#something something they were both looking for worms for very different reasons and their hands touched on the same worm

[majimasleftasscheek]

your topjima content is so so good im losing my mind they're so!!!! Majima being a tease and Kiryu so blissed out is truly a gift thank you for sharing 💕💕💕

thank you!!! I love topjima so much houghgh the dynamic there makes me bark and foam and throttle my screen <3

[hairmetal666]

After the Russians, Steve learns three important things about himself:

Robin is the best friend he's ever had; the uncontested other half of his heart. His soulmate, the platonic love of his life, his missing puzzle piece.

He's not in love with Nancy anymore. It's really saying something that hearing those words come out of his mouth is the shock of his life. Once the drugs wear off, though, he realizes they were absolutely true. A surprising win for the Russian truth serum

Her bathroom confession...he sits with it for days. Not--not because she's a lesbian, of course not, but because. Well, Robin knows herself in a way he's never allowed himself to. And he thinks that maybe maybe he likes boys in the same way. That he always has, but never let himself acknowledge it, the way his eyes wanted to catch in the locker room, the drunken, fumbling touches between him and Tommy.

The last one...he's not sure, is the thing. How can he be sure? Like, in his mind, his imagination, he's very into it, but what if it's different in real life? And how can he even find out? He tells, Robin, of course he does, and they go to Indy, right, to a bookstore and she throws a few zines at him and he sneaks some porn (he's definitely into the porn), but that's not--it's not practical experience. And he's not ready to go to one of the bars, for sure, so he doesn't--like what's he supposed to do?

It's around this time in his bisexual spiral that the kids start hanging out with Eddie Munson, that he starts thinking about Eddie Munson. He always noticed the long, dark curls and the bright, brown eyes; the slender cut of his waist; the wry slant of his mouth as he shouted insults at the jocks; the glinting silver of the rings on his fingers--fingers that were long and callused, fingers that could grip around Steve's--

Nope, he's not going there. Even though, a little voice in his head says, he cares for Steve's kids and maybe he's not good at school but he's smart and he's also so pretty, with his pale skin and his big eyes--

No. He doesn't have a crush on Eddie Munson. Absolutely not.

And when he picks up the kids from their little dnd club and sees Munson standing against his van, he doesn't feel an electric zing in his chest, the first stirring of butterflies in his stomach; that would be crazy. They hardly know each other. It goes like this every time, and he's almost able to believe he doesn't care.

Until Eddie trips over the threshold of Family Video, stumbling on an untied bootlace and gangling his way through the front doors. The clatter catches both Robin and Steve's attention.

"Welcome to Family Video," Robin says. Steve stares.

"Uhh." Eddie's eyes flit between them, his face getting redder by the second.

Fuck, he's so cute and Steve's saying--without thinking about it, he's saying--"let me help you find a movie, man."

"Yea--sure, yeah." Eddie's hands are stuffed in the tight pocket of his jeans.

Steve takes a few steps down the closest aisle. "So, what--uh, what are you looking for?"

"Horror? Nothing in particular."

They make their way to the horror section, and it's like some insane, deeply horny demon takes over. He starts grabbing movies off the shelf, no rhyme or reason, doesn't even know what most of them are.

Eddie's staring at him with wide eyes and a raised eyebrow, and Steve just keeps grabbing tapes, is sort of doing a running commentary on titles and tag lines, and he can't stop, why can't he stop? it's like smoke is coming out of his ears. Robin is watching him from the counter with her mouth hanging open, gummy worm dangling down her chin.

"You know," Eddie grabs something from the shelf, "I think I'll just do Friday the 13th again. Can't go wrong."

And he leaves Steve standing there with half the horror section collected in his arms. He stays there while Eddie pays, face burning. It's been--well, a really long time since he's struck out so hard, and he wasn't even really trying.

As Eddie's walking out the door, his sad pile of movies shifts, then tumbles to the floor.

"You have a crush on Eddie Munson." Robin accuses.

"No!" He ducks down to collect the tapes, hoping to hide the crimson of his face.

"You do." She points an accusatory finger in his direction. "I haven't seen you this pathetic since Scoops."

"It's nothing."

"You know," she crouches down with him, "you could just, like. Try to hang out with him."

"After that? Are you kidding? I'm surprised you don't already have a new You Rule/You Suck board going."

"Oh, I do, it's up front." She jumps to her feet. "But still. You should try. And you have an easy in with the kids."

He glares at her in response, starts re-shelving all the dumb movies, and then they get busy, so the topic is dropped. He thinks about it thought. He thinks about it and he--

Instead of waiting in the car for the kids to get done at Hellfire the next time, he goes in.

[anashins]

Hiii maybe you can write smth about a date that goes wrong with Jaehyun? You’ve been dating for a little more than a year and he accidentally takes you to a butterfly garden thinking you’re gonna love it cos you two often go hiking together but he doesn’t know you’re terrified of butterflies and moths.

Pairing: Jaehyun x You

Genre: fluff, romance

Word Count: 1.4k

Summary: Jaehyun always makes sure to take you on special dates. The one he planned for your first anniversary will turn out to be the most memorable though - for all the wrong reasons.

A/N: Thank you for requesting, I hope you like it! :)

“Where will you take me?”

“It’s a surprise.” Jaehyun took you by your hand. “Come!”

When a week ago, he had asked you to dress up cutely and be ready by 11am for celebrating your first anniversary together, you had already wondered what he was planning for your special day. 

Out of all common date ideas, you had possibly run through all of them already since it was very important for your boyfriend to take you out to do something extraordinarily nice at least once a week.

From visiting different cinemas to watch a movie you had been anticipating for the longest time, to going hiking together at various places as a hobby you both shared, to the last date being a cooking course where you learned a dish from another country together - Jaehyun was always very creative and would make sure you had a once in a lifetime experience.

So for your first year anniversary, you didn’t expect anything less.

Though, truth to be told, you would also be content with just staying at home, cuddling on the couch and eating delivery pizza every now and then. But whenever you saw your boyfriend already planning a date and looking forward to seeing your happy face, you couldn’t break this truth down to him anymore. You didn’t want to spoil all of his excitement - just like today.

A few metro stations later that still required five minutes of walking, you arrived at your destination.

“We’re here!” Jaehyun exclaimed proudly, having exceeded himself once again.

There was a glass dome stretching out in front of your vision and you could blurrily recognize different trees and plants inside the apparent greenhouse. Nice, you thought, you were going to a botanical garden! You had never been to one and hadn’t visited a country in which a different kind of landscape grew.

But your anticipation was instantly crushed as Jaehyun added,

“It’s a butterfly garden!”

Oh dear god, you silently thought to yourself, this can’t be real.

There were many, many things Jaehyun knew about you after more than a year of dating. But the fact that you were scared of butterflies wasn’t one of them. You had always thought this was kind of ridiculous and childish. After all, butterflies were perceived as something beautiful and nice to look at - not as monsters from hell that you needed to run away from.

But that was how you indeed viewed butterflies. You hated worms and spiders, just anything that didn’t have legs or too many legs, and your boyfriend knew about this, but butterflies were never in anyone’s book’s when you talked about phobias.

Looking at these apparent beautiful creatures, did it fall off everyone’s mind that they had once been caterpillars too? No matter how bright and colorful they were, you could never get past this fact, and that was what made you still scared of them. 

“Oh…” It then dawned on Jaehyun. “You hate it.”

“What?” you feigned surprise. You just couldn’t bear looking at his disappointed face after having put so much effort into coming up with such a unique idea. “I love it! Let’s go!”

Flying worms everywhere in a glass prison cell - that was how you saw the entire setup once you stepped foot into the glass dome. 

Your hands were cold and sweaty despite Jaehyun’s warm one holding yours. Other people were playfully trying to catch or touch them, some even stood there with butterflies resting on their shoulders, stretched out arms or even faces. 

You got this, you were trying to convince yourself. As long as you didn’t move or stayed where there were as few butterflies as possible. Or if you could even noticeably wield them off when they flew too close to you… you would be fine. There was no reason to run away from these pretty creatures, right?

“Let’s go where the most are!” Jaehyun prompted solemnly, and you were actually relieved that he was too excited to notice the mask on your face dropping the further he led you into the garden.

You then stood there among trees, flowers and other plants, petrified, with hundreds of butterflies swirling around you. And then… one landed on your shoulder. You completely lost it.

“I’m so sorry!” you apologized and dashed to the exit, arms flying into every direction, touching god knows what to wield out of your vision.

You let out a suppressed scream when something landed on your face and thus started protecting your head with your hands instead. It was a whole nightmare for you that didn’t stop even when you were outside again, breathing heavily from the panic that had been sitting in your chest all along.

It didn’t take your boyfriend much longer to follow you to the outside, even though in your perception, you had run at the speed of light. In the end, you might have just looked like an idiot who eventually also ruined the precious date Jaehyun had carefully planned for you to enjoy and not flee from.

“Are you okay? What happened back there?” The way he checked up on you and sounded so concerned like something might have truly happened to you, let your bad conscience kick in. “Did something bite you? Should we go to the hospital?”

You suddenly felt so ridiculous.

“No, nothing happened. It’s just…” You inhaled deeply. There was no room to conceal or lie anymore. “I’m scared.”

He was confused. Fair enough. “...of what? There were only plants and butterflies, no?”

“Exactly,” you reluctantly admitted. “...the butterflies.”

“I’m so sorry, I don’t understand…”

“I’m afraid of the butterflies!” you finally blurted. “They scare me!”

Jaehyun frowned for a moment, but then his features softened almost instantly. “That’s fine.”

“So…” Your brows skeptically drew together. “You’re not going to say anything about it?”

He tilted his head in confusion. “What am I supposed to say about it?”

“Like… how it’s weird and childish and they won’t attack me anyway as they’re only little insects. How can I, as an adult, be scared of something so small and pretty?”

Your boyfriend stretched out his hand and placed it on your cheek. He looked at you with a warm gaze. “I would never judge you for your fears. You don’t need to justify your feelings to me. Even if you’re scared of cats, without question, I would swoop you up from the ground when we see one and carry you away so that it won’t even approach you.”

How did you ever deserve someone like him? You shifted your head and kissed the back of his hand that made him a bit shy as his cheeks turned slightly pink.

“Thank you.”

“But…” Jaehyun let out a long sigh now, suddenly looking really troubled. “I now have to look for an alternative to celebrate our first anniversary. What could that be? Maybe we can postpone it until next week…”

He had planned so hard and thoroughly for today, he deserved to rest and be treated well too. So you took the burden of deciding off of his shoulders by suggesting, “How about we go to your place, order pizza and watch a movie?”

“... and that’s all?”

“And that’s all. Would you mind doing only that?” you questioned carefully. “I mean… you always plan all these extraordinary dates and my alternative suggestion is probably the most boring one that wouldn’t even cross your mind, but truth to be told… Sometimes, I just like to do that.”

“You do?”

You nodded and chuckled as you said, “I wouldn’t mind only rotting away the entire day as long as it’s with you.”

Your boyfriend didn’t need to speak it out, but you visibly perceived how more relaxed he got once you had told him about your true feelings. A special date once in a while was very nice too, but you didn’t always need extraordinary places, flowers, menus and… butterflies. He could take you to the hardware shop to run errands and you would have fun all the same.

As long as you got to do it with him.

Jaehyun smiled and took your hand into his. “Then let’s do that today. Ordering pizza, watching a movie and rotting away for the rest of the day. Without butterflies.”

He didn’t judge you, but he certainly would make funny comments every now and then.

You stretched out your tongue and laughed.

[alastor-simp]

Watching Horror Movie with Floyd

Its time for the chaotic characters this time. We all know how crazy and silly it would be to watch a horror movie with Floyd , so I'm writing for him this time. I will not use the movie Jaws for Floyd however, that movie choice has been used too much with him and I prefer something different for him. Enjoy! :)

Floyd Leech🦐 + Scream😱

🦐Heading to Mostro Lounge, you were looking for a particular Eel, as you had planned something for the both of you tonight. Looking from side to side, you saw Jade serving customers, but you didn't see his brother, Floyd. "Boo~", someone had said that behind you, making you jump, as you turned to see who it was.

🦐You realized it was Floyd, showing you his bright sharp-tooth smile, while laughing at your reaction. "FLOYD! that wasn't funny," you said as while punching his arm. "Ah gomenasai, Shrimpy-chan~ Your reactions are always so cute." He said that, as he bent down a bit to get closer to your face, while poking your cheek with his finger. Remembering what you wanting to ask him, you told Floyd that you were planning a horror movie night at your dorm, and wanted him to come over.

🦐The smile on Floyd's face got wider, as he jumped towards you, pulling you into his famous squeeze hugs. He was ecstatic that you were inviting him over for a fun night. Rocking you side to side, he said yes to your invitation. After about a few minutes of squeezing, Floyd finally let you go, saying he had to tend to the lounge, despite him not wanting to, but he rather get work done then deal with an angry Azul. Nodding your head, you reminded Floyd to head to your dorm around 8 pm, and to wear his pajamas. Floyd smiled and said okay, ruffling your hair before walking away.

🦐Later in the evening, you were busy setting up the living room with blankets and candles. The table was scattered with a variety of junk food, ranging from gummy worms to shrimp chips. You also prepared some takoyaki for Floyd since it was his favorite.

🦐Rapid banging could be heard from the door, so you rushed over there quickly. Upon opening the door, you see Floyd standing with a wide smile, dressed in a shark blanket. Laughter erupted from your mouth as you couldn't handle how silly and cute Floyd was. Floyd was a bit annoyed that you were laughing at him, but he calmed down when you told him that it was because he looked very cute.

🦐The both of you headed towards the living room, as you headed towards the TV to place the video in while Floyd ran towards the couch and plopped on it. "Ne, Shrimpy-chan~ What movie are we watching?" said Floyd, as he started grabbing snacks from the table. Walking to the couch, you sat next to Floyd, explaining to him that the movie was a very popular horror movie from your world. Getting comfortable on the couch, you laid back while also grabbing the takoyaki from the table and handing it to Floyd. Smiling, Floyd grabbed it, and laid his head on your lap, placing the food on his belly.

🦐Couple minutes into the movie, your whole body was shaking from how much Floyd was laughing when on your lap as the death scenes were too comedic for him. His favorite character was Stu as he was just as silly as he was. Floyd did get quiet during certain moments when the scenes changed in the movie, almost like he was interested in how different your world looked compared to his.

🦐The next scene started playing where it got to the main character discovering who the villains were in the movie, her boyfriend and Stu, and what their motives were for killing. "The boyfriend needs to die", Floyd said, as he gazed at the screen with an angry face, most likely not agreeing with his reasoning for killing all the characters and the main. "I agree with you," as you placed your hand on his head.

🦐Both you and Floyd jumped in fright, at the "one last scare" scene, then relaxed as Sidney defeated the boyfriend. Credits started to roll on the TV, as you grabbed the remote and turned it off. You looked down at Floyd and asked him if he enjoyed the movie. Floyd nodded, as he got up from your lap and stretched, making some of his bones crack.

🦐Looking back at the clock, you realized how late it had gotten, and that it was time to head to bed. You were about to tell Floyd that he could take the bed and you can sleep on the couch, but Floyd had lifted you up bridal-style and started heading to the bedroom.

🦐"Ehe~ Shrimp-chan~ This is a sleepover, so that means we have to sleep on the same bed together righttttt?", Floyd said and leaned closer to your face, making your face flushed. Entering your room, Floyd placed you on the bed and covered you with the blanket, then ran towards the light switch to shut the lights off. He then ran back to the end of the bed, and wiggled his way under the sheets, positioning his body on top of yours. Realizing what he was doing, you moved to push him away, but he moved his body closer, to where his face was right above yours, and your hands were pinned against the bed.

🦐"Hehe, what's wrong? Feeling shy~?", Floyd smirked at you, and leaned his face closer to the point your lips were almost touching. Wiggling around, you told Floyd to stop teasing you, blush reaching up to your ears as you tried to hid your face on the pillow. He removed one of his hands, and placed it on your cheek, turning your face back towards his.

🦐His smirk was gone, but it was replaced with a simple smile, and his eyes were gazing straight into yours, almost as if he could see into you. "I enjoy moments like this with you. Almost feels like we are a couple." Floyd said, as he continued to to gaze at you sweetly.

🦐Your eyes widen in shocked, as you took in what Floyd just said. "Us? A Couple?!", you thought to yourself as you were still trying to process his words. After some thinking, you slowly realized that you did have feelings for Floyd, romantically, and you would love being a couple. Moving your hand and placing it on his cheek, you told him that you both could be a couple, if he wanted to be that is.

🦐Floyd's eyes widen at what you said, but they went back to normal, gazing at you lovingly. He leaned his face closer, pressing his lips against yours, signifying to you that his answer was yes.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Record of Ragnarok Poseidon x Zhongli reader.

(There are two parts. I would advise you to watch both parts and read the description)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0q1IVI9l0l4&t=195s&pp=ygUfcmVjb3JkIG9mIHJhZ25hcm9rIHJlYWN0IHRvIHkvbg%3D%3D

-Poseidon didn’t know what to make of you, when he first met you, only in passing. You were a human, someone beneath him, but there was something strange about you, something off.

-Normally he couldn’t care less, but for some reason he couldn’t get you out of his mind, your face kept appearing, and it brought forth more questions of why he was thinking about you and why you didn’t give him any peace, not even in his dreams.

-His brothers and those serving him could tell that Poseidon was more irritable than normal, but many knew not to ask, not wanting to upset him any more than he actually was.

-Poseidon told his servants to look into you, wanting information and they did feel bad for you, thinking you had earned their lord’s ire and now he wanted to know how to destroy you.

-As the reports came in with the gathered information, Poseidon only grew more irritated, learning your name was YN, and that you were pretty bad with money, like you didn’t know how it worked, but you were very smart and elegant.

-He couldn’t understand what was so special about you!

-Poseidon tried stuffing this annoyance, to him, down, trying his hardest to forget about you, but you always seemed to worm your way back into his thoughts.

-That’s when Poseidon took matters into his own hands, seeking you out, watching you from afar, trying to figure out your secrets, wanting to know what made you so special.

-Poseidon had to pause, realizing his thoughts, thinking you as special and he grew irritated as he was embarrassed, feeling like a lovesick fool wanting your attention.

-You were a mere mortal, he should be vying for your attention, you should be the one that’s grateful for his attention!

-Poseidon went to approach you finally, wanting to put you in your place for the strife you’ve caused him, when he paused, seeing you surrounded by a group of demons that managed to escape from Helheim.

-Poseidon went to act, knowing Hades was going to be pissed to find out demons got out and killed mortals, but he paused, as you didn’t look bothered in the slightest, you almost looked bored!

-A wave of power erupted from you and Poseidon stared in amazement, feeling the power as you showed your true form, a hidden god, many knew you as Morax, before you easily took care of the demons before retaking your human form.

-Poseidon approached, “That was impressive, Morax.” You turned, not realizing there was a witness before you saw Poseidon, “Y/N is fine, Lord Poseidon. Are you the one who has been watching me lately?”

-Poseidon refused to answer but you saw his hesitance, which did make you smile softly, bowing your head to him in respect before going to leave but he reached out and grabbed your hand, “Wait- tell me, why do you disguise yourself as a human?”

-His question was surprising but you just gave a small smile, “To see through the eyes of mortals. I know what it’s like to be a god, but I wanted to experience life through the eyes of a mortal, to see what it was like to be powerless against the gods.”

-Poseidon’s eyes were wide, listening to your explanation, which did make sense, and it made him realize that there was such a big difference in the strength between gods and mortals.

-Poseidon surprised you once more, inviting you for coffee, as he wanted to know what you had learned during your time as a mortal, and as a sly way of speaking more with you.

-You didn’t say anything, but you couldn’t help but smile, realizing what Poseidon was doing, he was so cute when he was shy like this.

-Little did you know, now that Poseidon knew the truth, he wasn’t going to ever let you go.

[doomednarrative]

Alright. I said last night I’d write up my actual serious thoughts about the Chain Scenes in Kabuto and I will indeed deliver on that promise.

I think the biggest thing to remember when it comes to both Yaguruma and then subsequently Kageyama wearing the chains together is When It Happens, because it doesn’t happen for no reason, theres’s something specific that sets it off.

It happens not long after all of This:

it happens after Yaguruma is given the chance to take up TheBee again by Tadakoro, something that he adamently refuses to do, saying he’s found his purpose/enjoyment in living in the hell that he’s chosen for himself.

But Kageyama, who still hasn’t completely lost his faith in being heroic, in doing things on the side of Light, isn’t as keen on just giving up this chance like Yaguruma is, so he instead rushes towards it. He takes back TheBee, and it goes about as well as expected (read: he fails at it yet again.) And afterwards, when he’s laying on the ground defeated, he reaches out to Yaguruma again, the only person who still looks at him as an equal even in the aftermath of failure, and basically asks if he can fix things for him.

And the thing that kills me is in that moment, after Kageyama’s defeat with TheBee deciding he still isn’t worthy of it anymore, we see this happpen:

TheBee literally presents itself to Yaguruma again. The offer of "you can be the one to use me again, I find you worthy once more" is on the table. And he Still refuses it.

And I think what kills me with this is that TheBee here ends up saying two different things at once in this One scene, for both Kageyama and Yaguruma. To Yaguruma, watching Kageyama try out TheBee again, trying to play the hero on the side of Light, and once again failing so hard at it, it kinda ends up reaffirming what he was already believing, that the two of them are in hell and there’s no point to even Trying to play the hero, because it ends badly every time they try. They will always be failures, so why try to change it? They’ll never live up to Tendou and the others, so it’s better to stsy together in the darkness.

And yet, by the very nature of TheBee offering itself to Yaguruma again too, it’s also contradicting that entire notion. It’s basically saying to Yaguruma’s face "Are you really so set in those ideals? Are you sure you’ve really killed off that part of yourself that wants to do good?"

And it ends up being Right in that, because what does he do the very next scene??

He goes out on his own as Kickhopper not only to defend Kageyama for getting his ass beat, but also to help Kagami and Tendou to defeat a Worm together.

And it’s something he clearly doesn’t think super well of himself for doing, because while Kgaeyama is happy to see him after all is said and done, he’s clearly annoyed with both Kageyama and himself for the whole thing:

He’s starting to see that Maybe, Kageyama isn’t as wrong as he wants to think he is, and that having him around is actively challenging the ideals of darkness and hell that he was fine and comfortable being in all this time.

Which then leads us of course to The Chains:

Yeah, the chains are funny/weird as hell and quite a reaction to thinking "hm, I’m failing in my edgy ways, I need to reinforce my beliefs somehow so this drastic measure seems like it’ll help do just that." But when you actually take all the context into mind, it kinda Makes Sense why he does it (and why Kageyama then joins him, because he seeks approval and acceptance and he knows following Yaguruma’s example will get him that.)

Yaguruma’s not cool with the fact that his own supposed beliefs were being actively challenged by those around him, he doesn’t want them to be. He doesn’t want to believe in the possibility that maybe he’s still capable of being good and that it’s Worth doing so. And so he brings out the chains as a way to force his hands Away from doing Anything that might interfere with those beliefs. If he literally cannot act on things due to being bound up, then it’s a problem solved for him and one he no longer needs to worry about.

[usmsgutterson]

Hi!! Wylan x reader who’s an inventor of sorts & just made a camera for the sole purpose of taking a picture of him <3 👾

Wylan x male! inventor! reader headcanons

hi!! Thank you for sending in the requests that you have and I'm sorry that they've taken so long to come out! I will say that tumblr has been very glitchy on my end lately and I've been losing requests and not seeing them for a bit--or ever again, some of them have been missing from my inbox for a couple weeks now--so if there's anything of yours I've missed that you can recall that you really wanted me to write please don't hesitate to just plop the idea into my inbox! If I end up deciding to write it I'll put it into my drafts to ensure I don't lose it but if I decide not to, I'll let you know!

I went ahead and did this as headcanons, which I hope is all right!

Fic type- this is just fluff straight out the gate

Warnings- this was written and then posted almost immediately after it was done, so there's not much to speak of as far as editing is concerned

Okay, so!

Photos as a concept were something that was being discussed just generally around Ketterdam a lot

Mainly in circles of the stadwatch because if they could get photos they could have evidence through more than some very shoddy paintings, sketches, or word of mouth

and with a lot of effort, a level of planning by which even Kaz would be impressed, and a bit of practice in being startlingly quiet footed, you wormed your way into the rooms where those discussions were taking place because you had an idea of your own.

You took the words spoken by government officials and inventors under the Kerch Merchant Councils employ and went home. You drew up a plan that was completely different to the sketches you'd seen while you observed from a point high in the ceiling, the back of your head pressed against a wall as you willed yourself not to breathe too loud and to avoid being noticed

You developed the first camera that Ketterdam had ever seen across the weeks to follow, something different to the sketches you'd seen from afar while you listened to the government drone on about how much of a benefit to society cameras would be while they were in the hands of the stadwatch

The ideas that the government were circulating all involved relatively clunky cameras, ones with tripods that came out the bottom and were exceptional only in stationary situations.

You developed a camera that you could take anywhere. It was lightweight, could fit between ones hands, and had the option of attaching a strap so that it could be carried while slung over ones neck.

The entire motivation behind the project made you feel a bit silly, but Inej found it to be rather romantic and Jesper thought you cheesy, as they were the only two you had told until the first prototype of the camera was complete.

They were your best friends, and they'd both happened to walk in on you planning out the invention at different points, ask what it was out of curiosity and receive your honest answer.

The entire reason you'd liked the idea of cameras was not for the gang related purposes most would've assumed had they known of it. You were not developing a portable camera to help Kaz and Inej gather intel for their schemes and their battles that would eventually have lead to a gang war.

You liked the idea of cameras because it meant you could take photos of Wylan, your boyfriend.

You could capture the moments where he looked so at peace while the two of you watched the sunset in the garden, the look of focus as he worked on an explosive, the sight of his head tilted back as he laughed.

You could capture all of the unforgettable moments that you were scared of forgetting anyway, seconds in time wherein you felt infinitely happy and needed something to remember that.

So, it was the first night you'd let yourself exist with the final product that Wylan finally discovered it.

He discovered it while he and Inej were laughing, glasses of wine in their hands when suddenly--

click!

Wylan glanced in your direction, where the sound had come from, found you yielding the camera with a grin on your face.

He would ask you how you got it and nod when Kaz observed that the government had unveiled prototypes that looked completely different at a discussion only open to those living in the merchants district.

You would shrug and tell him you invented things, and that you needed an excuse to get five steps ahead of government inventions anyway.

You were smarter than the lot of the government idiots combined and they wouldn't start shrinking camera sizes for a bit by your predictions, so you had time before a government official got wind of it all and approached you, offering to give you money in exchange for the patent and you said no.

You told Wylan the opposite of the truth in that moment, not wanting to get called a hopeless romantic or face any of Ninas teasing for the romantics right then and there.

You told him and the rest of them it was for intel gathering purposes and that it was the first prototype--Kaz would get the second, maybe the third, and he would get it for a price because you weren't going to sell one of them off for cheap.

Wylan knew you were lying but didn't push it.

Later that night, you told him the real reason you'd bothered to invent a camera that was so far ahead of the one that the Merchant Council was unveiling in fits and starts.

You'd done it because you didn't want to forget even the most unforgettable moments, and upon learning that, Wylan nearly melted.

He kissed you, and he told you he loved you, and he called you an absolute sap before he grabbed the camera and looked at the photo you'd taken.

He loved it. He'd never quite anticipated loving anything of that sort, but he looked genuinely happy in that split second, and knowing that you were the person behind the camera made him love the photo that much more.

In short, he loved you and he loved that you created a camera just to take photos of him and to not worry about forgetting the unforgettable moments you both lived through.

[burnwater13]

“Grogu, buddy, time to get up.”

Din Djarin looked at his son, his apprentice, and wondered if he’d ever learn to sleep like a Mandalorian. Grogu was a very deep sleeper. When his eyes closed and his breathing grew a little slower and a little more regular, Din Djarin knew that waking Grogu up to do anything was going to be a project. 

It didn’t really make sense to him. From what Ahsoka Tano had told him Grogu had spent much of his life on his own, trying to stay hidden from the Imps. The bounty hunter wondered how the kid had managed to get on their radar at all. Didn’t the Jedi protect their own?

Of course he didn’t know a lot about the Jedi. He’d been raised on Aq Vetina and then on Concordia. The Mandalorians who had taken over his instruction and care hadn’t taught him anything about the Jedi. At the time, he didn’t even know that his education had been lacking, but now he knew that information had been kept from them for a reason. He just didn’t know what reason.

When he joined the Tribe, the Armorer had simply called them the ‘enemy’, but in all of his travels he’d never met a Jedi. But then, outside of the coverts, he hadn’t met any other Mandalorians either. And none of the people he had brought in cold or otherwise had ever reached out to the enemies of the Mandalorians with a request for aid. He’d never faced a Jedi in combat. 

Din Djarin supposed, with a sigh, that was for the best. After watching how Jedi Skywalker had easily handled all of those battle droids and he had struggled with just one, Din Djarin knew that Jedi were trouble. How could a Mandalorian, even one with his level of training and experience, fight against ‘the magic hand’ thing, as Greef Karga liked to put it? 

Grogu had certainly shown greater and greater ability to use the Force (the official term for the magic hand thing?) and that had been a relief to the Mandalorian. The kid had an unique affinity for critters, especially large ones. That had made life… well… livable. Rancors and mud horns were not to be trifled with and he knew that. Grogu didn’t seem to care. He also wasn’t scared of Mandalorians fighting with each other, which had probably impressed Din Djarin even more.  

Of course, with those various displays of strength? Ability? Forcefulness? He didn’t know what to call it. Grogu had needed significant amounts of sleep to recover. It was getting to less and less sleep, which the Mandalorian took to be a good sign, but still, at their cabin, after a quiet day of frog hunting, worm eating, and playing a game of catch with Grogu’s ball, the kid slept like a log. 

Using trial and error as his guide, Din Djarin had worked out a method for waking Grogu from a deep sleep. His apprentice would wake up if any one of three conditions were met. If the bounty hunter somehow managed to hurt himself, including something as mundane as picking up a toy and having his back spasm, Grogu would coo, open his eyes and hop out of him hammock, his hand already raised to resolve the problem. He had never deliberately hurt himself to cause Grogu to wake, but he had tried to fake it a couple of times and it didn’t work at all. Somehow the kid knew the difference.

Next, if any female showed up when Grogu had been sleeping, he’d wake right up. Even droids with female voices. Peli, Fennec, Bo-Katan, even Greef’s protocol droid, had all managed to wake Grogu from a sound sleep just by entering the same space as him. But the Mandalorian was going to ask the protocol droid to stop by as a favor to him. Of all the non-lethal droids he couldn’t abide, protocol droids were right at the top of his list. You could give a sentient being a look or say a word and they would stop harassing you, but a protocol droid just kept blabbing about whatever it was they were programmed to react to with that fretting factotum personality that was part of their design. Uff. 

But the one way Din Djarin had found to wake his son, that they both preferred, for very different reasons, was making Grogu a big bowl of frog stew, or, to a lesser extent, a bowl of freeze dried froglets. It took Grogu a little longer to wake up for the froglets and the Mandalorian found himself waving the bowl around the room so Grogu could get a whiff of their faint odor, but when he finally sniffed it, his eyes popped wide open and he hopped out of his hammock and followed the Mandalorian to the table they used for meals and almost everything else. The stew, on the other hand, just had to be ladled into a bowl and much to his initial surprise, Grogu would be sitting at the table, waiting to eat. The kid was definitely food motivated. 

Din Djarin was glad that he had a pot of frog stew in the preserver. They had places to go and people to meet and problems to solve and he needed Grogu to be ready in case he actually needed to do ‘the magic hand thing’. Today, they were going to take the N-1 and meet with Carson Teva and go Imp hunting. He had a lot of questions that he wanted answered and they dealt with cloning, Moff Gideon and how they ever found out about Grogu to begin with. 

If they managed to learn all that, they could both sleep as late as they wanted. The only thing that would wake the Mandalorian up was the smell of a fresh cup of caf. He laughed to himself. Now that was a trial he was not prepared to undertake with Grogu. He wasn’t sure that even Jedi Skywalker could handle that.

[the-haunted-office]

Memories of Sorrow ((for Doom!))

Send “Memories of Sorrow” to see a painful and tragic memory of My Muse..

The universe is full of strange and curious happenstances, inexplicable events that occur for no particular reason other than that they simply must occur, leaving all parties to wonder, what in the ever-loving hell was that all about? and what purpose did that serve? or even should we collectively pretend this never happened?

This incident is one such occurrence.

Doom is sitting on the couch with Jonas in his apartment one fine day, sharing a bowl of junk food, when an accidental bumping of hands joins them together in a... very unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on how one wants to look at it) circumstance.

Doomsday is unaware of it, at first. She won't become aware of it until it's nearly over. To her, the whole experience feels like a sort of tickling in her brain, a niggling in her mind, like someone is poking around in here, moving around. For a few panicked seconds she thinks she might have brain worms. But those few panicked seconds pass rather quickly both on account of them being only a few seconds and the fact that if she were to have brain worms, she could just die and respawn and the brain worms would be gone. Boom. Done. Problem solved. Easy as that.

For Jonas, on the other hand, the experience is rather different. For him, he experiences the sensation of being teleported inside of Doomsday's head, which, to her credit, she's made an effort of tidying up lately, although it's still littered with a bunch of trauma. It's lying about like piles of mixed clean and dirty laundry, but she can't help it. The sorting's been rough and it's difficult to tell what's clean and what's dirty until she picks it up and gives it a good strong whiff, but she's getting there.

Still, where Jonas ends up being dropped is into a memory that looks an awful lot like the control booth of the Office, and that's because it is. He is seeing things through Doomsday's eyes, although he might not yet be aware of it, and what he is seeing through her eyes is an old desk of dark brown wooden material, an old computer monitor that looks like it is from the 90s sitting atop it, along with a microphone, and paper, lots and lots of stacks of papers, everywhere. Sitting in front of that set-up, in a ratty old computer chair, is an older gentleman who appears to be in his early 50s, with lightish brown hair streaked with gray.

The lights are bright. The room smells old and musty and like an old library. And he, Jonas, seems to be perched over the back of the chair in which the older man sits.

Both of their attentions are focused on the computer monitor, on which there is a man, a simple, average-looking man perhaps in his mid-30s, short black hair with long bunches in the front (a rather odd cut, but it does seem to suit him), wearing your typical office worker's attire of a white button-up shirt, black slacks, and black shoes along with a black tie. He is walking through a doorway and into what appears to be a lounge area of some kind, as there are a few plushy couches present and a vending machine.

The older man sitting in the chair is grousing about something. Most of his words are coming through mumbled and unclear, but there is something about, "Now, Stanley, you know what you're supposed to do next. Walk through the employee lounge, don't dawdle-"

The man on the monitor - Stanley, apparently - sort of mocks what the older man in the booth with Jonas just said by shaking his head and using his hand to make a yapping motion, although Stanley doesn't actually speak any words.

Jonas starts laughing, but it isn't his laughter that comes out, it's Doomsday's, and it sounds much lighter, less mischievous and sinister, and more genuine, more friendly, happier, more like Thursday's if Jonas had known her well enough.

The old man becomes very angry at this display and snaps back at Stanley, "Oh, you! You stop that, Stanley! And you, Thursday! Get out of my ear with that cackling of yours! And stop hitting my chair like that!"

On the monitor, Stanley continues into the lounge while in the control booth, Cyrus continues grumbling and Jonas/Thursday/Doomsday continues giggling.

Suddenly, Stanley seems to catch his shoe on the carpet of the lounge and stumbles first to one knee, and then falls forward onto both hands and knees.

Jonas/Thursday/Doomsday continues to laugh. "Ahahahahaha, Stanley! You're so silly!"

The old man, on the other hand, doesn't find any of this to be funny. "Oh, now you're pretending to be clumsy, is that it, Stanley? Well, that's fine. Who am I to argue with you if you want to crawl all the way to the meeting room?"

In the employee lounge, something seems to be going on with Stanley, though. The old man and Jonas/Thursday/Doomsday don't notice it at first - although perhaps Jonas might - but Stanley is having trouble breathing. His gasps for air don't become loud enough until he starts crawling over to the corner by the vending machine, and by then he is grasping at the collar of his shirt and trying to pull it open with shaking hands that aren't quite strong enough or coordinated enough to do so.

He manages to get a couple of the buttons in the middle undone, but it doesn't do anything. The man known as Stanley lays his head against the wall, and closes his eyes, like he's going to sleep, and becomes quiet. Very quiet. And still. So still, even his chest and stomach and diaphragm stop moving. All of him stops moving.

It all happens so suddenly and so sharply, both the old man and Jonas/Thursday/Doomsday can't even tell that anything has happened at all. All they can see is that Stanley fell down, crawled into a corner, and fell asleep. They both think Stanley is still fooling around for laughs, as he always does, so much so that the old man is still complaining about it and Jonas/Thursday/Doomsday is still laughing.

Things begin to get fuzzy from there. Wonky. Everything fades out, bleeds out, as Jonas is knocked back into the area of Doom's mind where all the piles of trauma laundry sit and there's an overwhelming feeling of STANLEY'S DEAD AND I WATCHED HIM DIE AND I WAS LAUGHING AND I DID NOTHING TO SAVE HIM AND IT'S MY FAULT.

And then, almost as if none of that was anything, Jonas is plopped right back into himself, on the couch right next to where Doom is sitting, with the bowl of junk food sitting in between them.

Doom pauses. Looks over at Jonas, her brow crumpled up in confusion. Blinks at him. And says, "This might sound a bit insane, Jonas... but were you... just inside my head a moment ago?"

[s-creations]

26 Ways to Feel Mortal - B: Bust

26 Chapters based around experiences that newly arrived Geno experiences while trying to find the Star Pieces.

Fandom: Super Mario & Releated Fandoms, Super Mario RPG Rating: Teen and UP Audiences Relationship: Mario/Geno (Nintendo), Mario/Princess Peach (Nintendo) Additional Tags: Rating for Teen needed for later chapters, but shouldn't be to worrisome, I'll have warnings if I'm worried, Poly relations!, Main characters will always be named, Minor characters will arrive as needed, the chapters are not in a specific order, just meets the needs of the given word, please be aware of spoilers.

Bust: (verb) Come apart or split open. Cause to collapse;defeat. 

Stars were never tired. They would work endlessly to categorize the numerous wishes that were created and fulfill them to the best of their ability. Night and day didn’t exist. It was just a sky filled with their kin. Both senate and those of just blinding lights of energy.

It was the second night away from Rose Town that Geno felt exhaustion for the first time. 

Jerking away when something touched his arm. Blinking quickly to try and clear up the fogginess. Realization dawned on him that it was just Mario. 

“Hey, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. You okay?”

“Oh…I-I think so? I’m sorry, I’m feeling strange…”

“Strange? Are you sick?” Mallow asked worriedly, “Can Stars get sick?”

“No, I very much doubt so.”

Mario shifted closer. “Do you think you could describe what’s happening?”

“I feel…heavy. More than what I’m used to. My movements feel sluggish, I have a hard time keeping my eyes open, it’s hard to think…” Geno felt a strange sensation bloom in his chest when Mario placed a hand against the puppet’s cheek.

“I would say you don’t feel warm. But you’re wood, so I’m not sure if I’d really be able to tell- whoa!” Mario quickly reached out to hold Geno close. The puppet started to fall forward, eyes barely open. “Whoa, okay… When was the last time you slept?”

“Stars don’t sleep…” Geno replied weakly.

“Maybe they do when they have a physical body. I think right now that’s a different story. Come on, we’re turning in early.”

Mallow whined softly at that, but didn’t further complain as he and Mario laid out the sleeping equipment. Geno eventually brought over to a large blanket. Laid down on his back with his head resting on a contained cloud.

“How’d you get a cloud in here?” Geno asked, voice coming out in a gravel tone. He heard Mario give a small chuckle. 

“It’s not a cloud. Just some fluff, it’s a pillow.”

Geno let out a small hum, rolling onto his side to nuzzle into said pillow.

That’s the last he remembered before he fell into a blissful darkness. 

______________________

Stars never had a reason to eat. Sustenance was something only viewed as an interesting topic of conversation between them while they worked. 

What do you think certain items taste like? 

What do you think it feels like to swallow?

Is it as slimy as it looks?

Is it cold? 

Warm?

It was an interesting way to pass the time. 

Geno couldn’t help but let out another whine as his midsection cramped once more. Arms tightly wrapped around himself in an attempt to alleviate the pain. Mallow paced nervously nearby as Mario quickly dug through their bags. 

“Hold on,” Mario replied to Geno’s noise, “Hold on, I almost- got it!”

He pulled out a glass container filled with something Geno did not recognize. Thin strands of something limp covered with a red, chunky liquid. 

“W-What is that? Are t-those worms?” The puppet asked nervously.

“No, it’s pasta. Specifically spaghetti,” Mario laughed softly, “It’s better warmed up. But I don’t think you’ll be able to last that long. Come on, let’s get you sat up.”

Geno was not pleased when he was forced to move. Hating how weak he felt, his body even shaking as he leaned against Mario. Watching with barely open eyes as the human easily twirled the fork around said noodles. Bringing up a decent sized bite to Geno’s mouth.

“Open up. I promise, this won’t hurt you.”

Still giving the forkful a concerned look, Geno did as asked. 

While the cold feeling was not the best first impression, it was quickly forgotten when Geno fully tasted the flavor from said bite. Eyes widening slightly as he tried to swallow it down. Only for his throat to fight the wad of food bight. The puppet coughing weakly, quickly leaving over and spitting the food back out. 

“Eww…” Mallow weakly commented as noodles splattered onto the ground.

“It’s okay, you’re okay,” Mario spoke softly as he rubbed Geno’s back, “How about we chew this time, yeah? Don’t swallow it right away. Use your teeth to turn it into mush. Then you can swallow. It’s better than it sounds, promise.”

Steadying himself once more, Geno gave a small nod. The second bite was handled much easier. The pair in his stomach slowly disappeared with each mouthful he took.

“Guess you need to add ‘eating’ to your daily list of normal activities.” Mario teased while Geno rolled his eyes. 

______________________

Stars don’t feel pain.

They don’t really feel anything. 

Gain and loss. Neither of those feelings, these emotions, are felt by Stars. 

Emphasis on the negative sensations. 

The worst they’d ever had to worry about was the worry over an unfulfilled wish. 

Geno hadn’t been paying attention. Honestly, with how normal it had become with daily fighting, he felt at ease. To at ease. Meaning he was unaware of how far his defenses had lowered. 

The attack landed squarely on his back. His body seemed to spasm before becoming unresponsive. For some reason, the other members of the party were watching on fearfully.

Geno couldn’t understand why.

He was fine.

Why wouldn’t he?

…Right?

Geno fell to his knees. 

Nothing was responding.

Why couldn’t he move?

Why did everything feel…numb?

He saw tears pouring down Mallow’s face.

Was it raining? 

Why couldn’t he feel it?

As Geno started to fall forward, Mario moved his direction. Moving slower than what the puppet remembered.

Oh…he felt the pain now.

The world fell black.

“A-Are you sure he’s going to be o-okay?”

“Of course. You saw the items do their job to heal up his wounds. Plus, Geno’s tough.”

“B-But he fell so h-hard. A-And he hasn’t moved for l-like hours. A-And he l-looks dead. A-And-”

Mallow, I need you to take a few deep breaths for me. Okay? Everything’s going to be okay. If needed, we’re near a town and we’ll just take Geno to a doctor.”

“O-Okay…”

Geno’s borrowed body felt heavy. The entire form seemed to pulse with muted pain. Not fully hurt, but he did feel extremely sore. 

A low groan emitted from his mouth. Attempting to open his eyes, the process being helped that he was met with the darkened night sky. The sun would have hurt far too much. 

Furious footsteps announced the puppet that Mallow was rushing over. Geno letting out a grunt of slight pain as the other wrapped his arms around the puppet.

“You’re okay!” the cloud child cried, “You’re alive!”

“H-Hey Mallow.” Geno attempted a weak reply while shakily patting Mallow’s back.

“Mallow, hey, how about you get a few Mushrooms from my bag. Yeah? I’m sure Geno would like something to help with the pain.” said Mario, joining the other two.

Mallow, smiling behind the tears, sniffed and nodded. Rushing out of Geno’s line of sight with Mario appearing next. With how calm the human sounded, his current state said that he was not feeling as confident as his words sounded. Skin a sickly pale. Shrunken pupils. Geno could even feel Mario’s hand shaking as he helped the puppet sit up.

“How are you feeling?” Mario asked, voice low.

“Okay…I guess? What happened?”

“You were… You took the full force of a pretty strong attack. The annoying…little thing snuck up. I wasn’t paying attention and…” The human let out a slow shaky sigh, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Mario…”

“...You just dropped like a rock. I thought…can you die? I never thought I would have to ask a…a Star this. But, I mean, can you?”

“I don’t know? I always assumed I would just be knocked out of this form. It’s borrowed, right? It’s not really mine. So I would just be launched out and I would wait until the toy was fixed.”

“Did that happen now?”

“No… No, I…fell asleep? I mean, I was in a lot of pain and then I remember nothing…”

“Sounds like you passed out. It’s what happens if your body can’t handle the stress put on it.”

“But, it’s not my body. It shouldn’t work like that.” Geno closed his eyes in comfort as Mario’s hands gently massaged his arm. 

“This is your body. I think we need a shift in our mind about you. What we need to be aware of and what to keep an eye on. Play it safer, yeah? Be a little more aware. Try and avoid a situation like this as best as possible.”

Geno nodded slowly. “Yeah… Yeah, that sounds good.”

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Silk and ink

Commission by @estethell!!! Look how beautiful he is!!!! -> Link

Please go give this amazing artist some love!!!!

Words: 2k

Characters: Ori x OC

Warnings: Nothing, just innocent fluff

When she had first arrived in Erebor with her two younger siblings, Wai had held very little hope that they’d find a place in this war-stricken, miserable colony.

Besides the ancient inhabitants of the Lonely Mountain, returning to their ancestral home, there were many refugees from near and far as well and, just like Wai and her family, these were looking for a better life out here.

Who could fault them for that with the shadows growing ever longer and darker in territories so remote that the esteemed royalty of Erebor could not even imagine what they looked like?

Pushing aside all thoughts of societal norms and aspirations, Wai kept her head down and worked hard to build a new and better life for her family—she could and would not fail, not when she had gotten so far already.

Wai the Weaver, that was what they had called her in the wide prairies of her native country and—due to her exceptional skill and her reasonable prices—she soon found enough work to occupy her hands and feed her brother and sister at least one warm meal a day.

Moreover, as the weeks turned into months, she managed to unpack her loom and strike up some bargains and exchanges with the local dwarves to pursue her more intimate passion projects—life was good and yet, Wai could not help but feeling that something was missing.

One day, upon strolling around a rather secluded part of the Mountain proper, she found a lonely courtyard, decorated with a gallery of artworks depicting the heroes having undertaken that foolhardy quest that had ultimately provided a safe harbour for 3 orphans.

Kneeling on the cold ground, Wai touched her forehead to the slippery stone and said a prayer of gratitude. She knew not whether these brave dwarves had even survived or if they had been returned to the cradle of stone from whence they had come, but she was filled with a profound sensation of love at the sight of their stern, resolute faces.

As she walked down the row of expertly painted portraits, her eyes fell on someone who looked much less hardened than the others and a wistful smile bloomed across her face—deciphering the name underneath the stunning work of art with much difficulty, Wai cocked her head in surprise.

“Ori,” she whispered, already stepping closer and lifting a calloused, skilful finger to hover just a breath away from that delicate face that had so captured her attention—he was beautiful in a soft, inviting way, and the half-smile he wore complimented his big, curious eyes perfectly.

“Please be alive,” Wai spoke insistently to an inanimate rendition of a person she had never known; for some reason, she could not bear the idea of the world having been robbed of such a glorious, gorgeous creature. “Please, please, be happy and thriving. You look like you deserve it.”

From that day on, she would steal away with the hard-won results of her wearying and meticulous work, harvesting and processing different materials in long hours of quiet contemplation, to weave and craft while sitting under this specific painting. Somehow, she felt less alone and abandoned here.

“Do you like knitwork?” she asked the painting as she rolled up the fine thread produced by the worms which she had brought all the way from her home onto little spools. “I wonder what you’d say to the fabric of my people.”

Unbeknownst to her, Ori himself was contemplating the same question.

“I wonder what fabric that is,” Dori muttered as they stood on the porch of their little abode and watched a young boy with jet-black hair hasten down the street.

“Why don’t you go and ask him?” Nori said, his eyes twinkling with mischievous glee because he realised that he had captured both his brothers’ attention—he so loved it when he knew more than them.

“I cannot very well go and pounce upon a pebble, don’t be absurd,” Dori replied in a flustered tone that betrayed that he very much would have liked to do just that. “What is he carrying there and where is he going?”

For a long moment, Nori merely polished his nails against his own worn coat and let them stew in their curiosity.

“It’s wool,” he finally informed his spell-bound brothers. “He lives with a woman—too young to be the mother, maybe a sister or an aunt—and she’s made a deal with Dwalin. I say ‘deal’, but it was more akin to a bet.”

“Go on,” Dori pressed when the thieving rascal relapsed into enigmatic silence; Dori was convinced that he merely wanted to annoy his older brother when, in truth, it was Ori’s startled reaction that had distracted Nori from his tale.

“Her brother went and brushed the rams for months to see when their fur would be ideal for shearing and processing,” Nori finally picked up his narration again. “It seems, he’s finally content and so, I venture to say that he’s bringing the wool to that mysterious lady. She’s promised to give the first result of her craft with it to Dwalin and we’re both so impatient to see if those old, grumpy monstrosities will actually earn their keep even in times of peace.”

With a lopsided grin and a shallow sigh, he aimed his final blow, keeping both his brothers in his line of sight. “She’s doing marvellous things, that one. It’s come to my attention that she likes sitting under that piece of vandalism some unknown scribbler has put on the walls of an abandoned courtyard. If you’re really that interested in her fabrics, Dori, I’d suggest you seek her out there and talk to her. She’s more than open to trades, you know? I predict that, very soon, the little lady will have convinced someone to let her crossbreed her own sheep with the local animals to create the best wool of the region.”

“Ambitious little thing,” Dori admitted, searching his memory for that lady—he could not recall ever having seen anyone matching his brother’s description in the halls or the market stalls and he said so rather suspiciously.

“Oh no,” Nori laughed, “she’s very secretive and only those who know about her ever manage to find her. I’m just providing this information to you because you’re my brothers and I love you.”

“Are we talking about the same courtyard?” Ori squeaked into the silence of the standstill in his brothers’ conversation—his face was flushed with shame because he knew exactly which one Nori was referring to, mainly, because it had been him who had done the illegal paintings.

“Yes, she seems to be quite enamoured with it and with that illicit art, of course,” Nori grinned. “She’s not part of society and I doubt whether she has ever seen any of us in the flesh. Who knows? She might think that we’re some kind of ancient kings or revered servants of Mahal?”

“Pah!” Dori exclaimed. “Don’t talk such nonsense! We are clearly none of these things, but yes, one should go and find that lady, if possible.”

“I’ll go,” Ori volunteered and, to his brothers’ surprise, packed his own drawing kit and another shawl before rushing out of the house as if he was afraid that they’d ask him to clean out the whole kitchen with a tiny brush if he didn’t disappear fast enough.

Humming to herself, Wai let the delicate fabric glide through her fingers like woven water.

Her brother had brought home sturdy wool that was soaking in a tub—giving her a few hours to work on the art of her ancestors in the deserted courtyard—and she felt happier than she had in a long time.

“I think that, if we got to crossbreed the beasts, we’d get some very good wool,” she told the man in the painting in her soft, lilting voice.

His kind eyes and gentle face had become the very symbol of hope and comfort to her, and she came to look at it whenever she could.

“Who are you?” she asked, not expecting an answer, and almost kicking over her loom when an equally soft voice replied to her.

“He is a scribe, a member of the company, and a mediocre artist. He is I, Ori, at your service.”

Wai whirled around and there he was—in the flesh—the pale, copper-haired beauty she had been gazing upon for so long that his breathing, living pulchritude filled her with the immense joy of finding something familiar in a foreign land.

“My brother sends me to inquire about the fabric he’s seen on a young boy,” Ori started and then stepped forward eagerly. “Is this it? Do you make it yourself? Oh…may I touch it?”

Struck dumb by his overwhelming, cautious sweetness and the gleam in his dark eyes, Wai simply motioned invitingly at the loom.

“My name is Wai,” she then whispered. “I am so sorry. It must be strange to find someone talking to your likeness like a demented woman.”

Ori looked up from the swatch, blinking in surprise. “Not at all. Do you like them then, the paintings, I mean?”

“Immensely, they are breath-takingly beautiful,” Wai assured him with a shy bow. “This one especially.”

With a half-smile, Ori cocked his head inquisitively. “I am flattered,” he admitted quietly, “for I am not only the subject of the one you seem to favour but I am also the artist who made all of them. It’s a secret though; you won’t betray me to the others, right?”

He waved at the rest of the gallery.

“He,” Wai pointed at the painted Ori, “is the keeper of my secrets so, in gratitude for this extraordinary gift with which you have graced this oasis of peace, I shall, in turn, keep yours.” She smiled broadly—Ori felt a treacherous blush creep up his neck; he had never known a woman who could grin at him as if he was the most marvellous sight she had beheld in forever.

Then, her gaze fell on his art supplies. “Do you still draw?” she asked curiously, drawing a bit nearer until she could feel the fragrant heat emanating from his warmly clothed form.

“I do,” he acquiesced in a choked squeak.

“I want to offer you something,” she said fervently. “I’ve brought it from my home and I think that you would use it well. May I meet you again?”

Colour rose into her cheeks as she heard herself make such forward and indecent demands, but she gritted her teeth and tilted up her face bravely.

“My brother is a draper,” Ori replied, “and we’d be honoured to welcome you in our home. You can sit there and weave if that would please you.”

“Will you be there? I have grown used to your face—as undignified as that sounds—and it brings me great solace and joy!”

“I shall,” he promised, “and I’d love to be the keeper of your secrets.”

“If that is so,” Wai cheered, “I shall bring you one of the sticks of ancient ink from a faraway land.”

Ori was unsure what made his heart beat like a frantic, startled bird within his chest—the idea of precious ink or the knowledge that he had made a new friend—but he couldn’t help chuckling nervously. “I shall await you impatiently.”

“I have to go wash a whole batch of wool first, but I should be able to call on your eminent beauty tomorrow if that is agreeable to you?”

“Tomorrow,” Ori nodded, visibly dazed and delighted. “Until then, Miss Wai.”

Once again, many thanks to @estethell for this beautiful piece of art!

Lots of love from me <3

[trytofic]

Tim Burton Films

This will probably be my longest one, but thats because there was so much to change and add that AHHHHH Things are changed up butttt the basics were taken from Corpse Bride. These will be crossposted on my Ao3! Thank you to @shadamytober

Ao3

Day 6: Tim Burton Films

A chilly evening, filled with joyful murmurs in a church. There were both living and passed Mobians who were thrilled to see a wedding, regardless of participants. But the male Hedgehog, who stood at the table at the front of the church with a skeleton of a Modian, waited for his bride. She was the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid his eyes on. Even knowing he had lost his previous bride-to-be, she was different. Amy Rose, a hedgehog who would fight death to be with the one she chose to be with. He was thrilled to have met her, to have fallen for her even with the misunderstandings they had had.

So he stood, black sclera and a few fingers showing bone, with his hands in front of him waiting for her to walk through those doors. And she had. Bright pink quills that made the room light up. His friend, the lovely bat Rouge whose wings were torn, yet beautifully covered by lace stood by him, was excited to see the sparkle in his eyes. Amy walked down the aisle, a small black bouquet in hand all the while oblivious to her previously betrothed standing in the back row. They met and stood hand in hand at the alter. He a corpse, soon she to be his bride.

“Amy?” Amy’s hands jumped from Shadow’s and she looked down the aisle to see a blue hedgehog.

“Sonic?” Her eyes were misty as he stared at her.

“Sonic? You mean… your betrothed? Why is he here?” Shadow feared he would lose her, as he had lost his previous love.

“I’m not sure. Sonic.” She wandered to him. “How did you know to be here? I am…”

“You’re marrying someone else. I thought we… had something.” His eyes were saddened.

“We did, however, I feel a deeper connection with Shadow. I feel a love towards him that is reciprocated and so very deep.” Sonic watched her as she spoke so lovingly about this other hedgehog. He wanted to be angry, he wanted to be sad, however he could never give her what she truly wanted, they were much too different.

“I am so happy for you Ames.” He put one arm on her shoulder. He was ready to let go until the church doors opened once more.

“Oh, I always cry at weddings!” They looked to the door to see a jackal with blue and yellow colored eyes, his hair Curled to the side, his glare so cocky. “Young lovers together at last, if it weren't for one problem.” His fangs were sharp as they were shown to the men. “She’s too valuable to simply be thrown to the worms!” He snatched Amy’s arm pulling from from Sonic and Shadow let out a deep growl, his remaining claws ready to attack. “I will not leave here empty-handed!”

Shadow took a step forward and he finally looked the jackal in the eyes. A silence fell over them as he finally recognized him.

“You…”

“Shadow?” Amy questioned.

“But.. I left you.” The jackal said taking a step back.

“For dead!” Shadow bared his fangs at the jackal before him. This was the man he had nightmares of, the one he remembered from his murder in the forest. This was the man who took him from his first love!

“Infinite, stop!” Sonic tried to reason with him.

“Never! I will not be leaving without her!” He looked to one of the dead men in a pew to find a sword sticking out from his chest. He gripped it tight, yanking it free, and knocked Sonic to the ground with the sword's pommel. He put the blade to Amy’s throat and took a few steps back towards the door.

“Take your hands off of her.” The crowd gasped as Shadow's quills began to flow with chaos energy, his dull red eyes now taking on a bright shine.

“If I have to, I’ll kill you again, hedgehog. I’ll take this bride from you as well.”

The two began to fight, Shadow's knife barely grazing Infinite's jacket, a few bits of fur sliced away from his head. Infinite's sword left a thin slash in Shadow's chest. Sonic had gotten to his feet and pulled Amy aside, keeping her out of the fighting as much as he could. They watched as Shadow became disarmed, his knife falling to the ground so loudly Amy covered her ears. Amy shouted for Shadow, scared for him to truly be hurt, and rushed from Sonic’s arms to try and get Infinite away. The crowd in an uproar began to swarm the jackal until the skeletal modian told them to freeze.

“Shadow catch!” Shadow's eyes glanced towards Rouge as she threw a knife to him. He wasn’t nearly as fast as when he was alive however, when the blade landed in his palm he simply sliced it through, ready to fight for Amy’s safety.

“Sorry hun!” She shouted to him

“We are not to cause harm to the living!”

“But sir-”

“No, we must abide by their rules! We may not be able to die but we can not take them before their own time!” Amy could hear the anger in his tone, knowing he desperately wished for Inifinte's demise.

“Well put old man!” His laughter filled the church, it echoed deep within Amy’s ears, her heart pounding. She knew they could do no harm to him, a simple cut meant nothing in terms of their own mortality. She glanced around the room and spotted the knife on the floor. She knew what she had to do, to keep Shadow from becoming even more hateful to himself. She needed to protect him. She gripped the knife and ran at Infite, the blade piercing his back causing him to drop the sword he had taken.

His hands shook as he felt the pain in his back he turned to glare at the woman who had attacked him, who had faced the fear of him, who had finally stopped him in his tracks. Amy stood with tears in her eyes, her arms shook, making the blade wiggle into Infinite and she could only hear her heart as Shadow and Sonic screamed out to her. She removed her hands from the knife, and backed away, Sonic running to her side. She stumbled back and watched as Infinite dropped to the floor. Shadow stared at her, fear filling his eyes. Was he scared of her now? She couldn’t register what was going on until Sonic turned her face to his. Those green eyes she had fallen for not too long ago were still a comfort, even if she no longer felt the longing she once had.

“Ames? Amy come on. Answer me!” She finally heard him and watched as Infinite's body began to rise, his sclera black and filled with rage.

“You little-” He was ready to lunge until a hand found his shoulder. Rouge stood with several of the dead mobians surrounding him. Wicked grins and sharp eyes were all he could see before he was dragged through a door away from the small group. A howling was heard as whatever torture they had planned for him, had already begun.

“Amy?” She looked up to see Shadow kneeling before her. “Are you alright, my Rose?” Amy couldn’t speak, tears slipping down her cheeks, she could feel Sonic’s warmth leaving as the cool and familiar presence of Shadow lingered.

“I couldn't let him harm you again. Not again.” She was brought into his embrace, the scent of lavender and copper filling her senses.

“I will never know how to repay you.” His voice was soft and kind. He was soft and kind, so much more so than anyone had really been in her life. This was the man she loved with all her heart.

“I do.” The two separated and Amy stood with Shadow’s help and she led him to the table, the cup filled with a deathly elixir sat waiting for her. She grabbed the cup and turned to him a small smile on her lips.

“With this sip, I will forever be yours.” Before Shadow could say a word, the cup met her lips, the liquid felt as though it stole the air from her lungs. Her eyes shut and she felt weak. She let out a gasp as his eyes shot wide open. Shadow was the first thing she saw, he stared into her eyes and he quickly pulled her to him. Their lips collided, his hands in her quills, she could taste the desperation in his kiss. But the most surprising was she could feel his tears as they fell to her face. When he pulled away she looked around the room. The remaining mobians smiled and cheered for the two of them, and when her eyes met Sonic’s he smiled so kindly.

“My Rose.” Her eyes went back to his. “I love you. I will be at your side for all of eternity.”

[m34gs]

Tell us about your favourite Twisted Wonderland characters (one per dorm).

"One per dorm" you say...🤣Yeah ok, I definitely need that parameter, lol.

Alright, this is gonna be a long one so buckle in:

Heartslaybul:

This one would have to be Deuce Spade. I can't help it, he just has such dumb of ass, pure of heart energy and I very much adore that. Plus, his whole "moody bad-boy" image is...well, it's in direct contrast with his Actual Personality. Yeah, he gets in fights, and he references having been a troublemaker, but something tells me he was more on the side of being misunderstood in his intentions. Especially every time he mentions wanting to send money home to help his mother. Also I love that his first spell he learns is How To Summon a Cauldron. Because I get great joy from tropes where a character has One (1) Seemingly Useless or Very Specific Spell That Is Not Combat-Oriented In The Slightest that they make work for a variety of scenarios, including combat. He gives me Rin Okumura vibes, and, as you probably could guess, I can't help but want to adopt him. Bam. Done. He's my Son.

Savanaclaw:

For Savanaclaw, this may come as a shock to you...I like Ruggie the best. He has this Trickster attitude that I adore; sassy and sarcastic and absolutely sneaky and devious. But he also has more than that. He has an entire family back home who aren't very well-off financially, so it's no wonder he's constantly taking every opportunity to make money. At the winter break it even shows that he is trying to bring back as much food from the cafeteria as he can so he can feed his family at home and they can have a fun celebration too without having to worry about their next meal. I also really identify with the way he looks after Leona. It shows that Ruggie has lots of little siblings that he looks after. I have younger siblings and I definitely had to watch out for them when they were growing up. And then, even when Leona overblotted and hurt him, Ruggie stayed by him and stayed loyal, stayed friends, and gave Leona another shot. He totally could've said "fuck this noise, I'm out", which is something I think people often expect from anti-hero characters similar to Ruggie, but he didn't. He faced death for Leona and I think that says more about how much he cares about his friends than any of his snarky remarks or nagging toward Leona ever did. Also, I like to imagine that for the next month and a half Leona is totally at Ruggie's beck and call, because all he has to do when Leona grumbles is go "Oh, are you, the great Leona, tired? Are you...in pain? Hmmm? Do you know what it's like to almost die because your best friend decided to use his signature spell on you and tried to turn you to dust?" I just want that to be how he gets Leona to go to classes for like a month after the incident lol.

Octavinelle:

FLOYD. NO CONTEST. NO HESITATION. FLOYD LEECH. I'm sorry, Azul, Jade...I just can't deny it. Floyd has my heart. He somehow wormed his way into my heart and set up camp and I can't deny he is my favourite. He's just such a wild card, a loose cannon. I love it. My boy. He's also the one I ship with Yuu. :D I just love his attitude, how he sticks to his own way, he doesn't let anyone else make him change how he is. Frustrating as heck to deal with, I am sure, but to watch? Oh, it is sooo entertaining. I love it. I also love how there's only a handful of people who can get through to him, and that is Azul, Jade, and now, sort of, Yuu. Floyd just loves his Shrimpy and wants to squeeze them. Hehehe. Also, his merman form is Very Handsome. Idk, it's something about the way he smiles too, it's just entirely endearing to me.

Scarabia:

This was a tough one. It's not that I really have a favourite in Scarabia. I really like both Jamil and Kalim for different reasons. If I had to choose one I think I would get along with more...honestly it would probably be Jamil. I've said this before, but I've also had a lot of issues with expectations and rules and being put into a role I didn't ask for and having to make exceptions for others and anticipate their needs rather than letting them tell me what they needed. In that way, I see a lot of myself in Jamil. I immediately knew what his frustration was when I started playing book four, and that's why it took me so long. I actually had to take a lot of breaks because, while I wanted the story and have lots of fun playing Twisted Wonderland, book four was very triggering for my anxiety. I may be at a point in my life where I can recognize what was wrong in the past and what I need to work on, but I am by no means over it and unaffected by the memory. So, I think being around Kalim, while it would be enjoyable and I would absolutely adore him, would probably be a bit more taxing on me mentally and emotionally than it would for me to be around Jamil. And that is why I will mark Jamil as my favourite, though I really do like both of them very much.

Pomefiore:

It's Epel Felmier. I am drawn to the way his personality doesn't match his outward appearance. I really like that about him, it's like a surprise sucker punch that he can really weaponize once he figures it out a bit more. I also like the character growth he goes through and how he realizes that there's more to strength than just being able to fight, that there's different ways to be strong and win in life. I love that. And I really identify with the feeling of 'my body doesn't match who I want to be'. As a child, and even sometimes still, I really had a struggle with understanding what I actually looked like. I had an idea in my mind of how I looked and I remember how blatantly thrown off I was when I would look in the mirror. I felt I had to act certain ways because of my body type, that I was expected to be more masculine and tough because I was bigger than my sister and some of my friends. As I got older, it became the opposite. I didn't want to be seen as masculine at all, I hated it, so I tried overly hard with make up, wore very feminine clothes, squeezed my butt into skinny jeans that made indents in my stomach and cut into my hips, and consistently worried about my face and hair throughout the day. Then, I hit a burnout and stopped caring. Still recovering, but I'm learning to love and embrace the body I have and to work with what I have instead of longing for what I don't, and that I can be big and still be feminine, just in a different way. And I think that is something that makes me very similar to Epel.

Also I wanna hear Epel talking all dainty to some poor soul who doesn't know him and then he stubs his toe and screams "FUCK". I just think that would be funny :D

Ignihyde:

Idia Shroud. Again, no contest. I love Ortho to pieces, but Idia is MY BOY. I love him so much. My introverted boy. The one I laid eyes on for 0.5 seconds and went "adopted". He's so pretty, with his flaming blue hair and his beautiful golden eyes. I love his entire aesthetic, and I love his personality. Introverted. Sarcastic. Smart. He's so cool :D I really like how he talks in video game terms, and I think his obsession with video games is so relatable. I may not game near as much as he does, but as a kiddo I used to read almost more often than I breathed. And I was very introverted and loved fictional worlds more than I enjoyed being in reality. So, I get it. He's just so fantastic, we have the same humour, and again I love his devotion to his little brother. He adores Ortho, it's very clear. He tries his best for him. And there's more backstory to come, which I am SO FREAKING EXCITED FOR!!!!! I want to know, even if I already have my guesses, what happened, what he's been through, what happens next. I love Idia so much.

Diasomnia:

Lilia. He's so funny and mischeivous. I love how he teases. I also love that he's canonically called 'Father' by Silver and Sebek. Top Tier. I love how chill he is, like Sebek will be losing his mind over Malleus and Lilia is like "eh, he's fine" and usually he's right. I also love the way he dresses. Very cool aesthetic; definitely the look I really admired in high school. His voice lines are so funny, because the conversation is just rolling along and every once in a while Lilia will drop some piece of knowledge that Reminds Everyone that he is canonically hundreds of years old. Top Tier.

Bonus - Faculty:

I give you, a bonus!!! Crewel! Which you already knew, but I couldn't make a post about my faves and not include him! He is so handsome, his entire aesthetic, the way he talks, those voice lines...🥵🥵...yes. Just. Yes. I thirst over him so much, you know I do. hehehe. :D Seeing him running the infirmary in book 6 part one made me literally scream like YEEESSSSS, WE LOVE A MAN WHO TAKES CARE OF THE INJURED. GD. also because it means if I worked in Night Raven College he would have worked closely with me at that part and that made me so so so happy you have no idea.

And there you have it! My faves from Twisted Wonderland. Thank you so much for sending me this ask, it made my day! I had so much fun answering this 💜💜💜💜

[lil-oreo-cookie]

Heyyy!!!! Its me Monsterlover on disc! Quick question, Opinions on moons and rivers relationship???

Hi !!

My opinion is that I much prefer the dynamic Moon and River had as teenagers shown to us in “Moon the Undaunted”. Even if we don’t get a lot of scenes between them it’s so clear and obvious why they click. River standing up for Moon when she’s so clearly stressed out is so sweet and the way he apologizes afterwards is absolutely adorable. If I were Moon I would absolutely choose River as well and I can one hundred percent see why she did. They’re both adorable and their chemistry is so obvious

Look at them they’re so pure

However, I think that the charm they had as kids completely lost all its spark as adults. I have a thing for adorable married couples so it’s honestly shocking to me that they never stuck out in my brain.

I think the reason for that is because Moonriver as adults is the Tired Wife x Nonsensical Husband trope (or something to that degree). They don’t have much cutesy scenes that show off any chemistry they might have had prior. I guess I don’t feel much love between them even if River constantly talks about how much he loves his wife (as seen in the Season 4 premiere). River’s characterization is all over the place and doesn’t feel anything like the River portrayed in “Moon the Undaunted”. Granted, I do like River’s characterization in certain Season 1 episodes and in Season 4 but for the most part I’m kind of “eh” about him overall and even dislike him at times.

Moon, on the other hand, is a whole different can of worms. I absolutely ADORED her in the first few seasons and especially Season 2 where she got really interesting but we all know she crashed and burned in Season 4 and now most of the fandom sees her in a negative light. Personally, I’m just constantly sad about her downfall more than anything, constantly mourning about the Moon we used to have and reading fanfics to cope and forget about canon.

Essentially what all that meant was both of their characters have very strong positive moments and equally as strong negative moments and both of their writing is all over the place. Therefore, their relationship doesn’t really interest me much. They’re painfully fine in my book and I have no strong feelings for their relationship other than the fact them as kids was absolutely adorable.

I do wish we could’ve gotten more of young Moon and River because that was the highlight of their relationship, but as adults I pretty much tolerate their relationship as nothing more than Star’s parents and focus on them as individuals instead.

Anyways I much prefer Globclipsa

[dreadgloom]

a list of a bunch of random headcanons under the cut because I finally have dio’s carrd updated enough that I’m comfortable sharing all of these.

I headcanon that Lolthsworn drow due to Lolth’s more ‘demonic’ influence are the more monstrous elf race (sharper teeth, possible black sclera, possible reflective eyes, thicker claw-like nails, the ability to hiss like a lizard/snake/cat) and these features are both highly prized (especially by nobles) and seen as very attractive. Dionisia is no exception to this. Their teeth look similar to this reference image, they have black sclera, and their nails are hardier then typical nails.

When angry or using inferred vision their eyes turn from natural mulberry (#4C0121) to amaranth red (#DA012D). Their eyes also turn yellow orange (#FFAE42) when sick, poisoned, or under negative magical effects.

Their facial scars are from the first time they tried to come to the surface. The town folk carved their face and beat them before throwing them back down into the Underdark because they though Dio was a raid party scout. It is something they barely survived and is the reason it took them almost another ten (10) years before they went to the surface again.

Their hate of feet actually stems from them suffering from boot rot/trench foot the last few months before they reached the surface and was able to get proper medical help from a cleric in the underground temple they crawled out of. It’s something they are very careful about now during current adventures since they have more knowledge about how to avoid it.

Due to breaking their hand when they were younger, Dio is fully ambidextrous. Their dominate hand remains their right hand though.

Their favorite animals are lizards, frogs, and ravens.

Their skin color is pretty much the html color/hex #312C70. A darker blue with the slightest purple undertone.

Their favorite color is black. 90% of the clothing they own is black regardless of verse. They also prefer silver over gold accessories as gold is more easily poisoned.

The mind flayer tadpole has made it impossible for Dionisia to use their magical tattoos and they are very frustrated by that.

Speaking of tattoos, Dio has gotten all of her tattoos done by the same father-son duo. They were gnomes from Waterdeep named Zanpip and Davwin Grindlight. The son (Davwin) died of old age about 7 years before the events of Baldur’s Gate 3. Dio got her last tattoo about 20 years prior to Davwin’s death.

Their glasses of sunlight sensitivity, bottomless flask, and haversack of holding were also purchased in Waterdeep from Zanpip’s wife (named Tillwill) that was an artificer.

Dionisia’s tent setup in camp looks kinda like this image. Their tent can also do the poncho thing. This is because they hate the time it takes to set up larger tents.

While traveling Dionisia always seems to have pipe weed + tobacco, primer almond brandy, trail mix, and dried Underdark mushrooms on them. If asked why, they’ll tell you it’s because they are to old to not have or leave behind ‘creature comforts’.

The amount of time Dionisia has spent in Waterdeep is fairly large because of their dealings in Skullport.

If they ever left Baldur’s Gate for good they’d move to Waterdeep. They have a lot of amazing memories there and several promising deals with different guilds.

Dionisia is mostly known in several circles as an urban bounty hunter for hire but they also do investigations, shipment guarding, assassinations, and a few thieving related jobs (heists, fishing, shills, burglaries) for those who know to ask and can pay the proper coin.

They take a weekly dose of a nasty concoction of Underdark mushrooms and moss that keeps any potential psionics from manifesting in them. During the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, they took it only once (early during act 1) and it made the brain worm freak out causing Dio to have a rather severe nose bleed for about an hour and a horrible headache for several days after.

[tabby-shieldmaiden]

I’ve decided that I would like to try and write Shonen with Women. Like that one popular tumblr post talking about it. There’s a handful of close-enough cases. But there’s not tons and tons such that you can have something for everyone. I would like to try and write something like that.

And I have decided on a list of things which I should try to engage with, so that I can get somewhere within the vicinity of ‘Shonen with Women’.

The first thing is, obviously, Shonen animanga. I want to try and engage with some of the ones which have like. Female leads. Notably big casts of women. At least 60/40 ratios. I’ve watched Soul Eater and JoJo part 6, and I may rewatch or reread them. I’ve watched Chainsaw Man, and I think I really should read it. I should look at some of the other big names too. I think I’ll get to TTGL and Demon Slayer both for social reasons (friends who like it and who I can talk to about), and because they are short in comparison to some shonen. But some of the longer stuff does interest me. In particular, I have an interest in Naruto, both because to some people, it does seem to symbolise some platonic ideal of ‘Shonen animanga’, and because it is notoriously known for poorly handling its female characters. I think it would be interesting to try and play around with it, therefore.

The second thing is just. Miscellaneous other works which fall under ‘boy-targeted action-adventure story with sff elements’. Which is what most people mean when they talk about capital S Shonen. Like, ‘shonen’ is a demographic, but capital S Shonen is a genre. Most of these works which aren’t animanga are Western works, in particular North American works. This is partially for social reasons, because I have friends who I can talk to about superhero cartoons and miscellaneous other ‘boy’ targeted media. But it is also because I think it will be interesting to compare and contrast and see in what ways things differ, and what ways they stay the same.

The third thing on my list are magical girl media. This is for interest reasons and social reasons. Also, it’ll be interesting to compare and contrast. The escapist heroism fantasy for boys vs the escapist heroism fantasy for girls. What ways are they the same? What ways are they different?

The fourth is like, fringe cases. Things people hold up as ‘Shonen with Women’ already which aren’t quite neatly magical girl. RWBY (which I have previously watched) and Worm (which I have not read) fall under here. But if there’s any more things which are like this, I will keep a lookout. RWBY wasn’t really for me, but I do want to rewatch it all at least once so that I can stew on it and what it does a little more. 

It’ll also be good for me to look at some other SFF works too, since so much of this sort of media has very obvious fantasy and science fiction elements to them. I still won’t read Lord of the Rings though, simply because too many people said that I had to read Lord of the Rings. I couldn’t even sit through the movies. My Mom was watching The Two Towers in cinemas and I think she had to leave midway because I decided it was time for me to be born*. If I ever had a natural disposition, it may just be disinterest in the goings-on of Middle Earth.

The sixth thing is like. I would like to know more about leftism. Economics, certainly, but also. Feminism and queer rights, postcolonialism, disability theory, and all sorts of other readings. This is for personal reasons, to become a better activist. But also, I feel like I will have to be prepared to think about what I see. I need tools to be able to look at the media and dissect it, and see what wasn’t working there, and how I can take things and put them in my own work and make them more informed. If I were to write Shonen with Women, I will have to put some work into it to really make it stand out. I think a part of that will be grappling with all the uncheck assumptions that tend to be put into this sort of escapist media, and seeing if we can escape to better places.

Especially since so many works in my chosen genre are written by white or Japanese men, and I do want to write more obviously Southeast Asian fiction (in the sense of writing informed by the region’s history and culture). I think I will read postcolonial writings and feminist writings and Southeast Asian history and mix it with thoughts on all these other stories. I’ll start small. Learn about my country first. Then the direct neighbours. Learn about the whole region. Then on to South Asia and China and other Pacific Islanders and any other peoples who have had shared histories with the region. And I will keep learning more and more and keep jumping down rabbit holes. This is for my own curiosity, to understand where I am, and how to move forward. And hopefully, because these things are on my mind, they will mix with my animanga and action cartoon thoughts, and it will blossom into something worth writing about.

And of course, I will need to go get more life experiences. Learn more things about the world. Engage with non-fiction. Do things which aren’t fiction related. This is also an important part of being a good writer period. It’s not all about media consumption. It’s learning facts about science and going out with family and friends and learning new things, and having all those experiences fuel my writing.

So yeah. I guess that’s it. My list of things I will try and engage with in order to try and write Shonen with Women. My current WIP isn’t quite it. My next WIP idea may be closer. I don’t have a third long-form one yet. But who knows. Maybe after engaging with all these things, I will find something that I can say, while also saying it by writing women battle each other in dramatic, magical and/or scifi-ish fights. 

*Either that, or it was before or after the movie. They were not very clear telling the story.