#so i was looking into this as maybe an alternative?

[dduane]

I have been trying to write fic (well, smut) set in a world where certain things are slightly different to serve the fic's plot.

However, each time I try I have run into a problem: my head insists I need to justify the changes - I need to know comprehensive details about how the world works so I can ensure everything is consistent and not too f'd up.

So I get bogged down, and don't write a word. What do?

In your position, I’d sit down and write myself a bible.

This is how I did my prep for Barbie: Fairytopia.* And how I’ve done it for various works of fic presently on AO3… and how I’m doing it right now for the new Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rats of Sumatra III project. I was taught this art by my animation story editors at Hanna-Barbera, and it’s stood me in good stead. (Peter and I pulled down our first miniseries assignment from a company that told us “we gave great bible.” And that was true.) 😄

When I say “bible” I don’t necessarily mean something that thick! (Though some of mine have been pretty hefty, with one TV project’s bible running more than a hundred pages… because I knew I had skeptical and underinformed TV execs to convince about something historical.) For the kind of purpose we’re describing here, your prep bible could be quite short: maybe looking like a bullet-pointed “shopping list”, five or ten pages long. It can be just as long or short as it needs to be to cover all your salient points.

The idea is simply to put down, in concrete form, a list of the main “different things” you need to know and remember about your alternate universe when you’re working in it. This is where you do your justification work, in as much or as little detail as you need to convince yourself you’ve got the necessary bases covered. The virtual “stage manager” who sits at the back of the theater of the Writing Department in your mind, judging when things are right, will be your guide here, and will advise you as to when you’ve got enough and it’s time to stop. And once this stuff is down on the page, you’ll be a position to judge critically whether everything makes enough sense to work with, and slots together correctly.

This is also a bit like (for the prose part of a project) outlining, in that it’s incredibly freeing. Once you’ve got this background nailed down, you know you can safely turn your attention away from it and get down to the serious business: drama, and the character interactions that express it. (And inevitably as you’re doing the bible writing, you start getting ideas for how the substrate you’re laying down is going to affect the conflicts between and among the characters. The bible stage can be incredibly fruitful this way.)

It would be facile to describe the bibling process as “getting the easy part over with first”. Because sometimes it’s not easy! But it’s worth doing first, because having done this first relieves you of the ongoing anxiety caused by knowing you may have to keep inventing or rationalizing stuff on the fly. (Which can produce the kind of micro-blocks that a writer can generally really do without.) …Not that you’re not going to be inventing things on the fly anyway: that’s a normal part of the writing process. But the biggest and most obvious issues will have been handled already, and you’ll know they have; which is always a weight off one’s mind. And the fewer of those weights you have loading you down, when you’re in the midst of the labor of composition, the better.

Anyway, give it a shot and see how it works for you. And then you can, like the rest of us smut writers, get on to the really pressing business: making sure you haven’t lost track of where all the characters’ arms and legs (and things) are when you’re writing those hot steamy sex scenes. 😏

Hope this helps!

*ETA: My remit on this job did include creating a bible for them. But I write a rough-draft one for myself first, including various meta that I needed but they didn't.

[skellymom]

I LOVE THIS!!! ❤️

Honestly, if Hunter had stunned Crosshair early in the pursuit of Caleb, the Padawan may have trusted him.

But then Hunter would have had to hide with Caleb deep in the woods of Kaller until the rest of the squad found a way to reunite with them...without Crosshair.

I could see it as an alternative storyline. However, Hunter even mentions later on in TBB "We didn't understand what was happening at the time". And if they rescued Caleb they would have NEVER been able to return to Kamino.

That means we would have not seen what their life might have looked like, the lunch fight scene, the Batch witnessing Palatine's speech for The New Galactic Empire, or even met Omega.

Also, Caleb would not become Kanan Jarrus and be a part of Rebels. Ezra would have never met Kanan. And Maul would have maybe possibly taken Ezra as Padawan. I do think Caleb could possibly would have met Hera in that timeline. Maybe even grown up together with Omega. I would LOVE a sweet story with the 3 of them as found family siblings or cousins.

So, technically in TBB timeline Hunter/The Batch saved one small child. But it wasn't Caleb.

Although an alternative universe story with The Batch saving Kanan who eventually uses The Force to help find Omega, and Ventures coming to claim Kanan as Padawan is something I would DEFINITELY read!

Kanan's opinion on clones

and some closeups sorry for my english (used translator)

[soleilapproves]

Boxer!Sukuna often thinks about what his future would’ve looked like if he didn’t pick his career over you. (inspired by Sienna by The Marías) afab!reader

The idea of what could’ve been keeps burning in his mind. It’s been burning for years, ever since that day he left you behind with your eyes brimming with tears and heart torn in two.

But he had to move forward. He fell in love with the sport before he fell in love with you.

It was all too late to go back and contemplate over the decision again. Uraume had already popped the good champagne and his friends were busy dancing and boisterously laughing inside his penthouse, celebrating the biggest win of his career. All while the champion was standing in the empty balcony, gazing at the glittering streets as the sun set.

His rise to fame was a treacherous yet rewarding journey. He was proud but he was also empty. Maybe if he had just stuck around and suffered a little longer with you then you would’ve been standing next to him today, clinking your flute with his, and laughing at his romantic and flirtatious remarks. He probably could’ve kissed you right after winning the fight and flaunted your ring to the world to announce his retirement after his final win.

Maybe you both would even have a little one being carried around in his brother’s arms for the night. A child too spoilt and adorable for their own good. Maybe they’d have your eyes. Or his—he doesn’t really care. Simply knowing that the child was a product of the love you both shared was enough to fill him with the happiness of multiple lifetimes.

Much to his chagrin, there was no veracity to his dream.

On the other side of the world, you stared at the rising sun as you thought about the past and the upcoming years of your life. How different they were. You came so far. Made so many developments.

Yet your heart still quickens when you remember your first great love, Sukuna Ryomen.

Like most love stories, it was a whirlwind of a romance. A passion felt like no other. It consumed you till you blindly believed that you were a part of his existence. His existence revolved around making you happy. He even said so, often kissing you like you were going to fade away.

But all good things must end.

You thought your life was going to stop when he bid his final goodbye. You slowly learned to get back up on your feet again, picking up the pieces that he broke.

Your heart was bandaged, and a little guarded, but you still welcomed love for you were full of it and had so much to give. A pattern you were willing to repeat.

The diamond on your finger sparkles when the sunlight hits it, bringing your gaze down to where your hand was resting on the window pane.

You often felt guilty when your fiancé talked about children with an enthusiastic hilt in his voice. While he’d revel on about how he’ll spoil the child, you were busy concealing your true thoughts.

Thoughts that made you feel horribly guilty.

What would’ve happened if you had just fought for Sukuna’s love a little harder, latched on to his legs as your scabby knees dragged across the ground as he walked away?

Maybe you’d already have a child in your arms. Your heart often swells whenever you ponder over an imaginary child with Sukuna’s temper. Tiny lips forming a pout with the most expressive eyes ever.

Lately that child has been living in your mind more often than not, making you long for them with their haunting laugh and toothless smiles.

But you know you’ll never see them. Or him for that matter. You’ve put that part of reality away in a box and shoved it deep in the back of your mind so you’ll never forget it.

And so you can be fair to your fiancé who loves you more than you know.

The only thing that gives you solace is the possible existence of alternate universes—different microcosms of the life you could’ve shared with Sukuna Ryomen had he not given you up like you were a fickle thought.

—

I know I said I wanted to get out of the boxer!sukuna bubble but I was having major writer’s block with my sentient game character ghost fic and this drabble just pulled me out of it 👍

[chevxyn]

tropes!

blue lock characters as romance stories genre.

fluff, written, romantic, alternate universes.

valentines special.

note; happy valentines day everyone, sorry that i have not been uploading; i am so busy these days :((

ROMANTIC COMEDY — Shidou, Karasu, Otoya.

Shidou, would be the all time favorite male lead if he was in a romantic comedy. you’re the opposite of him. he was loud, and you were quiet.

One of the most embarrassing thing he did was when he came up to you, and fell midway. As you went to him to ask him if he’s fine, he did those cringe pick up lines. Let me just, re-enact that scene;

It was after school, you had just finished your day to day activities, including extracurriculars. Now Shidou, (for whatever reasons) decided to wait for you.

When you went out of your extracurricular room, he suddenly ran himself to you, and before he could jump to you, he fell.

Your eyes widened as you walk towards him, crouching down to his level. And before you could ask if he’s fine, his gaze went to you, finger-guns pointing at you, he says, “Did you see that? Guess you can say, I fell for you.” and winked.

You cringed internally before chuckling, before helping Shidou to stand up, and you both walked back home.

He would also joke to you about him liking his friend that is in his football team more, but if he would really be honest. He would choose you anytime and any day, rather than him.

Karasu, his story on how he fell for you is kind of ironic. So somebody liked you, and told him about it. And he thought, Hey.. What if I matchmake? he did, but, it didn’t turn out like he thought it would be.

When he decided to ask you to become his tutor (even tho he was pretty smart), you agreed cause he said the opposite. Not knowing it was solely to just figure out what you liked and don’t. Unknown to him, with how the two of your chemistry worked. He fell for you too.

“So, you were trying to set me up with someone else?” You chuckled and his hand slithered to your shoulder, “Maybe.” he looks at you.

“You’re not a really good wingman, Tabi.” you said, and he glanced at your direction. “How did they act when they found out we were dating instead?”

“Well, safe to say, they hate me” He smirked and you just leaned into his shoulder, giving a small smile, “But atleast I now have the most amazing tutor.” As he said that you gave his back a small hit, “What was that for?”

“For making me giving my all to tutor you, just to figure out you are smart enough.” with that, he just gave out a small laugh; and he kisses the side of your hair mumbling a small ‘I love you’.

So yeah, he was suppose to matchmake you, he was the one who fell and got you. To him, you’re the most perfect person, and nothing could make you mediocre.

Otoya, he is someone that made a bet. yeah, him, and his friends made a bet on if he could try and get that quiet person on their class.

When he agreed to the bet, everytime he made a move on you, you kinda just ignored him since you knew of his reputation. But after weeks of him pressuring you to go out with him, you agreed.

And he took you to a festival, only to realize at that festival, you are that kind of someone that he would admire. And eventually, he did fell for you, without the feeling of you being bothersome.

“Is this another bet?” You were standing beside him, a year at the same spot they had their first date. You knew about the bet a week after they made it, you weren’t dumb. But you didn’t expect he would fall for you and vice versa.

But here is the two of you, coming back here, at the same night and place of where they saw the fireworks together. “I don’t do bets anymore, babe.”

You just smiled and turned your gaze towards him, “And I don’t play with someone’s feelings.” He continued, “Anymore.” you finished and he held your shoulder.

And he promised as such, to himself. That he will be committed to you, since in the years he had lived, you are the only one that made him comfortable enough.

ROMANTIC FANTASY — Sae, Ness, Kaiser

Sae, He was the Crowned Prince of the Northern Kingdom. Who was the elder brother of your soon to be betrothed, you both first met in the Garden.

The first time you saw him, the two of you didn’t think much of eachother. Although, fate played a game. And the two of you would bump into eachother constantly, from the Library to the same Garden.

Eventually you both did talk more than you would with his brother, and when his father figured it out. They re-arranged the plan. And surprisingly, the two of you didn’t mind.

“[name],” it has been a few months since the two of you got married, and the two of you are set to lead the kingdom together. he called you, and your glance went to him. “Hm?”

“Ever thought what would’ve happened if you had married my brother?” he asked, his hand searching for yours, and when they held eachother, you gave a subtle smile, “i would assume it’d be a less interesting story.”

“I’m glad I got to marry you, Sae.” you said and he smiled, before pulling you close to him. “So am I,” he was so sure he wouldn’t fall for anyone during his life. So at that time when he met you at the Garden, and so on, he knew what true love is, and that is you.

So did he fell for you on the first sight? possibly, did he plan the ‘fate’ on meeting you everytime? definitely.

Ness, You were the knight of the kingdom, While you were walking the halls of the castle, a guy, that looked around your age, was searching for something.

At first, he looked like a guy that was gonna steal something from the hall, and when you stopped him, he panicked and introduced himself.

He was the new Magician, a new entertainer for the King and Queen. He introduced himself as Alexis, a guy from the North.

You apologized for scaring him and he was okay with it, and from there, the two of you were friends. Although there was something there that you couldn’t see.

“So, you defeated a dragon?” Alexis was surprised when you mentioned it and was admired of you, not that he wasn’t. “I did, it wasn’t that hard anyways.”

“You’re so easy to be admired, [name].” A pink hue could be seen in his cheek, and you just chuckled, “Thank you. I mean, you’re an awesome magician too.”

“What— no no, I have a frien—“ You let out a small ‘shh’ sound, “I wanna hear more about you, not that guy.” His cheeks reddened and he nodded. The sunset accompanied them, as they would get to know eachother better.

Kaiser, he was a general, during the war against another, he got shot by an arrow. He thought it was over, when he felt his vision getting blurry and darkened.

He never expected that he would wake up in a forest home, where an Elf came to his aid. It was you, you were kind enough to find him and took him in.

He thought the Elves was just myth, infact he thought he had died and this was just an Angel, but it proved him wrong when you touched his face just to let him know how real you are.

He didn’t wanna leave yet, not when an Elf looking Angel came to his rescue. Infact, he seems interested in you, as you are to him.

“You’re cute, ya know that?” He said to you, and your eyes averted it’s gaze to him, “Hum?” He glanced at your pointed ears, and how you looked at him.

“Come home with me.” He said and you frowned, you know you can’t go. You’re forbidden to go there due to the warnings that the Humans would kill the Elves. “I promise I won’t let them hurt you.”

Your heart raced, and you looked down. “Promise?” And he nodded, pulling your face close to his. Before he gave your forehead a kiss.

SCI-FI ROMANCE — Nagi, Isagi, Rin

Nagi, You met him on a game, VR to be exact. Where he absolutely destroyed you in a shooting game. Cause you somewhat hated losing, you dmed him.

1v1 occurred, and the two of you didn’t stop until you won. Which you did after losing 5 consecutive times to him. But it ended up making the two of you friends.

Months went pass, and the two of you met, it didn’t take long until you get an attraction towards him, and so did he.

The two of you sat down next to each other, on a flying board, enjoying the view of the city. Flying cars was passing by, as he laid down on the board.

And he pulled you down next to him, “The stars, despite dying looks beautiful.” He said and you glanced at him, “It’s like you.”

“..Are you telling me, I’m dying?” You hit his shoulder, and he huffed, “No. that’d be bothersome to think of, I meant you’re beautiful.”

Your cheeks heated up, and he laid his head on your shoulder, “I’ll teach you to be better in the game, only if you agree to be mine.” He said and you chuckled, “Sure.”

Isagi, fell down a black hole, and landed on your planet. He was nothing like you ever saw, where you came from you were cyborgs.

He was lucky enough that you met him first, and how two spoke the same language, and that the Planet that he is on isn’t quite as different as Earth.

How the two of you got close is when he figured out that you played something that called “Air-Football” Which was similar to football, but which he plays Professionally.

“So, the rules are just like football.” He said and you raised your eyebrow, “Eh, I guess if that’s what it’s called in your world.”

You were amazing at it, you scored goals after goals, it made Isagi wondered, what if you played the football that he knew?

When he tried it, he was not that bad, he just struggled at the part where well, you float. Everytime he falls, you would catch him.

One time, he fell on you, and the two of you chuckled on how he couldn’t get the hang of it. Honestly, the two of your chemistry was good, he never really had this type of chemistry with someone.

Rin, was a space explorer, searching for his brother. But, while being a planet, he saw someone that was laying down on the green grass. surrounded by flying creatures.

When they woke up, they looked like something that was not from this earth that’s for sure, wings that looks like ones of fairies that he would hear from his childhood stories.

You looked at him with your eyes that was oddly enchanting, and he froze. Before asking you if you ever saw someone that was on his photograph.

“No, I have not.” you had said, as your wings fluttered, your feet off the ground. “Why? is he lost?” You asked, and he looked at you, not wanting to answer that.

But, rather than letting him go alone, you decided to accompany him cause of sympathy. And you joined him, in hope you will find his brother with him.

He refused at first, but he eventually agreed after some persuasive arguments, and to be honest, it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.

“And this is Earth,” he said, he showed the holographic image, and your eyes would sparkle, he gave a subtle smile at that, he thought you were cute cause you are amazed at everything that he showed about earth, he liked that about you.

©chevxyn

[kalinara]

So I saw a post earlier talking about Marvel couples and how relatively few long term relationships there are. There was mention of Reed and Sue as being basically the most consistently together couple, crediting that to the nature of the Fantastic Four being about family.

I don't disagree with that.

But then there was a comment about Scott and Jean being "all over the place" and depending on editorial at the time. Sorry for the paraphrase, but I couldn't find the post again to be sure.

And honestly I couldn't disagree with that more.

The thing about Scott Summers and Jean Grey is that, with two exceptions, if they are both alive, and they both know the other one is alive, they are together FULL STOP.

The first exception to this is the original Lee/Kirby years. Because they hadn't gotten together yet. But anyone who has sat through the god knows how many issues it took for the two to actually get the fuck over it and fuck basically gets stockholmed into shipping these idiots.

Because when you go from seeing this nonsense in issue 10:

THIS nonsense in issue 24:

THIS nonsense in issue 3-fucking-4:

And you realize this is only a sampling and that pretty much every issue in between has more of this idiotic bullshit, you'll be screaming at them to "JUST FUCK ALREADY!!!" too.

NGL, it's what turned me into a shipper. Fucking Stockholm Syndrome.

The other time, of course, is X-Factor. Because Scott, in his incredible wisdom and self-perception, happened to marry a woman who looked exactly like Jean Grey, (and asked her if she was Jean Grey on the eve of the wedding).

Scott gets a lot of shit from fans for ditching his wife and son for Jean Grey (which is a vast oversimplification of a very complicated storyline, but fine, for once, let's go with it). So yeah.

A good chunk of X-Factor is basically just these two finding their way back to each other after dealing with a whole mess of other mind-bogglingly traumatizing events and trying to raise a baby while meeting alternate future kids and (in Jean's case) not really handling that well.

But anyway, after that? They're together.

Now, admittedly, the Grant Morrison era of X-Men is a bit complicated. We all know about Emma Frost. I still resent deeply the fact that a man is named cheater for getting taken advantage of by his therapist, but fine. Maybe they'd have broken up over Emma, maybe not. Maybe Jean would finally break down and fuck Logan, maybe not. Sadly she died instead. And then a future version of her decided to push Scott and Emma together for a while. Which was a fucking weird narrative choice, but fine.

When Jean comes back? Immediate romantic scene with her resurrected husband by the way. And yeah, fine, he drops dead again later. And then when HE comes back to life, she's off in another dimension and presumed dead for a bit.

But when they are back, alive, and in the same place? She immediately shoves her tongue down his throat.

On Krakoa, they're the most married they've ever been. They finally get to raise their son together, in a place that isn't a future hellhole. They are explicitly polyamorous, implicitly in a throuple, but when it comes down to the wire, it's Scott Summers and Jean Grey.

And now, in From the Ashes, she's off being a goddess in space. But she's still having psychic phone sex with her patiently waiting husband. It's not clear if they're still doing the polyamory thing, I'd like to think they are because we so rarely get to see portrayals of non-monogamous but still very happy couples. But who knows. What we do know is that even now, even when they're not in the same place: it's Scott Summers and Jean Grey.

I suppose the one exception is young Scott and young Jean when they're brought to the future. But here's the thing. As much as they both try to fight it, as often as they've tried to tease some other kind of ship with Hank or Laura or Jimmy Hudson, or teenaged Vampire Storm, or anyone else. The two still can't ever really escape each other's orbit. (And you know, maybe if they actually got the full story instead of fucked up fragments from incredibly biased people who currently hate at least one of them, they might have felt a little less like escaping. Who knows?)

I guess I can see the argument that the state of their relationship can vary. Sometimes they're very happy, sometimes they're raising a kid. Sometimes they're frayed. Sometimes they fight. Sometimes they fuck other people.

But in the end, as long as they're both alive, it's Scott Summers and Jean Grey.

Reed and Sue still get top billing as the big couple of 616, sure. They're not immune to silly love triangles, but they tend to be dead less often.

But I still think Scott and Jean are up there, as consistent and steady as anything in the Marvel Universe.

[corameiwrites]

𖦹 searching for love pt. 2𖦹

pair: jason todd x gn!reader

plot: going back to work, you wonder if you'll see your handsome stranger again...

wc: 1.6k

For once, being forced to wake up and leave your warm cocoon of blankets and stuffed animals at nine in the morning didn’t seem so terrible. Your cat, however, thought differently. To her, it was routine to be awoken by your ruffling of the sheets and complaining about the day to come. 

There was none of that this morning, and she seemed to take notice. Rather than stay in bed scrolling until the absolute last minute, you sprang up and went to your bathroom. Meowing in some form of complaint and stretching, she jumped down soundlessly to join you. She watched as you did your normal routine from the toilet seat as she did every morning. Then it was off to the closet. Padding softly on the wooden floors, she went to her bed she rarely used situated next to a floor length mirror and got comfortable. With lazy eyes, she observed you sorting through clothes and digging in laundry baskets. 

Unknowingly, she had fallen asleep but was awoken by a scratch on her head. Looking up, she saw you fully dressed, smiling down on her. Meowing in content, she stretched and rested a paw on your outstretched arm. 

“Do you want breakfast, girl?” 

Her ears perked up at that, and in an instant she was up and across the room, meowing boisterously at you to follow. 

“Of course you do.” You followed your noisy cat into the kitchen, almost tripping over her when she circled between your legs. “Hey, watch it.” 

After pouring some kibble into her tray and getting no more than a mere meow in thanks, you double checked you had everything in your bag before sitting down on the couch to put on your shoes. 

“Do you think he’ll be there today?” 

Her tail swung slowly from side to side as she ate her food. 

“I hope he will.” You stood, running to the mirror for one last look at yourself before grabbing your keys and walking to the front door. Your cat followed, meowing insistently again. Leaning down, you scoop her into your arms and snuggle her. You walk to your room, cat still in your arms. 

“I'm sorry girl, but we can’t have a repeat of last time.” Her head lifts to look at you, and before she knows it you’ve thrown her on the bed and run out of the room all the way to the front door. She, again, meows loudly before rushing to the door only to catch it closing. 

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩  ♡  ✩˚｡⋆𖦹｡°⋆✮

For some unknown reason, everybody and their mother wanted to come to the cozy bookstore on a late Tuesday afternoon. This had kept you and your other coworker on your feet all day, alternating between stocking, running the register, and walking around asking kids to please not climb on bookshelves. Had it not been for the hope of seeing your “mystery hunk” (as your coworker lovingly named him), you probably would have looked dead on your feet. 

Your coworker was teasing you nonstop about volunteering to actually walk around the store and shelve in hopes of seeing him. You took it in stride though, because at least you were self aware of how insane and a little delusional you were being. 

With every ring of the front door, your head would instantly turn, checking to see if it was him. When shelving, you lingered around the Austen area in case he wanted to pick up another book. Constantly looking through the crowd, you hoped to find a wisp of white hair somewhere. The only white hair you saw was from one of your regulars, Agnes, an old lady who fit every stereotype of a fairytale grandma. You were chatting with her before your coworker asked you to take over the register. 

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩  ♡  ✩˚｡⋆𖦹｡°⋆✮

Jason had been sitting in the coffee shop across the street from the bookstore for more than twenty minutes, scared shitless for absolutely no reason. Maybe it was the fact that he still felt awful about keeping you thirty minutes past closing—unknowingly, but it didn’t take away the shame. You had been so nice about it too, telling him not to worry. But how could he not? It was the only thing on his mind the last couple hours. The least he could have done was make sure you got home safe, so he followed protected your walk home. 

Tim had given him so much shit about abandoning him for 40 minutes and purposefully leading Condiment King to him that Jason had ended up agreeing to take care of the dry cleaning and “trauma compensation” (Tim’s words, not his). Whatever that meant. 

That's what led him to this coffee shop after dropping off the ruined suit, which was conveniently across the street from your work, the little time-warp of a bookstore. He was watching people file in and out periodically through the window, but didn’t see you at the register. Not that he was looking for you specifically. He just wanted to thank you and apologize once more, that's all. 

It looked rather busy, and he didn’t feel like walking in to explain the whole lost wallet and books on hold thing to the worker. After some more internal shaming and nonsensical overthinking, Jason decided he wouldn’t go back to that bookstore today, and probably ever again despite his gut telling him otherwise. He couldn’t just stroll in with a clean conscience knowing he kept you so late past closing. It was a crime comparable to his nighttime-persona. 

Groaning as he got up from his table, he threw his empty cup away. He had taken a pretty hard fall this morning grappling back to his safehouse and bruised half his right side. He was just glad Tim wasn’t there to see it. Walking to his bike parked outside, he took one last look at the bookstore. The sight of you at the register made him do a double take. 

Stalling next to his motorcycle, his hand began to fidget with the ignition key in his pocket. You were checking out a mother and a little kid, who was practically bouncing on his feet. You were smiling and talking to the boy, and he must have said something cute or blunt in the way only little kids are, because suddenly you were laughing. 

The sight unconsciously brought a smile to his lips.

Bagging their books, you handed something to the kid. They walked out and you continued onto the next customer, and Jason watched as the kid plastered a shiny gold star sticker onto his chest just outside the store. 

 Sighing, he abandoned his bike and made his way across the street. 

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩  ♡  ✩˚｡⋆𖦹｡°⋆✮

The bell to the front door chimed, and mostly on professional training and only a little bit delusion, you looked up to greet the person. 

“Welcome—oh!” Realizing it was your mysterious hunk, you smiled a little brighter. He smiled back, a small one, but still there. Slowly, he approached the front counter, lingering a little awkwardly as you hurried to bag someone's books. After telling them to come again, he approached the register. 

“Hi.” he said, a little breathlessly.

“Hey.” Your smile widened at his stiff posture and shy demeanor. “Any luck finding your wallet?”

“Oh,” his eyebrows raised, and it was as if you speaking had broken him out of a daze. You found this far too endearing. “Yeah, I uh, actually left it at home—but I brought it today, so…”

“Yeah, I’ve definitely done that before.” You say, letting out an airy chuckle. Neither of you say anymore for a moment, both looking at the other. He’s dressed more casually today, his heavy cargo pants traded out for an old pair of baggy jeans. He’s wearing a dark green sweater under another leather jacket; black this time. Something about it makes his eyes pop just a little brighter you think. His eyes meet yours, and he looks away briefly, chewing his lip slightly. 

“You still have those books behind the counter?” he asks, breaking the silence.

“Um–yeah, sorry.” Quickly turning, you bend down, mentally slapping yourself for checking him out so obviously. The books are in the same place you stored them last night. Picking them up, you rush to stand back up. “Ow!” 

“Oh shit, are you okay?” He sounds very concerned. 

“Yep, just a little scratch.” There's no way you will ever recover from hitting your head on the counter in front of a hot customer. 

“You sure?” 

“Yes, I am totally fine. Um…” Trailing off and trying desperately to escape his piercing gaze, you ask if he wants a bag. 

“Sure, yeah.”

Trying your hardest to not shrivel up and die of embarrassment, you carefully put his books into a paper bag, watching as he whips out a leather wallet and handing you a twenty dollar bill. Noting his clear affinity to leather, you get his change before turning back to him, $5.67 in your hand. His own brushes against yours slightly as he takes the change, and you're a little ashamed at how much that small contact made your heart soar. 

Instantly, he puts the extra money into a small tip jar. You smile, and as you're about to thank him, Old Agnes puts her books down on the counter. Noticing, he grabs his bag and steps back, looking at you. 

“Thanks for holding these back there, and sorry for keeping you up late last night.” You decide to ignore the look Agnes gives you. 

“It's alright. Come back soon?” 

He hesitates, glancing around the store and back at you. He smiles, nodding. “I’m planning on it.” 

You watch as he leaves, walking recklessly across the street (a car honked at him) to a red motorcycle. You gape a little, eyeing him as he puts on a helmet and leaves. You focus back on checking out Old Agnes’ books. 

“...so what were you two up to last night?"

[leashybebes]

fic: blue and gold (16/28)

for today's @bucktommyfluffebruary fic i swapped in alternate prompt showering together because they for sure know they're dating by now.

my fill is here and the tumblr version is below for those who prefer to read here. ps, pretty sure this chapter takes the rating to M.

"I am never doing that again," Buck says firmly.

"No?"

"You and Eddie definitely had an unfair advantage."

Tommy's clearly fighting a smirk. "How's that?"

Buck splutters. "Combat training!"

"Ohhh. I thought you were referring to basic hand-eye coordination," Tommy says. "Which, apparently you and Sal were born without."

Buck pouts. "Asshole. Plus, I have paint in places I don't even wanna know about. Somehow."

"Well, someone felt the need to restyle his jumpsuit," Tommy points out.

"Sue me for wanting to look pretty for you," Buck says.

"Are they always like this?" Sal demands from the backseat.

"Literally always," Eddie says heavily.

Buck wants to protest, defend their collective honor, but he'd honestly forgotten the two of them were even there.

"Get outta my truck," Tommy says.

Sal and Eddie do as they're told, stepping out into the parking lot where they left their cars. Buck flips them both the bird as he and Tommy drive away.

"Assholes," Tommy says fondly.

Buck murmurs his agreement and sets his hand on Tommy's thigh.

"Wanna take a shower together when we get back to your place?" Tommy offers. "Scrub off that paint?"

"Uh. Yes," Buck says firmly.

***

Paintballing is apparently not his thing, but if it leads here, maybe he could be persuaded, he thinks later as Tommy pulls him closer under the spray of hot water, kissing him eagerly. He runs his hands up the planes of Tommy's back, the slide made smooth by the water and the slick of soap suds. Buck's shower is generously sized but they're both big guys and it's a little cramped before too long. Buck's not complaining though, not by a long shot, not when he can feel Tommy hardening against his hip.

They've long since given up on vaguely romantic notions of gently washing each other's bodies in favor of getting as close as physically possible. Along with the paintball-induced bruising, Buck knows he's going to have stubble burn on the sensitive skin of his throat, a dark smudge in the shape of Tommy's mouth on his shoulder, and if he can swing it later, fingertip marks blooming on his hips. He can't wait.

"God, please," he groans, letting Tommy press him into the tiles. The shock of the cold makes him shudder, but it only heightens the delicious sensation of the heat of Tommy's body against him.

"Yeah?" Tommy kisses him again, his voice low in that way that's always left Buck weak. "What do you want, baby?"

"Anything," Buck says honestly. "Everything. Jesus, just don't stop touching me."

"I promise," Tommy tells him earnestly, and Buck feels briefly like he might cry.

It's nothing, really. A day with their friends that ends like this. It could be any day. But that's the thing. It could be any day, because this is their everyday, now.

"I love you," he gasps out. "Tommy, I love you so much."

They're making it. They're going to make it.

Buck is more sure every single day.

[sexybread-png]

just elaborating on the previous ask

no, it is not because she “has a bush” and no it is not transphobic or misogynist to point out that you specifically drew her hairier than any other character when she is the darkest black women you have drawn or portrayed ESPECIALLY when you are portraying a real cis black actress who does not have the arm hair you are putting into your artwork.

women can and do have hair i am not saying that, but black women in particular have a long history of being forced into a realm of masculinity that is purely because of their skin color, maybe look into that instead of an article on “women and hair” if you are trying to show that you listen to criticism

hello again anon

to reiterate, i do want this to be a conversation, im not trying to shut you down or downplay your concerns by bringing my own. i do feel its relevant to inform you that you bringing up the fact that cynthia is a cis woman and should thus have less hair IS breeding grounds for those concerns.

on that note, i am NOT portraying the real life person cynthia erivo in my drawings, but elphaba thropp the fictional character. elphaba, if u didnt know, is not cis. shes intersex, as stated in the books. i do understand that using cynthia's likeness makes elphaba a black woman and so i have been careful abt my portrayal of her, but elphaba is not cynthia erivo. its important to make a distinction between the actress and the character

further, if the arm hair ur speaking of is the armpit hair, cynthia probably does have arm hair and chooses to shave it. i just dont think elphaba the character would be the type to shave.

if ur talking abt this drawing though i will point out that this is an alternate universe in which elphaba is a werewolf, as stated in the post, which is why she is so hairy. if i drew galinda as a werewolf, id draw her just as hairy! (which is smth ive done in the past, drawing white ppl / non black ppl as hairy werewolves.)

also, i have drawn darker skinned women who weren't as hairy:

my goal isnt to draw black women more masculine than non black women. my goal is to just draw women, all kinds of them, and it includes hairy black women bc i believe women being hairy does not make them more masculine. my intention shows in my drawings too: im not drawing elphaba less of a person or less pretty than galinda bc shes hairier. she just is hairier

in an effort to have a wider perspective on the subject, i did talk about this with my friend. shes an indigenous woman so to clarify shes not trying to compare her experiences to black women's, just offer her own perspective and she means all of it in good faith. i asked if i could show what she told me bc i felt like she explained things in a really thoughtful and intelligible way

[imsofreakingtired]

I saw a request about anorexia comfort and I just wanted to ask could I possibly ask for sevika x reader bulimia comfort? That’s what I struggle with so I just wanted to request that.

If not that’s totally okay and thank you!

-🖤🖤🖤

all my love and support to you 💙 please let me know if any of this is inaccurate, offensive, or upsetting - i drew from a combination of my own past experiences with an ed and external research. and thank you for the request; i know struggling with an ed can be an isolating experience and i really hope this brings at least a little comfort 💙 💙 💙 💙

disclaimer: not meant to be an alternative to therapy obviously!! please reach out for support, i know it's hard but i believe you can do it loves <33 and as always if this content may be triggering to you, please scroll away and take care!!

breathe

content warning(s): depictions of an ed, body dysmorphia, heavy angst, hurt/comfort

"days pull you down just like a sinking ship memories swim and haunt you but look into the lake, shimmering like smoke rises the moon oh, close your weary eyes, i promise you that soon the autumn comes to darken fading summer skies breathe, breathe, breathe."

~~~

Sevika is not alarmed when you tell her about your eating disorder, which you reveal after you have been seeing her for nearly a month. she does not judge you. she has noticed the signs already, but didn’t want to assume anything, bring it up before you did. Sevika remembers the darkest period of her life: sixteen and feeling like the world played her like a marionette, when the stress of her environment triggered her binges. then the guilt. then the self-loathing. then the desperate need to erase what she had done. she remembers lifting for hours until her arms gave out. running 5 miles a day in a sweat suit. tracking calories. balancing food on scales. when you tell her you are going through the same thing, her heart sinks. she had been hoping her instincts were wrong. she had been hoping against hope, because she knows how hard it is.  

⟢🖤⟢ her fear for you, her worries about your health, sometimes manifests in ways she doesn’t mean to. she has never backed away from honest conversations. she asks you up front: have you eaten? have you thrown up? she can tell immediately if you lie to her about it, and it hurts her to think that you’re unwilling to tell her the truth, be open about it to her. sometimes her frustration at herself for being unable to help you causes her to be harsher. she tries sitting you down and telling you that what you’re doing will hurt you badly. she can’t stand being away from you for too long, she can barely sleep at night, wondering if you’re binging again, wondering if you’re punishing yourself again.   

⟢🖤⟢

she silently keeps track of the physical signs. she sees you sizing up every plate of food. she sees you obsessively reading the nutrition labels. she sees how you avoid going out to eat with people, how you always opt for something different for date nights, anything that isn’t eating together. she sees your exhaustion, the swelling in your face. you can hide it from everyone else—you can hide it from the world—but Sevika loves you too much to let a single detail escape her. 

⟢🖤⟢

beats herself up honestly, especially after realizing that sometimes she could be a trigger—an offhand word, a change in her tone, a spike of irritation. you don’t blame her for this: everyone has their bad days, and sometimes the two of you argue. she wishes she could do more for you, wishing she could take away the thoughts that cause you to spiral and hurt yourself. 

⟢🖤⟢

Sevika is confounded at first when you tell her candidly about your issues with body image, because to her you are the most beautiful perfect being who ever existed. it makes her furious at whatever caused you to think otherwise. maybe it was a history of bullying at school. maybe it was your mother’s thoughtless comments on your body. maybe it was the media, constantly telling you that your body is imperfect. maybe it is not your body at all, but the sense of control and discipline that comes from regulating the food, the erasure of food. Sevika’s first response is always to fight. she’s sworn to herself that she will protect you from the world, that she can keep you safe by the strength of her fists. but when the threat is something untouchable, something inside your head, she feels helpless. so she becomes more physically protective than ever. calling you several times a day just to hear your voice. kissing you, touching you, holding you more often, as if to reassure you of how much she adores you.   

⟢🖤⟢

she picks up on your triggers for b/p cycles and does her best to interfere with them. she notices that your routine is to restrict throughout the day, return home, where the stress and hunger of the day triggers a binge. so she shows up at your door around the same time you return home and asks if you want to go on a walk. if you’re too tired, she stays with you and makes you soup. if you say you can’t eat it, she will not pressure you. but she stays, thinking maybe if she’s there to watch over you, she can keep you from going into the cycle again.

⟢🖤⟢

there are stretches of time where you leave the cycle. Sevika marks the days on slips of paper to keep track of your progress and gives them to you with a proud look in her eyes. you don’t want to relapse for her sake, but you’re also terrified of recovering completely. you’re scared that if you let yourself recover, your body will change—it will gain back the weight you have been controlling, and you’re scared Sevika will not find you attractive anymore. one night you give into the thoughts. and when Sevika finds you on the bathroom floor, hovering over the toilet bowl, she says nothing but pulls you into her arms. 

i’m sorry, you whisper. 

shh. it’s okay, sweet thing. just breathe. 

she brings you water and rubs your back as you drink it. you wonder what you look like to her. you wonder if she is already planning to leave. another apology rises to your lips but you swallow it. Sevika doesn’t say anything for a long time, she just sits with you. then in a low voice, she speaks. 

i used to have the same habit. 

you look at her in surprise. 

yeah, she says, with a deep sigh. god, it was a million years ago, but i still remember those days. i’d sneak down into the kitchen when my parents were asleep. ate anything i could find. then punished myself the next day. 

her hand finds your knee, bent against your chest as you curl into yourself tightly. her warm grip grounds you. i’m telling you this because i want you to know… she pauses. …that i get it. 

you tell her, i’m scared. 

i know, baby. 

you say, i might change. you might not want me anymore. 

she looks you in the eyes. brushes the hair away from your face, leans forward, and gives you a long kiss on your forehead. you’re perfect, she says, her voice rough. you hear me? i will always, always want you. every shape. every side of you. 

a sob breaks from your lips. you lean into her, and she cradles your body with her own. kissing your hair, she gives you a promise. 

it’s not easy. but i’ll be with you the entire way. every damn step.

⟢🖤⟢

-thank you @hexthathoe for the req <3

-divider by @enchanthings-a

[wkngsnds]

I’m really excited for episode 5 and 6

Jax and Ragatha are the most emotionally guarded, secretive people of the whole cast. It takes stupid sauce and a brainwashing video to make them slightly vulnerable, and even then they’re still so private. The only thing we know is that Ragatha had horses, but that doesn’t really tell us much. Maybe she grew up on a farm, maybe she was an equestrian, hell they could have been stuffed animals for all we know. And Jax is suspicious in his way to get keys/passwords, plus knowing what Caine’s “nature” is like.

Personally, I don’t think Pomni will be able to get those two to open up— she’s shown to be confused about them in the first episode and had nightmares with them in the second. She only starts to warm up to Ragatha at the end of the third episode, and clearly doesn’t trust Jax in the fourth episode. And after what Gangle tells her, she probably still doesn’t trust Ragatha either (you can get along with someone and not trust them). Even in the end credits, she’s looking over her shoulder at them, incredibly confused, as they just walk along with smiles on their faces.

Frankly, I can see her trying to break up a really nasty argument and they both snap at her

Alternatively, Pomni is going to curse the two of them out for constantly arguing (on god they stress this woman out)

[supernotnatural2005]

His Only Exception

Pairing: Solider Boy/Ben x Reader

Summary: Ben isn't a fan of Valentines day, but he's come a long way since the fall of Vought and the days before. And maybe, you're the exception.

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings/Tags: Swearing, mentions of past trauma, implied spicy times, established relationship.

AN: Okay so this is my first Solider Boy debut. 😅 This idea just came to me and thought it would be a great idea for the holiday >❤️< For the sake of this story, I have set this in an alternate reality where Solider Boy had killed Homelander and Vought's no more... I hope you all enjoy, and let me know what you think 💕

Masterlist

Valentine’s Day wasn’t exactly Ben’s thing.

Hell, he thought it was a cash grab—just another excuse for couples to pretend they were happier than they really were. Romance, flowers, chocolates? That crap wasn’t for him. The only good thing going for it was getting his dick wet. At least, that’s what he told himself.

And yet, here he was, standing in the kitchen of your shared apartment, fidgeting with the edges of a small, beat-up gift box like it was a live grenade. He’d been up before you, slipping out of bed without waking you—something that never happened. Normally, he was all over you in the mornings, shamelessly getting handsy while groaning about wanting breakfast. But today was different. Today, he was a little nervous.

Not that he’d ever admit it.

After everything he’d been through—the bloodshed, the betrayal, the torture—he’d finally found some redemption. 

Homelander was gone, Vought had crumbled, and he was free to go on as he pleased. Within limits, of course—that was the agreement. But he didn’t know what to do with himself. All his so-called friends were dead—not that they were really his friends. Just ungrateful fucking leeches who got what they deserved. He had no family, and now, he was forced to navigate a world he barely recognised.

Women showed a whole lot more ass and tit than they used to, and weed was legal in most states, so there were perks. But surprisingly, Ben didn’t care much for those things anymore. 

He’d always wanted a family - to settle down, have a few little rugrats running around. But he knew he had to change in order for that to happen. Women stood up for themselves a lot more now, called him out on his bullshit, some even avoided him outright. It wasn’t like the old days, when they’d beg to suck his cock just because of who he was.

Now, he was just some washed-up, century-old superhero. A man who had killed, not only his own son, but America’s golden boy. He was either hated or respected. Never loved.

Until he met you.

Feeling lost and wallowing in self-pity, he’d reluctantly taken advice from Grace—who, despite hating his guts, had suggested he try a support group. She’d claimed that maybe, buried beneath all the ‘misogynistic, disgusting, selfish bravado’ he liked to throw around (her words), there was still some trace of humanity in him.

He hadn’t exactly helped his case when he’d laughed in her face and scoffed, “therapy is for pussies”, though.

But eventually, the loneliness, the emptiness of his old life—it all got tiring. He wanted more.

When he first saw you, sure, he thought you were easy on the eyes, a knockout really. You had nice curves, a pretty face to go with them. And you seemed like the kind of woman who respected herself, but in a sexy/ professional kinda way. But what stood out most was your kindness.

You knew who he was—everyone in that room did. Most either looked at him with fear, disgust, or curiosity. But not you.

You looked at him like he was just another guy trying to get his shit together. Just another person wanting to change. And though he’d never admit it, that’s what hooked him. It’s why, despite his disdain for that kind of thing, he kept coming back.

For once in his life, you made him feel normal. Accepted.

So when you finally took a chance on him—and it hadn’t been fucking easy to get you to—he knew he had to make it count. Now, almost a year later, he was a semi-changed man.

When you finally emerged from the bedroom, wrapped in one of his t-shirts - he was still getting used to the way the sight of you like that made his chest warm - rubbing the sleep from your eyes. Ben leaned back against the counter, trying way too hard to look casual.

“Morning, sunshine.” You gave him a soft smile before noticing something unusual. No crude morning remarks, no immediate attempt to pull you into his arms, and ravish you on the kitchen counter. Just him, standing there, looking...shifty.

Your eyes flickered to the small box in his hands. “What’s that?”

Ben huffed, rolling his eyes. “It’s stupid. Nothin’.”

You stepped closer, reaching for it, and he let you take it—though he grumbled under his breath, “It ain’t a big deal.”

You ignored him as you opened it, revealing a simple, delicate necklace. It wasn’t flashy, nothing over-the-top, but it was beautiful. Your fingers brushed over the small pendant, noticing the faint engraving of his initials on the back.

Your chest tightened. “Ben…”

He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding your gaze. “Look, it’s not, like, a thing.” His voice was gruff, defensive, but there was no real bite behind it. “I just figured, I dunno... chicks like this kinda shit. And I didn’t wanna be the asshole boyfriend who forgot.”

You smirked, stepping into his space, pressing your hand against his chest. “You’re such a liar.”

His brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”

“You care.” You tilted your head, studying his face. “You’re acting all tough, but this meant something to you. Admit it.”

Ben scoffed, scooping you up effortlessly and tossing you over his shoulder, making you yelp. “Jesus, you get one little gift and suddenly go all Dr. Phil on me.”

You laughed, smacking his back playfully. “You’re embarrassed!”

“I’m not fucking embarrassed,” he grumbled, carrying you back toward the bedroom. “And besides, Valentine’s Day is about one thing and one thing only, sweetheart.”

With a cocky smirk, he tossed you onto the bed, leaning over you. “And that’s me making you scream my name.”

You rolled your eyes, but the warmth in your chest lingered. He still had his rough edges, cracks that hadn’t fully sealed, old habits that died hard—but he was trying. And that’s what mattered.

You reached up, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him down for a slow, lingering kiss. He groaned low in his chest, settling himself between your legs, his cock hard and heavy as it pressed against your core through his sweats. When you pulled back, you whispered, a little breathlessly, “I love you, Ben.”

For a second, he didn’t say anything. Just stared at you, like he was still trying to figure out how the hell he got lucky enough to have you. 

It wasn’t the first time you’d said it, but every time since, it hit him in a way nothing else ever had. Being loved—not for his fame, his money, or some character Vought had portrayed him be, but for who he was—was a feeling unlike any other. A high better than any drug he’d ever taken. And he’d taken a lot.

Still, the words never came easy. Vulnerability wasn’t in his nature, and saying it out loud made it real—something that could be taken from him.

So instead, with a smirk and that familiar glint of mischief in his eyes, he showed you just how much he loved you. And, true to his word, it ended with you screaming his name.

AN: I hope you guys liked this one! And HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! ❤️❤️

If you would like to be tagged in my future works please respond to this >form< so I can add you to the character's you'd like 😊

Soldier Boy Tag List:

@happyfxckinghorrors @crooked-haven @chevroletdean @lyarr24 , @impala67rollingthroughtown @jackles010378 @riteofpassage77 @stoneyggirl2 @spnaquakindgdom @cevansbaby-dove @star-yawnznn @piptoost @deansimpalababy @megara0224 @hobby27 @idontwannabehere7 @kr804573 @mrs-nesmith @zepskies @ohheyguyss

[oneandonlyjiyanxscarshipper]

Recently I’ve been thinking what would welt look like as a boss.

He is the Herrscher of reason (I like to also call it Herrscher of mimicry) because their main power is creating copies of things (as long as they understand those things)

So I imagine some of Welt moves would be copies of previous bosses moves

Like say aventurine’s gamble or hitting your team with a shitload of gambling chips

Maybe something from Sunday’s boss battle, like those little Angel shits. That you have to break.

And a capturing technique like in svarog’s boss fight. Maxing at 3 captures.

Then some special effect like a heavy slowing and set back of your team. Giving enemies more turns. Maybe an ability to remove buffs from your team.

I would imagine his boss form would be full out Herrscher (so not them grandpa ass clothes) with his Herrscher eyes and the star of Eden being returned to its original form. Mostly likely also floating off the ground (cause Herrschers can do that)

Maybe a move that ties back to his deal with Void Archives or alternatively having Void Archives as an ally. Like Black Swan in the fight again Gallagher weird ass dog, or the train in the Sunday fight.

I Imagine he’d have special voice lines for defeating members of the astral express

Dan Hang: Oh what a shame to have to reset all your progress, time to start over little vidyahara

March 7th: Oh March. Shame it had end this way, to never learn of you true origins or to regain your memories

Himeko: Consider this Your final trailblazing expedition.

Caelus: Poor Caelus, shame you can’t see this journey to the end. Maybe you should have just stayed and worked for Herta

Stelle: Poor Stelle, shame you can’t see this journey to the end. Maybe you should have just stayed and worked for Herta

Sunday: This was an outcome bound to happen. No Aeon can save you. Now die like the Order did.

Oh and here are some for the Stellaron Hunters as well

Blade: Consider this an act of mercy, I’m bringing your suffering to end

Kafka: Can’t talk your way out of this one Kafka

Silverwolf: Enjoy the taste of losing, because you never had a chance at winning

Firefly/Sam: Die and go join your comrades in the afterlife

[riovidql]

i thought that i was dreaming when you said you loved me — AGATHARIO

“Honey, I’m home!” Rio said as she walked through the door, getting out of her shoes and losing her coat. “God, you will not believe the day I had. I swear, one of these days it will be proven that stupidity can kill. Then I will finally have pea- Agatha…?” She stops, because Agatha is nowhere to be seen, or felt, for that matter. What the fuck?

“Uhm, Agatha? Scratchy?” She shouts. No answer. Fuck. “Fuck, did I walk into the wrong apartment again?” But then a little ball of fur comes running down the hall, stopping precisely in front of her. She kneels down. “Hey, bunny. Where’s your mama?” She, funny enough, scratches behind Scratchy’s ear as she picks him up. He looks like he knows, but won’t tell. Well, of course he won’t tell me where she is, he can’t talk.

“Okay… Scavenger hunt it is then. And you,” she looks directly into his eyes. “Are coming with me. Agatha won’t murder, burn, bite or whatever she’s… We’re… Uhm. She behaves when you’re around! You’re my shield, is what I’m saying. Don’t look at me like that.”

“Agathaaa! Where the fuck are you?”

She looked everywhere. Even under the rugs. A woman could never be too safe. And honestly, it’s Agatha. And Rio could, obviously, try her phone. But one thing about Agatha Harkness is she absolutely, completely, despises phones. And technology over all; (some will say it’s because she doesn’t know how to use it, she will deny profusely, she just is above it).

Rio was tired. She had a long ass day at work, and she needed sleep, and no one could argue she did not look for her wife, Señor Scratchy was witness. Though that rabbit always chose her wife’s side anyway. Useless, traitor bunny. But she did send her a text, though.

As she laid down on the couch, with the little pet comfortably under her chin and the low, background noise of the TV, she dozed off. She wouldn’t know what time that actually happened or how long she was napping for… People were taking longer to get to the fucking point, traffic was ass, the elevator was broken so she had to take the stairs, and this nosy neighbor stopped her for unsolicited advice, boring gossip. And she still had to go look for Agatha. If you asked Rio, she would say that day had approximately 87 hours. And counting.

And as if it couldn’t get worse, she woke up from her sleep with a killer headache. National Fuck Rio Vidal Day, fuck me. ‘Did Agatha at least get home?’ was her second thought, but as she was regaining her consciousness and taking in her surroundings, the smell caught her senses. “What the fuck?” It smelled like…? Chicken? And bechamel sauce? And was that Agatha moving a spoon on a pan? Wait. Was Agatha cooking? Just for how long, exactly, had she been out for and did she or did she not mistakenly alternate realities? “What the fuck.” She says a little more loud this time, making Agatha look over her shoulder with a smirk.

“I thought you were dead.”

“And then you decided to cook? Aren’t you just the most romantic thing in the world.” Rio scoffs.

“Unfortunately, I was wrong.”

“Charmer.” Then Rio remembers. “Where the fuck were you? And why didn’t you call, or text? Or left a fucking note stuck on Scratchy?”

“Out.”

“Out? That’s all you have to say after disappearing for hours and making me turn and toss and destroy this apartment looking for you?” Rio crosses her arms, mildly annoyed by her wife’s nonchalant responses.

“It didn’t look like you were turning and tossing and destroying this apartment when I got here.” Agatha was smiling big now and oh, Rio fucking despised her. Fuck Agatha, was what she was going to do later.

“Fine!” She rolls her eyes, lying down on the couch again. “Just be quiet. Someone decided it was a good idea to play drums inside my head.” And just like that, she dozed off again.

When she rose, it was to a glass of water and two ibuprofens placed on the coffee table in front of her, which she gratefully took. Maybe she didn’t really despise Agatha. Or maybe the water was poisoned. Either way, she looked around and she saw that her wife was on a stool leaning over their countertop, her back facing Rio as her body looked like it was focused. Was Agatha writing hate letters to Jen, again? Standing quietly, she made her way to her wife, not wanting to startle her. Fine, she didn’t want to make Agatha aware she was snooping around her business.

That was when she saw it. Agatha was drawing. Drawing plants, elaborate ones. The pages on display had four different kind of greens, each one with their own description and functionality, all painted and shadowed, except for the one she was just starting to work on. Rio was actually, maybe for the first time in her life, stunned. Well, except for when Agatha climbed on top of her in bed and-

What was even weirder was that Agatha was so focused on her task that she didn’t even notice Rio lurking behind her. Or that Rio was actually shedding real, big ass tears. Cry baby. “What is that?” She finally spoke, which she wished she didn’t ‘cause now there was a hand coming to slap her and Rio was caught off guard and there was no way she could react fast enough to dodge a very loud, and painful, slap on her face. “Are you fucking crazy?” She shouted after a few moments.

“If you didn’t stand there like a freak for God knows how long and scared the shit out of me, all of this could’ve been avoided.” Agatha continued to draw.

“And somehow it’s my fault.” Rio wasn’t finding the situation cute anymore.

“Yeah, it is. Good girl.” You could hear the smirk in her voice.

“Oh, fuck off.” She continued lurking. “What are you doing.”

Agatha actually blushed. “What I was doing was dinner, but somebody decided to sleep. Again.”

“Quit stalling, Agatha. What is this?”

“I’ve found a hobby.” She said simply.

“You’ve found a hobby? And it has something to do with plants? The very same thing you tease me about every single day and call me a nerd for?”

“Just wanted to know what the hype was all about. So I’ve been taking a few classes, going to some lectures, you know how it is.” Rio has no idea how it is.

“About plants?” She deadpans.

“Obviously.”

“Right.”

Agatha turns to look at Rio and says, “Dinner is ready.”

Rio is speechless, dumbfounded, stunned (again), blabla. What the fuck was wrong with her wife? Maybe she shouldn’t have got up today.

“Wait a minute.” She grabs Agatha’s arm as she stands. “You? Made dinner? And it smelled good? And we’re still alive?” Rio wasn’t so sure about the last part.

“Sue me for wanting to make something nice for my wife?”

Huh. “Am I missing something here?”

“God, Rio. You’re so annoying. I fucking made you dinner ‘cause class ran late and traffic was awful and I got here after you and felt bad. And your ass was sleeping so infuriatingly cutely with Scratchy, and you looked so tired. I am taking botany classes and going to approximately a million lectures a week about plants because you do so much for me and I just wanted to show you that I care too. Was that what you wanted to hear?” Agatha made her best to look annoyed, but Rio knew her and could see just the tiniest spark of insecurity in her eyes. She pretended she didn’t see. Or she would be feet deep buried.

“My love.” Rio said weakly. God, she loved, hated, her wife. Agatha eyes softened at the two words.

“Can I go back to my drawing now?” Leave it to Agatha to run from any type of emotional moment. Even after years married. This bitch.

“Ah yes, and you’re gonna tell me all about those classes of yours. How long have you been keeping this from me? And what is up with that draw game. I did not know you had it in you.”

“I have very skilled hands, I think you of all people would know that.” Agatha winked at her. Show off.

“Debatable.” Then Rio started running for her life. This time she had a good reaction time.

HEY! i just love these witches so much it really got me back to writing after YEARS. if anyone see this, i hope u enjoy it :)

[the-vampire-lance]

Lance tried not to look at Keith. He could feel the angry glare piercing the side of his head. If Keith was a sniper, he’d be hitting Lance with a head shot.

When they got to the park, iris ran after Keith, trying to catch him. Aperently she was still oblivious to the fact that the wolf playing with her was the same Keith that raced her in the ball pit.

“Hehehe I’m gonna get chu Keith! I’m fast like a pikachu! Hahaha!”

While they were playing, Lance and Rainer sat on a bench watching.

Rainer then turns to lance.

“Ok let’s hear it. Why is you friend a pokemon?”

Lance scratched the back of his head nervously as he tries to think of how he’s gonna explain all this.

“Um well… h-he’s not actually a pokemon.he’s um… have you ever heard of a werewolf?”

“We have movies about them. They don’t exist though.”

Lance laughed nervously. “Yeah well maybe not in this reality. I’m getting ahead of myself…. The truth about Keith and I is a bit hard to believe… have you ever heard of alternate realities?”

“I’ve heard the theories.”

“ well it’s all true and Keith and I are from another reality. One where pokemon don’t exist and werewolves and other horror movie monsters do exist.”

Lance looked at Rainer to gauges his reaction. The man though just stared at Lance for a full minute trying to read if Lance was bullshiting him. Then after a minute he said “you’re not kidding are you?”

Lance shakes his head. “No sir. Keith and I are kinda lost here in your reality, and we’re just trying to get home.”

“So how does entering into a pokemon beauty pageant fit into you getting home?”

Lance looked over at Keith and laughed a bit. “Yeah I can see how that wouldn’t make sense… well you see, Keith and I didn’t have money, we needed money to pay for transportation to a town where a professor lives. We were hoping this professor could help us find a way home. The pokemon pageant gives a money reward to the winner so Keith and I entered so we could win the money we needed.”

“Ok that makes sense now.” Rainer hummed. “Where are you two headed?”

“Sandgem town. To see prof rowan.” Lance replied.

“That’s quite a journey. It’ll take you several weeks to get there by foot. The fastest way there would be by bullet train. You’ll get there within a day.”

“Really? That’s great! Keith and I were debating on what mode of transportation we should use. Keith will definitely like that the bullet train is the best option. Thanks!”

“No problem.”

While they were talking, iris had caught up to Keith and had tackled him. She giggled as she hugged him and rubbed her face in his some fur.

“I GOT CHU! Lol. Wow you’re as soft and huggable as an arcanine! You must really keep Mr. Lance warm at night. I bet he cuddles you every night!”

Keith ran, jumped and landed, just like they practiced. Then he waited for the rock tomb to form and finish.

When Keith landed on the ground, Lance tapped his foot and sent the transmutation to shoot up in front of Keith and form pillars that folded together into a rock tomb.

[siggiedraws]

Hello! In one of your recent posts, you've mentioned that

There are little hints here and there that point towards the symbolism of his origins, like his folded boots being inspired by Santa Claus, which is why they're red and white with a buckle! I find that such a cool detail.

and it stood out to me because "the symbolism of his origins" is very fascinating. Could you elaborate? What other hints like this are there? Thank you in advance! ^^

Of course!

What I meant by what I said is that, despite us not knowing of Sonic's past, what very little we do know about it also happens to tie into the concept of Christmas/Santa Claus, that being his red and white boots that he's been wearing since the beginning and his birthplace literally being Christmas Island.

To understand where I want to go with this, I need to get into the important context behind the presence of Christmas in the Sonic series, which is that Naoto Ohshima loves the holiday. To the extent that he would dress up as Santa Claus in public and give gifts to people.

(SOURCE)

The reason behind Ohshima's passion for the character of Santa is that he was inspired by Santa and wanted to be like him. He's always wanted to create things for children to enjoy, or things that would delight people, much like how Santa spreads joy around the world by delivering gifts.

(SOURCE)

(SOURCE)

What I meant by the "symbolism of [Sonic's] origins" is that they are literally symbolic. Sonic was the gift Ohshima created for children all over the world.

I will say that this can come off as an especially Doylist perspective on the matter, because surely Sonic's past must exist within the fictional context of the Sonic universe, and we just don't know about it. I agree with this! Looking at it within the fictional universe, it's fun to speculate on what his birthplace could be like based on what limited information we have. If he got his boots from there, it might be a Christmas-themed island where it snows a lot. Alternatively, it might bear a striking resemblance to the real Christmas Island, since the Sonic universe already has many places that are analogous to real life, like Dragon Road being inspired by the Great Wall of China.

Sonic as he was originally conceived plays with the concept of blurring the lines between fiction and reality, so I would argue a more Doylist perspective is valid when we're discussing the symbolism behind Sonic's origins. If you're aware of the Marie Granette stories, that's a great example. There's a metafictional story about how Sonic, the fictional character from a fairytale, comes to life within reality (another fictional universe in our reality, but is meant to represent reality all the same), and saves a woman from a fire. Then, he's gone again, like he was never there.

This story depicts Sonic as a character who brings joy to people, as Meg (the woman who Sonic saves) recognizes him on a flight jacket as the character from her childhood that brought her so much joy over the years. When she wears the jacket, it makes her feel safe and comforted. No one would believe her if she said she saw him. Similar to a certain jolly fellow, donned in red and white.

Perhaps Sonic was never born; not through conventional means, that is. Maybe someone needed him, and he appeared. Maybe the rest was history.

Thanks for your ask!

[bronklish]

Exchanging Valentine Chocolate - LCB HC

In which you exchange valentine’s chocolate with the LCB crew

Yi Sang - Some Strange Chocolate and a Poem

He would be happy with anything you give him. Like, ALOT. He probably would eat little bits of it, trying to taste each ingredient that you used. Yi Sang would poetically recite some deep, moving words about your budding relationship, if you let him recollect himself. Overall, he’s happy that you thought of him.

When giving chocolate, I don’t thinks he’s confident in his cooking ability, but will try his hardest to make it the best he can. He’d probably ask someone to help him make it, like Meursault, Sinclair, or maybe Ryoshu. He would definitely include a little note about your essence in existence.

Faust - Chocolate Mixed with Stuff you may like

With her aloof nature, you wouldn’t tell if she is happy about receiving chocolate. I would say that it would surprise her that someone would admire her for her personality instead of her huge brain. She’d be please nonetheless, and would probably snack on it while working on Mephi.

Since Faust’s relationship with you is considered “unnecessary information” in the Gesellschaft, she would actually struggle with making something she’d think you’d like. At best, she’ll remember what kind of flavors and ingredients you like and try to put them together. When she finally gives you some chocolate, she would insist that you try it immediately, probably under the guise of “keeping it fresh”. In actuality, she’s trying to gauge your reaction to her confectionary concoction to see if she did a good job. If you enjoyed her sweets, or pretended to, she would subtly smile to herself.

Don Quixote - Chocolate Idol (Fixer Toy Included)

She would be over the moon when receiving any chocolate. Has a MASSIVE sweet tooth. Whether it’s platonic chocolate, romantic chocolate, shitty chocolate with too much salt, or even if you were trying to get rid of some, she would be happy to eat it. But to give her valentine’s chocolate to her? You’d need to prep some earplugs for the sheer volume of her ecstatic cheers.

Her chocolate would be… interesting. Looks cute, but may have some interesting textures and would probably be in a (crude) shape of you. She’d still be proud of it, even if you didn’t eat it. Depending on where you two are in the relationship, she may even gift you with some special Fixer merch! Kinda like a McDonald’s toy.

Ryoshu - A.B.C. (Artistically Burnt Chocolate)

She’d look unimpressed with any conventional sweets, homemade or not. It’s all just sugar to her. If you truly wish to impress her, make something unconventional. Burn it! Add shards of glass, maybe a few drops of blood! Then, carve a face that expresses agonizing pain, as if the subject was being punished in hell! Doing this would not only increases the chances of impressing her, but it would also show that you are trying to understand her. Alternatively, you can splurge and buy her some luxury cigarettes. Either way is fine.

Her chocolate would be a treat, visually. It would taste like ash, but the sheer viciousness of the shape, the angles, would leave an unforgettable impression. Truly, a work of A.R.T.

Meursault - Exquisite Handmade Chocolate

Unless you can read his micro-expressions, you wouldn’t know what he’s feeling. He wouldn’t eat them right away, but would eat them as a little treat after dinner. I think he would express his affections in a structured, constructive way. “You did well mixing most of the wet ingredients together, but some lumps take away from the flavor. I suggest sifting the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and…”. He’s trying his best to convey that he likes you in his own way.

He would return the next business day to some chocolate. Probably one of the best chocolate of the group. Like, so fancy you could mistake it from some fancy expensive chocolate, but it’s all made from scratch. He wouldn’t say anything further beyond “Here is your valentine’s chocolate”.

Hong Lu - Expensive Chocolate

He would find your chocolate fascinating, albeit a bit off-putting. Not a slight on you, of course! While he wouldn’t ever think you would ever try to harm him (on purpose), he definitely would have had to dealt with poisonous sweets from his family. There will be some reluctance when eating it, but he would appreciate the gesture.

I can see two outcomes: one where he buys you chocolate that costs more than your entire house, or he tries to make chocolate for you. The former would include Canned Experience; as soon as you take a bite, it will be an indescribable experience of what is essentially a 4 season fluffy shojo-romance anime full of dramatic twists and turns and “will-they or won’t-they”’s, with the series finale that ties everything together. The latter is slightly undercooked fudge. Either way, his affections will have you mesmerized.

Heathcliff - Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Valentine’s Day is a sore subject for him, so he’d be pretty irritated and angsty all day, mostly bittersweet. Once you give him some Valentine’s chocolate, his mood would improve a bit, but he would still prefer to be left alone. As soon as you are out of earshot, he’d mutter “thanks…” under his breath. Definitely a little blush too. Would get teased by Ishmael.

Heathcliff believes that he’s not really good at making sweets, so he’d probably make something simple, a classic: chocolate-dipped strawberries. He’ll just shove them to you and leave before you have the time to express any form of gratitude, blushing all the way. Complimenting his sweets would give you an earnest smile, returning to a scowl if there are others nearby. If it’s just the two of you, however, he lowers his guard and treats you gently.

Ishmael - Salty Chocolate

Prior to joining LCB, Ishmael didn’t really partake in any holiday events, focusing more on her work. She was surprised that you gave her chocolate for Valentine’s Day, and would jokingly complain about how the trouble she would go through to get something for you.

This woman definitely has no experience with making anything sweet. She’ll probably look up a simple recipe to make for you, get upset when it didn’t come out right, and drain most of her funds to get it right. The end result is a sea salt chocolate that tastes a bit too salty. If you bring it up, she’ll definitely punch you (playfully).

Rodion - Junk-food and Movies

If you give her sweets, you’re her immediate favorite person… and victim. She’ll tease you about your apparent crush for her, pretending to act all heartbroken whenever she doesn’t get her way and all that jazz. You made her feel special today, and that’s something she wont forget anytime soon.

Rodion never really had the luxury of buying good chocolate, let alone make it. Instead of embarrassing herself failing to make chocolate, she’ll buy a load of junk food and sweets, some low-budget rom-coms, and invite you over for a good time.

Dante - A Simple Chocolate

Despite lacking a mouth to taste and a nose to smell, they would appreciate the gesture nonetheless. Dante didn’t really expect anyone to give them chocolate, they honestly don’t know how to react. They’ll probably give you an awkward handshake before converging it into an even more awkward hug, but they mean best.

Dante would definitely ask the other sinners for advice, with mix results. “Just follow your heart!”. “C.R.U.S.H.”. “If you can’t cook, just buy some from the store”. Not wanting to disappoint you (also not wanting to invite chaos into the kitchen), Dante would make some simple chocolate in the shape of a crude heart. They would be nervous handing it to you, not telling if you will like it or not, but would be egged on by most of the other sinners. They’re just hoping that they made something good.

Sinclair - Broken Chocolate Heart

He’d probably received a few secret admirers during his school days, but he’d probably still be bashful about getting one. It’ll remind him of the normal times before the storm. You would have to snap him out of his downward spiral; doing so will give you an apologetic Sinclair worrying about crashing the mood. He would give you a quick hug before running off.

Sinclair would like to make something special for you, and would probably look online for anything simple yet “cool”. He would take a look at one of those broken heart chocolates and try to recreate them. Key word: Try. The chocolate appears to hold for a few minutes out of the freezer, but as soon as he gives it to you, it starts to melt. He’ll look downtrodden and disappointed about his hard work not coming out. It’s the thought that count’s right? Plus, it’s still chocolate.

Outis - Obligatory Chocolate, Bread, and some Drinks

She does NOT know how to handle the situation. She’d take the chocolate, thank you professionally, before awkwardly putting it away before reprimanding you on wasting your time on such trivial things. When she think no one is looking, Outis would sneakily eat some. Rodion always knows, and plans to tease her about this later.

Depending on your relationship with her, she’d either returns the favor with some nicely made chocolate, or gift you some store-bought chocolate. She would have trouble expressing her feelings in a way that doesn’t sound militaristic and ingenious. If you’re not busy after, Outis will try to invite you to go out for a little drink, which is totally not a date.

Gregor - Chocolates Made with You!

He honestly never would’ve thought anyone would cared to give him some chocolate. He wouldn’t know what to do with himself, and couldn’t help himself but smile at your expression of affection. Unfortunately, his thoughts would eventually start to spiral downwards, thinking about how this could be an elaborate joke at his expense, how this wouldn’t last long due to his arm, but he’s most worried about hurting you with his arm. You would have to constantly reassure him that your feelings are real, and that you trust him. He’s hesitant, but eventually relaxes unto you. What can I say? The man severely lacks affirmative affection.

Gregor would definitely try to make some chocolate for you, but knowing his “unique appendage”, he would shyly ask you to help make some valentine’s chocolate and try to make it like a cute couple’s thing. He would be the happiest person in the whole world during that time, albeit awkward since he never got to experience Valentine’s Day that much.