start? While Ladybug was the foundation of my little fanfic quest, I don’t think there’s a soul who helped me build and evolve more than Alto’s works. Because if you aren’t aware, this goddess is just an artist with words. We’re talking the most vivid and powerful imagery you can imagine! Imagery that was so powerful, in fact (and I don’t think she even knows this lol!), that at least a solid year of my works fall into this Altocat-emulating-esque era. Never with the intention to copy, of course, but to try my hand at creating prose that was rich in rhythm, language, and meaning. And while I think I did take this WAY too far sometimes (I can say that bc I’m the author- and I know what just sounds unreadable in retrospect xD), but it was part of the learning process. And one I’m still in the middle of today. For more context, Alto was also the one who taught me the value of fragments and isolating words for emphasis. That something concise could be powerful. Beautiful. Beatiful and valuable. Like words that mirror the characters’ quickened heart rates as their thoughts begin to splinter and spiral and how to wield syntax in a way that’s both enjoyably breathless and taut with anxiety at the same time. I learned how to imbue emotion to my work and peel it back so it’s pure and raw. Altocat is an absolute MASTER of angst, and while I used to write relatively “dark” things, I don’t think I really ever got them right until readings AMT’s (see this! for more details on that gem). In a similar vein, she also taught me the kind of impact that beginning and ending lines can have—how to not waste them and how they can circle back to each other in clever and gorgeous ways. I learned the importance of diction from her work; I learned the meaning of SO many new words lol; I learned how to make dialogue just a tad more interesting. Overall, really, I think Alto really did teach me how to write in a lot of ways. At least, in the sense of taking a step that I had no idea was in front of me. A step I didn’t know existed, because I really never saw more beautiful craft in my life.

Anywho! I think I’m rambling a bit x,D I hope I didn’t embarrass you, my friend. Or weird you out lol!!! I was just doing some reflecting, really, and I just needed you to know how impactful your fics have been to me. And you have no flipping idea how honored I am to know you as a mutual <3 Ty for everything ❤️ Ty for being you!!

(For reference, this is why I always say to NEVER underestimate the kind of impact your works may have on people. No matter how small or how insignificant you think they may be. Because who knows??? Maybe you’ll end up changing a life, too <33)

~

Thx for listening to this spiel, folks!!! Much love!! <33

[bardcore-jaskier]

♡ My thoughts on Yennskier + headcanons ♡

(Edited post)

- What makes this whole thing so funny and exciting to me is that Yennefer used to think that Jaskier was just some annoying sing songy twit before. While Jaskier's dramatic arse used to consider Yennefer an enemy until she saved him from Rience XD XD XD

- I adored the everliving FUCK out of their scenes together in season 2! Their dynamic is so fucking good! AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!

- Yennskier, the ship we didn't know we needed, but definitely deserved! Their chemistry is so fucking perfect and their dynamic works so well!

- Personally I think that this ship is actually, currently, THE healthiest and most wholesome one of all my Jaskier ships! At least as of season 2! (Even if Geraskier remains as my OTP)

- In Oxenfurt, when Jaskier and Yennefer got to know eachother better without Geralt's presence to distract them both, ever since they saw the real, raw and vulnerable sides of eachother and became friends, I couldn't help but notice how absolutely toothrottingly perfect they are together!

- Legit, and I kid you not! I can't picture Yennefer and Jaskier having anything other than that deep kind of connection where you know that you are loved, appreciated and adored, despite all your flaws. The kind of love where you know you're not alone, that this person is your family and will always have your back no matter what.

- Yennefer, despite being one of the most powerful sorceresses on the entire continent, treats Jaskier as an equal by the time Ciri gets possessed. (Bro, like even Geralt doesn't do that! Jaskier is his friend, sure, but I've never seen Geralt treating him as an equal.)

- Yennefer and Jaskier have a mutual respect for eachother, they trust eachother, they enjoy eachother's company. All of those things are A CRUCIAL part of having a solid foundation to build a honest, sturdy, long-lasting and happy relationship upon.

- From compatibility POV, they work together a lot better than Geralt and Yennefer did. With Jaskier, there are no djinn related consent issues, there wouldn't be any communication issues and he would probably be a positive influence on Yennefer's mental health.

- Whereas her relationship with Geralt was quite frankly chaotic, explosive, sometimes even toxic. It was built upon a shaky foundation of lust, djinn magic and exchanged favors. Like c'mon, their time together as an on-and-off couple mostly consisted of having kinky unicorn sex, trauma dumping, dealing with magical, gorey and insanely dangerous situations, then talking about said situations until they have a fight! Leaving eachother every time in the end because they can't seem to make it work long-term. They're incompatible because in canon, the only thing that finally made them stick together for good, was an orphaned girl in need of protection. It's not right, kind of like parents who are postponing their divorce until their daughter grows up :/

- Jaskier on the other hand, despite his magic-less ordinary humanity has a hilariously witty, optimistic, stupidly brave, highly empathetic, loyal and supportive personality. Yennefer would have an understanding partner who loves her, cherishes her, acceptc her for who she is without judgement nor pity. A partner who would make it his life's mission to help her see the good things this world has to offer, to make her happy because she deserves it!

- Damn it all, they both have been through enough, they both deserve a break. They actually GET eachother. I can already feel a drabble forming in my brain, set a week or so after the whole Voleth Mier shebang, Jaskier is struggling with PTSD and nightmares about Rience, Yennefer is struggling with guilt and shame because she put Ciri in danger. So while Geralt is too busy with Ciri's training to be there for Jaskier and he feels too betrayed to be in Yennefer's company, neither Yen nor Jask have anyone to turn to in Kaer Morhen, except eachother. Three months confined to a witcher keep together? Now that is a LOT of time to spend with someone you can be openly vulnerable around, bond with, heal and share joy with, unexpectedly falling in love....

- Yennefer too is an extremely good match for Jaskier, it's almost uncanny how much she completes him! Jaskier would finally have an understanding and loving partner who truly saw him when others didn't bother. And Yennefer liked what she saw, the familiar face of a simple human bard who offered kindness and compassion to strangers even if it could kill him. She saw courage, honesty, forgiveness and so much good, a collection of rare qualities she had never thought could exist within one single person all at once. After Voleth Mier, all that goodness was given to her so freely, it is still being given to her everyday, so she knows a treasure when it looks her right in the eyes with such easy warmth. She would make it her life's mission to cling onto him with everything she's got, to love and cherish him the way he deserves, to protect the only person she deems worthy of holding her heart!

- They have a lot in common too. From both having a knack for fashion, both being mischievous little shits at heart and both having high standards when it comes to personal hygiene. To also having similar tastes in both alcohol, humor, luxury and entertainment.....if Yennefer's kinky orgy party and Jaskier's reputation as the biggest slut on the continent is anything to go by.

- Speaking of sex, both of them having a high libido and exceptional skills in bed aside, they're fucking GORGEOUS people! Why wouldn't they find eachother attractive?

- Yennefer is basically a Goddess, beauty personified! She is elegant and breathtaking, everyone knows it.

- However, since a majority of the Witcher fandom usually dismisses Jaskier in favor of simping for Geralt, I can, I must and I WILL gush about how pretty Jaskier is! Cuz clearly some of them bitches be blind, Yennefer is one lucky witch!

- Jaskier is like only 1,5 inches shorter than his grouchy snowman friend. Meaning he is tall as all hell and he definitely isn't lacking in the muscle department either, that bard is jacked yo. His voice is soothing and his vocabulary is extensive enough to make the most experienced of whores blush from pillow talk. He has VERY soft looking hair and he has one of the most angelic fucking faces I've ever seen. His eyes are the clearest shade of blue and his expressions + mannerisms are absolutely adorable! Ok, I'm done gushing, onto the next point....

- Unlike Jaskier, I don't think I have a dummy thick enough of a vocabulary to express how much dopamine Yennskier fanfics give me, more specifically when their husband and wife act from Oxenfurt becomes an inside joke for them, leaving the rest of Kaer Morhen's inhabitants confused as fuck.

- Geralt getting a bit jealous? His brothers wondering when that could have happened? Ciri feeling bamboozled as well?

- It's all shits and giggles until somebody giggles and shits. It won't take long until their inside joke is no longer a joke. They already bicker like a married couple anyway XD

- I can not help but also headcanon Jaskier as not fully human. It would be sad if he up and died on his dear immortal wife. I don't necessarily picture him having chaos or other powers in this scenario, but when I do, I think that they would discover them together on accident.

[zelphin124]

IroTale - The end of UnderReinado

Don't read if you don't want spoilers. Do you get context for this? Soon. I wrote this off an inspiration spree and need to post something useful XD Yes, this is canon. All characters belong to me. I forgot who OuterTale belongs to. Error belongs to LoverOfPiggies.

~o0o~

Iro walked in to what she expected. Mountains were falling and the foundations of the world were screaming for help. Something she had seen countless times. Something she never wanted to see in this world. "Ahhh, so the special guest has finally arrived!" Aldrich grinned with his hands up in the air and his smile wide. "Welcome to the party!" Iro did not return such satisfaction. Her eyes narrowed at she observed the light from the foundations starting to break through the cracks of destruction. The stars started to fall, and the islands crumbled. She brushed the palm of her hands on her outfit, cleaning her gloves. Error wasn't going to be happy.

"So this is how you feel when an ENTIRE WORLD is at your mercy!" Aldrich spun with glee, his eyes getting crazier by the second. "The adrenaline is INSANE! It's coursing through my veins!" He let out a consistent cackle that shook his own bones. In the corner of her eye. the ghostwriter spotted the prince's trusted advisor. Ellinor couldn't stop her tears that fell down from her face. After observing the torn prince's robe in her hands, it was clear she had tried to stop him. And he had the audacity to hit her within the presence of OuterTale's stars. "ENOUGH." She could've sworn Aldrich flinched at her voice. "I told you this AU was off limits, Aldrich." Iro hissed in a tone that would make a mortal cower. "Oh please," Aldrich's face frowned and turned to face his creator. "You've broken the same rule before. These people dishonored me! I only did what you did with-" "Does it look like I asked for your excuse?" Iro pulled one of the swords from her backs, approaching the prince. "Stop. Stop this destruction now and I might forgive you for disobeying my orders." "The lights of the foundations have shot from the ground, it is too late." Aldrich bowed playfully. "Just help me finish this, and we can go to your next target." "No, this AU will be preserved. Error said so-" "Why do you even care for that guy anyway?!" Aldrich sneered, his hand traveled to the whip on his pocket. "He's done nothing but horrible things to you! I am repaying him for everything!" "He's done nothing to you. But I will," Iro's eyes started to glow and the dots on her head shifted. "You and your kingdom will punish for this." Aldrich dropped his shoulders. "Really? Another sacrifice? Does the destruction of this AU not suffice your need for blood?!" "Not the blood of innocents." "Hell you mean 'the blood of innocents'? That was your favorite!" Iro did not waver, staying silent. She and Aldrich both knew there wasn't much of his AU left to destroy or take away from him. Iro hoped it would dent his ego if the punishment was severe enough, but it only made him mad. It only made him like her. Aldrich looked around at the meteors and falling stars before glancing over at Ellinor. The red and orange glow of the flames did not compliment her face, and it only dried up her tears to stain her face. Iro guessed she was trying to calculate a way to save OuterTale with her little power to RESET. She made eye contact with the prince, before heaving a sigh of disgust and brokenness. Aldrich grabbed her by the scruff and threw her towards Iro. "There, there is your sacrifice to punish me." Iro raised an eyebrow. His actions became unpredictable. Iro glanced down at the frisk variant. "I'm so sorry ma'am…" Ellinor shook from fear. "I tried to stop him… he wouldn't listen…" Iro grabbed Ellinor and held her up. Her sword was to Ellinor's throat, and two gaster blasters appeared behind her. Ellinor squeaked with fright, her eyes widened at the sudden threat. "Go on then. what are you waiting for?" Aldrich leaned against a rock, watching impatiently. Iro paused, staring into Ellinor's soul before appearing into Aldrichs. "Isn't this your friend? Your most trusted advisor?"

Aldrich laughed before cracking is whip in sync to the meteors crashing on the city. "What?" He sneered. "She means nothing to me. Look at her, I never cared about her. She was an obstacle in my path, and this is my chance to get rid of her." Iro almost felt pity for the girl struggling in her grip. Her gloves were soaked from the girls tears before she went limp. The will to live… to continue on… was no longer in her soul. Her soul of perseverance was giving up. "Go on then, kill her." Aldrich her. "I would love to watch." Iro never thought she would find his smile so horrendous. Her eyes narrowed as the gaster blasters fired up. It would only take one shot to obliterate her. But Iro hesitated. "Ohhhh right, I forgot," Aldrich rolled his eyes, cracking his whip as he approached Iro, seething. "You've grown soft! You don't want to kill anymore," he mocked with his face and fingers. "You can't destroy your own creations after what happened to the other. You're weak." There was another pause as Iro glanced up at Aldrich… no, this couldn't possibly be the prince she created. He wasn't like this before. He wasn't like this until… Until he met her. "You can't even kill the pathetic soul!" Aldrich slapped his own head. "Look just give her back, fix OuterTale or whatever, and we can go to your next target." Iro smiled and stared at Aldrich. "Fine, onto my next target." The grin was wiped off Aldrich's face when the gaster blasters fired into his chest. Iro whipped out her other sword and lunged for Aldrich, cutting his head clean off his neck. She whipped around and stomped on his skull, bending over and smirking. "You have lost your life privileges, peasant." A slight giggle escaped her throat as her victim's dust covered her shoe. "It's about time I put you in your place where you belonged." Ellinor collapsed onto the ground before finding her footing again. "Thank you…" She sighed. "You're-" She was cut off as Iro was suddenly in front of her, holding her in a choking position once more. Her eyes glowed with fury as she spoke. "Run." Ellinor's eyes widened as she gasped for breath. "Run little one, before I change my mind on sparing your life," Iro hissed, dropping Ellinor to the floor. The girl didn't hesitate to nod and run away as fast as she could. Two bright flashes of light followed from the resetting of the OuterTale Timeline. It didn't take as long as the ghostwriter expected, and it gave her the opprutunity to glance back at the pile of dust she created. "Hmmph," She smirked, stretching. "From dust you were born to dust you will return, amiright?" The silence was pleasing to her ear as she watched the alternate universe string itself back together. "Two down, one to go."

[canarydraws]

Hey y’all, here are some process stages for one of the more recent illustrations I did!

My sketches have never been very detailed. I remember being inspired for a pose while scrolling through pintrest and just threw some lines down on a page. I think more about the general pose and feeling I want more than the worry of anatomical correctness because I know I’ll fix it as I go.

In the next stage I establish stronger more contrasting colors and start to define the form of some shapes. The anatomy is still bad so at this point I’ll start to use the warp tool to move things around and adjust proportions. I also end up using the selection tool to cut various parts of the figure apart in order to put them back together in a way I like (I do not recommend doing this lol the sooner you can establish a solid foundation the better because it’ll save you a lot of work as you go. I just have a really hard time seeing my mistakes until I have something visual to work off of.) I alternate using the warp tool and selection tool and painting again and again until I get something relatively presentable like what I have at stage 3!

At this point all I have left are color adjustments and tweaking some small details. I usually don’t make such drastic color changes at the end of my work because I’ll have found my desired pallet through rendering. However with this one I wasn’t yet sure if I wanted a strong blue bg to contrast the orange of Lucéena’s eye or if I wanted the eye itself to be the main point of color. I knew I wanted the eye to stand out so I thought it was worth trying some things. That’s also why I decided to leave some parts messy in the final piece. I wanted the most well-rendered area to be Lucéena’s face to bring attention to that new shines eye she has.

I hope this was interesting and insightful!

With every illustration, I start off with a loose sketch. At this stage I’m not worried about perfection, my lines are more to serves as composition guides so I know where things will roughly go. If there are parts of the illustration that I know I want to put a lot of detail into (such as the face) I will often give that part more time. Then, I jump into colors by laying down flats behind the lineart and then beginning the process of refinement with a new layer on top. At this stage I would have 4 layers, 1 as the bg color (the blue expanse), 2 as the flats of the character, 3 as the line sketch, and 4 as the rough detailing. After this the number of layers I uses depends on how much of the illustration I want to preserve from itself or how many layer filters I end up using (to tweak color and lighting). Still, my illustrations always start with these 4. Once I get to a rendering point similar to stage 2 I start worrying more about the “correctness” of my structure and how I can make the anatomy more realistic. To do this, I like to duplicate then merge all of my layers, excluding the bg layer. Now I have my character one one whole layer and the expanse of blue on another. I have the individual layers still on hand if I want to refer to my og sketch but at this point having them all as one is easier to work with because to tweak the anatomy of a character I usually cut them up into parts and move/warp them to be more precise. Is this the most effective method? Probably not, but I rely a lot on the warp tool to get the exact shapes that I want. And seeing shapes for me is a lot easier when I have some color and value to work with. (I’m not a very “line visual” person if that makes sense XD) The rest of my process is a combination of rendering and adjusting details with the warp tool. At the very end I did some color adjustments (seen between stages 3 and 4) to see if I could get them closer to the initial feel that I wanted. Because I drew this to showcase Luceena’s new magic eye I wanted that to be the focal point of the illustration. So not only is that the place I put the most detail into, it’s also where I wanted the most color to be. I thought that having a blue bg would contrast nicely with the orange of her eye, but I ended up desaturating the whole piece and let that one note of color stand by itself. Lucéena also received her eye in the Shadowfell so the grey, drab vibes ended up fitting perfectly!

[bluebunnysart]

I've been delaying art stuff cuz of rl matters but honestly Umika and Yu's relationship is seriously so romantic and I can't stop thinking about it lol

The way they admire each other so much and are so fond of each other (Yu especially is incredibly affectionate but then again, that's kinda just how she is).

But like. Imagine wanting to make a high school debut or something but being really nervous and then the exact thing (alien) you've been yearning for just bursts into your life. Yu is like legit Umika's "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" and it's so wild lmaooooo

Even if it turns out Yu was granted by Umika's wish or something, Yu is still a distinct person on her own and she's such a delight-- I love her so much. Anyway, they're so good and cute and I honestly can't ship them with anyone else, personally.

One thing I really like, for example, is when (ANIME SPOILER) Umika rejects Yu's attempt at foreheadelepathy that one time in the anime (END ANIME SPOILER), Yu doesn't take it personally or build resentment or get angry at her or anything. Instead, the next time she tries to do it, she realizes she should ask for permission first and just gets bashful.

Yu in particular is just so kind, sweet, and gentle with Umika and that's exactly what Umika needs imo. Some people need harsher words but other people need good foundations and support systems to be more brave.

Umika herself is incredibly kind and considerate and adorable and an angel and she never did anything wrong. I just think Yu and Umika totally deserve each other and regardless of how the audience feels about romance (I think it's awesome), the only thing they're really "missing" is just an exclusive declaration to each other lolol

If Sensei ever confirms it, I hope she'll do a Yuri on Ice "kiss scene" if anything at all. No idea if Sensei wants this too but if it ever happens, I'll be soooo hyped lol. At the moment, not expecting too much though even though the show is marketed as a yuri. xD

[chikahoshi]

What do you love about the dynamic between Miles and Gwen?

Hi! First of all, thanks for asking! I usually don't get asked about my opinions on things, so it's a nice surprise. :)

Anyways, I feel like https://www.tumblr.com/ironcroft11/721180499802980352/what-are-things-that-you-like-about-the-dynamic?source=share has said most of the things I love about their dynamic, but I think I can add a bit more on my thoughts about them.

Like it's been said before, I love the way the writing has built up their relationship. Even though Gwen was mad at Miles for messing up her hair in the first movie, she was actually still pretty empathetic towards him, and she never hold it over against his head (even though it would have been very understandable of her to do so.) In fact, Miles was the one who would bring up her hair. Plus, I like their little banter at the end and the way Miles was able to create a quick comeback after Gwen told him that she's 15 months older than him. It shows Miles improving his rizz, lol. xD Anyways, that small shift from them having a rocky start to them being friends is so, so important to me. It's really easy to create the big moments such as when couples proclaim their love for each other or when one of them goes berserk after the other one gets hurt, but it's so much harder to create those small moments that build up their friendship in a natural way. I feel like a lot of couples in fiction struggle with this, so it's really nice to see Miles and Gwen creating a real friendship with one another without the expectation of a romantic relationship.

Tbh, I actually didn't ship them in the first movie for that reason, but I think that's a great thing! I think the writers did a really great job deciding what was necessary to end the first movie on, so that they can use that foundation onto the second. And the second movie shows how much Miles and Gwen misses each other, and it's so, so MUCH more rewarding when they finally meet each other again. Just all the right amount of awkwardness but also attraction towards one another without needing to say I love you or kissing each other. Like when Gwen gets touchy with Miles but being casual about it or when Miles throws his hands towards his face and deflates when Gwen leaves the party. I could go on, but in short, this movie is very great at showing and not telling. I fell in love with how much groundwork the first two movies (particularly Across the Spiderverse) have built their relationship without them losing that momentum.

Anyways, I hope this answers your question, and thank you so much again for asking! It was really fun to gush about them! :D

[cherrybombfangirlwrites]

In the End it Doesn't Even Matter (I Had To Fall to Lose it All) [Full Version!!!]

I almost forgot that I said I'd post the full version of the flashfictionfriday snippet I did a while ago (it's here), so here you go, enjoy the angst in it's full glory :). This is the current ending I have for Sleeping Beauty's Bodyguard, as of Draft 0.

Wordcount: 2870 (a little ridiculous ngl XD)

Warnings: main character death (kinda), angst galore, Raven sad boi hours, really creepy with lots of horror elements, I'm not kidding i didn't pull my punches with this one, so many feels

Fractured Stars Falling, Book 6 - Draft 0 - Plot and Character Dynamic Exploration

The fight raged around outside as they raced through the palace, searching for a safe place to hide. Shouting, the clash of blades, and the evil cackles of someone echoed through the air, shaking the castle down to its foundation. Fire and lightning rained down outside as the Witch Queen’s dark sorcerers attacked.

Some of the dark sorcerers made it into the palace and came right for them. Harry and several others jumped in the sorcerers’ path, swords up and ready for a fight.

Raven didn’t hesitate to use the chance his comrades were giving them, and ran- keeping Sapphire in front of him.

She kept insisting that she was fine and didn’t need protection, trying to go back and help.

Raven’s voice sounded more and more fearful by the second as he tried to convince her to let him take her to safety.

She couldn't figure out why for the life of her, but the panic edging into his voice made her heart ache. Sapphire had never heard or seen him this scared before.

Finally, she gave in and stopped fighting to go back. Anything to help him feel less scared.

They both ran around a corner, and Raven led them up the stairs. The staircase wound upward in a spiral, getting tighter and narrower as it went on.

At the top, a narrow hallway led to the next tower over, and a door was directly in front of them. The door in front of them led to one of the astronomy observatories on the other side. The hallway led to another one, or one of the attics.

Down the staircase, the echoes of combat got louder.

Raven opened the door in front of them, and glanced down the stairs. “You stay in here, I’ll lead them away.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine, I need you safe.”

Sapphire stared at him, dumbfounded. “Why are you still trying to protect me? My stepmother wants you dead, and you’re not my bodyguard anymore.”

Raven looked up from watching the staircase for danger, staring at her- from her lips, to her dirty dress that still made her beautiful, to her dark blue eyes, to her messy auburn curls that looked better messed up, back to her lips- He grabbed her hand, looking at it.  “I’d protect you even if it wasn’t my job.”

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as they both stared down at their entwined hands, the sounds of the fight below dying away.

He was holding both her hands in his in front of him, squeezing for any source of comfort. They both started to lean in, thinking the same thing as they pulled each other closer. Their faces were so close their noses brushed, and both could feel the light puffs of each other’s hot breath on their skin.

A loud clash echoed from below, announcing the dark sorcerers getting closer.

Raven pushed the observatory door open. “Lock yourself inside, stay quiet and hidden, don’t let anyone in. I’ll come back and get you once it’s over.”

Sapphire bit her lip, looking between the room and the staircase below. Finally, her gaze landed on him. “You come back alive and in one piece, promise?”

He lifted her hand, gently kissing her knuckles. “I promise. Don’t let anyone in unless it’s me, got it?”

Reluctantly, she nodded and entered the observatory room. As she closed the door, she stole one last look at Raven as he drew his sword and started down the hallway to the next tower.

Once the door closed and the lock clicked, Sapphire tried to make herself comfortable. The old observatory was dusty, old charts and stargazing equipment laying forgotten. There were three windows in the tower room to use for looking at the stars, all of them wide open, with telescopes poking through two.

Not wanting to be spotted, she started closing the windows. Before she could shut the last one, there was a noise.

The whoosh of a breeze.

A footstep.

Cackling, muffled and faint.

Sapphire quickly shut the window and whipped around. There was no one behind her that she could see. Not taking any chances, she snatched up a nearby book and raised it in defense.

There was nothing. No more noise, other than the muffled and distant sounds of dying combat.

Walking to the middle of the room, she slowly lowered the book, her back to the door. Despite not seeing or hearing anything unusual, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

Sapphire could’ve sworn she was alone in that observatory. She had locked the door behind her, it was empty when she came in, it looked and sounded empty now…

And yet her instincts told her that something dangerous was near and she needed to run far away. She lowered the book slowly, taking a deep breath to steel her nerves. Maybe she was imagining it, or the thrill from the fight was making her hyperaware.

“There you are, you little rat.”

Long bony arms grabbed Sapphire, one pinning her arms to her sides. An unearthly chill filled her, freezing all the way to her core.

She opened her mouth to cry for help, father, Constance, Raven- but her scream was quickly muffled by a cold hand with ashy skin, long knobby fingers, and sharp fingernails like claws.

“Oh yes, scream for your precious Raven all you want, he can’t hear you, but he’s coming back isn’t he?” The voice was so sweet it was sickening. The woman gave a small, dark chuckle. “Don’t worry, I’ll let you see him one last time before I- well it’s not exactly killing, since you’ll still be breathing and everything, but I can’t have you spilling my little secret. I can promise you won’t be waking up anytime soon.” Her claws tightened, digging into Sapphire’s skin. The woman giggled. “Or ever.”

Sapphire struggled harder, not wanting to find out what she meant.

“You know the more you fight the longer this is going to take,” the woman pulled Sapphire’s head back. The woman was in her early twenties by Sapphire’s guess, with ashy gray skin that had black cracks spiderwebbing across it. The woman’s hair was a black, tattered rat’s nest, and her eyes were glowing purple, filled with a crazed glint. The robes she wore were tattered, old, and musty. The woman grinned. “And if you keep fighting it’s only going to get more painful, so I suggest you sit back and relax, little rat.”

Sapphire’s breath caught in her throat as her heart hammered wildly out of fear. She fought harder. If she could just get a hand free, she could grab that book and bash the witch’s head in with it.

“Feisty and brave little rat, aren’t you?” The witch said. She released the hand covering Sapphire’s mouth, but her jaw and lips stayed forced shut, as if by some invisible iron hand was clamped around her face.

With her now free hand, the witch snapped her fingers, and a sewing needle appeared, hanging by an invisible thread. The witch turned it in the air so it stood up- the sharp point glinting sinisterly in the light. There was no way to know for sure what the needle could do- but Sapphire knew it couldn’t be good or pleasant.

Sapphire froze as all of the pieces fell into place and she finally realized who this witch was.

The Witch Queen.

“Ah, you’ve finally figured out who I am….” The Witch said. The arm pinning Sapphire’s arms to her sides tightened painfully. Keeping her other arm pinned, the witch grabbed her wrist, lifting it towards the sewing needle as she held it up.

Fear surged through Sapphire, and she struggled even more, yanking and jerking her hand away, curling it into a tight fist. Panic rising, Sapphire fought harder still, kicking and trying to throw The Witch off.

Then the invisible hand that was clamping her jaw shut plugged her nose. Sapphire’s eyes widened as her lungs started to scream for air. The harder she struggled, the more air she needed, making it worse.

After what felt like ages, just before she passed out, the invisible hand released her nose and she could breathe again. The Witch didn’t say anything, she didn’t have to- the warning was clear as day.

The Witch just smiled, and continued- wiggling Sapphire’s first finger out of her fist and holding the tip towards the needle.

Fighting back was no longer an option, which sent a wave of panic through Sapphire. She always hated the feeling of being trapped and helpless, but this was the absolute most terrified and trapped she had ever felt in her life. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as she tried to keep her finger as far away as possible from the needle.

Outside the door, she could hear Raven calling for her, telling her the fight was over. She felt a tiny glimmer of relief, and shouted as loud as she could through the hand.

The Witch Queen chuckled and smiled wickedly. She lifted one finger, and flicked it- a small shadow moved, unlocking the door.

~~~

The fight finally started to let up, and Raven sighed with relief. It was going to be fine, the danger was gone.

While the sorcerers started disappearing and the other soldiers celebrated, Raven started making his way back to the tower where Sapphire was. Indigo headed over to the stable to see if he could find a snack after all the fighting, and Little Stripe followed.

Raven could barely contain his excitement and ran all the way up the stairs and down the narrow hallway to the observatory tower. As he got closer, he called for her, but no answer came, and the door stayed locked.

He swallowed, trying to stay calm. Maybe she just hadn’t heard him, the door did seem pretty thick, or maybe he hadn’t been as loud as he thought he was-

The door unlocked, and Raven’s muscles relaxed as he smiled tiredly. Unable to wait a second longer, he pushed the door open-

An older woman with a rat’s nest for hair and ashy gray skin was holding Sapphire against her. A black shadow of a hand covered Sapphire’s mouth, keeping her from talking, and the witch was about to prick her finger on a sewing needle floating in the air.

Raven glared daggers at the witch, drawing his sword, and his voice deathly even and low. “Get your hands off her.”

The witch gave him a crazed, wicked grin, and pricked Sapphire’s finger on the needle. Sapphire struggled against the witch’s grip, shouting behind the black hand- a small whimper escaped her, stabbing right through his heart.

Raven gripped his sword so tight his hand shook, but he didn’t care. He started to charge over, sword raised- when the witch released her. Sapphire stumbled away, gasping for air. She looked up, and her expression softened at the sight of him.

Then she looked down at her hand, at the red dot of blood blooming on her finger.

Her eyes started to roll back and she would’ve crumpled to the floor if Raven hadn’t dropped his sword and caught her first. She was still breathing and he could feel a heartbeat, but she was sound asleep and completely limp in his arms as her eyes closed.

The witch, who Raven finally recognized as the Witch Queen, cackled. “Good luck breaking the sleeping curse. It’s a sleep like death, and an unbreakable one at that.” Then with a giggle of glee, she waved her hands and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Hesitantly, Raven cradled her head with one hand and rubbed the knuckles on one of her hands with the other. “Sapph’?” His voice came out barely louder than a whisper. “Wake up, come on… Please…” He shook her, but she didn’t stir in the slightest.

There was maybe one time when Raven had felt so helpless in his life, and that was when he was a small boy and was being picked on by a bunch of bigger kids.

That was nothing compared to the overwhelming dread and helplessness that filled him now. It was so suffocating he was drowning in it.

A sleep like death, the witch had called it. Raven was beginning to understand now, much to his dismay.

She was still alive, technically, as she was still breathing and her heartbeat could still be felt. 

But she was never going to wake up.

It was almost worse than if her death had looked more like death- at least then it wouldn’t mock him with the feel of her heartbeat and movement of her breathing that amounted to nothing.

Getting desperate, he shook her again. “Sapphire, please, you can’t do this to me… you have to wake up, please, please-” His voice cracked at the last word as his hands started to shake.

She didn’t stir or make a noise at all.

Down the stairs, he could hear people shouting and looking for the princess. Someone mentioned that they saw the traitor- him- take her up the stairs, and the voices got louder, joined by footsteps racing up the staircase behind him.

“I’m so sorry,” He whispered to Sapphire, and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’m gonna fix this, I’m gonna fix this I swear.”

Then he gently laid her down on the floor, and made his escape through the open window.

~~~

Four days. That was how long he waited.

Raven managed to slip under the radar at the castle, hiding in plain sight with the help of his brothers Harry and Arthur. After Sapphire had been found, Queen Constance was livid and convinced that Raven had been the one to put her under whatever spell was keeping her asleep and unwakeable. 

While the Queen and her soldiers searched high and low for him, Sapphire was laid down in the most defendable room of the castle.

At night, his brothers volunteered to guard the room, and would let Raven in once everyone was asleep, and cover for him should anyone be up at those hours. 

The servants had cleaned her up nicely, she was in a new dress, a dark green one again. Her hair had also been washed and brushed, now weaved into an intricate braid. A few flowers were tucked under her hands, which were folded gracefully on her chest.

For four nights, Raven sat next to the bed, hoping and praying for her to wake up- no matter how futile it was and that the curse was unbreakable. 

He gently adjusted her pillows and blankets to make her more comfortable, braided her hair, held her hand and gently kissed it, and talked to her. He talked about everything- mostly about how sorry he was, what was going on in the castle, and all of his questions and promises on how he was going to fix this.

He started sneaking into the library, scouring through every book he could find on magic. He narrowed his search to curses and magic related to sleeping- but didn’t come up with anything helpful.

So he broadened his search to all magic, for anything.

One night when he couldn’t stand sitting next to her bed and praying for her to wake, he slipped into the library again.

He dug into the section of magic books on dark magic (there were too few), and found something, a spell.

It wasn’t much, a long shot at best- but it was the only thing he had. Raven picked out all the pages in the book related to that spell, and carefully tore them out. He found a detailed map of Eltya as well in the topography section.

With the help of his brothers, he found and prepared a small wagon. Indigo, being stronger than Dante, would pull the wagon. Raven would ride Dante for mobility.

Harry helped him sketch out the best route on the map. When he asked Raven what his plan was exactly, he didn’t have the heart to say.

Then, in the dead of night, they made final preparations for Raven’s quest. Making sure no one was anywhere near her room, Raven gently wrapped her up in blankets. Once he had the all clear from Harry, Raven carried her out, cradled in his arms, her head resting on his chest.

Just outside the stables the wagon, Indigo, and Little Stripe were waiting for him. Harry was packing his saddle bags and securing them to Dante, while Arthur kept watch.

He laid her down in the carefully arranged pile of blankets and pillows, tucking a few more around her. Raven brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, imagining that she was awake and smiling at him with those deep, dark blue eyes- eyes he was terrified that he’d never get to see again.

Something hot and wet trickled down his cheek. Raven quickly wiped it away, steeling his nerves. He clutched the small leather bound journal in his hand that contained the map and the pages from the books.

The spell was going to work.

It had to.

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[blackjackkent]

4 and 9 for Lae'zel

8 and 20 for Astarion

Just to switch things up a bit, haha

(Character ask game!)

4. Lae'zel - If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

Hm. Interesting question (and highlights how little I get around to seeing movies these days).

I would be intrigued to see Lae'zel interact with Klingons in Star Trek. She is - to the extent that Forgotten Realms has the concept - an alien herself, so she wouldn't be out of place among Trek's cast of characters, and I think the gith and Klingon cultures are just similar enough (warrior race, concepts of honor/duty) without being identical that the interaction would be quite entertaining. :D

9. Lae'zel - Could you be roommates with this character?

Could I be roommates with her? Sure. :D I suspect she would be a good influence on me in the realms of discipline and health, she is very subtly hysterical and probably amusing to get drunk with, she would never be late with her portion of the rent, and she wouldn't take it personally when I occasionally needed to be left the fuck alone. Plus if I was lucky, she'd like the cut of my jib and I, unlike Hector, would not "choose banality". ;)

Could she be roommates with me? Absolutely not. I would be dead within a week when she realized I'm a massive nerd who would unironically infodump at her without prompting and also that I leave stuff laying around everywhere in a mess for no reason.

I think she and my cat would have an entertaining relationship however.

8. Astarion - What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

While I truly, deeply, and fervently believe that everyone can have whatever headcanons they like as long as they're not hurting anyone else, I personally cannot really get behind the idea of Astarion being a soft/romance-y sort, especially not during/immediately after game. The man is a dick! It's a really important foundational aspect of his character.

Disclaimer: I love Astarion, I think he's a fantastic character, and also I haven't finished his romance run yet, so maybe there is nuance here I'm unaware of. However... I think it is a disservice to his character's depth NOT to acknowledge that he is a dick, and that his dickishness is the product of a several-hundred-year-long campaign to eliminate any sense of overt compassion or vulnerability in him. That he is able nevertheless to connect with an LI/friends and start to move past that programming is a powerful thing, but it deserves to be treated as something that does not come easily to him, that it has to be worked at, and that someone who cares about him has to learn how he expresses these emotions in his own way.

I did like that post that has gone around a bit, about how it's much more likely that Astarion would respond to being treated with kindness with all the subtlety and acceptance of a cat being dragged to the vet for shots. XD

20. Astarion - Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

Hmmmmm. [ponders, looks at BG3 character list] My initial inclination is to say Karlach, though this feels like kind of a copout answer because Karlach is a good friend to EVERYONE because she is a sweetheart and also the best. I do think she's a good candidate though, because she is very much the sort to be kind to him regardless of whether he's a dick to her in return. And, more specifically, as I pondered quite a bit in this post, the two of them actually have quite a bit in common, in terms of having been trapped in situations where they had to do terrible things to survive and had no reason to think they would ever be able to get out. I think it would take a long time for Astarion to acknowledge this, if he ever did, but I'm pretty sure Karlach understands it right off the bat.

[cuubism]

New thought/question regarding the complex mathematics au: I'm imagining Hob somehow meeting one of Dream's shittier ex's, but the question is would Hob already know about them or would Dream only explain after the fact?

i've been trying to figure out what exact type of dating history dream even has in this, i feel like the actual serious romantic entanglements were probably slim to none, it was mostly hookup sort of things that started hurtling towards something more serious only for the other person to break it off. hob might? be his first long term relationship that's actually gotten to this serious of a point? and def his first relationship that started from such a solid foundation of friendship (or enemyship 😂) and regard. (i'm not sure if calliope exists in this au. maybe that was his one other serious relationship some number of years ago)

so I imagine most of dream's exes in this au aren't necessarily bad people they just... don't really care about dream. because they were never really dating. maybe dream thought they were or thought his feelings were requited when they weren't, i don't know exactly. the worst hob would encounter, i think, is people who are just kind of callous about dream's feelings. or who don't get him at all and misread everything dream was trying to do. or who don't see the value in him that hob sees. which probably WOULD piss hob off to be honest 😂

dream probably... did not mention any of this. he might have said 'my past relationships were troubled' or something really vague like that XD as opposed to 'all my past entanglements crashed and burned for reasons unknown to me' which is closer to the truth, the poor thing is confused he doesn't know what he's doing wrong :/ he's just communicating on a different wavelength and people are not getting it. and to be fair hob doesn't always either he just likes dream enough to figure out how to translate it

and then again, is calliope there? idk 😂 if calliope is there then is eleanor there? who knows! maybe she's also dead along with hob's entire family lmao rip in pieces hob