#this chapter was really tricky which is why I think it took me so long

[immortalonus]

Face to Face Fanart Chapter 45 (P2)

It took a long while, but here's the long awaited page 2!

Thoughts under the cut.

So after months and months of art block, followed by a couple more months trying to solve said art block through the power of making more art, I finally managed to get this into a state I was reasonably happy with.

Historically, my works tend to be very stiff, and finding a way to adequately express that huge explosion in panel one took a long time--I really had to think around my own habits and predilections. In the end, it was worth it, as there's a lot more motion here than almost anything I think I've drawn before.

Panel two went much more quickly, if only because I had a solid year of thought and practice to help me out. I knew exactly what I wanted, it just took a while to do. Bones are attention hungry on a good day, especially finger bones. Technically, they're just rectangular prisms with attitude, but practically? Nailing all those curving planes and swells you need to make them look organic was a tricky. And don't get me started on teeth, which have all the same issues, but smaller.

In addition to the big bang of the portal incident, Danny, caught midway through his death and (partial) rejuvenation was something I really wanted to draw the reader's eye to as they looked through the piece. When I was reading this particular chapter of Face to Face, Danny's dialogue really stuck with me. You could tell that he absolutely didn't want to remember dying, and the fact that he did was a major facet in why he rejected his ghost half so much and for so long.

I wanted to visually emphasize the horror of the moment, to underscore why he might be compelled to do that, and how hard it must have been to hide the pain and terror from his family and friends.

So yeah, if you haven't read @dp-marvel94's Face to Face yet, you totally should. It's a labor of love, and a nearly complete, with only two chapters to go before the finale. If you like Fenton-Phantom friendships, Jack and Maddie as caring parents, and themes of self acceptance, I recommend giving this one a go.

[veryace-ficrecs]

could you do some heart pirate centric fics?

of course!! []~(￣▽￣)~*

Heart Pirates Centric Fic Recs

it takes every organ by Anonymous - Rated T

It really is hilarious that any pirate crew would use a submarine, rather than a ship. Who would want to go down, instead of having room to go up? Who would rather be below water, with nowhere to stretch one's wings, than be close to the skies? Law thinks about the twines of thorns on his back, the scaled feathers on Penguin's and Shachi's. None of them can even fly anyway, so fuck it. If they can't go up, they'll just go down instead. (Or: Law, the flightless pirate captain of a flightless pirate crew in a world where most everybody has wings, through the eyes of all those who matter.)

Reliving a Nightmare by PumpkinPieTimb - Rated T

Grand Line is where the infamous Devil Fruits come from. Fruits that can grant its eater a unique ability that can either be so stupid it would make you question why it even exists, or so overpowered that you'd think the user is a god. Speaking of Devil Fruit users with overpowered abilities, did you know that some can alter time? Or, in this case, a person's age? Because Penguin sure as hell didn't. It was wild, like any other thing in the Grand Line. It was unpredictable. Unknown. Unheard of. Hence, the lack of proper response. "This can't be happening," Shachi muttered in disbelief beside him. "This-- this is a dream. I'm dreaming, right? Someone pinch me-- fuck, punch me." He laughed hysterically.

Bioluminescent Hearts by Harmonica_Smile (Rescue_Remedy) - Rated T

"No bodies?" Blackbeard fumed. Doc Q and Stronger had bounced across rocky Winner Island when that bear had gone all Sulong and knocked them out. Van Augur's range for warping wasn't that great, and was tricky over open water. He could sharpshoot the skin of a hangnail, but the bear was fast. If he'd managed to get a shot in, they could've finished the Mink off, and pulled the shitty doctor from the water, taken his heart and returned triumphant. Once the horse had woken up. *contains spoilers for chapter 1081*

Visiting Home by Nehszriah - Rated M

Law wants to go back to Flevance to run some tests on the remaining Amber Lead, though the excursion turns into another sort of thing entirely.

on grandma's baking and also grand larceny by Chockyyyy - Rated T

Law always felt most in control standing at the head of a table, a map sprawled before him to guide each person into their place. He thrived on well-oiled machines and plans that ran bump-free. These kinds of things were good stress relievers for him and carrying them out was a good stress reliever for his crew. Simple logic. Thus: here he was. “The information we need is held inside a trapped and guarded office, but there's a massive banquet occurring that night that will give us a better shot with the lowered security. Several of you will be infiltrating the party, keeping an ear out, and if needed, providing distractions. What we’re after is classified to hell and back; as long as we get out, there's no way those nobles will admit it was stolen if that means they had it in the first place.” “Dibs on the dress!” Shachi called in the silence after Law’s spiel.

Forty-Two Superior Teeth by Harmonica_Smile (Rescue_Remedy) - Rated T

Law, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin: Kids growing into their dreams on Swallow Island.

echo by MuffinsInSummer - Rated G

the clock strikes midnight - it's October 7th, Law is drunk, he doesn't plan on celebrating his birthday until he sees the treasure chest that has the fruit he's been searching for so long. The Nagi Nagi no Mi. "Hey sorry it took so long. Just in time too." "This is..." (or in which I forget Law's birthday minutes after it hits midnight AGAIN in my country and I write this to make up for it. Sorry Law.)

[trappedinafantasy37]

I guess I'll start my Daedra questions with one I've been curious since the beginning (since I think about this stuff way too much). What build was Daedra originally? Like class level division, notable feats or fun things you did/memorable moments that never made it into the story? Did it change for the story?

Also, which Tav voice? I have big feelings about all of them :3

Lots of good questions @alicelufenia! This will be a bit of a long one.

I'll do the easiest question first, Voice 4.

Before I get into it, since many people don't know what Daedra looks like, here's some Daedra spam:

Daedra's build

Her split was 5/3/4 Gloomstalker Ranger / Assassin Rogue / War Cleric of Lolth. I picked this build because Gortash describes Durge as an assassin so I wanted to go a full stealth build which is where the Gloomstalker Assassin came in. I also knew from the beginning that I was going to have her be a cleric of Lolth, but it was more for roleplay rather than any mechanic. I picked war domain because war actually is one of Lolth's domains (with the other one being Trickery. And we know from Shadowheart just how absolutely atrocious Trickery domain is). I started Daedra as a Ranger and then took the cleric dip at level 2. Afterwards, I focused getting ranger and rogue to their desired levels before finishing off with cleric in Act 3.

Like I said, I picked cleric more for the roleplay aspect rather than the mechanics. So, I did not anticipate how much synergy there would be with war domain. With War Domain you get a war priest charge in which you get an extra attack for the turn. So, you can start the game off being able to do two attacks. And then once you get 3 Ranger, you get Dread Ambusher which gives you an extra attack at the beginning of the turn. So for the very first turn, you can attack three times. Once you get to 5 ranger, you get the Extra Attack like with the other martial classes. So on the very first turn, you can attack four times.

Daedra also had all the brain worms (there actually are enough worms in the game in which you can max out two characters). For feats, she had Sharpshooter and Ability improvement for Dex (with Auntie Ethel's boon she has max Dex at 20).

Gear: Frayed Drow Hood, Deathstalker Mantle, Spidersilk Armor, Craterflesh Gloves (I forgot to give her in the story), Disintegrating Night Walkers

Jewelry: Amulet of Bhaal (gave to Minthara in the story), Shifting Corpus Ring (gave to Shadowheart in the story), Eversight Ring (gave to Minthara in the story)

Weapons: Justiciar's Scimitar, Knife of the Undermountain King (gave to Minthara in the story), and the Deadshot

Lemme tell ya, this build is nasty. It got to the point where it felt like Daedra was soloing the game. There were some times where Daedra would kill everyone in the first turn (so Minthara and Shadowheart never even got a hit off) and this was in Tactician! If Daedra didn't end the fight, then Shadowheart and Minthara would. The only time things were really tricky was during the major boss fights. But, even on the major bosses, if I had Daedra focus on the boss alone, she could get them very low on HP in the first turn. Daedra absolutely humiliated Orin.

Story Cuts

Now, onto the things that never made it into the story. First, Wyll and Karlach. Yes, I did initially have it so that Wyll and Karlach were in the story. But, I realized when I actually starting writing that Wyll and Karlach would not let the grove raid stand, so they died in the grove raid which was really hard for me to do. I also thought it was just beautifully tragic that Minthara was the one to kill Karlach in just the worst and most painful way possible.

Second change, I had initially planned a chapter were the elves met Ethel and Araj in Act 3. The reason why I wanted to do it was to kind of show how Daedra is starting to indulge on her urges as she would have chosen to kill Lora (the mom) completely on her own without discussing it with Shadowheart and Minthara. I also wanted to have Minthara interact with Araj as House Baenre was the one responsible for the destruction of House Oblodra and I wanted to have this interaction in which Araj would ask Minthara if she was here to finish the job her house didn't. But, when it came time to actually write the chapter, I really didn't want to do it, so I didn't.

Third change, I had two chapters planned in which the elves would destroy the Foundry and then go kill Gortash. Later that night, Daedra and Minthara would sneak back into Wyrm's Rock so Minthara can sit on a dead man's throne and then fuck Daedra on it. But when I was thinking about it, I couldn't find any logical reason to do so other than "just because". Minthara had made an alliance with Gortash and wanted to keep it until it proved inconvenient. But, it never proved inconvenient so there was no reason for Minthara to turn on Gortash and destroy the Foundry.

Fourth change was Mizora. I actually did have three chapters in which Mizora would just randomly show up just to be a pain in the ass. Because Mizora is a little upset that she lost her "favorite little pet" and she knows Minthara is the reason why. So, Mizora shows up and basically tells Minthara, "if I can't play with my pet anymore, I will play with yours" and Mizora just starts tormenting Daedra. There was a moment where Mizora stole Daedra's old bow and snapped it in half (which was the reason why Daedra bought the Dead Shot in Chapter 38), another moment where Mizora actually threw Daedra off the bridge between Wyrm's Rock and the Lower City, and another moment in which Mizora not only revealed the locations of the elves and broke their stealth in the fight with Dolor in Chapter 39 but she was also the one who snitched to the Fist Guards and prompted the chase. I cut Mizora from the story because I really could not find a reason as to why she would be there without Wyll other than "just because".

Another thing that didn't make it into the story was Withers! But, this was not actually intentional. I just forgot to write him in there and when I realized he was missing I didn't feel like going back and writing him. You see, I already knew from the get-go that Bhaal was gonna murk Daedra (that was a very hard in stone decision I made very early on as I was always going to have it so that Minthara killed Orin). So the question of resurrection became very tricky for me to answer, and I almost didn't resurrect Daedra. And then I remembered, Lolth is right there. The next tricky question was determining whether or not Lolth is actually willing to resurrect someone, at least with their soul intact and not as puppets. But, from the lore I've read, Lolth would resurrect a drow if she had really good reason to.

I also had a One Shot planned called "Dread Ambusher" that was meant to take place during the events of Chapter 38: Old Acquaintances. At the end of that chapter, Daedra sneaks back into the mansion in the middle of the night and Minthara questions if Daedra killed someone. "Dread Ambusher" was meant to go over those events. In this one shot, Daedra actually does sneak out of the mansion with the intent to kill someone and she runs into Orin. And the two of them hunt together, and they both enjoy their time together. Daedra even begins to feel somewhat of a sibling bond with Orin and how nice it is to have someone around that doesn't look down on her for her urges or treat her like a child. And Daedra ends up killing someone that Minthara told her not to (the victim was a patriar and someone who most certainly would be noticed if they went missing) and Orin almost convinces Daedra to kill children. But, Daedra reigns back some self control and spares the kids, but she injures herself as a means of control. This is why she is limping when she returns to the mansion and its because she has a massive stab wound in her leg. The reason this was cut was because I had ended up finishing the entire fic before I got around to writing the one shot. So, when the publications in AO3 caught up to Chapter 38, I had lost the steam to write this one shot and could not find the willpower to do so. But, I do want to be clear, just because I did not write it does not mean it doesn't happen. The events that I had planned for this one shot all actually do happen that night and are canon to the story.

There were also a few more one shots that I had wanted to do but also ran out of steam. There was gonna be a one shot that took place immediately after Chapter 44: Parting Wisdom in which Jaheira would get all the elves high, because they needed that good self medication to help them get through their damn problems and stop all this "woe is me" nonsense. I thought it would have been really funny to write Minthara completely zooted out of her mind. Another one shot meant to take place after Chapter 44 that I called the "One Eyed Paladin" in which Minthara is training and learning how to fight again now that she only has one eye and her depth perception was off. During the training, Minthara gets extremely frustrated with herself and starts beating herself up in which Daedra actually calms her down and helps her.

This post probably had more detail than you were probably expecting, but I did want to talk about all the things that I almost did, but didn't do. Really good questions! Keep 'em coming folks!

[420technoblazeit]

Author's Note for Chapter 5 of Two Sides of Lonely

this was the chapter i was envisioning when i did my mockup of viktor and mel's room in the sims 4. in the actual chapter i have the folding screen between the bed and the dining table taken down but otherwise it's a pretty accurate one to one. expect the room to fill up to match the pictures as the fic progresses

the current state of viktor's body echoes the anomaly itself, simultaneously self-replicating and self-annihilating. as someone now intertwined with magic itself, i thought it'd be interesting to explore the ways the ways the arcane retreating from viktor's body could affect him instead of the clean break that a lot of writers tend to give him post canon

not sure how well the explanation in the fic landed, but basically the hexgates' flow of power comes from the reactor room near the bottom and upwards towards the top of the tower. in the scene where we see it being operated in season 1, a circle of runes is used in front of any traveling airships to teleport them. viktor's bracers function in the opposite way. the power comes directly from the hexcore in his chest (or as in the last chapter, mel) and moves through the user's body to activate the runes in the ground. it needs a destination, of course, which is why viktor secretly carved another circle of runes into his and mel's room before the heist happened

ionian magic tends to deal more with the elemental and spiritual sides of the arcane. the tricky part here is that the LoL official wiki lists runic magic as a combination of celestial and elemental magic, but hextech as elemental and spiritual magic. not sure if that is still canon considering the retcons and strong implication in the show that hextech is in fact rune magic. they seem to be trying very hard to skirt around the issue of what exactly the hexcrystals are, though in the original lore it came from magic scorpion beings. anyway. it doesn't really matter here, i'd say viktor still has a lot to learn from the books they stole given that hextech definitely uses some elemental magic

i know viktor canonically has a sweet tooth but there's something v amusing to me about him being one of the few people outside of noxus that can handle the spiciness of their cooking. i headcanon that noxian dishes are just as strong as their alcohol

mel was raised filthy rich. i think potentially her noble demeanor can come across as pretentious to those who don't know her. or to viktor, who is very very aware of their class differences right now. i think it also makes her stand out in a way she isn't aware of and might become dangerous in a place like noxus and viktor knows it. she's got crazy main character aura

i'm playing around with the mechanics of hextech a LOT in this chapter. there's not actually any solid precedence for hextech being reliant on the order of activation of runes, i'm just extrapolating from what we know about it and that specific scene of viktor running through rune combinations with the hexcore while jayce gets ready for his council meeting. i think it'd also explain why it took the two of them so long (over 7 years!) to find new applications for the hexcrystals. the idea of built in channels in the devices comes from what i've observed of the models for the atlas gauntlets, mercury hammer, and hexclaw. for further reference rewatch the scene in the progress day episode where jayce and viktor are demonstrating their new inventions to heimerdinger

viktor seems to flip flop constantly in his opinion of mel's family from her perspective. this is mostly because as a zaunite who left his home for better opportunities, he sees a lot of himself in her. and right now he really really hates himself. he feels envy towards her and resentment, partly because she was given so much more than him in life and partly because he can't really blame her for taking advantage of what was available to her. i think a lot about how viktor had to be aware to some extent of how hextech's invention had contributed to the growing class divide between piltover and zaun. to finally give back to his people only to destroy their minds under the influence of the arcane must eat him up inside

the jayvik scene physically pained me to write. sorry about the bait and switch and if you thought for a second that they were going to reunite in viktor's dream. i figured i should establish at some point how viktor found out that jayce was trapped in that rune and i thought it would hurt a lot more if he had willingly left it thinking that jayce would be able to leave too. i imagine it expended a lot of his magical energy to escape and this is probably why he has less of it now

songs for this chapter!

[liketheletter-l]

F H Q U V

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASK THIS IS SO EXCITING!!! OMG!!!

F: Share a snippet of one of your favorite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

hmmmmm. okay i really wanted to share something i HAVEN'T posted but i think i have to do the argument in scotch gambit chapter 2, so here's a snippet:

i spent like an entire month on this argument, making sure there was tension, tweaking the meanness level, etc etc. i'm a big fan of the way it all dovetails and i think the rhythm & pacing of the whole scene turned out really well. Also i love my donnie lines. he's probably my favorite character to write dialogue for

rest under the cut:

H: How would you describe your style?

OOOH i like this question a lot. i would say: very conversational. full of...Flavor. others have described my writing as like saturated which i think tracks. im pretty sure it would taste like sour candy

Q: How do you feel about collaborations?

LOVE THEM!!! SO MUCH FUN!!!

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and explain why you like them so much.

Okay im going to do fic writers that are not my friends (Yet 😏) bc that seems more fair (but please check out radish and rem and russ and dandy)

@magicalspacedragon (ao3)

god the fucking. The. i don't even have the words to express how much i love this author's writing it's (goes on to express in words) it's just so fucking VISCERAL and full to the brim with personality. This is the type of shit that makes me really THINK about the characters and their motivations and it makes me want to write self-indulgent thinkpieces and characters studies and i just AHAGRARUAGRHGERHGEUYGA';6'35PL63;.' im normal

2. @turtleinsoup (turtlesoupswimmer on ao3)

the lemonade leak is one of the best fics i've ever read dude. The pacing the fucking BUILDUP but i would honestly read this author's grocery lists. their style is So enriching to read it is like a treat for my brain. Literally countless times reading their work i've had to close my laptop and stare at a wall for ten minutes like How Did They Do That. i've been thinking nonstop about their reincarnation au "and again" so you should read that if you want to be really fucked up about twins

3. @stillateenageabomination (ao3)

This author ended my life with "eight long months" and then just kept resurrecting me and killing me again with their whumptober series. Holy fucking fuck. this person is REDEFINING the whump genre guys Literally doing angst like no other. Every fucking time i read a stillateenageabomination fic it moves into the apartment complex of my brain permanently. RENT FREE.

honorable mention: @i-logophile for writing "the glass pawn" one of my Favorite Fucking Fics of Ever. i hope you write many more things in the future because i will devour all of them ravenously holy fuck that fic is so good

V: If you could write the sequel/prequel to any fic out there NOT written by yourself, what would it be?

this is tricky because there are a lot of unfinished fics out there i would love to explore the rest of but wouldn't want to be like "well i'd write a sequel because THEY'RE NOT FINISHING IT FAST ENOUGH 🙄" cuz not only is that rude it would send me directly to Hypocrite Hell

Buuut in terms of fics that are like, well and truly finished, i would fucking love to see the aftermath of "skinning the children for a war drum" by @jumpinginmuddypuddles. this fucking fic is so good. The leo chapter exploded me and all the boys have such strong characterization and interesting backstories and i'd love to see them interact and learn to trust each other/become a family again🥺

---

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS ASK! SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO ANSWER ILY!!!

[spookyshipperfics]

The Finer Things (Case Fic Complete)

This fake/pretend relationship case fic topped off with some Diana angst is finally complete. I've neglected chapter updates on Tumblr, so here is my attempt to make up for that.

Find it: a03 / Fandom: The X-Files / Rating: Explicit

Part of the Do You Like Scary Movies? series

Tagging @today-in-fic

What is it About? Scully and Mulder are sent undercover onboard a luxury train to investigate the presence of a suspicious and undocumented train car. Playing a wealthy married couple is tricky, but they run into even bigger issues when an unwelcomed agent gets sent in for backup.

Sample from Chapter 5: The cocktail car was exactly how she left it. Crowded and loud. Mulder was now by the bar, chatting to what looked like a young couple.

“Hey, Chrissy,” Mulder announced when he spotted her. “This is Brad and Mike. They’re headed to Vegas on their honeymoon.”

Scully nodded to the couple and gave her congratulations. One good look at her, and Mulder’s brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”

“Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Of course.” His hand had already found hers and was leading her away. “I’ll catch up with you, fellas, later,” he called over his shoulder.

Scully scanned the room. There wasn’t really anywhere private to stand, which was probably why Mulder dragged her toward the designated dance area.

“I don’t dance,” she whined, even as her hands slipped over his shoulders and his found a home on her waist.

“We’ve danced before,” he countered. “Now, what’s wrong?”

She wanted to scream the name Diana, but their cover forced her to speak in riddles. “That woman… the new passenger we met—”

“Irina?”

She nodded. “I let her use our private bathroom.”

“That was nice of you.”

“Well, my niceness was rewarded with her jumping down my throat. She disagreed with the conclusion we reached last night, and she let me know.”

“I think she’s been drinking.”

She scoffed. “Why do you always make excuses for her?”

“I don’t always make excuses for her. I just met her.” He emphasized the last sentence to subtly remind her they were undercover in a packed room of people.

Scully took a step closer. “She’s rude.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know it doesn’t mean as much coming from me, but she shouldn’t have confronted you like that.”

“I think she’s interested in you.” The statement came out before she could stop it.

“Too bad I’m married.”

Butterflies started in her stomach. Their wings were weighed down by envy and uncertainty. It was like Arcadia all over again. “She wants to sleep with you.” Scully tried to say it clear and detached, but the quiver of her lip betrayed her.

Mulder grabbed her chin, tilting her head until their eyes locked. “I’m not interested in her.”

“She’s your type… was your type.”

He scoffed, the hand on her face dropping back to her waist. “If you think I’m still interested in her, then you haven’t been paying attention.”

Her mind sifted through recent memories. The kiss that never happened in his hallway. Mulder’s love confession in a hospital room. His needy behavior on Christmas Eve. She’d wanted him for so long, and for the first time, she allowed herself to believe that he wanted her the same way. That maybe Diana was the push she needed instead of the obstacle she initially saw her as.

“I wouldn’t know,” she responded. “We don’t usually talk about stuff like that.”

“Maybe we should start,” he challenged. “I meant what I said before. You look beautiful.” The statement was oozing with the same sincerity as earlier. Scully couldn’t help but drop her gaze.

“Thank you,” she said after a moment.

“It’s just so different than how I normally see you.”

She peered up. “Is that bad?”

“No. I wish I could see you like this more. Surrounded by the finer things in life. Dressed up. Dancing. Sitting across from me at fancy dinners.”

“I didn’t realize you liked those types of activities?”

“I like doing them with you.”

Her cheeks burned with the declaration. She took another step closer. There was no space between their bodies, and Mulder’s hands lowered on her waist, fingers hovering just above the curve of her butt. “That’s what certified besties are for,” she remarked.

He froze in place, their poor attempt at dancing coming to a sudden halt. “That’s the thing,” he said. “I don’t just want you as a best friend.”

Her heart pounded with anticipation. “How else do you want me then?”

“Like this,” he uttered as he leaned forward.

She knew a kiss was coming but still couldn’t prepare herself for how it felt. For the electric feeling of Mulder’s warm mouth on hers. For the way one of his hands threaded through her hair and tugged her impossibly closer. This was what she wanted to do in Arcadia. Hell, this was what she wanted to do since she’d shook his hand six years ago. The arousal between her legs was proof.

She reluctantly pulled back only because what she desired to do next couldn’t take place in the middle of the cocktail car. “I’m suddenly feeling like going back to the room.”

Mulder’s lips quirked into a smile. “Funny you say that. I was just thinking the same thing,” he said as he interlaced his fingers with hers.

Find the rest on a03

[quarterqueens]

How painful/difficult was it to write L’s godawful fic in Stay?

ghfgijf ok so it was actually incredibly difficult but possibly not in the way it might seem. those passages took me nearly twice as long to write as the entire remainder of the chapter.

my concept(tm) with those passages was that they had to be objectively bad but also something that could realistically be popular in-universe & which L could realistically think was good. also they had to be tolerable for irl readers to read.

imo. L's whole thing is he's got no idea how to string a functional sentence together and doesn't really know how irl sex works, but he's got a fairly good sense of what feels emotionally resonant and does not pull punches, especially re: trauma. (also light is completely missing the point with L's sex scenes -- like they're not great works of art and L is genuinely a bit confused about certain mechanics of irl sex, but he's not trying to be realistic, he's trying to write ungodly horny hentai tropes. so that's why people in-universe like them.)

from a meta perspective, they also had to be pleasant for the actual real-life readers of stay. to do that i kind of used fairy tale styles and in particular hans christian anderson to structure the prose -- like that particular way of chunking dialogue & exposition was designed to sound simple and off-the-cuff, so imo it's a good basis for making 'bad' writing that's nonetheless enjoyable to read. it's incredibly tricky to write & requires an ungodly amount of editing but it sounds like you just tossed it thoughtlessly off the top of your head, which in-universe is what L is doing.

ANYWAY all this just to say. it was incredibly fun but also incredibly difficult and i have every intention of writing more of it. sorry this was possibly a more in depth answer than you wanted fgkhfgh. also as a rule i don't write actual porn in public BUT i did write some of the sfw bits while waiting for a bus & i was literally terrified someone would look over my shoulder and see me creating that fghjfg.

[quietbooklion]

Thoughts on: Toichiro

Alrighty, folks. We're finally here at the Twilight Faction! Took me a while to finish the Common Story and Toichiro's story since I was busy with IRL stuff but here I am now finally talking about this lovable trickster.

Given that it's been a good while since I've last read any of the Twilight Faction stories, I had a vague remembrance of what Toichiro's story was about but re-reading it this last week not only helped me remember what his story was about, it also made me remember why I liked him so much.

*This review will contain spoilers, you have been warned*

Toichiro lives up to being a kitsune: He can be deceptive, teasing, and tricky. But he's also kind, caring, and has a deep sense of determination. It's easy to think he's some kind of trickster, which he is, don't get me wrong. But he's a guy who not only wants what's best for his clan, but for those closest to him, in both the Kitsune village and the Capital. Not to mention this dude has no sense of frugality in him and enjoys spending his money on fancy stuff. To which I say: pop off, king.

He's a man who says it as it is and I like that bluntness about him. He's not afraid to voice his opinions and though they can border on being a bit mean, there's still some truth to what he says. And I enjoyed it when Futaba or any of the other guys challenge him on his views. Not only that, but Toichirio shows great growth from realizing that it's OK to ask for help, to rely on others all while still accomplishing his goal of being the next leader.

To add to this, I think he has the greatest sense of conviction out of everyone in the game (sorry Ginnojo). When you get around to reading the part where he and Futaba are in the Kitsune village after the Senkitai attacked them, its there where his true ideals shine. And I loved every minute of this! Toichiro swallows his pride and tells Futaba that he wants to support the people who had helped him in the past. He doesn't want to be the leader for selfish reasons but for something good. He's willing to move heaven and earth for it. He isn't going to let anyone or anything stop him for showing just how thankful he is to those who supported him. This man truly know what it means to be humble. I love this sly, sexy fox.

Unfortunately, there is one thing that I really didn't like. His ending kind of disappointed me. It wasn't an egregious ending as I did still like it. But I wished things would've turned out differently because in all honesty, his ending was anticlimactic. Basically, Futaba finally helps awaken Toichiro's ninth tail and he was able to use the full power of the Kyubi and drive back the Senkitai. You would think that it solves his story arc right? Kind of??? And this is where my disappointment shows because not long after this, his ninth tail disappears and he's back to living in the capital. Like, really? All that effort into helping him get his ninth tail and it just disappears in the next chapter??? I understand it was so he could stay in the Capital and be with Futaba but I wish it felt more satisfying. I was still satisfied with the story overall, but I wished it ended slightly different.

Even with a somewhat lackluster ending, I still think that Toichiro's route was great. Near perfection. Now I'm looking forward to reading the event stories he's in to get more lore. Overall, a great character and a great story.

4/5 stars.

[magpiefngrl]

whats the easiest thing you find to write and the hardest? And why do you think that is? e.g dialogue, action, description, flashbacks, letters, chapter titles (LOL), smut, etc?

Hello!

Chapter titles LOL! They can be hard, right? I only ever used chapter titles in 9 ½ Days and they were locations, but I'm actually using them in my original romance. They're not super imaginative or whatever, but my instinct says to come up with a title for each chapter, and so that's what I do.

OK so easiest things for me to write:

--dialogue. Idk if "easy" is the right word, because I do spend a ginormous amount of time revising it. It's A. a very important aspect of writing for me, B. something I always notice in other stories whether good or bad, and C. I'm pretty pleased with my dialogue in many fics and I consider it a strength of mine. So, Idk if I it's an easy thing for me to write, or simply something I care a lot about and so I don't mind the effort required to get it right.

--descriptions. I enjoy writing descriptions and making a setting evocative and vivid. I often see people on tumblr say that they struggle with them, but for me it was never an issue. Idk why this is an easy thing for me. Possibly because when I went backpacking a long time ago, I'd write regular emails to a list of friends and I'd have to describe where I was? (it was before social media, so no insta or facebook with the uploading of images to show what a destination looked like. No cheating. I had to rely on words.) Perhaps that was good training. I was away for months. I also love creating atmosphere and mood in my stories, and descriptions are a way to do that. I enjoy them--maybe it's as simple as that.

Hardest things for me to write:

--plot. Ugh. UGH. U G H . I'm mostly a pantser, I discover the story as I write, which is often a joy (I was so surprised at how some of my stories developed), but it's also, very often, a nightmare. I think I'm getting better at coming up with plot, but it's not something I do easily.

--exposition. I do wonder: does anyone find this easy? Exposition is such a fkn nightmare. There's zero joy in this lol. Figuring out how to let the reader know necessary information in an organic way, at the moment they need it, without overwhelming them with details or underwhelming them so they're lost, and to make it as seamless and invisible as possible: this is so fkn hard. And it's something fanfic doesn't really prepare one for, so I've no skill for it.

Hard but enjoyable challenges:

--voice. When I get the right voice for a story, the words flow. That isn't particularly hard. The hard part is coming up with it. Figuring it out. Involves a lot of trial and error.

--the relationship progression. 9 ½ Days took forever to write, precisely because it required taking two people who hated each other in chapter one and gradually, organically, slowly but not too slowly because I wasn't planning to write 200k, making them fall in love. It's tricky. I've read publ. romances where this falls flat. Either they get together too quickly or too slowly or too abruptly. One day they're at each other's throats, the next they're in love, and you feel you missed a step or a chapter or something. In fandom, many fics often begin with the two characters already in love with each other, but that means the most significant part of the romance has happened off page. It's not something I'm interested in writing. I mainly write romance these days, so nailing a good relationship progression is my main challenge, but one that interests me.

Thanks for the ask!

ask me about writing

[darlingpoppet]

Fic wrap-up 2023

Words published: 87,832 according to the AO3 stats… the first two chapters of WTDF were actually published last year but I guess since I also published some stuff not on AO3 yet it mostly makes up for it haha

3 fanfics with the most kudos in 2023:

1. Closest To My Heart (156)

2. Where The Dead Forget (137)

3. Flourishing Into Greatness (119)

(As of 12/29)

Your first fanfic in 2023:

I published WTDF Ch 3 in January, but the first new fic I started & finished in 2023 was LoveSick Arrows (wrote in Feb, submitted in March, published in May)

Your last fanfic in 2023:

WTDF Ch 6! Maybe not as far along as I originally envisioned but progress is progress! I’m doing my best uwu

Favorite opening line from a fic in 2023:

Zagreus stumbles upon the glade where Patroclus resides, and not for the first time, the sight of him makes his breath hitch a little. From chapter 2 of Closest To My Heart

I feel like I’m much better at writing endings than beginnings so answering this one was a bit tricky for me… I suppose I like this one best because it set the tone right away & has me asking questions about it (why does spotting Patroclus make Zagreus’ breath hitch? Why isn’t it the first time??) I also really like the ending to this chapter too but uhhh it’s kind of a bummer lmao

Favorite closing line from a fic in 2023:

At last. Everything will now be as it once was. From Closest To My Heart

I love it for all the layers of context that makes it hit harder, the contrast with a passage saying the opposite in the previous chapter, etc

My other favorite closing line is the one from LoveSick Arrows, which simply goes: “The pleasure is all mine,” he answers. But it doesn’t really have much impact out of context… you also need the question asked at the beginning of the scene & everything in between but it’s too long for purposes of this meme lol

Oh and since I mentioned it earlier, here’s also the ending to Closest To My Heart Ch 2: It is only when he spots a golden spear among the collection that his body catches up with the rest of him, and he vomits, suddenly and violently onto the ground before it, like a libation poured onto a sacred altar.

Fic I’m most proud of in 2023:

I’ve been saying all year that Closest To My Heart is the one I’m most proud of because I was totally ~in the zone~ the entire time I was writing it and it came out exactly the way I envisioned it, so I can say it’s the fic from 2023 I can look back on as representative of where my writing abilities were this year (like Upon A Lazy Bed was for 2022)

BUT when I really think about it I’m also super proud of myself for working so hard on Where The Dead Forget this year! It’s going gradually and seems to get longer the more I work on it but I spent a TON of time thinking about it, writing, taking notes, and doing my best to tell a long form narrative for the first time ever and I’m super proud of myself for simply attempting a challenge like this. I had to overcome a really nasty month-long case of writer’s block in order to finish chapter 4 which was AGONY since it still took another three months after that to finally complete… so overcoming all that felt SO good and I feel like if I could overcome that I can overcome anything. I said from the beginning that I don’t think it’ll reinvent the wheel or anything with this story, but I’m enjoying the process of telling a version of these tropes and myths.

[otakween]

I'm Standing on a Million Lives - Volume 15

I'm impressed that this series has made it this far. Literally no one talks about it, but there are much dumber things being published, so I guess it deserves its spot. It's definitely a mixed bag of highs and lows, but I'm mostly enjoying the ride. Still have no clue how many volumes there's going to be. No end in sight yet.

Ch. 70

Iu is goin badass mode and I'm loving it. Kinda giving Joan of Arc vibes.

The disconnect between Iu casually chopping off someone's fingers in one panel and then freaking out because she killed someone in the next was pretty wacky. Like...girl...what did you think was going to happen? Either way, I guess she got over the shock pretty quick because by the end of the chapter she's just slaughtering everyone lol.

It's kind of surprising that it took the characters this long to be worshipped for their immortality/resurrection ability. Then again, I guess living long isn't as rare in this world since there are sorcerers and dragon bishops and what not.

Ch. 71

This chapter was 100% fantasy politics. It was a struggle reading through all those silly made up names, but there were some interesting nuggets here and there.

We're jumping from one hot button to the next, first was human trafficking as seen in...many places, and next was attacks on journalistic freedom which the characters compare to recent events in Hong Kong.

I hope they give the new girl more to do than be a genki background character. She's on the cover after all! I will say her singing Immigrant Song was pretty hilarious. Certified Shrek moment.

It's kinda funny how this world/game uses community service as its goal. It's not like a twisted death game where you have to kill the other players you just have to...contribute to society lol. I guess that's what makes it interesting because the challenges take a lot more brain/strategy than a death game or RPG-style game might.

Ch. 72

Eh, this chapter was kinda messy. Overall I enjoyed it, but why did they have to bring in a damn awkward narrator every two seconds!? The mangaka does this occasionally and it drives me nuts. This story does not need a narrator and it definitely doesn't need one spelling out exactly what's going on to the reader! It took me out of the story every time. :(

I did like Iu's internal struggle and her analysis of the tricky spot she's been put in. As I've said before, this mangaka is skilled at explaining difficult concepts (politics, sociology, war strategy etc.)

Thank God they sent Glen to help Iu and not Yusuke. This way it's a child asking an adult for help and not a "dumb" woman needing a man. Also, Iu needed Glen because she's emotionally intelligent (unlike Yusuke) and was good at calming her down and validating her choice.

Ch. 73

Okay, I kinda struggled to stay awake reading this one, it was a pretty boring info dump about the politics of the area Yusuke's in and how neither side is great.

Changing someone's entire political trajectory with one song? What is this, an idol anime!? (That scene was stupid lol)

The concept of force feeding someone monster meat to turn them into a berserker is pretty chilling. Fantasy human trafficking is even more brutal than irl trafficking I guess.

I continue to really dislike the made up names of this world. In this chapter it was the Sotaga vs. the Faida. IDK why but they just don't sound like real names to me, my brain rejects them. (IDK what magic makes some made up names sound good and others sound like you threw Scrabble letters at the wall...)

Ch. 74

This chapter was all about berserkers and how they relate to all of the ongoing storylines. I find this kind of fantasy slavery pretty interesting. Instead of IRL slavery where slaves were/are used for work, they're transformed into mindless weapons. Very dark, but I could see this kind of exploitation happening if monsters were real.

Of course the main big bad, president dude is wearing a turban...as this whole arc is a thinly veiled reference to extremists in the middle east. (Just feels weird to make this fantasy world so similar to the real world).

Some pretty brutal kills in this chapter, especially Ling getting curb stomped. I do enjoy that most of the gore is stake-less so it can get extreme like that. (Well I say "gore" but the player character deaths are actually bloodless).

Damn, dat fanservice at the end there. Overall this series hasn't been that fanservicey so it feels a little weird when it's tossed in like that. The art was decent, so I ain't mad.

The over-the-top evil all around (including Yotsuya's sociopathy) is a little eye-roll worthy. Verging into cringey edgy territory a bit.

[amber-dragonfly]

Wait I just read the recent chapter….and I feel like the reason link laughed is he was in kobb’s position once with going to the bathroom in rito village.

Now it makes you think…how does each race in hyrule do hygiene like bathrooms or just daily hygiene?

For monsters it seems they rather do business in a bush, and daily hygiene varies depending on the monster’s race or subspecies (like elemental users)

Like: does rezek ever wash it and ashen’s cloak/robes? Same goes for sledge, kobb and their hinox friend’s loin cloths like do they wash them? Does zayl need to sunbathe to helps it’s camouflage ability or empty out/fill up its ‘spit’ pouch (how I imagine lizalfos can spit out of water)

Or for not main cast: lynels take a hour or 2 to groom their horse lower half’s and not to mention their manes

Of corse zora, rito and gorons must have special hygiene needs too, because for gerudo and hylian and sheikah (and yiga) hygiene is the same bathrooms or showering, washing clothes, etc.

The way I see it is that because monsters seem to have a more nomadic lifestyle based on their camps of BoTW/ToTK, they'd have a policy of "we don't know how long we're gonna be here, so do your business far from camp".

Honestly I've kinda been leaving out general daily habits/hygiene of the monsters because I know it'd probably be a snoozefest for most people, and it's one of those "assume they're maintaining basic hygiene" moments of writing a world, much like you don't have to write when characters take a piss because it's just assumed they find time to in-between scenes. It's like how it took me 57 chapters to mention Kobb going to the bathroom and I only really did it for a funny little gag lmao.

But anyways here's my lore-thoughts on it because now I'm in worldbuilding brainrot:

Bokoblins/Moblins/Hinoxes are similar to boars' tusks in that their large front teeth are constantly growing and they need to either file them down or have a diet that involves grinding down the teeth enough. Also like pigs/boars they're very sanitary and quite hygienic - even while under the Malice. However, because they have the ability to sweat unlike pigs they have much higher stamina akin to the human Hylians and don't need to rely on the classic mudbath to cool down. Although in lieu of a river to wash in, they may resort to sand or fine dirt which would also help keep away ticks since they're seldom fully clothed.

Lizalfos have a sort of "hydration sack" in their bodies that's connected from a hole under their tongue down to their stomach. So when they spit they're essentially spewing stored-up water mixed with stomach acid - which is why it hurts Link when he gets hit by it. It also acts as a reserve water supply that they can use to cool their body down when it gets too hot - basically a cold-blooded creature brute-forcing a sweating system which makes Lizalfos much hardier than ordinary reptiles. Their camo system is also just similar to chameleons except because they're a sentient species they're aware they can use it to blend in - unlike chameleons who just use it to convey mood.

Wizzrobe are tricky for this, due to being magical beings rather than biological, but how I imagine it is that if a Wizzrobe doesn't wash their robe out for long enough, they begin to have a lingering smell of their specific branch of magic. Like Rezek's cloak, for instance, would smell like ozone. While an Ice Wizzrobe would smell of an earthy frost, and a Fire Wizzrobe like smoldering charcoal.

And honestly the reason Lynel's haven't taken over all of Hyrule is because they keep getting their manes matted kjhlasdfjh

Honestly this is a great exercise to think about when I eventually get into post-BoTW because it'll be really interesting writing about how all the monster races navigate having to re-learn all this daily maintenance that the Malice would just do for them.

Also Rito probably take dust baths now that I think about it...

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

1)What is your most popular fic? Well, that's tricky, because I post on both ao3 and ff.net and there are wildly different results, and some are much longer than others. On ao3 it's To Love is to Hurt and on ff.net it's The Tauri: Fall (Our Mutual Destruction) which I'm working to get on ao3.

2)What is the fanfic you wish you got more response on? Most are a work in progress and aren't far yet and I understand that Sanctuary and/or darker themes aren't for everyone. Though probably Bird Cage.

3)What's a fic idea that you have and haven't written yet? Just one? (I have a lot) My original SG-1 story idea. A twist on the 'they lost Carter on a planet and she has a baby' trope.

4)Do you prefer writing multi-chapter or oneshot fanfictions? I've been having a lot of fun with oneshots lately, but definitely multi-chapter.

5)What rating do most your fics fall under? Teen and up. Just to be safe, though I've noticed it also gains more attention than general.

6)Have you written any fanfictions featuring OCs? If so, elaborate! Well, I've written Sam/Jack having a child, but Grace doesn't exactly seem like an OC. Come Now, Little One features an OC that is Sam's childhood friend, complete with wings. My Fantastic Beasts stories also feature OC Newt/Tina babies.

7)What's a troupe you love to write? I think this means trope? Um... hurt/comfort I guess, because I don't think I've really done any...

8)What kind of document do you use to you write? Microsoft Word? Google Docs? Straight in the AO3 text box? Just plain old WordPad that comes on the computer.

9)What’s your favorite line(s) or scene(s) that you have written? I don't remember specifically! I am fond of a lot of my unpublished story the Abnormal X-File, though. I also have a particular fondness for First Night and Pretending two very different stories that took me out of my comfort zones.

10)What are your top five fics by kudos or by reads? by kudos Two Kinds of Sparks , I Drive Your Truck , Mind Over Matter , Hooded , Bird Cage (Sparks and Hooded are Tumblr stories)

11)How many words do you have on AO3 (if you use that platform) 206, 713

12)Do you respond to comments, why or why not? Always. Because I want the readers to know I appreciate their feedback and I love it when an author responds to me.

13)Have you ever received hate on a fic? Yes. On ff.net my story Laundry Day (link is to ao3) prompted someone to tell me they were thanking me for making them look into finding out if they could block all further stories from only me because it was not the content they wanted to read.

14)Have you ever co-written a fic? No. But I would be interested in doing so with an author I've interacted with well on both their stories and mine.

15)Are there words, phrases, mannerisms or scenes you tend to use a lot? I like forehead/brow kisses a lot, because they convey emotion and can be used platonically. There are a lot more, but I can't think of the rest. :(

16)How long is your longest fic? Currently? 21 chapters.

17)Are there any writers and/of stories that you consider an influence? I'm new to the fanfic writer's community. But plenty of them. Sometimes their view point helps me understand a character.

18)Recommend someone else fic! (And tag them if they have a tumblr!) My tag list would be a mile long if I did everyone I want. Pretty much every writer I follow, but special shout-outs to @amphytrionwrites , @tinknevertalks , @galactic-pirates , and samsg1 on ao3 because they've written multiple favorites. :)

19)For the readers: send in your favorite fanfic, scene, title, phrase, etc. by the person who reblogged this!

(Yet Another) Fanfic Writer Ask Game!

What is your most popular fic?

What fanfic do you wish you got more response on?

What’s a fic idea that you have but haven’t written yet?

Do you prefer writing multi-chapter or oneshot fanfictions?

What rating do most of your fics fall under?

Have you written any fanfictions featuring OCs? If so, elaborate!

What’s a troupe you love to write?

What kind of document do you use to you write? Microsoft Word? Google Docs? Straight in the AO3 text box?

What’s your favorite line(s) or scene(s) that you have written?

What are your top five fics by kudos or by reads

How many words do you have on AO3 (if you use that platform)

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Have you ever co-written a fic?

Are there words, phrases, mannerisms or scenes you tend to use a lot?

How long is your longest fic?

Are there any writers and/of stories that you consider an influence?

Recommend someone else fic! (And tag them if they have a tumblr!)

For the readers: send in your favorite fanfic, scene, title, phrase, etc. by the person who reblogged this!

[darkx-the-dragon-kn1ght]

Chapter 43- Part 11

Ah heck, there it is! HERE COME THE FACADES!

Yeah…it's probably got Guts too. That's also something I tried to do too, only against Shade and with far less success.

Alright, unless Swellow knows a Fighting-type move, Wulfrum should have an easier time killing with Rock Slide.

Wha-!? Oh no, what's he sending out now-?

AH HECK IT'S THE PORYGON AGAIN, I GOTTA HEAL CRATER, GO GO GO-

Amnesia time! Let's see how much damage Porygon-Z does now!

I am never getting rid of this Quick Claw-

It still did more than half!? No, wait, maybe if I get her back to full HP, it'll be better.

WHERE ARE ALL THESE CRITS COMING FROM!?!

Uuuh…Jack?

No Jack.

Okay, I really need a better strategy against Porygon-Z, it's like…the one consistent roadblock for me in this fight. Noel, why are you making it so I'm annoyed with Porygon-Z, I'm supposed to appreciate Porygon! 

Well…looking in my box and at Poly, I remember completely how Download actually works now- it raises Attack or Sp. Attack based on which defense stat is lower for the opponent, which explains why it raised Attack against Bloom. 

At any rate…Noel's team isn't really based around the Field at all, is it? I mean, it kinda is- Cinccino with Bullet Seed, Sap Sipper Girafarig, Hidden Power Fire(s)...but compared to the other Gym Leaders so far, the benefits he gets from the Field seem kinda incidental. I'm not saying that as a bad thing, Noel's usual Gym arena was back at the Orphanage, of course his team wouldn't be built around Grassy Terrain, it makes total sense in hindsight. Not to mention all of them so far seem very competitively viable- and like, all the big boss Trainers so far have been, but like Noel takes that to a whole new level. 

Let me think…Ame said each member of Noel's team does only one thing. So those things appear to be…

Cinccino: Skill Link + King's Rock 

Bewear: Strong physical attacker?

Girafarig: Strong special attacker?

Swellow: Flame Orb + Facade (and maybe Guts)

Porygon-Z: Definitely a special sweeper 

Clefable: Clefable 

I have answers for most of these, but it's still the Porygon-Z that bothers me…what can I do? Could I…use a Dark-type for Psychic immunity? Actually, Karma would be good for that and Tri Attack immunity, and if I invest enough into his Sp. Defense he might even be able to live Hidden Power. Obsidian can be immune to Psychic too and resist Hidden Power while getting a damage boost from the Field, and I could switch her Ability to Flash Fire for extra immunity and firepower…but then again, Crystal has Light Screen still, which can just reduce the overall damage output outright, and he'll benefit from the conveniently-timed hail too…

Wait, no- I've got it! The perfect and most reliable way to take down Porygon-Z…

Frost and Mirror Coat! And if I give her the Focus Sash, she'll be guaranteed to live a special move, then send that damage doubled right back to Porygon-Z, and it should be enough to kill! 

Now- I guess I technically don't need to level up Frost for this plan, buuuut I'm gonna do it anyways because I think she deserves it.

Also uuuuh- prepping for the next round of Noel took so long I went to sleep, and I came back to Tanzan Cove the next day and it's no longer snowing-

Just goes to show the weather patterns of Chrysolia are as consistent as they are here in the Midwest I guess.

Actually, if it's raining now…maybe Wulfrum can handle Girafarig now, with some healing. I guess this means Crater can be the one I swap out for Frost.

Still not sure I like using up a Focus Sash like this, but…items are meant to be used, and this seems like a good place to use it, so…

Now, with those preparations out of the way…let's make this attempt the final one. Here we go!

Swellow early this time? Alright, this is gonna get tricky, but…I think I know what to do. First, let's switch to Glare.

Not only for the Intimidate, but also…to paralyze it. That'll prevent the Flame Orb from going off, and while it'll still give a boost to Facade, Swellow will also be slowed down and have a chance to be stunned, both of which are much better for our purposes.

Now, we switch to Wulfrum to take the upcoming Facade…

Paralysis already paying dividends, nice. 

Now, here's the awkward part…will Noel switch to Porygon-Z again? Wulfrum isn't at full HP anymore so Swellow might be more emboldened to stay in and attack, and yet…hm. No, I'll switch back to Jack. If Swellow decides to attack with Facade, he'll be immune; if Noel switches to Porygon-Z, that'll give me a chance to heal Wulfrum for later.

Path 2 it is, time to sacrifice Jack to safely bring in Frost.

And now, the moment we've been waiting for…time for Mirror Coat to do its thing!

…Well, good thing Mirror Coat doesn't work like Protect or Detect.

Yes…yes…! Quench your bloodlust, Frost!!

Previous

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[dailyaudiobiblechronological]

9/1/2023 DAB Chronological Transcription

Ezekiel 18-19

Welcome to Daily Audio Bible Chronological, I'm China. Today is the first day of September. Welcome. What a joy to be here with you today as we jump into the month of September. Welcome. Here we are. And, you know, September's...it's a fun month. We got a couple birthdays in our family this month. But it's also one of the trickiest, weathering months you would think. It starts to get, you know, a little bit more cool. I'm not technically sure wouldn't fall as I think we got another month or two maybe, I'm not sure, don't know, don't quote me on that. But actually I feel like September is Tennessee's honest month and so we have those tricky days where it's like- it's 93, tomorrow it may be 72.The three days after that may be pushing 100 and if that doesn't say welcome to the South, I'd I don't know what does. But here we are excited about this month and this is actually our last month in the Old Testament together. In October, we will peak in the New Testament after nine long months of reading the Old Testament. Then we will finish off the year in the New Testament. So we are continuing in the book of Ezekiel today with chapters 18 through 19. We are in the English Standard version for this week.

Commentary:

So today the Lord is giving word that he is a God of righteousness, that he himself is what righteousness is defined by. And saying listen, when you live a life of righteousness, there will be an honoring and a blessing in that. And when you are living a life of righteousness and then you turn away from that there's consequences of that and basically he's addressing this situation that people are wanting to live as if their actions don't have consequences, as if the actions of their lives, of their ancestors, shouldn't have consequences, and when they do have consequences, all of a sudden God is not just in reality. We looked back all the way back to the beginning of this year, and every story that we have read, we see the hand of God. We see him declaring what he is going to do, whether it is destruction, or threats of destruction. We see that the Lord's hand and his heart is always for redemption and for restoration and that he is waiting to show grace and mercy to us. And yet the story goes we are people who...we'll choose anything but him. And so then there is a Lamentation, or the Princess of Israel and really, I think Lamentation is beautiful because I feel like I'm in a lot of- the culture of like the Capital C Church is...everything is awesome. And that like prosperity gospel and you know, kind of drifting away from the core of Christianity, the core of what we believe and why we believe it, which is that Jesus came, He lived a perfect life. He died on the cross for us, took our place, and so that we could have a way reconciled back to the Father and in that kind of like an action step for us is to have repentance, confessing of sins, to turn away from and to turn back to the Lord and to seek Him with our whole heart. And so we see the people in the Old Testament kind of having like half hearted, um, repentance moments and then turning right back to their ways and now that we're on the other side of the story, you know we we live on the other side where we have the knowledge of Jesus. We have received that salvation and we can read these stories and be remembered and be reminded. I'm going to not choose this vicious cycle of being in and being out, but I'm going to choose the...I'm going to choose today and who I'm going to serve, and it's going to be the Lord. And tomorrow I'm going to choose the Lord. And in any of the moments that I am living in, and the hard ones, the ones where I prayed for this, it didn't come to pass, or it didn't happen the way that I thought it would, or I'm believing, I'm thinking maybe the Lord is unjust. I'm thinking he's being unfair, but actually stepping into the sweet reality that he is a God of justice and he is a God of love and he is a sovereign king. 

Prayer:

And so, Father, I thank you for your hand. I thank you for your word. I pray that we would be a people who care to know your word and care to learn about you and read about you and understand more of your heart through Your word. And so God, I pray that we would be a people of integrity, people of righteousness. We would seek first your Kingdom. And everything else will be added to this. And, Lord, I thank you for your word. And I thank you, God, that we have it to guide and direct our steps. And I pray that it would do just that. And so, Father, I thank you for your nearness. I thank you for your presence, and it's in your name we pray. Amen.

Announcements:

Dailyaudiobible.com is our website. That's the place of connection where you can see what is happening here in the community, so be sure to check that out. If you'd like to get further connected, you can go to facebook.com/daily Audio Bible Chronological. It is a mouthful, but it is a great place for you to, you know, get connected, stay connected and to put a face with some of the names of the people that you have been praying for or that have been praying for you. That's a great place of connection. But that is all for today. I'm China. I love you, and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer Line:

This is Unashamed of the Gospel in Pennsylvania. I was calling in response to Faith filled Mama's prayer request for her son Moses. I just wanted to let her know that I will be praying for her and for Moses, I myself have an adopted son who deals with attachment disorder and today is Daniel's first day of school. So I'm praying for Daniel as well as Moses. So Lord just be with faith filled Mama give her peace and grace as she deals with their son Moses. Give Moses peace and comfort as he deals with a father who is away. And we just pray that you would give this, give this family a sense of your your whole experience throughout the the whole family. But they might they might know peace even as the father goes away. Let me just ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Hi family and good morning. I'm from Leicester in the UK. Glad to be calling back in today's the 28th of August. I've actually just finished this into yesterday's reading from China so it was the 27th. We went through a sequel which was really great thing in China just went to. What about the polls that came in from yet then as well. First of all faith filled Mama, thank you for calling in and sharing about the report. I've not heard about it before. I was glad to hear good news regarding the successful quadruple bypass healing process for your friend Angela. And definitely also keeping in prayer, Moses, your son and and and and and everything you mentioned and trust in God. White space for the provision for all you and your husband need and and helping deal with and handle and be strong and being wise and able and capable in this situation to help guidance still build him up and supply more he needs and to be able to manage as well. And definitely pray and trust God for the knowledge and encounter with Jesus Christ that would happen...Thank you as well for reminding about the situation that's recording previously as well of the lady about her son-in-law. 

Unfortunately, I had an accident. And they definitely have brain. And you commit by the grace of God for every supplier of your supply of grace and provision for them in the household that his wife and her her, her daughter. As I believe for physically, mentally, emotionally, every supply they need and just every resource and hope and rest embrace the Amen.

For brother Aaron for Houston as well thank you very much. Just really wanted to call and I should say acknowledge your your core and definitely let you know that regarding your cousin Kevin and his friend definitely I put them into prayer I'm joining praying with you regarding that and I do believe in strongly confident in God's provision and that he does indeed you know what to do and that prefer just to hope and help and strength and provision all they need. Likewise a man. Likewise. Thank you Lady came from Kentucky for sharing your thoughts on the world.

Good morning, Daily Audio Bible Chronological. This is the Green Thumb from Nebraska. This morning I'm asking for prayer for myself. I have been a bus driver, route and activity for 11 years. That's what I did after my kids all went to school so that I could be on their schedule. I am obviously, as my name says, I do Gardening Landscaping also in addition to that in the summers. So we have new administration at the school and they basically umm put up a actual job for a director of transportation which is pretty much the job that I have been doing at the school in addition to routes and stuff, but I just did never have an official job title. So they put it out there with umm....so that they could take other applicants. Today we get the results of those. It's August 31st. And I don't know what I'll do if I basically get demoted. I do have another job on the side that I can probably go full time but, just very anxious about it. And I'm typically not an anxious person at all, so if you guys could just pray for me. His will it'll be done by the time you hear this, but I hope I can call back with a praise report. Thank you all. Goodnight.

Hey y'all, hey, it's Simone from Texas calling to give a quick testimony. I have three kids. My youngest is a son and I remember carrying him and feeling like I was hearing God's say, he was going to grow up to be amazing and special. When he was three months old, they started seeing signs of something they weren't sure about and when he was six years old, because they completely missed it. After that, he was diagnosed with autism, with a specific learning disability. I remember going through a deep, deep depression and it was one of the things that kind of triggered me to want to take my life. In addition to many other things, because it was really hard. And so I remember praying I seen God to send me one teacher that was seeing him what I already know and what God has spoken to me about him when I was carrying him. But when I moved to Texas, got sent that one teacher and she rallied around him with me. And she helped me advocate for him. And all of these amazing teachers came on board. And in May he graduated with a regular high school diploma instead of special education. He went from all special education classes to all regular classes in high school. And yesterday I wept as I watched him walk into the building at the Community College. Um, guys, God is so amazing. And I spent four hours on the altar at my church yesterday just thanking God. Not asking for anything, just thanking God for being so good and amazing and wonderful. And I'm praying for all the parents who have children with special needs. It is so difficult. Hard but with God, all things and everything is possible. So I'm asking guys, please keep my son Ethan lifted in prayer...in his first year of college.

[swanslieutenant]

from the sea - chapter nine

Summary: When Emma becomes sheriff, the pressure of running a department with a dwindling budget becomes nothing but an exercise in frustration. That is, until she finds an unlikely ally in the town treasurer, a man who her kid Henry is convinced is not an ally at all, but rather a villainous enemy. Season 1 AU, Cursed!Killian.

Rating and Warnings: Teen.

Catch up: ch1, ch2, ch3, ch4, ch5, ch6, ch7, ch8

Read on AO3

Note: apologies for the major delays! Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 ______________________________

On a particularly boring night shift, with the station so silent that each squeak of her chair is startling and nearly deafening, Emma spends her time leant back in her chair, throwing her pen up in the air and catching it again. She’s counting how many catches in a row she can get up to before dropping it.

In Storybrooke, night shifts feel about twice as long as the day ones, and the mundane activity is the only keeping her occupied tonight. Hardly anything ever happens in this town overnight; sometimes Emma gets a call to collect some patrons of the local bars who have over-indulged or to break up some fight. Tonight, however, even those aren’t happening.

Emma catches the pen from its latest flight (number forty-eight), her expression twisting into a frown. Thinking of the bars makes her recall the night before, with Wes and his own episode of overindulgence.

She’s been thinking about him all day in one manner or another – what he said about Henry’s book getting to him, the ship painting on his wall identical to the one in the book, to his out of character drinking. A low bubble of unease has been roiling through her stomach all day, something she hasn’t felt since the week leading up to Graham’s death.

Emma had woken up to a polite text of thanks from Wes for getting him home, but her follow-up message to see how he was doing went unanswered. All morning she’d had to resist the urge to drive over to Town Hall to ask him about his strange comments and make sure he was okay. It was only the raised eyebrows of Mary Margaret at the breakfast table and a gentle “you can go check on him if you’re worried” that made her put her phone down and focus on her day ahead instead.

She lets out a deep sigh, and tosses the pen up in the air again. Fine, Mary Margaret is right – she’s worried about him. He was like a different person last night. Sure, everyone gets drunk once in a while, but to then go about Henry’s book and weird dreams?

The similarities to Graham’s behaviour before his death is niggling at the back of her mind again, and the more she thinks about Graham and the circumstances around his untimely death, the worse the churning in her stomach becomes.

Emma tosses the pen up in the air again, forcing her thoughts to count again her repetitive catches instead of swirling into the abyss of uncertainty. Fifty. Fifty-one. Fifty-two. Fifty-three…

She’s up to number eighty-four when the old landline on her desk rings, shrill and demanding, the sound so loud and sudden in the office’s silence that Emma nearly falls out of her chair in surprise. The pen clatters to the ground as she shifts her weight to reach the phone, her chair slamming hard back onto the linoleum as she lifts the receiver.

“Storybrooke Sheriff’s Department, what’s your emergency?” Her voice comes out breathless from her surprise, and she clears her throat. “This is Sheriff Swan speaking.”

“Yes, hello,” replies the voice of a man, half-bleary with sleep but clear with annoyance. “This is Arnold Scuttle, caretaker of the Maritime Museum. I got an alert that the security perimeter around the museum has been breached.”

Emma’s heart sinks. The museum? With its current exhibits full of pirate regalia, where the old timey pirate ship in the painting on Wes’s wall and the storybook is currently moored?

Seriously?

The caller takes her silence the wrong way, huffing out, “You are the sheriff, aren’t you? You see, I’d go myself, but it’s late out and who knows what kind of hoodlum it could be!”

Emma rolls her eyes, but she steadies her own annoyance at the caller before answering. “Yes, I’ll go check it out.” She hangs up before the caller can add anything else, and clambers to her feet. She kicks the stray pen out of her way, distracted by what – or rather, who – she already knows will be waiting for her down at the docks, and sprints out into the quiet night.

______________________________

The harbour is calm tonight, the lapping of the waves against the docks a gentle rhythm. Wes leans against the rough wooden beams of the fence, staring out at the ship moored only a few feet away. He couldn’t see the ship clearly from the main road, but now he can see her, the looming masts and rigging illuminated by the amber glow of the museum’s security lighting.

The entire day he’d spent lost in thought, his head pounding both from a horrible hangover and the thoughts swirling through his mind. A growing feeling of unease and strangeness has consumed him, progressive and insidious, ever since the dreams began, but after seeing this ship that day at the museum with Emma and Henry, it’s magnified tenfold. His day had been fruitless and pointless, his usual accounting numbers a blur, and when he’d come home and when it came time to lie down to sleep again, he’d only slipped into another nightmare.

This one had been of the ship itself. He’d been walking up a gangway towards it, his footsteps barely audible amidst the chirping seagulls and calls of working men, greeting him as the captain of the ship. It was a hot day, and when he’d stepped foot onto the rough wooden planks, an ease settled over him, the most content and peaceful he’d felt in a long time.

But the dream had twisted soon afterwards, to a dreadful storm that sent the ship rocking and the peace evaporating into dread and terror. And, as usual, that had been the cue for him to jolt awake from the dream in a damp sweat.

He was restless, and instead of lying in his bed for countless hours with his mind drenched in nightmares, Wes ventured out into the night. He had no desire to repeat last night’s episode at the bar, which he can only vaguely remembers if he’s being honest. Instead, his feet had led him here, down the small gangway leading to the museum.

Standing here now, in the peace of the night, he’s calmer than he had after the bustling dream. He lingers, leaning against the fence and watching the gentle rocking of the ship. His mind remains unsettled, and not even the sea, which usually relaxes him, is enough tonight.

These nightmares … they’re becoming realer and realer with each one he has. They’re vivid and intense, the latest as clear as if it was a memory. He’s sure that he’s losing his mind but some days, his life as the treasurer has begun to feel more like the dream, whereas the nightmares are the reality.

Bright headlights swing into view from behind him, disrupting his train of thought. A car door slams shut, and Wes squints against the bright light as someone walks down the path towards him. He doesn’t recognize who it as they approach, silhouetted as they are by the headlights behind them, until their voice calls out.

“Wes?”

“Swan?”

It is indeed Emma, her figure coming into view as she steps closer towards him. She’s frowning, one hand lingering at the gun on her belt, and her eyes dart behind him to the ship and back again.

“What are you doing out here?”

Her voice is curt and cool, suspicious and mistrustful, and Wes’s defense rise, rattled at her tone.

“I’m not doing anything. I’m out for a walk.” 

“At two a.m.?”

“Is that illegal, Sheriff?” he counters, crossing his arms over his chest, shifting his weight away from the fence. There it is again; the growing indignation at being questioned rearing its ugly head, just as it had at the market a few weeks ago.

Emma shakes her head wearily as her stern expression fades, breaking the growing tension between them. “No, of course not. You tripped the museum’s security alarm, and I got a call to come and see what was going on.”

“Oh,” he says, and some of the fight evaporates. He glances over to the museum, to the silent ship at the docks, and he shakes his head, trying to return to his senses. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to disrupt your evening. I was just getting some fresh air; I must’ve gotten too close to the museum and set it off.”

Emma regards him silently for a beat, enough to make Wes feel like she’s trying to read his mind, before she inquires, “Are you okay, Wes?”

“I’m fine,” he replies, automatic and insistent. “Why wouldn’t I be?” She raises an eyebrow, glancing at the ship again, and he sighs. She’s perceptive, he’ll give her that. “Well, I suppose I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I was hoping the fresh air may help settle my mind.”

“Still having nightmares?”

Wes starts, blinking once in surprise. “Nightmares – how do – did I tell you?”

“Yeah, you did. Last night.”

He shakes his head in annoyance. Not at her, but at himself. He’d indulged in a vice he thought he’d banished years ago, and of course, he cannot remember a damn thing about the night, other than random flashes of memory – drinking to excess at the bar, Emma’s concerned expression when he almost fell off his stool, her accompanying him home. If he told her about these dreams, who knows what else he may have told her.

“You said they were – they were about Henry’s book,” Emma prompts, though her own voice is hesitant. “With ships and pirates.”

“Aye,” he says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I know it’s stupid, but these dreams … they really are disrupting my sleep.” His brow furrows, feeling at once silly for even letting something like dreams and nightmares affect him so much, and he steps away from the fence, without a backwards glance to the ship. “I’d better go, you’re right, it’s late. Sorry again for disrupting your evening, Emma.”

She is watching him, closely, her eyes slightly narrowed, but then she nods. “That’s okay. Do want a ride home?”

He shakes his head, feeling guilty enough. She must think he’s lost his mind – drinking to a stupor, losing sleep over dreams about a children’s book, and now coming to see an old ship in the middle of the night.

“No, that’s okay. I’ll walk.”

He starts back up towards the main street, and Emma falls into step beside him. “I’ll walk with you,” she says, and she elbows him playfully in his side, and adds, “Lest I get another grumpy call from Mr. Scuttle about someone breaking into take the ship for a midnight sail.”

He rolls his eyes, but does grin to himself as they leave the small pathway leading from the museum, heading back up to the main road. Perhaps she doesn’t think he’s too mad after all then.

Emma turns off her car and lock it as they pass it, the headlights winking out and leaving them in the amber light of the streetlights overhead. They walk in silence for some time, leaving the boardwalk and the museum behind them. His mind is still troubled, even though Emma’s presence at his side feels steady and warm.

The night is dark around them, with heavy clouds obscuring the moon and the stars. Wes, who always had a knack for telling when storms are approaching, can feel rain in the air, and wonders if taking Emma’s car would’ve been a better decision.

He’s proved right only a few minutes later, as they’re reaching the main street of Storybrooke. A blinding flash of lightning explodes in the sky above them, followed instantaneously by a grumbling roar of thunder. The heavens open up above them, rain drops the size of marbles falling heavily from the sky.

“Oh hell,” Emma swears, holding her hands over her head, her hair already drenched by the storm. “Come here, let’s wait this out for a minute.”

They duck into a nearby alcove of one of the shops, but it’s a shelter only for a few minutes. The rain is getting heavier, the streets misty and foggy from its intensity, and the wind is starting to swell and sweep the rain into to the alcove.

“This may go on for a while, so I’ll go on my own,” he says, pulling up his jacket collar to protect himself best he can from the rain without a hooded jacket. “Thanks for coming with me this far, Emma –”

“You’re going to walk in this?” Emma asks dubiously, casting a look out to the street. Another flash of lightning illuminates them, both pale and soaked, before thunder cracks above them again.

“It’s not far,” Wes replies stubbornly. “I’ll make it.”

“Don’t be stupid.” She tugs back him towards her, and points to a building across the street. “We’re so close to my place; come in and wait out the storm. I’ll go get my car when it calms down a bit and give you a ride then. Okay?”

Wes hesitates, but then nods. “Okay.”

______________________________

Emma leads the way through the pouring rain, darting across the main street and avoiding the growing puddles as she goes. Wes follows her zig-zag motion, into the warmth of the lobby. They ascend the stairs together, and Emma unlocks the front door quietly, hoping they don’t disturb Mary Margaret.

Inside, the loft is dark and quiet, the pounding rain echoing heavily against the old windows.

“Mary Margaret?” Emma calls quietly, stepping further into the apartment. A bright flash of lightning, followed by a crack of thunder, illuminates the rooms. In the nook where Mary Margaret sleeps, her bed is empty, her blankets still neatly folded.

Emma frowns at the sight. She’s never known her roommate to be out late at night – Mary Margaret is essentially the definition of a homebody – but she shrugs it away. Emma is sure she’s fine.

“She must be out,” Emma says, and she flips the light switch on near the front door and ushers Wes in. “Come on in.”

Emma takes off her drenched jacket, Wes mimicking her actions. The warmth of the loft is welcome, but her body is chilled from the rain and Emma shivers.

“Do you want a hot chocolate?” Emma asks, hoping that will ease the chills. 

“That sounds great,” he replies, and Emma notices he is shivering a bit too. He’s removed his jacket, but his shirt is soaked underneath too.

Emma pauses – she has an old Boston University sweater upstairs that’s always been two sizes too big for her, purchased on a whim several years ago when she was out late one night on a sting in a short dress in the middle of winter.

“Hang on a sec,” she says, and darts up the stairs to her bedroom. She grabs the sweater, after shuffling around in her drawers. Her hair, which she’d been wearing down, is soaking her shirt, so Emma twists it up onto a bun at the top of her head and changes into some dry clothes for herself too before returning down to the kitchen.

Downstairs, Wes is standing near the kitchen, leaning against the counter. He glances over as Emma comes down the stairs, and Emma is struck suddenly by the sight of him there in the middle of her kitchen. In his dark pants and black t-shirt, his dark hair messy and fly-away from the rain; this time when she shivers, it’s not because of the cold.

“I started the water,” he says obliviously, indicating the happily whistling kettle on the stovetop. “But I’m not sure where you keep the hot chocolate mix.”

Emma straightens, and continues down the stairs. “Oh, I’ll get it. Here – this is for you.”

“Thanks, love.”

Emma busies herself with pulling out the hot chocolate powder and two mugs, while Wes pulls on the sweater. When she turns back around, he’s leaning against the counter again, the sleeves of the sweater pushed up to his elbows. The elaborate brace holding his prosthetic is visible now, but instead she’s drawn to the elaborate tattoo on his inner right forearm.

It’s unlike anything she would expect the proper Wes Newport to have – a curved, silver dagger through the centre of a blood red heart, a script of the name Milah wrapped around the heart itself.

“Who’s Milah?” Emma asks, and he glances down to the tattoo. A shadow crosses his eyes, and he shakes the sleeve down over his arm, frowning.  

“Someone from long ago,” he responds, voice low. “She’s gone.”

Gone. He doesn’t say the word ‘dead’, but Emma hears it as loudly as if he had, and Emma regrets asking, regrets bringing up the past. She hates when people inquire about her past, and she can tell by Wes’s expression that he is just like her.

“I’m sorry,” she says, for many reasons, and she rests her hand on his left arm. He nods in acknowledgement, a small smile to her.

They sip their hot chocolate in silence for several minutes after that, listening to the heavy rain and the rolling thunder. Seeing him sitting at the kitchen bar, it’s inevitable that Emma’s thoughts return to the night before and his strange statements. She glances over to Wes. He’s twirling his spoon in his hot chocolate, eyes fixed on the kitchen counter, lost in thought.

“Wes,” Emma says cautiously, “Yesterday at the bar … what did you mean when you said Henry’s stories are getting to you?”

Wes’s cheeks redden, and he pinches the bridge of his nose. “It’s silly, Emma. I had too much to drink. Forget I said anything.”

 But Emma is not going to drop it so easily. She raises an eyebrow at him, and he sighs resignedly.

“Well, I’ve been having a lot of dreams lately. Nightmares, more like. And they’re … well, they remind me a bit of his book. I know he’s troubled and they’re only stories,” he clarifies at Emma’s expression. “But I can’t shake it. These dreams … they’re more than dreams. Makes me wonder if …”

His sentence trails off, but the implication makes Emma’s temper rise. “Don’t say that,” she snaps, setting her mug down, hot chocolate splashing onto the counter. Wes is taken aback, eyes widening, and she continues, her voice shaking with anger, “It’s all – they’re dreams, Wes. Nightmares. People get nightmares, okay? Henry’s book is full of stories, and that’s it! You can’t – you can’t be seriously entertaining –”

“I know that,” Wes interrupts indignantly. “I’m not saying they’re real, Emma –”

“They’re not real,” Emma agrees, raising her voice louder. “They’re just stories! Stories of evil queens and princesses and pirates.”

Wes flinches at the last word, and that’s the last straw for Emma. She moves to the other side of the counter where he is leaning, standing closely opposite him, and demands, “Wes, what are you trying to say?”

“I don’t know,” he replies softly, and there is true, genuine anguish in his voice now. “I don’t know how to explain it … but the dreams they feel real to me, Emma. Like – like they’re not just dreams.”

Emma takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “But Wes … the stories aren’t real. This is real. Storybrooke. Here, now. Not – not whatever the hell is in that book.”

“I know,” he says, “I know, Emma.”

Her anger and frustration fades out of her as quickly as they came at his voice, and she is left with a hollow emptiness. She is ashamed – of course, Wes knows the stories aren’t real. Whatever is going on with him is something else, some problem linked to sleep deprivation or stress, not fantastical stories her kid just happens to believe to be real.

Wes is staring at her, his eyes guarded as he waits for her reaction. Emma’s stomach turns with guilt; whatever is going on for him, Wes doesn’t need his friends accusing him of believing in a fantasy either. She swallows hard, and decides then that no matter what, she was going to help him figure this out.

She steps closer to him and rests her hand firmly on his left arm, just above the prosthetic’s brace. “Wes, we’ll figure out what’s going on, okay? I’ll help you figure this out.”

He nods, and his voice is soft when he says, “Thank you, Emma.”

As he looks at her, his blue eyes deep and mixed with relief, Emma realizes how close they are. The air between them seems electrified, as charged as the storm outside, and normally, Emma would break this tension. But as Wes leans closer to her, Emma doesn’t pull away. She’s been skittish when it comes to men for so long, but this feels different. It feels right. Her eyes close as she rests her forehead against his, his damp hair brushing against her skin and sending goosebumps down her arms.

“Emma.”

Her name escapes his lips on a sigh, and he lifts his hand to her face, his fingers cool on her cheek. She angles her face, her lips nearly touching his, and then she becomes vaguely aware of the sound of the front door opening behind them.

There’s a very loud squeak of alarm, and Wes springs away from her like he’s been burned. Emma’s eyes snap to the source of the shriek, and she whirls around, her face starting to burn.

It’s Mary Margaret, standing in the open doorway, an open umbrella in her hands dripping onto the floor, her face beet red and a hand pressed against her mouth.

“I am so sorry,” she says, her eyes as wide as dinner plates as she looks between Wes and Emma. “I didn’t expect anyone to be here.”

Emma is frozen, but Wes is already halfway to the door, picking up his damp jacket and swinging it on, over the Boston University sweater. He looks back to Emma and manages a small smile that has Emma’s stomach filled with butterflies, even in her current state of mortification.

“Goodnight, Emma.”

He turns around and collides right with Mary Margaret, who squeaks again. Emma wants to bury herself alive at this point, and she can’t even watch as Wes and Mary Margaret have a several second awkward dance of trying to get past each other. Finally, Wes manages to sidestep Mary Margaret and with a quick, “Uh, goodnight to you too, Mary Margaret,” he hurries out of the loft, the door shutting firmly behind him.

“I am so sorry,” Mary Margaret says breathlessly the next moment, her eyes wide as she steps further into the apartment. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your date, I didn’t know you guys would be here, I thought you were at work tonight –”

Emma chokes. “This – this wasn’t a date.”

Mary Margaret’s expression shifts from traumatized to amused, and she sends her a very un-Mary Margaret-like glance; Emma’s cheeks burn even more.

“It wasn’t a date!” she insists further. “He was out at the museum, I got a call from the … listen, it’s a long story. And then it started raining, so we came in here to get out of it and talk –”

“Uh huh,” Mary Margaret hums. She leans closer to Emma, a mischievous glint to her eyes. “Talking very close together.”

Emma feels like a goddamn teenage girl, caught by her mother with her boyfriend, and that is a feeling Emma has never felt before in her life. And also – Wes is not her boyfriend.

“I’ve got to get back to work,” she mumbles, desperate to get out of the loft, sidestepping Mary Margaret and grabbing a dry jacket from the hook near the door. “See you tomorrow.”

Mary Margaret is still grinning, but Emma ignores her as she leaves the apartment and down the steps. Outside it’s still pouring, but she’d far rather be out in this torrential downpour than the apartment, where Mary Margaret’s eyes are far too knowing.

______________________________

As dawn approaches, the town of Storybrooke is quiet and sleepy, the only remnants of the previous night’s storm the damp road and dripping street signs. No one is out for the day yet, so Regina walks freely down the main street, jingling her heavy key ring in her hand as she approaches Gold’s pawnshop.

Regina had spent the night in her vault, researching and reading, and she has nearly all she needs to be rid of Emma Swan, once and for all. 

She needs one more thing, and she knows exactly where to get it – the pawnshop. The man who has been collecting items for centuries, who knows more about lore and spells than anyone else in all the worlds. After all – he was the one to suggest the curse to her in the first place; if there’s a loophole, he’ll be the one to know.

The little bell above the door at Gold’s pawnshop tinkles as Regina slips her own key into the lock and pushes the door open, ignoring the obvious closed sign hanging in the window. The shop is quiet, dust floating gently through the faint light filtering into the shop from the streetlights.

Regina steps carefully into the shop, the floor creaking under her boots. The shop has always creeped her out – puppet dolls sit under a unicorn mobile, scattered jewellery, and dozens of paintings of various locales and individuals on the walls. All objects from the townspeople before they lost themselves.

Something flashy catches her eye on the central counter, and Regina moves towards it. Amidst scattered objects and papers, resting in a glass display case, is a curved and lethal silver hook.

The hook.

So this is where it ended up; she supposes she shouldn’t be surprised. He’s always liked to collect trophies, and no doubt that this is one of his most valuable. Curious, Regina lifts the lid, but as her fingers brush the hook, a voice speaks from the shadows.

“It’s early for a visit, Madam Mayor,” the slippery, cool voice of Mr. Gold greets. He’s standing in the doorway to the backroom, dressed to the nines in his usual suit and tie, leaning on his cane. “I swear I locked the front door.”

Regina smiles coolly, though she withdraws her hand from the display case. “This is my town, Gold. You know a locked door couldn’t keep me out.”

He smiles back at her, and slinks further into the shop. “Of course, Madam Mayor. Hence, my appearance here this morning. Ah,” he adds, inclining his head at the hook as he steps closer and notices the open display case. “Ms. Swan was here the other day … I was trying to make a point.”

Regina scowls at him, the comment making her temper flare, but she reins it in. He’s taunting her, and she won’t allow him the delight of seeing it get to her.

“I need something from you.”

“I’d gathered as much.”

Regina pauses, choosing her next words carefully. As she explains her plan, that it’s the only way to save Storybrooke in its current form before more damage is done, Gold watches her silently.

When she’s finished and when the proposal is laid out on the table, Gold turns and pulls at one of the framed pictures on the wall. It swings forward to reveal a safe, embedded in the wall itself. He enters the combination and opens it, the door creaky as he opens it. Regina catches a glimpse of a white china teacup and a ratty beige blanket before Gold is shutting it again, a small box in his hand.

“I suppose I have something that can help you.” He places the small box on the table, next to the hook in the display case. “Take this and the hook, and you have what you require.”

“And the hook?”

Gold nods, his eyes flashing. “Something from the world that was – to make sure all goes to plan.”

Regina picks up the small box, which is surprisingly heavy for its size as it fits comfortably in the palm of her hand. “And what do you want for them in return?” she asks coolly. “There’s always a price with you, Gold.”

He chuckles, already beginning to slink back into the shadows of the backroom. “No charge for the items, Madam Mayor. Just remember … magic always comes with a price.” 

Regina glares, as her skin prickles and her heartbeat quickens. Magic – it’s the first either of them have acknowledged the word in more than 28 years. They’ve lived in an uneasy alliance for nearly three decades as mayor and pawnbroker, and here they are, more queen and sorcerer than they have been in years.

“Well, whatever the price is for this, I’m willing to pay it. It’s worth it.”  

“Infamous last words,” Gold murmurs, with a wry grin. He disappears through the curtain, his final words floating out after him into the quiet shop: “Good luck, your majesty.”

______________________________

For the first time in a long, long time, Wes Newport feels alive.

He’d hardly slept after returning back to his apartment, drenched to the bone from the heavy rain, and all morning he’s been running on too many cups of coffee and adrenaline-fueled sleep deprivation. He went into the office early, but his mind is whirling and he’s unable to focus on his work. Instead, he’s thinking about the night before – about Emma. About her finding him at the docks, taking him back to the loft, giving him her sweater. And, most importantly about her about her promise to help him figure out what is going on.

Sitting at his desk, his fingers hesitate over Emma’s number on his phone, but he changes his mind. She’s probably still asleep after her night shift, and besides … he’s not sure what he’d say over text to her. He’d rather speak in person.

A knock at his office door interrupts his thoughts, and he glances over. It’s Sidney Glass who, without preamble, announces, “The mayor wants to see you.”

Wes resists a sigh, and slips his phone into his jacket pocket. “What’s it about?”

But Sidney Glass is already walking away. A summoning by Regina is never a good sign, but she’s been in a particularly foul mood lately, and he hopes he’s not about to be lectured about the budget again. He knows his work has suffered the past few weeks, his mind scattered and distracted, but he’s in no mood to deal with Regina’s snide remarks about it.

As he’s walking to Regina’s office, lost in thought, suddenly the strangest experience takes over him. Instead of walking down the old oak hallways of Town Hall, he is in a draughty, stone corridor with flickering torches against the walls in the place of fluorescent lights.

He pauses, taking in his surroundings, before his feet begin to move ahead, of their own accord. There are two men standing in front of a two-storey iron door, dressed in all black with swords at their sides. He continues towards them, his step echoing loudly against the cavernous walls around him.

“Halt!” one of the guard shouts, one hand out to stop any further approach, the other to the sword at his belt. “Her Majesty is receiving no visitors today.”

“I am expected.” The words come out of his mouth, unbidden, as if someone else is speaking them.

The guards exchange a look, and one of them grounds out reluctantly, “From where do you hail?”

“From the sea,” he says easily, sauntering towards them without a pause. From the sea, no loyalty to a kingdom, to a ruler, to anyone but himself and the vast ocean.

They are unimpressed, and both shift to block the doorway and his path forward any further. “Not good enough. You could be the god of the ocean himself, but our orders are clear. No visitors.”

He smirks, though he does come to a stop, arms crossed pointedly over his chest, his left arm angled to be very apparent. “As I said, gentleman, your queen is expecting me, and it would be quite the pity for you if she learned you’d tried to delay me.”

One guard’s eyes widen, while the other scowls. They mutter with each other, casting, casting a glance at him, before one shrugs and the other sighs in defeat.

“Fine, go in. If she bites your head off, though, that’s on you.”

He rolls his eyes as they swing open the heavy door, its creaking echoing through the hall. He walks down several more corridors, until he enters a grand chamber, with balconies open down to the dark forest below and rich, gold-encrusted furniture scattered about the room. Regina stands in the centre, on a thick rug, dressed in a red velvet dress with a glittering ruby tiara amongst her long black hair.

“There you are,” she says, irritated. “I’ve been waiting all morning.”

He steps further into the room, but a sudden sense of dizziness overwhelms him then that blurs his vision and makes his head swim. The floor beneath him sways, and he leans heavily against the wall.

“Are you okay?”

He shakes his head, trying to clear the dizziness. It subsides slightly, and when he opens his eyes again, he’s no longer standing in the long hallways of the stone palace, but instead in Regina’s richly decorated black and white office.

“Wes? Are you feeling okay?”

It’s Regina, standing opposite him, just as she was a moment ago, but now she is dressed in her usual black pant suit with short, cropped hair, the gown and crown gone. Her face is twisted in unease, and he blinks.

“I – what just happened?”

“You came in here and almost collapsed. Are you alright?”

He shakes his head, trying to clear his mind – great, so now he’s starting to have dreams – hallucinations? – during the day now too?

“Sorry, no I’m fine. I, uh – you wanted to see me?”

“Yes, I did,” she replies, and she gestures him to step further into the office. “Come in, have a seat – you’re looking pale.”

“What’s this about?” he asks, eager to get out of here and back to his own office as he settles into the rich leather chair opposite Regina’s desk.

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” Regina says instead, as she takes her own seat, and Wes resists the urge to sigh.

“I’m fine, really. Just a bit – bit tired this morning.”

Regina regards him, but then nods, apparently satisfied. “Okay. Well, I was reviewing payroll, and I realized your vacation for this year is about to expire. You’ll lose it if you don’t use it, so why don’t you take the next few days off?”

“A vacation?” he echoes, and he frowns. Regina has never suggested he take a vacation before – she’d rather have her employees work 24/7 if she could.

She nods, smiling, but goosebumps rise on his skin at the sight. It’s true, he does need a break – his nightmares and the surrounding events need to get sorted out, and he knows his work has been suffering because of it. But his haunches rise at Regina’s smile – sickly sweet and dark all at the same time.

“You’ve been working hard lately, and deserve a break,” she continues. “Take some time for yourself. Relax, read a book, get some rest.”

Wes has known Regina for many years, has been at her side for her many schemes, and he knows when she’s up to something. Whatever this ‘something’ is, it’s apparent she wants him out of the way here for the next few days. This is what she does when she wants someone out of her way – she sends them off until she’s dealt with whatever is irritating her this time.

There’s no point in questioning her, or arguing. She’s made up her mind, and changing that is harder than changing the tides of the sea.

“Perhaps that is a good idea.”

Her smile widens, warm and gentle, though her eyes remain cold as ever. “Yes, I think so. Go on, head home. I’ll see you in a week’s time.”

She’s beside him then, helping him to his feet as he rises from the chair. Her hands are cold on his arm and at his side even through his jacket, and he sends her a funny glance – Regina is not a touchy person – but she’s stepping away from him just as rapidly, watching him with concerned eyes as if she expects him to collapse again.

He steps away from her, turning back to say goodbye, and then, for another brief, terrifying moment, he’s back in the large stone chamber with its wide balconies and luxurious furniture, Regina dressed as a queen in front of him.

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay, Wes?”

He blinks again, and the image disappears. Regina is watching him, eyes slightly narrowed, and he nods and smiles as reassuringly at her as he can.

“Of course. You’re right, Regina – I think a holiday is just what I need.”

He departs her office without another word, hurrying back to his own. When he’s there, shutting the door firmly behind him, he collapses into his chair, thoughts swimming and swirling. That image of the stone chamber – a palace? – is emblazoned in his mind. It’s familiar, like the ship is … and so familiar Wes is sure that he has been there before.

He doesn’t know what Regina is up to or what this latest dream/hallucination is about or if they’re even connected, but he knows one thing by the twisting of dread in his gut – whatever is going on, it isn’t good. He’s been teetering on the edge of being able to handle this, but now, now that he’s been to this dream world during the day, he knows there’s no more avoiding it. Dreams or not, he needs to figure out what the hell is going on, and he needs to do it now.