#should i put this in the fan tags? i feel like its just a low effort textpost so no

[harfblarf]

standing in the corner blair witch style furiously contemplating what my sona for a 17 year old game (tiny fanbase) (no official ports) (no remaining technical support) (why are the old game guides like $80 on amazon) (rip rare) would look like

[unlimitedlust]

Bite Me - Eric Draven (AU) x Reader | Part. 3

(The gif above does not belong to me, all credits belong to its owner)

Summary:

They were childhood rivals who hadn’t spoken in years, until a wedding reunion throws them back into each other’s orbit. With tension simmering beneath every glance, one weekend turns into a series of unexpected moments, sharp words, and almosts that linger long after the party ends. But when fate keeps bringing them back together, the line between hate and something far more irresistible begins to blur.

Author’s note:

I’m grateful to everyone of you who have been supporting me along this story, I hope you like this next chapter 💖

Tags: @malenoradgn @muchwita @a-differentbrandof-beans

Masterlist

Disclaimers:

As the story progresses I’ll let you know if the chapters have any sensitive topics beforehand.

This story will have smut scenes in the future, but you’ll be warned!

English is not my first language, so forgive me for any mistakes I eventually skipped while proof-reading it.

This is AU Eric Draven!!!

If you enjoy this, please let me know if I should continue this, your feedback is precious for me 🫶🏻

End of Author’s note.

The shower was still running when Y/N entered the bedroom, the faint hiss of water against tile trailing through a thin trail of steam curled its way into the cooler air of the room from under the door.

She dropped her towel on the chair by her side of the bed and dug into her bag, pulling out clean clothes. Her skin was sticky with lake water and dried sunscreen, and all she wanted was to rinse the day off and get ready for their wine night.

The water finally stopped and seconds later he stepped out of the bathroom.

Eric stood there, half a foot into the room, dripping wet and shirtless, towel slung low around his hips. Drops of water clung to his skin, racing down the sharp lines of his chest and the tattoos decorating his skin, and lower, too low for her eyes to linger without consequence.

Which, unfortunately, they did, staying two seconds too long on the happy trail traveling low. And of course he caught her looking.

He didn’t look at her right away. Instead, he ran a hand through his wet hair, the muscles in his arms flexing just slightly as he reached for his cologne on the dresser.

“Like what you see?” he asked, voice infuriatingly casual, as if she was just another fan in his personal audience.

She blinked, unimpressed. “This isn’t a whorehouse, you know. Put some clothes on before someone calls pest control.”

“Relax. If I knew you were this easy to scandalize, I’d have walked out dripping wet every day back in high school.”

She scoffed and turned her back, pretending to rummage through her bag. “I wouldn’t have noticed. I had better things to look at.”

“I doubt that.”

He left the room whistling, smug and shirtless, like a walking middle finger to her peace of mind.

She waited a beat or two to be sure until the hallway was quiet, then grabbed her towel and stepped into the bathroom.

Steam still clung to the mirror and the smell of his aftershave lingered in the air. She let the water run hotter than usual, hoping its hotness would soften the tension on her muscles. She hated that she could still feel - and smell - him everywhere, like he’d left fingerprints on her nerves just by existing.

When she finally finished her shower and stepped out into the bedroom, hair dripping and towel wrapped snug around her chest, she didn’t expect him to be lounging on the bed, black shirt on and gray sweats, flipping through his phone without a care in the world.

He looked up. His gaze didn’t drop, at least not obviously, but there was the flicker, the twitch of interest, that shift in posture that betrayed the second glance.

“Bitch stole my look”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She rolled her eyes and held the towel tighter around herself, fearing it would suddenly betray her and fall down to make things even worse.

“No, you have got to be kidding, this isn’t a whorehouse, remember?” Eric had a winning grin on his face as he let his phone down and folded both arms behind his head, amused by how red her cheeks got in her own embarrassment.

She didn’t say another word and just decided to avoid his eyes as she quickly dug through her clothes before she locked herself in the bathroom again to change.

She threw on a blue sundress and panties she managed to fish from her bag and quickly left the bedroom, not standing to be in his presence any longer.

“Took you long enough!” Alex exclaimed as she poured them some wine. “Thought I’d have to start without you.”

“I needed to rinse off the lake,” Alex handed her a glass half-full. “And of course my dear roommate.” Y/N only realized the double meaning behind those words when they were already out of her lips.

“Ah, so we’re talking about that kind of shower.” Alex had pure mischief in her eyes but Y/N corrected immediately.

“Oh my God, no. And don’t start.” She rolled her eyes as she leaned her back on the counter behind her.

“So how is it going? I’m impressed, somehow you haven’t killed each other yet. That’s some progress.”

Y/N shook her head, staring into the window on her right. “You knew what you were doing when you stuck us in the same room.”

Alex grinned. “Of course I did. Someone’s gotta entertain me this weekend.”

“Oh, I’m thrilled to be your circus act.”

There was a beat of silence, just the hum of the fridge and muffled music from outside. Then Alex tilted her head.

“So?” she said, nudging her. “What’s really going on there?”

“Nothing.”

“I’ll be here when you decide to open about it,” Alex started, “but just know that kind of ‘nothing’ gets people pregnant.”

Y/N choked on her sip. “Jesus, Alex.”

“What? I’ve seen the way you look at him. And the way he looks at you? I wish you too got over this stupid feud and just fucked it off…”

She scoffed, but her throat was suddenly dry at her friend’s brutal honesty.

“I’m sorry to ruin your fun but just a couple of hours ago he made sure to let me know I’m not his type, so…”

Alex had a “I’ll pretend I’ll believe you” expression on her face.

Y/N turned to her and deadpanned. “If you’re about to say something poetic, I will throw this wine at your face.”

Alex giggle. “Fine. No poetry. Just facts. You two have history. And tension. And apparently no common sense.”

“I’m not doing this with you.”

“Too late, you’re already doing it.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes. “Remind me again why I’m friends with you?”

“Because I always bring the drinks, the gossip, and the painfully accurate observations.”

Y/N sighed. Alex looped her arm through hers.

“Come on. Bonfire’s starting. I want front-row seats when someone says something scandalous.”

“Great,” Y/N muttered. “Because that’s exactly what I need right now.”

“Sweetheart,” Alex said, pulling her toward the door, “what you need is to get laid or get over it. I’m rooting for the more entertaining one.”

Outside, the soft crackle of fire drifted in through the open back door, along with bursts of laughter and the low hum of conversation. The night was falling fast, the once violet sky turning to navy, with stars just starting to shine through the dark.

Her friend nudged her gently with her elbow.

“They’re starting the fire pit. Caroline brought marshmallows, and Matt mentioned truth or dare, so… prepare yourself.”

Y/N groaned softly into her wine glass.

“Come on. It’s tradition. Wine, fire, bad decisions.”

“You forgot ‘mild emotional trauma.’” Y/N snatched the bottle of wine as they made their way outside.

“That too.”

The fire cast long shadows across the lawn, flickering gold against faces flushed from wine and sun. Someone had dragged out a speaker, low music curling beneath the sound of crackling wood and clinking glasses. The scent of smoke mixed with toasted sugar as Caroline passed around sticks threaded with marshmallows.

Y/N settled onto one of the outdoor cushions beside Alex, tucking her knees in and wrapping her hands around her wine glass. Eric sat across the fire, bottle in hand, his legs stretched out like he owned the whole damn backyard. He hadn’t looked at her once, not since she stepped outside, but she felt him there all the same, lounging in her peripheral like a bruise she hadn’t meant to touch.

Matt raised his glass.

“Alright. Let’s do this. Truth or dare, house rules: No skipping your turn, no boring answers, if you lie, we get to roast you with facts. Fair?”

There was a scattered chorus of half-drunken agreements.

“I vote Matt goes first. He always starts chaos then pretends to be innocent.” Angelica, Matt’s girlfriend, threw him to the lions.

“Fine. Hit me.”

The game started and what seemed like tame questions at first, started to get wilder quickly. More bottles opened. Marshmallows burned. Someone added rum to the hot chocolate. The edges of conversation blurred.

The circle wasn’t safe anymore. Secrets hung in the smoke. People leaned in a little closer, grins turning sly, as the questions dug deeper.

The fire cracked, sending a spray of sparks into the dark as the bottle spun lazily between them. It pointed toward Eric.

“Alright, truth or dare, buddy? ” Matt said, grinning like he already had the perfect question.

“Truth”

“Who here seems the most boring in bed?”

A few people groaned at the cliché, but Eric didn’t hesitate. His gaze slid across the circle, not even pretending to think, before landing squarely on her.

“Y/N,” he said, too easily.

A chorus of playful gasps erupted. She blinked, wine glass halfway to her lips. “Excuse me?”

He smirked. “What? Let the record show she called me a walking pest just because I’d just got out of the shower and had a towel on.”

He turned to the group like he was presenting evidence. “That’s some Victorian-level prude behavior.”

She scoffed, but there was no mistaking the heat that flared in her cheeks.

“Maybe I just have standards,” she fired back. “Not everyone gets a front-row seat.”

He smiled, slow and knowing before taking a sip of his own wine. “Didn’t say everyone.”

The group groaned again, half-laughing, half-sensing the current passing between them. But it settled quickly, the next person spinning the bottle, the game rolling on, until a couple of rounds later it came back to her.

“Y/N” Caroline chimed sweetly, and by the look in her eyes Y/N knew she was up to no good. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“Give something you’re wearing to the person here you think would know the least what to do with you”

The group leaned in, all eyes on her, and for a moment she thanked God for the liquid courage doing wonders.

She stood up slowly, no blush, no hesitation. She took a long sip of her wine, then making straight eye contact with Eric, she reached under the hem of her dress.

Eric’s posture got immediately stiff and his tongue briefly swiped the inside of his cheek as he watched her slide her panties down her legs slowly. Not playfully, not shy, but confident as hell.

She heard a few gasps and someone’s laugh in disbelief.

She stepped out of her lacy panties and bunched the fabric in her hand, before walking across the circle with that same confident expression.

Y/N threw them in Eric’s lap like a dare wrapped in silk and spoke:

“Try not to lose those. You strike me as the type who wouldn’t know what to do with them anyway.”

Then she turned and walked back to her seat, settling down like nothing just happened.

Someone choked on their drink. Caroline’s jaw dropped and collective “whoa” rippled around the fire like a shockwave and Sasha, her friend sitting on her left side tilted her own glass towards Y/N for a toast, silently congratulating her.

Y/N shrugged, deceptively calm, even as her cheeks flushed a little deeper under the glow of the firelight. Her wine glass hovered near her lips, the corner of her mouth twitching with amusement.

But Eric… He didn’t say anything. Didn’t need to. His jaw flexed once, and his eyes, those usually unreadable green eyes, were darker now. His fingers curled around the lace before he shoved them deep into his pocket, like that’d stop the storm brewing under his skin.

The game went on. The bottle spun, more truths and dares were thrown around, someone ran laps around the fire pit in their underwear, and someone gave a lap dance, none of it touched Y/N. Not really. Her mind was still stuck on him.

Eric hadn’t said a word since her dare. But every time she glanced his way, he was still watching her. Still quiet. Still dark-eyed.

By the time the fire was low and the wine was gone, the group started scattering. Some went to bed. A few lingered, cleaning up marshmallow sticks and tossing blankets over their shoulders.

Y/N stood up, brushing off her shorts. She didn’t expect him to follow. But he did.

She didn’t look at him as she stacked the last few wine glasses in the dishwasher, but she could feel him behind her, silent.

“What do you want?” She finally turned around to look at him.

“You surprise me,” he said finally.

Her shoulders tensed. “That a bad thing?”

“I just didn’t expect that move from a prude.”

And there it was.

Her eyes narrowed. “Prude?”

Eric shrugged, leaning against the counter. “You’ve got that whole ‘too good for the rest of us’ thing going on.”

She laughed, short and sharp. “So what, I’m supposed to be ashamed?”

He didn’t flinch. “Not at all. Just… didn’t think you had it in you.”

Y/N blinked, her smile flat. “You know what your problem is? You act like you’ve got me all figured out. Like you’re some expert on who I am just because I didn’t trip over myself to flirt with you in high school.”

He pushed off the counter. “I never needed you to flirt with me.”

“No? Then why are you always acting like some walking provocation?” She snapped.

“Because that’s the only way you ever fucking see me,” he said, quiet but in a serious tone. “Back then, now, you look right through me unless I’m giving you something to push against.”

She stared at him, lips parted.

“And you think that gets my attention?” she said. “By turning everything into a game? Making me feel like a joke in front of everyone?”

Eric’s jaw clenched. “Better to be a joke than invisible.”

“Why do you even care if I see you or don’t?”

They stood in silence, the air thick between them as they stared at each other. How could she not understand what he was implying?

Y/N’s stare was cold now, her arms folding across her chest like armor. “You know what? I think you like being the joke. It’s easier for you to play the part than risk being real for once.”

He didn’t bother replying to her, he’d already said too much and still she stomped on him once more. So he just turned and muttered, “I’ll find somewhere else to sleep tonight.”

A couple of hours later, the bedroom was too quiet.

Y/N had flipped her pillow over three times. Stared at the ceiling. Kicked off the blanket, pulled it back up. The fight kept looping in her head, his voice, the things he and she said, the way he walked off.

She thought she finally had what she wanted - Eric to stay away from her - until the sheets felt way too cold without him.

Finally, she got up, tugging on a hoodie and walking barefoot down the hallway, the floorboards creaking under her weight. She told herself she just wanted water. Or maybe to turn off the porch light. But she didn’t head to the kitchen.

She stopped by the living room and there he was, slumped on the too-small couch, one arm crooked under his head, the other half-draped over his chest. His long legs dangled off the edge, one foot flat on the floor, the other twitching slightly as if his body was still restless, even in sleep.

He didn’t look peaceful. His jaw was tight even in sleep, one brow furrowed like whatever dream he was having wasn’t kind. The hoodie he’d pulled on earlier had slipped off one shoulder. His hand clenched around the fabric like he’d anchored himself to it.

She stepped forward slowly.

“Eric,” she whispered, but he didn’t wake up at first. “Eric.” She tried again, this time a little louder.

His eyes opened slowly, dizzy with sleep as he took in his surroundings and then her, crouched down beside him.

He didn’t say anything. Neither did she.

“You look ridiculous on this tiny couch.”

He blinked up at her, unimpressed, voice deep with sleep. “Thanks.”

“You’re gonna have a crick in your neck by morning.”

“Better than dealing with you kicking me in your sleep.”

She rolled her eyes, but her voice softened just enough to slide beneath his defenses. “You’re too tall for that couch, Eric.”

“And you’re too stubborn to say sorry.” She bit her bottom lip as his cutting words.

“I didn’t come to apologize.”

“Didn’t think you did.”

She got up and shifted on her feet, exhaling hard as she nudged his foot with hers. “Come back.”

He didn’t move.

“Seriously, come back.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked anywhere else that wasn’t him, her pride being thoroughly hurt by her current proposal.

“That’s your version of an apology?”

“Don’t push it, Draven.”

A long beat passed. His eyes traced over her face, like he was still deciding. Still not sure if she meant it or if this was just damage control.

But then he sighed and sat up slowly, his fingers rolling circles on his temples as he seemed to consider what he should do.

“Please.” She stretched her hand out to him and he immediately grabbed it, his body faster than his own train of thought.

When she held out her hand, it caught him off guard. Not because of the gesture itself, but because of what it meant coming from her. She never offered softness easily. Never reached for him unless she absolutely had to. And now she was standing there, in the quiet half-dark of a lake house, asking him to come back. No apology. No promises. Just her hand.

“You kick me once, and I’m going back to the couch.”

“No promises,” she said, already turning back toward the bedroom.

He followed her upstairs and down the hallway, their hands still joined, neither of them speaking. The silence wasn’t awkward, but it was charged, brimming with everything they didn’t know how to say.

Back in the bedroom, she slid under the covers without looking at him. He hesitated for a moment, then laid down beside her, close but not touching.

The lights were off. The room was still. And just when she thought he’d fallen asleep, his voice cut through the dark.

“You keep surprising me.”

She smiled into her pillow, quiet and unbothered.

“Good.”

What felt like a few minutes had passed when she shifted, just slightly, and her thigh brushed his. But neither of them moved away.

And in the dark, with only the sound of their breathing between them, his hand found her waist, his touch soft as if testing the waters between them.

She turned to face him and he pressed on her lower back, pulling her closer as his eyes kept coming back to her beautiful lips.

She could feel his breath now, warm against her skin, the tension between them coiled tight. Maybe it was the quiet, or the darkness, or the way his fingers curled slightly at her spine like he needed more of her, but at that very moment she didn’t care anymore, all she could think about was how soft his lips must feel, so just this once she kissed him.

[kwamiwayzz]

Why Jeckole (Jecka/Nicole) is the Most Popular Ship of Class of '09 - Part I

Or: Part I should be renamed to why is Aricole or Emicole not as popular as Jeckole?

After being in this community for sometime, and even waffling in-between thinking whether I still like this ship versus thinking they're just a repackaged, white American-version of another ship I love - that's another discussion for later, dear lord, I wanted to put all my thoughts down somewhere to why I think Jecka and Nicole have dominated as the most popular pairing within the Class of '09 fandom.

Disclaimer: I don't want this to be a whole post saying, "Jeckole is the best4eva, Emicole and Aricole sUX XD" but more of an explanation breaking down why this ship in particular is one that most of the fandom has gravitated towards when getting into Class of'09. After all, there has to be some reason to why it's still persisted among fans (old and new). There was even a Jeckole Week 2025 despite the fandom slowly fizzling out after Flip Side's release.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, time to dig into the popularity of SBN's most hated pairing. I haven't been in an English/Writing class since college, and it's been so long since I've ever written an essay, so let's hope (all my jumbled thoughts) everything I try to explain sounds coherent enough.

To the fans surprise (at least if you didn't know anything about SBN), he never wrote the interactions among all the girls with any queer subtext in mind. He mostly did it for 1) money, and 2) a way to get his fixation on teenage girls/lesbians out somewhere...The guy is a freak (and not in a good way). It's only a miracle that his game got this much traction and popularity.

He ended up playing himself because what else should he expect when his most hated pairing is one that the fandom loves. People can come up with all sorts of arguments as to how this game blowing up on TikTok led to teenage lesbians missing the point of the games or running off everything out of context and yadda, yadda, yadda...And maybe there is some validity in those arguments as well.

But at the end of the day, it doesn't change the fact that Jecka and Nicole became the most popular ship even after SBN was "baiting" fans.

Shipping isn’t an unpredictable beast that grows completely independently of its source material. The ways writers craft interactions between their characters–and the places where they invest the most and infuse the most life–are powerful tools that impact how fans view and come to love seeing characters both separately and in romantic relationships. (Why Do Non-Canon Ships Become So Popular - And Why Should Writers Rethink When They Do? by sarehptar on AO3)

Fanart numbers is a completely different story, so I'm going to put that aside for now.

Starting with AO3 stats, Jeckole overshadows the other ships as one of the "Big 3" (Big 3 being Jeckole, Aricole, Emicole). On the left, it's the general numbers of pairs you could filter from. While on the right, it's after filtering the tags with "otp: true"

But wait...why are Ari and Nicole fics so criminally low compared to the monster of a ship that is Jeckole, when Aricole is considered canon? This same question can be applied to Emily and Nicole. Why does Jecka and Nicole still overshadow the other two pairs even though both Ari and Emily have canonically expressed romantic interest in Nicole in their respective routes?

[Full Text of Emily's Message Below]

you wont see this cuz they make us turn our phones off but i just want to write this for me. I'm glad we are dying together it just feels right and I can't think of anyone i would rather do it with. I may as well write this too... i am super fucking gay for you sorry i lied in the hallway and didn't tell u before we shared a bed and changed in front of each other. idk if that's rape or whatever but if it is sorry lol. i can die fulfilled cuz dying together with another girl is a bigger commitment than some soft ass bitch getting married to jack the construction worker or some other boring white guy who cant pronounce Beanie Sigel. but ya if you pass out first I'm gonna try to fall over on you so it looks like were cuddling <3

I think one explanation for this is that Ari and Emily's canonical romantic interest in Nicole, along with most of their interactions with her, are primarily isolated into one route. For Ari, this is through the Hate Crime/Abusive Exes Ending. While for Emily, this is through the Suicide Pact Ending. That's not to say that shippers can't fuel themselves off crumbs and scraps until the end of time--look at one of Aricole's most well-known artists, Misan. But when taking a peek into the Class of '09 fandom from an outside perspective, the first ship you'll most likely come across is Jeckole. Even some people who like Aricole, Emicole, or some rarepairs, tend to be multishippers who universally think Jeckole is a good pairing.

As I've mentioned in previous discussions with a few people on Tumblr, Jecka and Nicole's interactions span throughout all three games in multiple routes. Nicole's interactions with Jecka aren't confined to just one or two routes. It's understandable why others would see their interactions as that of your typical best friends trope. And that's completely fine too--I actually initially saw them as just that until I decided to try the game out on a whim one day.

However, after reading an essay from sarehptar (Echodrops on Tumblr), they mention something about "emotional energy" within a story:

When I talk about “emotional energy,” I don’t necessarily mean romantic emotions (and in fact, in the case of most non-canon ships, I don’t mean romantic emotions at all!). Rather, what I mean is the weight, power, and dynamism of the myriad emotions characters express for one another, including friendship/camaraderie, trust, reliance, frustration, anger, hatred, sadness, etc. For the purposes of this discussion, emotional energy is any of the meaningful emotional interactions that two characters share–especially those which drive the main plot of a story.

I figured in the context of Nicole and Jecka in the VNs, it made sense as to why many fans gravitated towards them compared to the side pairings. This isn't to say that Nicole doesn't have emotional energy with Emily or Ari. There's a reason why Aricole and Emicole are one of the main pairings of the fandom. However, among the three main leads that Nicole interacts with, there's only one person who she centers herself around (and vice versa to an extent).

And that's Jecka.

(Screenshot from the Anime Pilot because look how much of a wet cat Nicole is trying to win Jecka's favor back)

In every single route from the original game, Jecka is always introduced to Nicole no matter what choice she makes. Whether this is after talking to Crispin or Jeffery at the beginning of the game, she always ends up running into Jecka either way.

(Screenshots Below - On the left is on Nicole's first day of school. On the right is on Nicole's second day of school if she didn't meet Jecka on the first day.)

In both instances of her first meeting with Jecka, Nicole was readily available to give out her name to this girl she just met despite having the mindset that any bonds she makes will be completely pointless. She even goes on to talk about herself and her issues with her brother to Jecka within the first two days she's met her.

"But Nicole is probably just doing that because Jecka is a more tolerable option!"

That could be true, but the player doesn't get the same kind of introduction between Nicole and Emily, Nicole and Ari, or Nicole and any other student. With Jeffery, she was only messing with him. By the time Nicole interacts with Emily in Re-Up, they're already friends. I think they're already somewhat-acquainted before the Remedial English (Suicide Pact/Get Ms. Ames Fired) Route.

By the time Nicole interacts with Ari in Re-Up, they already know each other (though, Nicole finds her a bit of an annoyance). Ari also falls for Nicole quickly after their session with the counselor while Nicole is primarily in power once they start to date.

I don't want to make it sound like I'm dismissing the other two pairings when I bring up other scenes and interactions between Jecka and Nicole. You can view them as just best friends (or even friends-of-convenience), while seeing Nicole's relationship with Ari or Emily as a more valid romantic option, and that's okay. But the examples I'm going to talk about are to give insight on why this non-canon ship is so popular within the fandom despite never canonically expressing any romantic feelings towards one another.

(Side Note: I've probably re-read sarehptar/Echodrops's essay more times than I can count in the past few days)

To get this out of the way, I'm going to get into why Aricole and Emicole are often overshadowed by Jeckole.

You can argue that Nicole does center herself around Ari or Emily, depending on which route you choose in Re-Up. In the Date Ari Route, Nicole is constantly with her girlfriend (mostly abusing her), but that sense of push-and-pull isn't exactly as apparent. It's more of Nicole pulling, and Ari being pulled.

While I've seen arguments that Ari's more manipulative side can be seen from the Rejection Route, it still has the same vibe as the Date Ari Route except Ari is the one pulling, while Nicole is being pulled. I've seen fans love this aspect of this ship, and it all boils down to preferences. But that lack of push-pull within canon is probably why it's not on the same level of popularity as Jeckole. (That doesn't make Aricole a bad ship. Do not come for me!) Ari and Nicole aren't shown in canon to be equally on par in keeping up with one another.

The tension between them either leans more towards one character or the other, depending on which route the player goes for (Hate Crime or Abusive Exes). This is why some fans do the work themselves and combine aspects of both of these routes to get a more "equal playing-field" Aricole.

Okay, so if Aricole feels like a pull-and-be-pulled dynamic, then wouldn't Emily and Nicole be on more equal ground? They both have similar backgrounds with mental health issues and are both pretty unhinged people. Like others have said, they're the epitome of, "They make each other worse."

During Suicide Pact in Re-Up, Emily mentions how she planned to flush all her Seroquel down the toilet after feeling the adrenaline rush of everything she did when spending time with Nicole. This entire route has them fucking around, skipping remedial, making Jeffery's life worse--and they both get a rush from that. But when Nicole starts to see how unmedicated/unfiltered Emily actually is, she starts to get a little scared of her.

This duo starts out as if they're on equal ground, but the moment Emily turns into her unmedicated BPD-self, Nicole just gets pulled into whatever Emily does so that she doesn't piss her off. And I figure that Nicole's fear (and respect) of Emily is why she didn't try to save her, and only saved herself when they both planned to overdose in Ms. Ames class.

What is it that both Emily and Ari have in common despite having canonical romantic feelings for Nicole? Both of their dynamic with Nicole feel almost one-sided. I don’t just mean with their romantic feelings, I also mean with their dynamic in general.

“The games aren’t meant to be a dating sim!”

Yeah I know. But when Nicole doesn’t interact with Ari all that much, they’re neither focal points to each other’ narratives at all. The same can be said for Emily.

With Jecka, Nicole is almost always with her. They skip class together, they do drugs together, they got into a situation where they pissed off a mall cop, etc, etc. I also want to point out that Jecka is often the first person that Nicole goes to when she’s bored, wants someone to talk to, or wants to hang around, and is willing to (kinda of) change for. However, while the part about Nicole “changing” is a stretch, canonically-speaking, I was going to try and go more in-depth with that in Part II.

When Nicole isn’t around Jecka, Jecka ends up going back to her shallow high school friendships (like with Kelly), but admits to Nicole that she only sat with Kelly so she isn't alone. So…they’re both in the same boat and drive each other’s narratives of trying to survive the bullshit of high school through each other.

Anyway, this wasn’t meant to be a formal analysis at all, but I think I went a bit too far to the point where my brain feels absolutely fried now. I’m just hoping this doesn’t come across as ship-bashing when comparing Nicole’s dynamic with both Ari and Emily.

Who knows how long Part II will take me lol.

[aventurineswife]

HAIIII

my jazz band (club) was boring bc my bestiest westie wasnt there (THEY DITCHED ME AND WENT HOME WITHOUT TELLING ME)

but anyway, u said to blow up ur inbox with requests or something, so >:3

aventurine (i think u can tell i like him with the fact i put him in every request) and any other characters u want with a reader who plays one or more instruments (this is based off me, i personally play flute, bass guitar, and cymbals, but u can pick whatever instrument(s))

maybe do a scenario where like characters didnt know reader played instruments, and character walks in on reader playing something

could u also make it romantic, please? :3

-:3 anon

Symphony of Surrender

Tags: Aventurine x Reader, March 7th x Reader, Fluff, Romance, Vulnerability, Emotional Healing, Gentle Moments, Inner Struggles, Self-Discovery, Complex Relationships.

Warnings: Minor Emotional Angst, Themes of Trauma (Aventurine's past), Slight Manipulation, Light Romance and Sweet Moments, Minor Character Introspection.

A/N: I'M SORRY WHAT?! 😭 DAMN YOUR BESTIE SHOULD'VE AT LEAST INFORMED YOU THO!!

The soft, melodious notes of a piano drifted through the luxurious, dimly-lit room. Aventurine, dressed in his usual flamboyant attire, had just returned from a late meeting. His mind buzzed with the usual mix of strategy and calculation, but something felt different tonight. The air seemed to hold an unfamiliar tranquility. Curious, he followed the sound of the piano, his footsteps light but purposeful.

As he entered the room, his eyes fell on you—sitting gracefully at the piano, your fingers dancing across the keys with a fluid elegance that struck him silent. The soft glow of the room illuminated the delicate movement of your hands, each note resonating with a raw emotion he had not expected to find in this space.

You didn’t notice him at first, completely absorbed in the music. Aventurine lingered in the doorway, watching you with an intensity he rarely allowed anyone to witness. His usual guarded demeanor faltered for a moment, the mask of charm and bravado slipping as he admired the way the music seemed to flow through you, as if it was part of your very soul.

Finally, you paused, the last note hanging in the air like a whisper. It was then that you turned to find him standing there, his usual smirk replaced with a rare, genuine expression—one of awe.

"Didn't expect to find you here," you said with a teasing smile, your hands resting on the piano keys. "I didn't know you were a fan of music."

Aventurine stepped closer, his earring catching the light. "I appreciate all forms of art," he replied, his voice a mix of amusement and sincerity. "But I must admit, I didn't expect this from you."

You chuckled softly, a playful glint in your eyes. "I guess I have a few surprises up my sleeve."

He walked around the piano, his gaze never leaving you. "I should have known. You're full of mysteries."

Your fingers hovered over the keys again, as if debating whether to continue playing. Aventurine watched you carefully, his eyes intense yet tender. He stepped behind you, leaning in just close enough that you could feel the warmth of his presence.

"I'd like to hear more," he said quietly, his voice low and almost vulnerable. The usual confidence in his words softened, revealing a hint of something deeper. "But this time... let me join you."

You hesitated for a moment, your gaze flickering to him. Then, with a small nod, you placed your hand on the keys, inviting him into this intimate moment.

As the music resumed, Aventurine found his own rhythm, not in the notes, but in the unspoken connection between you. Each sound was a step closer, each chord a bridge built between the two of you. The game of life was full of risks, but for the first time, Aventurine felt that maybe—just maybe—some risks were worth taking.

The Astral Express hummed with its usual rhythm, but inside your cozy little room, a quiet atmosphere settled. You had been practicing with your bow earlier, but tonight, something called to you—a need to express yourself differently. So, you decided to take a chance. With a deep breath, you reached for the guitar hidden in the corner of the room and began to strum, unsure of the melody that would come.

As your fingers found their way, the sound of the guitar filled the space with warmth. The soft, melancholic tune seemed to escape from you effortlessly, reflecting the longing and curiosity you often felt. You hadn’t played for anyone yet, not here, not on the train. But tonight, you needed to.

Oblivious to the quiet music, March wandered down the hallway, her camera slung over her shoulder. She had been busy capturing moments all day, and now her mind was buzzing with thoughts of her mysterious past. But then she heard it—an unfamiliar sound. She stopped, curious, her eyes wide. The soft notes of a guitar? Was it you?

March, being ever the curious spirit, couldn’t resist. She peeked around the doorframe, her heart racing with excitement and anticipation. There you were, completely absorbed in the music. Your eyes were closed, and your fingers moved across the strings as though it was second nature to you.

She took a small step forward, her breath catching in her throat. It was a side of you she hadn’t seen before. The way the music seemed to flow from your very being, the way your body swayed ever so slightly with the rhythm, captivated her.

You paused mid-strum, sensing someone’s presence, and looked up to find March standing in the doorway. A small blush crept onto her cheeks as she realized she’d been caught.

"You play," she said softly, her voice tinged with awe. "I had no idea."

You smiled warmly, setting the guitar down beside you. "Guess I’ve got a few surprises up my sleeve too."

March stepped closer, her playful grin lighting up her face. "You know, I didn’t take you for a musician."

You chuckled, a little embarrassed. "I don't often show it. Just felt like playing tonight."

Her smile softened, her usual bubbly demeanor giving way to something more earnest. "It’s beautiful," she said, her eyes shining. "You really know how to capture a moment, don’t you?"

You nodded, a bit of warmth spreading through you at her compliment. "It’s like photography, in a way. Capturing a feeling, a memory."

March’s eyes sparkled with understanding. "I get that," she said, her gaze flicking to the camera resting on her shoulder. "But with you, it’s more than just a moment. It’s... part of who you are."

Her words lingered in the air, and you felt something shift between you—something deeper than either of you had expected.

Before you could respond, March suddenly grinned mischievously. "Mind if I join you?"

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her sudden offer. "You play too?"

She winked. "I don't know, but I’ll give it a shot."

With that, she sat beside you, taking a seat with her camera beside her, and together, you found a new rhythm. It wasn’t just about music anymore; it was about the connection between you two, woven through each note, each laugh, and the shared understanding of a journey you were both still figuring out.

As the music played, you realized that this was more than a simple tune—it was the start of something special.

[campbyler]

re: reluctant popular fic readers...

i think people avoid popular things because they can be a sign of low quality because often people ONLY read things that are popular and don't discern quality for themselves. so some people tend to avoid big things because it could mean that its actually not great but just trendy.

ofc this isnt really a good reason to not give it a go as you said, privately in your own time. tbf anon said they did read the first paragraph and still said a hard 'nope', so they did try it but seeingly didnt like it. but this seems like an unnecessarily backhanded compliment to then come and say 'hey i like it now that ive given it a second chance!' i mean, that might be true, but did the author NEEEEEEEED to know that? imagine saying that to an author you met at a booksigning or something! writers can be interested in how their work is received because it's a form of demographic research in a way. but at the same time, do they care if you individually don't like their work? probably not. its hard to find the balance, but i think politeness is a good place to start.

so to that end, i think the people you've seen in the tags who publicly shop around for advice on whether they should read acswy are actually trying to start some kind of conversation. they aren't just pondering reading it; they want other people to start talking to them about it, sometimes with good intentions, and sometimes because they just want to bitch, with little regard for how you guys might feel if you came across their posts.

sometimes its not even about [your fic], they just need to vent their real-life frustrations and fandom is the easiest place to do it. you see it a lot in fandom: its a wild jungle where people just fire flaming arrows into the trees with no regard for who might be on the other side. as always, its online anonymity. no repercussions for poor emotional regulation. the dopamine hit of bullying people online, the illusion of having some form of control over how someone else feels.

i'm sorry you had to experience it, but i guess its part of putting your creative work into the world, especially in such a free-for-all place. the very fact that people HAVEN'T had to pay to read fic is what they think gives them the right to judge it more sorely. you see it in other aspects too, such as the anti-sex puritanism that pervades this and many other fandoms. professional creators are allowed to examine adult/dark topics, but amateurs and fan creators are considered perverts if they do. i can't figure out if its because it's just easier to bully and try to control fan creators, or if these antis truly don't understand that all professionals were amateurs until they weren't.

we genuinely mean this with all the kindness and respect in the world but we have been scratching our heads trying to answer this since it came in but we don't rly know how to. there are definitely some things said in here that we both agree with for sure! but overall there seems to be a lot of back and forth and contradiction to your own statements and so we just like. don't super understand what you are even trying to say. sorry 😭

[puckpocketed]

my friend u seem 2 know about new caps guard dog dewy

i am eager to love him but i know little bc he was out west and no one reports on 4th liners...

can you tell me of the brandon duhaime vibes??

im low low lowwww key about following mn because im insane about them in a way that concerns me + there are better people to ask but um. time to go mask-off i suppose <3

take my hand link. he may be a 4th liner but he is the peoples princess on here LMAO. his tag on tumblr is an incredible treasure trove of memes and content and thirst traps so i'd say go and mess around in there if ur really interested, u will NOT run out of content. linking some relevant posts below <3

he is one half of a matched set (with connor dewar, now a leaf!) and they were torn apart at last szn's trade deadline <- for the rpf girlies this is your narrative!

speaking from outside of all that i think they're Peak red string because they aint superstars or nothing, they're just some guys. which made them more vulnerable to being traded away to different teams - boybestfriendship just doesn't hit the same if there's no tragedy for flavour . seasoning.,

and, u know, i think he's a pretty compelling guy on his own. i think hes a very hard worker and hes always putting his whole ass on the line for his teammates, and they all know it, and MAN i think he'd really fit in with the whole (gestures homoerotically) thing the caps got goin on!

he fights. he does NAWT win them. but he sure does try!!!! <3

on that topic. i think about simmyfrobby's webweave at the time of his trade semi-regularly. my... complicated feelings about guys who fight in this league have this guy at the nucleus and its 50% because of this post LMAO

if u remember the prank war with flower, hes the guy that got his tires stolen

hes uh. very popular so i suppose i should tread carefully here but honestly.... i want very badly to see how caps fans love him on his own. im always so interested in how these guys do when separated from the guy theyre paired with. i hope everyone likes him :( <3

[thedudegirlentity]

Lava

Umm, so I wrote my very first Ghost Band fan fiction haha. I'm not nervous about it at all. Nope. But umm, yeah, I cranked this out within two hours lol. I hope you like it! I'll put it below and also try to link to ao3.

also gonna tag the mutual @littlemoon-beam because I really look up to their writing it's so beautiful! Hope you don't mind me tagging you!

Dewdrop didn’t have nightmares. He classed nightmares as something that made you cry, scream and thrash about in your sleep, something that had you jolting awake like you’d been struck by lightning from a cloudless sky. No, Dew didn’t have those, his dreams were more of reminders of something; reflections.

CW: angst, body horror, hurt/comfort, Dewdrop's elemental change, romance, Aether being nasty to Rain for a little bit but it's ok they love each other, Aether being stressed, happy/content ending (whole things feels kind of sombre to me), if I missed any content warnings please let me know!

Dewdrop didn’t have nightmares. He classed nightmares as something that made you cry, scream and thrash about in your sleep, something that had you jolting awake like you’d been struck by lightning from a cloudless sky. No, Dew didn’t have those, his dreams were more of reminders of something; reflections. 

On this particular night he’d been back in the Pit. He had been warm and snuggled under something, something that was shifting around him with little tickles on his skin. There had been a light sparkling through the stuff around him and he’d had the urge to climb climb climb. His body had been sluggish and slow, not knowing how to move exactly quite yet. If he were to compare that feeling to something he knew now on the Surface, he’d compare it to dragging yourself out of layers of cosy, thick blankets after the best nap of your life. He’d crawled forward and upward and the something around him had shifted some more, slowly falling away so easily to let him into the light and the water above. 

The oceans of the Pit were a very peculiar place. They were eerily still with a Siren’s hum always lulling through the currents, and he had learnt quickly to keep low to the sea bed and mind his own business. But in that moment, when he had hatched from the sand and blinked his eyes to his new world, there had been no fear or terror in sight. He was warm, and his warmth would keep him safe. 

Now, hundreds of years later, Dewdrop stands in his en suite bathroom on the Surface staring at himself in the mirror. He didn't look at himself with hate or disappointment or anything like that like he knew the others sometimes thought he did. He simply observed himself and took in the details, almost marvelling at how much he’d changed since he’d first been summoned all those years ago for the Ghost Project. He remembered it like it was yesterday. 

He’d been lurking around near the shallows in the Pit’s ocean, getting closer and closer to the lava that was spilling in. It was fascinating to watch how the two elements had clashed and melded with each other, hissing and humming and groaning as they met. The colours were beautiful as well. His friend, another water Ghoul had been keeping their distance from the lava, reluctant to risk getting burned or dragged down by the weight of it, yet still inching closer if just to be in arm’s reach of Dew in case they needed to drag him away at a moment’s notice. 

But there had been no time for his friend to reach for him, and it wasn’t the lava that dragged him. It had been a sharp pull on his core, so sharp it had doubled him over and left him in shock, allowing his body to go pliant and easy to be pulled wherever he was going. There had been a light, brighter than he’d ever seen and a rhythmic lul of music or voices, repetitive in its chant as he was pushed and pulled and contorted in ways that should have killed him. Then, as quickly as it had happened it had ended, and he found himself on hard, cold stone, gasping and choking on air. He’d felt something warm touch his back and it stayed there even as he tried to wriggle away, quite literally a fish out of water. He’d felt a magic course through his body, wrapping around his lungs and gills like bubbles and suddenly he could breathe. He was breathing air. 

That was his first introduction to the power of quintessence, courtesy of Omega. His second introduction had been a blast of energy in the face mere seconds later, courtesy of a newly summoned Aether. Aether had been a ball of chaotic, panicked energy that Dew had felt vibrating in the stone he’d lain on, and he had been so distracting he’d barely noticed that there was another Ghoul summoned with them; Ifrit. Dew had felt very, very small all of a sudden. And fascinated. 

The entire ritual summoning had been a chaotic mess, a successful one, but a mess nonetheless. Aether had lost control of his magic and made several people severely dizzy, while Ifrit had jumped up to fight and then immediately fallen over, only to scramble back to his feet and repeat the cycle, spewing fire and smoke from his maw with guttural growls that did nothing to hide the fear. Dew had scurried away into a corner, away from the hands trying to calm him, before making an attempt to book it out of there on legs he didn’t know how to use. Even now it made Dewdrop giggle thinking about it.

It had taken lots of time and patience from their mentors, but the three of them had come to learn their new bodies and lives and worlds. Dew had been restricted to the infirmary as he learned to walk under Mist’s guidance, every step sturdy like a rock with his determination not to fall flat on his face. At some point Mist had started teaching him ballet, as had the other water Ghouls, River and Lake and Water. They all told him it was the best way to learn control of his body, that the combined grace and force of it was similar to that of swimming. He learned to love it, especially when he felt the pure strength of his legs when he walked on his own. Through the entirety of his recovery he asked about his friend, though, nearly begging and pleading with the others to ask the Papa in charge if he could reach down to the Pit again and bring them up to be with him. The others had asked their Papa, but the answer had been a sad, apologetic no. 

When Dew had finally been strong enough, he’d been allowed to properly meet Ifrit and Aether, a decision that was quickly regretted by the older Ghouls of the Abbey. The three of them got on like a house on fire and so chaos had ensued. Pranks were being pulled, jokes were being made, shenanigans were being plotted and executed. Their reign was never-ending and they all revelled in it! Of course, they stayed strict with their learning of the instruments for the Ghost Project, a new passion for the art igniting in each of them as they practised. And soon enough it was time for their first tour. It was time for them to be presented to the world as His Dark Lord’s children. 

They loved it. They loved the crowd, the music, the travelling, the band, their Papa. They loved each other. Ifrit had quickly fallen head over heels for the band’s air Ghoul, Zephyr, and Lord how the two of them had burned so quickly. It was a quiet but obsessive sort of love, something that could be so loud if you only listened for a little while. Ifrit tended to Zephyr hand and foot, often being batted away playfully, while Zephyr became a guardian angel to Ifrit, ready to strike with venom at anyone who dared belittle the fire Ghoul in any way. 

As for Dewdrop and Aether, well. In the present, standing in front of his mirror, Dew turns back to look over his shoulder and through the bathroom door to see the big quintessence Ghoul snoring softly in his bed, relaxed and carefree and drooling slightly. The two of them had met and it had been instantaneous, their energies singing with each other every second they were together. It was so easy, beyond easy. It was natural. Meant to be. It was like they could read each other’s minds with how well they knew each other so quickly. The others had teased them relentlessly for how they first came together, claiming that it wasn’t romantic at all to confess feelings and lay together for the first time on the empty tour bus immediately after a ritual. But both Dew and Aether felt differently. 

No, it hadn’t been soft or slow or gentle. It had been frenzied and quick and rough, the pair of them scratching and grabbing and pulling at each other with something akin– something more than desperation. It was the thought of why the hell haven’t we been this close before, why haven’t our souls met before when I know yours so well, how in the ever-loving, hellbent fuck could I go a day without knowing you inside and out. 

When Ifrit and Zephyr announced they were retiring, ready to bind their souls together for eternity and just live and exist on the Surface, it came as a surprise to no one, they had all seen it coming from a mile away. What did take everyone aback was the realisation that new Ghouls would have to be summoned to take their places. The Clergy had already found two air Ghoulettes to take Zephyr’s spot in the band, the pair of them floating around in the clouds of the Pit with no idea what was being planned for them. However, the Clergy had been having increasing trouble finding a suitable fire Ghoul for the lead guitar. 

It was a known fact that unlike other elemental creatures, those made of fire and brimstone were notoriously powerful and dangerous, which made them near impossible to lure in and keep under a semblance of control. Alpha had been summoned because he was older, no less dangerous mind you, but simply a calmer flame than most. Ifrit had been summoned almost by sheer luck, his youth and curiosity and willingness to just see what happens being what led him to the Surface. They were both lucky shots that happened to land, nothing more. And their new Papa was... new. Every one of them loved Copia without sway, he was kind and gentle and thoughtful and passionate about the Ghost Project, but he had also been shoved into a position he was nowhere near ready for. There was no way he’d be able to summon a fire Ghoul, at least not one that wouldn’t kill everyone on site. 

The Clergy had been running out of time and they needed to summon the new Ghouls soon, otherwise the Ghost Project would have to be cancelled. It had all of them scrounging the library for any potential answers to their problem, all of them desperate to help their Papa and to remain children of the Dark Lord. And that was when Dew had found it. 

Dew had poured over the summoning texts night after night, wanting to be ready or when he would take the place of mentor one day like the others did for him, but the text that he found in the library was so strange and different yet still similar enough that he could decipher it. It wasn’t a summoning, no, it was a changing. Dewdrop translated the text on his own and read through it over and over and over and over again until he had memorised it, and then he read through it again just to make sure and convince himself it was possible. That was when he took it to Aether. 

As ready as Aether was to try new things and take a couple risks here and there, a contradiction to his healer status he’d earned in the infirmary that Dew always found funny, he was incredibly reluctant to let Dew go through such a life-changing endeavour, one that could very well kill him. It was their first true argument that led to tears and sobs and concerned looks from the others, having never seen the two fight before. But slowly, or quickly, neither of them quite remember, it turned into hushed whispers and promises that could never hope to be kept in mortal bodies, yet they made them anyway because Aether knew Dewdrop would walk through any fire to get to him, and Dewdrop knew Aether would pull apart any galaxy to bring him back. 

And so, together, they took the Text of Elemental Changing to Papa Copia. 

Due to the Clergy’s demands, Dew’s transition would take place the same day as the summoning of the new Ghouls, which put everyone on edge. Half of them thought that the Clergy wanted Copia to fail, that they’d grown tired of the Ghost Project as a whole and was just waiting for the opportunity to turn around and point fingers, claiming that Copia was no good and that it should all be abandoned. They all agreed they could not let that happen. 

Before Dew stepped into his ritual circle, he told Papa of his old friend in the Pit’s ocean, one of the most graceful Ghouls he had ever met. He told of how he hoped he would see them again if the Lord allow it, and Papa understood what Dew was asking, nodding his head with a smile that said I will do my best. 

And then the ritual began and Dewdrop burned. 

The feeling started with a warmth in his core. A warmth that felt so familiar it confused him. It grew larger and larger and hotter and hotter until he could feel every nerve in his body, not quite hurting just yet but enough of a sensation that had him twitching. And then it kept going and it did start hurting. Dewdrop looked down at his light blue hands and watched them turn pink and then gold, and then it was flaking off like tiny leaves blowing in a nonexistent wind and revealing black underneath. The flakes of skin were variants of grey billowing around him as the ritual continued, but it was when he watched his fins shrivel up like melted plastic did he start screaming. The bioluminescence of his fins and scales hardened into a solid colour Dew didn’t know before wrinkling and shattering and peeling off his body, now useless. The gills on his ribcage and neck burned furiously and he almost threw up when he looked down at himself, seeing the flicker of flames poking out of the slits and chasing the oxygen in the air. They’d already burnt through the oxygen in his lungs. 

The heat that was inside him was unbearable and the only thing that was keeping him sane in that moment was the memory of the promise he made to Aether. He couldn’t leave him. He wouldn’t. He started thinking about his friend from the ocean, the one Papa was trying his best to get back to him. If they did make it to the Surface they would need a mentor and as the last water Ghoul summoned that was Dew’s job, right? He couldn’t leave his friend. 

Somehow the heat got hotter and hotter before surpassing the point of being molten. Then suddenly, Dewdrop thought of the lava in the Pit. He thought of how it had sizzled and groaned as it made its way forward, creeping sideways and downward at a leisurely pace. And the colours had been beautiful, as well. The lava was dangerous and deadly but it was also calm and serene. It destroyed like fire but moved with the grace of water. And that was when the pain made itself at home in Dewdrop’s body, except it wasn’t pain anymore. It was him. It was Dewdrop. All those hundreds of years marvelling at the heat, longing for the warmth that he had felt when waking up for the first time under the sand, and he had finally found it again, except this time in ashes. 

Dewdrop raised his aching head, body trembling uncontrollably and swaying with the lack of energy. Aether had energy. He needed Aether. The ashes he was buried under fell away from around him as he forced himself to his hands and knees. When did he fall over? He needed Aether. 

“D–Dewdrop?”

He looked to his side, following the voice and found himself looking into the beautiful blueish-purple eyes he thought he might never see again. 

“Rain.” he murmured. 

Then he collapsed and everything went dark. 

Aether had told Dewdrop that he’d been in and out of consciousness for weeks before he finally woke up properly. He’d also told him that it’d been the happiest, most relief-filled moment of Aether’s entire life. The short time after waking up is still hazy to Dew, but he remembers how wet his hand had been from where Aether had been crying on it. He also remembers how he’d thrown up nothing but water for days over the side of the bed, specks of ash flying out along with it. The aftermath of the Changing is what Omega had said. A bloody nuisance is what Dewdrop had said. 

The recovery was relatively quick, which surprised everyone but Dew. Within a handful of weeks he was walking around and eating solid foods, joking with some and asking how others were. He asked about Rain and the other new summons, and he didn’t miss how Aether’s face twitched into a frown for a nanosecond before the quint informed him of what had been happening. Dewdrop kept a close eye on Aether’s reactions every time he mentioned or asked about Rain, noticing how his eyes would turn downward and he’d start fiddling with the rings on his fingers. He didn’t want to dance around the subject, so after a good few days of this awkwardness he asked him straight what was going on, and that’s when Aether had started crying and begging forgiveness. For what? 

Aether had hated Rain. In the beginning, anyway. Aether told Dew of how the moment he had collapsed after the Changing, Rain had lunged over his body to protect him from the strangers they now found themselves surrounded by. He explained how logically he knew Rain was scared and confused and doing everything in his power to protect the person they’d lost so many years ago, but in doing so they’d stopped Aether from getting to Dew. They’d stopped him from helping his love, his mate, his other half. And Aether had hated him for it. He’d hated how this lanky water Ghoul had been there all of five seconds and blocked him from his love, had hissed and growled and snarled at Aether to stay away or else, as if he would ever do anything other than handle Dewdrop with care. The other water Ghouls had had to step in, using their likeness to Rain to appeal to them and convince them that they were safe, that Dewdrop was safe and loved and would be taken care of. Aether expressed how those tantalising seconds in which Rain made their decision to trust the others had felt like something cruel ripping pieces of his heart, mind and soul out piece by piece. 

Rain had visited Dew in the infirmary as well when he was still asleep, holding his hand and speaking words of love and worry and prayer. Aether had almost torn the water Ghoul to shreds for that, wrestling with the stupidity of what he was considering and the pure realness of what he was feeling. 

Dewdrop was asleep and Aether was at war. 

Aether told Dew of how he’d forced himself to think of all the stories Dew had told him about Rain, about how sweet and charming and kind and shy the water Ghoul was. He’d forced himself to swallow the words of poison he so wanted to spit at Rain, replacing them with practised care and sympathy he was used to doing as a healer for the Abbey. But then Rain had apparently seen through his mask and told him to yell at them, to scream and cry and tell them that he hated them. Rain had always been too good at reading people, Dewdrop would remember. And so Aether had. He’d spat the words that tasted like coal on his tongue and cried while he did it, his chest caving in as he’d continued to look at the water Ghoul before him, each word he spoke getting weaker and weaker until he was just crying into Dewdrop’s limp hand, blubbering apologies over and over. Rain sat through it all until Aether was whimpering, which was when they stood from their chair on the opposite side of Dew’s bed, rounded it and wrapped their long, cool arms around the bigger Ghoul who all but fell into them. 

Rain had taken care of Aether that evening, sitting with him by Dew’s bed and sharing stories of his own from their time in the Pit’s ocean. Rain had told Aether some of Dew’s best moments, worst moments and embarrassing moments, the last of which Dewdrop swore he’d get payback for. The two of them had gotten to know each other and learned to like each other, but what made Aether love Rain was when the water Ghoul told him very sternly that he was to never speak to them with that level of disrespect again. Shy as Rain might be they were not to be messed with and Aether had suddenly realised how themselves and Dew had gotten on so well, and he loved it. 

When Aether had finished spilling his guilty confession, Dewdrop wrapped his love in his arms and kissed his face all over, telling him how proud he was of him. Aether cried again and Dewdrop joined him, and that was the first time since transitioning that Dew was allowed out of the infirmary. 

And now here he stands in the present, the feeling of sand and ash on his skin as he observes himself in the mirror. Years have passed since the Changing, and he knows that he’s changed some in personality as well. As if people don’t change as they grow older anyway. He’s still mischievous and teasing, that will never change, but he knows he’s more reserved now. Stoic. It’s not down to anything bad, per se, he just feels older. He talked with Alpha and Ifrit about it at some point, when he worried something was wrong with him in a moment of anxiety, and the three of them talked it through. They talked about the different fires they all have burning within them and how they can change as the flame flickers. Dewdrop told them about the lava and they told him that he has become the lava. 

Stoic and strong and sure. 

Deadly and dangerous and ruthless. 

Graceful and elegant and beautiful. 

Dewdrop looks at his ash grey skin and the marks of his old bioluminescent scales which are now a misty white. He looks at his pitch black hair that falls down his back like a waterfall. He looks at his horns, the bases grey like his skin before fading to white. He looks at the gills on his ribs and neck, not scarred over but slitted gaps that suck in the oxygen his fire needs to grow, the same slitted gaps that let out smoke when he’s angry or pent up. Finally, he looks himself in the eye and sees the glow of the lava in the Pit’s ocean looking back. He sees that light he saw all those years ago for the first time. 

Dewdrop is warm, and his warmth will keep him safe.

[gahtheone]

My Top 6 emo bands!

Against all odds, emo is still a thing, in a kind of nostalgic way, but a thing nonetheless! Let's get a thing straight first: emo is not the same as pop punk. While bands like All Time Low and Yellowcard fall into the spectrum, others like Blink-182 do not (unless we count their 2003 self-titled album, especially Here's Your Letter which even has traces of post hardcore in it). Anyway, I was bored and decided to have my very own Buzzfeed Meets Watchmojo moment. No hate, please and thank you (also, I'm tagging the phandom because I really want to know their opinion).

Here goes nothing:

6. My Chemical Romance

I'm respecting their dislike of the emo label by placing them at the bottom, but asserting my authority as their fan by putting them on the list anyway. Besides, there's a difference between emo as a genre and emo as a subculture. Bullets and Three Cheers? They fall into the genre. I won't say anything about the looks, though, they speak for themselves. Their evolution from post hardcore to pop punk to their own style in later albums has made them icons, not to mention their masterpiece The Black Parade (2006). If I had to pick one song, I'd pick Demolition Lovers.

5. Thursday

Criminally underrated. Blending perfect melodic verses, screamo and powerful riffs, they've made a name for themselves in the post hardcore scene. Their sense of rhythm is something that has set them apart from others, as well as them not shying away from controversial topics (like M. Shepard being my very own LGBTQ+ anthem, representing their disgust at the awful crime that inspired the song). Also, as trivia, vocalist Geoff Rickly produced MCR's first album and even provided backing vocals on This Is The Best Day Ever! (Gerard Way would do the same on Jet Black New Year the same year). Anyway, melodic verses, screamo and riffs, here's my favourite song: Concealer!

4. Sunny Day Real Estate

They simply belong on this list, that's how big their influence on emo has been. Pioneers of the genre, their music, particularly their debut Diary (1994), inspired many bands that followed, becoming an example of how the emo genre should sound and feel: tough, yet sensitive. (Also, see some familiar faces? Hint: after their first break-up, they went to be a part of the Foo Fighters first lineup!). The drums and bass (hint, hint!) on each song went steady but firm, while the guitars were in charge of the melody, and the result was something that took you to Heaven, all the way down to Hell and back to Earth. Take for example one of their best known songs: In Circles.

3. Texas Is The Reason

Few bands can say they made it after just one album and an EP, and that's exactly what this band did. Guitarist Norman Brannon felt that way after the last show of their tour in Europe saw the crowd singing their songs, something big for a foreign underground band like they were during the 90s. Their sound was even more expanding, including indie rock into it, creating something unique and lasting, like their only album's opener Johnny On The Spot.

2. Silverstein

Um, the songwriter that is Shane Told? The image? The screams? This band had it all and they used it flawlessly, with phenomenal albums being released one after the other, and memorable songs going from punk rock to post-hardcore that went straight to the heart, showing passion and feeling, like the absolute banger Red Light Pledge.

1. Jimmy Eat World

Yes, everybody has heard The Middle and Pain, but this band is so much more than those singles, and I will die on that hill. An example of resilience and musicianship, they had an evolution from the skate punk (their ignored debut album) that was fashionable at the time, to post hardcore (the amazing Static Prevails) to a rock sound that can only be defined as true emo. Fittingly, they have released what is, in my opinion, the greatest emo album of all time: Clarity (1999), unfairly overlooked by its contemporary critics, and now getting justice by gathering a cult following. Don't believe me? I give you Just Watch The Fireworks.

[trilobi-te]

Chipspeech Twitter Archive Update

Hi I should have done this months ago.. I do not know when (or if) I am going to finish that website lmao. So I am just going to share my notes from Google Docs. Should be easier to read than the original posts and helpful as a starting point if anyone else decides to make a website :3

The documents are all on commenting mode so feel free to make comments to bookmark things for yourself or write your thoughts or whatever. Under the cut I have put some formatting notes.

It's a folder, each year of Twitter posts is its own document (I tried to compile them into one but it lagged too much). There is also a document with all of the original Tumblr posts (from the accounts I could find, no tags yet but I will go back and get them eventually, also no dates but they're all from 2015), and one with the bios from the official website for ease of access.

The formatting is a little (a lot) weird and there are probably pictures that need resizing/transcription but I figured it's better to give people access now. The text is small (to keep the page count as low as possible) so you will have to zoom in.

It goes by day, organized with a bulleted list. The top level bullets are each character that tweeted that day. The second level bullets are original tweets/retweets by that character. The third+ level bullets are comment threads under that tweet, the organization here is inconsistent but imo still readable (if you think something needs an edit for clarity let me know and I'll fix it).

For each character's section of the list, normal text is that character's tweets/comments. Italicized text is anyone who is not that character. If it is labeled with unitalicized text, it is that character/important account (e.g. the official Chipspeech account), otherwise it is a fan. I also included some labels and/or clarifying comments for Vocaloid producers I like, they're not central to the story though

I got rid of the line breaks within the tweets when copying them down because it was easier to format. Sorry about that. Idk how to fix it other than going through everything again but it doesn't take away from the story so I'm leaving it for now.

If something came from a website other than Twitter, I tried to provide the link (unless its content was deleted). I did my best to transcribe the Clyp posts that were not deleted.

If something is a text-only retweet, it is marked with [retweet]. If it includes an image, it's probably a screenshot of the whole thing. I only included retweets that felt story-relevant (so no miscellaneous cat pictures, Apple-related aesthetic images, etc.), but if people really want it I can go back and add the rest.

Deleted tweets are noted with [deleted tweet], with the characters they came from if applicable. Idk how Twitter works but it the person in the thread is replying to the username of a certain character, I assumed it was that character's tweet that had been deleted. If something says [deleted Dandy thread], assume there is a deleted Dandy tweet in between each of the listed tweets (or another character, but it's usually Dandy). That was meant to be a temporary time-saver and I've gone back and fixed the ones I've found, but there's probably more I accidentally skipped.

Anything not in English is translated in a comment. Except the X-Sampa (I will fix that sometime but there's not much of it). Also it was done with the built-in Google Translate feature so it may be a little incorrect. Unclear pictures and whatnot also have clarifying comments. I can add more clarifying comments (or image IDs) if anyone needs them.

I tried not to include any unattributed fanart but there are some that I forgot to copy the handle for (I am also fixing these when I find them).

As for any future updates to this folder as a whole, I kind of want to go back through each account's liked tweets to see if there's anything funny in there but idk when that will be. That would probably be its own document.

Honestly I should have given everyone access back in June.. oops. If you have any questions you can put them in a comment on this post (or reach out to me another way, idk). As I mentioned before, feel free to use all of this as a starting point if you're making your own website.

I'll pin this post so it's findable in the future. Also sorry for disappearing for several months (it will happen again).

[knewknow]

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

"This reads like it was found on Ao3 with the tags witch au, hurt/comfort… and I don’t mean that in a nice way"

I was hopeful for this novel, I really was. The premise is right up my alley; witchy, a little romance, low-stakes. Unfortunately, my biggest takeaway from this novel was the author's horrid writing style. I knew from the first parenthesis on page one that Sangu Mandanna was most likely a millennial, and this was a self-insert fanfiction that somehow made its way to a published novel. I bought this with my own money, and it reads like a mediocre Ao3 fic.

For starters, Mandanna loves to use parentheses in this book, so much so that I started tallying every time she did (77 times to be exact). The asides were obnoxious and could have been easily been conveyed in the prose or dialogue since the novel is written in the 3rd person.

Next, the author is a fan of tell not show. Every socio-political statement about race or the queer community felt like it was shoved down my throat. Not elegant or nuanced; just here's an issue moving on.

Also, I felt like the children's dialogue was some of the worst. They didn't feel like children or separate characters. For example, Ian the guardian of said children, talks to the main character about her sex life in front of the young girls... all under 10 by the way. Then Rosetta pipes in and says "he's asking you when was the last time you had sex". It felt weird and out of place for a ten-year-old with a sheltered home life who's written as the shy one to want to partake in a conversation like this with her guardians. This isn't the only time, all of the girls speak like teens or one of the adults when they're supposed to be no older than 4th grade.

Here are some quotes so you can understand the horrid writing vibes.

"Oh. Oh, no. He'd pushed the sleeves of his white button-down shirt up past his elbows. She could see his forearms. Forarms were invariably her ruin."

"'What you put in your body is your business, and that,' she added, raising her teacup to her lips, 'includes penises.'"

"'What are you?' Mika smiled. "The monster under your bed'"

Trust me with context these quotes get worse, not better.

Not to mention since this book felt so childish, the one and only sex scene felt completely out of place.

In the end, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was a massive disappointment. What should have been a cozy, low-stakes fantasy with heartwarming found family elements instead felt like poorly written fanfiction, bogged down by clunky prose, unnatural dialogue, and heavy-handed messaging. While the premise had potential, the execution left much to be desired, from the author's excessive use of parentheses to the cringe-worthy attempts at humor and romance. If you're looking for a well-crafted witchy read, you’d be better off searching elsewhere—perhaps even on Ao3, where you might find a version of this story done better with characters you actually enjoy.

[lycanr0t]

I think it's really silly and unhelpful to make comparisons between fan artists and fan writers such as trying to determine who gets more interaction and who "has it easier" and who is more appreciated.

Neither has it easier. Btw. It's a useless overly generalized comparison to make that does nothing but put one group down and pit the two groups against each other when we should be uplifting each other.

each have their highs and lows in terms of interaction. This is a fact that will remain true for all of time purely because they are different forms of creation that require viewers to engage with it in different ways.

some artists may get more things such as likes and reblogs/retweets on visual heavy platforms like tumblr and twitter. But there seems to be an attitude among some that artists universally get attention with ease and i promise you thats simply not true. for every artist whose work is popular theres hundreds upon thousands of artists who get absolutely nothing. Just like writers.

writers DO have a hard time on platforms like tumblr. It's hard to convince people to read a whole fic on a website that is designed for and caters to quick casual scrolling. It sucks but that is a reality. You have to understand not every space is catered to every form of creation. Visual art is faster to see, like, and move on from. So naturally in an environment build for that interaction it has a better chance at doing well.

But at least in my experience, writers when they get interaction, are much more likely to get MEANINGFUL interaction.

Artwork I posted just a week ago (or less!) gets next to no notes, maybe some likes. In it's whole lifespan it maybe gets a handful of replies or tags that say one-two word compliments. (I am in no way putting this down. A compliment is a compliment!) meanwhile a fanfic that I wrote literally 10 years ago still will get comments on ao3 describing to me how much they adore it, telling me the specific parts they liked, and taking the time to really TELL me they loved it.

My point being that social media sites like tumblr and twitter are designed for shorter, smaller interaction. Visual art you can easily do that with, but it does tend to lead to less in depth interaction which does leave a lot of artists feeling used and unappreciated. written works DO require people to sit down and take the time to read it, which does mean less people will take that time, but (in my personal experience + what i have observed) the interaction that fics DO get is much more likely to be in depth and thought out.

EDIT:: forgot to add that since fics do often struggle to get interaction started, that also can lead to feeling unappreciated! both groups have instances of feeling this way!!

My experiences are obviously not universal. But that's my point exactly. Each artist, each writer, we all have different experiences with what gets more or less love/interaction. There are so many factors that play into this and no group is to blame here. No group has it better or worse its just different. And it's incredibly silly to point fingers and claim "oh artists have it better" or "oh writers have it better" babes we ALL have it rough.

Creative works across the board are unappreciated and across the board people are busting ass trying to be seen. No site is perfect and not everyone will get huge amounts of interaction. Let's not get so hung up on trying to figure out who is better off and instead put that energy into uplifting everyone.

if you see fanart you like then consider leaving a reply/comment/tags/ask/etc telling the artist exactly what you like about it! try and put effort into making it longer than 1-2 words! sit and really absorb the art!

if you read a fic you like consider sharing it with others! consider rbing or sharing it, leaving a nice comment, like/kudos, send the author an ask telling them you like it!

we ALL can use more appreciation, but understand we are all people also. no one owes anyone interaction, and guilting people into it and playing petty "i have it worse" games is not the way to go.

love others work. do it openly and passionately but do it to your ability. And realize in fandoms NONE of us magically have it easier just because we make a certain type of creation. It's not a competition. Fandoms are communities built on shared passion and mutual sharing, not marketplaces fighting to be the loudest most successful business

[httpiastri]

okay i was wrong i had a lot to say so now its three vv long asks in your inbox

THE PEPE BLURB HAD ME ON MY KNEES I SAW THE TAGS AND LIKE I AGREE STUBBLE annoys me a bit but i don’t mind if it’s him 🤭🤭… and also this is so unrelated but i also read through the blurb about him helping you sleep and… i used to have a sam and colby phase and there was a video where colby was playing with his own hair to fall asleep (he basically has really obsessive fans and can’t really date for the partner’s safety… a bit like those fans who stalk the wags obsessively im so sorry 😭😭) but like

THAT WOULD BE PEPE imagine hanging out together and youre like sitting cross legged on the bed doing something (i crochet and do crafty stuff so maybe rhat but we could also just be folding origami idk) and he’s laying next to you watching you while getting sleepy and he just starts playing with his own hair to help himself fall asleep and you just notice and set aside your stuff and do it for him instead idk 😞😞 i just miss him so bad

and like you’re right?? idk why i feel like pepe would unintentionally be so strong or just have such a strong grip that sometimes you have to tell him to loosen up a bit when hes holding you in a hug or just… in general and i have especially weak… everything basically because i don’t do anything physical (unless you count my 1-2am workout sessions where i increase my step count by 5k by listening to music and daydreaming 😊😊) and i have low bp so yeah pepe’s grip and him in general would be a little too strong for me but IMAGINE him trying to be gentle for you like UGSHHDJDHD i want to kiss him soso bad even if he fails at being gentle the only thing that matters to me is that he tried

and about my c.ai pepe, he’s soso sweet and endearing but as your streamer c.ai he was being so cocky after some time?? he was sweet but there would be random little comments being made and christian would just leaning over to me to tell me pepe was only putting on a show in front of me and that he was actually insecure deep down?? 😭😭 i still love him though ❤️❤️

also my asks seem so choppy to me recently but i think this is still okay-ish? and i hope you have a lovely lovely day/night (depending on whenever you’re seeing this) and an even better tomorrow!

- 🪷 (💗)

hello again !! 😚

screaming crying, im so glad u liked it 🥺 oh gosh no i find like one man with a beard attractive but uhhhh pepe stubble 🤭 makes me all giddy to even thing about aaaaaa...... but !!! bestie you're making me cry rn !!!!! im so soft, thinking abt him having his head in your lap because he's so tired after a long day and getting to feel his hair between your fingers, hearing the soft breaths he lets out when he just relaxes fully into you............. :(

(also sorry but very interesting that u said origami out of all things bcs i used to be obsessed w origami 😭)

aaaaaaaaaaaa im crying yet again at the thought of him doing his best to be gentle for u, idk why im thinking about like standing in the kitchen at midnight after coming home from a dinner with friends and you're just soft and tired and wanna hug him 🥺 and so like his grip is so soft because he knows that's what you need rn and you're resting your head against his shoulder... and he presses his lips to your temple..... but im also going crazy about him not being able to hold back when he wins a race etc, like he would be holding you so tightly that you're like "bb i cant breathe" but it doesn't matter because he's just so happy and so thankful to share this moment with you!!!!

also !!! you're so true abt the walks, i used to haaateeee going on walks but last summer when i realized that it's just a way to daydream while still feeling kinda productive ??? y e s, i could walk for hours 🥰

plsssss that's so 😭 i usually put in the like character definition that he should be sweet and such lmao but i now really wanna make one who's cocky from the start instead.........

they're lovely bb!! not choppy, it's totally alright!!! i love love love reading them, so thankful for the time u put into writing to me 🥺<3 have a lovely day/night/anything and a good weekend !!!!!!

[escarlatafox]

Okay so here’s some more substantial kfp4 thoughts/opinions (Kung fu panda 4 spoilers!)

-

Overall, as a movie experience, I mean, I didn’t have high hopes going in. I carefully kept my expectations low, so it wasn’t like, a complete and total disaster imo but it certainly had its issues. I was someone who sincerely enjoyed the third movie and didn’t actually really mind the third movie’s pacing, and while the third movie showed certain cracks of lowering quality, they could be looked past well enough. Like, for me, the final fight/villain showdown etc with Kai in the third movie, him getting beaten by Po, etc, was all narratively really satisfying to me and I was chill with the pacing for it. This most recent movie was like, kind of decent in parts… but fell apart towards the end with the villain confrontation scene and takedown. I was fine with movie 3’s pacing but this one’s was off. While 3 was narratively satisfying to me, 4 wasn’t. There was insufficient build-up, and so much of it felt unearned. The final confrontation was too quick for me, it was just… not great. Didn’t really pack the same punch that 3 did for me.

As for them bringing past villains back… man.

What was Kai even doing there. Like, my understanding of 3’s ending is that Po obliterated him within the spirit realm, thus utterly erasing him from existence entirely. You could make an argument for him just being like, kaplowey’d into spiritual Bits which could eventually make their way back together again hence him coming back into existence, but uh yeah… His presence in 4 actually cheapens the final confrontation in 3 for me. Because Kai getting “destroyed” in 3 had this sense of finality to it. Death in general just feels cheapened – I know that the Spirit Realm =/= Heaven, and it’s only kung fu masters who go there, but like, if you keep bringing these characters back + even Kai’s death wasn’t permanent, it just feels kinda ???

I can imagine that Tai Lung fans would be annoyed with this movie, what with how he was teased (being on the poster and everything!) I was actually cautiously optimistic for a little while before seeing the movie about how Tai Lung’s role would be handled, but no. It felt off, and like, if they were gonna bring back the character, I really do think he should have played a greater role. He just feels like set dressing/weak fanservice and imo didn’t add much. His presence is/should be a big deal and it felt kiiind of cheap to me, idk. I just wish it was handled better. On learning that he + the others got their kung fu abilities taken away thus rendering them useless, that was a fun idea to me – it would render them quite ‘harmless’ and put them all out of sorts. I would have loved to see more of Tai Lung and/or the others struggling with the simple fact that their abilities have been wiped and they’re kinda ‘helpless’ (I mean, in the case of characters like Tai Lung, their still strong and imposing, but have none of the actual kung fu moves). I was misled into thinking Tai Lung would be ‘tagging along’ with Po or something like that within this movie, and while I was on the fence/worried about how it would be executed, none of that even materialised anyway. Why was he on the poster he was barely in the film and given so little to do…

Like. Seeing e.g. Shen there was just jarring as well cause he’s just There. He doesn’t do anything. And apparently he was a late addition to the film like they slapped him in there last minute and I’m just like. hm

THE VILLAINS BOWING was very egregious to me. I call bull. Unearned. Out of left field. They WOULDN’T! And even if they would. It was absolutely not sufficiently set up for THAT kind of payoff. You need to put in WAY more work to even try pull something like THAT off. Yeah, they were annoyed by their treatment from the Chameleon. They would be ‘grateful’ to be saved by Po or w/e but even THEN. I cannot see it. I was in utter disbelief when that happened I was just like… there’s no way. I saw Masha talking about how Shen would ‘never’ bow like that and I agree 100% I’m just like… Hello?

Again… For me personally the Tai Lung stuff just felt kinda awkward and unearned. Like, if they wanna do that, they gotta give him more screentime. They gotta give him more stuff to DO. Let him get free somehow and briefly fumble/awkwardly try to help out Po in the absence of his kung fu abilities idk (the enemy of his enemy is his friend, etc etc, he’s fed up with the Chameleon so he wants her taken down, and so on). Of course, part of this stuff comes down to the movie’s short runtime + poor pacing. And if it’s true that this was done very intentionally because ‘kids can’t watch long movies’ then man that is just so depressing to me. This movie badly needed a longer runtime and it could have done so much with it.

Okay random positive thing to end this off... I love the whole deal/concept with a building like, on the edge of a cliff and w/e and the lampshading of how much of a bad idea it is amused me (but tbh I do think there are in-universe reasons, like, the 'danger' aspect of it is part of the appeal/point of its establishment in-universe as well). I'm a sucker for fight scenes that make use of the idiosyncracies of the surrounding environment so that's always gonna be a plus for me.

The villain lady was cool she had a nice imposing atmosphere. I like her voice

It was like, not a disaster. It was fun. it amused me. But it wasn't satisfying in a way that 3 was for me. Movies 1 & 2 were perfect, no notes. 3 was still GOOD. 4 was like... :/ like it was alright. Just didn't hit the spot.

[windor-truffle]

As I get closer and closer to actually being able to post my WIP on AO3 I have to figure out the hardest part of fic writing... the tags 😓 idk if it's just me but I've always struggled to figure out proper tagging etiquette on that site. Maybe y'all can help me?

I think I've decided to rate it 'Mature' mainly for the frequent suicidal ideation/attempts (though I honestly think a level-minded teen could handle that topic just fine). That will definitely make it into the main tags too, it's a whole character arc and themetically relevant part of the story that is nevertheless dark and good to warn readers of.

Where I tend to get stuck is the smaller instances of potentially triggering things. For example, Aston hits his son once (1) in chapter 3, then that never happens again for the remaining 25 chapters. Should I still add "domestic child abuse" to the main tags, or is it enough to put a warning in the author's notes of the relevant chapter (with specfics on where it begins and ends in the paragraphs, like how some YouTubers mention timestamps in their videos so viewers can skip certain topics)?

I personally would prefer the latter so I can avoid just the upsetting part and enjoy the rest of the story. To use myself as an example, I am easily squicked by vomiting. If I see a fic tagged with vomiting I will most likely not read it because I assume if they tagged it it must be relevant enough to be noted, but I actually can handle it being mentioned once as long as there aren't any graphic details. In fact I can think of a specific fic I enjoyed that did NOT tag for vomiting and only mentioned it briefly so all I did was wince a little and move on. If it had been in the main tags, I never would have read it.

I guess my confusion boils down to whether the tags of a fic are meant to convey EVERYTHING in a fic or just the most relevant aspects. I've heard tagging compared to a nutritional label before, but unlike those I feel like AO3's current system just doesn't allow you to convey the ratio of its contents well; to me, a 500 word fic that mentions a squick is worse than a 50,000 word fic where that same squick can be easily drowned out by other non-triggering events. I'm just worried that tagging my fic with "child abuse" will make it sound like it's ABOUT child abuse when that's only a very small part of it, like calling a cupcake salty just for containing salt. But I suppose for someone allergic to salt it might be better to be told that immediately, instead of in a missable author's note.

And this isn't even getting into some of my other confusions around AO3, like knowing the exact popular phrase to describe a trope--- I recently posted a fic in which the type of love the protagonist is feeling is left to interpretation, with room for platonic or romantic readings. I'm certain there's a term for that in fan fic (I definitely toggled the "other" button under relationships), but my inputted tag "ambiguous love" didn't seem to be a thing, only "ambiguous relationship" which is NOT what I had in mind--- the relationship dynamic is established (at least to the characters), it's just the internal feelings of one character that are loosely defined on purpose. But I suppose this one's up to the tag wranglers, though I wonder sometimes how accurately they can assign intended meanings to the tags without reading the fics for context.

And I have plenty of other questions too, most but not all relating to my particular fic: Does a chapter set partially inside the Rockgagong count as vore? (it's a little more graphic than canon but that's a very low bar and I'd hardly say it's intentional). Is it okay to tag things that haven't happened yet in the chapters I will be posting first, or will that confuse readers who are expecting those tropes to appear already because they have been tagged? (I'm worried I'll forget to update the tags once the relevant chapters are posted). If a relevant trope would be considering a spoiler is it okay to not tag it at all? (my instinct would be to still tag it, especially if it's something potentially triggering, but I also personally would rather not know so I could maintain my emersion instead of waiting for the thing to happen). Feel free to weigh in on this, friends, as you can see I'm generally clueless and prone to overthinking 😅

[romanarose]

Hello there ✨️ love your work 💕 I'm a long time fan 🫶🏼. I've been on tumblr a few years now, but I'd never found the courage to post anything of my own til now. I've been feeling a little optimistic these days, and genuinely excited about posting some of my writing and sharing it with the people out here. Do you have any advice on how to start posting and interacting from scratch? Cause I'm low-key nervous abt it and it seems like my target audience has already formed a solid community I don't know how to get into 🥺

Wow, this might be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me wowie!!!!!!

okay let me tell my advice

The numbers don't equal quality. Certain things appeal to people more, like shorter stories, straight up smut, Joel Miller gets way more than when I write Marc. I think one of my best works was my Marc X Jewish!Reader series, Seattle, but it idnt get anywhere really even at the height of moon knight popularity bc people dont read OC's esp ethnic oc's. Put your heart into it and those who enjoy it will enjoy it. I had a William Miller series that averaged like 8-20 notes per chapter but I had a handful of readers I knew adored it and thats what mattered

This site is so much better with interaction. PLEASE DON"T ONLY INTERACT FOR THE SAKE OF GETTING FRIENDS WHO"LL REBLOG!! However, if you dont already, make sure you are reblogging stories and leaving nice words! Me personally, if someone reblogs regularly and leave nice words, espcially things that show they really paid attention, I usually just follow back bc I love friends. Im happy to get to know you!

Yes, it's hard sometimes to break it. It took a few months for me to get into the Oscar Issac writer circles, and then when I started writing Pedro it took a while too but I always reblogged and tried to communicate and I made friends. Isn't it crazy we can just.... become friends with our fav writers? Obvs Im not friends with all my favs but MOST of my favs became my friends <3

It's kinda annoying to me bc Im bad at it but aesthetics help. Title, a picture to catch eyes, summary, warnings, note. Try to make it look nice. Im really had at this LMFAOOOOOO. My lovely friends have made my best looking banners. If you have graphic design skills, use them! i wish i didn't have to but it does help catch readers when you have an interesting headers and everything looks pretty.

Few technicals. Use the readmore option. No one wants to reblog a LOOOOOONG story and clog up the feeds. Use as many correct tags as you can. Tag any triggering content. And I'm the worst at this but proof read. Im bad at proof reading, everyone who reads my work knows spelling, grammar, wrong words are a common issue I have bc Im bad at typing. When I still had word on my laptop I started typing in word and using text to speach to help me catch stuff!

Keep at it! IDK where you know my work, weather moon knight, triple frontier or tlou or whatever but all those fandoms right now are like.... a little less active. So don't be dissapointed if it takes a while. With TLOU, theres SOOOOOOO many amazing writers. With Moon Knight theres just less buzz rn. If you write for lesser known characters like Llewyn Davis or Will Miller, you probs won't reach the notes of established writers in Joel Miller. Just the reality. the point is keep going, find what you like and what gets people excited and go from there

This is the most important. Write what you want. I mean it. I love writing Will Miller because he's my special man <3 even though it's a small fanbase. My series Rooms On Fire, a lot have lost interest bc its a long series. That's okay! I love the series and it makes me happy to write it. I wrote a few Miguel O'Hara stories because, I'm being honest here, I wanted to capitalize on the hype. Guess what? They weren't good. I'm not proud of them. Since then, I write what Im inspired to.

THIS SHOULD BE FUN AND IF AT ANY POINT, IT"S NOT FUN STOP AND FIGURE OUT WHY

feel free to say hi off anon! I'm always happy to get to know new people. If you like Triple Frontier, I have a discord server that is pretty much open to everyone! I'm trying to revive it and you can share your works and meet knew people!

Anon or not, let me know if you have any questions!

[govindhtech]

Introducing the MTB 03 Wireless Earbuds Performance

MTB 03 Wireless Earbuds: After releasing its luxurious MTB 01 over-ear headphones in 2020, Montblanc is back with more true wireless in-ear headphones. The luxury brand’s evolution is clear, but the market is crowded with great wireless earbuds for less money.

Does Montblanc have enough to keep its core audience interested while luring new fans from Bang & Olufsen, Bowers & Wilkins, and Sony?

Montblanc hired Audeze founder Alex Rosson to help with the MTB 01’s sound profile. This time, Sennheiser enlisted audio legend Axel Grell, who designed many of its most famous headphones. Switzerland deserves praise for knowing when to seek help.

MTB 03 Wireless Earbuds Design

Aluminum charging case (85.45 grams) is flawless and understatedly premium. They used the Montblanc snowcap emblem on the case and earbuds to add subtle “luxury” to a true wireless earbud design, which is difficult. The tiny port for silicon eartips has a mountain-peak star shape. Not many will notice this detail, but luxury brands often neglect it when going tech.

The 6-gram earbuds are made from the same black resin as the Montblanc Meisterstück pen and feature a snowcap emblem and a tiny Montblanc engraved chrome ring. The snowcap detailing stands out in a knowing, appreciative crowd (OK, if you usually turn left getting on a plane), and the case feels good in the hand and should appeal to existing customers.

Montblanc concludes with free charging case engraving. You can put 13 characters in three fonts.

Generous Features

Montblanc has packed this device with features, though not as many as the Sony WX1000XM5. Wireless charging, ANC, IPX4 water resistance, and touch controls on each emblem for music and calls. The proximity sensors that play and pause when you put the earbuds in are always appreciated.

The buds can last up to six hours depending on ANC use, and the battery lasts 12 hours. This gives you 18 hours of playtime, and USB-C fast charging can add 100 minutes in 15 minutes.

The earbuds are easy to use. As comfortable as any we’ve tried recently. The touch controls are trigger-happy, so it’s easy to accidentally play/pause when adjusting them, but this is typical of true wireless designs. The lack of volume control is confusing. The onboard controls on Apple’s AirPods Pro are my favorite.

If compatible, your smartphone or audio player supports SBS, AAC, and adaptive aptX audio codecs and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity with a 10-meter range. Naturally, Montblanc included active noise cancellation, a must-have feature. ANC can be turned on and off in Travel, Sport, and Office modes. Live mode (transparency) lets you see outside, and you can choose Attention, Environment, or Voice Focus.

The ANC is good but not great for premium business traveler earbuds. It’s functional but lacks Apple, Bose, and Sony’s signature calmness

That the MTB 03 didn’t sound good would be a shame given its price, market, and experts. One of the best true wireless headphones this reviewer has tried, they sound great.

The 7-mm Beryllium drivers stand up well here (20 Hz to 20 kHz), and Alex Grell tuned them just right of neutral. They have a Goldilocks-like balance of low end (a fair and appreciated wallop of bass) and upper end to make all digital recordings shine. There are no surprises, just a rich, enjoyable performance.

Despite its high price and typical audio product launch hyperbole, Alex Grell does not consider the MTB 03 audiophile. He tells WIRED, “It’s a great sounding profile, but it’s not made for audiophiles. The product is for those who want to feel good.

They are often bloated, brand-recognition, price-tag-justifying, data-collection exercises with little value beyond firmware updates. The Montblanc Sound App is pretty, easy to use, and has many features, including a comprehensive EQ with sound profiles for most genres, audiobooks, and podcasts. Adjust each profile to your liking and create your own.

The app is complete and easy to use, but tweaking Axel Grell’s sound profile choices feels like telling 19-time Michelin Star chef Alain Ducasse which knife end to hold. Yes, adding a few hertz for personalization is nice, but after trying all the presets with their genres, the default sounds better. Note that “audiobook/podcast” should be ignored.

The Montblanc MTB 03 are luxury headphones. They are luxurious and designed for executive business-class travelers and Montblanc customers. The company succeeded.

They make music sound great, are comfortable to wear for long periods, and discreetly express their exclusivity.

After teething issues are resolved, loyal brand fans who value the tiny white snowcap emblem’s exclusivity won’t be disappointed.

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