#this is an Excellent tag game thanks so much Matt!!!

[ionlyseeu]

Submerged (Namor x F reader)

Chapter 5

Final chapter

@lilikan ily for all your support and comments and wish you the best always in your life you kind, kind human 😭❤️

@forevermoremagcon tagged 🤭🥰

For previous chapter 4 see here

Hi guys, thanks for all your support, likes and comments. It’s time for a little romance. We want our main character to be happy right? We want her to be successful. Just like I want myself and you to be successful.

Time jump, to 5 years later.

———/—— 5 years later, USA

I flew back in my seat as the new stats came in. I’d started my business 3 years ago, it was small at first but thanks to the power of the internet it soon became very, very popular and I had quit my main corporate job a year ago to manage my stocks from home. I was busy for the last few years, hiring near a hundred people to help me and finally, after giving over operating control to my trusted hire Matt who had been with me from the start, I could relax. I only really had to look over the reviews, see everything was running smoothly and I relaxed into a comfort I’d only dreamt of achieving.

I’d changed during the last 5 years, I’d seen new people, changed my hair multiple times. Being insanely rich was something I not so humbly had always wanted for myself. Within the moments of success, I’d found a peace within my soul, a calm, a rest. I no longer felt as if I wasn’t a whole being, a forgotten factor, a jigsaw piece with no picture to fit into, instead I trusted myself. I was ready for anything, I’d learnt how to swim as well, I practiced intensely nearly everyday of the week. But, I never swam in the ocean, NYC was not exactly ideal for an ocean side swim. I hadn’t been to the beach since I was on the island back then when it all happened.

I picked out my bagel, topped with cream cheese and salmon, a classic I couldn’t go without, when a brightly coloured postcard popped into my peripheral. Mia had constantly been sending me these throughout the years keeping me up to date on any news. She never mentioned him out of respect for me. She didn’t want to intrude on anything between us. She’d been pretty busy anyway with the baby and all. That’s right, she had given birth to a beautiful girl called Nazim who was spoilt rotten by Attuma. I’d gone to visit them at her birth but hadn’t seen Namor.

Attuma and Mia never tried to preen in or offer advice to me on the case of Namor. Not that I would have turned it down, in fact, on the inside I was begging for someone to shake me and tell me to see just him, to just swallow whatever was holding me back. The thing is, every person I met, every guy I dated, any sex I had with them, any conversation, any joke I pretended to laugh at, nothing compared to him. I didn’t mind admitting it to myself, I was at the top of my game, so young and yet so achieved, I allowed myself to examine the feelings I had filtered out of my periphery back then. How long could I pretend he wasn’t the one for me?

I picked up the postcard, the photo of the waves of the beach in front of the house, I flipped it over.

Hey baby girl!

You did so well for yourself and I’m so proud of you! Attuma too, he’s just learnt the word ‘Boss’ bitch and wants to extend the congrats - but he wants to mention that he doesn’t support the use of the second part of the phrase. Lol.

Nazim has grown up so much since the last time you were here.

We miss you.

You know who else is missing you, always - I’m sorry to bring it up.

Come back home.

Don’t you think it’s time to return?

Love you always,

Mia x

A heavy sigh left my lips and my shoulders relaxed, the only burden I’d faced over the last 5 years was starting to shake away from my shoulders.

It was time, Mia was right as always. I had to go home.

I messaged Matt at lunch to meet at our head office. He greeted me with a large green juice and a pack of sushi which I accepted gratefully. Matt was the best, a great looking guy with an excellent personality who I’d have been crushing on if I had never met Namor.

‘Fancy seeing you here’ Matt started sitting in the seat opposite mine.

‘Don’t worry I’m not here to fire you today’ I smiled joking, ‘I have to go away for a while and need you to take care of everything for me’

He raised an eyebrow at this, ‘How long is a while?’

‘An indefinite amount of time right now but… I won’t be able to answer calls or anything like that- basically no access’

‘Is something going on?’ He sounded worried.

I laughed lightly with a genuine smile spreading across my face as I assured him, ‘No, no need to be worried, I’m just doing something I’ve been putting off for 5 years’

Matt looked a me quizzically, ‘Don’t tell me you’re dying’

I laughed harder, ‘Don’t be ridiculous, I’m going back to my home country! But hey listen, I really need you to do this, I’ll throw in an increase in salary and a bonus on top I swear’

‘Will you make it a good one?’ He asked with mock excitement.

‘Don’t act like I don’t pay you big bills Matt, I know you’re rolling in it right now.’ He beamed at me as I shook my head laughing.

‘But anyway, are you going to tell me what you’re up to?’

‘No, mind your own business’ I taunted as I hit him arm lightly and went to grab my coat and bag.

‘I can drop you at the airport’ he offered.

‘Matt I have a driver for that’ I scoffed.

‘Fine’ he rolled his eyes throwing his arms in the air, ‘See you when I see you boss’

I was on the flight in the next few hours.

—————

When I got to the mainland of my home town I didn’t immediately go to the beach and start begging like a part of me wanted to do. I had more self respect than that now but the thought still wafted through my mind. Instead, I dropped my bags off at the house. I hadn’t hit up Mia or Attuma who were always halfway between the land and water and didn’t even live at my grandma’s house anymore but instead in a Talokanis outhouse which Attuma had engineered.

I regretted that I hadn’t contacted them now that I took in the state of the house covered in dust. I should’ve called someone in to clean it. I groaned into myself. Taking out the mainline phone, I ordered some takeaway then pulled my suitcase up the stairs and started unpacking and setting up my desktop.

Pulling my hair into a bun I even dusted the entire house before the doorbell rang. Running to get it, I caught my foot on the staircase foot and fell to the floor. There was certainly a scream let’s just say and I clutched my ankle which panged. I still lifted myself up and trudged to the door to collect my takeaway because the call to eat was more demanding than the pain.

I ate in silence as I thought over my next plan of action. Should I go now? Would he still have me? Should I wear makeup?

I sighed as the stream of thoughts became more shallow and materialistic running into deeper anxieties that seemed inevitable for me to face.

I thought of this as I pulled ice from the freezer and put it over my ankle to get into bed. The exhaustion from the day soon cast a restful sleep over me.

I knew what I was doing, I just had to be confident in myself.

I was asleep for two hours at least when I heard a disturbance.

I shot up in bed immediately and reached for the bedside lamp.

Just as I reached for it, a cool dark arm reached out to steady me and the scent, the scent, the one etched into my mind of something so masculine, sea foam, mint and salted lemons engulfed me.

‘You came back’ Namor stated staring at me as I took in the outline of his form in the darkness with the help of the moonlight shining through the balcony.

I reached out to him and grasped his arm pulling him in as he obliged me, sinking over me in the bed as I pressed a deep kiss to his lips and felt his face, breathing in his scent. I pulled away, saying ‘I missed you’ over and over as I kissed over his face and neck and felt through his thick hair which felt just as wavy as I had remembered it to be. He pulled me up and into his arms as he hugged me tightly, afraid I wasn’t real, afraid I’d disappear.

‘5 years’ he gasped sounding exhausted, ‘don’t do that to me again’

I giggled as I made a promise not to then proceeded to rub his shoulder and kiss his neck as he melted into me.

‘What happened here?’ He said as the ice pack now half melted sludged to the side.

‘Oh I fell- hurt my ankle’ he gently pressed over my ankle and felt it’s swollen surface. Embarrassed I tried to pull it away, ‘don’t look at that!’

He ignored my complaints and continued investigating the site as if it were the most important matter to be looked over.

‘Don’t try to pull away’ he stated shooting me a quick glanceand then returned to massage my ankle.

I tried to relax my stiff body. Out of all the reunions I had imagined over the last 5 years, surely he had more in mind just as I did.

‘Wouldn’t you rather be kissing me than doing that?’ I asked.

He simply smiled as he continued his activities working along my leg.

‘I missed you’ I repeated again, he didn’t stop what he was doing, ‘I wanted to come back’, he focused intensely on the ankle and not me, ‘I just had so much to do-‘

‘I know’ he admitted softly looking back at me with eyes full of hope, ‘I wanted you to take your time’.

I sighed, ‘What’s wrong Namor?’ I reached over and felt his face, ‘I’m back now and I’m not exactly planning to leave anytime soon’.

It was his turn to sigh as he lowered his head, leaning forward and falling into my lap.

Immediately my hands combed through his waves as he clung to me, ‘I have lived for longer than a man should, I have seen many come and many go, 5 years was nothing before I met you.’

I allowed him to rest on me. His entire body, all muscle, sinew and dark skin sinking into me in the moonlight.

‘Are you real?’ I whispered. He wasn’t asleep as I thought he’d been, instead his face looked up at me, ‘You are so beautiful’ I said to him, then pressed my lips to his, he pulled back and grinned, ‘I think that’s my line’.

I prodded his nose drew my fingers across his eyebrows and lips as he watched me intensely.

‘You are beautiful.’ He spoke slowly, taking me in, ‘you’ve changed much and your hair’ he pulled his fingers through the length, ‘It’s very pretty on you my love’.

‘Oh you like my hair?’ I laughed, ‘Years of not seeing me and my hair is what’s making you so excited about my appearance’.

I mock prodded my finger against his forehead as he beamed at me.

‘Yeah well there could be some improvements…’ he drawled staring at my lips.

I clutched my chest in fake insult, ‘Like what exactly and don’t say anything dirty’.

He laughed at this, ‘Well you could be wearing pink’ he pointed out.

‘What is with you and this pink obsession, back then you’d only pick pink dresses for me as well! If you like it so much you should wear it’ i nagged him, shaking his chin as he looked up at me.

‘I like seeing you in pink because it’s complimentary to my green’ he stated.

‘What?’

‘Complimentary colours, the colour wheel, yeah we have books in Talokan’ he shrugged his shoulders.

‘Wait this entire time you wanted me in pink to match what you were wearing?’ I asked incredulously and taken aback.

‘Also you look real fucking pretty in pink’ he groaned as he pulled me in for a kiss. I giggled into it, I liked that shit, I liked how he considered things like that. It made me feel special, cared for.

He flipped me so he was lying on his back and I was straddling his hips on top.

‘If I remember correctly, you like having me like this right?’ He spoke smugly.

‘Oh you want me to fuck you? Right now? Is that it?’ I jokingly slapped his chest. He steadied my hands against him.

‘Honestly’ he drawled, ‘Yes’. Then he dragged my hands down his torso slowly.

I gulped in excitement. I loved that his chest was nearly always bare. His toned body, in my bed, I was definitely squashing my self respect tonight. This was something that ran through my mind for the last 5 years and lord I was happy to do his bidding.

I edged on his green shorts, fingers dipping beneath the top of the brief, looking up into his hooded eyes, his lips were parted in anticipation.

‘Have you been with anyone?’ I asked teasing as I pulled his cloth off.

‘No’, his dick, fully erect bounced up, ‘not since I’ve known you’, I slid off his cloth completely, mouth lowering to his tip.

‘I only want you’ he whispered unable to look away as I whipped my tongue out and swirled around his pink nub. He groaned as if pained, pleasure racked through him and his hands reached for my hair.

But I pulled back, ‘I’m only gonna kiss it’, I laughed then and he groaned back and I did as I said I would.

He grew impatient and pulled me up onto him again. I giggled with the movements and jolted up when his hard on pressed into my crotch by my shorts.

My fingers played with his pearls, the blue adornments and all the jade at his neck.

‘Take them off me’ he grunted under me.

‘No, I want you to wear them while you do me’. He pulled me into a kiss then, his hands around my hips as he ground me into him.

‘Then take off your shorts’ he demanded.

I wanted to look sexy but I slid them off awkwardly and clumsily, he grinned at this.

‘Don’t laugh at me’ I groaned.

‘I’m not’ he swore as his face scrunched and he put his hand over to cover his laughter.

‘I can see you laughing!’ I moaned.

He wiped his face and attempted to look more serious, ‘Come here’

I followed his command coming to sit over his lap again, my pussy rubbing over him. We both sighed in pleasure at the closeness of our being.

‘Sit on my face’ he said, ‘take off your top too’.

Pulling it over my head I looked at him below me nervously, I didn’t want to crush him, I’d never done this before.

Noticing my worry, he pulled me into a comforting kiss them mumbled in a passioned haze, ‘You’ll love it, I wanna taste you’

‘I don’t want to crush you’ I responded in worry.

He laughed, ‘Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about that’

He pulled me up higher as I settled on his face with a moan. He gripped both my thighs and I melted into the feeling of his lips and nose under my pussy. He started eating me out, slowly circling my clit. I moaned more as he quickened the laps his tongue made, sliding down and edging my entrance. I gasped as it entered me, his tongue fucking into me then slowly sliding out as pleasure racked through my being. My back arched as his hands moved me to grind over his face, I’d never experienced such a feeling of euphoria.

‘Namor’ I screamed his name as I orgasmed, my wetness spreading over and out of my pussy as he licked, tasted and savoured every last drop.

I fell to my side and off him as a thin sheen of sweat erupted over my body. Namor however seemed to have different plans, ‘I’m not done with you yet’ was heard as he reached over and pushed on top of me pulling me onto my back on the bed. I looked up at him and was met back with a mixture of love, lust and adoration in his eyes. He kissed me fully, deeply and his kisses travelled to my neck as my head pulled back in response allowing access as he bit down on my pleasure points pulling lewd sounds from me.

I pushed him near my breasts and he grinned at this, ‘Relax my love’ he looked down at them, ‘I was just about to get there’. He eyed me for a moment and my breath caught as he lunged down to take one of my nipples between his teeth.

‘Fuck Namor..’ I groaned.

His tongue moved expertly over as he massaged feeling over the skin, the nub, squeezing and it had me pressing my legs together. He parted them with his own, kneeing my groin as he continued on my breasts gruffly professing, ‘I want you’ between kisses against my skin.

He rose up to my face and settled himself between my legs. I positioned a pillow behind me and half propped myself up to lower myself into him but he paused.

I looked up at him and saw the expression on his face was now serious.

‘What is it Namor?’ I asked.

‘I don’t think I can have sex with you’ he stated.

I laughed incredulously, ‘Why?’

The look of loneliness entered his eyes then and a longing so deep I felt myself being sucked into the black of his eyes.

‘Because if I do….’ He sounded, ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to let you go’

A beat passed

‘I don’t want you to let me go.’ I leaned forward and rubbed his arm, ‘I have everything I’ve always wanted, worked for, but I never thought I’d be saying there’s something, someone missing in my life. Then you came around, the thought of you had driven me crazy, do you know how often I compare others I meet to you? They always fall short. No one can be you. What you mean to me….You saved my life when you found me drowning. I want to spend my life with you.’

Hearing my words with eyes focused on my face he sighed, looked down at his hands and pressed between his joints, ‘Tell me more’

I grinned watching him as a small smile threatened to slip onto his lips, ‘Well, you’re really making me work for it this time aren’t you?’

His slow smile spread into a grin, ‘It’s only fair after the madness you put me through these year waiting for you’

I reached up and ruffled his hair, ‘I’m sorry, I should have come back sooner’

He stopped my hand and pulled it so I came to sit onto his lap. The cold metal of his adornments hitting my bare chest.

‘Damn right you should have’ he said pressing a kiss to my shoulder, ‘We could have been doing this a long while ago’.

I was aware of his hard on poking at me underneath.

‘I’m gonna cut to the chase if you don’t mind’ I pressed as I reached my hand down and took his length in my hand then lowered myself onto him.

The pain was immediately felt as only the tip entered, thick and long. I whimpered as he hushed me stroking my hair.

‘It’s okay’ he comforted easing in more as I winced and grabbed his shoulders for support, ‘You can take it’.

‘Easy for you to say’ I spat out as I attempted to pull together my resolve, ‘Put it in, please’

He pushed his entire member in me then in one swift motion and I huffed as the pain erupted through me, ‘Fuck, Namor!’.

He met my gaze, ‘For such a freak in the bed you really are tight’ he groaned as his dick twitched in me. I felt myself easing to his size. I mean I was wet as ever between my legs and I’d had plenty of these experiences before but I hadn’t exactly had someone of Namor’s size in my life.

‘Be quiet and just fucking move’ I groaned as tinge of pleasure pulsed through spreading goose flesh across my skin.

‘Anything for you’ he grunted as he lifted my hips and slammed me down on his dick, pleasure erupted over me and I yelped in surprise. Namor looking in my eyes, again lifted me and fucked me over and over.

I leaned back writhing in the feeling of him filling me, he took the chance to steady me, holding my neck in his hands and continuously fucked me.

‘You feel so good mi preciousa’ his gruff voice filled my ears, ‘Say my name’

‘Namor’

He pushed himself into me harder and faster quickening his pace.

‘Namor’

He laid me on the bed and raised my legs over his shoulders as he did me with more access. His dick reached another level of my pleasure point.

The bundle of nerves burst and I screamed his name again.

‘Namor’ I groaned.

He quickened his pace and pumped into me, I screamed as I orgasmed hard.

He continued fucking into me groaning and grunting as he came, his seed filled me.

I made no moves to get him off, instead choosing to run my hands through his hair and over his back. He pressed into my neck and smelled me deeply.

‘Don’t leave again’ Namor voiced.

‘I know you wouldn’t let me’ I laughed.

He was serious though, ‘No, I’d let you do what you wanted always’ he moved himself up to look at me seriously, his member was still in me, ‘I just don’t know what I’d become if you were to leave’

I ran my fingers across his cheek and pulled him into a kiss whispering my promise, ‘I won’t leave’

He pulled out and his seed seeped from me. He pulled back and stared at my naked being in this state as if imprinting it into memory.

We later fell asleep in each-others’ arms but between the embers of sleep I whispered to him, ‘I love you’.

He pulled me tighter to his chest, ‘I love you more’.

I breathed him in. Ocean, salt, lemongrass and the masculine scent of his being permeated through me. I’d never been more sure of something in my life.

🙂 hope you enjoyed that guys PLEASE like my little story 🥺

I was in a silly goofy mood and decided to write a 30k Namor fanfiction but your feedback and interactions mean the most 🤗😥

[loving-jack-kelly]

Fic Author Tag Game!

Tagged by: @monogramsalarm hey Matt!

Tagging: uhhh @little-byrdie-told-me @penzyroamin and @romeomahbromeo

Ao3 name: SpraceJunkie 

Fandoms: Mostly (almost entirely) Newsies but there’s also a few Bandstand, Renegades and other miscellaneous fandoms present there. But 58 of those 75 are Newsies

Number of fics: On ao3 I have 75 fics and who knows how many tiny fics I have on here that aren’t on ao3 probably a lot

1. Fic you spent the most time on: I feel like I’m obligated to say How to Steal Some Art and Hearts bc that’s still a WIP that I haven’t abandoned but like in one shot I think it’s By My Sword which I wrote all at once and it took like three months of focusing all on it.

2. Fic you spent the least time on: Oh probably Jitters? Any of the ones I post on here and then move to ao3 I write in one sitting and are usually pretty quick, but Jitters was one of those things that just kind of appeared fully written in my head and it took like five minutes to get it down.

3. Longest fic: By My Sword is currently! Art and Hearts should take that spot back with the next update, but By My Sword is at 24,408. Arts and Hearts should hit 25k at the next update bc I’ve been keeping each chapter at 5k.

4. Shortest fic: It’s Okay to Cry which is 421 words of Jack Kelly being a dad friend

5. Most hits: 2175 on About Time

6. Most kudos: 377 on Soft Lines which is the first non-Newsies appearance in this post sjhgsjhfghjsf (it’s Good Omens)

7. Most comment threads: 55 on Art and Hearts! 

8. Fave fic you wrote: Ohh that’s like asking me to choose a favorite child I Love Art and Hearts (which is why it takes so long to update fellas I refuse to rush it bc I don’t want to hate it) and By My Sword. Also Percy Jackson Died which the pjo fandom on here seemed to like too. And Three Steps Forward which is Bandstand fic about my boy Jimmy Campbell

9. Fic you want to rewrite/expand on: oh so many of my old ones. Pretty much anything from before the summer of 2018 I don’t like now, and even things from last year I can see my growth from. At some point I’m planning on rewriting some of my old stuff at the very least to reformat it into something readable. Tbh though after going through my entire list of works on ao3 I wanna take a shot at The One That Got Away again because I never ended up finishing it and it was a very good concept.

10. Share a bit of your WIP or share a story idea that you’re planning:

Jack was rough and tumble, could convince a mountain to move with the way he spoke and yet stumbled over his words when he was just having a conversation. He was an artist, constantly covered in streaks of bright colors leftover from whatever project he was working on, even when he was working at his day job, where he was always covered in flour from doing the baking for the tiny coffee shop he “practically owned ‘cause like, Kloppman just lets me do whatever shit I want which is why everything is so good.” He was loud and….and bright, that was the only way Davey could think to describe him.

He’d tried. More times than he’d really like to admit, he’d tried to capture Jack in words like he’d managed to capture so many characters he’d written. It should have been easier than the characters he made up entirely. He didn’t have to come up with a name (Jack, meaning “god is gracious,” Kelly, meaning “bright-headed,” no middle name) or an appearance (5’8 but claims 5’9, curly dark brown hair that could be described as shaggy, dark, dark brown eyes that almost looked black in some light. Very square jaw, like ridiculously square. A smile that took over his entire face. Not that Davey was paying that much attention), and yet he just couldn’t find the right words to get Jack Kelly to translate into words.

He was too energetic to be trapped in written language, he changed too often and moved too much and was so much that the stillness of ink could never hope to communicate who he was. The way his hands jumped when he talked, the way he swung an arm around the shoulders of anybody he liked who was close enough to touch, the way he paused when he was searching for a word, the way he bounced on the balls of his feet as he spoke, the way laughter seemed trapped behind his eyes in flashes of light until it escaped out of his mouth, everything about Jack Kelly was kinetic and Davey couldn’t seem to get a freeze-frame on him clear enough to write it down.

Not that he needed to. He had no reason to try and capture Jack Kelly in writing. Why would he? He wasn’t falling for Jack, he wasn’t overly attached to Jack, and he definitely wasn’t frustrated at his inability to describe Jack Kelly.

There’s one that should hopefully be done fairly soon. Also somebody needs to stop me before I write a Javid au for The Thing About Harry because I’m very close to it and if I start that now this one will never get done and I like this one. Also there’s another secret one in progress that Byrd knows about but I latched onto the one I just posted from before I could finish it but it’s also very good.

[dracoisthebae]

Oh you're a photographer? Cool! Question, what, in your opinion, is the best picture taken of each achievement hunter? Also, best AH photoshoot?

Part 1!!!! part 2 is under the tag AH photography analysis

Ok I am so excited to have been asked this!!!! These are in the order I come across them in my folder so no favourites unless I say one is my favourite. The numbers are just a reference. Some people may have more than one favourite because I couldn’t choose.

1. Matt

So this photo of Matt is particularly nice because it is framed to cut his feet out of the picture which stops a person from looking like they’re floating in nothing. The lighting on his face is nice, it’s no fancy studio lighting and the photo just seems really natural. The one hand in the pocket and the other on the phone is gorgeous, I’m a big lover of candids and candid style which is basically just natural looking poses rather than staged poses.

2. Jeremy

This is a good photo of Jeremy as its just him in the photo, what this means is that there’s no tie to height. Jeremy isn’t incredibly short but his height is mentioned a fair bit in videos but in this photo you have no gauge for his height. The posing is still natural while being a pose, his neck isn’t stretched in the way that a model who is doing fashion poses goes for, its at a natural level. The tilted head and lean on the van allow for some play between the model and the props that again, appears natural. As though you have walked up to him and began to take his picture and he’s giving you the middle finger. Lighting is gorgeous and I’m glad of the black and white choice because it draws you away from any glaring colours and specifically to Jeremy.

3. Trevor

The lighting. Absolutely gorgeous. The spotlight effect works brilliantly with this line of merch because the triangle seems to suggest some tie to the illuminati (that’s what I’m getting anywho) so the spotlight makes him feel important. The spread legs is a powerful pose, natural posing with the hands in the pocket one by the side. The colour choice on the gels works perfectly for his skin, a warmer gel works really well on him!

4. Gavin

So the sitting down photo, obeys the rule of thirds perfectly. They both do! Good choice on not keeping his legs in the photo for the sitting down one as the bent knees can sometimes look strange at this type of angle, lovely colour choice. I don’t know if these images are digital or film but this one has the feel of film with its yellow cast and harsh shadows and this works really well!

The ACHIEVE photo, excellent clothing choice with the hot pink vs grass green. They clash in a lovely way! Gavin looking off screen allows the focus to be more on the clothes rather than him. A common theme with AH photoshoots is the hands in them pockets! It’s a good pose for models who aren’t used to modelling! Works lovely! The placement of Gav within the frame allows the branding to be clear which is perfect for if this were on a Billboard. 

5. Fiona

Fiona is the most experienced model, she knows what she’s doing and it shows! She experiments with dynamic poses and they work so well! The sitting down photo, the crossed legs with the one hand leaning on the legs while holding a prop while the other hand is touching her face but she isn’t looking at the prop, she’s looking at something else. This tells a story! There’s something distracting her! I’m undecided on wether the chair that is slightly in frame is worth being in the shot or not, that’s up to the photographer. Lighting is always perfect in these shoots! The yellow works lovely on her skin and the light has a warmer tone which again looks lovely.

The standing photo, this photo is pure dynamic posing. Looking at this photo alone you can tell that this photoshoot was about stretching and bending. The green hair works with the fact that the photo its self is a cooler toned photo, the styling on clothing is lovely because although she is mostly covered there’s still the rolling down of the joggers which makes it a bit more natural, as though she knew the joggers were too loose so she rolled them down ready.

6. Alfredo

This is my favourite Alfredo photo, it’s so natural. This is pure Alfredo! He’s talking and he’s emoting and the camera caught it beautifully! Well done to the photographer on this one! It’s difficult to make a photo look nice when it’s not planned and this one looks lovely! The sweat on his face tells you that he’s been busy, the mic suggests he’s on stage so he’s probably been talking onstage and probably playing some games. The fact that his raised arm has separated is good, so that you aren’t just seeing the front of his arm but the back as well!

7. Geoff

This is so Geoff. The photo seems natural. Like you just walked up to him in a pile of graffiti. It looks like he’s just hanging out and thinking to himself. Good choice of pose on this one with the arms on the legs. Excellent choice on cutting the foot out of the frame as it really makes the photo seem less posed, this kind of photo is one you WANT to seem natural and it does.

8. Jack

Jack is a smart guy, he likes rockets and he loves playing with Legos! This photo is such a good headshot, from this alone you can get some of his character, he’s funny from the raise of the brow, the line of his mouth makes him seem serious but his hair flicks bring some silly ness. Had his hand not been holding his glasses this would have been a much less interesting shot, it would have felt like one of those old tumblr photos where everyone raised their eyebrows, but instead he’s using his glasses as a prop to play with which makes it seem natural!

I will have to continue this in another part because I’ve hit a limit on pictures!!

Thank you so much for asking this!!!

[dotsayers]

20 Questions: Writer’s Edition

tagged by the beloved @myrmidryad 

this is a LONG one so here’s a cut to avoid do you love the colour of the sky syndrome

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

101 after a recent purge... no one may know about my Past

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

329004! used to be about 350k but again... purge

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

on ao3 i’ve written for (chronologically) doctor who, skyfall, discworld, les mis, star trek, lord peter wimsey, marvel (various), in the flesh, red vs blue, roosterteeth rpf, check please, hockey rpf, star wars, daredevil, rivers of london, dishonored, emmerdale, dirk gently, holby city, hot fuzz, kj charles, guardian, the covert captain, taskmaster rpf, good omens, ghosts, roswell new mexico, leverage, schitt’s creek, the magicians, 9-1-1, it chapter two, the magnus archives, the old guard, the mandalorian, the ritual, the locked tomb

way back on the pit of voles i wrote for twilight, harry potter, hetalia and xmen first class. and on the newsround chatrooms i wrote exclusively harry potter fic about my oc neville and luna’s daughter

as you can tell i am not prone to staying in one fandom writing wise, i tend to end up with one complete fic and seven abandoned wips concealed deep in my google drive

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

finally see what it means to be living (captain marvel, carol/maria, i really hit the zeitgeist with this one i think i was something like the fifth fic in the ship tag)

do whatever you think (the magnus archives, this series is actually #2-7, then #8 #9 and #11 for me so i’m going to cheat a bit)

standing in a world of my own (daredevil, matt/foggy/karen, another zeitgeist hit! really miss writing for daredevil actually... it’s a perennial fave)

a winding road that stretches towards the truth (iron man, tony/rhodey, i STILL don’t know when this got so many kudos. i swear i looked away when it was at 100 and suddenly it ended up here)

where the long shadows grow (star trek aos, kirk prime/spock prime, thank god some people are checking the prime kirkspock tag is all i’m saying!)

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

i don’t really Do angsty endings... possibly a blanket of stars just because i ended it on something of a cliffhanger and then completely zoned out of rnm for long enough that i forgot where i was going with it. there was definitely the intention of fixing things but then i just... did not do that. and now the show is on s3 and i’m over a season behind! life comes at you fast

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

where the long shadows grow, because it reunited kirk prime and spock prime and they DESERVE TO BE HAPPYYYY. i’m a complete sucker for presumed dead/back from the dead stories, actually, so on a similar theme i have two (TWO) daredevil fics which follow the trope, one about ray coming back post-s2 (might never be normal again) and one about foggy and matt reuniting post-endgame (in the corner, taking up space). this is the only time i will ever acknowledge endgame ever again

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

i do write crossovers! in fact i am often roundly mocked by my friends for the increasingly esoteric nature of my crossovers. way back in secondary i wrote a twilight/labyrinth crossover where angela was sarah and jareth’s daughter  because i had a massive crush on a girl who liked both twilight and labyrinth. however, since that has been comprehensively scrubbed from the internet, i think my craziest crossover is probably part three of ‘traced upon the skies’, already an esoteric crossover of rivers of london and hot fuzz, when i added in a crossover with the horror movie ‘the ritual’ just because i wanted rafe spall’s character to be happy 

8. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

EXTREMELY rarely and only with extreme embarrassment. i will not be any more specific than that

9. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

i used to really struggle with doing this, to the point that i had over 300 comments just. lingering in my inbox unanswered. so i decided to give those up and just commit to answering them from then on, which has been working fairly well for about a year and a half now. i love getting comments but i get overwhelmed really easily and struggle with replying in a way which feels meaningful without getting in my head about it! 

10. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

yes lmao it was for a harry potter fic on ff.net where harry got sorted into hufflepuff instead of gryffindor. it wasn’t a very good fic but i think the fact it was clearly written by an 11 year old should have scared off at least some of the less flattering comments.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i don’t... think so? i don’t know how i’d find out to be honest, my vanity googling is rarely very effective

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! as bronze may be much beautified (skyfall, mallory/bond) got translated into chinese, i was extremely pleased. i think it’s mandarin but the ao3 page for the translation doesn’t say and my mandarin is.................. extremely poor

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

also yes! me and jess little-smartass have written a lot together, although only our star trek/les mis series has been published, more’s the pity. we spent a lot of les mis fandom time workshopping aus and we were always extremely correct about all of it, imo

14. What’s your all time favourite ship to write for?

oh god. i think probably kirk/spock, although there’s some recency bias to that since i reread space manhattans recently and was reminded of my love for them. i really like writing jon/martin but i’ve mostly done that from outsider pov which is a bit different to writing shipfic, i think. joe/nicky from tog was also something i really liked writing but i struggle with plotting longer fic with them

15. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

i recently went through my abandoned fic folder so i actually have a few options for this. the obvious choice would be ‘any of the hockey ones’ but i did delete most of those just for my sanity. more recently i started writing a vaguely smutty pre-the thing mac/fuchs fic for alex @milkdrinker5000 which i really WANT to finish but am struggling with. most obscure answer (even beyond the thing) and most likely to remain unfinished is the insanely in depth post-tog booker/copley fic i had planned out back in about october. i wrote a good 6-7k of that one and then i realised it was going to be, like, difficult, and decided if i was going to put that much work into something it may as well be the novel im meant to be writing

16. What are your writing strengths?

once a friend told me i had an excellent facility for dialogue and ive thought about it every time i write ever since. i love writing dialogue and i think i’m good at knowing what sounds ic and what is right out. 

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

one of the things i struggled with for a really long time, and honestly still have trouble with, is depicting action in words. once i wrote a hockey fic which featured multiple hockey games and i spent probably four times as much effort editing those to make sense and be interesting that i’ve ever done on a talkier scene.

18. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

i’ve done it but only when i knew more or less what i was talking about - i did italian at school so i felt confident using it for nicky in something particular and real. i try not to italicise when i drop in words from other languages, which is what i usually do when i’m using a language i haven’t studied in depth (for example, joe’s use of arabic in some of my fic), and to only use words which i’ve heard used by native speakers in that context. i think if you don’t feel confident using another language, generally speaking, you shouldn’t do it. and for god’s sake don’t use google translate for a full sentence

19. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

harry potter on the newsround chatboards. ariana lovegood-longbottom my sweet child

20. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

this used to be an easy question because hands down the fic i was proudest of on posting it was i’ll be seeing you. i spent a year and a half on research and writing! but these days i do cringe a little at my hockey fic, and i think i’m prouder of some of my shorter works. let’s do a curveball and say layer on layer, down on down, which is my favourite of my rnm fics and the one i like most from a narrative voice perspective. getting michael right was stressful and i’m still proud i got it down for a TIME LOOP FIC, my absolute favourite trope

tagging @little-smartass and @leescoresbies just in case they want to try this

[tosikoarts]

SFW Alphabet | Mihael Keehl

You can check tosikowrites tag for more! Warning: there’s a lot under the cut.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

The most straightforward among main three of Wammy’s boys. His interpretation of own feelings is excellent and he makes sure everybody around knows about them. If he hates you, you’ll feel a burning hole in your back whether it is because of intense staring or literal bullet. If he loves you, you’ll be surrounded by abundance of affection.

When it comes to person he loves, Mello is very vocal. Words do matter, they oblige you and put responsibility on your shoulders. That’s why he loves to brag about his dearest to the closest friends, and even acquaintances know about this one special person. Another important thing is nickname, which Mello chooses based on the brightest features of character/appearance. Baby, honey, dearest are common too but he feels that  they deserve exceptional treatment and exceptional nickname.

He absolutely loves physical affection. Skin to skin contact gives him weird sensation right in the head as if he can physically feel neurons releasing dopamine. It also helps with keeping his anxiety under control.

By the way, sometimes inferiority complex gets the best of him, and in these moments he is extremely capricious. For the same reason Mello may act like his loved one deserves everything, while he can go with bare minimum.

He is great at reassurances. The second he realizes his loved one is insecure, upset, lost, the gears in his head start zealously turning. The words he uttered are always spoken in the right tone and able to touch the necessary strings of the soul. At the same time Mello always has doubts in the efforts made.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Friendship with Mello carries spirit of 80s-90s. It’s a wild ride he once invited you to and then you couldn’t get off. Stuff gets messy, stuff gets hot, but it doesn’t matter until you both have fun.

He will roast you so much and will never get offended if you roast him in response. Mello aims for a good laugh only. His favorite entertainment is to go shopping together just to critic each other’s outfits.

You better move that body when he drags you on the dance-floor. Blasting music and colorful lights make him feel like a fish in the water so Mello will try to teach you dance. Yes, from the easiest ones to Michael Jackson’s moonwalk.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Cuddles are essential for relationship with Mello. He enjoys snuggle up to his loved one on calm evenings, when there’s nothing to disturb the peace. Warmness of loved one’s head on his chest and smell of their skin calm him down better than chamomile-mint tea. He loves to listen to the sound of another person’s heartbeat as well.

Mello has one pet peeve tho: frequent head pats and hair stroking lead to greasy hair and this is exactly what he hates. If they put hand on his beautiful blond locks, he will take them by the finger and place their palm on his lips. This is a small but very loud gesture.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

The thought of settling down     never popped up in his head. Mello is way too young, he wants to live his     life to the maximum without thinking about another dirty plate in the sink     or how long it takes to make boiled eggs. Based on this you can say he     doesn’t like to do any housework. His cooking skills are decent but he     prefers creative mess to boring order. Mello likes to help someone in     kitchen when he is in the good mood.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Nervous type he is, Mello doesn’t want to end this relationship. But he has to. But he can’t. He is indecisive and hesitates on the way to them. Hell, if they are in good mood or overly excited, Mello won't say a word about break up. In his mind it has to be like pulling a tooth – painful but necessary, - but real life doesn’t work that way. When the moment finally comes he cannot keep his voice steady. Mello tries to end it as fast as possible and hold back a scream because yelling at his loved one is something he promised he’ll never do. Actually, I can see him doing something impulsive to blow off steam. Breaking random stuff, for example, or shooting bottles.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

No. Getting married is too much. He can’t see wedding bells ring no matter how hard he tries. Every day he becomes more confident in thought that strong sincere relationship do not need bureaucracy in the form of marriage. The only time you need a marriage certificate is during the divorce process. Mello isn’t 100% sure but pretty close to this percentage. If his loved one insists on marriage he will immerse in conflicting feelings. Then his next actions will depend on many factors but Mello definitely will try to explain his  position and convince them in its     validity.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Mello is on the rougher side when it comes to both physical and emotional affection. Childhood in the orphanage, involvement with the mafia, psychological issues, and responsibility placed on his shoulders taught it is necessity to be tough to survive in this world. When he lets his guard down nasty inner voice keeps reminding Mello about situations in which it could be a critical mistake. This leads us to the next point.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Here he comes, another  touched-starved male with trust issues. Mello needs time to get used to soft touch of other’s person hands. Sometimes he puts too much strength in his hugs and it may come across a little rough. Likes them anyway, takes initiative 90% of the time.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It completely and entirely depends on his gut feeling. Something elusive tells him whether to trust a person or not, it’s not a rational decision. As soon as this strange sensation appears, he will immediately calmly utter three treasured words, and it’s not even so important for him to hear them in return. Mello just wants another person to know that they have become an integral part of his life.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

In addition to being easily jealous, Mello is scary as hell when someone is hitting on his loved one. If he witness such insolence, he will be extremely vocal and, well, unexpectedly rude. He is not afraid to get physical too.

If it’s his loved one who is acting flirtatious, Mello will be pissed off as well. His feelings are explosive mix of disappointment, anger, malcontent. It’s better to get off his way and let him cool a little before trying to explain anything or make excuses. In a fit of jealous rage he may say some terrible things which he’ll regret later.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

The most passionate kisser imaginable. He loves to kiss and he knows how to do it properly so why would you complain. He tends to forget about personal boundaries in process so make out sessions can get really… touchy. Anyway, loves to shower his loved one with kisses all over them, but lip smooches are his favorite. At the same time Mello doesn’t care where they kiss him because of solid fact he is being kissed.  

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He is so awkward. Calm/gentle/kind children are ok, but if he has to deal with angry little shit who throws tantrum whenever possible, he will flip out. Being around his own children is more or less bearable but don’t expect much when it’s someone else's kids annoying poor man. Mello definitely will teach his favorite one all of the swear words as a joke.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

On a free day no matter who wakes up first you will spend another hour in the bed cuddling. Then life will pour cold water on you when Mello gets frustrated with making breakfast. This may grow into small quarrel but most of the time he pulls himself together and you two find a satisfying compromise. During breakfast on work week you rarely hear any plans for the day from him but he stays curious about your schedule just to see if he can catch you for a lunch or a short call. Nothing special, really.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Night is his favorite time of the day. Neon signs, coolness, slight buzz of a big city work as a charm on Mello, he feels free from people’s staring, empty chatter, and daily duties. If he could show the world as he sees it to his loved one, at least approximate image, dim reflections of pale moon in the high-rises’ glass, he would. So to do it he takes them on late night walks and rides, new places every time.  

Cafes and restaurants are another of his weaknesses, not only pastry shops, but also small diners with food that would seem boring to many. Take-outs are frequent too because chilling under the lilac sky and stargazing with Mello are 10 out of 10.

Don't let yourself be fooled, he likes to stay inside as much. Thanks to Matt, you’ll spend most of the time playing video-games and drinking pop until one of you starts yawning.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Mello is straightforward within adequate limits. You wouldn’t expect person to blur out “I hunt a Kira with my genius rival that works with FBI and Japanese Police” at any point of your movie night anyway, right? He does not pretend and does not resort to excessive secrecy but prefers to reveal facts about himself one by one.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Quickly gets angry, quickly cools down. Sadly, he his emotions are too strong and he does not know how to handle them and it often ends in heated argument. Even during a quarrel he feels his actions are hurting you but it’s not something he can stop at the click of a finger. After everything has settled down he is extremely remorseful and tried to make amends but Mello never ever promises to change. Why you make ask? In that case actions speak louder than words.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Remembers the stupidest things. He can’t remember any important dates like the day you started dating but will remind you about the most embarrassing thing you did in high school. Hell, he forgets your number sometimes but can describe the exact clothes you wore on that rainy day when car splashed you.

Unknown forces help Mello in choosing a birthday present. He has no clue what you wanted and if you wanted anything at all. Surprisingly, it always hits the mark.

Tried to write down “important” stuff about you once. Failed miserably. Decided to never do it again.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

The first time when they confessed their love to him since Mello rewound this moment in his head like a hundred times. He remembers what color sky was and what song was playing on the background and those little details made this moment more beautiful than the masterpieces of the Louvre. Joy overwhelmed him and he couldn’t get this picture off his head for a few days too.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Not that paranoid protective and obviously doesn’t need to be protected However, he will be fluttered if person showed that they care. He will freak put if they don’t answer his calls or messages for hours and in the case of real danger he will take that gun and shoot someone as a warning.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He puts more effort in the beginning of relationship and its amount slowly declines with time. The closer he gets, the less he needs to try to cover up his sharp edges and imperfections or try to distract person with some kind of mask, mannerism, maneuver. Playing nice in early stages of dating gives him chance to throw the bait, to show he is able to be that datable material. A completely different question is whether a person wants to stay with him in spite of his inner demons.

Mello likes to surprise them with something special on anniversaries. Expect romantic late night motorcycle ride, car dates with take-out, and, of course, gifts. He likes to make/buy a presents person will like, something they wanted for a long time but couldn’t afford.

Acts extra-extra after anger tantrums. He knows he fucked up, okay, he just can’t control himself. Yes, it’s a lot easier to cover up consequences with huge bouquet and box of chocolates than to correct behavior learned over the years.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

If you ever had to deal with person stubborn as a donkey, you’ve seen demo-version of Mello’s behavior. Making compromises is not his strategy, so get ready for “this is the only right option”, “I said what I said”, “Yeah, go ahead, I’ll do it my way”. He immediately begins to sulk and spill his sassiness all over the place if things don’t go his way.

Doubtful impulsive decisions are most likely the cause of constant arguing and problem mentioned above. At first he does something (to say the least) stupid with impressive confidence. Then, after hours or days, his brains finally comes up with reasonable arguments but now it’s too late to back out.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

It’s obvious Mello likes to take care of himself. His sense of style is indisputable, he sticks to it and never fails to embellish the picture with shiny jewelry or other accessories. There may be dirt on his leather boots and soot on fur hood but they only complete his conceived image.

Probably has one company from which he buys all the hair care products. Feeling of easy combing through smooth silky hair before bed is another of his a little happiness.

How does he have such perfect face despite eating chocolate everyday? Mello is fond of beauty creams, masks, serums, and he doesn’t allow a single pimple ruin his day. Also, he uses different healing creams to soften the scars.

He would love to mess around with loved one trying new beauty products. There’s nothing better than taking care of each other.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Yes, yes, yes. It doesn’t matter why they are not in his life anymore, he feels devastated. All attempts to distract himself fail as he goes back to thinking about them every five-ten minutes, and not only thinking but overthinking. Sometimes his thoughts throw him back to the past, first meeting, first kiss, and it gnaws Mello even more.

If they left for some reason, he will try to get them back. A chance meeting in the evening is completely planned, he also rehearsed his lines in the head more than a thousand times just to stay calm and avoid going off on tangent.  

If they died, he will attend their grave for a few months. It doesn’t help much. He becomes incredulous and gloomy, scaring everyone around with frequent mood swings and defiant behavior. I can see him growing more actively aggressive and acting like he doesn’t have anything to lose too.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Because of his chocolate addiction, Mello has to visit dentist’s office quite frequently. The problem is he hates dentists and everything about them. The sound of a dental drill makes his skin crawl.

Mello can pull off any style, rock any outfit. He can dress up in trash bag and be fabulous as always. You can splash that man with the dirtiest water and he will still shine bright like a diamond. Unholy beauty.

He was that kid that got the highest score on Facebook picky sheet. He hates broccoli, never eats mushrooms, avoids pickles. Name any controversial food – he doesn’t eat it.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Mello can deal with pushy people but manipulators drive him nuts. As soon as he notice the smallest attempt to manipulate him, he will lash out. So you have to be the master manipulator to twist him around your finger or the batshit crazy person to pull an obvious manipulation on him.

Absence of communication. He won’t play mind games and try to guess your thoughts, so you better speak out your mind.

Oh, Mello doesn’t want a person who nods to everything he says. Sharing personal opinions plays a big role in relationships and he won’t agree to lose such way to connect.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

Mello sticks to adequate sleeping schedule. His lifestyle forces him to break it from time to time but he quickly makes up for sleepless nights. He doesn’t even get moody or irritated. On the contrary, his reactions slow down, and the only thing he is interested in is comfortable bed.

Speaking of comfort, Mello likes to wrap himself in fluffy blankets. The more pillows there are around him, the better his mood will be in the morning.

Dark chocolate rich in magnesium can help you sleep better so Mello prefers switch from milk chocolate to dark in the evening. It is not uncommon to find a wrapper foil on the nightstand in his bedroom.

[trashboatprince]

I had another idea for Tentoo and Rose, and I had to write it up.

Summery: Clearly, if you’re going to be living in a new world where you can’t just always get away with psychic paper to get into places, you’re gonna have come up with an identity for yourself.

And that includes a name.

So, Rose and the Doctor have an afternoon to kill, why not figure out what works best for the guy?

The name I give Tentoo is pretty much my headcanon name for him, do with it what you will. Also, the names suggested are mostly for fun.

On with the fic!

--

To Name a Doctor

--

A thwump sound caught the Doctor’s attention from the banana he was peeling, and his attention was drawn to the puce folder in front of him. It was still weird that puce was the color for folders rather than manilla in this universe, but it was the little things that seemed to catch his attention more than the big things.

Like how the chips here were terrible and he was working on genetically modifying a root vegetable in order to make actual, good chips.

The Doctor looked up at Rose who sat on the opposite side of the kitchen’s bar, gently pushing the folder closer to him. “Dad wanted me to give you these yesterday, but I forgot them in the car last night.”

“And they are…?” He asked, opening it up to see documents that required him to fill out information.

“Well, they’re identification papers that Dad and I wrote up yesterday over lunch. You’ve been here for over a week now and you’ve done a number of things but have not given yourself an identity here.” Rose replied and the Doctor set down his banana, giving this a little bit of thought.

Yes, in just his ten days here in Pete’s World, he’s built himself a screwdriver, bought himself some clothes, pretty much moved into Rose’s room (though he technically had his own in the Tyler estate until he and Rose found their own place), and had gotten on Jackie’s nerves at least thirty nine times. Oh, and he was able to properly identify and disarm an alien gas bomb that Torchwood had discovered through a phone call with Pete.

But Rose was right, he had yet to do anything about giving himself ‘official’ documents here. Rose had her own made forever ago, excellent fakes, no one could tell that they weren’t real, which means he’d have to get himself some too.

“Hmm… do we have anything planned today?” The brunet asked as he looked over the papers.

“Nope.” Rose spoke, popping the P. “So, wanna lie on some documents?”

The Doctor’s grin rivaled the one his girlfriend shared, and he took the pen she offered him. She got up from her seat, saying she was gonna make them some tea and he nodded, looking down at the papers in front of him.

“Alright, let’s fill out the easy stuff.” He commented, quickly writing down his weight, height, hair and eye color for IDs and ‘updated’ information, before hitting the roadblocks. “Birth date… hmmm, what do you think works best? Christmas Day, or when the meta-crisis happened?”

Rose looked over her shoulder, confused. “Christmas Day?”

“You know, when…?” The Doctor raised his right hand, wiggling his fingers.

This got a laugh out of the blonde as she put the kettle on the stove. “Oh, that’s a good one! I’d say Christmas, I mean, technically it was the day you were born, both as the hand and as the new Doctor.”

“Well, actually, I was regenerated on that day in the Game Station, and we arrived back on Earth on Christmas Eve, but still, close enough!” The part-Time Lord wrote down December 25th on the document before frowning. “Okay, parents… technically myself and Donna.”

“Then put down John Smith and Donna Noble.” Rose snickered. “Oh, I bet they’d have real laugh about that.”

“Donna might! Before she’d get angry about it. ‘Oi, spaceman! I am not gonna be your mother, even if I did help make you’!” The Doctor spoke, putting on his best impression of the fiery redhead, which sounded way too much like her, so he quickly shut his mouth. Rose burst out laughing at this and he scowled, before laughing as well. He quickly wrote down the names before pausing.

“I do have to give myself a name. John Smith won’t work. I mean, it’s worked a number of times, but some people are so suspicious of how generic it is, ya know? And I’m technically another version of the Doctor, still him, but upgrade, in a sense.” Like Hell he’d say he was downgrade.

Rose shrugged. “You could be a junior, or a second.”

The Doctor made a face. “Hmm… I dunno… maybe I could try for a new name? Something a bit different. What do you think of David?” He asked, saying the first name to come to mind.

“Hmm…” Rose thought, looking him over. “You sort of look like a David, but we’ll put that in the maybe pile. What about Matt?”

“Nah, don’t look much like that. Peter?”

“No, not that. Alec?”

“I feel like that name would make me ruder than I already am. Anthony?”

Rose snorted. “No, that’s my brother’s name! Though, if you were ginger with that name… Crowley?”

The Doctor shook his head. “Don’t think I could pull that off. Corin?”

Both paused and made faces. “No, no, terrible name, you’re right.” He shook his head. “Somehow that sounds ruder than Alec! Cassiopeia?”

“Doctor, I know I probably won’t call you these names except around people who don’t know you’re the Doctor, but there is no way in hell I’m callin’ you that.”

The Doctor looked at her funny. “What’s wrong with naming myself after a constellation?”

Rose just looked at him, raising an eyebrow, crossing her arms with an expression that basically shouted ‘are you seriously asking that question’.

“Right.” He sighed, scratching his head. “Jack?” He joked and she laughed. “Nah, good point. Oh! Wait, I’ve got one! Wilfred!”

This got Rose to raise an eyebrow. “Donna’s grandpa?”

“Yes! He’s a good man, really enjoyed his company, got to spend some time with him. Did you know he got a star named after him after he discovered it? Amazing, real proud of that man.” The Doctor smiled softly, toying with the pen in his hands. “I hope he’s doing okay.”

Rose knew there was a quiet, unspoken addition to that, but she didn’t bring it up. “Wilfred is a good name; do you want that?”

“I was thinking that’d be my middle name. I might go with John as the first, for old time’s sake, but Wilfred is the middle name. And… Noble, for the last name?”

The blonde gave this a bit of thought, tapping at her chin. “John Wilfred Noble… I like it.”

“Sounds good enough to tag on Tyler to it in the future?” The half-alien grinned and Rose walked over, giving him a little shove before a kiss on the cheek.

“John Wilfred Tyler-Noble? I think that’s an excellent name. Just don’t be writin’ that down on that paperwork! Don’t want Dad asking us a million questions!”

“Oh come on, it would be hilarious to show my ID card to your mom and watching her reaction!” He got a punch to the arm, making him wince. “Alright, alright, I’ll save that for later.”

Rose smirked and kissed his cheek again. “Right, so, for now you just leave the Tyler part off until we get that far. But this looks pretty good, now, onto figuring out your birth year.”

“Oh, that’s gonna be a challenge.”

END

--

Just something short and sweet. I’m in that group of Tentoo fans that loves the idea that he took on Wilfred’s name and Donna’s last name, especially cause I’ve been looking into the side content involving Ten and Donna and how much he seems to enjoy the Noble family (yes, that includes Sylvia, to a smaller extent, I mean, he even pretended she was his mother-in-law in an audio adventure). And yes, Wilfred does have a star named after him, its from one of the novels.

I might make this a little series of one-shots of Tentoo adapting to Pete’s World, spending time with the Tylers, and exploring this universe.

Thanks for reading! 

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt 114 prt 2

Lance bit down a laugh, relieved to know they didn’t suspect macaroon was a baby and not a dessert snack

“That’s right. You were in hospital. Hunk said it was an accident. Are you okay?”

Why was Shay bringing that up now?

“Yeah. I had a stomach bug and fainted. A whole lot of worry for nothing”

“Plus he’s been working in Platt...”

Hunk was trying to help, but how was he supposed to explain that? Especially when Shay looked so interested

“You’re a lawyer, right?”

“Yep. Family law. It always gets busy towards Christmas”

“Don’t let them lie to you, Shay. He and Keith have totally shacked up. We’ve been abandoned”

Shay giggled as she bumped Pidge with her shoulder

“They are kind of cute together”

“If by cute you mean “totally gross”, then sure”

Shiro finally decided to “Dad” up

“Now, now. They’re happy. That’s the main thing. So what do we want to do now?”

“I could totally go for a nap right here... the fire feels so nice. Kosmo’s got the right idea, totally digging out and letting the fire warm his balls”

Lance wished he had something to throw at Matt, instead Rieva proved to be on his side

“Mmm... that’d be nice. I left my book in our cabin. I could go for dogging out too”

Werewolves. You couldn’t take them anywhere. Curtis seemed to be on team “lounge about” too. Lance had kind of thought the weather would be clearer and they’d be able to explore the area more

“We could do presents? It’d be an excellent way to warm up again”

“Yes! Okay, let me get mine for Keith!”

“And I’ll get ours!”

Hunk seemed enthused

“Matt’s going to brave the snow and get ours, the fire’s too nice to leave”

“Baaaabe”

“Awww, do you need me to hold your hand”

“Yes”

Rieva shoved Matt in the shoulder

“Go get ours before I throw you into the snow. And be nice. Go grab Lance’s present and his heat packs. He’s making me cold looking at him”

Matt dragged himself up

“Yes, boss. Do you two want anything else from your cabin?”

Lance knew it was horrible, yet he was struck with the strong feeling of not wanting Matt in his and Keith’s space. He knew it had to be his ego being stupid, but the feeling was uncomfortable and unwanted. When he didn’t answer, Keith answered for him

“Nah, thanks for asking, man”

“Okay... I guess I’ll be back soon. No stealing my spot while I’m gone. I farted on it”

Pidge wrinkled her nose

“Are you sure you don’t just stink all the time?”

“Not funny, Katie”

“Come over here and say that. I’ll bite you”

“And risk my ankles? I think not”

Pidge glared at Matt who darted out the living area. Stupid werewolves and their high body heat, and stupid feelings. He’d nearly growled at Matt as he’d passed Keith. This was beyond ridiculous. How the fuck was he supposed to keep his secret for the whole weekend, let alone until the next scan? Maybe he should just take his bad mood back to the cabin after the presents. It was Keith’s birthday. He shouldn’t be acting pissy at their friend for absolutely no reason.

*

Shiro’s gift wasn’t funny. His brother was an arsehole. He’d taken a photo of him sleeping, mouth open and all, then had it printed on a blanket, with matching socks. Shiro laughing far too hard at the look on Keith’s face. He’d wanted to open Lance’s first, but Lance seemed nervous for some strange reason, so Keith was now saving his for last. He knew whatever his boyfriend gave him, it had to be better than Shiro’s.

From Curtis he received a bat. A soft toy, but none the less it was bat. Poor Shay didn’t get the joke, Lance explaining Keith was totally terrified of them. Keith defending himself over the incident in the mine, though it was pretty good coverup story if he thought about it. He liked bats a little more, though only when they were Lance and not flying past his head like some great doom cloud. Curtis producing a second present that was heavily influenced by Shiro, because it was a damn bobble head of a bat. But of them sucked... not that he’d admit it, and not that they really did... Okay, Shiro did, but he already knew how lame his brother was. At least it wasn’t more sex toys. He hadn’t even told Lance he’d brought a few things with him.

Hunk’s gift was more practical. Seeing Keith’s bike still wasn’t on the road it was a voucher for his dad’s garage. At $250 it was far too much, despite Hunk insisting he’d be doing most of the work and Keith could help if he wanted too.

Shay’s gift was a fuel card for Balmera, to go with his bike once it was up and going, and stern lecture about visiting more because they missed him. It was nice... but still, he felt like it was too much. He didn’t need $100 voucher on top of Hunk’s, though Shay said she used her staff discount it was still... a lot.

Pidge was a gremlin. She’d always be a gremlin. She’d brought him a hard book map of Platt, laughing about his terrible sense of direction, and GPS tracker that kind of looked like the ones worn when under house arrest. She laughed at the confused look on her face, explaining it was for Lance so he wouldn’t lose his boyfriend when they were out. If anyone needed a GPS it was Matt. Especially after he and Rieva had “relocated” a cow for Lance’s birthday.

From Kosmo he was gifted a bag of treats and new harness seeing the old one was snug with how much his dog had grown. Shiro had picked it out... it was red with little bones on it... definitely more his brother’s taste.

Matt had gifted him a voucher for a bike shop. Keith wondering if he really seemed the voucher type. He was under orders to get a new helmet. He hadn’t thought about it, but all his friends had been pretty worried after his accident. It felt nice to be cared about... too cared about. This wasn’t like his birthday’s in the past. No Adam with his practical gifts... Or smell of burnt cake in the air.

Rieva had gifted him books... Vampire romance books... that he wasn’t sure how to accept. He only wanted to be intimate with one vampire, so possibly Lance would have a laugh out of them later. Shiro’s gift was bad but this wasn’t that great... Did Rieva always... Surely she didn’t just read porn... Rieva was smart, highly educated, and confident in herself... but even she couldn’t ignore pop culture making things seem like everything was possible when you were a vampire... Maybe she thought he could use a laugh?

Lance’s gift was finally the last. By now Keith really didn’t want to open up another voucher. He already had anxiety thinking about going shopping. Naturally he wanted to take Lance, but that was now even more dangerous. They hadn’t even had like a real date. They’d missed their reservation and opera with Lotor and Allura didn’t count. Lance‘a gift wasn’t that big... it felt like it was maybe two thing in there... and something kind of solid...

“Open it already!”

Trust Pidge to want to rush him. She probably wanted to know what vampires thought an acceptable gift when dating a hunter. Careful with the tag, he placed it aside. Yeah. No one else got that treatment, but then again, no one else had bothered putting a tag on it. The gift wrapped in red ribbon, Lance knowing he loved the colour red... the paper was plain white, not giving him any clues to the contents.

Unwrapping Lance’s present, he was actually really thrilled. It wasn’t a voucher. It wasn’t something to do with his bike, that he now felt a little self conscious about. He loved his bike and missed the feel of straddling her... not that Lance knew he called her a “her”. There was a small butterfly knife, not great in a real fight but a handy thing to have in a human fight. His collection of them was somewhere in the boxes from the move. The second knife was a proper good quality hunting knife, his name engraved on the hilt. This... this was definitely making onto his work belt

“I know you don’t like big expensive gifts. And I wanted to give you something useful. Just don’t go stabbing me with it”

Lance nuzzled into him, Keith kind of in shock. Like... he knew Lance paid close attention to the things he liked, and he felt like after Lance admitted he didn’t know much about cameras that it was Lance’s was of confessing he didn’t know much about him. He’d been totally wrong

“I won’t... babe... it’s perfect”

Keith hadn’t realised Shiro was actually recording the whole present opening thing. His brother chuckling

“I guess we know who’s gift he likes the most”

It was when he flipped his brother off that he noticed. It was probably bad that he wanted to start training with it...

“I love it...”

“We can tell. Happy birthday, kiddo”

Keith’s feelings flooded through him. The amount of love he felt for the group of people surrounding him was too much. He didn’t... he couldn’t thank them enough. Wrapping his arms around him, Keith hid his face against Lance’s cheek completely limp in Lance’s hold

“Happy birthday, samurai”

“I...”

“It’s okay... you’re allowed to be happy. You’re allowed to be scared too... Pidge is pretty scary”

“Fuck you. I’m a nice person when I want to be”

Lance chuckled

“See. She’s a terror. Okay, now that presents are done, I’m totally going for a nap... Take care of Keith for me”

He didn’t get to come? Shiro chuckled at the pair of them

“Don’t worry about that. He’s got his blades to play with. We’ll keep an eye on him”

“I’d prefer you kept both on him, or he’s likely to lose one of his own, and I’m afraid I can’t let him. I love his eyes too much”

*

When Lance left for his nap, Keith felt kind of lost. He couldn’t help but worry if his boyfriend made it back to the cabin and if he was okay. Still overwhelmed, he found himself sitting on the veranda of the cabin, playing with his camera because Shay would probably freak out if he played with his knife. Inside the others had figured out how to hook Pidge’s laptop up, playing some interactive game with their phones, which Hunk didn’t seem to be doing well at. Hearing the sliding door open, he knew it’d be Shiro coming to check on him.

Sitting down beside him, his brother looped his arm over Keith’s shoulders

“How you doing?”

“Okay... I... don’t really know”

“It’s definitely different to birthdays back in Rome”

“Yeah... louder... with more people and presents. It’s kind of weird”

“Really? I think it’s nice”

Keith looked up to Shiro who smiled down at him

“That’s because you’re weird”

“Nah. My baby brother is having the best birthday of his life. What more could I hope for?”

“Not to be surrounded by weirdos?”

“Nah. They’re fine. Is Lance okay?”

“He doesn’t like the cold...”

“I gathered that by how high the aircon’s been in the apartment. I also heard you kept a couple of wolves up last night”

Keith blushed. He loved the sounds Lance made and hadn’t thought about his voice carrying

“Yeah... I know it’s sex... but with him...”

“It feels special”

Special didn’t come close

“Yeah. We hadn’t done anything since the accident...”

“I understand that. As long as you two are okay, that’s all that matters”

“Are you okay? Is Curtis?”

“Yep. He’s worried about Lance but knows Lance will talk to him properly when he’s ready. He’s missed having him back at the house”

Keith groaned. He didn’t want Lance going back

“Kiddo?”

“I... it’s not fair but I... I get stuck thinking about what if he falls down the stairs again. We were so lucky the first time”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. I’m sure everything will be fine”

“The word for that is “macaroon””

“Let me guess, Lance decided?”

“Nope. We couldn’t decide what an “idiot crumpet” made when combined with an “anger loaf””

Shiro snorted with laughter

“He’s a bit strange with the bread analogies”

“He’s fine. I think you’re a croissant but it really depends on his mood”

“Because I’m delicious and a killer on the hips?”

Keith wrinkled his nose. His brother was too into this

“I don’t want to think about that. That can stay between you and Curtis”

“In that case let’s just say Curtis really likes croissants”

Thank god he didn’t say he liked buttered croissants or croissants with cream

“Ew... I’ve seen too much as it is. Is everyone else having fun?”

“Yeah. They get it. They don’t expect you to have to hide away what you’re feeling”

“Even when I don’t feel like I deserved everything they gave me. Them being here was enough”

“They chose gifts thinking of you. I gotta say, that GPS on your ankle would save me hours of worry”

“If you like it that much you should wear it”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

A comfortable silence fell between the two brothers. Shiro had done so much for him. Keith wished he knew how to pay him back for everything. He’d given him first happy birthday memories that he could remember. The door behind the slid open, then closed, again, Curtis coming out to join them. Sitting down on Keith’s other side, he was squashed in an idiot sandwich

“Pidge is ruthless. She and Shay have broken Hunk and Matt”

That sounded about normal for them, Keith asking

“And you?”

“Came to see what was taking you two so long. I was sure you’d be with Lance”

“He wanted to take a nap”

“I’ve noticed the change in his energy levels. Don’t tell me. He will when he’s ready. I do worry about him in the cold... It won’t kill him, but he may become aggressive if his body temperature drops too low”

Shiro sighed at Curtis

“Don’t stress Keith out. I’m sure Lance is fine”

Or he could be huddled up freezing his arse off

“Nope. I’m stressed now. I’m going to check on him. Shiro, take care of my camera for me, I’ll be back soon”

As Keith left the two idiots behind, he could hear Shiro scolding his boyfriend, Curtis protesting awkwardly. Their friends were so damn weird.

[soranihimawari]

Shatter

A story in several parts:

tw: reader chan’s sibling is a toxic force to be reckoned with; officers mentioned in later parts (civil servants for young adults); mentions of accidents and scarring [both emotional and physical]; young adult 18+ for strong and suggestive language 

word count: 6.8 K

tagging @oikawa-obvs​ @m0nstergeneration20xx​ @smolbludandelions

the characters and other tie in works: 

seijoh 4: oikawa, iwazumi, hanamaki, mattsun

spin off of the Running at 6a.m. feat. hanamaki and his s/o [plus s/o family]

Throughout this story, mattsun & q learn how important the actions of others does not define a set path.

Next >>

I.

“If I get one you like, you can have it,” you say with a wide smile. You still remember the third day of the last month of the year. You were nearly on the cusp of being eighteen within a few short weeks. You had heard a few weeks prior that one of your friends from middle school had moved to across town once her relatives agreed to taking her in during the summer leading into your respectful third years. Recently your were surprised your friend was so openly affectionate toward a certain strawberry blonde. You  would tease her saying that she was insane for having him wake her up at six in the morning during one of your late night voice calls.

“Well, Makki-kun is part of our school’s volleyball team,” she says. You sigh because your friend is right. “Besides aren’t you still interested in getting your hands a little dirty? I’m in serious need of my right hand mechanic to give me a hand running a few diagnostics…”

“I’ll clear it with Naka-one,” you say. “You know how much my sister worries.”

“Says the woman with the muscle memory of a saint,” your friend’s voice is singing sweetly into the receiver. “Besides, I think I can’t keep hiding my best friend away from those giants.”

“I suppose you’re right. Meet me at the station on Saturday, ok?”

“You got it. I can finally prove to Makki-kun’s friends that I do have other friends.”

II:

[Saturday//Ice Cream & Journals\\]

Winter was no joke as she briskly shared her wind across the neighborhood you found yourself visiting. You had arrived not too early in the mid-afternoon; you had an overnight Hershel bag with your various journalistic tools stacked in according to importance. You were a designer by instinctual honing skills whereas your friend was a hands on mechanical genius in her spare time. The two of you used to race up and down the hills of your childhood streets. Your drive to inspire others was something your sister had maintained with a skilled hand, but you were defiant against the dainty life she was grooming you to try to emulate. The argument reaches its pinnacle the night before you were supposed to be leaving to visit your friend:

“Your hobby is just that! A hobby! You can’t keep losing more hours of sleep over a career our parents didn’t think suitable for a teenager like you!”

Your markers container was the closest thing to your sister’s hands and instead of strangling you, she knocks over the matte boxes you so ideally spent hours recataloging. You say nothing, that is until those hands of hers reach for the journals you kept your portfolios of car designs is in her hands. 

“Don’t!” was the last word you were able to yell before the sounds of tearing roars into your eardrums. You are left alone collecting the shreds of your dreams on to the kitchen table. Your sister was as mad as a hatter, but you were too. If her madness only saw the way you clung to the last bit of your individuality like it was a godsend. 

So in the morning, you send a message to your friend who meets you at the train terminal. She dons sunglasses and extends a pastel jacket to you; the jacket has your nickname stitched on it with the sigil of a craftsman:

“I got your message. Man, you sister is really fucked up,” she says. 

“I know,” you retort. 

“You even cut your hair into a more asymmetrical cut. It looks good on you Q.”

Q is for Quantum. Your parent who birthed you chose that perhaps having born two daughters roughly seven years apart was not the best idea, but alas, here you were still wandering the corner of the outskirts of a city close to the palisades your host lives in.

The mod scarf you brought with you is wrapped around your neck in a double knot. The rest of your winter attire is kept simple in the various hues of indigo and splashes of cerulean pearls. Your best friend, you notice, is a bit more tan than before, but her ever present pizazz shines through like it always does. Women can be anything they set their minds to so long as they have the right know-how. 

“I have the guys meeting us up at the ice cream parlour not too far from here,” she says stifling an amused laugh when you scrunch your nose in a slight snarl. “What? You did want to meet the person I’m dating after all. And not to worry, this is only a small gathering.”

Your snarl subsides only to remain as neutral as possible. You nod as your friend rounds the corner of a children’s park across from the ice cream parlour bells chime when the door is pulled open by other patrons.

“Thank you,” you and your friend say walking through the open door which automatically closes behind you both. Your eyes are averted for a moment toward the glowing holographic menu cards above the cashier. The ice cream parlor is paired with an adjoining coffee bar as you take a look around. Your friend has a nickname too and the moment you hear a subtly calm voice call out to her, you realize you recognize the voice (from the photos she sends you, you know their names only as ichigo no kori, cinefile, pretty boy, and…) 

“Oh look, they’re all on time for once,” your friend says as she takes the lead with you close behind. When you reach the table, you unwrap your scarf from your neck.

“Makki, your girlfriend brought a friend,” the cinefile says. His winter attire is typically laid back as far as you could see; he donned a hoodie under his jean jacket and matching slacks. The person to his left, is the pretty boy. Apparently he was the aforementioned princely type who was more popular and it clicks in your brain why: Seijoh has a reputation for being a powerhouse. Then your eyes shift to the strawberry ice haired neighbor you were told so much about from several text conversations you had had. 

“The chisana josei has a right to bring whomever she likes, Iwazumi,” the baritone voice is curious as he eyes you quietly. 

“Of course she does,” your friend winks at you. You hear her whisper a play nice to you as she takes her place at the table next to her beau. You roll your eyes after your friend sits down, you shake your head like an etch and sketch. New slate for the weekend. I’m just here for a few days to give my sister a few days of quiet. Your consciousness rumbles.

“She’s awfully quiet,” the prince chuckles when you make a face. “Is it because she thinks I'm handsome?”

“Oh my god, the world doesn't revolve around you Oikawa,” the one named Iwazumi says through gritted teeth.

“Boys, boys, you’re both pretty, but remember Makki is dating me,” your friend reminds them and her boyfriend smirks. “Have a seat Q, before you actually start growing roots. Mattsun, be a dear and make some room for my best friend will ya?”

“I prefer to stand,” you said with a shrug. “If you want to flip for it, go right ahead.”

“You sure? I mean, Mattsun does make a pretty decent chair...” your friend’s voice trails off when she sees your gloved hand open and close. 

“That’s easy for you to say to an old friend,” you say when you take off your backpack when you hand it to her. “You’re not the one who was kicked out of the house again, so please excuse me if I decline the invitation for now.”

The conversation moves on after Makki challenges Iwazumi to another arm wrestling match while Oikawa heads to the counter to order a round of hot cocoa because it had already been sanctioned it was his turn to pay. Your friend converses at the end of the table with you and Mattsun together trying to act as a buffer between the most withdrawn people in the group. 

“Mattsun, did you know that Q is an excellent designer? She helped me forge the gas tank for the bike I use,” your friend sings your praises. How does she know what to say to push your buttons like that? Mattsun is apathetic, yet upon closer inspection of his softened features, he reminds you of an older cat. One who has both a playful and mischievous personality and your imagination wonders how fast you’d fall for him not knowing he was wondering the same thing. The middle blocker keeps a neutral expression as he stands up to help Oikawa with the drink carriers with the mugs. After a rocky start, you realize that the group is not so bad. You were now a group of six third years and you liked the odds of having a small unit composed of your best friend and her reverse harem. They walk with you two all the way back to their respective blocks and when Iwazumi along with Oikawa branch off, you are left with your best friend, Makki, and Mattsun in your company

“Six in the morning again?” your friend sighs. Her breath is caught in the chill air when he kisses her temple. You see how smitten they are for each other and while you had just survived an hour into the prolonged sabbatical, you wonder if you would eventually get a shot.

“We may have lost the game chisana josei, but at this point, I think it’s just Oikawa wanting to make sure we’re still sharp.”

“If you say so, but I’m not going to be joining you. It’s too cold,” she teases. “Q’s here to hang with me.”

“I’m sure I can find something to do for the meantime tomorrow,” you answer. “I don’t want to inconvenie--”

“She can run with me,” Mattsun speaks up, scratching his cheek. He had this quiet charm about him. The offer throws you off course for a little bit in the afternoon sun. 

“What do you think, Q? You up for a little excursion tomorrow?”

“Sure. It couldn’t hurt. You trust these two.Techinically dating one, but that’s besides the point.” The two of you laugh before realizing you set up a first date right under your nose. 

“Careful with this one Mattsun,” your friend teases, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder. Your bag is now carried on one of your shoulders after you leave the cafe. “Q is really one of a kind. A gem if you will. See you guys tomorrow morning. If it’s snowing, we’re both staying indoors and you two can run together…”

It didn’t snow the following morning.

--House Hours--

You heard movie nights were a tradition, so you had tagged along with your host for the weekend away from home. The first day you had arrived, you had hot cocoa with her ‘reverse harem’ as she would like to call it followed by having dinner with her aunt and uncle; the following morning and true to their words, both Makki and Mattsun picked you two up for the daily morning run which ended with your friend getting another piggyback ride from her boyfriend (and you wonder why she fakes it from time to time, but it’s worth the way Makki’s ears burn a scarlet hue), yet you keep a steady pace much to the other party’s delight; the rest of the second day was filled with you trying to piece back together the shredded blueprints your sister ripped in front of your face. You look at the scraps tossed on the floor of the spare bedroom you were staying in and when the aunt of your best friend walks in to ask you a question, she doesn’t proceed with it since your sniffling kicked in her maternal mode: you explain to her you allow yourself to feel horribly for about five to ten minutes daily and you move on about your day, however after this particularly rudeness your sister had showcased, you needed more time before you were able to head back to your suburb. Her niece had explained the situation already a few days prior to your train arriving, but to see the damaging effects it had on you, her aunt calmed you down with some sage advice:

“Your faith is shaken, but you still believe. Give ‘em hell kiddo. I got you,” she says pulling you into a side hug. “Now, shall we make some tea? I think you deserve a break.”

Your friend came back from running an errand to the store because she wanted to buy a few more strips of tape as well as another set of trail mix with the granola clusters you like. See, you were invited at the request of the benevolent prince to his home to indulge in a movie night. “Makki said we’re going to start off the movie night at Oiks’ place with whatever you want to watch. It was Mattsun’s idea too apparently,” your friend says, handing you a hair elastic. 

“Can you ask them if Oikawa is ok with playing ‘His Girl Friday’?”

“Sure thing.”

You two had dressed in similar fashions lately due to the steady drop in temperature.A lot of muted royal colors were your in your wheelhouse of clothes you had brought with you, so tonight it was forest green tweed pants layered with a peasant belted sweater dress. Your host had snapped a photo of you getting ready and she nearly choked back a laugh when you scold her for sending it to her boyfriend. 

“You look stellar,” she says when she brushes her hair back into a loose ponytail. 

“Do I though? When was the last time you saw the scars the fiberglass left on my shoulder, chise?”

“Seventh grade,” she answers. “Scars or not, you’re still my best friend. Even if you just made a portmanteau of the harem’s nickname for me.”

You bop your head and laugh. “I suppose you’re right… we should get going, yeah?”

Oikawa house, 19:32

You walk side by side with your friend after she mentions it was her turn to bring the snacks. You divide the work explaining that you know what they need more than you do. Although all dreams must end, your life was not some hallmark film. Sometimes the hardest thing and the right ones are the same, your subconscious reminds you to be more freeing of your worries.

“Let go have some fun,” you mumble. You reach the counter with your friend ahead of you. She had the usual assortment of candy to mix into the popcorn, she noticed you have new pens and a crossword puzzle. 

“Crossword puzzles in ink was always something I wanted to try,” your voice is confident. “Besides, didn’t you say the boys were providing the food?”

When the final tally was tabulated, you leave the store together and head north at the next intersection, you two walk reminiscing your play days together.

“Oh! Your mother was so angry,” you friend says laughing about the time you stole one of her baking sheets to go sledding. “Wasn’t she going to use that pan for the crescents at the holiday party?”

“Yeah, she was. Haha,” your laugh is a foreign sound. However it is a sound you don’t often make anymore. 

“You miss her too,” you friend says as she stops in front of a modern home. 

“What child doesn’t?” You ask looking up at the sky. 

The constellations twinkle a tarnished image of a family who prided themselves in raising functional perfected youths and while your sister doted on your parents every whim, you rebelled. The rebellion sparked many fears for your family; a tomboy with a high marks should not get into scuffles on the school yard. Such a fiery spirit could only be doused for so long. You were allowed to keep your hobby of drawing because it’s what calms you the doctors mentioned. Ever since the first cold snap when you lost your mother (you were a child in the seat behind her solving a crossword in pencil) in a hit and run, the last embers of creativity sparked a carnal desire to be free. Yet here you were seven years later with a sister so emotionally damaged who in her toxic mindset didn’t understand that for you, art and designing (like the paint job you oversaw before your childhood neighbor moved across town) for automotive purposes was your way to find balance. The girl who moved across town to be close to family had a stronger support system, but after hearing what her aunt had to say it suddenly makes sense, so when she calls you out from your trance, you remember you are always evolving: keep moving. One step at a time. 

“Oikawa’s place is this one? Wow he really is a prince with a castle,” you joke in the front walkway. 

“I know right? I know he’s one of the top setters in the prefecture, but with all those interviews he does, it helps, haha. Mind holding this real quick?”

The small convenience store bag is passed to you to hold for a moment while your friend knocks thrice times. 

On the inside the boys were talking amongst themselves. It had been three days since you arrived for your holiday, and each morning after your first night, you woke up at six to run with half of the team (Makki, Mattsun, you, and your host). 

“Q is really good at keeping up with us,” Mattsun says. There is a moment where he notices his friends stop talking. They figure it out and tease the tallest middle blocker like he was discovering a crush for the very first time. 

“Oh~ is our little Mattsukawa finally growing up?” Oikawa cooed. Luckily Iwazumi’s shuts him up saying to get the door. 

Makki sends Mattsun a text and judging by his best friend’s face, Makki confirms his disposition. Iwazumi mentions he’d be heading to the couch in the living room to create more space for the girls and Oikawa. 

“Chisana mentioned you wanted to watch ‘His Girl Friday,’ so it’s already queued up.”

“Yeah, it’s really well written. Thank you,” you carry on the conversation as naturally as Oikawa points out the half bathroom in case you need it out of anything you can have your friend show you where things are since this wasn’t the first time everyone’s been over since the school year has started. 

“No problem. Ah! Here we are,” Oikawa’s arm extends outward to showcase the kitchen area where the rest of group was. Makki greeted your friend first and you wave politely. You say a quick hello to Iwazumi and you know if you could hear a stare, you would when you greet Mattsun last. 

“Greeted him last, huh?” you friend muses. 

“You greeted your strawberry first,” you argue back. 

“I don’t mind,” Mattsun says, his voice is hauntingly rich like the darkened wood finish on the tables outside. He leans in a little toward you before he stands he whispers in your ear, “you look pretty.” Your mood changed slightly as you hear his compliment. Then you remember the company you are in front of.

“We’ll go on ahead,” Makki suggests as he grabs the bowl of popcorn he separated for your friend to dump all the candies in. You nod when your friend silently slides you both kit-kat minis for luck.

“I heard you,” you say softly before you tap the back of the middle blocker’s hand. “C’mon, let’s not keep our friends waiting.”

Mattsun doesn’t give you the opportunity to remove you hand because he turns his palm up and you run your fingers barely ghosting over his future line from palm reading; you both hold a conversation behind curious eyes. 

“Leave them alone, they’ll be alright,” your friend says in a lower tone. 

Makki backs up the sentiment his girlfriend states with a stern glare at both Oikawa and Iwazumi, as one of them clicks the console control and the opening credits start to play. 

And just once, you remember what your scars mean: it’s kind of fun to do the impossible. You eat the KitKat your friend left behind as you walk away from the kitchen and sit next to Iwazumi. Mattsun observes this and decides to take matters into his own hands literally. He walks toward Oikawa’s den area, he chooses to sit on the floor in front of you like a guard dog throughout the rest of the film. The film wraps up while the next film was being chosen. When the conversation goes on much longer than expected, you can excuse yourself for a moment back to the kitchen to pick up your crossword puzzle; you cross back to the other side of the den’s layout to sit down where you were earlier. Your pen is in your hand (youyou had tucked into the bag) as you begin to solve the first puzzle. 

“I’m just saying horror movies are great,” Oikawa said. “Sci fi too.”

“Then it shouldn’t be that hard to choose,” you quip without looking up from your booklet. Your pen moves diligently as you flip over to the next page. To be quite honest, you aren’t really paying that much attention to notice Iwazumi and Mattsun switched places. 

“Twilight Zome collection it is!” Oikawa exclaimed. He pressed play. 

The evening draws to a close once you see that almost everyone had taken short catnaps around each other. You questioned whether or not the boys slept, but at least one or two of your company stayed awake.You close the crossword puzzles when Mattsun turns his head to look at you; you quirk an eyebrow at him You two were the only ones awake during this round of animated featurettes, so when Mattsun reaches for one of your hands he forces you forward a little too much, but you stop yourself from toppling over. You whisper something to him, causing him to make room for you on the floor; when you are sitting next to him, you lean into the side of his arm comfortably. 

“My my, someone is affectionate today,” you tease. 

“You don’t make it any easier,” he whispers in low tones to you. 

“I suppose that is true. Is this ok? I mean, your face is more impressionable now than before,” you call him out on the subtle changes of his features. 

“Is it? I haven’t noticed. My running partner is improving,” he tells this to you when you hold his hand in yours again. Neither of you want to let go.

“I think this is the beginning of something new,” you say calmly. “I’m still healing,you know.”

Instead of an answer, he shows you his understanding through squeezing your hand in a gentle manner: ‘you don’t need to run; you’re fine as you are.’ 

A couple minutes go by before you nod off. Mattsukawa was about to ask you a question, but chuckles lightly to himself that his question would be saved for another time. To him you are much more than a casual acquaintance of his best friend’s girlfriend. You’re shaping up to be someone he likes to know more of; you gravitate towards each other and now perhaps he realizes the appeal of having someone be a constant in life. There are many people who take the time to learn everything about the person they are crushing on, yet you and him are laid back enough to balance out your friends’ personality. You on the other hand are learning to forgive yourself one day at a time, but it’s the first time someone else is willing to wait for you. How long, you don’t know, and yet here was this casual acquaintance from your  best friends new neighborhood willing to wait for you to feel better about yourself. Mattsukawa tells you how he wants to hang out with you tomorrow; just the two of you. You were lucid enough to agree. 

Next >>

[moonguilt]

molten gold

(written for a zine application, but I decided I would post it here and on ao3.  it’s short but i had fun with it :) happy holidays, enjoy!)

Pairing: Keith/Lance

Wordcount: 1852

Read on my AO3 here!

--------------

“God, I’m so boooored.”  Lance’s aggravated face popped up on the Black Lion’s main cockpit window, casting a faint red glow over Keith’s dashboard.  Keith couldn’t exactly blame him; this so-called “space road trip” to Earth was taking much longer than they’d hoped, and inhabitable planets where they could take pit stops were few and far between.

A yellow glow appeared soon thereafter.  “It feels like we’ve been flying for quintants,” Hunk groaned in agreement, his body half-way sunken into his chair.  “Have we been flying for quintants?  I definitely think we have.  I pee approximately every five vargas, and since we left Iyethos, I think I’ve peed like...”  He lifted a hand and started counting on his fingers, then sprung up in his seat, eyes wide.  “Ohh, my God, I’m measuring time in intervals of pee.  My sanity has reached a critical low.”

“Good Groggery, do humans really urinate so frequently?”  Blue light entered the mix as Coran’s excited face materialized far too close to the screen, his body gracelessly crammed into the space between the control panel and the chair.  Allura was leaning as far away as she could, her expression torn between annoyance and exhaustion.

Keith heard footsteps behind him, and a moment later Shiro’s robotic hand settled on the chair’s backrest.  “Well, it depends on the—”

“Alright, no, we’re not having this conversation,” Keith interrupted immediately, already feeling the first pricks of a headache.  “I know we’re all bored out of our minds, but I’m not gonna sit through you guys having some kind of pseudo-scientific discussion about the human bladder.”  He dragged a gloved hand down his face.  “There has got to be something better for you guys to entertain yourselves with.”

Finally, a green-tinted video feed flickered to life on his screen.  “Say no more,” Pidge declared, smirking and cockily kicking her legs up onto the dashboard, only to find that she was a bit too short to maintain the position comfortably.  She struggled for a moment before admitting defeat and sitting upright again.  “Guess who just finished installing the latest Monsters and Mana data into our Lions’ shared network?  As well as…”  She adjusted her glasses.  “... a dice bot?”

Lance was the first to react.  “For real?!” he exclaimed, perking up in a way that Keith, at this point, could admit to himself was cute.  “I mean—if you guys wanna play it, you know, I’ll tag along I guess.”  He schooled his expression back into one of neutrality, pretending to examine his fingernails before realizing that he was, in fact, wearing gloves.

Pidge raised an unimpressed eyebrow.  “Oh, you mean you’ll lower yourself to play a nerd game with us humble nerds, huh?”

“I am feeling charitable today, Pidgey.”

Coran was leaping in too close to the screen again before anyone else could get a word out.  “Well what are we waiting for?  I’ve been wanting to try out my newest campaign for longer than a Yarupian Velrod’s first—”

“Hey, hang on, Coran.”  Lance held his hands together in a T shape.  “Keith doesn’t have a character yet.”  He paused, then jolted in his seat a bit.  “Or, uh, Krolia, or Romelle, or Shiro technically since, uh, you know, the last one wasn’t really his…”  The faintest color started to rise to his cheeks, barely visible in the red glow of his lion’s cockpit.

Pretty, Keith’s mind informed him helpfully.

“... Anyway, plus they probably don’t even know how to play—”

“Of course I know how to play!” Romelle interjected, looking affronted as she squeezed past Coran and into the frame.  “I used to play this all the time!”

“It is a highly popular Altean pastime,” Allura admitted.  Only the top of her head was visible over her fellow Alteans.  It seemed she had managed to squeeze far enough away in her seat to give their unpredictable limb movements a wide berth.

“And I do have my… ah… the clone’s memories,” Shiro added, his words coming out somewhat choppy and uncomfortable, “so… I know how it works.  I think.”

“I will admit I am familiar with the game as well.”  Keith nearly jumped out of his skin as his mother’s voice spoke over his shoulder.  When did she get there?  Wasn’t she sleeping?  God, she was silent as the grave.  “It is an excellent way during free time for Blade members to train their strategic skills and team working abilities through intricate problem-solving simulations.”

“... Yeah that sounds fun,” Lance commented in a flat tone, then waved emphatically at Keith.  “Well still, Keith’s got no idea—”

Keith could hear the obnoxious grin on Shiro’s face as he inhaled.  “Well, actually—”

“Shiro, no.”

“Keith’s not really as inexperienced as you might think—”

“Do not.”

“See, the thing about him and Matt and Adam is—”

Keith didn’t even allow himself a moment of pity over the slight hesitation in Shiro’s voice when mentioning Adam.  He was too busy jumping up and clambering over his seat to tackle his adoptive brother.  Try as he might, though, he wasn’t strong enough to get a hand over Shiro’s laughing mouth before—

“—they were total Dungeons and Dragons dorks.”

Keith let out a garbled noise, somewhere between a growl and a wail, and slumped back into his seat, letting his messy hair fall into his face.  He could have sworn he heard a hum of amusement from Krolia’s direction.

He was allowed a moment of silent wallowing, and then:

“WHAT?  Are you serious?!”

“Incredible!  Why, Keith, if you were already fighting dragons at that age—”

“Shiro, my dude, I love and trust you, but you are definitely lying right now—”

“He’s not.”

All attention turned to Pidge, who was now fixing Keith with a knowing look that he did not like one bit.

“Pidge…” he grumbled in warning.  She merely winked in his direction.

“It’s all true.  Matt would come home and ramble about all the wacky quests he would send you guys on.  He always took it easy on you, though, because you were a wittle baby,” she crooned, sticking out her lower lip.  “Keith was like… thirteen, max, when they started.  And he always played an edgy self-insert barbarian named—”

Keith’s irritation turned to absolute dread; a veritable wave of ice rushed down his spine.  He didn’t even have time to protest.

“—Thunderstorm Darkness.”

You could hear a pin drop in the split second silence that followed.

“... No way,” Lance whispered, and like that, the dam broke.

Howling laughter from all around met Keith’s ears.  He hunched down in his chair and shot both Pidge and Shiro absolute death glares as his teammates laughed so hard they cried.  Shiro had the decency to look at least a little apologetic, but Pidge only fell into even louder hysterics.

“What?” Keith demanded hotly, his burning shame urging him to defend himself.  Kosmo wandered over and began snuffling at Keith’s legs, as if sensing his distress.  “I was a kid!  And it’s not even that bad, you guys are overreacting—”

“THUNDERSTORM DARK—PFFFFTTT—”  Lance’s laughing face was beautiful, even when he was laughing at Keith’s expense.  Stupid beautiful Lance.

Keith couldn’t even find it in himself to stay mad when Lance’s bright laughter echoed around the cockpit.  He was really starting to regret this whole “falling in love” thing.  It definitely gave Lance way too much power over him.

Ah, did he say love?  He meant crush.  Stupid little crush.  Keith was just very gay, and Lance was just very handsome.  And nice.  And smart.  And funny.  And heroic.  And—

“Alright, everybody, that’s enough,” Shiro’s voice cut through his spiralling thoughts.  “Why don’t we give everyone a minute to figure out their characters’ attributes and statistics?  I’d like to make a new one too, personally.”

Everyone calmed down a bit after that; it was valid for Shiro to want to create a new character, after all.  It was his own way of moving forward, in a sense.  Starting fresh.

The team rambled about their past Monsters and Mana adventures while Keith, Shiro, Krolia, and Romelle listened quietly and designed their characters.  Krolia’s choice of a basic fighter class was no surprise; neither was Romelle’s choice of druid, given her love of cute little animals.

When Shiro was finished, he cleared his throat and announced with great gusto:

“My character will be named Kiro.  I want him to be a paladin.”

Hunk let out a defeated sigh, but everyone smartly kept their mouths shut.

Lance leaned forward then, his pretty blue eyes on full display.  It took a moment for Keith to realize that his lips were moving too.  Huh, that’s nice.  Keith liked it when Lance’s lips moved.  Oh, but they were frowning now.  Wait, why were they frowning?

“Uh—what?” Keith stammered belatedly, willing his face to remain neutral.  “I… zoned out.”  He could feel his ears burning and quickly adjusted his hair to cover them.

Lance rolled his eyes and scoffed.  “Dude, you were looking right at me while I was speaking to you, I don’t know how you managed to ‘zone out.’  Unless...”  Something else must have occurred to him then, because his brows furrowed, and concern washed over his expression.

Oh no.  No no no—

“Are you alright, man?  You been getting enough sleep?”  Lance’s gaze swept over Keith’s body, which nearly shivered under the attention.  Keith thanked whatever deity out there that he still had some semblance of self control.  “We don’t have to do this right now if you’re not up for it.  You gotta take care of yourself, Keith,” he concluded, his tone far gentler than it had been just moments earlier.

Oh.

Something twisted in Keith’s chest at the way his name sounded coming from Lance’s lips, soft with worry.  It churned and coiled around his sternum for a moment before melting into his very core, creating a hot gooey feeling that climbed to his shoulders and pooled in his stomach simultaneously.  Lance may as well have poured molten gold into his veins, for all the warmth and all the worth with which it filled him.

“... I’m okay,” Keith managed eventually, dragging himself out of his reverie, only to find the rest of the team dead silent and watching him with amused expressions.  “So.  Um.  What were we talking about?”  He was so ready for this conversation to move on to safer territory.

Lance did not seem to catch Keith’s little moment of weakness, if his cheerful demeanor was any indication.  “I was asking what your character is,” he clarified, leaning forward with another one of those devilish grins that drove Keith crazy in the best way.  “Come on, mullet, lay it on us.”

That was enough to draw a hefty sigh from Keith, but he cleared his throat and answered anyway:

“He’s a barbarian, and his name is Thunderstorm Darkness.”

And, sure, Keith knew his teammates’ teasing would be endless.  But it was a necessary sacrifice.  One that paid off, he thought to himself, reveling in the fresh bout of laughter that shook Lance’s form, and the knowledge that he was responsible for it.

[chocoboinspectorbalduin]

As I sit here at work browsing through here and Reddit (because there isn't much to do today), I wonder to myself what I should do with Khei. I haven't played in ages and I'm honestly not sure if I'll return or not. But ... I just don't want to leave him floating around in the nothingness. I do appreciate getting tagged in things from time to time, because it gives me a reason to stop in and see what this awesome community is up to! And lawd, y'all out here putting up A+ content.

So, first of all ...

Thank you. Thank you for continuing to be the awesome people that you are. Thank you for tagging me in your posts, especially those of you I've never met or RP'd with. Thank you for all the years happily spent in this game. Thank you to all the friends I've made, even if that /is/ a pretty small group.  Thank you, those of you who follow me and like my occasional in-character or story posts.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Secondly ...

I’ve been thinking for a long, long time.  Mostly about the kind of person I am.  I think that I started RPing a long time ago ... back in my college days ... because it allowed me to be someone who I thought I wanted to be.  I wanted to be a hero - a knight - someone who was well-liked - someone who has earned his place through hard work and dedication - someone who could be emotional with other people ... And now I’ve finally got a clearer picture.  I am almost completely emotionally blank ... unavailable ... you choose the word that fits best.  And that has led me down a dark, dark path - because while I wanted to be emotionally open, and have healthy relationships with people - I tried to use RP to fill that hole and that led me to hurt people whom I never intended to hurt - in RP and outside of it.

I am absolutely terrified to share my feelings - to share my needs and wants.  Hell, half the time I’m not even sure I know what it is that I actually want!  My childhood is likely mostly to blame for this - and that’s a long, personal story for another time.  I don’t even know how I survived childhood like this.

If I had to describe myself at this very moment - it’d go something like this ...

“Hi!  I’m Matt.  I’m a 33 year-old, single, virgin, cherry boy, who has the sex drive of a rabbit and would do absolutely terrible things if I didn’t have a shred of morality.  I also have crippling emotional deprivation, adult acne (which makes me even more insecure about myself), and a host of bad habits that would make any normal human being avoid me.”

“But let me tell you something - I would die for you.  I don’t know you, but I would risk my life to make sure that you get the chances you need to make the best of your life.  You need money for any number of reasons (rent, pet care, medications, surgery, etc.)?  I got you fam.  I can’t help everyone all the time.  It’s literally impossible and I’m not rich by any meaning of the term.  I will go out of my way to support you.  I will give until I have nothing left to give and I will never expect or ask for anything back.  You’ll never know it was me, because I always give anonymously.”

That’s how I would describe myself right now.

Thirdly ...

At this point, you’re probably wondering, “what the hell does any of this even have to do with the very first paragraph?”  I’ll tell you.

I will ... slowly ... finish “The Twelve Strands of Fate”.

Will I return to FFXIV?  I still don’t know - even after all of that.  I don’t want to get involved with RP when I know I’ll be using it for the wrong reasons.  Don’t get me wrong - I love to get involved in little one offs.  You need a Chocobo Inspector for a short bit?  I’m down.  That’s easy.  I can stay in that lane.  I just don’t want to find myself getting involved in personal things, specifically because I have an extremely hard time keeping things separate.

As far as E’khei goes - I dunno yet.  Maybe I’ll just have him retire and become a fisherman.  Maybe he and his sister will finally spend all that lost time catching up.  Maybe he’s still got something left to give to this community.  I have no idea.

If you read this far, I appreciate it and remember ...

Be excellent to each other!

[quillium]

for the ask game: 5, 9 for your tea series, 12, 20, 21, 29, 38, 48 (sorry if it's a lot. feel free to skip some of them if you want to)

“Sorry if it’s a lot” don’t apologize, I love babbling because I’m a nerd and also !!! I’m!!! Fangirling!!! So hard!!! Like??? I’m??? I know that I’ve already done the whole thing before but like you were one of my first introductions to fanfic in general and you were like The superpower of the KHR fandom on ff.net and I’m just–aojtwiegshkd. Guys, if you don’t already read SkyGem’s stuff, I would 100/10 recommend. Thanks so much for sending these, though I warn you that I’ll give long answers.

5) If you had to choose a favourite out of all of your multi chaptered stories, which would it be and why?

My gut reaction to this is all my stories are my babies and I love them all but in terms of the one I enjoy writing the most at this moment, probably my Ace time-travel fic Three Years, Give or Take. I think in terms of emotional weight or importance, it’s definitely a bit lower on the list, but it’s a very light-hearted fic so writing it is always just plain fun. 

9) In your xxx fic, what’s your favourite scene that you wrote?

Probably… in honey tea, when Peter’s talking to Matt about why he doesn’t like wearing his own clothes. I wrote it when I was 14 so it’s not super well written and I don’t think I’d play it out the same way if I wrote it today, but I think this scene really embodies what I wrote this series to be. It’s quiet, soft, vulnerable, and at the same time, it tries desperately not to be too heavy, even at the cost of cutting off what may be an important conversation. The series was meant to be just that–a cup of tea.

12) Who is your favourite character to write for? Why?

I’m pretty sure it’s easy to tell from all my fics but at the moment, Peter! I think it’s harder to write adults because it’s harder to find ground zero, but being a teenager it’s easier to write through Peter my questions and experiences. A perfect example would be Ash, where most if not all of Peter’s problems are in some way me just projecting. It’s easy to relate to someone your age. That being said, I’m getting older and changing so I definitely think that I’m starting to walk away from Peter as a fave. Lately it’s become more important to me to see representation because there’s so much I want to write–what it’s like having immigrant parents, being a girl, sexual identity–that I can’t explore in Peter or most of the characters I see. So we’ll see. Hit me up in a year and I’m sure my answer will be different.

20) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently?

The straight and boring answer is no. I wrote what I wrote and it went where it was meant to go. The less boring answer is that a few years ago, before I discovered AO3, I wrote an (at the time) canon-compliant fic following Ace with the Whitebeard Pirates that ended in his canon death, and looking back, I wanted to write a happier ending for Ace because little me related a lot to Ace and older me wanted to give little me a happy ending. So I wrote Three Years, Give or Take. I don’t regret the ending I gave at the time, because I do think that was what I needed and it fit the story, but this new fic is a bit of a redo for me, too.

21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

You gave me an opportunity to babble SO MUCH so you better not regret it. GUYS SKYGEM??? Is such an amazing writer??? You have the neatest ideas, like, it’s amazing, and such incredible range. You’re so incredibly versatile and I think you’re one of the first fanfic writers who made me want to write AUs because you went for it and you did it so well. You have super cool ideas and the skill and experience (in your PROSE your FLOW your–just EVERYTHING) to back them up and I’m!!! In awe!!!

What ask would it be if I didn’t babble about goldkirk at least a lil? goldkirk’s stories have such incredible emotional literacy, they’re soft and vulnerable and hard-hitting where they need to be. She has found her niche and she excels in it, my bar for her entire genre has been set incredibly high. Her prose is funny and flows well and her characterization is *chef’s kiss*.

Aaaah I have too many writers that I want to praise okay okay last but not least (I want to talk more but this ask is already going to be long enough) Bandity!!! Writes so well!!! Another writer who has their niche and does an incredible job, Bandity’s writing is so comforting. I think partially because I’ve read all their stuff at least twice but you DO know where they’re going, you KNOW they’ll have a happy ending, you KNOW it’s going to be dark and comforting. Bandity’s not afraid to go in deep but they back it up with such skill and reassurance that you always walk out of their stories with the sense that no matter how low you go, you’ll be okay. Their writing saved my life and I can never love them enough for that.

29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

Hm, not particularly? I’d rather have a few readers who really–at the risk of sounding pretentious–understand and love the story than a lot who don’t really get it. I think a lot of writers, especially younger ones, tend to want stories they love to get a lot of love, too, but for me, personally, I think readers find stories when they’re meant to. Different stories are made for different people, and my faves are made for me and nobody else. So it’s okay if nobody else loves it–so long as I do.

38) If you could collab with any other writer on here, who would it be? (Perhaps this question will inspire some collabs!) If you’re shy, don’t tag the blog, just name it.

Can I tag multiple people? Only one… aaah… probably @goldkirk. Please collab with me. (But I love collaborating with… basically anyone who’s willing. If you want to collab with me do not be afraid to send me a DM.)

48) What’s your favourite trope to write?

I’m still not super sure what a trope is but found family!!! For the win!!! There’s just something so nice about all of it.

Send me a number!

[annakie]

Thoughts on a DW Rewatch & Mass Effect replay.

So I’m in the Eleven / Clara half-season now.

Also I’m now replaying Andromeda.  I have thoughts, about both.  I’ll start with Doctor Who then label it when I get to Mass Effect stuff.

Oh my God this gets long and rambly.  Apparently, I have a lot of thoughts.

So, season 702... I’m ready for it to be over.  I miss the Ponds.  I felt like most of the first half of this season was pretty great, honestly.  I’d forgotten how fun some of those episodes were, I think at the time we were anticipating a new companion so heavily that it was harder to appreciate those episodes?  I feel like there was a lot of criticism levied towards them that now I felt like was a bit too much.  The western episode was kinda meh but still not bad.

I’m not sure what exactly it is about these Clara / Eleven episodes that I’m still not connecting with but I’m in the middle of the Crimson Horror episode (which is a Vastra/Jenny/Strax heavy episode and enjoying it more than anything else so far this half-season.  

*edit later* NOPE NOPE NOPE I’D FORGOTTEN HOW THE DOCTOR FORCES A KISS ON JENNY.  GROSS.  SUPER GROSS.  SHE’S A MARRIED WOMAN, A LESBIAN AND DID NOT CONSENT TO ANY OF THIS.  BAD DOCTOR, BAD.

Honestly even with some excellent guest start acting, the Russian Submarine episode was STILL a slog and the ghosts in the 1950′s episode no better.  Like they still weren’t ridiculous and unwatchable but... just didn’t feel fun or interesting at all?  The Journey to the Center of the TARDIS episode was decent, and I felt like that wasn’t nearly as cool as it should have been..

I remember reading a criticism of these episodes early on where they said that the biggest fault is that they failed to give Clara any real characterization or solid personality other than “girl the Doctor is obsessed with”.  She’s SUPER IMPORTANT but not only do we not know why at this point but it really doesn’t feel... earned?  I don’t recall it ever feeling earned that Clara was supposedly always so important?  “The most importantest companion EVAR!”  

And as someone who stanned the hell out of a character who was hated in the fandom for “replacing” a previous companion I’m checking myself to make sure it’s still not because I Miss the Ponds.  Like, I don’t HATE Clara, I just, at least at this point in the rewatch, can’t find any reason to really LOVE her?  She’s there, she’s fine, Jenna-Louise Coleman is doing a great job with what they’re giving to her but... I don’t know.  It all feels... off.

I had forgotten all about the “the Doctor rides a motorcycle up the side of a skyscraper” moment and something hit me in that moment that made me remember that wow people hated that moment.  It felt really... shark-jumpy somehow.  

I love Eleven, but this half-season isn’t connecting with me, AT ALL. It feels like the writers just went and dug through a bunch of rejected script ideas, polished them up and were likle “let’s just do this until Matt Smith is gone.”  I’m anxious to get to Twelve.

Mass Effect Stuff

OK TECHNICALLY I haven’t finished ME3.  I still need to do the party and the goodbye scene, (Citadel Epiloge Mod installed) but I’ve gotten all the Stuff and done all the missions in the arena.  I just wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye yet, so I started Andromeda a bit early.

-----------------

OK look I had a point I wanted to make and never quite got where I wanted to go with it right here.  I’m too tired of trying to fix it, so this stands as written.

This playthrough had me ruminating a lot on Kaidan and Garrus.  I really love both of those characters, though in my heart I’ll always primarily love Kaidan, I’ve done the Garrus romance and wouldn’t mind playing that character again to see the romance one more time.  In ME1, I bring Kaidan everywhere all the time, and pick which other companion I bring to the story-based missions based on what I know is gonna happen like I’m sure most people do.  Wrex for Therum, Tali for Feros (though I REALLY wish you could switch before going to see the Thorian), Liara for Noveria, Ashley on Virmire, Garrus for Ilos/Endgame.  I rotate through all five for sidemissions.  

In ME2, Garrus is my always-bring companion, with Garrus + Miranda being my favorite team.  Except after the Omega relay, where characters with Throw really shine with all those husks running at us, Jack holds the bubble, and Miranda and Thane, who both have Warp to help take down the Reaper Baby, are the preferred team.  Also so Miranda can tell TIM to fuck off.

Then in ME3, once the game opens up, Garrus is back on the perma-team, with a preference towards bringing Liara along... until we get Kaidan back.  And then I realized I didn’t bring him to a single thing except a side mission or two until Earth.  Mostly, this is because I’m following the Kaidan Banter guide and it turns out Garrus is a real banter hog for most of the missions.  At leat he’s not James, who I literally never use unless I’m going on an N7 mission and feel bad that I haven’t taken him off the Normandy in awhile.  I mean, even Javik gets more play.  Also EDI doesnt leave the Normandy til near the end when all of a sudden she gets real important.  

But Garrus is always on the team for Priority Earth.  And that always felt like the way the main game should end, with your two favorites.  (Also what kind of monster wouldn’t bring Wrex to the combat-centric areas of Citadel DLC?  I keep thinking I should have runs where I bring other people but... Wrex is my other fave and we don’t get him with us AT ALL since ME1.)  

I love Garrus, so much.  And I was thinking with this whole parallel DW rewatch / Mass Effect replay think I’m doing right now how both Rose Tyler and Garrus Vakaraian are characters that were ruined for me for awhile due to their respective... overly enthusiastic fanbases who a small percentage of were dicks to people who loved other characters.  The Kaidan tag (and from what I understand Thane got some of this too, but not nearly as bad) was a pretty hostile place for awhile (and yeah I used to check the Garrus tag too and there was a small amount of tag-invasion there but uh, like 5% of what the Kaidan tag got) which made loving the character of Garrus a lot harder for awhile.  But when actually watching seasons 1 & 2 / the end of 4 of DW, or actually playing the games, those characters are awesome.  

Fanbases can be amazing or terrible, and time and time again I think you start to realize that no matter how great a fandom is, there are going to be a few people who can only enjoy themselves by feeding on drama, or on lifting up what they love by stomping on other people/characters/plotlines.  Going back through my blog reminded me that even the TAH fandom had some of this, with a small percentage of fans being real dicks to two prominent female characters in favor of their favorite ship, which soured even that just a tiny bit.  

It’s not fair to characterize everyone who loves a popular thing as someone who does this.  It’s also hard to avoid completely because there will always be jerks, or young/new people who don’t realize what bad form they’re showing.  I did learn by trying to fight it for a year or two, that responding might help that one person not do it again, but it’s not going to stop overall.  Maybe yelling a lot about Martha Jones did change some people’s minds.  It still isn’t that good of a look now, even knowing that in general I was pretty polite and logical about it.  I might respond to an odd comment now and again in some favorite character tags, but in general, turns out that kind of fight just isn’t worth it.

And those fights seem so stupid in the light of everything else happening in the world today.

Anyway, don’t be a dick about the things you don’t like.  

-----------------------

I also wanted to say, and I know I said it in a few other posts about this ME3 playthrough, but seriously I cannot believe how much ME3 is a changed game because of the modders.  I cannot imagine ever playing ME3 again without these mods.  There were so many small things that I kept thinking I should take note of to talk about and I’m sure I forgot 90% of them, but there’s things like... adding in mentions of the Andromeda Initiative, closing a few plotholes, mentioning Emily Wong, adding in many more Spectre console options which end up having their own plotlines, adding in an entire plotline about the VI civilization that had previously only been talked about in like, social media or Cerberus News Network posts, having the Normandy be so much more populated, seeing so many more other species on the Citadel with more variety in clothing for those species that have clothing / could have more variety, way more female Turians.... every time I play ME3 the game is more and more like the game we wanted when it came out.  

I am kind of itching to go back and replay it even now.

But hey, instead, its time to talk about Andromeda.

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So first of all, yes, mods for Andromeda.  A few appearance mods, a lot of convenience mods.  

After having recently played DA:I and I think Andromeda and DA:I are a lot more similar than Andromeda and the previous trilogy, I had decided it was time to cut down on the stupid stuff Andromeda does, like “Oh, you want minerals?  Spend 10 minutes in each mining zone finding the PERFECT place to gather materials or you’re fucked”  No, thanks.  I’ll mine but give me that “one probe placed anywhere and you’re done” mod.  

Make the modifications and crafting materials I use actually matter. 2% damage increase is nothing.  Make my squadmates not suck because I remember doing 90% of the work myself before and that got exhausting with the number of spawns.  

I tried to not go overboard so things feel like cheating, but there’s enough out there to just get rid of the stupid stuff, and it’s nice.  And works together a lot easier than the DA:I mods did.

One thing I did do was install the Multiple Romance Mod.  I enjoyed it in DA:I, even though ultimately I only did 2 full romances.  I am **NOT** romancing Gil or Cora with the mod, I just wanted to experience all the content available for female Ryders at once, since I’m not going to have the energy to replay this 100+ hour game enough times to see every romance on its own.  So I am poly-romancing Liam, Jaal, Vetra, Suvi, Peebee, Keri, and if it lets me, Reyes when it’s time.  

I’ve only gotten all the way through Andromeda once (where I romanced Liam)  My second playthrough was right after my first and stalled out about halfway through (was romancing Jaal.)  It was one of those “I’m totally gonna get back to this! (She didn’t.)” things.  I’m gonna be honest, I enjoyed the Liam romance and was enjoying the Jaal romance, I’d done a fling with Reyes but not the full romance my first time through and the fling with PeeBee on my second.  Reyes was probably my favorite out of all of them.  So this time I decided.. let’s see which I love the most, all at once.  I don’t know if I’ll do this in the future, but this game is too long to not see all the content I wanna see, TBH.  

And you know, I still really do like Andromeda.  It’s a GOOD game.  And I’m forever going to be mad that we’re not going to see how this story ends.  This story deserved to finish being told.  Like, there are a lot of very legit criticisms about Andromeda, but it didn’t deserve the harshness it got.  And the worst thing about it, and DA:I both is that... there’s just a little TOO MUCH of it.  100 hours is an amazing amount of game but... it’s also just too much.  For now I’m not trying to 100% this playthrough.  My plan is on each planet to get the planet to 100%, take out the Kett or whatever major base, the Remnant Architect, and yeah probably clear out the sidequests that show up on the map, but fuck quests that are like “visit random Kett camps until you find the right datapads that don’t show up on the map!” or “scan random blobs in the forest that don’t show up on the map!”  

So like, do the content, not the filler.  

I still hate the vaults.  The first one is cool.  The rest are tedious.  But they’re mandatory.

I love everyone on this spaceship though.  They did the Tempest stuff SO WELL.  All the companions I think are... good?  There’s no one I don’t like, even the non-squadmate shipmates ship have so much interaction and so much to do/say.  It’s not like “a bunch of randos and Joker, with occasional appearances by Chakwas and the Engineers”  There’s no randos, it’s just a few people you have real interactions with, and its great.

The lack of enough beds in the bedroom will never not annoy me.  There’s 4 beds for... Lexi, Liam, Cora, Suvi, Kallo, Vetra and Gil?  Even if Liam slept on his couch, and Vetra put a bed in her supply room... still doesn’t add up.  What, do Salarains not sleep or something?  Does Lexi sleep in a medical bed?!?  Peebee sleeps in the escape pod, Jaal brings a bed with him, and Drack’s like “Eh I’ll just sleep in the kitchen”.  WHAT?  THE KITCHEN?

I mean sure there weren’t enough beds, even with the sleeper pods, on the Normandy either, but somehow that was less disturbing.  

Also, I know you’re supposed to HATE Director Tann but I love Kumail Nanjiani so I find it hard to be a total dick to him, even if he usually deserves it.  If he wasn’t an anti-Krogan racist I think it’d be easier to like him.  He was thrown into a pretty shitty situation and... did actually hold things together for some time.  He’s not doing anything out of malice.  He’s a dick, but also doing what he needs to do to keep the Initiatiave going.  Oh, except for being a anti-krogan racist.  (Honestly, I also think  “until he turned Cerberus Udina was just doing his job pretty well” too, so...)

Taking some screenshots as I go.  I mostly just take screenshots for me now.  I have a few thousands screenshots from a dozen or more games rotating through my desktop background, and I keep adding to it, and love it.

Anyway, I’ve gotten Eos, Voeld and Havral to 100%.  Time to go save the Moeshe.  I’m having fun.  

*edit from later* I’d forgotten that... idk if the dialog they recorded for Jaal was the first thing they recorded for him or they used a different VA or what but on the Save the Moshe mission his voice is VERY DIFFERENT and oh man, that is still bad.

Might take a break for when Onslaught comes out for SWTOR, though.  I haven’t really played SWTOR in months. Oops.

[bookenders]

11/11/11 Tag Game: 16/17/18?

Back again to spill the tea about myself for all you lovely people.Thanks @cataclysmic-writer, @maybeillwriteit and @aurisadventure for the tags!

My answers are under the cut. 😊

Rules: Answer the 11 questions of the person who tagged you, make up 11 questions, then tag 11 people to answer them. 

Bilbo Taggins: @brittanyisart, @quilloftheclouds, @brittanyisart, @brynwrites, @creatvrae, @elisabethrosewrites, @elizabethsyson, @ren-c-leyn, @yetmorestories, @pinespittinink, @timefire25

My Questions:

What are your thoughts on throw pillows?

Do you have any podcast recommendations? How about TV shows?

What month would you be on a calendar, and what would the picture be?

What is one book that you absolutely love, no matter what anyone else has to say about it? 

What’s your favorite kind of scented candle?

What’s your favorite urban legend?

Would you ever go on an arctic expedition?

What’s the furthest from home you’ve ever been?

What is the best snack?

How purple do you allow your prose to be/get? What’s your purple limit? Is there one?

What’s one word/line/scene/character that you want to put in a story, but you haven’t found the right place for yet?

@cataclysmic-writer‘s questions:

What do you eat or drink while writing? It varies depending on how I’m feelin’. Usually a big giant glass of water. I used to have coffee and/or tea, but it always got cold because I forgot about it. That’s actually how I used to measure my progress, by how cold the drink was.  And coffee got me too jazzed to sit still, so I stopped drinking while writing. Good for academic papers, though.

Best piece of advice you ever received? Like... ever? Okay. People are more interested in themselves/absorbed with themselves to really care what you’re doing. Very empowering for someone with real bad social anxiety (like myself heyooo).

Which book inspired you to write the most? I’ve talked about Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls before, and I’m gonna mention it again. And that I went to a signing for her new book Shout and I got to thank her and my life has been enriched a thousand-fold.

Which author do you try to emulate when you write? Oh, man, I do not do this at all. Okay, well, not at all, because I find it to be a valuable writing exercise to practice with. But I super don’t. I’ve done projects where I’ve emulated Walt Whitman, Philip Levine, Tolkien, Dostoevsky, Poe (eugh), and Anne Valente. Those were super fun. I like imitating styles and I’ve gotten pretty darn good at it. Sometimes I tell myself to put a Gaiman-like twist on a section, though, or describe something like another author if it fits the tone for funsies. But I like writing like me! 

Where did you get the idea for your current wip? I’ve already talked about Heart to Heart, so I’ll talk about “Fish Food!” This one happened when I was pondering superheroes, James Bond, tropes, evil monologues, and the like. I had the image of a hero tied up and dangling over a pit of piranhas while the villain detailed his evil plan. But the hero didn’t follow the script. And then, like every one of my short stories, it spun way out of control. I started to think of what heroes would inhabit this world that erupted from the fertile soil of my brain and suddenly I had a big complicated story that I was excited about. And it was funny, which is a change for me.

Do you have a go-to beta reader/writing buddy you bounce ideas off of? I do! One of my goodest friends is a fellow writer and she’s my spaghetti wall if I need assistance. We went through the same creative writing program one year apart and had different teachers, so we offer each other pretty different advice, and it’s great. She’s super into fae lore, too, which is ridiculously helpful for me, a nerd who is writing a light fantasy story with fae in it. We operate in different styles and genres, though, so sometimes idea-bouncing is a little tricky.

Which of your WIPs is your favorite? Of the ones I’m working on right now? Probably “Incarnate.” Partly because it’s closer to my usual writing fare, partly because it’s weird and disturbing in my favorite ways, partly because the ending is really cool and surprising in a way that hits you long after you finish it. I also like it because it’s hard for me to write. Yay, challenges!

Tea, coffee, or soda? Tea for chillin’, coffee for workin’, soda for pizza times.

If you could have any fantasy creature as a pet, which would you have? A brownie to clean my house, or a domovoi to act as a weird home security system would be neat. For non-practical purposes, I’d also say a pegasus. I can ride pretty well and it’d be so convenient to just fly everywhere on my awesome horse buddy.

Do you like creepy/scary movies? NOPE. I am a big chicken shit when it comes to spooky things. As a kid, I was terrified of E.T. That’s how bad it was. 

What genre do you have yet to write in, but want to write soon? Hm. Maybe historical fiction? I already play with it a little bit without actually going into the history part of it too deeply. Maybe I’ll give it a shot in the future.  I’ve always wanted to give magical realism a good try, though. It’s always been hard for me to write. 

________________________________________

@aurisadventure​‘s questions:

1. Who is your favorite oc? Why?

Right now, it’s Lithium from “Fish Food.” She’s just so fun. I also just figured out a big part of Jill’s character that I’m excited to add to H2H!

2. What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not writing?

I got into cooking a while ago, and that’s pretty fun. I do yoga sometimes. I read a bunch. I also like putting things together. Honestly, I’m a big giant nerd who likes learning in their spare time.

3. What is your least favoured genre?

Hard sci-fi is really hard for me to get into. And some contemporary stuff, but it’s not as bad as hard sci-fi.

4. Top three favorite video games? (Any console)

DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS (with Awakening DLC, obvs) (except for the goddamn Mage Circle Fade part I hate it and it deserves to burn in hell)

Ori and the Blind Forest (I’m stuck on the last stupid fire volcano level and I’m so mad because it’s hard but this game is beautiful)

To The Moon (so many tears, such good story)

Honorable mention to Assassin’s Creed 2. 

(I love RPGs.)

5. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for inspiration?

Hm. I don’t really go out and seek inspiration like this. I just consume a whole lot of art in varying mediums. 

I went to a poetry slam one time. Does that count?

6. Buggy or Cart?

Horses, buggy. Oxen, cart. As much as I’d like to be Gandalf...

7. Have you finished any of your wips?

I am so goddamn close to finishing “When Your Song is Over and Done” I can taste it. I’m hoping to write that last stupid scene this week. It’s been the one WIP that’s been kicking my ass lately. How rude.

I’m a short story writer, so I finish a lot of my WIPs. It’s kinda nice. That’s also why longer projects scare me.

8. But like… can I read it?

😉

In the meantime, you can read these!

9. What is your favorite animal? Why?

Highland Cows! Just look at them. 

I’m sure I have a more interesting answer for this, but honestly, cows are all I can think of. I love cows. 

10. Name one place you want to visit more than anything.

Norway! Not sure why. Seems like a really cool place to be.

(I lied I love space and want to go to the observatories.)

11. What is your most cherished childhood memory?

Saturday mornings curled up in my grandfather’s armchair watching TV and eating Burger King before we go visit the animals at the farm.

________________________________________

@maybeillwriteit‘s questions:

1. Which oc would you most like to go for a drink with?

I don’t drink, but I think Treena would be an excellent conversation partner. 

2. Where do you like to write? Bed? Desk? Cafe? etc etc

I have a desk in my room. Not that I usually write at it. I’m good anywhere I can sit up straight and rest my arms.

3. Which of your ocs do you think people are most likely to make fanart for?

Eventually, I hope Mel. I love her character design. Or the superheroes and villains from “Fish Food.” They all have really distinct appearances and cool costumes/uniforms.

4. Favourite piece of writing advice you’ve received?

Probably the time my mentor also admitted he hated writing dialogue, but that sometimes you just gotta. 

5. Which place in your stories would you like to live? (i’ve read this sentence ten times and i ain’t convinced it’s grammatically correct lol)

(maybe: In which place/where in your stories would you most like to live? I dunno this one’s freaking my brain.)

Linsay would be the best place to live, I think. A very chill small town that has everything you need, very supportive soon-to-be friends, an apothecary on stand-by, and lovely weather. Its residents are fiercely protective and are very willing to look the other way where the law is concerned if it helps someone.

6. Do any authors/books influence your writing? Which ones?

Oh, tons. Jim Butcher, Laurie Halse Anderson, George Saunders, Anne Valente, Tolkien, Gaiman, Matt Bell, Aimee Bender, and a whole bunch more authors. And, if you wanna get all heartfelt about it, every single book I’ve read has influenced my writing, whether it’s learning how to do something, learning how not to do something, or finding a new technique that jives with my style.

7. Pick one song that represents your wip.

I’ve done a bunch of song stuff with H2H, so this is for “Fish Food:”

Honestly, my first instinct is “Superboy and the Invisible Girl” from Next to Normal. But it’s not quite right.

I also wanna say “Super Friends” from Holy Musical B@man. 

But in my heart, I know the true answer is “Under Pressure.” How could it not be?

8. Favourite thing about being a writer?

The feels! I love writing things and getting my own feels out, then making other people feel things. It’s so satisfying. 

9. Characters or plot, what came first?

Characters! Oh my God, always characters. And before characters, concept and theme(s). Sometimes a scene just pops into my head and I have to figure out who these people are and why they’re there.

10. Do you like writing prompts?

I do indeedy. They’re pretty helpful when I’m stuck. I only write for the ones that instantly spark an idea in my brain, though. All the ones I’m getting for my 800 followers celebration are insanely good. 

11. Part of your wip that you’re most excited to write?

Oh, man! So many!

H2H: The climax! Well, one of them. The one of the magic incidents and Mel and Gemma’s relationship, to be specific.

Fish Food: When my main two dudes meet Lithium! And figure out what’s going on with her. Or anything about Lithium’s real life. Her story is wild.

WYSiOaD: The goddamn rooftop scene that’s been kicking my ass for a month. It’s gonna be so emotional and poignant and great and I can’t wait for it to be over.

[velkynkarma]

End of Year Meme 2018

@bosstoaster tagged me a while ago for this here so here I am late to the party as always.  (Note: Failsafe was posted in 2018 but I counted it towards 2017 because it was written fully in that time period, so it doesn’t count this year). The Greatest Challenge ~ 49663 words (Shiro and Ryou centric, exchange fic with @bosstoaster ) A Long Night ~ 2359 words (Shiro and Ryou centric) The Red Bayard ~ 6914 words (Lance and Keith centric, for @platonicvldweek ) Color Theory ~ 7574 words (Ryou centric, for @platonicvldweek ) Innervate ~ 18503 words (Shiro and Ryou centric, for @platonicvldweek ) Break Even ~ 4312 words (Matt and Shiro centric) Window Shopping ~ 3391 words (Ryou, Lance and Hunk centric) Genesis ~ 32545 words (AU, ensemble, for @platonicvldweek ) Patience is a Virtue ~ 7349 words (Ryou and Slav centric) Paying Respects ~ 4967 words (Shiro centric, about Kuron)  Talking in Tandem ~ 11559 words (Shiro and Ryou centric) 149136 The Best Lies ~ 13814 words (Shiro and Ryou centric)  Need a Hand ~ 2923 words (Shiro centric) Target Practice ~ 3834 words (Ryou and Lance centric)  Little Crystals ~ 24515 - 19627 = 4888 additional words (Assorted prompts & characters) Familiar Faces ~ 72730 words total written with @bosstoaster (Shiro and Ryou centric....times two lol). Of that, about 38,172 is mine. This thing that still doesn’t have a title ~ 3952 words (Keith-centric, set in Parallel by Proxy universe) Total Fics: 17 (counting Little Crystals prompts as 1) Total Words: 216,719 Ship/character breakdown: Ship breakdown: You’ve come to the wrong writer if you’re expecting anything here Character breakdown (all counts based on -centric or focus for a character, with or without the inclusion of other chars):  10 Ryou-centric or Ryou-focus 9 Shiro-centric or Shiro-focus 3 Lance-centric or Lance-focus 2 Keith-centric or Keith focus 1 Hunk-centric or Hunk-focus 1 Slav-centric or Slav-focus 1 Matt-centric or Mat-focus Plus 1 Ensemble fic and assorted prompts & characters

Characters that had the main focus: Shockingly Ryou actually pulled ahead of even Shiro in this....but only by 1, and only because Color Theory is really just about him, and not both of them. 

Specifics:

Best/worst title? Best title:  Break Even happened on a whim but I actually like that it works on multiple levels. To break even colloquially means to come out without gains or losses (which happens in the course of the fic when Shiro and Matt come to terms with each others’ part in their capture and escape, or lack of rescue). But it can also more literally mean to have been broken, but as cleanly as possible, meaning they may be damaged but it can be fixed if handled well. Worst title:  The Greatest Challenge is kind of bland but I really struggled to find anything that would work. It ended up being too similar to its inspiration, The Most Dangerous Game, though.

Best/worst first line? Best first line: From Paying Respects, “Adjusting to being alive again is…difficult.” Because what a way to open (and also I feel a lot of people didn’t really give this part of Shiro-being-brought-back-to-life much consideration). Worst first line: From Color Theory: “Hey. Ryou. Got a second?” Because I just realized while looking for this that literally the fic prior to it I used the exact same opening line and now I’m kicking myself.

Best/worst last line? Best Last Line: Ooooh this is tough because there are a LOT of good last lines this year with some gut-punching impact. Here’s my faves: Need a Hand:  “Excellent,” Commander Holt says, shaking his hand gently but firmly, sealing the deal. “I stand by what I said last year, Cadet Shirogane. You are going to be the greatest pilot this world has ever seen.” Paying Respects: But he was free. He was home. And Shiro, at least, will respect him and remember him for what he was and what he’d wanted to be. Because he’d known. And because nobody else will. A Long Night: He never does sleep again, that night. Worst Last Line: From Color Theory again (I swear I like this fic): “And they spar.” Just a generally weak ending. The good stuff was all in the middle and I wasn’t really sure how to close it, and it shows.

General questions:

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted? More than I anticipated, considering. 2018 was a very stressful, very bad year for me for personal reasons. Stress means no writing. I’m genuinely shocked I kicked out even half as much as I did.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year? I don’t think I intended for Parallel by Proxy to get as big as it did, so I guess ‘AU’ in a way? Or just...a series? What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest. I’m with @bosstoaster on this one, my favorite was our collab fic Familiar Faces. It was super fun to figure it out together as well as a great challenge. Plus it was really nice to actually fic-ify the goofy chat ideas we’d talked about for ages if our respective renditions of Ryou and Shiro actually met. Plus we’d been working on it since June 2018 so it took up a great deal of the year, a lot of work, and a lot of focus, but it had a lot of reward.

Okay, NOW your most popular story. By kudos this is technically Failsafe and Little Crystals, but both counted for last year so I don’t think they qualify here. Sooo....looks like it’s Familiar Faces lol.

However if we’re going by bookmarks, Paying Respects took the unquestionable lead. Story most underappreciated by the universe? Genesis. Hands down. Something I completely expected, since it’s a self-indulgent AU/Crossover fic regarding one of my favorite Playstation 1 era games Legend of Legaia, which virtually nobody has heard of. I wrote it to be accessible to people even if they didn’t know the source material, but people generally aren’t willing to step into a crossover like that unless they A) know the source material already or B) really trust the author.  Story that could have been better? I see a lot of edits that should be made or errors when I go back to every single one of these stories on the list, but none of them stand out as ‘I fucked up somewhere.’ Sexiest story?

Saddest story? Ahahaha there were....a lot. Probably Paying Respects since it was a response to Kuron essentially being murdered at the end of season 6 and nobody seemed to care. But A Long Night is also painfully bitter (only fixed somewhat by the fact that the reader knows by then Ryou will get better). Most fun? Familiar Faces was the most fun technically along all stages of the writing process since I was working with @bosstoaster for that. I was also in a no-motivation phase at the time we were actively writing this, but the fact that I was working on it with another person and I knew toaster was relying on me to finish my part really kept me excited about writing my parts. So I had a lot of fun just trading off and sharing pieces as we went. Without other people being involved, probably Genesis. Again, completely self-indulgent based on a favorite game. I had a lot of fun replaying the game to get details and a lot of fun playing with the universe. It practically wrote itself. I still want to go back to it. Story with single sweetest moment? This question is tricky because I do bittersweet more than actual sweet haha. I’m not really a cute/fluff writer.  If going for pure good feels/charm though, I guess the scene in Color Theory when Allura gives Ryou (actual, decent) advice on how to choose his color (and subsequently, how to identify what he considers important about himself) was pretty sweet. It’s too long to post here though.

Hardest story to write? Target Practice. Guns scare the ever loving shit out of me, I know nothing about them, and I want nothing to do with them. But I wanted to write things accurately, which meant research. Research was watching police training and instructional videos for hours to try and get the accuracy right. I can only hope I did it justice.

Easiest/most fun story to write? Paying Respects. Not ‘fun’ exactly but it just...happened. It’s the only fic I’ve ever did as a ‘reaction’ fic within 24 hours of the source material posting, I never get things planned and worked out that fast. Kuron’s death hurt me and he needed justice ASAP, and a lot of friends out there needed some closure for him.

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters? Not really. If I had to give an answer I guess I’d say Familiar Faces helped me learn @bosstoaster ‘s Ryou a little better, but he’s not a canon character.

Most overdue story? Parasite Knight sequel Also a fic I’m working on right now that I’d been working on since season...4? This one actually is guaranteed to make it though.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? Yes, with Familiar Faces. Working with another writer is tough but rewarding! I also stepped outside my area of expertise by tackling Parallel by Proxy to keep an ongoing series maintained. 

What are your fic writing goals for next year? I have a lot of scattered ideas I’d like to hit. I definitely want to explore some little-used characters or side characters in actual plots. I also have a couple AU’s or more ambitious ideas that I’d like to try and buckle down to tackle, in part thanks to encouragement by @bosstoaster and @butteredonions

Whew! Okay. That was long. I won’t tag anyone but feel free to do this if you like :)

[readbythestarlight]

c2e28

“This flask is Taliesin’s new character” shut up Sam don’t mock us

They’re FINALLY going to go check out the Taskers and i swear if Taliesin’s character isn’t with them I’m gonna die

(unless this is all a trick and Taliesin is just hanging out until Molly can reasonably be brought back…)

Caleb stepping in and doing some strategizing both makes me proud and makes me sad because I guarantee he was great at that before Everything happened

Beau and Caleb disagreeing over a spider

“Shady Debaters Debate Team” I would wear that shirt

Nila wants to use her lighting let her fuck people up with her lightning draw people outside for her to fry please

Yes please get yourself some goddamn healing potions

YAAAAS NILA HAS HEALING WORDS

and good berries xD

GUYS I STILL LOVE HER SO MUCH I WOULD STILL DIE FOR HER

The Bone Orchard…ooooooo

Necromancers maybe?

Please go to the Taskers first I feel like Taliesin has to be with them

If people have been torturning Jester I’m gonna cry she’s too sweet for this

Nila’s smell bag is so cute y’all stop teasing her

“You are relying on me, I’m very happy” sHE’S SO PURE

Oh shiiiiit she just saved them from freaky forest ground monsters that’s my girl!

GRAVE SITE I’M TELLING YA ITS NECROMANCERS

Caleb getting tired of the debate and just heading over the gate

Not just carelessly flinging herself after him smh

Spooooooky place I don’t know how I feel about this

YAAAAAAAAS THEY FOUND HIM HOLY SHIT AHHHHHHHHHHHH OF COURSE HE LIVES IN A GODDAMN GRAVEYARD I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN HE IS THE ULTIMATE GOTH

HE’S A FIRBOLG???

“Caduceus Clay” AND HES A CLERIC GOD BLESS Jester will be delighted that she doesn’t have to do all the healing anymore

Caduceus seems delightful I’m delighted I MISSED YOU TALIESIN

fuck i love him already

he’s like the goddamn grave keeper TALIESIN COULD YOU HAVE GONE ANY MORE GOTH

B: “You’re drinking dead-people tea?”

Cad: “Aren’t we all?”

THE. ULTIMATE. GOTH.

…can’t bring Molly back. I’m not surprised at all given that it would be weird to bring his own character back, but still. That’s okay. It’s fine.

He just figured he’d sit there with his tea until someone came to help him leave lol

C: “Welcome to the Mighty Nein”

Cad: “There’s only, uh—“

B: “DON’T overthink it”

Nott shooting Beau to test Cad’s healing xD

FRUMPKIN NO DONT KILL HIM

fuuuuuuuck he dead

they needed him god dammit

HE’S ALIVE

ALIVE BY 1

I can’t decide if this is going to be a disaster, them going after them again right now, or???

LETS NOT SPLIT UP AT ALL EVEN JUST TO KILL TWO GUARDS

Taking off her armor is a horrible idea guys

Guest!Ashley has the cutest face and the purest laugh??? I love her

While we’re on break I’m trying to decide, is it weird that Taliesin chose to play a cleric when they already have a cleric? Part of me is like “what if he did that because he knew they were gonna need the temporary heals and he’s just gonna stick around as Cad until Jester is back and then he’s gonna rez Molly” and part of me is just like bfs girl Molly is gone let him go??

I don’t think I’ll be able to move on from Molly for sure though until the M9 move on from Shady Creek, with Cad tagging along.

Frumpkin the 3-HP spider

Not asking Cad questions nervously is adorable

Beau just sticking her face in the bag for the luck orb xD

Caleb: talks about breaking a guy’s skull

Nila: “excellent”

Poor Taliesin having to figure out a whole new character. He’d barely really figured out Molly yet.

20 for a perception check nice job Keg!

Sumalee accidentally meta gaming is honestly just cute enough that i don’t even care she could metagame all day and i’d be fine with it

HERE THEY GOOOOO

Matt looks so lost xD

FUCK ‘EM UUUUUUP TEAM BEAU/CALEB/NILA

FUCK ‘EM UUUUUUP TEAM KEG/NOTT/CAD

good rolls, good rolls…

YAAAAS GO KEG!

YAAAAAS NILA BASH HIM DO IT GIRL she’s been waiting to kill someone for so long

goddamn they handled that SO WELL LOOK AT THEM IM SO PROUD

“one was just enjoying the wind, and then darkness forever” Matt xD

Goddamn I can’t believe they pulled that off so well. Lorenzo better watch the fuck out.

Are we calling him Clay then because I liked Cad

Frumkpin the flying spider?? Methinks they all forgot Caleb made him a spider

Nila’s so excited to have like 32 gold she’s so cute you guys

Keg get another nat20 for stealth

okay… are they really unnoticed I’m nervous

B: “Look at the—look at the windows, too.”

Cad: “They’re nice.”

I love hiiiiiim

We can’t go get friends tho because they’re not HERE YET

Boy I can’t wait to see this map

Liam missing his rogue days hardcore right now lol

YAAAAS Taliesin with the nat20 deception I was so scared

“I’m gonna have an ulcer after this game” fucking SAME

Ashley and Sam holding hands like SAME god the stress

Also heck yeah we’re uncovering the maaaaap!

Liam is just very thoroughly uncovering the map

fuck don’t squish Frumpkin

“Hey Phil come help me kill this spider!”

Oh thank god good job poofing him out Caleb

I’m serous guys I love Caleb coming up with plans and leading the group in Fjord’s absence I love it

WAIT

YOU CANT SEND NOTT IN BY HERSELF

DONT DO THAT

FUCK

WE CANT AFFORD TO LOSE ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE GANG GUYS

NOT NOTT

Hey Caleb can you teach Nott the door unlocking spell?

Keg: “Nott. Be careful.”

Nott: “…Do you care about me?”

K: “…Yeah.”

N: *happy wiggle*

Fuck I don’t like this they were doing so well but this is going to be a disaster

A NAT1

FUUUUUUUUUCK

KILL THEM

fuck it was going so well god DAMMIT Caleb this was a BAD PLAN

God they’re not even all together I am literally so afraid right now

Yessss hasted Keg

fuckfuckfuck im literally so fucking scared right now

okay good they missed Not

FUCK ‘EM UP NILA

NO SAVE THE TOTEM FOR LORENZO

SAVE IT NILA

SAVE IT

poison spray yesss that sounds nice and 12pts damage good girl

poor Sam has such a hard time with his rogue skills

NOTT STOP RUNNING AHEAD

GOD Y’ALL DID MOLLY TEACH YOU NOTHING

fuck them up Keg

Yessssss kill him Keg my hero

Hasted Keg is the best man 4 attacks? She’s helping make up for a lack of Yasha

Keg getting between Nott and danger is so sweet I’m crying is she trying to make sure Molly does’t happen all over again

I would also die for Keg you guys

Sorry Phil you dead

BITCH HAS YASHA’S SWORD

FUCK HER UP

Wait until you get in the room above the trap door at least Nila

I adore her

PHIL DON’T YOU TOUCH NILA

yesssss he misses

NOTT

DONT FUCKING GO NEAR THE BARBARIAN

“IM THINKING OF REMOVING MY SPINE… CAUSE IT’S ONLY HOLDING ME BACK! :D”

holy shit Nott put her prone I’m crying I’m sorry I doubted you Nott

Fuck up the barbarian Keg yessss

Action surge means what what is that it’s cool

NAT20 YAAAAAS Keg is the BEST you guys

What I’m taking from this is that women name Ashley make the best lady characters and get the job done

why are you spending key points in non-combat when Lorenzo is still out there somewhere

Oh jeez are Cad or Nila close enough to heal Keg if she needs it??

DON’T TAKE AWAY HASTE

fuck

Liam and Matt gonna fight lol

Let Nila beat the door in

MOMMA POWERS ACTIVATE and she beats in the door HELL YEAH

Maybe she should have saved the totem for IN the trap door?

Sumalee is so concerned that she’s gonna make a mistake it’s cute

UH I KNOW IT’S A JOKE BUT YOU CAN TAKE TALIESIN’S NEW CHARACTER FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS SOMEONE ELSE CAN DIE

Cad coming in with the heals heck yes

“A cleric who likes to heal! It’s amazing” LOL Sam. My thoughts exactly though

This isn’t going terrible but it isn’t going great and I’m worried about what they will have left when it comes time to face Lorenzo

YEAAAAAH HDYWTDT CALEB HECK YES somebody grab Yasha’s sword

also damn Caleb you get vicious with that fire

oh baby

please don’t freak again Molly isn’t here to forehead kiss you out of it

Aw first time he managed not to have issues

Maybe Lorenzo isn’t home… that would be great…

Or he’s downstairs…

Damn, Taliesin, that’s so amazingly morbid and fantastic. Just melting them away into fertilizer.

Nott apologizing for not being able to unlock the door and Caleb reassuring her that it’s not her fault. My heart.

Trapped door.

They are all getting silly xD

Oh god okay here we go

“I like pink better than purple” Liam how dare you

Manacles again ffs Matt

God a whole underground place

“He’s looking for green or blue or goth”

Fuuuuck they gotta get through at least 3 more??

And still no Lorenzo

fuck i don’t like thiiiiiiis

Lorenzo is absolutely in there. If he was upstairs he would have come down.

You’re assuming that there isn’t another way out that they could escape through and flank you

Matt’s like “I just got the downstairs map out guys”

Cad/Clay/Whatever like “let’s just?? ask??”

Oh no

stop him

“fucking Phil, ammiright?”

fuck this son of a bitch up

16 damage fuck him uppppp Nila!

fuck him uuuuup Keg!

fuck him up Clay!

fuck him up Nott!

Clay just… turning him into mulch I’m crying

Damn I’m so impressed they took care of that so well

fuck traps

PLEASE LET NILA’S BABY BE OKAY

Nila being such a mom is my favorite like I’m so here for the peaceful person who has never hurt anyone, but will fuck you UP for touching their loved ones

SOMEONE HEAL ASSAR

IM CRYING

MATT STOP IT

it’s fine I’m only crying a little

“be well. be well my son.”

I’m very much crying

Let her rip it open Matt let her do it

Okay Nila it’s okay let Nott try or Caleb then if Nott can’t

SAM stop with the 1s!!

SHES GOT HER FAMILY BACK AGAIN I CRYYYYYYY

the power of love is stronger than metal bars hell yes

“I love it when it works for the narrative!” lol Matt at his most DM-i-est

FAMILY HUG ITS FINE IM NOT CRYING

oh god I’m gonna miss Nila so much

WE LOVE YOU NILA I HOPE WE SEE YOU AGAIN SOME DAY

FIRBOLG HUG

I’ve cried way too much these past like idk 7 episodes

Nila is forever a member of the M9 y’all save that feather

it’s fine

it’s totally fine

How many members of the M9 are there now

Fjord Jester Caleb Nott Beau Molly Yasha, then Shakaste, Cali, Kiri, Keg, Nila, and now Clay.

God this was such a good episode.

Caduceus is great guys. He’s different enough from Molly not to make me heartsore, and I think he’ll bring a nice new dynamic? I’m not at all disappointed by him (not that I expected to be, I knew Taliesin wouldn’t let us down).

I’m gonna miss Nila so much. Like Marisha said, she was the softness the group needed.

I can’t believe Sumalee has never properly played before! That’s amazing! She was amazing! I hope I can be half that great at my first proper game!

And I’m so excited to see how it goes next week, live from GenCon! Excited to see how this section wraps up. It’s gonna be amazing.

[some-cookie-crumbz]

Kidge Parent HC Part 2.3

Whoo! I wanted to try and get this part out before I hit a full week since I uploaded part 2.2, but life happened! Then again, it didn’t take me too much longer, so there’s that! Hopefully I can get the next part out soon as well as a few fics and other things :3c

Pre-facing all of this by mentioning there is a little bit angst-ish material in this part so tread carefully!

Kidge Married Pre-Babies: [Read Here]

Kidge w/ Babies Part 2.1: [Read Here]

Kidge w/ Babies Part 2.2 [Read Here]

Also, note taken from the start of Part 2.1, but:  Forewarning that there will be some mentions of Allurance in all these parts, but I’m not tagging it because they aren’t given any real focus. Additionally, since I know some of this stuff can squick some people out, warning that there will be somewhat-detailed talk about pregnancy, birth, and what exactly comes in the early stages with a newborn so please be wary if such things make you uncomfortable.

The Third Baby

So, once again, the next baby is completely unplanned and they hadn’t really talked about having another baby. Once Pidge finds out she’d pregnant, they decide to roll with it.

At the time, Kaden is a little over a year and Amber is on her way towards her fifth birthday. They figure this is a good timeframe, since both the kids are at good ages that make them relatively independent and they hope this will, again, keep from there being any sibling rivalry.

Amber is thrilled at the idea of having another little sibling to look after, and Kaden doesn’t really understand but he sees that his sister is excited so he gets excited too.

This time around, the Holts are told first, followed by Shiro, Krolia, Hunk, and the Altean Crew. Everyone is just as excited now as they were the previous times, and Colleen asks about when Pidge’s due date is so that she can start making a blanket for the baby.

For pregnancy symptoms, Pidge gets nausea/ vomiting again, though it’s less severe than with Kaden. She also has to deal with her breasts being a bit tenderer than they were when she was pregnant with the first two.

The big change with this pregnancy is that Pidge gets some pretty severe mood swings. Keith, to his credit, does his best to play nice, but he will occasionally quip back because it does get grating having her on him about every little thing.

One night in specific, though, they get pretty bad with each other. It’s a stupid argument about how the towels are folded and Pidge just won’t let it drop and Keith is refusing to just walk away because things are getting way out of line and, hormones or not, she needs to back off. It gets pretty loud, admittedly, and the kids come out of their rooms to see what’s going on.

Now, I need to clarify right now; Pidge and Keith occasionally do have little spats. That’s just kind of a typical thing about couples as a whole and is to be expected. They’re typically much better about choosing their battles and knowing when to have their arguments, having learned from their younger days. Up until this point, they’ve been really good about letting things simmer down until the kids have gone to bed and having quiet arguments to keep them out of it.

Kaden immediately starts half-wailing, half-yelling at them to stop. Pidge and Keith clamp their mouths shut and just kinda stare in horror.

And then, uncharacteristically meek and scared, Amber asks, “Do Mommy and Daddy not love each other anymore?”

Pidge and Keith take the kids and settle on the couch, with Pidge cuddling Kaden to try and calm him down, and Keith keeping Amber wrapped up in his arms.

*Keith starts* “First things first, we’re sorry you two heard that. We were having a silly fight and we shouldn’t have gotten so upset about it. Mommy and Daddy still love each other very much.” *Amber, eyes still big and uneasy, but relaxing against Keith* “You do?” *Pidge chimes in* “Absolutely. Sometimes we have little disagreements. Kind of like how you two argue sometimes about what game to play. You two may be a little mad, but you still love each other, right?” *Kaden nods, shifting and nuzzling more into Pidge* “It’s kind of like that. We’re very sorry that you two heard us, because we never want you to think that things are bad with us. We still love each other very much, and we love you two most of all.” *Kaden immediately perks up all excited* “And the new baby, too!” *Keith chuckles, squeezing Amber and reaching over to ruffle Kaden’s hair* “That’s right buddy.”

Pidge and Keith have a long conversation after the kids are in bed about everything. Pidge promises to stop riding him so hard about little details and try to recognize when her hormones are making her act a little ridiculous. Keith agrees to be patience and politely point out when she’s being unreasonable instead of just bottling it up to himself.

Yet again, they decide to find out the gender as soon as they are able to, so that they can pick out a name easier. Turns out they are expecting another boy this time around, with the due date being in early April.

In regards to preparing for their Third Musketeer, it becomes a family affair. Much like with Kaden, Amber is all up in their business about wanting to help, and Kaden feeds off of her excitement and becomes just as invested, though in more subtle ways. While Amber will jump in and just outright state her opinion as if it’s fact, Kaden will be a bit more sly and treat it like a suggestion. He may be small and barely know a lot of words, but the kid is sharp as a whip.

Finally, Keith suggests they have a family meeting to discuss it and figure everything out together. This turns out to be a hilarious decision in more ways than one.

*Amber is standing on top of her seat at the dinner table, small toy hammer in hand, lightly tapping it along the surface* Quiet at the table! The first official meeting of the New Baby Discuss Legislaturor Office is now in effect!

*Kaden, smacking one hand on the table top* First meeting go!

*Pidge, biting lip not to laugh* Well, what’s on the agenda then?

“Excellent question, Legislaturor Mommy!” *Keith sets a juice box in front of Amber and then Kaden* “Thank you, Legislaturor Daddy.”

“Thanks Daddy!”

*Keith, chuckling quietly to self* “You’re both very welcome.”

They come up with his name pretty quick, but deciding on a theme is a bit more difficult. Considering they’ve done space for Amber and jungle for Kaden, and both the kids insist that they can’t reuse one of those since their baby brother is a new baby and thus needs a new theme, Pidge and Keith are actually absolutely clueless in regards to what they should pick. The whole family runs through about nine different ideas before Kaden suggests that they should go with dinosaurs. His reasoning? Because dinosaurs are cool. They decide to go with it because it makes sense.

Pidge actually ends up going into labor nearly three weeks early this time, on March 25th, with her water breaking in the early afternoon. Keith takes she and the kids to the hospital, with Shiro and Matt being the first two to meet them there this time. They take the kids while Keith and Pidge head to labor and delivery.

Now, complications are always a chance for a pregnancy and delivery. They haven’t really encountered anything like that before, but they’ve both been aware of it, if not a little unwilling to acknowledge that it could happen to them.

Until it does.

The labor this time around is agonizingly long and painful for Pidge, and additionally risky for the baby himself. First things first, he decides to come out sideways, so that the hard part of his head is pressing right against Pidge’s pelvis -  this is typically referred to as a “sunny-side Baby” and, fun fact, I actually did this when I was born so sorry about that Mom I love you - and making the whole process even more agonizing for her. Additionally, Keith catches something about the umbilical cord being wrapped around his little throat and Pidge hemorrhaging too much blood. What little he catches sends him panicking, and only escalates when the hospital staff starts trying to usher him from the room while more medical staff rushes in to help further.

It takes one of the doctors telling him that he’ll only be in the way to urge him out. He can hear the monitors for both Pidge and the baby going crazy as he’s shoved into the hallway and the door is slammed, signaling the baby’s heart rate is escalating and Pidge’s heart rate is dropping.

Another nurse, whom hadn’t been called in but overheard a bit of what was going on, reassures him that they’ll be okay and urges him to go be with the rest of the family while he waits.

He heads out to the front lobby, where everyone is gathered and chatting animatedly. Amber and Kaden see him and smile but slowly stop when they see the look on his face. The flock to him, but neither of them is eager and giddy as they do; clearly more scared and seeking comfort. Keith doesn’t say a word as he scoops them both up, settles into the closest chair they can find, and keeps them both pressed up in his arms.

The others can all tell that something is terribly wrong, but also know better than to press Keith for an answer, so they all sit in silence for the next thirty-forty minutes.

Amber and Kaden end up passing out in Keith’s arms, completely exhausted. They’ve all been at the hospital for almost ten hours and, despite Colleen and Samuel offering to take them home to sleep in their beds until their baby brother arrived, the two had insisted on seeing him first.

Once the kids are asleep, Shiro comes over and gently asks Keith about what’s happening. He recounts what had been going on at the time he got kicked from the room, in a clipped and sharp tone, though he does keep his volume down to avoid disturbing the kids.

They all sit in terrified silence for another thirty minutes before the kind nurse that talked Keith into coming to the lobby approaches them. Keith carefully hands the snoozing Amber and Kaden over to Krolia and Colleen respectively so he can walk over and talk to her.

*She offers him a small, soft smile* “The doctor will be down in a moment to let you know himself, but they’re both going to be okay. They were able to stop your wife’s bleeding and get her attached to a blood bag, and the baby-“

“Oliver. His name is Oliver.” *His voice cracks and wavers a bit, a mix of relief that Pidge is well but nervous still for their baby*

*The nurse blinks then smiles* “Oliver is going to be just fine, too. They managed to get the cord unwrapped from his neck before it could cause any damage and he came out shrieking. They’ll most likely need to stay a little longer for observation and to assure there aren’t any additional complications, but so far they’re both looking good after some time to rest.”

Keith thanks her and she scampers off. A few minutes later the doctor comes down to tell Keith basically the same thing. They explain that Keith and Pidge won’t be able to see Oliver for a few hours, simply because he’s being held in the ICU under observation, but that they can go in small groups of no more than three to see Pidge.

Keith, Colleen and Samuel are the first three to go in to see her. She’s pale and still a little groggy from the exhaustion of labor and blood loss, but she manages a small smile when they come in to see her. Keith settles into the seat beside her without a word, taking one of her hands and holding it tightly. She gives his hand a little squeeze before talking a bit with her parents.

Colleen and Samuel ask her the typical questions – how are you feeling, are you comfortable, etc. – as well as asking Pidge if there’s anything in specific she needs or wants. She asks if, after they go home and get some rest, they can sneak in some food for her. Specifically, she explains that she would really like a chicken sandwich and some shoestring French fries. They promise to sneak it in for her, as well as Colleen promising to bring Oliver’s completed baby blanket - in a lovely shade of yellow - with them. 

Coran, Allura and Lance come in next while the others look after the kids. Lance and Allura offer to watch Amber and Kaden for them, but Krolia had already insisted on watching them for them before Keith headed up to see Pidge. Next, Hunk, Shiro and Matt come in to check on her. Hunk and Matt both nearly choke her with tight hugs and sniffles. Shiro helps with prying them both off when they cling on to her for too long, being a lot gentler with his own hug. He keeps an eye on Keith throughout their visit and makes sure they keep it brief, promising that he’ll help Krolia with getting the kids in their car seats when they all head out for the night.

Lastly, Krolia and the kids come in to see them. Kaden and Amber are still really sleepy but they’re much more frantically to see their Mommy. Keith and Krolia help them get up on the bed and they both snuggle up to her. They both know she’s hurt, even if they don’t exactly understand the extent of those injuries.

“Are you okay now, Mommy?” “Yes, I am, Amber. Still a little tired but I’ll be fine.” *Kaden leans up and gives Pidge a quick smooch on the cheek* “Magic kissie…” *Pidge, heart melting* “Thank you, Snuggle Bug.” *They’re all silent for a good long while before Amber lifts her head and looks around curiously* “Where’s Oliver?” “He’s resting in a special place where the doctors can make sure that he’s okay.” *The first time Keith has spoken since he’s come into the room.* “Is he gonna be okay?” “Yes, baby girl. He just needs to get some rest, like Mommy.” *Pidge chimes back in to let Keith step back again* *Amber nods and snuggles back up with her and Kaden again*

Krolia makes sure to touch up on a few more things with Keith and Pidge, relating to how Pidge is feeling and offering to stay with them to help out once Pidge and Oliver do get discharged. Pidge thanks her and admits that she might take her up on the offer. Keith helps Krolia get the kids in her arms and Shiro, as he had offered, waits for Krolia to help her get them loaded up in the car.

Once they’re all alone, Pidge just gently takes one of Keith’s hands and strokes the top slowly with her thumb. It takes Keith a moment, but then he lifts her hand and just rests his forehead lightly against it and starts openly sobbing. It’s a mixture of relief that both she and Oliver are okay, as well as letting out the remaining fear and panic he’d been feeling while he was sitting in the waiting room.

“I was so fucking scared.”

“… I’m sorry…”

“S’not your fault, I just… I’m so happy you’re okay. That he’s okay. That we’re all okay and… I love you so much, Katie.”

“I love you too, Keith.”

The two of them talk about it that night and agree that three kids is a good number and that Oliver will be their last. As to whether or not that actually is the case though…

The next morning, one of the nurses being Oliver in, pushing him along in a little baby bed. He is already shrieking for all his little lungs are worth. Keith takes him out and he pauses to stare up at Keith, all wide eyes and a trembling lower lip, and he offers the little guy a small smile. He hands him over to Pidge and he latches on to nurse really easily, and Pidge chuckles a bit, lightly rubbing one of his flushed cheeks.

“Hmm… He’s a bit of a troublemaker, but he is pretty cute. Think we should keep him?”

*Keith chuckles a bit, sitting next to the bed and watching them* “Pretty sure we have to. I don’t think we have the receipt.”

“Darn. Well, at least he’s pretty to look at.”

Anyway, Oliver ends up getting Keith’s dark hair, but has more of the male Holt features in him. He ends up with Pidge’s eyes, but the actual shape of his face and nose and everything? Colleen actually busts out a bunch of baby pictures of Matt, as well as some pictures of Samuel as a baby that she has from Pidge’s grandmother, and his features seem to come from there. Pidge insists that she can see the faint outline of freckles along his nose and cheeks, too, but no one else seems to think so; except Amber, who agrees mostly to make Pidge feel better.

Also, regarding his birthday… Despite Pidge going into labor on March 25th, and he was about halfway out before midnight hit, he wasn’t technically considered delivered until about 12:15 a.m. on March 26th, since that was when they were able to get him out safely.

Now, as for what Oliver is like once he gets home…

He is trouble. From the womb most likely until to the tomb.

You know all the stereotypes about babies? How all they do is cry all the time and they’re never happy? Yeah, Oliver fits that mold pretty well. If he is awake but not on the booby nursing, he is protesting every single establishment known to man.

In regards to Keith’s morning walk, he almost never takes Oliver with him because of how fussy and temperamental the little guy is. Pidge and Keith agree that they aren’t going to disturb him at any point in time where he’s quiet.

Once he gets to be a bit bigger, his constant fussing actually serves a purpose. See, unlike Amber and Kaden, who started getting their teeth around five months and six months respectively, Oliver starts teething and gets his first tooth shortly after turning three months old. Thankfully, he’s better about taking tethers, which is a step up from Amber, who outright refused them.

So, regarding Oliver’s first smile, Keith gets it. Pidge, however, gets his first laugh, as well as getting to be the first word he says. It’s a kind of funny situation that leads to his first word, too. It’s at a cookout with the others, the Castle Ship settled in a park and everyone gathered together.

*Keith, gently rubbing a wailing Oliver’s back.* “Come on, buddy, it’s okay. No need to cry.”

*Lance perks up then smiles.* “Hey, hand him here. I have a trick I did with Alfie and Raya that always worked at calming them down.”

*Keith, cautious but desperate, hands over Oliver.*

*Oliver, continuing to scream*

“Hey, buddy! Look at me! Look at Uncle Lance!” *Oliver keeps crying but looks at him.* “Time for Flying Baby! Whee!” *Lance proceeds to toss Oliver as high into the air as he can, then has to step back a bit to actually catch him.*

*Silence reigns supreme for a second. Oliver stares down at Lance, then slowly looks at Keith, as if to ask, “Daddy, why?” And Keith suddenly questions every life decision he’s made up until this point and how he ever thought this was a good idea. Oliver looks back at Lance then, taking a deep breath, before his eyes get watery.*

*Lance realizes what is about to happen.* “N-No, no! You don’t need to cry louder, buddy! It’s okay th-!”

*Oliver, at the top of his lungs, in an unholy wail.* “MAMA!”

*Pidge, bursting over out of literal fucking nowhere.* “Lance what the Hell are you doing to my baby?!”

Oliver has a stuffed animal that he likes when he naps. It’s a little wombat that he eventually names Gamgoro – a name he recalls hearing from a story Keith or Pidge told them – but he’s not exactly big on stuffed animals. His favorite toys are a little cash register, which he pretends is a computer. He’ll go and sit down near Pidge when she’s working and clack at the little keys and pretend he’s doing “super-duper important busy-ness stuffs”. His other favorite toys is a little push car that he likes to run around in, typically following Keith or Amber or Kaden around.

Also, small note about Oliver and his siblings, there isn’t any real rivalry between any of the three of them, though Kaden sometimes gets fussy about having to share his old hand-me-down toys, but other than that, they’re all good.

That’s all for now! But we do have another two parts that will hopefully be out soon!