#the motivation is slowly coming back I think

[willowpains]

paparazzi

drew starkey x latina actress reader!

slightly inspired by that zendaya and tom video iykyk

It was the season 4 premiere of Outer Banks.

Drew and you were arriving together to the event, the car having picked you both from the place you two shared in Charleston for filming seasons.

“It never gets old��� you say, resting your head in Drew’s shoulder while fidgeting with his hand.

He chuckles lightly as he looks down at you.

“What do you mean doll?” He asks smiling at you with longing.

You look up to meet his eyes.

“The premieres” you pause. “I love them. And I’m secretly scared that we don’t know if this might be the last” you say, feeling your eyes glaze at the thought.

It was not about the premieres and you knew it.

Drew knew it.

You loved spending time with your best friends, and you were scared that the project that brought you all together one day, could ever end.

He gave you a soft smile while he cradled your face between his hands.

“It’s okay to feel scared” he murmured sweetly. “That’s one of my fears too”.

You furrowed your brows at his words, trying to hold your tears, you didn’t wanna ruin your makeup.

“Really?” You ask smirking up at him.

He nods chuckling at you, while softly grazing your cheeks with his thumb.

“But I am not worried about it” he says looking deep into your eyes. “We’ll keep seeing each other and hanging out no matter what love”.

You nod slowly at his words, smiling softly at him and his sweet words.

“No need to worry about the future” he continues. “Let’s enjoy today and take it one day at a time”.

He smiles and leans into you, pressing his lips softly against yours in a loving and soothing way trying to calm you.

And it worked.

“How many people do you think there’ll be?” You ask him excitedly, changing the subject.

This was a game you two liked to play. Guessing how much fans or people would be there showing for these events. It kept you feeling competitive and gave you reason to tease each other.

“Not many” he said playfully, sticking his tongue out at you.

You smile up at him.

“Hopefully” you say letting out a soft laugh.

You loved meeting fans and attending these events, it made you incredibly happy and motivated to see how many people loved your work.

But they also made you nervous. Big crowds of people screaming, flashing their cameras towards you and wanting to get a glimpse of you made you a bit anxious.

It was getting easier with each event you attended, but the little monster in your brain never truly shut up until you were safely inside, around the people that made you feel at ease.

Drew gave your hand a little squeeze while lifting it up and leaving a soft kiss on the back of it.

“It’s fine doll” he says softly. “I’m here with you” his thumb brushes your cheek soothingly.

You lean into his touch leaving a soft kiss on his palm.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way” you smile up at him.

Your boyfriend smirks down at you.

“I’m very tempted to tell the driver to turn around and drive back to our place” he says teasingly as he leans down to place a soft and slow kiss to your lips.

You feel yourself smile against his lips.

“You’re gonna have to wait, because my glam team wouldn’t be happy if this look didn’t get its moment” you say, as you take his face between your hands, tracing your thumb over his lips.

He smirks at you.

“Oh, I can make sure it gets the attention it deserves” he teases, moving his hands dangerously slow down your waist.

You laugh softly at his words.

“Too late mi amor” you say pecking his lips softly and moving your hands to fix his tie.

Because at that moment, the car comes to a stop, and your door is being opened, revealing screaming fans and paparazzi.

Your boyfriend sights and looks at you while you smile back innocently.

Drew gets out of the car first, waving and smiling at fans, and then turns around offering you his hand, helping you as you step out of the car, motioning and saying hi to everyone around you two.

Someone from your team guides you to the entrance, but you two decide to take a little detour and walk to the side of the street where fans were waiting patiently for the cast to arrive.

He never leaves your side, both of you stuck together taking pics, signing stuff and talking with fans.

“Omg y/n I love you so much!” A girl says excitedly as you near her and her friends. “can we take a selfie?

You smile happily at her.

“Of course!” You say, making a kissy face, watching her screen and seeing how Drew photo bombs from behind.

The girls around you begin to scream and giggle at him as he chuckles looking at the girl holding the phone.

“Nice shirt” he says pointing to the girls shirt, that has a photo of you two together back at poguelandia last year.

She blushes and laughs looking up at Drew after he complimented her shirt.

“I love you two so much!” She says moving her hands to touch her heart.

The both of you eventually switch sides, trying to get to as much fans as you can.

On this side, a girl catches your attention.

“Y/n, thank you for representing latinas in the show!” She screams as you near her, feeling your heart warm at her words.

You pout looking at her with teary eyes.

“You’re gonna make me cry!” You say as you go in for a hug.

The girl embraces you back excitedly.

“Estamos súper orgullosas de todo lo que estás logrando” says another girl next to her, now in Spanish.

You smile at them lovingly.

“Muchas gracias por el apoyo” you tell them clutching your heart.

You continue chatting and taking pics, feeling Drew’s presence looming behind you or a couple of people away from you.

When you reach the end of where fans are standing, there is a group of messily organized press and paparazzi waiting at the entrance of the event for anyone that arrives.

A member of your team tells you it’s time to get going, so you mutter some apologies and wave goodbye to the fans that you were not able to meet properly.

Drew takes your hand in his, as you two follow the crew member from your team to finally get into the event.

As you walk away from fans, suddenly the paparazzi and press that had been somewhat calm, immediately swarm the both of you, to the point that security guards that were waiting at the entrance, near the both of you to help clear the way.

Your boyfriend doesn’t let go of your hand, instead, holds you tighter and keeps looking back to make sure you’re okay.

While you’re making your way to the entrance, you spot a girl in between the mass of paparazzi, trying to get you to sign her poster.

You let go of Drew’s hands slowly, moving to face the girl in front of you.

The paparazzi suddenly swarming and moving around you and the fan.

All the screams and clicking sounds from them didn’t allow you to talk to the girl, so you tried your best to smile sweetly at her while signing her poster, hoping to make it quick, as you felt yourself getting a bit claustrophobic.

Drew was watching all of this go down from where the paparazzi had pushed him.

When he felt your hand leave his, he turned around to see all of the paparazzi and press already crowding around you and the little girl, shouting questions and flashing their cameras at you.

“Y/n you look lovely tonight!” “Y/n you and Drew going strong?” “Who are you wearing tonight y/n?” “Y/n can you tell us anything about the Narnia rumors?”

Drew tried to get closer to you, as he saw you were finishing signing the poster, when he saw one of the reporters shoving his camera a little to close to your face, almost hitting you with it.

His heart raced and his patience ran out.

He immediately got closer, shoving the paparazzi’s that were in his way to get to you, not even sparing to talk to them nicely, as they were already too comfortable violating your personal space.

“Get out the fucking way” he said loudly and a bit too agressive as he pushed the last of them to get to you.

The security guards that were supposed to be escorting you two, tried to gently pull him back to do the job themselves.

“No, no, no” Drew said as he shrugged them off and continued walking until he reached the guy who almost had his camera on your face.

He pushed him away from you in an instant, shoving him aside by pushing his chest away.

“Dude back off” he spitted at the guy while he took your hand between his and started to walk back with you close to him.

“Give her some room!” Security behind him shouted, trying to get the paparazzis off of you two.

You took his hand and gave it a soft squeeze, trying to let your boyfriend know you were okay.

Everything happened too fast you barely had time to react.

Your boyfriend continued walking to the entrance, looking back at you to make sure you were still behind him and not being bothered by the people around you.

As you two stood in front of the entrance, he came to a stop, looking at you and the paparazzi behind you, assessing them.

He moved back to let you in before pausing.

A guy with a camera stood infront of the door blocking it, trying to get a shot of you getting in the event.

Drew looked at him seriously, before, pushing him aside, to finally make space for you to get in.

He gently placed his hand on your waist, guiding you inside before him, while he gave the mass of paparazzi outside one last serious look before getting in behind you.

Finally, inside the event, you let out a breath of relief while you turned around and looked at your boyfriend, who was looking at you with a concerned look on his face.

“Are you okay?” He asked as his eyes wandered all over you, as if assessing you were perfectly fine.

You nodded slowly as you closed the space between you and wrapped your arms around his neck.

“Thanks to you” you smiled up at him as you pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

He smiled softly in between the kiss, his hands wrapping around your waist immediately.

You felt himself relax against you.

“That was pretty hot you know?” You say cheekily at him, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

Drew smirks down at you as his thumb draws soft circles on your waist.

“Really?” He chuckles, one hand moving to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear.

You nod, smiling brightly at him.

“You’re very attractive when you get protective” you say reaching up to peck his lips one more time.

He blushes slightly at your words, looking down to meet your eyes.

You feel his heart beating against your chest.

“Let’s get this over with” he says, taking your hand in his as he starts walking to the carpet. “I wanna take you home already” he says smirking playfully down at you.

*

that video did something to me, and I just couldn’t resist.

a bit of a time jump from the last few parts, but maybe a little hint of all that’s to come between drew and latina actress reader!

if you have any requests, ideas or things you’d like to know feel free to ask<3

taglist

@aariahnaa

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

Overall, I agree. Especially your first paragraph about how the “Rings of Power” fandom, in general, only thinks of Sauron's character as in “Third Age Sauron” and neglects his character arc in Tolkien lore. Thank you for these words. Preach it!  

The part where I disagree is when you make the case it was in Eregion that Mairon fell back into his old ways and into evil (1x08). Mostly because of three reasons: the Three rings of power, the mithril and the visual clues. I already talked about this here, and here. Halbrand was "Repentant Mairon", as written by Tolkien.

Tolkien himself tells us Sauron’s character arc in Letters 131, 153, and 183; and that “Annatar” is the reformer, and his intention of rebuilding/healing Middle-earth is still genuine. So, he’s very slowly embracing his old ways and his servitude of Morgoth ("and he fell back into evil, for the bonds that Morgoth had laid upon him were very strong"; The Silmarillion).

Going back to Eregion: my theory is that what we saw in 1x08 was actually OG Mairon, the Maia of Aulë. Mostly because (as I’ve mention in my linked posts) the Three Elven rings, not only contain the qualities Mairon was created to have by Eru himself, but they also heal Morgoth’s corruption: which is Mairon’s goal. We see him handing the mithril, according to Elrond in 2x01 “for weeks”, and in 2x03 it was all that took for him to make the Seven rings of power.  

And in 2x08, we saw that Nenya was able to heal the effects of Morgoth’s corruption on Adar. Which might indicate that the mithril could also return Mairon to his original self, and perhaps that’s what happened in 1x08. However, this effect is temporary (as we saw with Adar), and Mairon needed to be in contact with the mithril at all times, in order to work. Perhaps that’s why he wanted to forge the two rings, in the first place: one for himself, and the other to Galadriel, because he also recognized her desire for healing after everything she suffered on Middle-earth.

And then we have this visual clue: the Dwarvish-inspired necklace. As everyone must be aware by now, Mairon was a Maia of Aulë, and the Dwarves are the  Children of Aulë.

I think the breaking point was when Galadriel rejected his proposal of servitude, in 1x08. This doesn’t mean she’s the one to blame, mind you. Mairon already made two major blows on his redemption arc by himself: when he chooses Morgoth (the pouch of the King of the Southlands who swore a blood oath to Morgoth) over redemption (saving Diarmid), in 2x01; and when he chooses deception (King of the Southlands) instead of redemption (staying in Númenor in servitude).

When Galadriel rejects his offer, Marion sees it as a rejection of his redemption, and believes he’s not worthy of redemption. But he tries again in Season 2 with the whole “rings of power” plot, but by then he’s already embracing his old ways of deceit and manipulation of others, and returning, even if unconsciously, to Morgoth.

Galadriel is not to blame because “free will” is a major theme in Tolkien legendarium. Each character is responsible for its own actions and choices. And even if he’s not fully there yet in “Rings of Power”, Sauron choses to believe he’s not worthy of redemption, and there’s no point on even trying anymore. This is his personal choice. This will be most likely in Season 4 and 5 (he probably will still believe in his “fair motives” in Season 3, in my opinion), and explode on the Third Age, when he claims to be “Morgoth come again”.  

I feel like people try too hard to keep Sauron "in character", to the point that they super-impose the 3rd Age LOTR Sauron onto the 2nd Age TROP Sauron. To the point that people attribute everything he does to a manipulation, thinking that the guy does everything as planned, as if he can't do an action because he just feels like it, or make a decision based on emotions. That is just... Not how I saw even LOTR Sauron. Plus, a lot can happen to a guy in several millenia, yk? (And I believe we will even see this road of his in later seasons).

I will give you the scene where he apologises for killing Galadriel's brother, for example.

Rewatching it, you can absolutely tell that Sauron seriously intended to stay in Numenor and do nothing but simple smith work.

He wasn't lying later to Gal when he said he had all but given up at this time frame - he really did. In that moment, he believed himself to be a giant failure, all his plans had fallen through, even the orks mutinied against him and his close servant/friend (because it is obvious he and Adar were close - 1) how else would one disembowel fucking Sauron unless he trusted his back to that person? 2) he would NOT act THAT angry if that betrayal wasn't personal on some level) betrayed him and murdered him - so at this stage he is in the "to hell with it all, I give up, I am a loser, let me just smith cutlery and horse shoes in peace" frame of mind.

But then comes Galadriel asking him to help her take the Southlands, refusing to take "no" for an answer.

As a side note, I find this part of the scene interesting:

Love the actor's work as well here - how his stare becomes vacant as he loses himself in the dark memories.

(And he is turned away from Galadriel here. She doesn't see his face at all. At. All. So, unless he is trying to manipulate coals, the emotions on his face are. All. Real.)

"You don't know what I did. How I survived...

And, as he gazes into the fire, it's not his memories that come (as would be expected out of this cimetographic tactic), but the present scene of the villagers submitting and kneeling to Adar and the orks.

Legitimately, his words here are narrating over the people kneeling to Adar. Right over this moment. I kid you not, go rewatch it, if you do not believe me.

This, here, is a 100% tell that, at least in this story, as TROP authors intended it, the idea is that Sauron's continuous service to Melkor was a matter of survival. You don't make such an obvious parallel unintentionally.

So, while he came to serve him probably out of his young foolishness and ambition, but that, down the road, it became simply impossible to change sides, even if he wanted too, unless he was willing to sacrifice his life for it.

Going back to the point. So, Sauron, as Galadriel asks him to abandon his own plans and help her with her quest, demands that she gives him an honest answer why she pursues her goals.

She turns away from him in tears and:

"The company I led mutinied against me"

Mmmm?🤔

"My closest friend conspired with the King to exile me"

MMMMM?🤔🤔🤔

(what could it be reminding me of I wonder??)

What? What is it, Sauron? Why are you making this sad version of a surprised Pikachu face?? And to her back no less, where she can't even see you doing your obviously manipulative surprised sad faces😆

(Seriously, guys, he even does a small gasp here)

And Galadriel's next words:

"Because they could no longer distinguish me from the evil I was fighting"

...beyond being a hilarious irony (because, yk? said evil is standing right behind you, Gal), are supposed to clarify for those that didn't get it from his shocked face what exactly ran through Sauron's mind at that moment, that surprised him so much:

"We are alike".

Bingo. So there you have it. What made Sauron change his mind and follow Galadriel was not some masterplan where he decided that her quest to the Southlands would be very beneficial for him - but simply he recognised a kindred spirit and he felt he could understand what she was going through and empathised with her, decided to help her.

Bonus - after he just discovered for himself that they have much in common and apologised for killing her brother, she says:

"Your sorrow cannot ease my pain.

And nor will a hammer and tongs ease yours.

There is no peace to be found for you here.

And nor for me.

No lasting peace in any path, but that which lies across the sea.

I have fought for centuries to earn mine.

This is how you earn yours."

(even her words here are perfectly paralleled, casting them as mirrors of each other)

And after saying this she leaves. And he stays looking like this:

- which, again, no one is witnessing, except the empty smithy.

So, in conclusion, Sauron follows Galadriel because: a) he feels a sense of guilt towards her; b) he cannot ignore it because he understands her and he feels they are alike; c) a person he feels they have a lot in common with is sure that "there's no peace to be found for the likes of us here", so yes, it makes him first hesitate and then change his mind about staying in Numenor and living a simple ordinary life; d) while he did plan to just live as a simple smith in Numenor, it was never what he actually wanted for himself. His failures together with his guilt made him give up, but Galadriel gave him hope that he could be something more and do something good. And that was always his dream and his ambition.

I believe it's not before they came to Eregion and he heard about the mirthril and the Elves' plight that it all came to him how he could restart his previous plans that he had abandoned because of continuous failures (and Adar physically banishing him from existence).

PS: and no, it is not Galadriel's fault, because nothing she said here was wrong. Sauron stood on a crossroad and he had a real chance here - where he was wrong-footed and doubted all his previous beliefs - he had a chance to choose the right path. But instead he chose subjurgation of others (and I do not believe it was because of his nature as Dark, but because of his previous experiences, what they shaped him out to be). If anything, the one to blame is Adar with his untimely volcano show, because - who knows? - had they had more time, maybe Sauron could have found the right footing. Instead, before he could unlearn his worse life lessons and learn new better ones, he, sort of, came to the Tree of Knowledge in Eden.

[natsukishinomiyaswife]

Nighttime Pondering (Part One)

Hello ♡ I told my friend @offorestsongs that I would write the fluffiest thing I could think of, fluffy enough to make him fall in love with his favorite character all over again! I decided to write something not only for him, but for some of my other mutuals as well ♡ Please note that no pronouns are used for the Reader! Enjoy ♡

Featured characters: Rook, Ruggie, Jamil

Scenario Introduction:

He loves you, adores you more than anything in the world. He makes you feel safe, loved, and protected. On nights when he's busy, coming home to see your sleeping figure instantly brings him a sense of peace. His body relaxes, his mind clears, and his focus is entirely on you.

The peaceful look on your face, moonlight coming through the curtains illuminating your figure. The slow rise and fall of your chest, the sound of your breath breaking the silence of the night. He loves these moments more than anything, more than you'd ever know. So he lays there beside you, watching with adoration as his thoughts consume him, thinking just how lucky he was to have you ♡

Rook Hunt (@offorestsongs)

♡ Adoration, devotion ♡

He's careful as he enters the room, doing his best to leave you undisturbed. Like a hunter stalking his prey he's silent, quietly making his way to the bed. He changes slowly, putting on his pajamas while taking peaks of your face, looking over his shoulder with a smile.

Instead of joining you in bed, he walks over to your side, sitting on his knees on the floor. He gazes at your features fondly, gently moving stray pieces of hair from your face. You looked so relaxed, so serene, like a work of art come to life. His elbows rest on the bed as he leans closer, looking down at you in adoration. He could hardly believe he was yours, running his hand gently down your cheek. His thumb brushes against your features, as if he were tracing them, committing each one to memory.

If he wasn't careful, he'd spend the night staring at you rather than sleeping, something you've scolded him about in the past. He couldn't help it though, placing a hand on your chest to feel the gentle beat of your heart. It was calm under his palm, a beautiful beat that he adored, just as beautiful as you.

He takes a few minutes more savoring it, the sight of you only he gets to see, the heart that cares for him as much as it beats. Reluctantly he gets up, moving to the other side to get into bed. His arms circle your waist, legs tangling with yours as his face presses against your hair. His hand finds yours, fingers slotting together like a puzzle, like it was meant to be. He can smell your shampoo, the body wash you're fond of, a scent that's distinctly you. He savors it as his eyes close, already picturing what the morning would be like. Waking up to see you lying there, your eyes half lidded as you greeted him drowsily.

He couldn't wait to see it ♡

Ruggie Bucchi (@midnightmah07, @nicoliharu)

♡ Restless, too good to be true ♡

He enters the room with a yawn, exhausted after a long day's work. Working multiple jobs is never easy, the paychecks he'll get in return being his sole motivation. There was a sense of satisfaction that came with hard work, yet no matter how much money he made, it was never enough. It would never be enough, at least to him.

Not until he can give himself, his grandmother, the kids back home, and you... a better life. He looks toward where you were in bed, fast asleep in his worn sheets. It was hard to believe you fell for him at times, that you even loved him at all, hidden insecurities plaguing his mind.

He knew he wasn't the best boyfriend, unable to spoil you with gifts or fancy dates. He worked all the time in the hopes of making money, or took things whenever the opportunity arises. Yet, you stayed with him, even when he teased and stole your belongings, longing to catch your eye.

It made him feel restless, knowing you were too good to be true. That you were too good for him, far more valuable than anything he's ever had. How many people have you rejected, just to be with him? People who could shower you with love, with devotion and time. Yet here you were with a hyena from the slums, who couldn't give you the life you deserve...

He shakes the thought from his mind, refusing to let it linger. The important thing was that you chose him, him, out of everyone else. And while his money was limited, he gave you what he could, willing to share whatever he had. Finally he moved to join you in bed, taking a moment to make himself comfortable.

That was his love, his devotion, he gave it all to you. He turned to look at you more closely, grinning at the silly expression on your face. You were completely relaxed, deep in sleep without a care in the world. Wearing the comfortable pajamas you loved so much, your hair sticking up around your pillow. And yet you couldn't have looked more lovely to Ruggie, the hyena pulling you into his arms, pressing a kiss to your temple.

You were worth more than any amount of money, any treasure, anything he could ever own ♡

Jamil Viper (@crystallizsch, @anbaisai, @viperbunnies, @cheerleaderman, @0honeybones0, @fell-e)

♡ Indulgence, allowing himself to be selfish ♡

He enters the room with a sigh, letting the quiet of the night wash over him. He was glad to be alone now, or at least, with his thoughts, gazing at you from across the room. It was hard to make out your expression from where he stood, your face resting on one of the pillows scattered on his bed. You looked comfortable, curled up in the blankets as you slept peacefully.

Walking closer he realizes you're wearing one of his sweaters, his heart picking up at the sight. Though he would never say it, his clothes suited you, enjoying whenever you would wear something that was his. It was as if you were showing him off, like you were proud to be his, proud to be with a Viper.

He uses his magic to take down his hair, careful not to disturb you as he did his nightly routine. It was a shame he's been so busy recently, unable to do your hair like he used to. While he wouldn't do it often, he enjoyed the intimacy of it, using his hands to carefully put your hair up. Whether it be with a braid, or a bun, or a ponytail. Just being able to do something for you, something he could easily brush off if needed.

He constantly fought with his feelings for you, wanting to deny them and yet... longing to indulge himself, to be selfish just this once. But habits are hard to break, and while you were together, he still found himself pushing his feelings away, unable to fully give himself to you.

Just how long were you willing to put up with this? This dance he did, pulling you in while moving back, leaving you right where you were before. He walked over to where you lay, gazing down at you in his pajamas. If you were awake, you would see the conflict in his eyes, the longing he tried to mask.

You were his and yet... you weren't, were you? Not really, not until he let himself have this. Let himself have these feelings, this love he refused to call love, this longing he tried to push down. He rests his hand on your cheek, soaking in the softness of your features.

Here in the dark, while you rested unaware, he let's his feelings wash over him, the eyes of others no longer resting on his back. His affection, his adoration, his love and longing for you.

He stares at your face and he indulges, tracing your features, pressing a kiss to your brow. There was no one better suited for you than him, no one who could love you as much. So stay with him, won't you? Even when he pushes, and denies, and distances himself.

There is no one for him but you, no one he wants but you.

It will always be you ♡

I hope you enjoyed! ♡ I broke this up into parts since it was getting long lol ♡

Part two will have Jack (for @skriblee-ksk), Azul (for @oya-oya-okay), and Lilia (cause I had an idea for him lol ♡) There may also be a part three depending on how people enjoy this idea ♡

Thank you! ♡

[zomboivex]

My predictions for each character in TKDB (please don’t take this seriously I’m not here to debate I just want a pat on the back and oatmeal cookies, thanks).

Frostheim

Jin -he will never get full use of his stigma back and the more he uses it the emptier he feels on the inside. Whoops. Speed running depression out here. But he’ll at least get some motivation to ‘take over the institute’ and it will be his goal to work towards.

Tohma - he will locate the ‘spy’ and will learn that the spy isn’t actually what he was thinking it was. And also- he’s a spy as well. Why? Because he gives me major slimeball vibes. Like he’s actually looking for the ‘spy’ because he is a spy as well. And that spy is double crossing. Idk man. Why not?

Kaito - he is going to have a sort of King Arthur type arc. Where he realizes he’s ‘royalty’ and will replace Jin as ‘king’ (in the way future when Jin graduates or whatever). He’ll become less cowardly and gain confidence and strength. And learn that whatever his ‘useless’ stigma is actually quite useful. There’s a reason we haven’t seen it in action. Because we, the audience, would be able to tell that it’s actually very useful from a narrative standpoint but to the characters may seem useless.

Lucas - he’s going to find out that his brother was the ‘exchange’ for his wish. This will reveal to us that every ghoul who makes a wish exchanges something in turn (since they didn’t die- there was something else exchanged and I personally think it’s connected to their stigma usage). The more they use their stigma, the worse off they become with whatever it was they exchanged. But in Lucas’ case- his brother was exchanged so he doesn’t experience the negative effects directly.

Vagastrom

Alan - is going to find out whatever is going on with Dante and will regain some of his ‘self’ because brother he just needs a hug. But otherwise- he’s mostly just going to be pretty stable despite saying he is the least stable/safe to be around. Good for him.

Leo - is going to get demoted from vice-captain. Lose his friendship with Sho. And have a complete turnaround as a character and go through some sort of arc where we find out he’s not actually that big of an asshole. I have more thoughts on this but I want to really wait until the next chapter comes out because he’s been a lot less schemey from the Vagastrom chapter and maybe I thought of his character arc wrong originally so I need more screen time of him but I love him anyways.

Sho - he will think he has a one up on whatever his brother is asking him to do but he’s going to have circles run around him. His friendship with Leo will be damaged (but they’ll eventually make amends). Leo probably will get Sho out of whatever weird shit Hyde is dragging him into.

Jabberwock

Haru - is going to reveal what house he’s originally from (Sinostra) and that he changed houses to keep a closer eye on something. Especially after the clash. But ehhh I don’t really want to speculate too much on Haru. All I know is that Towa is enamored with him.

Towa - is going to watch the tree wither away and then attack Darkwick to ‘unite’ them so that the houses work together to stop him and it begins to grow again. He is NOT going to be revealed as the mermaid. But he’s definitely not fully human. I’m not going to speculate on what he is right now. But maybe he’s that fucking weird oracle thing at the beginning but ‘split’ off from it to try and take human shape. Idk fight me.

Ren - is going to find meaningful friendships and have a very basic but fulfilling story. We’ll watch him slowly start to become more involved in things on campus and actually care about the outcome of things. Also we’ll learn why he hates the ocean so much. My guess is that we’ll find out more whenever we find out more about the mermaid. Because bet he watched a family member die via mermaid attack.

Sinostra

Taiga - Taiga is going to be one of the ones we find out that the more a stigma is used, the more damage it causes to the user. It’s why his memory is so scuffed. He has anomalous dementia probably. I don’t know if I think his stigma lets him have ‘foresight’ because I think his is just letting him be lucky. And that includes some level of foresight but not in the way everyone thinks. He’s going to reveal to us that Hyde is a piece of shit. He does NOT like Hyde (and same, buddy. Same).

Romeo - we’ll learn more about Taiga through Romeo. And how he’s definitely changed. Romeo will also show us what Hyde is up to (as well as Sho). And probably will get himself into a can of worms. Rescue Romeo mission in the future. Taiga gonna go feral.

Ritsu - We’ll find out some shit about how his father helps hide whatever bullshit the institute is coming up with. Probably will reveal to him that his family (father ahem) isn’t as great as he once thought. Will become disillusioned. But he will want to then eventually reevaluate his goals and ‘right his father’s wrongs’.

Hotarubi

Subaru - Subaru is the spy. I’m joking. Maybe. I don’t trust him, though. But I think it would be wildly crazy and funny if he was actually the reason the Clash started. He has some pretty strong opinions that he does keep to himself. He’s scheming and plotting and we’re going to find out much more about him through Leo snooping. Because Leo has good instincts, I think. He’s right to not trust Subaru.

Haku - Haku is the ‘spy’ but not really. He’s a double agent type thing. Works close with Darkwick to try and get info from them by exchanging not as important info. After all- why keep Zenji a secret? Why not rat Subaru out? I think he keeps the real shit to himself but exposes fake things. Maybe. Who knows. He’s got beef with Tohma though and he also works with Rui but also keeps him on a sort of tight ‘watch’ because he has to because Obscuary is under tight observation to begin with. Idk. I don’t think he’s actually fully the spy. He doesn’t seem the type to me.

Zenji - he’s going to keep watching over his brother. And he definitely knows more than what he’s sharing but he’s an ally. There will be an arc where Darkwick finds out about him (Subaru ratted him out 💀💀💀) and then they will try to exorcise him but something will happen to where they decide not to. He’s ‘useful’ enough to keep around and he’s not malicious.

Obscuary

Ed - we’re gonna learn he can time travel and read minds and be OP. It’s why he acts the way he acts. Because he’s known these people in this loop for far too long and knows how it plays out and there’s nothing he can really do to stop it. So he’s just vibing with whatever happens and is just sorta fucking around with everyone. It’s also why he’s not as strong now because he’s still aging every time the loop resets. But we can’t see that actually happening because he’s a vampire so he doesn’t physically age.

Rui - is going to stay cursed and be very tragic. We’re gonna watch him wither into even more of a shell of a man. He’s going to become disillusioned about everything and just try to stay the same as he is but will fail utterly and horribly. But also whenever we get a beach day mission- he’s going to be the happiest. Also we’ll learn he was originally from like Ultio and helped to run the prisons pre-curse and pre-move to Obscuary. And that his curse made him completely change as a person due to now being the ‘monster’ he once held in prisons. I’m gonna be way off base with this. But whatever they do with him I’m ride or die for this bitch all the way.

Lyca - is going to discover Neros sold him out to the institute (for what reason who knows but hahahahaha) and he’s going to come to terms that he’s more anomaly/werewolf than human. And he’s going to be bitter for a while but will eventually overcome it and decide he’s fine how he is because he doesn’t need to be more or less of anything.

Mortkranken

Yuri - is going to dismantle Darkwick General and Frostheim with his bare hands. He’s gonna rip into them with his teeth. He’s going to shred them apart. He’s going to-!!! He will definitely be the one to find MC’s cure. He has to. Plus Mortkranken is the only house with a fucking secured anomaly under their belt. Everyone else has destroyed them.

Jiro - Will find out about his brother’s ghost. Will have memories return to him. He will be the one to tell us what happened with the clash probably (maybe not idk). But he’s going to also have a really bad episode where he goes into another coma. It will be sad hours. Zenji will be almost exorcised. But then MC will do something to help them both probably.

I dunno guys.

I’m throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks.

[bogor-o]

ok... but like OBSESSED with your mother au, like literally kicking my feet over here!

so excited for the rocky recovery, suffering and emotionally kicking narinder cause his ass is both mortal now and also... actually, thinking about it, where is narinder and mother's relationship at during the time they start becoming more lucid? or what did he think of their mental situation before being usurped? what the cat doing now with everything? genuinely so curious and invested rn

FIRST OFF SOBBING THANK UUU;; im always giddy hearing that ppl like my au oihtrgrtg

GOSH im still thinking abt what way i want to dig into it more art/writing wise BUT as far as where they started, narinder felt inconvenienced by the constant hesitation they would have doing anything until the crown had them calm enough to "listen to reason", and by that i mean playing to Mothers delusion of growing their family and inadvertently giving them the idea that it would be their family together

so as you can see, Mother has a very skewed idea of their and Narinders relationship here but narinder leaned into it just enough to keep them motivated not considering this would have consequences. so the fight is the first time Mother seems furious, but seems to calm down as soon as its over only because in their mind this is just a hiccup in a relationship :)

hes miserable for a while because hes stuck dealing with that and it feels like its own, but as mother starts bringing back his siblings and aym and baal to boot, is when things start turning for him and he does start to feel guilt but no idea how to remedy it and for a very very short time does he get to kind of enjoy the attention they give him.

but as mother is helping the former bishops, theyre starting to come to, because theyre being merciful and kind but slowly the anger seeps in watching them be happy. helping shamura is especially a big contributor because hearing the reasoning for everything happening made Mother feel sick.

when narinder finally makes an attempt to breach the subject of their mind is the breaking point for them, and once ovidia jumps out hes not ready to hear what they have to say.

and from that points its "you can stay, but you will stay away from me, that is the only warning i'll give you." and by then the guy already has feelings getting the cold shoulder is rough, not as rough and how ovidia is having to feel all their grief at once when they finally finally have a chance to

its a long road before theyre even on speaking terms, and a lot of it is narinder finding out who they are, as ovidia and not just as Mother. eventually they get there, after a LOOOOOOOT of things in between but i already went on a tangent here but this is like the rough of it eroihgterhr

[seaf00d-hater]

Art tip that I don't think is really a tip but is something you could try that I do: when I have to many ideas I would draw REALLY fast as if I were going to actually draw something then set it aside and draw another idea and leave it and come back to it later and little by little you can start to draw them all slowly or pick and choose what to focus on and finish.

By doing this your slowly accepting your unfinished work as it is, unfinished, and throwing your ideas on a canvas!

I like doing this because then when I come back to my wips and I get motivated to add something to them or just right out finish them because the ✨️vision✨️ appears in my head and the NEED to continue and finish said piece starts up again but at the same time i draw mostly on paper so I'm surrounded with my unfinished art which is how I am able to just take the paper and start drawing again

Its just food for thought tho if you want to try it go for it!

There’s genuinely always just WAYYY too many art ideas swirling around in my head and I feel bad because my energy limit is one artwork per day. Rn I’m thinking if I wanna draw more STP x COTL, STP comic, Old Faith comic, or Narinder being shorter than the Lamb being carried by them princess style and him hitting the Lamb’s chest in exasperation as he goes “I-it’s not like I like you or anything, dummy!” And Lamb is just chuckling at his antics and rubbing their face across his furry cheeks going like “You’re so cute when you’re flustered babygirl let me treat you right” GAHSHSDJSHSJSHSHAHAHHHHH kicks feet in the air and punches pillows

[platykool]

im back

[bacchuschucklefuck]

the never stop blowing up vhs is where cute twinks go to get harmed

[luck-of-the-drawings]

when i was in highschool one o my biggest coping mechanisms was drawing all the kids i hated getting killed and eaten and killed. and well. time is a slowly ascending spiral. you will find patterns.(i work as a blackjack dealer. gamblers are FASCINATING

[vaugarde]

in general i think im really tired of kirby antagonists that are like “ohhhh this is the main antagonist- actually they’re just being possessed and they’re not actually responsible for their actions at all”

[rrxindrops]

Bruuuh

[dibrujas]

Hi! Just doodled a new character. Her name's Oriana, and she's an old friend of Ceci's.

[She's saying "read my mind!" while flipping Ceci off in her thoughts. What a classic]

I like her vibe.

[autistic-shaiapouf]

What do you mean I have to get up and do the work if I wanna try to make money <- guy who has been doing work nonstop and needs to give it a fucking rest

[bunibelles]

The day I decide not to hold back on my art and draw with no fear is the day society progresses 🫶🏼

[maelancoli]

Writing Intimacy

i often see writers sharing a sentiment of struggling with writing kiss scenes which honestly bleeds into other portrayals of physical intimacy. i see it a lot in modernized styles of writing popularized by the recent trend in publishing to encourage short, choppy sentences and few adverbs, even less descriptive language. this makes intimacy come across awkward, like someone writing a script or clumsy recounting of events rather than a beautiful paragraph of human connection.

or just plane horniness. but hey, horny doesn't have to be mutually exclusive with poetic or sensual.

shallow example: they kissed desperately, tongues swirling and she moaned. it made her feel warm inside.

in depth example: she reached for the other woman slowly and with a small measure of uncertainty. the moment her fingers brushed the sharp, soft jaw of her companion, eliza's hesitance slid away. the first kiss was gentle when she finally closed the distance between them. she pressed her lips lightly to gabriella's in silent exploration. a tender question. gabriella answered by meeting her kiss with a firmer one of her own. eliza felt the woman's fingers curling into her umber hair, fingernails scraping along her scalp. everything inside eliza relaxed and the nervousness uncoiled from her gut. a warm buzz of energy sunk through her flesh down to the very core of her soul. this was right. this was always where she needed to be.

the first complaint i see regards discomfort in writing a kiss, feeling like one is intruding on the characters. the only way to get around this is to practice. anything that makes you uncomfortable in writing is something you should explore. writing is at its best when we are pushing the envelope of our own comfort zones. if it feels cringy, if it feels too intimate, too weird, too intrusive, good. do it anyway! try different styles, practice it, think about which parts of it make you balk the most and then explore that, dissect it and dive into getting comfortable with the portrayal of human connection.

of course the biggest part comes to not knowing what to say other than "they kissed" or, of course, the tried and true "their lips crashed and their tongues battled for dominance" 😐. so this is my best advice: think beyond the mouth. okay, we know their mouths are mashing. but what are their hands doing? are they touching one another's hair? are they scratching or gripping desperately at one another? are they gliding their hands along each other's body or are they wrapping their arms tightly to hold each other close? do they sigh? do they groan? do they relax? do they tense? are they comfortable with each other or giddy and uncertain? is it a relief, or is it bringing more questions? is it building tension or finally breaking it?

get descriptive with the emotions. how is it making the main character/pov holder feel? how are they carrying those emotions in their body? how do they feel the desire in their body? desire is not just felt below the belt. it's in the gut, it's in the chest, it's in the flushing of cheeks, the chills beneath the skin, the goosebumps over the surface of the flesh. everyone has different pleasure zones. a kiss might not always lead desire for overtly sexual touches. a kiss might lead to the desire for an embrace. a kiss might lead to the impulse to bite or lick at other areas. a kiss could awaken desire to be caressed or caress the neck, the shoulder, the back, the arms etc. describe that desire, show those impulses of pleasure and affection.

of course there is the tactile. what does the love interest taste like? what do they smell like? how do they kiss? rough and greedy? slow and sensual? explorative and hesitant? expertly or clumsily? how does it feel to be kissed by them? how does it feel to kiss them?

i.e. examine who these individuals are, what their motives and feelings are within that moment, who they are together, what it looks like when these two individuals come together. a kiss is not about the mouth. it's about opening the door to vulnerability and desire in one's entire body and soul.

[inkoutsidethelines]

Thinking about how I would write an adult Scooby-Doo series, because I think it can be done.

The first thing I’d do is make the characters actually be adults.  Still young, but adults, in the mid to late 20s range.  Mystery Inc. is a private detective type business that they run together.  In this universe, the supernatural/ghosts/etc are real, but not necessarily common, so when they take on a case, the culprit might be a person disguised as a monster, or it might actually be a real ghost.  The stakes can be higher; sometimes a bad guy is legitimately trying to kill them.  Sometimes the mystery they’re trying to solve is a murder.  Sometimes they actually get hurt on their cases.

Fred: the core of Fred’s character should be that he’s incredibly kind.  Like, give a stranger the shirt off his back kind.  The “Fred can’t talk to potential clients because he might take a case for free and we need to eat” kind.  He’s an honest and good person and sometimes gets himself into trouble because he assumes other people are too.  While he’s not very good at reading people or noticing ulterior motives, he’s brilliant when it comes to mechanical or engineering type stuff, so he’s the one who keeps the mystery machine running, builds their gadgets, and of course, designs the traps.

Daphne: she comes from old money, and her parents absolutely despise her life choices, to the point where they haven’t officially disowned her, but they have basically cut her off, so she doesn’t actually have access to any family money.  Growing up wealthy has granted her a variety of skills, including speaking multiple languages, horseback riding, and fencing.  She’s very into fashion and jewelry (even if she can’t afford it anymore) and has extensive knowledge of both that can occasionally provide a vital clue in a case. And even though her parents have cut her off, Daphne still has a wide network of contacts she can ask for favors sometimes, because she’s personable, and people tend to like her.  Daphne is also very emotionally intelligent, and is usually the one who can spot when someone is lying to them.

Side note - I ship Fred and Daphne, so I think I would start them off as an established couple for this universe.  Dating, engaged, married, I don’t care.  They are stupidly in love, ride or die for each other.  There’s no will they, won’t they, no worries about cheating.  They are in a healthy, happy, loving relationship, and no one (not even Daphne’s disapproving parents) are going to mess that up for them.

Velma: she is the forensics nerd who sometimes gets super excited about the wrong thing at the wrong time (”He was mummified in seconds? That’s so cool!” “Velma!  His wife is standing right there!” “Oh.  Sorry.”).  She’s not purposely insensitive, she just gets laser focused on her work and forgets to filter herself sometimes.  She’s also the one who can get so fixated on solving whatever mystery they’re working on, she’s willing to bend or maybe break laws.  Is breaking and entering really so bad?  Not if it gets them answers.

Shaggy: he is still the comic relief, but he’s the comic relief by being the only person in the group that actually has common sense.  He manages the business’s finances, he’s the only one who knows how to cook, and the others tease him for being a coward sometimes, but Shaggy maintains that if a ghost with an axe is coming for you, running is the only sensible option.  He should also have a range of random knowledge that sounds useless, but sometimes saves the day (ex ventriloquism, origami, the history of spoons, etc).

Scooby: as this is a universe where supernatural creatures exist, Scooby is an ancient eldritch type being that took a shine to Shaggy when he was a kid, and took the form of a talking dog to befriend and hang out with him.  Aside from the talking dog bit and not aging, he never uses his powers in a way that anyone notices.  The audience is not told upfront that Scooby is an ancient eldritch being; it should slowly be hinted at throughout the series so the audience put it together, but the characters never realize it.  Scooby genuinely considers Shaggy to be his best friend, and cares about the rest of the gang too.