#she's always trying to be pleasant to the people around her and she uses humor as a distraction

[britneyshakespeare]

One thing that's really striking to me on my reread of David Copperfield is how Dora is arguably the most consciously humorous character in the book. David Copperfield is full of humor, generally. Most characters have at least some comic element to them, but Dora is very aware of her own, as much as she is her shortcomings. Dora is imaginative, creative, whimsical, and purposefully playful. The idea that people read this as vain frivolity is absurd to me.

[acevid]

DRDT X DESPAIR DISEASE

what if the danganronpa despair time cast had the motive of despair disease? well, i’ve made diseases for everyone! (i may write a oneshot for this but to be determined..)

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Teruko Tawaki - Childish Disease. Since her childhood is..probably not the best, considering what information we have about her thus far—it causes her to act childishly and to make up for what had once lost! (And makes her an easier target.)

Xander Matthews - Lazy Disease. This disease is exactly how it sounds. This makes it so that Xander is no longer the energetic and determined person that he is, but rather someone who doesn’t put much effort into things, or sees the reason to care about others too much.

Min Jeung - Confidence Disease. This disease makes it so that Min is completely confident in her abilities and whatever she does. This makes it so that she is much less anti-social towards others, and not afraid to prove anyone wrong.

Arei Nageishi - Cowardice Disease. Because Arei has this disease, she will act meekly due to pretty much everything. Often times another student will see her shaking or on the verge of tears. She can be comforted, but many things can set her off again.

Ace Markey - Truth Disease. This strain of disease makes it so that Ace can only say the truth. While, yes, he can simply change the subject by saying random but true stuff like “It’s cold right now”, but it’s harder to fight the more he does it—and it’s especially hard whenever somebody directs a question towards him.

Levi Fontana - Empathetic Disease. This gives Levi what he’s always been lacking—empathy! And not just any old empathy. His empathy is seriously high, like off the charts. 

J Rosales - Villain Disease. While, yes, making it so that J had some ‘murder’ disease would’ve been funny, considering how she hates murder—that would’ve been too easy. And so, we’ve resorted to making her act like a really bad cartoon villain. Why? Comedy. Makes the show go up in ratings.

Rose Lacroix - Forgetfulness Disease. Pretty self explanatory, Rose simply is unable to keep long-term memories. (..Actually, change that to memories in general, as she seems to forget a lot that happened in a short time-span as well. Such as—half an hour.)

Arturo Giles - Kindness Disease. This disease makes it so that Arturo doesn’t see the ugliness in people, but rather the good qualities about them. He’s rather vocal about this too.

Hu Jing - Antagonist Disease. This causes her to act rudely to everyone, as if she is above them, and cause troubles just so that her classmates struggle. She doesn’t seem to have any want to cooperate with everyone like this.

Nico Hakobyan - Aggressive Disease. This makes it so that Nico is more easily aggravated, and will lash out more. He’s becoming Ace-core

Whit Young - Stoic Disease. This disease makes it so that Whit can no longer use the humor and carelessness that he so desperately loves. In fact, he acts the opposite of how he typically does.

Eden Tobisa - Jester Disease. This is different to Charles’ disease. While he makes jokes and acts somewhat childishly, Eden does so somewhat maliciously. Her jokes always seem to hit hard in someone’s core (and definitely not in a pleasant way). Her way of making others laugh seems to be by putting others down. On the outside, she may look the same—but there is a certain evil aura around her.

Charles Cuevas - Jokester Disease. This disease makes it so that Charles can easily find humour in situations. (He uses so many puns it is ridiculous.) It’s almost as if Whit and Charles switched personalities.

Veronika Grebenschikova - Considerate Disease. Veronika will act respectful towards others, always trying to help and never breaking any boundaries. (Think Ibuki’s disease except she actually has a personality.)

David Chiem - Naivety Disease. This disease makes it so that David believes everything that others are saying—or at least makes it easier to. Because of this trust that he’s putting into others, it’s also much easier to get the truth out of him about matters important and unimportant.

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[eternalsa2z]

Cookie Cutthroat

"So try my hot, tasty delicacies here at Cookie's Bakery. We're always 'Bringing Individuals To Cookie Heaven'...Yum!"

"CUT! THAT'S A WRAP!" the director yelled as the cameras stopped rolling for the final time that day. Cookie set down her tray with a sigh. Acting was exhausting. But customers seemed to eat up her warm, motherly attitude on TV and the commercials helped make Cookie's Bakery one of the most popular brands around.

The brunette baker slowly took off her hot pads and untied her apron. As she began to walk off gracefully in her white flats set she felt a small shiver run through her body. The pills she took before the shoot must be wearing off. The sensation distracted her slightly as a crew member bumped into her path trying to break down the set.

"Oh I'm sorry Ms. Cookie!" the gofer stammered quickly, seeing an unusual scowl sweet across the woman's gentle face.

"No worries dearie..." the businesswoman smiled sweetly back. Although a hint of annoyance remained on her face. "Just don't let it happen again..."

A phone alert interrupted their exchange, allowing the assistant to scurry away unscathed. Cookie reached into the sewed-on pocket of her floral dress, pulling out a bejeweled phone. She began texting rapidly, increasingly long red nails clacking away rapidly in time with the sharp clicking of her high heels.

People in her path began to part, staring at her with wonder. Despite having just finished shooting a commercial with her, she seemed different. Her prim dark hair was now longer, wavier, with a hint of highlights. The dress, no longer covered by an apron, seemed to hug to curves that were a contrast to the matron image she had projected. In fact her pleasant face was different, now plastered with more makeup and plump lips suited for a high end model.

"What?" she snapped as she stopped suddenly, noticing the stares. "I'm not signing autographs so get lost!"

Quickly the studio peons looked away and continued their mundane tasks. A smug little grin curled on Cookie's lips as another shiver of pleasure coursed through her body. She loved being the center of attention but it was even more fun to assert her authority. She was a powerful boss bitch, after all.

Her satisfaction momentarily waned as she saw one more figure standing in her sight. It was her bakery's Business Intelligence Manager, Ethan, a short stumpy figure in comparison to Cookie's lithe, modelesque figure. Especially as her appearance was becoming more striking by the second. Her sweet medicine was finally being purged from her system and similarly her tolerance for any imperfections was ebbing away.

The bakery queen didn't understand why her No. 2 didn't put more effort into his appearance. Cookie had often contemplated firing him just so she wouldn't be associated with his drab appearance. Lucky for him he was almost as smart as Cookie so she humored him by keeping him around.

"Coat first. Then report," she snapped her fingers as she snatched the luxurious fur trim coat her CFO was carrying like a common attendant. "Walk with me...or rather behind me. Can't make it seem like we're equals."

"Of course, ma'am," Ethan replied quickly as he opened a notebook. He knew better than to question her as her pleasant TV production persona was slowly slipping away.

"I have two things to bring to your attention," he said, eyes cast downwards to read his notes. "First, an investigative reporter is looking into our 'secret ingredient'. Any comment you want to provide?"

"Tell them it's just 'extra love and handmade dough'," Cookie chuckled, tossing her partially blonde ponytail over her shoulder dismissively. "If they don't eat that up, offer them a taste. We could use a new model raving about our product."

"Very good, Ms. Cookie," Ethan nodded, scribbling notes furiously in a vain attempt to focus on something other than his boss' heart shaped ass wiggling in her tight designer pants. "Item two is also about our secret ingredient. Our supplier in the UK is being sticky about price due to the recent strikes. How do you want to handle it?"

"Fucking unions. Little pissants thinking they can measure up to a titantic titan like myself," Cookie scoffed. "I have half a mind to crush them myself beneath my heels. But honestly it's not worth my fucking time. I'll just call up Ms. Hyde directly and ask for an advance on our supply. She knows I'm good for it and will make her double what I pay."

"Are you sure that's wise, ma'am? Sideswiping the supplier may gain negative attention and impact our positive image..."

Ethan gulped as his boss turned to face him. Even with large sunglasses covering most her face, the angry pout of her plump lips and the way her talons were clenching her expensive handbag told him he had made a mistake. You don't question Ms. Cookie.

To the subordinates surprise, Cookie didn't fire him on the spot. Or even cuss him out so commandingly that the whole production crew could hear them inside the studio 25 meters away. Instead she just scowled and brushed off her increasingly luxurious fur coat.

"You are fucking lucky the Sugar Pills I took before the shoot haven't completely worn off," she scoffed. "They must be suppressing my inner bitch enough that I still have some pathetic ounce of pity left for you. So I'm going to forget you just asked me that and let you keep your job...on one condition."

"Thank you, ma'am! I'll do anything!" Ethan trembled gratefully.

"I know you will," his boss smirked. "So when I get back from my 'Business Bitches' luncheon, I expect you to have tried a generous sample of the new batch of treats we've been testing. It's time my top assistant had the appearance and attitude to match my own."

Cookie didn't even wait for a response as she strutted away from her stunned, scared assistant. For the first time since the shoot a grin crossed her lips. But unlike the sweet smile of her TV persona, this was a smug smirk of the real cutthroat tycoon who enjoyed power and money more than anything else. She knew full well that you can't bake a cookie without cracking some eggs. It would be Ethan's mind and body that she had to break down and build up next.

A final shiver swept through her body, signaling the purge of the rest of that nasty sweetness in her body and brain. Cookie pulled her full-length fur coat more tightly around her thin body to combat the old, familiar coldness she felt. Stepping gracefully into her luxury sportscar she put one hand on the wheel and precisely pushed a button to make a call.

"Hi Evie, it's Cookie. Yes I am calling about that...heard already? Ah yes I suppose that is in your area. Yes it is a shame. Don't worry, those naughty little minions by you will be thoroughly punished. Here's what I need from the Emporium..."

Cookie chatted away, listing her demands, as she set up her next power plays in her head. She had a strike to crush. A reporter to turn. A new batch of pure, concentrated Bitch Elixir to try out. All which needed to be taken care of before lunch - but thankfully she was now uninhibited by those Sugar Pills and was at her full bitchy cunning. It was just another day as queen of the wickedly good, corruptively tasting cookie empire.

[byhimawari]

“Candid”

(a RivaMika drabble/ modern day au)

“Oh! Today is MCM.”

Levi raised his brow questionably before sipping his tea as he watches his girlfriend scroll on her phone, “What the hell is MCM?”

Mikasa looks up and a faint tint forms on her cheeks, her expression a tad embarrassed and timid, “It stands for Man Crush Monday. People post it on social media with the hashtag MCM.”

Levi can tell by the way she's fidgeting in her seat and how her eyes drift to and from him every other second that she's suggesting that she wants to do post as well, but is too shy to ask. A childish trait, but undisputedly adorable if it's from her, and oddly enough, it is one of the reasons he's in love with her.

He'll cave in, like he always does, proving himself a weak man to her wants. But Levi decides to have a little fun with her first.

"Oh?" Levi smirks, placing the teacup down, his stare teasing, "And who is this man crush of yours?"

Mikasa pouts with a glare, already catching on to his game, "Who do you think?"

"No clue. Enlighten me."

She rolls her eyes with an exasperated laugh. Then she looks at him with a challenging gleam in her eyes. Levi thinks for a split second how cute she is.

"Well," she starts, sitting back and crossing her arms, "He's an awfully sarcastic old man with a dry sense of humor."

"Dry?" Levi scoffs out a chuckle.

"Yup," Mikasa says with tight smile, seemingly trying to keep herself from laughing, "He also always has such a grumpy look on his face. And he's a clean freak. Always wants everything spotless. Thinks tea is better than coffee."

"Smart guy. You have good taste."

"I do," she agrees, uncrossing her arms and sitting back up straight, scooting closer, "He's also very handsome."

"Oh?"

"And selfless. Protective. Caring. He makes me the happiest girl alive," Mikasa says, the blush on her cheeks deepening but her smile remains, "I'm really so lucky to have him."

The sincerity in her eyes and her words of affection pull at something pleasant in his heart, something like thankfulness. He returns the same look back.

"Sounds like a decent man."

Her smile grows and automatically, the world around them seemed brighter.

"He's quite alright. Though, he'll be even better if he lets me take his photo of him right now because he looks so incredibly handsome.”

With a chuckle and shake of his head, completely awestruck and humored by this woman, Levi finally caves in.

"Fine, you win."

Mikasa, of course, does her little victory smirk before picking up her phone in excitement.

"Okay, pose."

Levi stares at her oddly, a bit dumbfounded, actually, as he's not used to having his photo taken without her. He told himself to just smile, but awkwardly enough, he can't seem to do so on command. So instead he just eyes upwards, thinking much too hard about how he should pose.

"Levi...what are you looking at?"

"Just take it already," Levi says, doing his damn near hardest to suppress his embarrassment, still looking up, "This is--"

"It's perfect!"

Levi brings his gaze down and looks at her confusedly, "You already took the photo?"

"Yes. Photos always look better when they're candid," Mikasa giggles.

He was about to protest, but he sees her staring at the photo with such warmth and admiration in her eyes, a soft, joyful smile planted on her lips, as though the person in the photo takes up such a special space in her heart. Levi's own heart betrays him and suddenly his face flushes, in awe of the woman in front of him, a remembrance of how lucky he was that his crush on her bloomed into something much greater.

It gives him an idea.

"Your turn," he says simply, picking up his phone and turning on its camera.

Mikasa at first blinks in surprise, but soon she smiles warmly. She then picks up the mug and reaches for her pastry, already willing. It appears she's been prepared and it makes him chuckle inside.

"Okay, let me pose with--"

*click*

"Beautiful."

Mikasa turns her head to him with surprised eyes, her mug mid-air in her hand, "Wait you took it already? I wasn't ready!"

Levi looks at the photo he took, marveling at her enchanting features, and is reminded again about just how lucky he is to have such a beautiful woman in his life to call his. This time, welcomes his smile.

"You're right. Photos do look better candid.”

[appatary8523]

Dumb probably negative no context rambles under the cut

Last chance, don't ruin your mood and go back

OK you wanted it this way

1.- I like STW but I usually have to get up to do things while playing (yea sometimes in FN:BR I hide in bushes to go and do some other stuff. I've barely made any progress, the game is quite complicated to me because I don't play it often and I forget what was going on? And I don't know how to use most of the mechanics of the game(? Still, the humor is funny, the gameplay might feel repetitive from time to time but I like it, I really really like it.

I also would like to have more IRL friends who play STW (or FN in general), I bet that game mode is way funnier and rewarding in squad. But nobody plays it, and I think I have no friends who play FN? Just my older brother and he has his own duo so I'm not getting in between them (?) (and he doesn't like STW so he doesn't even have access to it). There's a dude at my workplace who plays FN but no thanks, I don't like him, he's stupid (he's the it guy who can't fix a damn thing. I hate that guy he's so stupid)

As always, I'm playing solo in this squad mode game called life (?

2.- I know I often say I'm doing it for me but, damn, I wish someone could like it the way I like it too. I'll see if it's worth the effort or if I should just finish the damn thing and save if for myself. I'm not hurt or anything alike, I was 1000% aware this was going to happen, and it's helping me improve. I think I just don't want to deal with that anymore. Sorry, I lose motivation quite often and easily

3.- I try to keep everything happy and positive in my FN blog but... I don't really like Hope. I mean she's cool and all that but I just don't like her e-girl thing going on. The only thing I like about her is the cat on her banner icon whatever the name of that thing is. Neither sunsp0t, actually y don't like a lot of things but I'll just save my awful FN opinions. I should've saved my headcanons too

4.- Surprise surprise (actually is no surprise) I'm losing followers. And I get it, I get you guys, I used to post funny things, funny drawings (or drawings in general) but now I just complain about everything. Sorry, I'm not in a good mood anymore.

I don't think people should keep following/stay suscribed to a channel, account, blog thing they dont like no more. I've seen artists (on Twitter of course) complaining about how people should not follow an account for X specific thing but I don't think that's how things work. Just like the things you like change, the things other like change too. They should NOT feel forced to like the things you like and see the things you want to share. But I guess you have to grow up to realize that. I personally don't feel offended when people stop following me, right now I'm offering nothing but negative text post, and that's OK. Curate the things you consume, make it a more pleasant experience, don't feel forced to follow someone you no longer like.

I personally follow people for a specific thing, and sometimes, like everyone, they change the things they make, but if I like their stuff I usually stick around because it's interesting! I just stop following if they change for worse (the same way I changed for worse). Still, not everyone thinks the same way I do.

5.- I still thinking I should just make another sideblog to dump all this dumb kind of posts but honestly I don't want to deal with it. Making an FN exclusive sideblog was already way too much, but I didn't want to mix all in here

6.- I guess that's what you get for interacting with people half your age.

7.- Shouldn't have joined, should've stayed away

8.- I wish we could talk, someday. I'd like to know you better. I know I don't exist for you but you mean so much for me (yea now I understand my taste for one-sided fictional relationships lol). I know, im stupid, I'm delusional, I'm, as always, daydreaming about things that will never ever happen and I will never have. I can't understand love, I can't wrap my head around the idea of being romantically involved with someone but that's OK, that kind of things are not meant for me

9.- I wish I could control whatevers going on in my mind. I wish it could slow the pace of my thoughts, I need some rest from the world but most important, I need a break from myself but I guess there's nothing I can do about it

10.- Also, Beatles song

11.- I fell asleep after posting this and I OBVIOUSLY had to edit it to add this because i DREAMED someone gave me some support words and it felt so nice and comforting jdjsjs I'm alone

12.- Morningssey song. Yes I like him too so sue me (?

[loominggaia]

What kind of relationship does SAPHIRRA have with her siblings

I think Saphirra is generally a pleasant person and gets along well with her siblings. Like yeah, she obviously has some psychological issues regarding men and sex, but I don't think this affects the way she treats people outside her romantic relationships.

She is arguably the most problematic of Cerulea's children, yet ironically one of the most pleasant to be around. She's polite, helpful, and loves her family.

She and Lazuline are closest in age but don't have a lot in common. Saphirra is sex-crazed, Lazuline is celibate. Saphirra is a partier, Lazuline is bookish. Saphirra is extroverted, Lazuline is introverted. I think they're polite to eachother but don't really hang out.

No one gets along with Teal because she's insufferable, but Saphirra has the charisma to shut down her bullshit without starting a conflict. I imagine Saphirra has a good sense of humor and uses it to calm tense situations.

Saphirra calls Cyana "pretty doll" and always wants to style her hair, do her makeup, etc. Cyana looks a lot like Saphirra when she was younger, so this could be a bit of narcisissm in action...

Saphirra worries about Marine's future and tries to give her all kinds of advice about how to be a "proper lady", but it's futile. She never gives up though! She's always there to pull the gum out of Marine's hair, wipe the dirt off her face, and tell her that making random animal noises is going to scare boys away.

Saphirra teases Skylie, not in a malicious way but in a playful way, trying to make her laugh and come out of her shell. Like her parents, Saphirra worries that Skylie spends too much time with her nose in a book. But unlike her parents, she isn't mean about it. She just gently tries to nudge her towards other activities, offering to take her berry picking and such.

She takes pride in being Cobalt's "fun sister" who takes him to do dangerous things Cerulea won't let him do, like rowboating, rock climbing, and horseback riding. She tells Cerulea they're just "going bird-watching", then sneaks off to do some wild shit. If it weren't for Saphirra, Cobalt wouldn't get to do anything but homework and throne-training.

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[bambirex]

Tbh i havent really seen a good fic about it so ronance whatever you want but like jealousy either nancy or robin

Warnings: none

**

The iron grip around her heart made no sense, nor did the uncomfortable, leaden weight in her stomach. Nancy was familiar with the feeling, she knew it all too well; what didn't make sense, was the fact that she felt this in relation to Robin.

Sure, she liked Robin: she was sweet, if a little annoying sometimes, and very clever. She was one of the few people who actually took Nancy seriously and would have gone above and beyond to protect her. And, to Nancy's biggest surprise, she also found Robin's sense of humor somewhat cool.

Of course, she liked her. But she didn't like like her, right?

Yet, that acidic envy bubbling in her chest didn't cease as that girl giggled at something Robin said, and it only flared up more when she laid a hand on Robin's arm. Nancy's grip around her glass tightened so much, it was a wonder she didn't shatter it.

As always, Robin looked adorable in her striped shirt and faded jeans. Her hair was a little mussed from the wind, and there was that beautiful smile on her face, that bright toothy one that always caused a pleasant flutter inside Nancy's chest for some reason.

For a second, Robin glanced in her direction, and Nancy quickly looked away, focusing on her drink instead. The last thing she needed right now was for Robin to notice her ogling.

She heard the girl laugh again, and Nancy wished she had El's powers and could slam her against the wall with her mind.

God, why did she harbor such hostile feelings towards a complete stranger?

The answer was faintly vibrating at the back of her mind, but Nancy brushed it off. Robin was a girl, and Nancy was only interested in boys. This wasn't jealousy, it couldn't be. She just simply wanted to be Robin's only friend, that was it.

(Then, why wasn't she jealous of Steve?)

"Hey."

Nancy looked up, and there was Robin, standing above her with an almost shy smile. Despite the emotional turmoil raging inside her, Nancy felt a flush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Hey."

"I waved to you, but you probably didn't see me," Robin said. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, suddenly seeming nervous. "Uhm, is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Nancy replied quickly, then she took a sip of her drink, doing her best to avoid Robin's eyes. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Robin bit her lip, tilting her head to the side. She seemed to be inspecting Nancy's face, trying to figure out the reason behind her behavior. Nancy wished Robin was a little worse at reading her feelings.

"Because you're acting strange, no offense," Robin replied, holding her hands up as if in defense. "You're barely looking at me. You're all cold and I just... wanna know, if I hurt you or something?"

"I'm just tired," Nancy replied dismissively. She couldn't help the bitter edge in her voice when she added, "you didn't need to abandon your little friend for me."

Robin's eyebrows shot up. She looked adorably confused as she stared down at Nancy.

"What...? Oh, Claire? We used to go to the same class. We did some catching up."

"Lovely."

"Okay, I really don't know what's going on with you, but you are definitely being weird," Robin huffed. "You know what? We'll talk later, once you get over this... whatever this is."

Before Nancy could stop her, Robin stormed off. Nancy stared after her, her chest tightening uncomfortably. Shit. She really messed this up, didn't she?

But she couldn't tell Robin the truth behind her reaction. That would ruin everything, not to mention, Nancy herself wasn't even sure what it meant.

She only knew that now that Robin has left, she felt a gaping hole at where her heart should have been.

[pangolinheart]

FFXIVWrite 2023 DAY 12 - DOWDY

Rhiki, Thancred, and Tataru go on a shopping trip!

I took this prompt in the direction of "generally unfashionable" and used it to vent my and Rhiki's shared sentiments about the design of Tank armor. I can almost always count on the gear designers for award winning mmorpg final fantasy xiv to disappoint me.

Rating: General Genre: Fluff, humor Characters: Tataru Taru, Thancred Waters, Z'rhiki Irhi (Warrior of Light) Word Count: 1,330 Content Warnings: None

“Oh, this is cute!” Z’rhiki held up one sleeve of the jacket to turn it on its hanger towards Tataru. “I love all of the orange parts! Ooh! And the waist is adjustable. And I think this scarf is actually attached….”

Tataru giggled as she watched Rhiki whirl around the shop excitedly. “I think it would suit you!”

“Right?” Rhiki beamed. It had been too long since she had gone shopping with friends – it felt like a lifetime ago. Recently she had been either busy, or trapped somewhere without a particularly expansive market. Sharlayan had very few redeeming qualities (at least in her opinion) – the food was bad, the people were rude, everyone was always reading or studying – but it did have a marketplace, stocked with enough wares that one could pass the time perusing them.

“I’m not sure how practical the color is,” Thancred pointed out. She had been a bit surprised that he had offered to come with them, but it seemed that even he had tired of sifting through dusty tomes with the rest of the Scion’s book club.

Rhiki rolled her eyes. “What do you know about practical color schemes. You wear white and then stand in spattering range of whatever you’re fighting!”

Their chatter must have drawn the attention of the shopkeeper, because all three noticed him hovering before Thancred could marshal up a witty retort. Seeing that he had caught the attention of potential customers, the middle-aged elezen gestured towards the jacket that Rhiki was still holding.

“Ah, this is from one of our latest collections: Moonward. It was inspired by the designer’s dreams of soaring through the stars. And I can assure you, it is very practical – every piece has been carefully tested for its durability in battle – not that you couldn’t wear it for fashion’s sake, of course. This jacket, for example, is perfect for hunters and ranged fighters. It’s warm enough for even snowy climes, it offers enough padding to protect you from the typical hazards of the unforgiving wilderness as well as any brief scuffles you may find yourself in, but is also flexible enough to allow for a wide range of motion, such as the drawing of a longbow’s string! Should the color not be to your tastes, we offer a range of dyed colors!”

Rhiki had returned to examining the jacket as the man spoke. “How do you think it would hold up against more than a ‘brief scuffle?’ Or if you were… closer to the action? Like with a sword?”

The shopkeeper’s pleasant, well-trained smile faded. “Not well, I’m afraid. I couldn’t recommend it for a swordsman. While the padding will protect from rugged environments and the occasional glancing blow, it isn’t enough to stop a swinging blade.”

“I see,”

Seeing her smile fade, the man quickly added, “However, I do have a set from the same collection that would serve you better in close-quarters combat.”

Tataru nudged Rhiki’s leg with an elbow, but looked towards the shopeeper “Oh, do you? We’d love to see it!”

Rhiki nodded along, hope in her heart.

“Wonderful, right this way, please.”

He led the trio past displays of richly colored textiles and dyes, weaving past mannequins draped in scholarly robes, towards the back of the shop.

“Naturally, Sharlayan doesn’t produce many warriors, but knowledge is knowledge and knowledge of armor is no different, so we try to keep some sturdier fare in stock. It’s greatly appreciated by the huntsmen who visit Sharlayan to accept or turn in bounties, many of whom seek more challenging prey than the usual game animal,.” the older man prattled as he walked. Tataru either listened, or made a good show of pretending to listen, and Rhiki tried to do the same, only pausing to look at a few items before taking quicker steps to catch up. Thancred, for his part, looked uninterested, his eyes listlessly roaming the shop.

“Here we are! The Moonward Fending Set! I expect you will find it well-suited, pardon the pun, to your needs.” He came to a stop in front of a row of mannequins lining the furthest wall from the entrance, and extended one arm in a flourishing motion.

“Ah.” Was all Rhiki said, the disappointment setting in almost immediately. Adorning the mannequin the shopkeeper had indicated was a heavy, silver cuirass with spiked pauldrons and a straight blue cape dangling behind it, apparently attached somewhere to the back of the collar. It wore matching flat-heeled sabatons that extended all the way up the leg before disappearing beneath the bottom edge of the chest piece. For reasons she couldn’t understand (certainly not fashion) there was no metal plating covering the arm, just a pauldron on the shoulder and a gauntlet that extended partway up the forearm. Between the two was only the white of the mannequin’s arm and two thin gold wires that crossed paths connecting them. At least there was a narrow golden belt slung across the waist so one was able to tell where the waist was supposed to be.

“Well, it certainly looks more… functional.” Thancred pointed out.

Functional? It doesn’t even protect your arms! She wanted to snap at him, but held her tongue. She didn’t want to offend the gentleman who was clearly trying to be helpful. There was no helping the forlorn look on her face as she stared up at the set, though.

She pondered what could possibly connect this design with the jacket she had been examining earlier to form a “collection”. They looked like they had been designed on different planets by two people who had never met nor spoken to each other.

Seeing her crestfallen expression, Tataru offered, “Maybe it will look better if you try it on?”

“Oh, yes,” The shopkeeper hastily tacked on. “Seeing it on oneself makes a world of difference! If you’ll step behind one of those curtains, I’ll see if I can find a set that might fit you!”

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

“Well?” Z’rhiki said, stepping out from behind the curtain. Her tone was flat. She already knew how she looked.

Tataru looked her up and down, eyebrows drawn together in sympathy. “It’s not… that bad.” She tried to comfort her.

To her surprise, the curtain next to her rustled, and Thancred stepped out, having heard the snippet of conversation. He looked to her, then to Tataru.

“Tataru, I understand wanting to spare a friend’s feelings, but don’t lie to the poor woman.” He chided, though his eyes twinkled with amusement.

Tataru scowled at him. “Don’t listen to him, Rhiki. It’s not like it’s awful.”

She groaned loudly.

“You know, I don’t think it looks half bad on me.” Thancred said, examining himself.

Rhiki took a moment to actually look at him, gaze combing over the details of the armor.

“UGH! You’re right!” She lamented. Whereas the pauldrons perched awkwardly on either side of her, their spikes getting caught in her peripheral vision when she moved her eyes from side to side, on him they accentuated the strong line of his shoulders. The cape that only drew attention to her diminutive stature looked downright heroic hanging behind him. With the more defined muscle tone of his biceps and forearms, she could almost see what the designer might have been intending when constructing the outfit. On her the exposed skin just looked… silly. The light, shining silver even matched his hair. Damn him.

He smirked, and she found herself grumbling, “Shut up, Thancred,” despite the fact that he hadn’t actually said anything.

He laughed, but reached over to pat her on the shoulder, carefully avoiding the pauldron’s thorny protrusion. “Never fear, we’ll find something that fits you one of these days.” His self-satisfied grin flickered back to life. “Or, if we don’t, you can at least take heart in the fact that you can use the time the enemy spends laughing at you to catch them off guard!”

“Thancred!” Tataru scolded as Rhiki stormed back behind the curtain.

[hummingbird-of-light]

In Our Favor

Part 95

McCoy

“What do you think of the city, your highness?” Ms. Brandt asked as she and McCoy continued walking in the gardens. She had asked him many questions already about how he was enjoying Starfleet.

“It’s lovely,” McCoy replied honestly. “I haven’t seen as much as I would like to yet, but what I have seen I’ve liked.”

“Had you been here before?”

“No ma’am. Most of my time here on Earth has been spent in Scotland, at my husband’s home. I came to Los Angeles a few months ago for a job shadow,” McCoy said.

“Georgiares II is quite warm, correct? Is the weather here or in Scotland a challenge?”

McCoy laughed.

“It can be, but I’ve learned to dress warmer as needed. Scotland was quite pleasant in the summer though. And of course I always have Scotty to keep me warm.” He smiled and wondered briefly what his husband was up to. He had said his group was going to be working on their project.

“May I ask what you’ve seen here in the city so far?” Ms. Brandt asked.

“The academy, obviously. We’ve taken some walks through the neighborhoods around it, out to see the ocean. We’ve been to a few clubs and places. I took Scotty out for a nice dinner one weekend.”

“Any places you want to mention by name?” she asked.

“Uhh, no, I don’t think so,” McCoy replied after a moment of thought. “Wouldn’t want people to begin staking those places out to look for me after all.”

“Too true your highness,” Ms. Brandt agreed. “I just had a lucky stroke of fate. I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me.”

“I hope you’ll write a decent article ma’am,” McCoy said. “We’ve had enough hatchet jobs against us the last year or so.”

“I will keep it to the facts you said,” Ms. Brandt promised. “No speculations from me. I’d like to be able to talk with you again if need arises.”

“The reverse is true as well Ms. Brandt.” McCoy stuck out his hand. “It’s been a pleasure.”

“Thank you, your highness, you’ve been most obliging. Please give your husband my good wishes, and good luck to you at the academy.”

“Thank you,” McCoy said.

He entered their room and fell onto the bed. No matter how many times he spoke with the press he always found it tiring. Ms. Brandt had been polite, had not asked any inappropriate questions. She had kept it to Starfleet and the city. McCoy was grateful for that. It didn’t sound as if it would be too in depth of an article.

McCoy knew Scotty wasn’t in the room, but he looked up from where he had buried his face in his pillow. There. On his own desk. Scotty had left a note. McCoy heaved himself up and grabbed it. Scotty had gone to Aporal’s.

He frowned. Was that where they were working on their project? McCoy was sure Scotty had said a classroom. He shrugged. Either way Scotty had been to the room if he had left a note. He pulled out his comm.

*Interview’s done. You going to be back soon?*

McCoy glanced at the time as his stomach gave a rumble.

*Meet you at dinner.* Scotty replied a few minutes later.

McCoy frowned again. Had Aporal taken a turn for the worse?

*Everything alright?*

*Aye…*

Now that made an eyebrow go up. McCoy looked at the comm curiously. What did Scotty mean by that?

“Just Leonard!”

McCoy smiled as he looked across the dining hall. There was only one person who would call him that. He waved as Jaylah and Keenser waved back. He collected his dinner and made his way to their table.

“Hi,” said Keenser as McCoy sat.

“Hey guys. How’s the project going?” he asked.

“Good,” Keenser nodded.

“Maybe,” Jaylah disagreed. “If someone doesn’t try to take all the credit.”

McCoy looked at her in puzzlement. “Who would do that? You all worked together.”

Jaylah huffed. “Someone,” she emphasized as she looked towards the entrance of the dining hall, “thinks he can make it better by himself.”

McCoy looked over his shoulder and saw Scotty entering with Aporal.

“Scotty wouldn’t do that,” McCoy said, keeping the hint of humor from his voice.

“Just Leonard!” Jaylah said in exasperation.

Beside her Keenser made a noise that McCoy could have sworn was a laugh.

“You know I meant him!”

“Aporal’s fine,” McCoy said. “He just puts on that arrogance as a shield.” He looked over his shoulder again and saw Scotty grinning.

“We shall see Just Leonard,” Jaylah said with a frown.

Part 96

Scotty

"Just be friendly," Scotty quietly reminded Aporal as they entered the dining hall and found Jaylah, Keenser and Leonard already sitting at their regular table. He couldn't help but grin as he thought about how cute Jaylah and the Andorian would look together.

"Hey there, how did the interview go?" Scotty asked as Aporal and him sat down. He pressed a kiss to Leonard's cheek and looked at him curiously.

"Oh, it went just fine. Ms. Brandt was actually quite nice, even told me to give you her good wishes."

Scotty nodded with a grateful smile. He had thought so. After all, when they had first met the reporter she had appeared to be a friendly person.

"Sounds great."

Leonard turned his gaze to Aporal who was picking at his food.

"Aporal, how are you doing?"

The Andorian shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm okay, Prince. Thanks for your concern."

"Leonard. Well, good to hear that you're getting better."

They all started to eat and slowly more and more friends came to join them. They chatted about how their courses had been and about upcoming projects and exams.

"How is your project going? Jaylah told me this morning that you're almost finished?" Uhura asked, looking at Scotty and the others.

Oh my... the Scotsman really hoped that the talk wouldn't escalate.

"It is finished," Jaylah claimed, raising her chin up, showing that she didn't accept any objections. But of course that didn't stop Aporal.

"Not yet. Tomorrow we'll talk about last improvements."

That caused Jaylah to glare at him.

"It is good the way it is!"

"Just because you didn't hear my ideas yet, ghost gi-" Aporal stopped himself and if Scotty wasn't imagining things there was a slight blush creeping to his cheeks as he corrected himself. "Jaylah."

Jaylah's eyes widened in surprise when she heard Aporal using her real name. She blinked a few times.

"Can I at least explain them to you tomorrow?" Aporal asked, raising an eyebrow.

A huff escaped his female counterpart as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Keenser gently nudged her.

"Fine. If you must," Jaylah muttered, not looking at Aporal while doing so.

Scotty could see a smile pulling at the corner of Aporal's mouth. He actually seemed happy about that answer. It was one move into the right direction.

"What the heck was that?" Leonard asked once Scotty and him were back in their room. A grin crossed the Scotsman's face as he got out of his jacket and threw it onto his chair.

"What do ye think?" he asked back, wiggling his eyebrows.

Leonard stared at him in disbelief.

"No way! Aporal can't have a thing for Jaylah... can he?"

Scotty shrugged his shoulders.

"Who knows..." was his mysterious answer and he sat down on the bed. Leonard followed his example, slowly shaking his head. There was a smile on his lips.

"Wow, now that's a big surprise.

"Did Aporal talk to you about it?"

Scotty sighed.

"Ye know I cannae just talk about those things, mo ghràdh," he said, leaning over to run his fingers through Leonard's hair.

"Oh? I thought we don't have any secrets."

"Well... sometimes we do," Scotty replied. "But... I'm sure there's other stuff to think about than Aporal and Jaylah."

Slowly, Scotty opened the buttons of Leonard's jacket. After all the stress of the day, he was really in need of some relaxation.

[novelmonger]

I had a coworker/classmate in college that bugged the heck out of me. She seemed so self-absorbed, always talking about herself. When we'd go to sign up for tasks in our cleaning job, she would see some unsavory task like cleaning the toilets and say, "Oh, I'm not doing that," and then sign herself up for sweeping the stairs and take an hour to do that, by which point all the harder jobs would be done.

For a year, I couldn't stand her and avoided her as much as possible (which was hard, since she was in my year and also an English major, so we had a lot of the same classes, not to mention work shifts that often overlapped). I didn't understand what her problem was, why she couldn't be more pleasant or at least buckle down and do her fair share of work like everyone else.

Then we both ended up working on campus over the summer, and on the first day, I decided I was going to give her a second chance. I would pretend we'd never met before, and try my best to start on a clean slate. So I responded to her in a friendly way, and made a joke about house elves because I knew she liked Harry Potter. She laughed, and the next thing I knew, we were having a congenial conversation.

And then it clicked. She wasn't a jerk. She was socially awkward, lonely, and had a weird sense of humor. The comments she would make that I used to interpret as her saying, "I'm better than you" or "the world should revolve around me" were actually her attempts at making a joke. But when she'd tell one of these jokes, instead of laughing and bantering back, people would get offended or shun her. And so she would go off by herself, because she could sense she wasn't wanted, and the awkward cycle would continue.

We never became great friends or anything. She still got on my nerves if we spent too much time together. She still didn't really pull her weight at work all the time. But we hung out that summer, had movie-watching parties, talked about writing, walked home together. She wasn't a bad person, just different.

Even the most annoying people you know deserve a second chance.

if i can impart any one piece of wisdom to y’all, it’s to, whenever possible, assume good intentions

assume people are trying their best, want to be good and treat others well, and that when their behavior doesn’t align with those goals, it’s because of outside factors that are pushing them to their limit

it’s hard to do, it doesn’t always come naturally, but it’s worth it

[cowboysanddragons23]

Liv and Ingrid found themselves in the middle of a forest, not knowing where they were.

"Where are we?" Ingrid asked.

"I don't know, that's what I am attempting to figure out." Liv answered.

"Liv, look, there is a village over there!"

"We should ask the villagers and see where are we."

"I agree."

Liv and Ingrid, after a time of walking, they reached the village and decided to ask a dark haired man.

"Excuse me." Liv asked the man.

"Yes?"

"Where are we?"

"Berk, why do you ask?"

"Because me and my sister recently arrived here and we are new to the place."

"Oh, that's why." The man smiled as he answered.

"Thank you."

"Anytime!" The man said amicably. "Where did I see them before?" The man thought to himself.

Liv and Ingrid left to a more discreet place in Berk.

"Berk. Where I did hear that name before?" Ingrid wondered.

"Should be familiar to us?"

"Maybe...wait! Is not that the place Mom and Dad were born? They mentioned it a lot in the stories about their adventures they told to us, specially Dad."

"We should explore the outsides of the village, to see what we can find."

"I agree. Don't get lost." Ingrid said, teasingly.

"Shut up." Liv said, humoring her younger sister.

As they wandered around the forest, they found a young girl, sitting alone and gazing to the horizon with a forlorn expression.

"That girl, I think she is lonely and sad." Liv inquired.

"How do you know?"

"Because that is the exact expression you do when you are sad."

"Do you think we should go and see how is she going?"

"Yes."

"But we don't even know her. What guarantee do we have that she isn't dangerous?"

"I understand your distrust, Ingrid, but we should give it a try."

"Alright, but my point still stands."

Liv and Ingrid got close to the girl and Liv asked "Hey, are you alright?"

The girl stared at them with an apprehensive, but also curious expression, as Liv said "We are not going to hurt you. We saw you were sad and lonely and we wanted to see if you were alright. Can we stay with you?"

"Sure." The girl answered in a sad tone and asked "Are you two from here?"

"No. We are new around here. We were exploring the surroundings before we found this forest. We forgot to introduce ourselves: I am Liv."

"And I am Ingrid. And you?"

"Valka. And which relationship you two have?"

"Mom?" Liv and Ingrid thought to themselves.

"We are sisters. And is nice to meet you. So Valka, what are you doing here and why are you so sad?"

"I like coming here, because I don't fit on Berk. I don't know why would you want to be my friends. I am sure you would want to go to the village and go with them instead of me."

"Why do you have such a low opinion of yourself? I think you must be a wonderful person." Liv said.

"Because I can't kill a dragon. I tried telling the rest that they are wonderful creatures and that peace is possible, yet nobody listens to me and they laugh and mistrust me."

"We won't. We also like dragons too! We were even raised amongst them. Our parents taught us everything they know about them, even if our expertise is nowhere to the level of theirs." Ingrid said in an enthusiastic tone.

"Your parents must be wonderful people. I barely even get along with mine."

"They are. They always believed in us, even in the days we didn't believe in ourselves. It's true that they are not perfect and made their mistakes, but they always did their best."

As Liv and Ingrid put their hands on Valka's shoulders and looked at her, Liv said "You can count with us, we will always protect you." and thought to herself "Just like you always do with us, Mom."

Liv and Ingrid woke up at morning and stared to each other as they both thought at unison "What a weird dream, meeting Mom when she was our age. Either way, it was a pleasant dream and one thing is clear: We must protect our family."

[rinwellisathing]

My OCs and side characters: Overall thread of my OCs' children:

Lady Alyce Ravengard, Flower of The Gate

Alyce is the eldest daughter of Jaina Thalassia and Wyll Ravengard. She is, to the average citizen, the closest a city without royalty could have to a beloved princess. She is charitable, fashionable, beautiful, and intelligent, seeming like the perfect diplomat and leader to the public. In private, however, Alyce is a brilliant strategist and determined, devoted protector. She made a pact with an arch fey behind her parents' backs to save her mother's life from a deadly illness and she uses her power to fight devils and demons who threaten her home and family. Alyce's notable weakness is an elegant woman with a sharp wit.

Edward Wyllyam Ravengard

The son and youngest child of Jaina Thalassia and Wyll Ravengard. Edward is a kind, pleasant boy with an easy smile and a great sense of humor. He is prone to anxiety, however and can't control the motion of his tail when he is anxious. He is aware of his sister's 'extracurricular activities' and has been learning swordplay with her and his father in the hopes of helping her.

Mer'ri Dekarios was adopted as an egg from an abandoned creche her mother, Octavia, happened upon. She has grown up in a loving home learning magic from both her parents and attending school while her father teaches. She is incredibly fond of cats and is usually found acting as a warm cushion for Tara while reading a book.

Oso Ojeda is the child of Halsin and Sentry. They are a druid who prefers to spend most of their time in bear form but is also a highly skilled healer and grove tender. They rarely speak, preferring to commune internally with nature, but they will spare words for their fathers or siblings.

Lucien Ancunin

Biologically the child of Sentry and Halsin, they were raised in Sentry and Astarion's home. Lucien learned from one father more than the other two for sure as they are generally in some kind of trouble for poking around where they shouldn't or pocketing something valuable. They are a skilled archer and adept with knives and tend to leave a long line of broken hearts behind them. They are Oso's twin.

Teela Popsprocket is Sentry and Gortash's daughter, born while Sentry was technically 'dead', someone found her and sent her to an orphanage in Waterdeep where she was adopted by a gnomish artificer couple. She has tried to reconnect to her remaining biological parent now that she's started having strange thoughts and hearing whispers.

Kithyria Thalassia is Jaina and Halsin's daughter. (Yes, I tend to write big polycule AUs) she is a beast mastery ranger known to protect the wilds side by side with an owlbear companion. Known to be blunt and a bit awkward, she prefers the company of animals over people, though she makes an exception for her siblings.

Hemlock Hallowleaf is Shadowheart and Jaina's daughter with some help from other partners. She is a clever rogue who is always scheming and trying to get her siblings involved. Usually seen spending time with her older sisters Alyce and Kithyria since they're the ones who are usually willing to indulge her, she clashes too much with Lucien since the two can never agree whose plan is the good one.

[practically-an-x-man]

Uncommon Questions for OCs and their creators:

For Jasper, Robin, and Prometheus

2, 7, 10, 25, 39

Then the creator questions

C, E, F

Thank you so much!! You're the best!

Answers under the cut as always

2. How easy is it for your character to laugh?

Jasper: Oh, so easy. They can feel everyone else's amusement, for one, but they just have a very easy laugh even without the empathic abilities.

Robin: She can keep a straight face when she needs to. She's a professional actor, after all, she knows how not to break. But when she's not trying to stifle it, it's very easy to make her laugh

Prometheus: not very. They're pretty stoic, just on principle. But that's not to say that they don't have a sense of humor. You're in for a treat once I get this new fic finished...

7. What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

Jasper: I feel like there's a few specific songs that would trigger nostalgia, because they're so connected to music. As for whether it's pleasant, it depends on the memory. Some things are nice, but most of them are definitely not.

Robin: Irish food, the sorts of things she grew up eating. And since she's so close with her family, she definitely enjoys that sort of nostalgia.

Prometheus: It's kind of hard to determine nostalgia with an immortal being... That being said, there are a few moments with the kids that remind them of their prior life, and they're not always a fan.

10. What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?

Jasper: Not one lie, but they're definitely the sort of person to just make up random "facts" just for shits and giggles. Like, "hey, did you know that sometimes peoples' blood will just turn green? It happens when you eat too much Vitamin K, like in kale and spinach". No, definitely doesn't haunt them, they get a kick out of it.

Robin: There have been a few jobs where she omitted the fact that she was Deaf. Before she started working with Cindy, she had a bit of trouble getting hired because of that. It doesn't exactly "haunt" her, but she does wish she'd been a little more up-front about it.

Prometheus: Not so much an outright lie, but they definitely omit that they used to be a nightmare. Not exactly conducive to comfort. The lie itself doesn't haunt them, but their past does.

25. What are their thoughts on marriage?

Jasper: Before Kyle, they hadn't really considered it. But since then they've warmed up to the idea, to say the least.

Robin: Oh, absolutely in the cards for her. At first she's a little concerned that Peter would have trouble settling down, but that worry fades pretty quickly. He's stuck around this long, after all, and he doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

(and eventually they do get married and have a daughter but shhh)

Prometheus: Can dreams really get married to one another? Not in a legal sense, I don't think. At the very least, it's never really been on their radar. They weren't even expecting to find romance, let alone consider the possibility of marriage. But if a certain someone were to drag them down to a Waking church someday, even just to pretend...

29. Do they usually live up to their own ideals?

Jasper: They feel like they don't, but that's mostly just irrational anxiety. Looking at it logically, they're past anything they'd have hoped for.

Robin: Usually, yes. She puts in the work, and it often pays off for her.

Prometheus: No, but that's only because they hold themself to an impossible standard. They can't help everyone, it's impossible even for a dream, but they sure wish they could

And the creator questions...

C. Did you have trouble figuring out where they fit in their own story?

Jasper: I don't think I had trouble, it just took me by surprise. I was expecting much more of a slowburn than I actually put onto the page, and I had to rework a few things because of it

Robin: No? There were a few details that got tweaked, especially when I made the decision to make her a Cassidy instead of just another mutant, but overall I've had a pretty clear idea the whole way through.

Prometheus: A little, mainly because this OC was a lot more spur-of-the-moment than the other ones. But I think I got it worked out in the end.

E. Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?

Jasper: Oh, 100% both ways. Genderqueer, alt, complete music nerds, we'd get along really well. Writing them even feels a bit like I'm talking to a friend.

Robin: I'd say yeah. Again, I feel like we'd bond over music. I've done a bit of opera myself, and I'm in the top choir at my uni, so I feel like that would be something to bond over.

Prometheus: Hard to say. I'd like to say yes we'd get along, just because they're a pretty positive force, but I don't think we'd be friends exactly.

F. What do you feel when you think of your OC (pride, excitement, frustration, etc)?

I'm gonna answer these altogether since it's pretty much the same answer for all of them: a bit of pride, intrigue, and contentment. This is what writing's about for me, exploring the different characters, so I take a lot of enjoyment in thinking about my characters. Sometimes they're a little harder to write than others, but overall it's a positive experience for me :)

Thank you again!! You're amazing!

[eleanorxshipley]

maksimkurylenko·:

’‘If you ever have any problems with fans, you let me know. Yea?” And he meant it. He knew how people could be, had met some of the worst of them and if he had to crack a few skulls to keep that pretty hair on the top of her head safe, you’d be damn sure he fucking would. No fucks given. Charles was someone he respected, and with that came his loyalty. That extended to her.

“Might have to take you up on that offer, however, I think if Charles found out he’d serve you my balls for the main course. Might have to invite him, so he don’t get the jitters, if you get me.”

His gaze was fixated on her face, letting her know he was actively listening. Sharing her concerns and vulnerabilities. Each word sent a chill down his spine, to be so niave. He knew her own problems were real, as were every person they passed in the street. However, sometimes he wondered what’d be like to just worry about that. Instead of this. The weight of her words, however, did resonated with him, reminding him of the harsh realities they both faced in their respective lives – hers just wasn’t imminent danger or death. He still couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for her strength and resilience, even in the face of adversity.

“Think you’re doin’ a pretty good job, doll.”

A somber smile remained, tugging at the corners of his lips, laced with sincerity. “I’ve learned to be cautious. Aware of my surroundings. I have people looking out for me too, just as you do.” His eyes held a glimmer of the promise he’d made himself when he met Eleanor, reflecting his commitment to protecting himself and those he cared about. They were few and far between.

His gaze met hers. “And as much as I appreciate your concern, I’m fine. Pretty invincible, see.” He rapped her hand against his chest. “Pretty sturdy.”

Maksim leaned forward, resting his formarms on top of his thighs. “A new series? You allowed to tell me anything or is all paper work and hushed filming schedules?” He couldn’t help but offer a warm smile, he didn’t like many people but he had a lot of time for Eleanor, especially because of her familial connections. It was a refreshing change from the usual small talk they’d engaged in, on pasting encounters.

.

Eleanor adored her fans. Luckily, the majority of them seemed to be chill. There had been a few instances in the past that crossed over into the stalker territory, but hopefully her hiatus from the limelight had absolved those. Since getting back into the biz, most encounters had been pleasant. Still, she appreciated Maksim’s offer, and knew he’d meant it. He had proven his loyalty to her brother, and there weren’t many that she trusted more than him.

Having just taken a swig of her drink, Eleanor had to cover her mouth quickly to keep from spewing liquor at the laugh that rippled forth. “Oh goodness. I hope you know I wouldn’t allow that, but do not worry. I’m always happy to have him around. Truthfully, we could use a catch up anyhow. I feel like it’s been longer than it should. I get you. Your--” Eleanor’s cheeks burned brightly as she deliberated which term was the most ladylike to use. “Manhood shall remain unharmed.” She would take the small smiles that she managed to goad from him. Despite only knowing very little of the depth of his job, she couldn’t imagine it was an easy life.

The life of a celebrity often meant it was difficult to know when someone was genuinely interested in words, or humoring for status. It felt like Maksim’s eyes bore right into her, and it was refreshing to know he didn’t fall into the latter category. She too enjoyed chatting beyond their small exchanges on the street. “Thank you, Maksim. That means a lot. I’m not trying to downplay the drama and trials that sometimes comes with being in the spotlight, but I’m well aware that I have it easier than most.” 

That didn’t include the heartache and strife that came from losing the love of her life, but Eleanor couldn’t exactly share that with anyone else. So in others’ eyes, her problems were small potatoes. She appreciated Maksim giving weight to them though.

Bright eyes met his again, and Eleanor smiled at his assurance. “Wow, no kidding! You may just have to slip me some of your workout routine. I wouldn’t mind being invincible myself.” 

Although for a while now Eleanor had dipped her toes back into the waters of entertainment, this series was her first major project in some time. Elation danced across her features as she shared what little she could. “Well, the title is still in the works, but it’s a mystery romance. Nothing too dark or scary-- perhaps Bridgerton meets Sherlock Holmes?” She offered, bemused. “I know there will be some filming in Paris, but the rest for the moment is under wraps. Even for me,” she admitted. The actress noticed he ducked out of her question, so she took another lighthearted stab at it.

“Been up to anything fun outside of work?”

maksimkurylenko·:

Maksim leaned back in his chair, gaze fixed on Eleanor. He couldn’t help but notice the faint lines of worry etched on her face, evidence of the pressures she faced as a public figure. He appreciated her concern for his well-being, but he also knew she had her own battles to fight.

“I understand,” he replied, his voice filled with empathy. “Sometimes circumstances are beyond our control. We find ourselves in places we’d rather not be. Just remember to trust your instincts. Stay vigilant. Your safety is important to me.”

Because it was important to his friend.

Their drinks finally arrived. Maksim raised his glass in a silent toast before taking a sip. The coolness of the beverage eased the tension that had settled in his muscles. He appreciated Eleanor’s gesture of wanting to pay for the next round, but he wasn’t one to let others shoulder the burden.

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, his tone firm yet gentle. “Let me take care of you tonight. It’s the least I can do. Plus, I know someone who’d take my eye out if I didn’t,”

Her question about his well-being caught him off guard for a moment, his thoughts momentarily drifting away from the grim reality of their circumstances. He considered his response carefully, aware that he needed to strike a balance between honesty and reassurance.

“I’ve been holding up,” he answered, his voice carrying a hint of weariness. “It’s been a challenging time, but I’ve learned to navigate. Having friends like Charles and you by my side makes it a little easier.”

It was all bullshit span to look pretty, but it’d do.

A flicker of a smile played at the corners of his lips,

“But enough about me,” he continued, shifting the focus back to her. “Tell me, how have you been coping with everything? I know the spotlight can be overwhelming, but you’ve always managed to handle it with...such grace.”

.

No matter how good of an actress she was, there were some emotions Eleanor could not withhold and hide behind that mask. She had tried, many a time, but those that were around her enough could see the difference. Her happy-go-lucky optimism wasn't up to par these days, but she had been trying for the past couple of years. The recent slew of events challenged her even more to keep a glimmer of hope.

"That is certainly the case. It's kind of sad. I hate having to watch over my shoulder just when I go to grab a bite to eat or run an errand. I can't imagine how others must feel; I don't even know that I have a target on my back. Unless you count some obsessive fans. Luckily I've yet to run into any of those since my return to the limelight."

The blonde's expression softened at Maksim's kindness. It was mostly due to Charlie, she was certain, but it still touched her heart. It didn't hurt to make a friend outside of her usual circle. "I promise. I definitely have my guard up, just in case. I hope you heed your own advice though." Her eyes met his gently. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you either."

She meant it.

A light chuckle erupted from the actress, and she nodded breezily. "Okay, okay. But sometime you have to let me get you back. And if Charlie tries to take out one of your eyes, he'll have to answer to me. It won't be pretty." Eleanor tried to put on her best intimidating face, but quickly broke from another laugh.

After returning the mimed toast, Eleanor sipped at the fragrant tea. "I'm glad you're holding up, but I wish things were easier." A small sigh trickled, but her lips curved back up to match his smile. "Well, I'm around if you ever need a pick-me-up. It definitely helps to keep in good company." While Eleanor sensed there was more to it than just a simple gloss over, she wasn't going to pry. "I've also been told I'm a great listener."

It was an offer.

Maksim's compliment brought forth a brighter grin from the blonde, and she ducked her gaze in a bout of modesty. "Thank you. I am trying to." Her mind trailed back to slapping Olivier at the post awards party and Eleanor grimaced. "Though I wouldn't say always. It’s good to know that I convey it, however.” 

Now fully relaxed, Eleanor twirled the straw around in her tea as she turned the attention back onto him. Their conversation were usually vague and work related, but she attempted to dive deeper. “So, anything exciting on the horizon? I’ve just begun filming a new series, so I’m hoping I might get some traveling out of it.”

[shotorozu]

encountering a ‘pick me’ girl

character(s) : kirishima eijirou, todoroki shouto, bakugou katsuki (bnha)

warning : PICK ME GIRL, misogyny (?) pick me girl makes an off handed comment about your body but it’s not detailed at all

PART TWO — PART THREE

legend : [Y/N = your name] afab! reader, but they/them pronouns used, quirk not mentioned

headcanon type : fluff, angst if you squint

note(s) : i made 2 versions of this post so,, if you’re reading this— then i probably decided that i liked this one more than the other one i made,, anyways, i used real life examples 💀

»»————-　♡　————-««

kirishima eijirou

i’d imagine that eijirou would have an idea of what a pick me girl is— i mean, there were probably 2 of those girls in middle school

but has he experienced it first hand? nahh.

though, eijirou didn’t think he’d encounter one when he was already in a healthy and committed relationship!

eijirou is practically friends with everyone— and yeah, even the most unexpected. so, he’s bound to accidentally befriend a pick me girl

him, being the nicest one out of all of the characters in this list, will still be nice to said pick me girl, despite wanting to snob them to the core

because really— you can’t really fight fire with fire in some cases

but, he can be everything but lenient when the pick me girl starts insulting you for doing certain things, and for absurd reasons too

like,, how you laugh, and how you take care of yourself (for example— if you wear makeup, or how you style your hair)

which is odd! everything about you is everything but the things the pick me girl has stated so.. he cannot stand by.

SCENARIO

the girl giggles to herself after that snide comment leaves her lip gloss coated lips. eijirou shifts uncomfortably— honestly taken aback by the anything but subtle insult that was thrown at you

“like.. seriously! it’s honestly quite superficial if you look at it like that. who the hell would put that much effort infront of your boyfriend? i’d assume they’d see everything AND everything but.. i guess not.”

you blink. superficial? now that’s a new one. the girl infront of you has been babbling insults sugarcoated in boasts the entire time, and you’re just wondering if it’s about time you guys leave but—

“well that’s unfair,” your boyfriend laughs, “i put the same amount of effort as this cutie right here,” eijirou pokes at your cheek, earning a quick laugh from you— which he can only thank the heavens for that

“but that’s different. it actually looks put together when you’re doing it, eiji.” the certain glint in her smile makes you want to wipe it right off with a dirty mop, “it’s impossible to look put together with expensive clothes, but being built like a—”

the sound of the sliding of a chair is quicker than your actions, and it easily cuts her off.

“i’m sorry, but we gotta go, it’s totally not cool of you to say those things about Y/N!”

“what? but i mean.. it’s true, right? i’m looking out for them! they’re literally out here l—”

“bye!” eijirou waves her goodbye with your hand, dismissing the sour expression on her face— as he dashes off with you

you’d question how he’s just so nice to people like that, but when he turns around, you could see the distaste in his eyes

“so that’s what a pick me girl’s like,” shaking his head, his expression lights up with such a quick manner “i’ll never make friends that are like that again!”

safe to say, eijirou’s friend list has been a a person shorter ever since that incident

bakugou katsuki

oh, so that girl’s bold bold.

if she thinks she could get away with being a not so subtle pick me girl infront of bakugou katsuki, then she couldn’t be more wrong.

it’s absolutely revolting— i mean, he hasn’t displayed any romantic feelings towards ANYONE that isn’t you.

also, they’re quite gutsy if you ask me. so congrats for having guts??

i don’t think he’d be friends with a pick me girl. he’s very selective of who he’s befriending, so it’s probably your friend that’s the pick me girl in this case

he wouldn’t know what a pick me girl would be, but he’d probably know the description of one.

over some time, he’d grow some resistance to insults directed at him, but when someone insults his s/o

oh boy. that’s not good. remember when i said that katsuki was almost like your scary and intimidating dog

this is what i mean

knows he can’t make a scene, so his first option is to be dismissive asf— but if said pick me girl literally can’t get it, he won’t be afraid of shoving some explosions into her face

because his hands are rated e for everyone

SCENARIO

“so you wanna be picked or something, is that it?” he hates how you literally have the resistance of a rock— which is something he always liked, but in this case hated. if it weren’t for you— he would’ve blasted explosions into her sorry excuse of a face until it’s beyond recognition (that wouldn’t be hero like, is what you’ve said in the past, but he disagrees.)

but seriously? ugh. he just wants to leave this horrid place, and make some dinner with you in the comfort of his home. why are you even friends with her anyway? she’s not even trying to be slick at this point.

“p-picked? i’m not understanding, katsu.”

“it’s bakugou.”

“right,” her laughter is like nails on chalkboard, “i’m just watching out for Y/N, y’know? there’s no point in wearing all of that.. on their face.” and she’s obviously referring to your obviously very well done makeup

“it’ll make your skin terrible in the long run! and really— i couldn’t really understand on why someone would wear that much, when you could survive with i dunno.. lip gloss at most?”

you would’ve actually said something as a rebuttal, but your boyfriend is quicker, and a lot more direct than anyone else in the area.

“just say you can’t do makeup and fucking scram,” katsuki’s ice cold glare finally breaks out of the act he’s been trying to hold together for you

“their makeup is fucking bomb as hell, compared to your ridiculous spider lashes, lady. come back when you’ve watched james charles’ entire fucking channel.” he harshly states in similar bakugou fashion, despite the lack of screaming.

and if you squinted hard enough, you could see tears welling up in her eyes. but katsuki tugs your hand before anything else could be said

“let’s fucking go, you need better friends.”

he makes you cut ties with all of them, and he practically scolds your terrible choice of friends— but he goes quiet when you tell him that you’ve been friends with her since middle school

“good fucking riddance. next time, i’ll punch them as soon as they say something outta line, got that?” and next time (hopefully, there won’t be a next time) you’ll actually lash out— or maybe,, you’ll let him loose for once.

todoroki shouto

now shouto might be,, socially unaware sometimes. but he can tell whenever someone’s trying to insult his s/o

like,, right away.

now— you both run into this person after a pleasant date, and she eagerly presented herself as your friend

so, her attitude catches him off guard because who’d have anything rude to say about you and towards shouto’s face? especially when it’s about something normal.

like,, wasn’t she your friend?? why is she even like this?

his hostility is very well known, so they should be scared.

he gets detached from the conversation, and he’ll immediately go cold— and shouto would probably go as far as walking away with your hand in his

doesn’t matter if he properly says goodbye or not— if a girl’s being rude to his s/o, they obviously don’t deserve his usually polite attitude. nope, that’s a luxury.

oh— and what more when they’re seeking for his validation. newsflash! said pick me girl won’t be get any from him.

SCENARIO

shouto couldn’t stop the bitterness bleeding into his mouth, when the girl in front of him continued to babble and take up the valuable time he had left with his s/o

initially, she presented herself as your friend from middle school— but as of now? she seems to be more interested in him more than you, despite knowing you first.

she’d ask him a string of obvious questions with very obvious answers, like ‘is she treating you well?’ ‘is she acting correctly?’ and questions of the sort

“oh, sorry! i’d hate to cut this conversation short, but—” you finally decide that it was about time to leave, while shouto looks pretty,, deadpanned right now, you could tell that he was gradually starting to get irritated by your friend’s words.

“wait. thats.. kind of controlling, don’t you think? do you ever let shou make decisions?”

“uh.. controlling? since when??” you question at the accusation. this girl knows nothing about your relationship dynamic, and she’s already jumping the gun and making conclusions.

your gaze snaps back to shouto, who looks just as surprised as he could possibly be.

“yeah! it clearly looks like he still wants to talk” which is an obvious lie, shouto just wants it out of here “i wonder how you managed to snag such a guy like him,” she comments with a smile that looked anything above suspicion (yet, it makes your stomach churn)

you could see the way her hand gets gradually closer to him— and frankly, you’re not sure about what she was planning to do next, “you wouldn’t need to dress all expensive and fancy, if you’re with a girl with an already classy appear—”

“i think this conversation is over,” shouto grip is firm on the wrist that was attempting to grab his shoulder, shouto makes no attempt to even look at the girl infront of him “i don’t know what you’re trying to do, but it’s not humorous. at all.”

“what?” she stammers, drawing her hand back “i-it’s obvious they don’t know how to take a joke! this is why there are barely any good w—”

shouto’s next actions knocks her speechless, his hand rests at the small of your back, before gently guiding you forward— “love, what movie are we watching later?” he says, making an effort to press a quick, yet intense kiss on your lips

“oh,” you breathe out, surprised by this action. “don’t be so tense, love.” shouto comments on how tense your shoulders have looked, ever since she started running her mouth, “now.. what movie do you want to watch tonight? comedy? thriller?”

“you pick,” you laugh at the quick shift of topic. and when you look behind you, you could see shame and defeat welling up on her face. shouto finally feels like he could smile again, the bitterness dissipating from his mouth

after shouto questions you if that was what a pick me girl was, he makes sure that you guys won’t ever encounter such thing again

“you.. don’t have more friends like that, right? if you do— we could always do another friend list cleansing.” this statement makes you laugh but shouto is anything but joking

but being reminded of his reaction to that ‘pick me’ girl does puts a smile on your face.

»»————-　♡　————-««

likes and reblogs are appreciated, thanks for reading!

i do not own bnha/mha and it’s characters. boku no hero academia/my hero academia belongs to horikoshi kohei, i only own the writing and i do not profit off of my hobby

do not plagiarize, reupload, translate, or use my works for audio readings without permission

[thebeautyoffanfics]

Can I request Hanako (or Amane Yugi), Teru Minamoto, and Akane Aoi (the male) with a female s/o who is literally invisible to people. (This totally not based on events that actually happened to me-)

Like some people, even her close friends, won’t even notice she’s there and if she’s has to asks something she tends to repeat it or stutter. She also tends to get forgetting or lost on school trips, etc.

This has happened for as long as she could remember and she’s use to it by now but sometimes it still hurts when they forget her

Headcanons please!

hanako x f!reader, teru minamoto x f!reader, akane aoi x f!reader

a/n: sure thing!! I feel like Hanako would understand that as a ghost, so I think I’ll write for him in his ghosty form! I hope that’s alright :)) thank you so much for requesting, and I hope these turn out alright!!

I’m really sorry if these are shorter or poorer than normal, and if they’re formatted strangely- I’m doing my best to get requests done on my phone (´ε｀”)

warnings: none?

word count: 1,414

Hanako <3

He understands, he understands more than anyone- so he thinks. I mean, he’s a ghost. He literally cannot be seen by anyone who isn’t an exorcist, near death, a fellow supernatural, or bound to him in some way.

Still… honestly, he gets pretty defensive over you-

They can’t hear him, but you can. (They can’t hear you, but he certainly can.) It’s honestly somewhat humorous, Hanako standing behind you, shouting that they’d better listen up!!

“IF YOU GUYS MAKE (Y/N) REPEAT HERSELF ONE MORE TIME?? Are they deaf, (Y/N)?? I think they’re deaf?????”

His reactions like that are half-joking-half-serious. He’s genuinely upset that they treat you like that- but he hopes that all his ranting and going on helps you to feel better somehow?

He can’t exactly follow you on trips, but! He makes Yashiro “Honorary (Y/N) Defense”! Meaning, since he can’t, she’ll defend you in his place!

You get interrupted or ignored? Hanako tells Yashiro to help you out, and (though she would any way) she’s raising her hand somewhat shyly- explaining that you were trying to talk.

Getting left behind on a field trip? Yashiro is sticking by your side! She turns around constantly, making sure that you keep up with her, and especially making sure that you get on the bus with the rest! As per Hanako’s request, and her own care for you, she’ll let you sit next to her.

Hanako is always very talkative, but he’s still very patient with you- he loves to have conversations with you, which is a big reason he doesn’t get why they treat you like that. You’re such a great person-! You’ve got such a cute voice-!!! Why don’t they listen-?!!!

To be honest, he finds your stutter kind of cute… he’s quite bold, so you being timid is something he doesn’t mind! Hanako doesn’t mind listening out for you- even if the other people aren’t in a relationship for you, isn’t it… basic human decency?? What happened to that???

“It’s really alright, Hanako. Things like this have happened since I was little- it hurts sometimes, but I’m mostly used to it.”

Hanako would then grab your shoulders gently, looking in your eyes with some determination!

“You shouldn’t have to be used to that!! I’m used to it because I’m dead, but you’re… alive. You can be heard and seen by everyone, yet they choose to not listen- it’s… ridiculous. I’m sorry that you have to deal with that, (Y/N)... really.”

Uncharacteristically soft moment, but it simply hits different for him due to personal experience. I’m sure as a human, the only time people saw him were when he was bullied, and now he’s- obviously- not seen by nearly anyone. It’s such a lonely feeling, and he genuinely hates that you can relate to it.

Teru Minamoto <3

It’s hard to not garner attention as Teru Minamoto’s girlfriend- so, people certainly acknowledge you once your relationship is made public/becomes obvious.

But! Before the entire school knew about the Prince having a girlfriend, Teru was… quite defensive over you- even before the two of you were a couple, he’d notice the way others seemed to step all over you. Ignoring you, interrupting you, forgetting about you.

Like Hanako, he doesn’t get it? You’ve got his attention, how do you not have anyone else’s? You’re so cute… and really do have a lovely voice, appearance, and overall are really pleasant to be around?? If anything you deserve more praise than he does-

He also doesn’t get it due to the fact that people acknowledge him a little too much-

Anyway, he tends to give that praise he thinks you deserve to you!

Meaning, he brags on you so much. Compliments you to your face, telling you how nice it is to converse with you- telling his family how lovely of a person you are. He even mentions it to classmates, which does start to earn others being more noticeable of your presence.

Not afraid to stick up for you in the least!! Who wouldn’t listen to Teru?? The moment someone interrupts, he’s politely making his way into the conversation- offering an “I’m sorry, I don’t think (Y/N) got her chance to speak.”

“Th-That’s okay, Teru. I appreciate it, but I’m used to things like that,” You told him after class, slightly embarrassed.

“Used to things like being ignored?”

“Yeah..?”

“...you shouldn’t have to be. I’d never be upset with you, but it does upset me that people have been so willing to pretend you aren’t there? I think you’re lovely, and nearly impossible to ignore. It’s simply confusing, I suppose.”

BRO if he, for some reason, isn’t on the field trip and you get forgotten- it’s game over for the chaperones will get their heads chewed off. Except he’ll be calm and collected while doing so- however, on the inside, he can’t express how upset he is.

“Is it not your job to make sure all the students are accounted for? What if (Y/N) had gotten lost? Do you not realize she could have been kidnapped? Should some low-life had decided to try anything strange, the blame would have been on you, and therefore our entire school. What would that do for both your’s and the school’s reputation?”

If he’s on the trip? You won’t be getting forgotten <3 Even you were to get distracted for a moment, he’s grabbing your hand and making sure you stay caught up with the class. Sits with you on the bus, and makes absolutely sure that you’re safe and with him!!

Akane Aoi <3

He worships the very ground you walk on. We all know how he treated Aoi? Well, now that’s how he treats you- maybe a bit less exaggerated and dramatic, but all that love and more is there!

So, he’s admiring you, and sees that you keep opening your mouth in an attempt to speak- only to have someone interrupt you, not even acknowledging that you’re there??

“Hey, (Y/N), what’s up?”

“O-oh, I was just trying to ask them something…”

“Oi, you heard her. Shut up for a moment and let (Y/N) get her question in.”

Most are somewhat aware of how scary Akane can be, so they’ll certainly listen whenever he’s there. Heck, people occasionally keep an extra eye open if they know he’s around- making sure they don’t unintentionally look past you.

If you dislike his very direct method, he’ll try to be nicer to others about it. But, he can’t help but get defensive- like our other boys, he admires you so much, and enjoys talking with you so much, that- by this point- others are simply missing out?? Like, it’s basically their loss for treating you like that. And it’s his mission to shower you in love and admiration to a point where others do the same- platonically of course, and boys better rethink anything that isn’t strictly “wow (Y/N) is cool, it’s cool that she’s taken by Akane.”

Cos, as we all know, if someone even says “oh, (Y/N) probably makes a cute girlfriend” it’s game over. RIP unknowing student, he had no mercy bashing their skull in </3

“Akane, it’s really fine, you know? Things like this happen been happening since... forever. I’m just not easily noticed, I suppose. I’m used to it!”

“Hmm... well, get un-used to it. You’ve got the most beautiful presence and voice of anyone I know! And, I want the class- for everyone- to be able to acknowledge that. You shouldn’t have to repeat yourself constantly, nor be ignored like that. Not on my watch, at least.”

You won’t be getting forgotten. He’s ahead of Teru, ahahahaaaa!!! If he isn’t on the field trip, he’s telling someone who will be to keep an eye out for you “or else <3”. The person wouldn’t even bother to question it- just nod and keep an eye out for you constantly. They even offer to have you sit with them! How sweet! Glad to know they value their skulls!!

If he’s on the trip, like the others, he’s keeping an eye out for you constantly. He’ll hold your hand the entire time, stopping as you pleased, but keeping an eye out for the group. He wants you to see what you want, so you will- all while staying with the class, or at least close to the class. If he, for some reason, were to lose sight of the class, he takes comfort in the fact that you wouldn’t be lost alone.