#this series is actually really fun to do I pray I finish it

[moociaoafterdark]

POV: You asked the Primarchs to draw themselves (2/?)

Part 1: Lion, Fulgrim, Perturabo Part 3: Konrad, Sanguinius, Ferrus

Note: Jaghatai's portrait is inspired by Zayasaikhan Sambuu's art! It was very fun studying his art style and trying to draw our one and only Khan in it! Personally, I'm really happy with the result :3

[loveanton]

off my face | lee anton

⟶ 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦: your best friend has been in love with you for years but you’ve been too blind to notice.

❥ 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔: best friend!anton x f!reader

❥ 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒: angst, fluff, suggestive

❥ 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡: 4.5k

⟶ 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠: underage drinking, partying, drunk kisses, makeouts, pls let me know if i missed anything

⏤ 𝑎/n: finally finished my finals so this is a lil self indulgent piece hehe

“I’m officially done with my exams!”

Anton smiles at you through his phone as he watches you vigorously shake your device out of excitement. You’re practically glowing, a mixture of relief and joy lighting up your features. Anton’s heart swells with pride. He’s always known how dedicated and hardworking you are, but seeing you like this makes him realize just how far you’ve come. You’d conquered another milestone, and he can't help but feel immensely proud of you.

He remembers all the late-night study sessions, the moments of doubt you’d shared, and the unwavering determination in your eyes. You’re amazing. He admires your strength, your perseverance, and the way you made everything seem possible. Anton has always been your biggest cheerleader, silently supporting you from the sidelines, even though he wishes he could do more. But right now, he’s just happy to see you so happy.

"Congratulations," Anton finally says, his voice warm and full of genuine pride.

"Thank you!" you beam, your eyes sparkling with gratitude. “Not gonna lie, I wrote complete bs for half the exam, after answering what I knew and adding up the points I gave up when I realized I had enough to pass the class.”

Anton snorts at your confession, “let’s pray your math wasn’t off then.”

You hum, “lets pray I actually got those questions right otherwise I’m screwed.”

The two of you laugh at your words before a beat of silence falls over the two of you. Anton hesitates for a moment, then decides to go for it. "So, what would you like me to buy you as a gift for finishing off your junior year?" he asks, his tone playful but sincere. He wants to celebrate this achievement with you, to make this moment even more special.

Your eyes widen in surprise, a smile spreading across your face. "Really? You don't have to—"

"I want to," Anton interrupts, a mischievous grin forming. "Come on, name your reward."

You laugh, thinking for a moment before answering. "Well, if you're sure... How about that new book series I've been eyeing?"

"Consider it done," Anton says, already mentally noting to order it as soon as possible. He wants to see that smile on your face in person, wants to be the reason for your happiness, even if just a little bit.

Just then, the door to Anton’s room opens, and Eunseok pokes his head in. He notices Anton on the phone and grins, stepping fully into the room. "Hey, who's that?" he asks, leaning closer to the screen.

You giggle and wave. "Hi, Eunseok! Guess what? I’m officially done with my exams!"

"Hey! That’s awesome! Congrats!" Eunseok says, his enthusiasm infectious. "So, Anton’s getting you something nice, right?"

"Yeah, he’s getting me a book series I wanted," you say, your excitement evident.

Eunseok smiles, "Want me to buy you something too?"

Your eyes sparkle with mischief. "Wait, really?”

He nods his head once and hums, “Yeah. Anything else you have your heart set on?”

“Want to take me out for some kbbq?"

Eunseok laughs, nodding. "Sure, Korean BBQ it is. I’ll text you to pick a date."

Anton forces a smile, trying to hide his disappointment. "Great, that sounds like a lot of fun."

You beam, clearly thrilled. "Awesome! Thanks, Eunseok. And thanks again, Anton, for the book series."

"Of course," Anton says, his voice softer now. "I’m really proud of you."

After a few more exchanges, Eunseok and Anton say their goodbyes, and you hang up. The moment the call ends, Anton feels a heavy weight settle in his chest. He can't shake off the sadness that you so eagerly accepted Eunseok's offer and that you would be going out to eat with him. It felt a bit too intimate, and jealousy gnaws at him.

Anton sulks around the dorm, trying to distract himself but failing miserably. Later on, once everyone has eaten and gotten ready for bed, Anton sits in the common area still pouting and eating an apple after skipping out on dinner because Eunseok was in charge of cooking tonight. Wonbin notices his friend's gloomy demeanor and approaches him with concern.

"Hey, what's got you all pouty?" Wonbin asks, nudging Anton gently.

Anton sighs, running a hand through his hair. "It's nothing. Just... feeling a bit off, I guess."

Wonbin raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Come on, what is it? I know something's bothering you."

Anton hesitates, then finally gives in. "It's just... ____’s done with her exams and I offered to buy her a gift, she was really happy about it. But then Eunseok came in and offered to buy her something too and she accepted without a second thought. It just... I don’t know, it feels different."

Wonbin nods, understanding dawning on his face. "Ah, I see. You're feeling jealous."

"Yeah," Anton admits quietly. "I know it's stupid, but I can't help it. I’ve been in love with her for years, and she doesn’t even see me that way. And now she’s going out with Eunseok... it just hurts."

Wonbin claps a reassuring hand on Anton's shoulder. "Hey, it’s not stupid. Feelings are complicated. But maybe it's time to tell her how you really feel. Who knows, she might feel the same way."

Anton looks at Wonbin, a mixture of hope and fear in his eyes. "Maybe. I just don’t want to ruin what we have."

"Sometimes you have to take a risk to get what you really want," Wonbin says softly. "And you deserve to be happy too, Anton."

Anton nods, taking a deep breath. "Thanks, Wonbin. I’ll think about it."

As he walks back to his shared room, Anton's mind races with thoughts of you, the possibilities, and the courage he would need to finally confess his feelings. But for now, he just hopes you’re happy, even if it isn’t with him.

The next day, you head over to Anton’s dorm, excited to pick up the gift and hang out with your best friend. The sun is shining brightly, and there’s a lightness in your step as you approach the familiar building. When you knock on his door, it opens almost immediately, and Anton greets you with a warm smile.

"Hey! Come in," he says, stepping aside to let you enter.

"Thanks," you reply, stepping into the cozy space. The dorm has always felt like a second home to you, a place filled with fond memories and shared moments.

Anton walks the two of you to his room before going over to his desk and picks up a carefully wrapped package. "Here it is," he says, handing it to you with a shy grin.

You take the package, your eyes widening in surprise. "Wow, you wrapped it and everything! How did you get it so fast?"

Anton chuckles. "The perks of Amazon Prime," he replies, looking pleased with your reaction.

You laugh and start to unwrap the gift, revealing the book series you’ve been wanting. Your heart swells with gratitude, and you look up at Anton with a beaming smile. "Thank you so much, Anton! This is perfect."

"I’m glad you like it," he says softly, watching as you flip through the pages of the first book.

Just then, your phone buzzes with a text from your roommate. You glance at the screen and read the message. “Ouu, Mina just texted me about a party."

You look up at Anton, excitement and a hint of mischief in your eyes. "Do you wanna come with me? It’ll be a great way to celebrate."

Anton hesitates, his brow furrowing slightly. "A party? I don’t know... that’s not really my scene."

"Please, Anton," you say, giving him your best puppy-dog eyes. "It would mean a lot to me if you came. We can have fun together, and it’s a good chance to let loose before I leave for the summer."

He sighs, but the look in your eyes makes it impossible for him to say no. "Alright, I’ll go," he agrees, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Yay! Thank you!" you exclaim, wrapping your arms around him in a tight hug. "You’re the best, Anton."

He hugs you back, savoring the moment before you pull away. "I’ll see you later then. I need to get ready," you say, heading for the door.

"See you later," Anton replies, watching you leave with a fond look in his eyes.

After you’ve gone, Anton turns to find his roommates. He finds all six of them in the common area, discussing their plans for the evening. "Hey, guys. We’re going to a party tonight," Anton announces.

"A party? Are you sure you want to go?" Sungchan asks.

Sohee nods, “yeah, I never pegged you as the party going type.

Anton sends a sharp glare their way. “____ invited me, I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

"I’m sure it will," Wonbin adds, glancing at Anton. He remembers the conversation they had last night and grins. "So, is this the night you finally tell her how you feel?"

Anton’s cheeks flush slightly. "Ahhh, hyung!"

Eunseok raises an eyebrow. "Wait, tell who what?"

Wonbin nudges the younger male. "Anton’s in love with ____. Has been for years."

All the boy's eyes widen in surprise, as they stare at their youngest in shock. Shotaro is the first to react, he breaks into a wide grin. "Really? That’s awesome! We need to make sure you confess tonight."

Anton groans. "No. Guys, please. I don’t want to make it a big deal."

His words go right over everyone's heads as they start coming up with a masterplan to help out their brother.

"Don’t worry, Anton," Wonbin says with a mischievous glint in his eye. "We’ve got your back. Tonight’s the night."

Anton sighs, knowing there’s no stopping them. As the evening approaches, the dorm buzzes with excitement. The guys are all determined to help Anton confess his feelings to you by the end of the party, and Anton can only hope that everything goes well.

___

Back in your dorm, you and Mina are getting ready for the party. The room is filled with the upbeat music Mina insists on playing whenever you two are preparing for a night out. You’re both rifling through your closets, trying on different outfits, and swapping opinions on what looks best.

“This party is going to be amazing,” Mina says, holding up a sparkly top against herself and checking the mirror. “Are you sure Anton’s coming?”

“Of course,” you reply, slipping into the black dress you finally settled on. “I convinced him. He’s not really into parties, but he agreed to come.”

Mina grins and raises an eyebrow. “You know, that’s probably because he has a thing for you. So, when are you going to confess your feelings?”

You roll your eyes, waving off her comment. “We’re just friends, Mina. He doesn’t see me like that.”

Mina gives you a skeptical look. “Are you sure about that? You two are pretty close, and I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“Seriously, it’s not like that,” you insist, feeling a twinge of discomfort. You don’t want to get your hopes up or think about the possibility of Anton seeing you as more than a friend. “Let’s drop it, okay?”

Mina shrugs, sensing the finality in your tone. “Alright, alright. But if you change your mind, tonight could be the perfect time.”

You finish getting ready in silence, both focused on your makeup and hair. Once you’re satisfied with your looks, you grab your bags and head out the door, excitement bubbling within you for the night ahead.

The party is already in full swing by the time you and Mina arrive. The house is packed with people, music blaring, and laughter echoing through the rooms. You’re greeted by a wave of familiar faces, everyone eager to chat and offer you drinks.

Anton stands off to the side, trying to blend into the background while watching you interact with ease. He sees guys coming up to you, talking and laughing, some even offering you drinks. A pang of jealousy hits him, but he tries to push it aside.

Sungchan, noticing Anton’s brooding expression, decides to take action. He grabs two drinks and walks over to Anton, shoving them into his hands. “Here, take these. Go talk to her. Stop sulking.”

Anton hesitates but knows Sungchan is right. He takes a deep breath and walks over to you, hoping to get a moment alone.

You notice Anton approaching and smile brightly. “Hey! I’m so glad you made it.”

“Hey,” he replies, handing you one of the drinks. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

The two of you find a quieter corner and start chatting about your summer plans. You excitedly tell him about your upcoming girls’ trip to Tulum, and he shares his plans to go on tour with the boys before heading back to New Jersey to spend time with his family.

“I’m so excited for you,” you say, genuinely happy for him. “Touring sounds incredible.”

“Thanks,” Anton says, his eyes softening as he looks at you. “And Tulum sounds amazing. You’re going to have so much fun.”

Just as you’re about to dive into another topic, Sohee appears out of nowhere, grabbing both of your arms. “Hey, you two! Come on, we’re starting a drinking game in the basement. You have to join us!”

You laugh, allowing Sohee to drag you towards the basement. “Alright, alright, we’re coming!”

Anton follows, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

The basement is filled with a mix of excitement and apprehension as everyone gathers around in a circle for the game. The room is dimly lit, creating an intimate atmosphere perfect for a game of Dare or Drink. Sohee stands in the center, holding an empty bottle, and addresses the group with a mischievous grin.

"Alright, losers," Sohee announces loudly, "we're playing Dare or Drink. It's pretty self-explanatory, but here are the rules: we spin the bottle, and if it lands on you, you either do the dare or take a drink. Got it?"

Everyone nods, a mix of nervous laughter and anticipation rippling through the group. Seunghan is the first to spin the bottle, and it lands on Chaemin. The room holds its breath as he smirks.

"Alright, Chaemin," Seunghan says, leaning forward, "I dare you to kiss the person next to you."

Chaemin's eyes widen, her cheeks turning pink as she looks to her side and sees Shotaro. She bites her lip, hesitating. Shotaro's face is already turning red, a nervous smile on his lips. Chaemin quickly decides and grabs her drink, taking a big gulp instead of completing the dare.

You giggle, noticing Shotaro's embarrassment, and pat his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, Shotaro. Maybe next time," you say with a playful wink.

Chaemin, still blushing, spins the bottle next. It twirls around before pointing at Wonbin. She grins mischievously. "Wonbin, I dare you to strip and go skinny dipping with me."

The room erupts in cheers and laughter, the boys howling at the suggestion. Wonbin, however, chuckles and shakes his head, opting to take a drink instead.

Sohee rolls her eyes dramatically. "Come on, guys! This game is boring if no one does the dares. Step it up!"

With a determined look, Wonbin spins the bottle, and it lands on Anton. Anton's eyes widen as everyone hoots and hollers, anticipating the dare.

"Alright, Anton," Wonbin says, his voice dripping with mischief, "I dare you to make out with the hottest girl in the room."

The group falls silent, all eyes on Anton as he blushes furiously. You can feel your own cheeks heating up, heart pounding as you wait to see what he'll do. Anton looks around nervously, his gaze lingering on you for a moment longer than the others.

Anton hesitates, his mind racing. He can feel the weight of everyone's eyes on him, especially yours. The truth is, he already knows who the hottest girl in the room is to him, but saying it out loud and acting on it in front of everyone feels daunting.

With a deep breath, he glances at you again, the unspoken feelings swirling in his eyes. "I—"

But before he can finish, the group erupts in cheers and laughter again, breaking the tension. Anton, still flustered, grabs his drink and takes a large gulp, avoiding the dare.

You can't help but feel a mix of relief and disappointment. You give him a supportive smile, hoping to ease his nerves. Anton looks at you, his eyes filled with gratitude and something else you can't quite place. The game continues, but you and Anton share a few more glances, the unspoken tension between you growing stronger with each passing moment.

As the game progresses and the drinks flow, the atmosphere in the basement becomes increasingly lively. Laughter fills the air, and the group becomes more daring with each spin of the bottle. You’ve mostly opted for drinks over dares, feeling the effects of the alcohol start to kick in. Your inhibitions are lowered, and a warm buzz settles over you as you join in the fun.

It's your turn again, and you watch as Sohee gives the bottle a playful spin. It twirls around before slowing down and pointing directly at you. The room erupts into cheers and laughter, and you can't help but giggle nervously as all eyes turn to you.

Sohee grins mischievously. "Alright, ____, I dare you to kiss the most attractive male in the room."

You scoff, feeling emboldened by the alcohol coursing through your veins. "Pfft, easy," you say with a playful smirk.

Without hesitation, you turn to Anton, your heart pounding in your chest. His eyes widen in surprise, his cheeks flushing as he meets your gaze. The room falls silent, anticipation hanging thick in the air.

With a boldness you didn’t know you possessed, you lean in and press your lips against his, the kiss soft but filled with an undeniable electricity. Cheers erupt from the group as they watch in amazement, some even whistling and hollering in approval.

For a moment, everything fades away except for the sensation of Anton’s lips against yours, the warmth of his embrace, and the pounding of your heart. It feels like time slows down, and you lose yourself in the moment, forgetting about everything else but the connection between you and Anton.

When you finally pull away, breathless and flushed, the room erupts into cheers and applause. Anton stares at you, his eyes wide with surprise and something else you can't quite place.

Sohee claps you on the back, grinning from ear to ear. "Now that's what I call a dare!" he exclaims, earning laughter and agreement from the others.

As the cheers and applause die down, you begin to realize the weight of what just happened. Your heart races with a mix of nerves and excitement, unsure of what this means for your relationship with Anton.

Anton's eyes meet yours, his expression unreadable as he stands and reaches out to take your hand, his touch sending a shiver down your spine. "Come on," he says softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Let's get out of here."

You feel a pang of disappointment as Anton leads you away from the group, away from the pulsating energy of the party. A part of you wants to stay, to revel in the adrenaline rush of the moment, but another part knows that you need to talk, to figure out what this kiss means for your friendship.

But as Anton guides you up the stairs, you can't help but whine, dragging your feet like a child being dragged away from their favorite toy. "But I don't want to leave," you protest, your voice slurred from the alcohol. "I'm having fun."

Anton shoots you a warning look, his grip on your hand tightening slightly. "____, we need to talk," he says firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Reluctantly, you follow him into an empty bedroom, the noise of the party fading into the background. Anton closes the door behind you, and for a moment, there's nothing but silence between you.

"I..." Anton starts, his voice trailing off as he struggles to find the right words. "I don't know what this means for us, but... that kiss, it felt..."

Before he can finish, you cut him off with a giggle, swaying unsteadily on your feet. "Anton, you're overthinking it," you say with a drunken smile. "Let's just go back to the party."

But Anton shakes his head, a determined look in his eyes. "No, we need to talk about this."

You pout, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by the seriousness of the situation. "Fine," you mumble, crossing your arms over your chest.

Anton sighs, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He realizes that you're too drunk to have a proper conversation, too caught up in the moment to fully understand the implications of what just happened. With a heavy heart, he decides to abandon the conversation for now, knowing that it's pointless to try to reason with you in your current state.

Instead, he takes a deep breath and gently guides you out of the room, back towards his dorm. You stumble slightly, leaning on him for support as you navigate the streets together.

When you finally reach his room, Anton helps you onto his bed, tucking you in with gentle hands. You mumble a sleepy thank you, already drifting off into a drunken slumber.

Anton watches you for a moment, his heart heavy with uncertainty. He knows that things will never be the same between you, that this kiss has changed everything. But as he looks down at your sleeping form, a small smile tugs at his lips. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the beginning of something new.

With a sigh, he turns away, grabbing a makeup wipe to gently wipe off your makeup. He changes you into one of his oversized shirts and a pair of his boxers, making sure to avert his eyes as he does so.

Once you're settled, he takes a pillow and a blanket, making himself comfortable on the floor beside the bed. He knows that he needs to be there for you, to take care of you, even if it means sacrificing his own comfort.

As he drifts off to sleep, thoughts of you swirl through his mind. He feels nervous about what the future holds for your friendship, but also excited at the possibility of something more. And as he falls asleep beside you, he knows that whatever happens, he'll always be there for you, ready to support you through whatever comes your way.

The morning light filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow into Anton's room. You slowly blink your eyes open, groaning at the pounding headache that greets you. As you try to piece together the events of last night, memories flood back to you in bits and pieces. The party, the drinking, the kiss...

Your heart sinks as you realize where you are. You sit up slowly, the room spinning slightly as you take in your surroundings. You're in Anton's room, and the memories of the drunken kiss flood back to you with embarrassing clarity. You feel stupid for letting things get out of hand, for letting your feelings show in such a reckless way.

As you start to get dressed, pulling on your pants with shaky hands, the door creaks open and Anton enters, carrying a glass of water and some pills. You freeze, your heart racing as you meet his gaze. There's a moment of awkward silence as you both stand there, unsure of what to say.

Anton breaks the silence first, holding out the water and pills to you. "Here," he says softly, his voice gentle. "You'll feel better after you take these."

You take the medicine gratefully, mumbling a small thank you as you swallow the pills with a sip of water. Anton watches you carefully, his expression unreadable as he waits for you to speak.

Finally, he clears his throat, his voice hesitant. "About last night...," he starts, trailing off as he searches for the right words. "I wanted to talk to you about the kiss."

Your heart sinks even further, and you feel a blush creeping up your cheeks. "Oh, uh... yeah," you mumble, trying to play it off casually. "It was just a stupid drunken kiss. We were both drunk, and I... I didn't mean anything by it."

Anton's gaze softens, and you can see the doubt flickering in his eyes. He takes a step towards you, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you mean that?" he asks, his tone gentle but insistent. "Or... do you have feelings for me?"

You feel a lump forming in your throat, and you struggle to find the right words. "I... I don't know," you admit, feeling flustered and exposed under his gaze. "It was just a... a stupid mistake."

But Anton knows you're lying, knows you're trying to brush off something that meant more to both of you than you're willing to admit. With a newfound confidence, he takes another step towards you, closing the distance between you.

"____," he says softly, reaching up to caress your cheek with trembling fingers. "I've loved you for years. That kiss... it meant everything to me."

You stare up at him in shock, your heart pounding in your chest. You're not sure how to respond, not sure if you're ready to face the truth of your feelings for him. But before you can say anything, Anton leans in, his lips capturing yours in a gentle, hesitant kiss.

For a moment, everything fades away except for the warmth of Anton's embrace, the softness of his lips against yours. As the kiss deepens, you wrap your arms around him, pulling him closer, Anton hums, his right hand slides under your hair to rest on your neck.

You quietly moan when he spreads your mouth with his and slips his tongue into your wet mouth. Anton’s fingers are tangled in your hair, his thumb resting on the side of your face. He tilts his head and deepens the kiss. He moans when he wraps his tongue around yours. He rests his other hand on the small of your back as he reclines you slowly, carefully, until you are laying down and he is hovering over you. He retracts his left hand from your back and starts to slowly rub circles on the inside of your thighs.

You slightly push him away feeling overwhelmed with all the new sensations but you know you need to tell him this before anything else happens, “I love you too.”

Anton smiles down at you and pecks your lips once more, “I love you more.”

In that moment you feel a sense of completeness wash over you, a feeling of rightness that you've never experienced before. As you lose yourself in his eyes, in the warmth and safety of Anton's embrace, you know that this is just the beginning of your journey together, the start of something beautiful and true.

[amyispxnk]

My Kind of Woman

Chapter 1: Special.

Series Masterlist

Series summary - Your song captivates Joel the second he hears you that night in Jackson, but he struggles to work up the courage to confess his feelings. With some (very heavy) encouragement from Ellie and Tommy, you two get closer and closer until he finally thinks he’s ready.

Chapter summary - You and Joel finally sit down together after a year of stolen glances.

A/N: OH MY GOD IT’S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I’VE WRITTEN A FIC I MISSED IT SM. Let’s all collectively pray that I actually finish this series, btw. It kind of just came to me earlier today and I barely have anything planned but.. you know me by now.

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

Word count: 1.6k

Warnings: alcohol, light language, (kind of) fluff, nothing much really in this chapter

DO NOT COPY THIS FIC IN ANY WAY PLS AND TY.

“Come on man. We’ve been here for almost two years and you still haven’t made any friends. I see how you look at her- just say something! It is actual torture having to watch you dance around people like this.” Ellie groans dramatically, trying to kick some sense into the man who sits across from her. Joel just grunts, continuing to eat his stew as she looks blankly at him. “She’s nice enough.” She adds after a moment, trying to get him to say something.

After more silence, she speaks again with an exaggerated sigh, “I guess I’ll just go talk to her then, tell her that my old man has a big, fat crush on her. Maybe then you two can-” her smirk falters when Joel interrupts her.

“Don’t you dare go doin’ that,” he grumbles “Y’ gon’ make me look stupid-”

“So you talk to her then! Stop moping around all the time.” Ellie concludes, before standing up and saying goodbye, going to clear her tray and giving him a look before leaving the mess hall.

Joel watches her go before closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. First, Tommy was on his ass about making some friends - “You’re scarin’ people, y’know. Givin’ everyone death stares when you walk around, being so.. withdrawn all the time. It’d do ya some good,” he’d told Joel one evening at the Tipsy Bison - and now Ellie was too. And, knowing Ellie, that kid wouldn’t be as patient, probably already concocting some sort of plan to force you and Joel together.

As he leans his head back and mulls over his options, he looks out the window. Of course you’re out there, playing with the kids of Jackson. You’re one of the most popular people in Jackson, always being friendly and knowing just about everyone.

..Except him, of course. You’ve had some small chats with him, but you never really see him. He sees you though, having been.. observing you for the past year, keeping his distance - being respectful, in his eyes, being a wuss, in Ellie’s - and he knows enough about you to know that he probably has no chance with you.

You’re funny, sweet, fucking stunning, and he’s seen multiple guys try to approach you at the bar. Younger, more attractive guys. Mainly, you help teach kids things like art and music at the Jackson school, and you also do patrols a few times a week. On some nights you also sing at the Tipsy Bison when there are events and dances. The band will play, often with you as the lead singer. He always makes sure he’s there when you are.

The first time he saw you was on one of his very first nights in the Tipsy Bison. Tommy had dragged him along, Ellie going too, with promise of a fun night.

He came mainly to keep an eye on Ellie and to get some alcohol in his system, not expecting anything ‘fun’ to happen. Boy, was he wrong.

It had been around half an hour of him nursing his whiskey in the corner of the room when you came onto stage, million-dollar smile on your face as you spoke into the microphone.

“Good evening, Jackson!” You began, already getting a loud cheer from the crowd of people there that night. “It’s great to be singin’ for you again, you know I missed ya! Now, tonight, we got a few songs lined up, but this first one is a special request from Mister Tommy Miller over there!” You had said, pointing over to Tommy who was sitting with Joel, the younger brother grinning widely at you.

The band started and you began to sing one of Joel’s favourite songs from before the outbreak - somehow, it sounded even better in your voice. Joel glared at Tommy when he realised what he had done, and Tommy just shrugged before looking back at you. He couldn’t stay mad at him though, because by the end of it he was entranced by the sweet melody of your voice and how gorgeous you looked singing your heart out under the lights.

You were beaming at the audience after finishing as they showered you with applause, though it took Joel a second to actually start clapping and stop staring at you.

He tried denying it, but, as cheesy as it sounds, it was love at first sight for him.

It scared him, definitely. It had barely been a year since he lost Tess, and although he wouldn’t go as far as saying they were in love, it was the closest thing he’d had to it in decades. To think he even liked you from just hearing you sing one song.. that fucking terrified him.

Which is why he kept his distance for so long. He didn’t know what to do with himself when he realised he actually liked you. He hadn’t had any sort of connection other than Ellie and Tommy in so long, and they were his family. You, though.. you were so different.

He sighed deeply before opening his eyes again, finishing his meal as he watched you smile and laugh in the snow through the window.

A week later, Tommy manages to convince Joel to come to the Tipsy Bison again, promising ‘no funny business’ to go on. Joel isn’t sure he’d really mind.

Time goes by quietly, a simple Monday afternoon not having much going on for them, but then you turn up. He sees you as soon as you walk through the doors, an unfamiliar tiredness in your eyes. It looks like you’ve been on a long patrol.

You look around before noticing Tommy and Joel, walking over with a small smile.

Joel stares daggers at Tommy. “You said no funny business,” he grits, a strange panic flooding his system. Did he brush his hair this morning? Do his clothes look tidy? Did he have anything in his teeth?

“Ain’t no funny business here, brother.” Tommy grins at him, not giving him a chance to reply as you get to their table.

“Hi Tommy!” You smile, hugging him before turning to Joel. “And Joel! It’s so great to see you!”

Joel blinks at you. Fuck, you’re talking to him. He needs to say something back.

“Yeah, you too.” He mumbles, clearing his throat awkwardly.

If you pick up on his discomfort, you don’t mention it, looking around before continuing.

“Are y’all stayin’?” You ask, now leaning forward a little with your palms on the table.

“As far as I’m concerned.” Tommy replies, to which you nod. “Y’ wouldn’t mind if I sit with ya, then?” You ask.

“Not at all, darlin’.” He says, and you slide into the booth with them, starting up a conversation about what you did today, mentioning that draining patrol you just got back from.

“I’m tellin’ ya - morning patrols are like hell on earth, Tommy. ‘S not fair to be makin’ us go out at 6 am.” You groan, to which he smiles. “Nothin’ a little coffee can’t fix.” Tommy replies, which makes you perk up.

“You have coffee? Since when?” You gasp, wide-eyed at him.

“New trade opened, and since Joel here is such an addict, we got our hands on some.” He gestures to Joel, and you look over at him, a smile creeping onto your face.

“I see.. being Tommy’s brother has its perks then? Got you hoarding all the coffee for yourself?” You tease, to which Joel chuckles quietly at, sitting up a little taller.

“Not hoardin’. Nobody else has asked for any.” He tells you, looking into your eyes and trying not to get lost in them for too long.

“And if I wanted some?” You say, tilting your head sideways slightly as it rests on your palm.

“Y’ always welcome to come get some, sweetheart.” He isn’t sure what possessed him to use the pet name with you, but he’s very thankful for it as a soft crimson paints your cheeks and you bite your lip to stop yourself from grinning like an idiot. “Well, thank you.” You reply, before a man comes over to get you your drink. “Whiskey, neat please.” You tell him and he goes off to get it. Joel is pleasantly surprised by your choice. He never really thought about what you might order from the bar, but the fact that you shared the same drink of choice made you even more attractive in his eyes.

2 hours later, Tommy had gone off to handle an issue with the council and you and Joel had been talking and drinking and laughing. It’s around 3 now and he barely realises in time for his afternoon patrol, finishing off his whiskey before telling you, noticing the slight sadness that appears on your face at him having to go.

“Oh! Alright then. I’ll see you around. Have a good patrol, Joel.” You smile at him, and he offers you a small smile back.

“See ya ‘round.” He says before leaving and going back to the stables.

Later that evening, Ellie somehow figures out what went down earlier at the bar (Joel’s already planning on giving Tommy a talking to tomorrow) and makes fun of him endlessly for it, saying that he was apparently so shy when he was talking with you.

“I’d have never thought that someone could make the big, bad Joel all nervous and flustered, but she just continues to prove me wrong. She’s definitely special, huh.” Ellie grins, before bidding Joel goodnight and leaving him with his thoughts.

He hated to admit it, but Ellie was right in saying that. You were special.

Tysm for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated! 💞

Next Chapter

[ms-m-astrologer]

2024 Libra New Moon/Eclipse

Wednesday, October 2, 06:49 UT, 10°04’ Libra

Chart erected for Washington, DC

Ordinarily I would rattle off the key phrase for a New Moon - but this one happens to be a solar eclipse, and it’s better not to mess with it. I’m including a lot of information from various sources, to help you make sense of it.

This series of eclipses (Saros Series 8 South) isn’t “fun” - in The Eagle and the Lark, astrologer Bernadette Brady wrote:

Separation and loss. To be parted. To finish something, and to feel sad at its completion. Physical injury is also possible through over-straining one’s strength. This is not the time to undertake strenuous physical activities.

Previous occurrences of this series happened on September 22, 2006, at 29° Virgo; September 11, 1988, at 19° Virgo; and August 31, 1970, at 8° Virgo.

This is also a South Node solar eclipse. The South Node indicates behaviors we have “maxed out” - we have learned everything there is to learn, and we have done everything there is to do; we can no longer make any progress or achieve any growth here. It’s time to reach out to that North Node, using its ruler (Mars/Cancer) for specifics.

Looking at the actual chart: there’s the eclipse, very closely conjunct not only Mercury but both Black Moons Lilith. This is a particular mentality of deliberately not seeing ourselves and others as we really are - of sugar-coating (Libra) reality.

In Finding Our Way through the Dark, Demetra George wrote of Black Moon Lilith:

She forces us to look at ourselves with utter, naked honesty and makes us demand the truth of things, from our families, partners, groups and governments. She is ruthless in destroying any of our life structures or relationships that are built upon a foundation of deception and disrespect, or do not express our true individuality or appropriate life path.

Note also that the eclipse is square both ends of an opposition between Mars/Cancer and Ceres/Capricorn. Nothing like a family member to cut through our crap, is there? But (on the other hand) there’s also familial pressure to “be” a certain way - to assume a particular role in the tribe - whether or not we’re actually suited to that role.

If we throw in the North Node/Aries, we have a Cardinal sign grand cross. Difficult aspects in Cardinal signs are indicative of issues and problems we have been aware of for some little time, but haven’t done anything to address. Steven Forrest wrote,

When the Grand Cross falls in the Cardinal Mode, its main strength lies in boldly initiating action and in attracting support, while the main forms of self-sabotage lie either in starting things that should never been started in the first place, or in failing to follow through on one’s inspired beginnings - the failure to finish what was started…. In the dark expression of Cardinal Grand Cross energy, this sickness manifests as endlessly beginning new projects in a spirit of hope that a new day is dawning, only to lose interest and focus for no obvious reason. (The Book of Air, pp 290-291)

So: let’s look at some of the more negative Libra traits:

Going along to get along

Manipulating people and situations to get one’s own way

“Peace at any price” (see: Neville Chamberlain)

Refusing to take a stand or to commit

Too “refined” and “aesthetic;” superficial

Opting for style over substance

I dunno - it just seems to me that if something must come to an end, maybe it should be something negative? Or maybe some behavior that worked like a charm back in 7th grade, but is no longer valid years later? If all we get out of this is learning how to pray for grace, that would be a good thing.

———————————

Venmo Mary_Brack

PayPal MaryVBrack

Thank you!

[hyperions-light]

2024 Writing Roundup

Yeeeehaw it's writing roundup time! Thank you for the tag @uchidachi! <3

words posted: 41,838, plus miscellaneous amount of words on Tumblr

additional words written: uhhhh apprx 22,700, give or take. Probably give, bc I'm not counting any of the meta on here

fandoms: All published is for One Piece, almost everything unpublished is Dragon Age + there's some original something for Elden Ring (probably not going to clean that up tbh)

highest kudos: The Road(trip) to Hell is Paved With Questionable Decision Making at 103... which, yeah, it's the most accessible of them lol

highest hit one-shot: catalyst at 513-- pretty good, considering I only posted it at the end of October. Maybe cheating because it needs a sequel? But I haven't written it, so for now it remains an OS

new things I tried: I did two zines and three events (BB, Corazon Week and Fight)! They were fun, but I'll probably mostly focus on making my own stuff this next year. And I expect to mostly be hanging around the DA fandom, as opposed to OP

fic I spent the most time on: I doooon't know, but I think it was the ascent? High concept, difficult to write and wrangle into something resembling what I wanted. Good exercise, though.

fic I spent the least time on: I think it was resentment-- I do really love this one, actually, but I didn't spend too much time on it because it came together in like a day? Even the editing was quick.

favourite thing I wrote: Probably it deepens like a coastal shelf, which is an AU of someone else's fic lol, so very niche, but I loooove writing about terrible people and family drama. And I got to quote poetry. And make people cry <3

favourite thing(s) I read: I've really loved reading all of your fics that you all keep sending for BW fic comments Saturdays! And I enjoy hearing about everyone's Rooks, too <3 I don't feel it's fair to do 'best of' fics but I thought I'd pull a few that have lower interaction rates for various reasons; the BW fandom is soooo talented, though, my recommendation is to give whatever sounds interesting to you a shot!

pray for rain by mafalda_157 who I believe is @darethshirl on here? Elgar'nan/Solas, Mythal/Elgar'nan, dubcon + politics with especially strong character voices

Five, Seven, Five by theharellan, @queenaeducan Really beautiful and poetic Solas&Cadash!Inquisitor gen fic

The Memory of Her Scent by Vespaer, @vespaer77 Angsty Solavellan between games, gorgeously written

Mien'Harel by bodysnatch3r, @bodysnatch3r canon divergence Felassan/Solas, really stunning prose and well-realized world. Also recommend the Heistverse series, for any Hobbit enthusiasts!

(please don't take this as like... me not endorsing the other fics, I'm really enjoying reading everyone's <3 I just went off the top of my head + pulled stuff I think may have been somewhat overlooked. Also I am not even done with last week's set yet)

In every other fandom I peruse I am an Old Man Yaoi enjoyer, so I also will always recommend A Reflection of Starlight (reread) for Les Mis, and, for those of you interested in OP fic, the works of spaceliquid, ArgelTal (@chaoticargeltal-- they wrote this fic based on a prompt of mine & did an incredible job!), and Harmonica_Smile/Rescue_Remedy (@chromatic-lamina) who all write beautifully <3

writing goals for 2025: Need to finish that original thing I'm working on by... August?? I should check lol. And then I need to publish as much of this DA stuff as I can that's sitting in drafts lol... will the foursome be first?? unclear

new works: idk, Leth's thing I'm writing, probably some Lucanis&Bellara stuff, some Neve/Rook/Lucanis, and the Rook/Teia/Viago/Lucanis WT: speak of me in the language of reverence

tagging: I'm actually not sure if it's going to let me tag anyone else BUT @covertleathers, @thedissonantverses, @taashyvashedan, @chromatic-lamina, @wardensantoineandevka, @biowaredisasterbisexual, @mageofquandrix + anyone else who would like to do this!

[kiryoutann]

WIPs UPDATES!

okay,,, i'm just gonna give everyone a quick update on two main things i'm working on: EX PROBLEM and chapter 12 of A MAN'S HEART IS TRULY A WRETCHED, WRETCHED THING.

starting with EX PROBLEM...

currently working on chapter 3. and im stuck.

i imagine the fic would probably have around 5-7 chapters.

there's gonna be um,, some.. wriothesley x fem! reader stuff.

^ i honestly don't know how far should MC go for him actually, like.. are they just gonna kiss? or they're gonna do more? idk pls lemme know what u want. it's a possibility that they're gonna do more.

^ and idk if this is a good news or not cause i know there are people who strictly wants to just be with ajax and ajax only, but i swear guys it's gonna be fun. maybe

like, if you want some angry sex, u gotta make ajax so so fucking angry and he's not gonna be too angry just bcs you give another guy a kiss on the lips right...

i want to give him aneurysm of his life.

EX PROBLEM is probably gonna be released around december or january OR february. if everything is going good, and normal, and nothing happens to me.

so if you're religious, pls pray so i wont have writer's block or demotivated or some fanfic-author canon events happening irl.

love ya u extra mega patient people.

THEN, MOVING ON... A MAN'S HEART IS TRULY A WRETCHED, WRETCHED THING.

YAAYY, chapter 12 is... almost finished.

i got the outlines for the few last part ready so,, i just need some days to finally finish it and proofread it.

i thought about splitting it into parts, cause there's lots of things happening here but... hmmm, i just want to keep the series short and as much as i like to torture my readers with cliffhangers, i decided to be nice about it and just put it in one chapter. hope it wont overwhelm you all tho<3

^ another reason for this is so the next chapter will start with those heavy feelings that we've accumulated in the previous one.

and tbh, i'm really nervous abt this one cause i want it to be PERFECT, i want it to hit you in the right places.

to summarize everything happening in chapter 12, MC gonna be spiraling throughout the whole chapter.

still not sure when to post this tho. probably at the end of next week, or maybe after new year!!

OKAY, i think that's all. i'm open to any suggestions, open to any theory discussion n stuff. love ya. stay healthy n happy everyone<3

[fuck-customers]

Names changed.

Buckle the fuck in.

I have been wanting to tell anyone about this series of events at work. The story doesn't start with me, an ex-coworker who was a Lead and was the one who checked in Julius the dog for a month-long stay. It is well known that his owner Mario is a bit of an Eccentric old Queen. He thinks he's a vampire and other shit. Whatever. He's checking his dog in and mentions he's going to Colombia to find a husband and do cocaine.

Okay go off, if I were retired and lonely I'd probably do something similar. I know he's lonely because every time he comes in he starts the same conversation about how all his family is dead and he's single.

Clearly, he's a bit out there, but if I was a retired old gay like him I'd have some fun too. Whatever. The owner calls our partnered trainer for a few sessions. A few weeks go by and for the third training session, he's not answering. Really weird for him, but we chalk it up to him avoiding roaming fees.

Our trainer finishes his allotted training since he didn't answer to add more. She calls multiple times for 3 days, and she wants the extra money. This is very important.

We get a call from one of Julius's emergency contacts since s in South America saying that Julius is going to be staying for another 3 weeks, and now his stay is two months. Mario has to pay us the current total to prevent abandonment, Joe's friend gets the money wired and the stay is extended, he's using Facebook Messenger as his communication method. So it takes a whole day to do this Totally get it when I got back to my home country. I do the same with Whatsapp. This is normal, this is fine! We extended the stay.

Three weeks pass and we get another call from the same agent, Julius is staying one more night, and Mario's flight got canceled. Annoying since the dog is nasty and a pest (affectionate) but we extend the stay.

He comes in to pick up his dog the next day straight from the airport (not that far it's maybe 20 minutes away). He starts chatting with the Manager, Assistant Manager, and me. He's talking about drinks food, and hotel price. He keeps making a point about the currency exchange rate. USD to COP. So cheap to him. The Assistant and I eye each other we're both Latino so this is annoying.

Then he starts ranking about how he hired security to escort him through all the major cities of the country, Medellin, Cali, and Bogota. All with heavily armored guards.

Our computers start fucking up so the invoice has to be inserted manually, my Manager does it. This is when he starts talking about how dangerous it was in Colombia, how that's why he hired guards ( he had pictures, lots of them, lots and lots). Now I'm uncomfortable. Colombia isn't as dangerous as he's making it out to be, normal people live normal lives and tourism is huge!

By then I'm praying to Jesus and his baby daddy too, as he admits to drunk driving and running over a dog. Then he starts calling the locals whores? How everyone was pimping out their kids and everyone and their mother were forced into sex work because of poverty. Everyone was greedy and envious. I'm trying not to leap over the counter and beat the shit outta this guy.

Then he starts talking about how the main purpose of his trip was to go find a husband. He was proposed to by 2 guys, he showed us the rings (ugly as the man wearing them) and emphasized again how "they were all so fucking greedy". How everyone wanted to talk and be near him because he was popular and had money.

I try to veer the conversation away from that but he goes back to the shit load of drugs and sex he had. My Assistant manager leaves around here.

Now for the pièce de résistance.

He starts detailing how he got KIDNAPPED by a "family" (I'll sell my left kidney if they actually were a real family)

He was fucking ransomed for 7K USD and proceeded to explain that he was kept subdued with sex. This explains his mystery absence and random ass extension AND how his friend was the only one who could be contacted. As well as the obscene amount of money paid in full to extend Julius's stay. This guy is fucking loaded and he was showing it off so much that someone noticed he's as stupid as they come and kidnapped him.

Sweet baby Jesus. But it gets worse.

He shows us proof. He sent his guards away because he wanted to have sex with a 20-something-year-old. By now he's showing off pictures of all the men he had sex with. Accidentally showed us nudes while showing off the cocktails he drank. And turns out! That the family had a father and son and he had sex with both of them. He implied a threesome. I suddenly wished I didn't know English.

I leave because I will laugh, and yell. I start asking my ancestors instead for guidance but instead they laugh as I am forced to back up front.

So I get to hear how he wants to move to Colombia. Apparently, he's moving there as soon as he sells his house here. Which….no words.

I go to the back again and work on cleaning rooms. Later when I go to the kitchen my manager is there and I make a comment about him. And here's the really fucked up bit, while he was explaining that he was both terrified and in love with his experience in Colombia my manager was like "Yeah I don't think I could go and have a time like yours" He looked her up and down, a willowy, average height blond blue-eyed white women in her 20s, and said "no way you be raped so bad" My hand went to my mouth I swore loud and she just shrugged.

This guy has a coke-fried brain, my god. Anyways, the dog just stayed with us again while he was in Colombia again, and luckily, we didn't have to deal with another checkout since he had his dog shipped over to Colombia via a company. Good luck to them both, and I hope the guy who marries him leeches him out of all his money and then some.

[vanquishedvaliant]

Finished Engage.

It was mid.

Gameplay was pretty fun, not like it was the single *best* in the series but honestly the turn to turn square to square tactical gameplay was still up there with the better entries.

But the story... was Power Rangers puppeteering Marth's corpse like a zombie and injecting him with a poor facsimile of Kingdom Hearts. Shallow, juvenile and uncomplicated melodrama that overstays its welcome and introduces too many twists and turns and late game revelations and tragic backstories to have any real coherency.

There's a moment or two in there that works- Marni and Mauvier's allegiance change, Corrupted Hyacinth, etc, but the good moments are just overwhelmed by childishness and a general fear of consequences or permanency in any regard. There's so many one-ups and inconsequential things like Alear dying, coming back to life, dying again, becoming an Emblem, and experiencing no meaningful consequences or repercussions.

Or late-game post-death tragic redemption monologues that drone on far too long like Zephia and Griss, and even Sombron himself, that fail to be very compelling or sympathetic, or even introduce a sense of morose tragedy.

The interstitial Somniel segments feel completely extraneous and tedious and make me long for Gareg Mach actually serving a purpose in the gameplay and narrative, especially coupled with the carnival level minigames they try to entice you to do between every mission, and it just becomes bothersome to keep up with.

And the characters... there's a handful of amusing, funny and likeable characters in the bunch... but they're all extremely shallow and one note. There's very rarely any complicated emotional or ideological barbs on this characters to catch your interest, and the world itself feels incredibly sterile and harmless- other than a few characters that have Tragic Backstories, it doesn't really feel like any real hardships happen in Elyos at all.

At their best, characters in Engage amount to some of the more simple characters from other entries, especially if you compare to Three Houses- it's like every character is Raphael level- endearing, funny, and with a moment here and there of pathos, but not well rounded and intricate characters like many of the others.

Overall... it was worth my time to play for the gameplay alone because they did get that broadly right, but as a whole package Experience it just doesn't hold up- it doesn't engender the kind of deep fixation and intrigue that entries with richer narrative and worldbuilding do, not having enough unique about it to stand on its own.

But as an anniversary celebration game it's also a poor representative of the themes and narratives that the series does well, limited to a superficial recreation of its headliner characters to spout generalized platitudes about hope and friendship saving the day.

The gameplay team had cool ideas and did a good job, but if nothing else it just proves that a Game is not the mechanics alone.

Not a miserable experience, absolutely fun to play, and even worth the time if you don't mind cheesy schlock and you're looking for more Fire Emblem gameplay, but it's not going to be remembered fondly. It's not going to be beloved, and it fails to stoke the nostalgia it so dearly wants to. Something like a 6/10.

And so I go back to praying for a new mainline entry...

[it-happened-one-fic]

Mambo - Prove It To You - Strictly NRC Dancing

Author's Notes: First Sebek fic (woo!) I actually really adore Sebek in a weird sort of way, but writing him was certainly a new experience! Especially since I was writing the Mambo.... Writing dancing is getting easier and easier though. Makes me realize how far into this series I've gotten. The dance in this fic was Heavily inspired by Heidi and Benji’s Mambo to “Black mambo” by Angel and the Mambokats on So You Think You Can Dance Season 2 Episode 18. Just like the rest of this AU/series the reader is female for this fic. I hope you enjoy!

If you would like to read more this AU/series, the fics can be found here: Strictly NRC Dancing AU Master-List.

Type: Dance AU/ female reader/ fluff/ can probably be taken as flirtatious

Word Count: 1058

“Stop! Stop! Did you learn nothing from your lessons, pup?” I cringed in sympathy as Crewel proceeded to lay into Sebek yet again.

“This is a sultry, flirtatious dance. You need lots of hip action, and-”

“BUT IT MAKES NO SENSE!” This time I covered my ears and prayed for this particular exam to be over just a little bit faster.

 Sebek was beyond frustrated at this point, and it was, to a degree, understandable. He knew the foot motions and the mechanics of the mambo. But the general emotion of the dance was beyond him.

Crewel eyed the first year with no small amount of annoyance as Sebek continued on his tirade, not helping his situation at all by having interrupted our professor. “The dances of the Valley of Thorns have no such need for such… Frippery! Why does thi-”

“The mambo is not a dance of the Valley of Thorns, though, is it?” There was a certain venom to Crewel’s words that came from a man who had long lost patience with his current student as he all but prowled towards us.

“The mambo IS the dance you are being graded on in approximately 40 minutes, though! Now, I suggest you watch me and the Prefect go through your choreography one more time and pay attention!”

As I stepped quickly around the room with Crewel, letting the man spin me at high speeds before pausing for brief periods of sashaying place with our foreheads pressed together that featured considerable amounts of eye contact, I couldn’t help but feel kind of bad for the young man who watched us closely. Not to say that I wasn’t frustrated myself, but… To a degree, I understood Sebek’s struggles.

 The mambo was a fun dance that was both sensual and flirty. Two things that tended to clash with Sebek of the twenty-something missives that must be written before he was willing to sit with a person’s width between him and the object of his affections.

The fact that he’d received the mambo, of all dances, for his class was beyond unlucky. In fact, it was practically unfair.

Judging from what I’d seen of his dancing thus far during our practice, Sebek wasn’t actually a bad dancer. He just wasn’t a flirty one, which was, unfortunately for him, necessary for this dance.

The proof of his skills was the choreography that Crewel had put together for us. Our performance dance was beyond difficult and required almost perfect partner synergy. And Sebek was doing admirably…. He just wasn’t terribly well-suited for Latin dancing.

“There. You see? All you need to do is add the right emotion to your dance, and you will be ready. Now, again, from the top.” With only those instructions, Crewel stepped away. Leaving me waiting for Sebek, who approached with renewed vigor.

And yet, the very second he took my hand, I knew there was no way this was going to be correct. The proper steps would be there, but none of the attitude would be. 

So I leaned forward, causing Sebek’s eyebrows to lift questioningly, as my brain was already working hard to figure out exactly what I could say to get him to do what he needed to.

I did feel a tiny bit guilty as I smiled at him oh-so-sweetly, “Why don’t you ask Silver for some help after we finish up here? There will be some time between then and our performance, so he should be able to give you some pointers.”

Annnnd Boom. 

The immediate shock and irritation that appeared in Sebek’s strange-looking eyes told me exactly what I needed to know. He’d taken the bait. 

Bait, that I had not wanted to have to use, especially since I didn’t actually know if Silver would be any better at the mambo than Sebek. 

But, with any luck, this would get Sebek through this class. Hopefully with a passing grade.

“YOU THINK SILVER CAN DO BETTER THAN I?!” I flinched at his overly loud voice, and, as if he realized how deafening he’d just been, his voice was quieter as he continued, “I’ll have you know that I was the best dancer in my class back at the Valley of Thorns. While Master Lilia may have taught Silver well, I doubt that Silver would be anywhere near my level of prowess.”

My eyes darted over to where Crewel stood with raised eyebrows; mercifully, he wasn’t interjecting. Perhaps he was willing to leave this up to me.

“I just thought since you seem unable to get the right emotion for the dance that Silver might-”

“I’LL SHOW YOU HUMAN!” In an almost uncharacteristic move, Sebek’s voice lowered till he was almost whispering as he dipped his head down to mine. A challenge shined in his eyes as he continued, “I do not need him to show me how to dance, and I’ll prove it to you right here and now.”

I would have to apologize to both Silver and Sebek after this was all said and done. But right now, all that mattered was getting this awkward teenage boy through this dance and past this class.

 For the sake of both him and my eardrums.

So I made the final push, stretching up with a slight smirk on my lips as I allowed my expression to reflect his challenge right back at him, “Then I suggest you do just that, Sebek. Because I honestly don’t think you can.”

Despite our close proximity, the usually easily scandalized young man outright smirked down at me, not backing away in the slightest, “Have it your way, human.”

Still tired, but now rather amused, Crewel called out, “If you two are quite ready…?”

My eyes stayed on Sebek, who refused to back down even as he stepped backward, keeping his eyes on mine as he held my hand up in between the two of us. 

I grinned despite myself as I called out in response to our instructor and kept my eyes on the young man in front of me who was holding my hand as if there were nothing there, “More than ready!”

“I certainly hope you are, human.” Sebek’s gloating tone hadn’t lessened in the slightest, even as the upbeat and almost raucous beat started up from where Crewel had hit play on the radio, “Let’s dance.”

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[transpathfinder]

ten people i’d like to know better

tagged by @omegastation. thank you for tagging! it has been a while since i did one of these <3

last song: i usually just have an online ambient radio on if i'm on my computer, and according to the site, it's reformation 6 by microvolt

favorite color: greeeeen! and brown!

last book: just finished roadside picnic last month, because i have been itching to rewatch stalker by tarkovsky again (i just did it this weekend again! whoo!). liked the book but just barely, it just made me realise how great the film is actually. masterpiece. currently, i am reading the 3rd book in the expanse series, abbadon's gate. i am actually not enjoying it, and it's the first of the expanse books, main books or novellas, that i'm not having fun with, alas. it's okay, will still continue the series

last movie: just rewatched jai bhim last night, a tamil movie on police brutality starring my favourite actor in the universe, suriya. it is a very good film. about to log it in my letterboxd soon (also btw my lbxd is open to anyone who wants to exchange it, i am serious about my films)

last tv show: i'm still stuck on the tailend of babylon 5 s4. i stopped the series late last year as promos were ramping up for the 2 biggest things i was looking forward to at the end of 2024, dragon age: veilguard, and my fav actor's movie, so a lot of my free time was given to keeping up with that. i will continue b5 but this is the section of the series i remember losing interest in. hilarious, cos neither of the 2 things i was looking forward to last year ended up being good imo. woe is me. LAUGH

sweet/spicy/savory: savoury and spicy oh no i can't choose. not much of a sweet person in general

last thing i searched for online: what time our match against arsenal in the fa cup tonight is in my timezone lol. it's at 11pm... bricking it but i will be there no matter what. ggmu utfr

current obsession: honestly? nothing really... just want to spend my time reading more and watching more films and playing more games :)

looking forward to: immediately, an arts fest i'm meeting my friends for next weekend. i went for it last year as well, so i know it'll be great. in the upcoming months, again, my favourite actor's next movie, which will be coming out may 1st. everyone pray it'll be good, please.

i want to know so many people! i will tag the 10 more active blogs whom i've followed for a while now but we haven't interacted much... no pressure to do it, but it'd be nice to see more of you; @bisexualbailorgana @macen-barro @aelyosos @lavendertentacle @mpregspn @benchofindigo @boeing-787 @eletaniia @neroon @sailorsanghelios

anyone else who sees this and wants to do it, please do tag me, i'd love to read your post :}

[dangerous-advantage]

why is usagi yoimbo so fucking good? (an analysis.)

usagi yojimbo is one of the most interesting, well-told, intelligent, heartfelt stories i have ever read. it's stories are nuanced and likable, supported by characters and relationships you root for.

it's simple, balanced, and when things get serious, you feel it.

and if anyone had recommended it to me, i probably wouldn't have read it.

(spoilers for usagi yojimbo: volume two; jizo. fair warning: this will probably go long.)

i picked up uyv2 on a whim. i wasn't really planning on reading it, and if i did, i didn't think i would particularly like it.

but it was related to my current hyperfixation (they didn't have 'the last ronin' in stock, which was what i was looking for), and it was a special day, so i thought, "fuck it, i'll buy this."

a couple days later, i finished it and immediately needed more. yada yada, tale as old as time.

but what exactly made it so good? a lot of people will get into media and be hooked by the very first installment. usagi yojimbo, for me, required a little bit of faith.

i started with uyv2: issue one, aka 'shades of green.' if you're a tmnt fan, this is a great jumping off point, because it lures you in with tmnt lore all while putting intrigue in your mind about what these other guys are doing, i guess.

there are callbacks to past comics that might interest you by creating a greater sense of lore and history. you'll find yourself eventually wandering back and maybe reading the next installment, just because.

this is very good, because the next installment following the shades of green arc (at least, in the usagi yojimbo saga: book one') are the "side stories," which will stick in your mind until your thoughts are overtaken by the funny rabbit guy, and you give in.

i love shades of green as much as the next guy, but damn, those side stories fuck. even if you didn't give a shit about the turtles and only read the stories (and maybe the origin tale), it is my belief that you would know basically everything you need to know.

jizo is what originally "hooked" me. in the og comics, it was a side story for the first part of the shades of green arc, which was ingenious, seeing as it's fucking amazing.

in my humble opinion, jizo is an example of sakai at his best. it's eight pages long with three panels per page, each following the same composition. its so simple, and yet, throughout my read-through of volume two, i found myself returning to it again and again.

it starts off with an image of a road, with a series of travelers passing by. a woman toting a small stone statue brings it to the edge of the road and starts on an iconic sakai infodump, with might disinterest some, but fully delighted my autistic mind!

(here she is, by the way.)

she explains (by talking to the statute) that said statue is a representation of 'jizo-sama,' "guardian of the souls of lost children. her son was murdered five days ago on this very road, and the ones responsible, a party of bandits, have not yet been caught.

her hope is that by praying to the statue, nobody else will suffer the same fate.

she also explains some lore-- that the souls of lost children are "doomed to pile stones in the dry river bed of souls." by offering pebbles at the statue's base, she hopes to ease her sons' burden.

she then leaves, noting a chill in the air, and promises to bring back a coat for the statue the following day, in order to keep it warm.

now, by all accounts, this is an example of bad storytelling. just info-dumping is uninteresting to the audience, and clunky. well, here we are reminded that actually, if your story is worth telling, nobody gives a shit if you commit "writing sins" (see 'lord of the rings' for more examples of this. yes, uy is good enough to be compared to lotr.)

but anyway, the day progresses. there are lots of fun details in these scenes --

--like this guy ^, who we meet/meet another person akin to later on in volume two (music from heaven). we also see a couple of people make offerings on their way past, which is nice (:

night falls, and with it comes-- holy shit-- its the funny rabbit guy again!

he's alone, just passing by. he doesn't even seem to notice the statue on the side of the road.

we then get some of my all-time favorite uy panels, and a perfectly-executed scene showcasing some of usagi's core beliefs and character.

so the bandits (yes, those bandits) attack. and usagi five-v-one's them. the guards come, clean things up, etc etc. more usagi characterization shines through. and usagi leaves.

all the while, jizo-sama observes.

but wait. if you're anything like me, you might notice a small detail between in two frames.

that's right-- the statue of jizo smiles. which could be creepy in any other context, but its only for a single panel, so you might assume it was just a quirk of the artwork on that one page.

but, no.

in the morning, the woman comes back.while wrapping the statute in a coat, she says, "huh? your expression has changed-- you look more at peace-- but that's impossible! isn't it?"

she ultimately decides not to worry about it, but does mention that it'll probably cause more people to be willing to give offerings as well. which leaves us with our final panel.

so. what exactly does jizo accomplish?

well, a lot of things. it sets up worldbuilding for the more 'mystical' side of uy, introduces us to sakai's ability to make you feel like you've been punched in the gut in a good way, and characterizes usagi using only eight of the twenty-four panels that make up this story. in which, he doesn't say a word.

but beyond that. why does this work so well?

for me, a part of it is the inversion of the idea of "fate." let me explain-- in a lot of stories like this, there's this underlying trope of the "chosen one" or that things will end up a certain way. while these stories aren't bad, i generally find myself uninterested in the idea of beings beyond our comprehension pulling the strings for characters that are "special."

these characters are chosen ones. they're supposed to know everything that will go down, because they're important. whether or not fate actually plays a part, you get this idea that they were always supposed to be 'chosen,' in some way or another.

uy doesn't do that. while there is some "meddling" implied, it's not because usagi is the specialest boy ever. he's just some guy making his way through japan while trying not to starve. just... figuring himself out.

in thise story, the only people who know the full extent of the narrative are ourselves and the statue of jizo. the woman shows no indication that she's heard of the bandits' capture, and for usagi, this is just another night.

it's meaningful because we get to see all these parts of the story come together, while knowing we are the only ones this is meant for. this isn't a grand story or some epic of old. it's just a small, intimate moment of retribution.

the gods-- or, in this case, jizo-sama-- doesn't care about heroism outside of this moment. it's left vague whether or not the statue or any being it represents put this moment into fruition. if anything, it could just be a coincidence, and the statue is smiling at in gratitude.

regardless, it feels so much more meaningful than if it had been done any other way. usagi is just a character traversing these lands, weaving in and out of stories, many he will never know the full extent of. and that feels real. genuine.

i do think that this changes a bit, later on in the comics, but this beginning sense-- that usagi is just travelling through a greater world, pulled this way and that for no particular reason (unless otherwise noted) is very refreshing for a series like this.

jizo does a lot of other stuff, too-- like that core characterization i mentioned above-- but this post is long enough. i wanted to get more into other aspects of why uy is so good, but there's just so much, and honestly, you should read it yourself if you haven't already to find out what. (at the very least, read jizo-- it's short, but very, very good.)

i might do more of these for the rest of uyv2 and how it hooked me, but for now, i this this works well enough to begin answering the question of why this series is so good.

(okay, i caved-- the core characterization is his unwillingness to fight unless it's necessary. now, go read jizo!)

[meiramenu]

Hii!! This is a series that I will mainly be focused on hope you enjoy! (1k words)

Soul Switcher

☆ The classic story of two unknown lovers. ☆

How many times do you have to do this, how many wakings up, how many snoozes, and how many awaited Fridays? Not many. Perhaps, after all, this was the first day of 12th grade.

The school hallways were stuffed per usual. To your left, a slow walker. This was going to be an amazing year.

During lunch, you sat next to your locker, alone. Your only friend was too ashamed to be seen with you. She believed that being friends with you would through daggers into her reputation. You weren't surprised when she announced this news. You were an outcast after all. No one wanted to talk to you, and no one was interested. No. One. Really. Cares.

You walked yourself to the bathroom, stuffing your hand into your palm. You prayed and prayed she wouldn't be in the hallways. Please please almost there.

"So so so, who do we have here?" a voice said behind you. It was Aliac. Your throat closed and your eyes widened. You stopped and turned around, somehow praying it wasn't her.

"If it's not the rat-looking disaster," she spat out, her words staining you, leaving permanent marks on your cherry-colored shirt. You stayed silent, the only noise being yout heart about to explode out of your chest.

"Babe?" a voice called out. It was Krist's.

"I told you spending time bothering her was a waste of time," Krist said rolling his eyes. He would always say things like this. His words were carved into your brain: 'Leave her alone,' 'It's not worth it,' or 'Not again.' You knew the only reason he complained was because he thought bullying you was worthless. But the little voice in the back of your head always tried to convince you that he liked you. But that's stupid. He had a girlfriend, and it was Aliac. She sucked. She didn't deserve him.

"I know babe, but it's so fun seeing her pathetic face freeze up” she said when putting her hand dramatically on her chest. I balled up my fists by my sides. “It is like when a rabbit sees a fox" she chuckled before placing her hand on the right side of Krist's chest.

"Well, I have swimming practice. So if you want a ride right now, is the time," Krist said, resting his hand on hers, and giving her a sweet smile. But she sucked. He deserved better. She gave you a quick glare before walking away.

This one was a close call.

"Hey, Mom," you called out, the smell of spaghetti tickling your nose hairs. You walked into the kitchen, furrowing your eyebrows from the lack of response. Mom was staring at the blank wall.

"Hey," you softly said before placing your hands on her shoulders. She jolted up before placing her hands on yours, nodding her head before giving you a soft, eyes-squeezing smile.

"Well, I'm going to my room," you said before giving her a peck on the cheek. Dad died 12 years ago, but she was still grieving, very heavily actually. She didn't believe in mental health, even though she was the definition of an emotionally unwell person.

You flopped into your bed after taking a warm shower, grabbing your computer to finish a few due assignments. Your cat brushed against your hand, the sweet fall scent of your candles – everything was perfect. A red bubble popped up at the corner of your Discord app. That must be Lina. The assignments can wait.

Lina: hey y/n how did your day go!! :p

You: It was okay, kind of. I almost got jumped by Lila again

Lina: Bruh but let me guess, Krist interrupted right?

You: When does he nooot

Lina: gurl   he is lit in love with you!!

You: gurl stop feeding into my delusion

Lina: oop gtg see ya

You: oh ok bye

You closed your computer. Why can't things be like they were? No drama, no trouble, no one cared. Everything was much simpler. You shut down your computer and place it on the right side of your bed. Don't cry, don't cry. You can't keep it in. Your throat is throbbing it stings You can't keep it in anymore, You blink, and all the tears trapped in your eyes run out, flowing and sticking to your cheeks. You stuck out your tongue to lick the side of your lips – salty.

[foxgirlbeans]

A Ninja's Guide to Eorzea: Part 2

Welcome back, warriors of light! if you missed part 1, this is a series where I'm taking a look at every dungeon in FFXIV and grading them based on how amenable they are to the ninja's oft-overlooked ability Hide. that's right, it's not just a mudra refresh button! sometimes...

today we're finishing up the leveling dungeons in A Realm Reborn, and then if we keep going at 6 dungeons a part we'll spend the next three parts on level 50 dungeons. dear god does ARR have a lot of endgame content.

The Sunken Temple of Qarn

just like part one, we're starting off really strong once again. the only enemy in this dugeon you can't sneak past are the giant stone heads you use to weigh down pressure plates, and you have to fight a few of those to get them on their buttons at all. this dungeon feels more roguish than ninjalike what with stealing ancient artifacts and treasure and all that, but grabbing those artifacts without any dungeon denizens noticing still makes this dungeon more fun than it would be by just hitting Hide and autowalking to the next boss.

you can even complete the scale in the final room without triggering any enemies if you time things just right, which I was honestly surprised by. I'm giving this one an A.

Cutter's Cry

the first two rooms in this dungeon are basically arenas, so the sneaking starts a little late on this one. that being said, the (pray return to the) waking sands and the exploding blue flames in the dry sands and blue sands areas respectively make it a challenge to keep your stealth up as you move between bosses, so it's still just as fun to avoid fights as it is to get into them.

that being said, I do have to take points off here for not being very ninja at all, as well as for the wet sands areas. you can sneak through the wet sands perfectly fine, don't get me wrong, but it's just as easy to run through the place and grab a teleporter before the mobs catch up to you, so sneaking only really slows you down here. still, 2/3s of the dungeon are good, so B-.

The Stone Vigil

this dungeon has almost no checks between bosses so I was super looking forward to this one, but it immediately disappointed me. the dravanian outriders that appear in almost every pull can see through stealth, which given that they're scouts at least kind of makes sense? but between them and the ambushes of ice sprites, there's a grand total of two fights in this dungeon you can avoid through stealth.

technically you're sneaking through an enemy base and attacking their commanders, but most of FFXIV doesn't really make dragons feel sapient, so it really doesn't feel like it. that, plus Hide having almost no effect here, gives the Stone Vigil a D+.

The Dzemael Darkhold

speaking of expectations being turned on their head, here's that again but in the exact opposite direction. I did not think the darkhold could be stealthed all that well, but I was completely wrong once again.

what you would think would be the biggest problem- the timers you have to stand on to progress- actually aren't a huge deal, and like the pulleys in Halatali, these provide an extra fun challenge for anyone trying to avoid a fight.

the first few timers are complicated by the first boss of the dungeon flying around dealing massive AoEs of damage everywhere, but I'm fairly confident at least one of the two timers can be finished without a fight if you time it properly.

the second leg of the dungeon introduces exploding crystals that deal damage in an area around them, but they're slow enough to easily dodge without issue.

the third leg combines the two, forcing you to stay inside the crystals' area of effect in order to finish the timer. you'd think this would be a problem, but again you can time these so you're only revealed while everyone's back is turned, and then you can sneak away after the timer is finished. just be careful to avoid moving until you're properly hidden- I made that mistake before.

I'm not entirely sure what a "Darkhold" even is, but you are sneaking onto a rich family's property so that's roguish enough for my book. all in all, I give this dungeon a B+.

The Aurum Vale

like in Cutter's Cry, the acid pools and gas vents of the Aurum Vale make avoiding fights just as interesting as charging in headfirst, which is a good sign of things to come. the first boss can be reached without incident, as long as you don't get knocked into a pool of goldbile, and after that you'll have to contend with Morbols which can see through your Hide. that being said, in all cases they block your path forward anyway, so fighting them is a forgone conclusion.

this dungeon does not fit the ninja aesthetic at all, but it has easily the shortest runtime so far at less than five minutes even while sneaking the whole way. that alone gives it an A- as an invaluable asset to have while relic grinding.

The Wanderer's Palace

this is the first level 50 dungeon on the list, and if the rest are even half as bad as this I completely understand why people think Hide straight up doesn't work in dungeons. there's a couple ambush fights in this dungeon which aren't new, but the sheer breadth of creatures that can see through your stealth- Pug Pugils, Corrupted Nymians, and Tonberries (in the tonberry dungeon)- means there's a grand total of two fights you can skip throughout the whole thing- one of which still needs you to pull a lever in the middle of all the enemies, and the other can be spoiled if you're standing in the middle of it when an ambush starts.

all in all, sneak adds almost nothing to this dungeon aside from letting you ignore those giant tonberries that patrol certain areas, which really just raises even more questions! that being said, you are technically infiltrating a castle to free an oppressed peoples from their tyrannical king, even if it doesn't feel like it. D+.

[20dimensionsoftangerine]

20 D20 Fanfics

My friend @remidyal ranked their fics once they had written 20 of them. I have just finished my 20th story so I’d figure I would do that too! Dice rules so 1 is the worst and 20 is the best

1. Drowning in the Ink

I had the thought ‘what if Rosamund and Gerard got caught when they went to find Elody’. I still think this is a good thought and want to re-explore it but my execution in this story wasn’t the best. Writing it before the finale was out meant I was working with half knowledge on a lot of characters that I think shows. Plus, I saw a lot of people on Tumblr saying the Princesses’ plan was actually good and I got annoyed at that and it definitely bled through in the story too much. I’ll probably redo and expand this one sometime in the future!

2. Old Habits

I often dislike my most recent creations. It’s got too much me on it still. I haven’t distanced myself from the art yet. So this one was me trying a few things outside of my comfort zone and I really don’t feel like any of them turned out as well as they could have. I can barely even speak of it at this point the emotions are too fresh!

3. Safety

Not much to say about this. Shortest thing I’ve ever written and I do like how it turned out but it’s definitely… short. I enjoy Gorgug and Adaine interacting, I enjoy Adaine scared, but nothing makes this little guy stand out.

4. Half Siblings are a Whole Deal

This one honestly isn’t even supposed to be good. It’s a direct retelling of canon featuring my OC, that premise isn’t going to win any Hugo awards! But it’s fun and I want to explore how Fig’s character would change if she wasn’t going through her family drama alone. If she had to be, heaven forbid, responsible. I do plan on continuing it! I’ve got some good ideas for the end that I’ve already set up.

5. Additions to the Beehive

I think this one is so low just because I didn’t really like the latest chapter I put out. Plus, I don’t really have a solid plan for this story. I have a few scenes I want to do, character beats and themes I want to flesh out, but exactly what’s going to happen is a mystery. The title’s really solid though.

6. Blight

Pains me to put this so low because Remidyal’s Poison series is so solid and Penelope Everpetal is so fun but I kinda stumbled through it. There’s a couple sections I straight up should have deleted and a couple more I should have added. I do think I got the right vibe down, though, and I really want to do more with Penelope in the future.

7. Sneaking In Sneaking Out

I’m going to be honest, I just wanted to write some scenes about sneaking into buildings. It was really fun and I felt clever writing it. I also liked making Aelwyn really really mean especially because Remidyal had posted Camp right before where she was pretty darn nice. Not much happening in this story but it was fun!

8. No Blood Relations

I dunno this one is fine. As stated before, exploring Fig having to go through her parents divorce with someone is very compelling. I also liked pitting Adaine and Fig against each other a little bit, it felt very real to how siblings of divorce act. Too real. I’m kind of blocking it out.

9. Tender Love and Care

I liked this one a lot. It’s supposed to be romance but I don’t think I really it comes through (because I’m bad with romance) but I really liked getting into a desperate Fabian’s head. I think I did well with the physical environment in this one too, something I usually struggle with. And the line at the end of Fabian’s section? Where it says ‘he prayed to the only god he ever believed in. “Kristen please.”’. I know I’m the one who wrote it but I think about it daily.

10. Ring a Bell

Right in the middle! I really like the chapters I have out for this one so far and I’m excited for the plan of where I’m taking it. Only time will tell if I can pull it off into being a good cohesive story but for now this bad boy has potential!

11. Please Wake Up, Please Don’t Sleep

My other Neverafter Fic! This one I am much more proud of. I think I really got the voices of all the characters down and managed to make an interesting little scene out of a relatively simple concept. Rosumand is just a teenager! Someone give her a hug I am begging.

12. For Want of Citizenship

I think this story is severely underrated honestly. I got Goldenhoard’s voice down pat and the pacing of the story flowed really well with nice details that I often forget to include to center the reader. Plus, it’s a ‘what if’ scenario that gnawed at me from the moment the pieces were in place and I was sad nothing ever came of it in canon. Patched a hole in my mind this story did.

13. Horrified Looks from Everyone in the Room

Ah, the story to start us off. My second highest kudos still. Which is wild. It’s a good fic for sure! I think Fabian’s and Riz’s sections both shone and it really started off my addiction of giving Adaine a Bad Time. Definitely things I would change about it if I had to do it again but overall I can see why it’s still so popular and I’m very proud of it!

14. Rule Number One

The other story to kick things off! Can’t believe the prompt ‘Riz lets Biz think they’re friends just a little longer’ started a whole expanded AU. I still think this one’s great! Sticking in Riz’s point of view so the reader couldn’t even tell Adaine was having a whole episode until she started sobbing mid sentence was wonderful. Riz’s guilt and justifications were so juicy. And! Everyone liked my weird Rule quirk I gave to Adaine which I had fun playing with. This one isn’t higher because I think some of the information about the changes in this AU could have been given out in a smoother way but overall one of my best.

15. Fabian’s Sister and Other Perks of Punching an Ambassador

Firstly, name’s bad. My worst titled fic. But it’d okay we love it anyway. I very much like what I’ve got going on with this story. Exploring Fabian and Adaine’s relationship in a unique light, fleshing out Bill and especially Hallariel, even fleshing out some of Fabian and Adaine’s insecurities! I’m nearing sort of the end of the fic (I’m at least half way through) and I’m excited where it’s going too! There are some things I wish I had spent more time on (the other bad kids, Cathilda, ect) but what I do have is solid and streamlined enough for me not to be too sad about that!

16. The Good Wizard Gorgug

My. Most. Underrated. Fic! This is such a solid story I adore it. Gorgug is my baby boy and it was so much fun exploring Adaine’s character through him. The steady climb of them becoming better and better friends, growing more confident and relaxed around each other, only for it to all come crashing down to be slowly built up once again. I love it! I love Wizard Gorgug! What a good good boy.

17. Babysitting a (High) Elf

This one was also fairly recent but I really liked how it turned out! There were things I wanted to explore with this, Gorthalax’s guilt about not being there for Fig all these years, Adaine’s complicated emotions about being abandoned, and I felt I pulled it off well. I also think I did a good job making it funny and writing high Adaine as silly while still noticeably herself. Until I sucker punched her at the end. I couldn’t resist though.

18. Mastermind Introductions

Everything I set out to do in this fic I did flawlessly. I wanted to rewrite Adaine’s introduction scene and hit a lot of the same ‘beats’ but with the special AU twist. Aelwyn and her fight in the beginning (where Adaine kind of started it and then very much failed to end it), stealing the book and then being embarrassed by Fig and Kristen’s help, stuff like that! I really felt like I pulled it off and introduced the other Bad Kids just as well as I did Adaine. If I would change anything it would just to tweak a few details to fit better in my new vision for the overall AU. But besides that it’s a flawless work!

19. The Young Oracle

Yes! I was really worried about this one because of all of the weird time jumps. But I couldn’t not have weird time jumps. It was a story about a very powerful diviner! It couldn’t have time be linear! And I think it wouldn’t have made sense if everything had been in order, funnily enough. But besides all that I really like the tone I set for the story, the details I put into the world, (how I managed it without ever watching SY), and I have been thinking about the expanded version of this AU excessively. Is it a perfect story? Nah, but I adore it perhaps the most of all my fics.

20. Property Of

In a move that caught even me by surprise, Property Of wins! It’s my first muti-chapter I’ve finished, it’s got a really solid character arc, and I feel like I let the tone slip from silly to wild and unnerving in a very smooth slide. Plus I just… had a lot of fun writing it. I couldn’t seem to put it down for a second and when I blinked I was over 10k words! It was supposed to be a one shot! How naive I was! So yeah, I’m proud of it, it was fun to write, and it’s fun to reread and think about the implications. Nat 20!

[sig-nifier]

21, 23

21 - a piece of my writing that i liked, but had to cut

i actually don't keep drafts of my writing, so i normally only have the finished product. (i also never edit fics, what i post is usually the first draft and i'll reread it once, fix any mistakes and go eh good enough) having said that, i do still have a line from make you feel alive that i never included

"John believes that if you're most likely to be shot down and killed everytime you do your job, you have to make the most of the time you have.

Gale would agree, but he'd also argue that a man is less likely to be shot down and killed if he flew like a sane human being.

Bucky doesn't see the fun in that."

23 - a piece of my writing that was inspired by a work from another medium (music, visual art, dance, etc.)

i nearly wrote my uni disseration on a series of conversations with an alien, where the alien learns about life on earth. it was going to be about really simple or broad things like birthdays and standing in line and that kind of thing, but i only ever wrote one conversation. it was about friendship, and it was heavily inspired by the 1986 film stand by me.

(i was going to post just a snippet but honestly i really love this and someone should get to see the whole thing)

The alien arrives on his doorstep, suitcase in hand, and says; “I’ve come to learn about humanity.”

Friendship

I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?

“Well?”

The alien is sat cross legged on the floor in front of the TV. A mug of tea – teabags had been fun to explain – is clasped snuggly within their six fingers. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“I – what’s there to understand?”

“This is a well-loved film among your people?”

“It’s a classic, yes.”

They turn from the television screen to look back at him. “A classic?”

He waves a hand, wafting through the air to try and locate a better definition. In the end, he simply settles on; “well-loved.”

“But why? What’s the message?”

“Films don’t always need a message – but this one, I suppose, is about treasuring friendship, or something like that.”

“Treasuring friendship.”

“Appreciating the friends that you have, yes.”

The alien shuffles (rather badly) to turn their body away from the screen and face where he sits on the sofa. Tea sloshes over the edge of their mug, but if they notice they do not show it.

“And what is the purpose of a friend?”

“Well, that’s…hm. The purpose of a friend is to be a friend. It’s sort of a broad but simple term.”

“What do friends do?”

“They spend time together, for one.”

“Why?”

“Because they enjoy each other’s company.”

“But what’s the point?”

“The point?” He sighs.

“What do you gain?”

“You gain their friendship. That kind of is the point.”

“But why?”

An alien, it occurs to him, is sometimes no more than an exasperating child. Their innocence is so pure, their lack of knowledge something to be defended, and yet it is every parents wish that their child would grow wise fast, with the outcome being that they never again have to hear the phrase but why.

“Because it’s nice, having someone who you have no real loyalty to – hanging out with someone you like just because you like them and share some kind of mutual, unspoken promise that you’ll keep on liking them for no real reason other than you just do.”

The alien considers this, tapping an uncomfortably long finger on the side of their mug, and he prays to whatever God he doesn’t believe in that their next words won’t be another question.

“Are we friends?”

Well. That was certainly unexpected. He supposes caretaker would be a better word, but the alien is looking at him so expectantly and hopeful.

“Yes, of course we are.”

The alien seems pleased.

“Does it make more sense that way?”

“Yes, I think it does.”

[morphogenetic]

Mediaposting 2024, #11: Professor Layton and the Last Specter

Completed: June 16th, 2024

Time to Complete: 19 hours, 55 minutes (~20 hours, basically)

alright, I have to be honest here. i've never really been a huge layton fan. i actually did like curious village quite a bit - and it held up when i replayed it, so i know it wasn't just from nostalgia - but diabolical box was a bit of a mess. i did actually like plvsaa but it was more for the AA part and less for the PL part (though it was funny how most of the story is just them doing curious village again). and then. uh. unwound future definitely does some cool things but unwriting and then rewriting its own plot twist to be non-canon/canon again kind of turned me off. it's not even just the plots being buckwild as hell.

however. oh my god. last specter is just. bad. rest of this is under the cut because i dont want to make people mad who actually like this game but the TL;DR is that emmy is good but this game is bad in a boring, lazy writing way and not even in a FUN way which has made it the most painful of the layton games for me to get through up to this point.

the puzzle difficulty balance is off, for one thing - i would say 10% of the puzzles at MOST feel adequately difficulty balanced, and the rest are either way too easy, have instructions so poorly written that I needed to check a guide to make sure i even understood what they were asking me, or they were hard as fuck for no reason. it feels like they get worse and worse with this with every layton game and im PRAYING that miracle mask does not get worse about this because i need to finish this series and i don't think i could handle another group of puzzles like this.

also......i know layton plots are buckwild but this one both a) drags too long and b) is SO LAZILY WRITTEN. every single twist is either fucking blatantly obvious or they made 0 effort to even foreshadow it at all (LOCH NESS MONSTER RIPOFF IM LOOKING AT YOU). it feels like they genuinely did not even write a story for this until AFTER they made everything else, which i know can't actually be true because story-focused games like this aren't written like that, but........man. dude. this is not a good video game. there was absolutely no reason it needed to be 20 fucking hours long. i think they could have cut the story of this one down SIGNIFICANTLY, and/or spent more time on actua

really, the only good thing i can say about this game is that emmy is great and i like her a lot. i'm glad she doesn't get relegated to useless girl who gets kidnapped like flora (unforunately.....) does so, so much. it does annoy me that her entire backstory is in those little bonus story things - side note, why did they not INTEGRATE THOSE WITH THE FUCKING GAME - but it could be worse. would like to know more about her but at least she has a fun dynamic with layton and luke.

praying that miracle mask is better because guys i NEED a more interesting plot than this. even if it's layton insanity. because this one didnt even COMMIT to being insane enough it just felt very dull and gray and like a waste of my fucking time