#slate anon if you're out there i love you & i was inspired by you for that name

[amiharana]

Do you even need me to request kpop revalink

(kpop idol revali for reference)

i'm just going to put your two asks together lmao

this idea is so big-brained and on brand. i was originally already beginning to write about link and zelda being in an idol duo (an idea i borrowed from my concepted fe3h kpop idols au LOL), but this lines up better with revalink's canon interactions ^^ maybe zelda can be analogous to IU or taeyeon or another huge kpop soloist

i'm going to continue in the assumed world where HYRULE CORP is the main company, and the companies link and revali are from are subsidiaries of HYRULE, i.e. revali is under Hebra Ent. and link is actually from a smaller, newly acquired company called Necluda Music. i'm gonna pull an olivia hye on link and say he actually only trained for one day before the managers decided they wanted him to debut, because he's actually a fucking prodigy; he passed the audition with flying colors, and the vocal coaches and dance teachers think he's already debut-ready 🫣 in contrast, i'm going to pull a jihyo on revali and have him be a trainee of 10 years LMFOAKJDHFKDJ should i pull a TWICE on RiTO and have them form via competition/survival show too?

warning for the below. this was extremely self-indulgent and perhaps indecipherable because i used so many kpop terms. but i had a lot of fun writing it.

at this time, RiTO have been rookies for a couple months now and are preparing for their next comeback with a mini album (their debut was only a single), when revali gets the news that their new sister company Necluda Music (what a dumb name, revali thinks) will be debuting a brand new soloist by the name of LINK, with who the company wants to demonstrate a better way of connecting the fans to their idol. revali is still a little bitter about having to debut in a group, even though teba and his hyungs (KDJFJKDFJD) are helping him deal with the bitterness better, so revali can't help but get a little frumpy and sour. but when he hears that this kid has only trained for ONE DAY (alexa play 'just one day' by bts) and is debuting already, he is absolutely beside himself with anger.

"what do you mean he only trained for a day before they decided he would debut?" revali screeches, slamming the door of the practice room open. kass jumps and yells in surprise, where teba and harth's eyes widen at the sound and they spin to look at revali. mimo doesn't even flinch and continues stretching. "i trained for ten years since i was a child, and this kid gets to debut like it's nothing?!"

teba relaxes and sighs. "there's nothing we can do about it, revali," he tries to say as calmly as possible, but he's already a little irritated with revali's attitude. their maknae has yet to mature. "we're not even under the same company. if necluda's ceo thinks he's ready to debut, then he debuts. and if he fails, then he fails."

"but don't you think it's unfair, hyung?" revali says, stalking into the room towards his leader. "we trained for years for a chance to debut, and he doesn't even get hours before they shove him onto the stage. what's so special about him?"

"we'll find out soon enough," harth grumbles, and turns back towards the mirror to continue stretching with mimo. "he debuts in a month, doesn't he?" mimo hums in affirmation.

"just because link was able to debut sooner does not negate your talent, revali," kass says gently. "you worked very hard to get to where you are now, and you were finally able to debut, a feat most trainees may never achieve. you are an extremely talented vocalist and dancer, and they're calling you the it boy of this generation of idols. you should be proud of yourself, you know!"

revali tries his best not to blush at the compliments, but his cheeks pinken anyway and he pouts, crossing his arms and looking away. "i suppose you're right..."

teba claps a hand on revali's shoulder. "try not to worry about it so much," he advises. "focus on your lessons and practicing the new songs. comeback is just around the corner, and it'll do you no good kicking up a fuss about that kid." revali nods and they start practicing for their new song. but try as he might to heed teba's words, revali can't stop thinking about this mysterious new soloist and just exactly how talented he could possibly be to debut so soon...

(the night that link debuts, revali is ready. he has youtube open on his laptop huddled in his bed, watching the countdown to the music video and a furrow in his brow. he's had the video open all day since he got the notification that the video would drop tonight and he's waiting. he has to know what this link kid has that his 8 year old self didn't.

it's everything. link naturally has everything that revali didn't. his voice, his body control, his charisma, all of it. begrudgingly, he has to accept that link does have what it takes to debut so soon. and that he isn't so bad looking. no, revali does not like him, KASS GET BACK HERE—)

link's debut is extremely successful, a single called 'LEGEND' with a kid-becomes-superhero concept. link has a very "boy next door" look to him, so of course the girlies are about to eat him up, he's a cutie and everyone wants to bring him home to their parents ☝️😹 bro is breaking both hyrule corp's records and industry records, he's already on par with the corporation's top soloists zelda and ganon, and fans are calling the three of them together as the "Triforce", since they're a triple threat for hyrule corp 😁 people are predicting how many music show wins link is going to get and whether or not he's going to chart on billboard and how high, longevity vs freefall, how many views the mv is going to get in 24 hours, etc

and revali is furious. RiTO is going to start losing its hype if link ends up charting on billboard or get more music show wins than their debut did. sure, the kid's good but he can't be better than revali! revali would rather die than let link be better than him.

the other members are more optimistic and try to pay less attention to link's debut, choosing to focus on their own comeback. meanwhile, every day that revali walks into the practice room, he's a little ball of burning, spitting fire, talking about how their debut was so much better than link's and that he doesn't understand the hype. but in the middle of talking shit, revali kind of accidentally reveals that he's basically been keeping up with link's promotion schedule? "i watched the studio choom video, it wasn't even that good. he's relying too much on the backup dancers and camera angles." or "apparently, he's performing on inkigayo too. let's hope that it'll be better than his music bank stage. hmph."

it's not until link does an interview on one of those variety shows when the host asks link who inspires him the most, that revali's entire life gets flipped upside his head. "ah," link says, his cheeks flushing pink and smiling shyly, "well, i have a lot of people who inspire me, like my family or zelda-sunbaenim, but the person who inspires me the most... it would be RiTO's revali-sunbaenim."

revali is watching the interview in the living room of their shared dormitory, sat in the middle of the couch in between all of his members, all of their eyes widening. his mouth drops and his eyes bug out of his head. "what?!" he nearly shouts.

mimo shakes his head. "couldn't have seen that coming."

"oh, revali from RiTO?" even the host is surprised. "can you tell us more?"

"sure," link says, beaming. "i've always admired revali-sunbae because he's a very talented performer and he was a trainee for such a long time. i remember seeing him on tv for hebra entertainment's old competition show when i was a kid, and i was so moved by how he refused to back down when the judges told him he was too young to debut. of course, this industry is not safe for children, but revali-sunbae's passion to perform and his determination to debut was so cool!" link's cheeks darken a little more and he smiles shyly at the camera again. "ah... and he worked hard and debuted well in his group, with a successful song and concept."

"haha, that's amazing, link-ssi!" the host laughs. "if revali-ssi was here or if he was watching, what would you say to him?"

"revali-sunbae," link says, staring at the camera with sparkling eyes, "thank you for inspiring me to aim high and to chase after my own dreams. your determination and talent motivates and challenges my own performance and i will always strive to perform as well as you. i hope we can meet and work together one day. fighting, revali-sunbae!" he stands up from his chair and does a full 90º bow, to which the host of the variety show laughs in surprise and claps.

"wah, you have so much respect for revali-sunbae, who would've known!" they remark. "revali-ssi, if you see this, please treat your hoobae well!"

the interview continues with other unrelated topics, but revali is still staring blankly at the tv screen, mouth still agape and eyes wide. there's just no way that happened just now. link? inspired by revali? motivated and challenged by revali?

"hello, earth to revali," harth says, waving his hand in front of revali's eyes. it breaks his gaze and he shakes his head. "are you back with us yet?"

"he had to have been lying," revali immediately insists.

"why would he lie?" mimo muses. "he remembers you from that shitty old competition show and it clearly had an impact on him as a kid. you can see the genuinity in his eyes,"

revali cringes at the memory of being on that show and how he acted as a child, but shakes his head again. "he could be saying it to associate with us and boost his popularity!" okay, to be fair that was terrible reasoning, but revali is scrambling to pull any cards to explain why link would be lying about being inspired by him. he had to be lying... right?

"i told you, revali, you're the it boy of this generation of idols," kass snickers. "of course you're going to have fans."

"shut up," revali growls, crossing his arms and curling in on himself. "there's just no way..."

but where there's a will, there's a way 😊 almost immediately after that clip of link's interview comes out, the RiTO social media accounts' notifications are blowing up asking for revali's response. fans are trending revali and link's names, and a portmanteau of them as "revalink". all the tweets are about how cute link is looking up to revali and how revali and link would make a good pair, and revali just can't stop flushing as he scrolls through the trending tags about all of these comments. and strangely, revali's managers aren't even mad about the situation. "this could be good for publicity," they say. "since link's debut was so popular, showing good feelings towards each other might make RiTO more popular too. please reply to link and say something nice to him. maybe congratulate him on debuting or compliment him, just make sure you say something nice."

so at the insistence of his managers, revali does exactly that and only that. he goes to the RiTO twitter account and tweets out a short, but polite, "@/LINK_NCM Congratulations on your debut :) Fighting! -Revali" and though he means it to be only short and polite, that is not how the internet takes it. instead, it feeds the flames of this whole #revalink thing and suddenly, revali has dating rumors with this new rookie.

kpop websites like allkpop and koreaboo are posting articles with clips of link's interview and revali's tweet with dumbass headlines like "RiTO's Revali responds to new soloist Link's plea: Are the two seeing each other?" there are analysis videos talking about how link blushed when he mentioned revali, so they must be dating, right??? like for goddess's sake, all link said was that revali was cool as fuck and that he was inspired by revali, it didn't mean that they were seeing each other! not that revali would mind if they dated. what? he didn't say that.

revali is lying facedown on the floor of the practice room having screamed for about half an hour to let go of his frustrations, but the irritation still pricks up and down his spine. teba and harth find him like that when they enter the room and rolls their eyes.

"stop screaming, you're going to ruin your voice," teba says. harth walks over to crouch by revali and pushes him to roll him over onto his back. revali lets himself get rolled but glares at his members.

"this is ridiculous," he spits from the floor. "how could something as irrelevant as a compliment spiral into the most convoluted dating rumor in the entire world? there was nothing that could have indicated i felt any sort of way towards that imbecile in my tweet so why on earth is the internet exploding with such nonsense? it's simply just...!" revali rolls back over onto his stomach and screams. "asinine!"

"keep your voice down, or we're going to get noise complaints," teba says, pinching in between his eyes. "this is just the way the fans are, which is why we have to be careful about what we say about or how we interact with other artists. there's nothing wrong with link looking up to you, but regardless of whether or not you acknowledged him would have blown up either way. if you didn't say anything, fans would think you're blowing him off and being disrespectful. and even if you said anything less, fans would still think you've been secretly seeing each other. it's impossible to eliminate speculation in environments like this." teba crouches on the other side of revali's facedown body and sighs, softening his voice. "nothing else can be done to remedy the situation other than to let it die down. just keep being polite and hope that the fans find something else to go crazy over. now come on, we're reviewing the b-side choreo today."

"this is ridiculous," revali mumbles again, but he stands up and dusts himself off. "if this is what happens when you acknowledge other idols, i am never tweeting or being nice to anyone ever again. i'm deleting that cursed app off of my phone and you can all make up fake tweets for me."

"don't be dramatic," teba responds, gently tapping the top of revali's head with his palm. "now get to stretching while we wait for mimo and kass."

you know how music shows will have idols be the hosts, introduce the performing idols, and interview them and shit? now what if link and revali get selected to host together 😊 to be honest i don't really watch that many music shows if it's not a clip of the performance i'm watching for, like i don't sit there and watch throughout the entire music show lolksdjhkd so i don't really know what the dynamics of idols hosting together is like? i do know that they usually have cards they read off of tho lol

the managers tell revali that he's going to host M Countdown or some shit and he's like Cool I guess, who am I hosting with? and they reluctantly are like. Erm. Link. and revali's eyes go wide and red with anger, he's ready to throw a fit, until teba claps a hand on his shoulder and tells him to calm down.

"i told you not to be dramatic," he says, as revali silently fumes under teba's hand. "you're making a big deal out of nothing."

"out of nothing?" revali hisses. "does mnet want me dead or do they want me to kill link first?"

teba bops him on the head and revali squawks. "don't make threats or it'll be me who makes you a first kill," he says. "just be polite and read off the cards. you're already a good actor, your fanservice was top notch even though you hated us all at first."

"i already apologized for that," revali grumbles rubbing his head. "but it's different with link."

"is it because you like him?" kass teases.

"no!" revali squawks. "because i still can't stand the thought of that upstart training only for a day before getting to debut. i don't care that he's vocally talented and has great control over his body. i want nothing to do with him!"

"i bet if he was on masked singer, you'd recognize his voice right away," kass sighs. revali screams and goes barreling at his fellow member, teba holding him back.

THIS POST IS GETTING SO LONG NOW but imagining revali finally meeting link at m countdown and link is just. so completely starstruck when revali greets him and his manager. he bows at a complete 90º angle again (he would have down a full floor bow if his manager didn't pull him up), and looks up at revali with bright sparkling eyes.

"a-ah, hello revali-sunbaenim!" link says, nearly squeaking. "it's a pleasure to meet you!"

revali bows slightly in response to be respectful, but the squeak in link's voice and his sparkling eyes... intrigue him. "it's a pleasure to meet you as a well, link-hoobaenim," he lies cleanly. but is it really a lie?

link is still staring at him in his fanboy mode, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, and his manager elbows him. "y-yes!" he stammers, jumping. "ah i'm sorry i'm so nervous, revali-sunbae, it's just really cool to meet you in person and i'm excited to work with you!"

revali hums, link's words stroking his ego just a little bit. "you haven't hosted a show before either, have you?" he says.

link shakes his head frantically. "no, revali-sunbae, this will be my first time hosting a show."

and revali stares a little bit at him. "hm. let's do well together, then, link-hoobae," he says, nodding and then turning to walk away back to his green room. "see you later."

as he walks away, he swears he hears link squeak again. "purah manager-nim, he's so cool!" and revali fights the smile trying to make its way onto his lips. cute. what? he didn't say that. he does not think link is cute. (maybe a little...)

when they start filming the MC portions, revali can't keep his eyes off of link. the blond is bright and cheery, ever smiling and enthusiastic, and revali can't help but play off of his energy. the film crew hands them their card prompts and signal for them to start talking with a thumbs up.

"hi everyone! we're counting down to the greatest acts of the kpop world here at: m countdown!" they greet together, and then link introduces himself.

"i'm the hero who will fight for you, LINK!" he says, holding up a peace sign and pressing one of fingers into his cheek, winking.

"and i'm the wings that will take you to the sky, Revali," revali says, saluting and winking as well. "and we are your brand new MCs for the season." link cheers, shaking his hands jazz-hand style.

"revali-sunbaenim," link then says, reading off of his cards, "it's our first time being MCs ever! are you nervous?"

"i'm not nervous at all," revali says smoothly, glancing at his cards. "are you feeling nervous, link-hoobaenim?"

"ah, maybe a little bit," link says, rubbing the back of his head and smiling shyly at the camera. "i'm only a rookie standing next to the awesome it boy of our generation and my role model! i want to do well!" he winks and raises a fist, pumping it into the air.

revali cringes internally. who is writing these cards? "oh, i'm flattered, but you debuted well, our favorite superhero-next door. link-hoobae, how old are you?"

"me? i'm a year younger than you, revali-sunbaenim," link says, looking at revali with wide eyes. revali can't tell if he's just acting or not, with how real the surprised look on link's face is.

"ah, well in that case, just call me hyung," he says, faking a smile. truthfully, he doesn't want link to call him hyung — they don't even know each other like that yet — but it's part of the script, so he has to read it out. revali is seriously going to chew out whoever wrote these cards. "you'll feel more comfortable if you call me hyung, right?"

and it's like link forgets his line for a moment, just staring wide-eyed and mouth agape at revali. if he focuses, revali thinks that link's cheeks are pink now. but link jumps right back into the script, "ah, yes, revali-hyung! i'm more comfortable now, thank you." he turns back to the camera, still smiling shyly. "ah, revali-hyung is so cool, he makes my heart beat so fast! which reminds me, the group who has a comeback today will make your heart beat fast too!"

so they list off everyone who's performing today and what songs, they go over who the top artists of last week were, more dumb MC skits, some short interviews with some of the performing groups, and the entire time, revali can't get his mind off of the way link said "revali-hyung". he thought he was going to hate it, but... he actually doesn't mind as much as he thought he would? weird.

when the MC filming is done, they step out of the shooting area and link immediately turns to revali and bows at the same 90º angle he did last time. "revali-sunbaenim, i'm so sorry," he says. "i didn't realize that the cards were going to say that, i won't call you hyung if you don't want me to." revali stares in surprise but link stays in his full bow.

"link-hoobae, please stand up," he finally manages. slowly, link does, but he keeps his eyes downcast, his brows furrowed into a crestfallen expression on his face. "it's fine, i didn't know either. please don't worry too much. please keep referring to me as sunbaenim when we are not on the set. thank you for being respectful of me, link-hoobaenim."

"of course, revali-sunbaenim!" link says and bows again. "i look forward to filming with you again, revali-sunbaenim!" he bows once more, which revali returns and part ways. he stares curiously after the blond who hurries back to his own green room. huh. i mean... maybe revali wouldn't mind too much if link called him hyung from now on. not that he'd admit that out loud!

anyways the longer that link and revali MC together, the more they kinda become like this compilation of eunchae and chaemin. they start ignoring the cards and just bicker (read: flirt aggressively) for five minutes straight and at first their managers and the show staff are like, PLEASE just stick to the script. but the fans are super into it because they're all revalink shippers 😭 so they just let revali and link bicker/flirt during the show as long as they follow the script and the views skyrocket because the chemistry is insane LMFAOKJDFDK

i just think. kpop idols au revalink ☝️😃

[givemea-dam-break]

Hi there! Previous anon, prompt 21 from the one just titled “prompts list”

21 - “It’s pointless to count stars.” “It’s also pointless to count your freckles, but I know that you have 13 on the back of your hand.”

a/n: perfect!! i hope you enjoy <3 this is a long one so buckle up

for those of you who don’t know, this is the rest of the ask: “ Could you maybe do prompt 21 with Lockwood? Maybe where Lucy has just joined, and all of his attention is on her, and reader feels forgotten? And so she ends up like laying on the roof because she's upset and wants to be alone and he comes out and joins her? "

warnings: mild angst prompt: "It's pointless to count stars." "It's also pointless to count your freckles, but I know that you have 13 on the back of your hand." gn reader

It's nippy out tonight.

Despite it being early summer, there's a chill in the air that bites the bare skin of your arms and your face. The slates that make up the roof of 35 Portland Row seem to have soaked up every last vestigial of warmth from your bones without even warming up themselves.

Up above, the sky should be dark, but the lights of London cast it in an orangey glow that makes you miss your old home, miles and miles away from the city. London may have its benefits, but you miss seeing the night sky in all its glory. You miss the constellations and the endless black that stretches over the world, free of lights and noisy night cabs honking in the ghost-lamp-covered streets.

Heaving a sigh, you pull your legs to your chest and wrap your arms around them.

What has led to you sitting up on the roof of a three-storey house?

A multitude of things, you think. It could well be the fact that the case from the other night freaked you out; that ghost of a murdered grandmother out for vengeance on her - now - elderly grandkids that had ended with you hanging out of a smashed window, held on only by George's kit bag that was stuck in the frame until he and Lockwood were able to hoist you up. Maybe it was that other ghost you saw on the way home from Arif's a week ago - its peeling face had just appeared out of the ground and almost caught your leg. That one was creepy. Or perhaps, and most convincingly of all, it's the new hire.

If you're being completely honest, you had been entirely supportive of hiring a new agent. After three months of (legal) work with just Lockwood and George, and a year of living with them before that, you were in desperate need of some other company. Too many times have you been greeted when coming home from a case by George cleaning the house in nothing but a T-shirt that if he dared bend down would reveal more than you were willing to see. Too many times had the two boys been just that - boys - and had irritated the living daylights out of you. You were in dire need of some new friends.

You just hadn't realised that everything would change because of it.

Lucy Carlyle is great, really. As a roomie? Messy, but nothing you aren't used to. As a person? Lovely, albeit grumpy in the mornings and prone to becoming frustrated when she doesn't really need to be. In all honesty, there is nothing wrong with Lucy, and you're slowly becoming quite close.

It's Lockwood that's the problem.

Your relationship with Lockwood, as frustratingly platonic as it is, has been founded on years of friendship that you will cherish for the rest of your life. As soon as you were able, your parents packed up and shipped you off to London to work for the notorious Fittes agency, and they benefitted from your labour. Safe to say, it pissed you off. You met Lockwood during his apprenticeship with an independent agent and hit it off, meeting George a mere month later when you were teamed up together. It was your trio and your anger at the system that inspired the creation of Lockwood and Co. Perhaps not the most prestigious of agencies, but it was yours.

It took a lot of work establishing a business, and you had to pull a few strings and fake some tears in order to get all of the DEPRAC insurance you needed - Lockwood wasn't exactly in the good books of some of their employees - but you all managed and had your own special roles.

Lockwood, the leader, the face of it all. He's always been your anchor, the thing that kept the ship from sinking. Whenever you were on a hard case that had you frightened, it was Lockwood that gave you confidence with nothing but an easy grin and a light joke. His Talent of Sight is stronger than anyone else you have met.

George, the researcher. He finds everything that essentially keeps you alive on a case: the backstory, the house plans, the history of the site and the ghost. If not for his desire to know absolutely everything he possibly could, the cases you've completed would have been impossible. Plus, he's a great cook and figured out that Arif's offered home deliveries. Life changing.

Then there's you. You've always liked to think you were the glue that kept the team together. Whenever the boys had an argument, it was you that got them to buck up and fix their attitudes. But you're also the one to slink the company out of trouble. While DEPRAC has grown used to Lockwood's charming smiles, they can't deny the person who keeps him on track and their sweet talk.

It was the perfect trio. Everything was balanced, and you figured it would still be once a new agent was hired.

Oh, how wrong you were.

Shivering in the cold, you can hear the voices of your friends pouring out of the opened kitchen window. You're not entirely sure what they're talking about, but you can hear Lockwood's questions. His admiration for Lucy is palpable, clogging your throat.

He's allowed other friends, you know, but it's not that what bothers you. It's the way he looks at her: that sparkle in his eyes when she speaks; the soft quirk of his lips that implies a private smile in favour of his infamous grin; how his gaze follows the twists and curves of her words.

It's the way you look at him.

You'd be lying to say that you don't care for Lockwood more than a friend should. The way you feel for him is entirely different than you've felt for anyone. Almost as if he's an amplifier of your emotions, igniting them to impossible levels until it feels like you're burning endlessly. For years, you've buried the feelings deep, refusing to acknowledge them. But, now, it's proving to be increasingly hard when he's exhibiting the exact same feelings but for someone else.

In your daze, you didn't notice the voices in the kitchen fade away, so you jump when there's a voice below in your attic bedroom.

"(name)?"

Lockwood. Your heart feels heavy.

You shuffle down slightly until you can wave your foot in front of the window. Seconds later, the glass pane swings open and Lockwood's head pokes out. His cheeks are already becoming rosy from the chill.

"What are you doing up here?" he asks. "We missed you at dinner."

Watching as he climbs out of the window and up onto the roof, you murmur, "Counting stars, I suppose."

He is quiet for a moment as he gets comfortable on the stone-cold slates. "It's pointless to count stars, you know. All the light pollution - can't even see them."

"It's also pointless to count your freckles," you say, leaning back on the roof and closing your eyes, "but I know that you have thirteen on the back of your hand."

A long pause. "So I do. Very perceptive."

You can feel his warmth when he lies down next to you, but you keep your eyes shut. Maybe if you do, you can pretend that his hand is close because he wants to hold yours; or that he's looking at you the same way you do him, with nothing but adoration and love and a little bit of humour. Anything is possible when your eyes are shut.

"So, what's the real reason for you being out here? You've not climbed up out here since that case in Camden when you had the misfortune of seeing George's bottom sticking out of a window."

Shivering at the memory, you say, "I guess I've not felt quite right lately."

"That I know. You turned down George's homemade sausage rolls. They're your favourite."

"They are." You clasp your hands over your stomach, fearing that they'll have a mind of their own and reach for Lockwood's. "I don't know."

A blatant lie, and you're sure he knows it because he shuffles an inch closer. His gaze burns on your cheek, but you don't look. It's easier not to. You're afraid you'll admit things that should stay hidden if you do.

"Is it because I kept you home from that case yesterday? I'm sorry - I just didn't think it was a good idea. I mean, you seemed quite ill -"

"It's not that," you say, but your voice is a mere whisper.

It's true. That isn't the bit that bothered you. It's the fact he took Lucy instead of you or even took both of you along. For god's sake, he even took George! It was just you being singled out.

"Then what is it? (name), I'm worried about you. You don't speak to me anymore."

The words are there, choking you. I love you too much to see you love someone else. It kills me to watch you forget about me.

He's like the stars in a way. You can't see the stars right now, but you know they're there, and the knowledge of that is painful because they're so close but so far. With Lockwood, it's similar. You know he's there, and you can physically see him, but he's so distant from you now. He's hidden by new lights that permeate your sky.

"It's Lucy, isn't it?"

Your heart is in your throat. "No."

There's a rustling of clothes as Lockwood sits up. "You don't have to lie to me."

Finally, you open your eyes, greeted by the orange haze of the London night sky. Lockwood's face is just in your vision, right at the edge, but the concern in his eyes is more than evident. There's a crease just between his brows, and the corners of his lips are turned down just so -

No. You need to stop looking for the little details. They'll be your downfall.

"I'm not lying," you insist. "I just - It's not easy to talk about."

"You've always been able to talk to me, (name). Why is this any different?"

"Please don't push me on this, Lockwood."

"It's affecting all of us, though. I don't know what to do with myself, for one, because you're not speaking to me as much. George looks lost without you chipping in for dinner. Which, speaking of, you've not eaten dinner for the past week. We're all concerned."

You don't mean to say anything, really, but everyone has a breaking point, and after weeks of bottling all your feelings up, you've reached yours.

"It's you."

"What?"

Sitting up, you shrug. The cold air bites your skin. "Ever since Lucy joined us, you've been distant. Don't get me wrong, Lucy is great. I really like her. But... You're saying I don't speak to you much now, but you don't make the time for me. You're so obsessed with her and her Talent that you don't have time for me anymore. It's easier for me to just keep myself away from it."

"(name)..." Lockwood frowns, but his eyes stay right on yours. "I don't - I'm not obsessed with Lucy. I've plenty of time to spend with you."

"But you don't." The words weigh heavy on your shoulders, and it feels like your insides are being squished. "You keep me home from cases and take her instead. You barely acknowledge me anymore. More often than not, when I walk in a room you're either fawning over her or about to drag me into a big long spiel about how much you love having her as an agent and friend. You've lost interest in me."

Something sparks in his dark eyes - anger. "You're joking, right? You're my closest friend! I wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

You drag a hand over your face, wishing all of your feelings could melt from your skin and soak into the roof. It's too much to deal with. You don't want this - arguing with Lockwood over feelings you're too scared to explain - but it's inevitable. Everything you've ever done has led to this moment.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," you mumble.

But as you make to swing down through the open window, Lockwood's hand grasps yours. When you look at him, you can't help but analyse all of those little things - those downfalls of yours. The furrow of his brows, the crease in his nose, the little twitch in his cheek. The summer sun has brought out a few freckles on his face, barely visible in the light of the ghost lamps on the streets down below.

"Please, wait." The look in his eyes is enough to give you pause. "I'm not - I'm not obsessed with Lucy, I can assure you of that. Her Talent is interesting, yes, and that's what has me so distracted. But I haven't lost interest in you. I could never. That's like George losing interest in books and research."

Frowning, you grumble, "Thanks for comparing me to inanimate objects."

"No, no, that's not what I meant! But you get my point, right? I don't think George could live without those. And, so..."

He looks at you expectantly, with a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. But it clicks.

It's as if the sky above you has cleared and filled itself with millions of bright stars. The weight on your shoulders has suddenly lifted, and your heart, so heavy mere seconds ago, feels light and free and hopeful.

"If you're worried that I care for Lucy more than I do you, you're horribly wrong." A soft laugh passes his lips. "It's quite impossible. In fact, you're the only thing I think of most of the time. It's led to quite a few close calls."

"You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

"I think you'll find that I'm holding your hand right now." It's a bad joke, you know, because he laughs at it. "No, I'm not. I promised you years ago that I'd never lie to you, didn't I?"

He did. Just a few months after you first met. It was the crux of your feelings for him.

"You really care about me that much?"

There's that grin of his. "More. I love you that much."

And it feels like the whole sky has lit up in brilliant colours, dappled with gorgeous stars. Your elation is bordering on being suffocating, and you're sure you're gripping Lockwood's hand harder than necessary.

"I hope you feel the same, otherwise I'll be really mortified."

The smile that splits your face is one you have never donned before, and he looks wholly entranced by it.

"I do," you say. "More than should be healthy."

"Ah, well, we have a knack for the unhealthy."

[herotome]

Hello, I have been following you for a long time , and I absolutely love your work! Could you please tell us some set facts about the mc of herotome. Thanks in advance. I hope you have a good day/night.

Set facts.... lol it's an interesting topic. I've really tried to keep those to a minimum, but I can share some design ideas (which are similar to facts, though not quite the same thing).

Some basic facts would be:

MC lives with a cat named Katie in a crummy apartment with a punching bag in it

MC's landlord knows her mom (therefore MC has a mom - adoptive? biological? who knows?)

MC has hair. I'm still thinking about how I can rewrite a scene so MC can be bald if you want... haven't figured it out yet

All the dialogue choice are intended to be impulsive thoughts that MC has, and the player is just choosing which one the MC says out loud or acts on.

Many times the array of thoughts are sensible or silly, sometimes those thoughts are negative, judgmental, or even harmful. This is in some ways parallel to my own experience with impulsive and intrusive thoughts, and takes some inspiration from a quote I saw once -- which went something along the lines of:

"We are not responsible for our first thought, but we are responsible for our second thought and our first action. A lot of our personal power can be found in that space between our first and second thought."

And that power takes physical form in choosing to act on a dialogue option, choosing what kind of person you will be and what you're putting out in the world. The other options are just noise.

MC has an innate personality, aside from the array of thoughts, but I've designed it to be a very quiet one with the intention that the MC could pass as a blank slate if you're not paying attention. Specifically, the MC is never seen speaking out loud without the player's direct input (dialogue choices) - much like Frisk Undertale and Link Legend of Zelda.

Granted, because Herotome is a VN written in first person, MC does have a (mostly) lively running internal dialogue where she describes and comments on her surroundings a great deal, even if she's keeping it all inside.

Anything other than that... all flexible and headcanon territory, I would hope! Thank you for being a long time supporter, anon! <3 <3

[flockrest]

Because I am way too anxious to bring this up off anon, I come to your inbox bearing anonymous musings.

Something I don't see a lot of is.. Link being anxious about the child prodigy that Tulin has always been. We see in HW: AoC and TOTK that Tulin, from a young age, has a lot of talent, and abilities most Rito don't have. Teba is a skilled warrior, but I can see Tulin, in his prime, easily surpassing that.

And Link gets to see that. Link gets to watch Tulin grow, helps the fledgeling grow, nurtures the adventurous warrior spirit of a boy who'll certainly fight alongside him someday, and someone he'll be proud to have there.

But the problem comes when ToTK comes around, and Tulin becomes a sage. I personally can see Link, maybe intentionally, maybe not, projecting who he once was, kinda still is, onto Tulin. This child prodigy, amazing with his favored weapon from the very start, slated to save the world, and all too willing to do it. And Tulin makes it clear that Link inspired Tulin's willingness, helped the fledgeling become fearless.

I think about the paralels between Tulin and Link very often. And, in my interpretations, as proud as Link is of Tulin for becoming a fine young man.. He can't help but remember how he used to be, when he pulled the Master Sword. And in the final battle, when Tulin is knocked out with the rest, I wonder if he thinks about how he brought a child, practically his little brother, into a situation where he could so easily die.

Sorry for the ramblings- i've been scrolling through your blog and thinking about your color hc especially and. I guess it sparked a bit of a brainrot "^^

first off: hello, hi! please don't ever be sorry for sending in an ask like this — i love discussing meta with others, especially on a level of engagement like this. i wish it'd happen more, really! genuinely, if you have more thoughts you'd like to share, i'd love to hear them out!!

okay okay, time to address your delicious content. i'm a botw and totk link enjoyer more than i am writer, so i can't give too many thoughts about him from my end ( would be stoked to hear any input from actual link writers though...eyes emoji ), but you came to the right place for tulin brainrot [rubbing my hands together]

you're right in a lot of aspects, particularly about the parallels between link and tulin. it's why i find their dynamic so compelling and crave to always play around with it, because it's at once they are fambly!! and this is who you could've been if given unconditional support and love — that you partake in because you are what you're trying to ensure he will never have to grow up to be.

( tulin also notably shares many parallels with revali! one in particular that tickles me silly whilst also making me emo is like. how irreverent they are? because they put so much stock in hard work and meaningful results...revali has his knight with the darkness-sealing sword that he can't fathom putting such an alarming amount of faith in as the "key to defeating calamity ganon" when all he's done to earn that title is pull a sword; tulin has his stormwind ark that his people are pinning all their hopes on for no reason other than it appears in a Song, when they're basically starving and struggling and could be doing something actually substantial ( disclaimer: they are both unreliable narrators ). aside from age and other obvious character intricacies, they're pretty much one banger support system removed from being each other...but that's a ramble for another time sldfkjld )

and yes, totk made it very clear that tulin and link are familiar to that extent! i am still so thankful for it! we'll never know the specifics, but honestly, the mere act of giving tulin someone else — someone more present and tangible than revali ( at least until aoc sldkfjdf but after that as well! ) — to chase after and strive to be like would've been impactful enough on its own!! and yeah, he has his dad too, but what teba represents is very different from what link represents!

link projecting onto tulin in that way is a concept i'm glad you brought up, because it would for sure add another great layer to their relationship! all those complicated emotions...yessss, i eat it all up!! and i can definitely see how far link's feeling of responsibility over tulin would stretch, both as someone caring for a kid and as someone caring for his little brother, but the thing is...tulin would be doing his damnedest to be there even if link — or anyone, including his parents — said no.

tulin's hierarchy of people i want to be like and surpass is still, to this day: 1) revali <- 2) teba <--> 2.0001) link. and while link's absolutely been a huge inspiration in important departments, tulin's pluck, drive, and eagerness to do whatever he can is and has always been all his own. link may help enable him, but tulin has consistently not been able to stand by and do nothing if he can help it! combine this with his legitimate skills and cultural values — i.e. how integral warriorhood is to the rito — and you get a preteen who is going to be there with you 'til the end, as he promised, whether you or anyone else likes it or not :')

WHICH, you know, could feed into the parallels...and hence the projection...they would benefit from a real sit-down-and-talk, probably slfdldk and if nothing else, i hope link takes heart in the fact that tulin has a sincerely great support system in his family and community — there will be really bad days to the really good days, of course, but he gets to be a kid ( no matter how much he refuses to acknowledge this ), and he gets to work through his traumas and insecurities in full, and he gets to heal. i promise you, he gets to heal!

i have other murky thoughts i cannot properly collate right now, but i think i got the bulk of what i wanted to say out lskfjldg thank you so much for sending this in!! it was a pleasure to read through and answer ♡

[seasonal-writes]

I uh. Got carried away 😅

4, 13, 17, 22, 35, 53?

-🍂

DON'T EVEN WORRY LEAF ANON YOU ARE KEEPING ME SO ENTERTAINED THANKS 4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

ooOOh. um. so, probably other like, bits of stories? i also talk a lot about AU ideas with my best friend, so i get a lot of inspiration from them too! but i'd say music is a HUGE source. lyrics, sound, overall vibe. those are all big things that inspire new ideas. :) 13. what’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow? Sleep. On. Your. Drafts. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. I am ALWAYS wanting to edit right after I have written up a draft that I've been working on in one sitting. But I am also the kind of person who does not see typos/issues within the writing if I've been staring at it for hours at a time, thus, i follow the idea of "stepping away" and coming back to it after a decent break. It helps me EVERY SINGLE TIME, without fail, in finding typos or other problems. Plus, it gives me time to re-think certain scenes that might've been an issue to write out when i was working on the draft. Writers, sleep on/step away from your fic drafts if you're struggling with them. or just in general. God. It is.. the best tip I can offer and follow religiously myself. 17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block) haha, you mean like, right now? because it's not only midterms that's fucking up the golden rings upload schedule. writer's block is a BITCH. Honestly, the best thing I do for myself is take a break from the content. I specifically seek out other media/stories/whatever to think about, to kinda wipe the slate clean and prevent from overwhelming myself, if that makes sense? Usually it helps me clear my head and maybe even get re-inspired by looking elsewhere!

22. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

Oooh, um, let's see. I probably won't do first person now, unless I have to. I used to LOVE first person POV, but now it's not really my thing. Third person in all its forms, my beloved. I also actually just answered a poll about this, but one other thing I won't write (or read) is like, character x oc? I have nothing against it, no judgment here! But it's not something I personally see myself writing.

35. What is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain? 

They have to be hot, next question- No WAIT I'm joking, okay. So, all realness? I don't really know?? This is a really great question but i have the SMALLEST experience in writing villains and I.. i genuinely don't really know how to answer that. If anyone has villain writing tips, though, let me know. I'll take 'em. 53. How do you spend your time when it comes to fanfiction? Are you primarily a fic reader, writer, or a perfect 50/50 split of both? I like to think I'm a 50/50, though I definitely spend more time writing than I do reading fanfic. Most of the fic I read is found through tumblr/sent to me/written by friends, because I am like. admittedly very lazy. and I do not scroll through ao3. I know, sue me! So, maybeee.. 60/40. :)

[gwyns]

you can hurt, too. your pain isn't a burden" what series is that? <3

why, i'm so glad you asked, anon! i hope you're ready for a somewhat ramble filled post

short answer: it's the briar sisters trilogy by the lovely carly h. mannon. there's currently two books out, with the third slated for release in january!

long, fangirl inspired answer: it's one of my favorite series ever. like, no joke

i read the first book earlier this year before the second released, devoured it, cried during it and it healed some part of me. then, the sequel released and i, again, devoured it, cried during it and it healed another part of me

i have never related more to characters than i do nicole and misha, but especially nicole. i've seen many people over the years talk about how much they relate to nesta and that's why she's their favorite character ever. i finally get that now with nicole, not that i can't relate to nesta (i do, very much), but it's different here because nicole feels and sees and expresses things exactly the way i do. it's such a comfort to find yourself in a character like this

i'll try to keep it short but i wanted to showcase some of the quotes that made me full on bawl during my read because, that's me

i can't explain to you how many times i've kept myself together simply because i felt like if i didn't, i'd never be the same again. i wouldn't know how to put myself back together, to feel some semblance of the person i was before

this seems like such a simple thing, especially since we've seen many characters in sjm's books feel unworthy, but to have it put in this perspective? it made me feel less alone. i do feel unworthy, but in a way i don't see many people talk about openly. i'm not even worthy of being seen as an option for love, not even a flitting thought through someone's head. it feels silly typing it out but... this meant a lot to me

and here's the quote you inquired about. reading this genuinely did something to me... i wish someone had said this to me many years ago. i don't want to get into my upbringing or anything but there have been many times where i've kept my hurt quiet so i wouldn't burden my parents. it's a very exhausting way to live

again, i don't want to get too into my personal life but for those who do know, somewhat, this... hit too hard. too close. it's still a lingering fear of mine i have to try and combat. in fact, i'm doing it right now and only mildly succeeding

and to end my too long list of quotes, here's some misha ones (please excuse how different this screenshot looks, i had to take it on my computer instead of my phone, like the previous ones). another constant fear of mine, being too much to handle and making the person i love most in the world hate and resent me for it. to become a burden to him, too. it's a terrible feeling and i wouldn't wish it on anyone lol

i'm going to shut up now but genuinely if you've been looking for something to help scratch that acotar itch while waiting for book news, this series is the closest thing i've found to it. it has fairytale elements, namely snow white and sleeping beauty, fated mates, dislike to lovers trope, betrayal, an interesting world and lore just... please read them. and, you know, tag me in any and all posts because i have brainrot

[j0kers-light]

How would J handle cats?

Hey hi anon!! 🖤✨

I’m allergic to cats so I literally don’t know what to write GOOGLE TO THE RESCUE! 🤣

I hope I didn’t screw this up anon!!! I do hope you enjoy anon!

Joker thought it was absolutely hilarious to troll your ongoing white lie about adopting a cat by buying you a real one!

Breeds of cats to consider would be a shorthair, Ragdoll, Persian, Siberian, Siamese, or even a black cat to be untraditional. But it’s entirely up to you to decide.

Regardless of the breed, Joker will only have the best for his Light and if you don’t pick, he will on your behalf.

Your apartment building only allows cats and smaller pets so Joker went out and purchased an adorable Russian Blue cat with gorgeous green eyes (like his) without your knowledge.

He swears up and down he wanted you to have a companion around while he’s away but the feline seems to like J more than you at first.

You didn’t mind the adorable cat walking around the apartment like it owned the place, you just stroke its coat whenever it jumps in your lap or watched it fondly when it swatted at something peculiar like dust motes or when a leaf falls from your plants in the sunroom.

It’s soft purrs were soothing in the quiet apartment and you didn’t realize you were giving the cat more attention than Joker until he pointed it out.

Only Joker would get jealous over a cat but he demanded your sweet touch and affection with a straight face.

Despite his jealousy, he still thinks this was a good decision. You are coming out of your shell more and he's confident you won't be alone on the long nights he torturing Gotham City.

Imagine! You come home and walk through the door but notice the lights were out save for a single spotlight highlighting a chair.

Joker turns around, stroking a cat like the true villain he is and has the audacity to quote Austin Powers.

You were too tired for his antics.

“What is this? Are you Dr. Evil now? J, please tell me you didn’t name the cat Mr. Bigglesworth?” You groaned.

The grey cat was seated on Joker’s lap, purring from the rhythmic head scratches J gave it and you had to admit, it was rather cute. Its slate grey coat looked absolutely soft as she nuzzled up to Joker.

He just laughed and gave the kitty a pat on the head, before it leapt off his lap to wander off. It was shy walking past you but you hoped given enough time, she would warm up to you. Joker stood up to greet you properly.

You waited for your kiss and sighed when Joker didn’t disappoint. After the long day you had, you could use some loving from J.

“Errrr I named her after you. Don’t be jealous.”

You tilted her head curiously and Joker laughed to himself. You were so adorable when you did that. He steered you to the kitchen by your shoulders so you could start on dinner.

You'd been dying to try out a new recipe since you saw it online.

"You're my Light... and now you have Twilight." Joker smiled. Sure enough, after hearing her name, you heard her soft meow before she sauntered into the kitchen.

Twilight purred against J's legs and he scooped her up. He tickled her as you watched on in silence. He looked so a peace playing with a cat in the comfort of your home. You smiled to yourself. It was nice to see Joker happy for a change.

You washed your hands and dried them off to get started chopping up the vegetables.

"Hm, I get the inspiration. Her coat is beautiful." You mumbled.

"Not as beautiful as yooooou. I want my girls to get along while I'm noT around. Ya hear that Twilight? Watch over my Light."

Your stomach did a flip hearing Joker refer to you as his girl. You ducked your head to bite your lip.

You heard a responding purr as if Twilight understood exactly what J said but you knew for a fact Russian Blues were highly intelligent. Her wise lime eyes blinked at you. They were so beautiful as they were unnerving; just like Joker's.

Joker stayed in the kitchen playing with Twilight as you cooked and all was well until he started to get ready to go out after dinner.

"Will you be back tonight?" You yawned and walked him to the front door with Twilight right on your heels.

It had only been a few hours but you could feel a connection growing with the feline. Her eyes held so much expression, you found yourself talking to her as if she could respond.

Joker shrugged into his signature purple cloak and checked the pockets. Still heavy; he had everything he needed.

He didn't know how to answer your question though. "Ehhh, dunno Bunny. Got lots of plannns tonight. If ya want, you can wait up for me. I'll come running back if ya do." He pulled you in for a goodbye kiss until Twilight's soft cry made him look down.

"Sorry girl, I only kiss my Bunny."

You rolled your eyes and picked her up as Joker headed out the door. He called for the lift and waited for it to reach the top floor.

"Promise me you won't kill anyone tonight and I might wait up for you." You knew you had Joker when he flinched on his way into the elevator.

"I.... can't... guaranteeeee that.."

You shrugged your shoulder and stroked Twilight's head as the doors slowly closed. "Then you won't get to see my new lingerie set I bought. Have a good night, Joker." You sang.

You heard his tortured groan through the closed elevator's doors and giggled. You glanced down at Twilight. "He'll be back before dawn. Just you wait, girl."

[carissimipaixao]

Hi! I just wanted to say thank you for the great writing, especially your Lupin stuff (fr it’s so hard to find)

For the ask tag I’d like to hear: B, G, I, and M

That’s all, keep up the good work 😚✨

these aren't tears, you're seeing things 🥺😭 but seriously, thank you so much! i'll keep doing my best, just for you, dearest anon

also, this reply actually got very long, so i'll be putting under a "read more"!

B: Any of your stories inspired by personal experience?

hmm, well, i do try to incorporate my personal experience(s), depending on the subject and the story itself. for example, i think i tend to add my own mannerisms into characters' getting ready, how they have their inner dialogue, etc.? it's really splattered everywhere, although it's never fully self-indulgent either. i don't like making readers/oc feeling completely like empty slates. people can add/change things as they read the stories to themselves! (fun fact: when i was younger, i'd pretend fics' dialogue went differently, because i felt like the stories were awkward or out of character, and proceed reading according to my own changes or personal tastes) however, the closest fic i have to personal experience is this fic for yu-gi-oh, because it's 100% based on a very vivid dream i had with yami malik chasing me, as i ran in circles in the dark.

G: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

well, most of the time (or for one-shots), it's from start to finish. sometimes i start a story but then decide that scene fits better for the middle of the story, so then i go back and write the beginning to get to that same scene (which might get rewritten or not, so it's incorporated nicely into the story). however, if there is a particular scene i am dying to write, i sometimes go ahead and write it and i let it sit there until the current storyline gets there. then, i might rewrite it, depending on how long it has been since i picked the project up or depending on any new details on the plot or characters. this is a maybe scenario when writing one-shots, but it's a definitely when i'm writing multi-chapter stories.

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

i really, really love time travel and stories involving alternative timelines, multiverses and that sort of thing. if i catch any tag that merely suggests it or a summary of a fic involving it, i'm clicking and i'm reading it for sure. i even have a doc (all the way from 2020) based on a project that may come out soon, where a lupin and jigen from another universe show up in the current universe, where jigen and the protagonist have completely different backstories and relationship. and i'm actually creating a doc where i will try to write down the gist of each main version of the main lupin cast, in case i decide to do the same type of fic for other characters. maybe people would like to read how, for example, a certain jigen would react to a certain scenario compared to another jigen? it's complicated. the doc is still very much in progress and i'll try to combine certain universes/iterations of lupin just so that it's a small guide (and considering certain iterations are quite similar). additionally, i like reading dark stuff, especially yandere!

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you'd care to share?

pearls and daggers (name subject to change)! it's a story pairing up jigen and reader/oc (i say original character because there is a reason for it, but readers can 100% see themselves as the protagonist), in a sort of slow burn/enemies to lovers situation. it's also going to be set before and after jigen meets/works with lupin. there might be another (former) pairing with the reader/oc, but we'll see! it's been in the works for two to three years now, because, as i've said in the past, 2019-2022 were difficult years to write in, due to blockages and lots of things going on, but i'm definitely looking forward to posting it and talking about it! alternatively, this series (because there will be extra stories, alternative scenes, etc.) will most likely get side-stories featuring other couples, such as lupin/reader, fujiko/reader, goemon/reader and zenigata/reader. these stories will have a somewhat different plot or pairing development, considering jigen's story is the main plotline. people can request prompts or even one-shots set in either of these plotlines, if they want, too!

also, like it was for what a thing to admit, i will be releasing a short story (20k+ words) for jigen, called chamber of reflection!

fanfic ask game!

[tartagliaxx]

lmao you would think that i'd be done with exams right? nope, you're wrong. for some reason, we have exams, a two week holiday and then resume exams again. i dunno what is up with that schedule but whatever ig.

welll, it's not all angst? well, it sorta is and isn't at the same time. yeah, there's a mcd but i think the angst would hit hard at the end. as i'm writing this, i feel like if there truly were immortals, i think they'd be vv lonely. they'll always have to see ppl they love leave them and they can't do anything bc that's just how life is. i also sprinkled a bit of zhongli bc i couldn't resist myself lmao

i'm also trying to work on a rlly ambiguous reader appearance wise so that ppl would feel included bc i've seen and read fics that are not all inclusive. i don't think there's anything wrong with them, it's just that it gets... not that fun after a while. i don't rlly mention anything at all so they're like a blank slate, but they do have the ability of shifting forms like zhongli so i do include some stuff here and there. personality wise, i gave them one befitting of their role and that's all i'm going to say lmao

and yes, i have more than 100 wips, i kid you not. i tend to hyperfixate on a certain type of fandom once in a while, and i get a lot of inspiration for writing for that particular fandom. but i also lose interest vv easily so that's why i tend to stick with oneshots in general, twoshots if i rlly liked the first one. i can't make a book that has like 60 chapters or smth, the closest i got was like 8. i feel like oneshots tend to leave more of an impact if done right

— r. anon

eye— may you survive this trying times r anon. you have my support. the wackest sched i ever had was when we did an entire sem, took one month off for christmas and then had our finals first week in january. horrible times

oh lol mcd my cup of angst. i remember seeing someone say that being immortal is practically being cursed w eternal damnation and like, yea it kinda is. imagine living through so many eras, just losing things you care about. like it’ll be so easy to lose yourself bc what even is the point?

?? oH is this for the fic your writing rn? dang thats nice!!! very curious abt how it turns out. i’m also trying to be more inclusive in my writing but its very hard to express things when you’re very limited into non-physical cues. hopefully theres some progress though

literally. i have the attention span of a fly which is virtually nothing. writing for me is like an escape so writing oneshots is like a no strings attached kind of situation while writing a series or a book feels more of a let’s get married kind of thing. i have zero motivation for that shit

[windup-dragoon]

Hey! I've been meaning to ask this for quite some time but I wanted to ask in anon because my self esteem is too low to adress this in DMs with someone. I'll have to split this into 2 parts because I just want to say before the actual ask - I'm not here to gather pity points. I admire what you do with Kiri and would want some tips on - well, anything that you're comfortable to expand on. You're always so confident in your character when you post and I love reading about Kiri.

Let me be absolutely clear;

I have no idea what I’m doing half the time. 

Kiri as a character has changed a lot since I started playing. And if I’m being honest, I never intended for Kiri to be a character/muse that I wanted to write for. Games like FFXIV never really interested me much, I struggled a lot just finding motivation to play early on so I definitely didn’t plan to develop her as much as I have. A huge part of that is thanks to @whitherliliesbloom for helping keep my interest long enough to suffer through a lot of start up quests. After a bit I just started thinking about Kiri as a character since they leave your wol a blank slate for the most part. 

As for her ship with Hien? I actually didn’t want to ship her with anyone at the start. Again, I didn’t find much interest in the beginning. It wasn’t until Heavensward that I started picking it up a bit more. Kiri’s first actual ship was with Aymeric if you can believe that. I didn’t know who Hien was until you actually meet him in MSQ. o: 

Long story short; 

In my experience, you don’t need to have it all planned out. You’re allowed to work and rework your character and their stories. 

I’ve actually made thousands of characters before this. In RP communities that are long deceased and forgotten about. It really helped develop ways to be inspired by your creations. Find music that makes you think of them or read stories/books. Heck I have a 17 hour long playlist for Kiri and several other playlists just for her other verses. o: 

This is your chance to have creative freedom. Write how you want. You’re allowed to explore ideas and if you dislike them after the fact, guess what! You don’t have to keep it. It’s your character and your story to create. 

NOW GO OUT THERE AND BE CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN DOING IT 

[cortegiania]

What are your thoughts on The Spanish Princess? It is a total travestite of history (and it was too harsh on poor Lady Margaret Beaufort) but I found it really entertaining. The acting was good, and concerning clothes, there were some good things with others which were like "WTF you're wearing?", at least we had some Gable Hoods... What do you think of this show?

Hi anon! I actually quite enjoyed TSP and I found myself wondering why since it had at least three embarassingly silly episodes (6, 7 and 8, that is, but others may apply). With time I’ve put some thought into it and I came up with three main reasons why I liked it:

1) Catherine wasn’t necessarily always likable nor always right, which is refreshing. Elizabeth Woodville was the good blonde queen vs Margaret and poor, misguided Anne, Elizabeth of York did some problematic things for noble reasons... Catherine is really just acting out of pride and wanting to do right by her parents, but if you look closely enough she’s a lying and manipulative piece of work which... I actually didn’t mind at all. I’ve been reading Catherine bios and while I’m not persuaded that she lied I no longer have a saintly, spotless image of her and at least the show provides compelling reasons. The book was way too caught up into its “bad Tudors” view to be that smart or even make ambition a thing.

2) The good York vs Evil Tudor narrative is basically gone, which... thank God. Even the curse is barely mentioned. This almost offers a clean slate to the whole thing because no one except Maggie Pole is as closely tied to that narrative as characters would be in the past seasons. I’m sure it’ll come back in the next eight episodes but at least we had a break so far... and Catherine won’t be 100% faultless because hey, Henry VII did warn her. And Margaret tried to stop her. And EOY was against it. Good lord, even Maggie tried to talk her out of that marriage.

3) Margaret Beaufort! I know she’s still the villain (of sorts) here, but TWP!Margaret has been so exhaustingly gloomy, always lurking in the shadows, always miserable, always behind every bad idea any Tudor ever had, that I’d lost all hope to see someone remotely close to TWQ!Margaret (or history!Margaret, really) ever again. Harriet Walter was inspired casting not only because she’s so good she managed to sell even her final dream sequence, but also because she often had something of Amanda Hale’s character and acting choices. Margaret got to be powerful and influential but also bossy, funny and human, which I really liked. I read she had the time of her life and it shows. Plus, gable hoods!

Overall I think the show was several steps ahead compared to TWP (especially in terms of budget, however, keep in mind I consider TWP to be the worst period drama of my life). The problem is there was perhaps no need to make it two 8-episode chunks when a different, more accurate timeline would probably have helped include everything they want to say in just one season (with the help of a time jump?). 

Ironically, what led the showrunners to the huge mess they made was the idea to focus the whole thing on Harry and Catherine’s love story, which apart from being a cliché wasn’t even that important. In fact, having an older Catherine and a boyish Harry would have made her ambition and determination more apparent, thus driving the message home more effectively.

Anyway, again for a silly vaguely historical entertainment at least it did entertain me. Of course Emma Frost is out there on twitter pretending it’s all authentic and trying to school actual historians on what authenticity is.

[merrock]

do you have any advice for when you want to join an rp *cough* this one *cough* but are having trouble placing a muse somewhere ? it looks so amazing here!

Hi there, anon! Firstly, thank you so much for your kind words, and I really do hope that you'll consider joining us! Since we have a trip starting next week, we'll be pausing acceptances for a bit, but everyone still has tomorrow and Thursday to come join us if they would like, and we'd love to get some new characters. We're accepting any and all face claims of color, and any white face claim that: fills a wanted connection, is 40+, gender diverse, or disabled.

Now, on to your question! My first and biggest piece of advice would be to check out our wanted connections and see if any of those fit your character. We have some that are very specific, such as family members or relationships and others that are pretty easy to fill in, like friends or co-workers, where you'd have a lot of flexibility in creating a character however you please. I'd say that most of our players are also pretty flexible with working with people on the connections, like if something does or does not fit.

If no wanted connection fits, that's okay! Sometimes they just don't inspire you, and that's fine. I would say your next best bet is to choose what kind of connections you're looking for in the group. Do you want long-standing connections with a lot of backstory? It's probably a good idea to make your character a local, so they could grow up with others, or at least know some people their whole lives. (Or if not a local their whole life, have them living in town for a while so they know people already.) But sometimes it's also fun to come in blank slate with someone brand new, starting fresh, so you can build all new connections just by meeting new people!

Other launching ideas would be things like what kind of career they have -- see if there are others in the same field, or if they might be able to meet people through it (like if they're a barista, they'd make a ton of friends, we're coffee fiends, or if they teach school, they could be friends with the parents in town). Even something as simple as where your character lives can help! If they live downtown, maybe they can borrow sugar from someone often, or their cat can escape their countryside home to beg for scraps from the neighbor.

Our players are pretty open and willing to talk out connections, but are also super open to just throwing characters together and seeing how they will interact, too! Which means there's sometimes less stress to have everything figured out from the get-go, and more fun developing and seeing where things end up!

I hope this helps you a little bit, but I'm always willing to chat a bit more if you have any questions or thoughts! (And I really hope that you'll consider joining us.) xx