#to basically prove this is a ridiculous alliance

[lilmissnatcat24]

I would like to hear about your documentary WIP please!

oh goodness me!!! this one is one i sorta tinker with every time i have a little bit of a block because it's so easy for me to do one of those no-think-only-write sort of things. so basically it's a few years after the events of me3, and the gang gets reunited to film a documentary about shepard and her adventures. it's meant to just be a silly little crackfic. i also go ridiculously feral for documentaries.

here's a snippet!

[Emily Wong]: How would you describe Shepard’s early life?

[Admiral Hackett]: Commander Shepard was born on Mindoir, a small farming planet, just on the edge of the Traverse.

[Lonnie Bridges, post-Mars human historian]: Mindoir was, by all accounts, a small, quiet colony-- well, less of a colony, and more of a village. At its peak, just as Shepard was reaching adolescence, it boasted a population of nearly ten thousand people. While most Alliance colonies were used for the mining and extraction of precious resources, Mindoir specialized in the production of grain and wheat products, which were shipped to other Traverse colonies in the region. 

[Liara T’Soni]: Shepard was born to parents Hannah and Trevor Shepard on April 11, 2154. She was only the second human to be born on Mindoir. 

[Selene Ng, professor of Human Galactic Colonization at Scott State University, Terra Firma]: Hannah and Trevor Shepard were your average frontiersmen. Hannah worked in food production, and Trevor worked in intergalactic shipping. It made sense for them to settle down in Mindoir, it was a great experiment for the time. It was meant for sustainability, for longevity. It was humanity’s chance to prove that they could sustain a colony of their own without any intervention from the Council or galactic governments. 

[Bridges]: It would have been a quiet childhood for Shepard. The schools of Mindoir only had a few children attending. She was an only child to parents that worked the 9-5 life. Mindoir boasted rolling fields of yellow grass, the three moons cast a warm, red light to the sky. I can imagine that she likely spent a lot of time outside, playing in the tall grass with the few other human children. 

[Conrad Verner]: The Shepards had a dog named Eezo. 

[Jeff ‘Joker’ Moreau]: (off-camera) Yeah… Is there a reason that Conrad Verner knows that? 

[T’Soni]: Shepard wasn’t, by any means, a standout students. She achieved modest grades but showed very little interest in school. She was a rather… precocious child-- which, to be perfectly frank, she did not grow out of. 

[Mateo Wellington, former Alliance biotic instructor]: Shepard was a biotic, and mind you, this was at a time where humanity was still very unsure about biotics. A heavy stigma followed them from birth, there was misinformation being peddled about how they were mentally addled or a threat to humanity. 

[Bridges]: A young biotic like Shepard, without the resources to properly build and learn her skills, must have been a struggle. Biotics, in their youth, tend to be incredibly hyperactive. They require almost double the caloric intake. At a time where so little was known about biotic abilities, one would assume that Shepard faced her struggles as a young child. 

[Verner]: Her favorite food as a child was chocolate chip pancakes. 

[Joker]: (off camera) Seriously, how the fuck does he know that about her? 

[Steve Cortez]: (off camera) It is… a tad concerning, isn’t it? [Joker]: (off camera) Right? Should we check his extranet history or something?

[multistanisms]

Loving the Enemy | Final Fantasy VII

FANDOM: Final Fantasy VII

PAIRING: Cloud Strife x Reno Akujin

WORD COUNT: 1331

RATING: PG-13

POTENTIAL TRIGGERS: Mentions of violence, sex, torture, etc

SUMMARY: The very first Ten Song Challenge I ever wrote. The music player is set on shuffle and the first ten songs that play? You write a quick mini-fic based on it, so it’s basically quick glimpses into the relationship. The ship for this was Reno and Cloud from Final Fantasy VII.

☼ ☽ ☆ ⁑ ☼ ☽ ☆ ⁑ ☼ ☽ ☆ ⁑ ☼ ☽ ☆ ⁑ ☼ ☽ ☆ ⁑

D is for Dangerous – Allison Iraheta

Reno knew how risky it was being in love with "the enemy". But was it really an enemy at all? Shin-Ra had technically tried to destroy the world, and now what had once been the enemy was a reluctant ally. He watched the blonde quietly from the chopper, unable to understand what had really brought AVALANCHE and his company together for a battle. It didn't seem very plausible that having asked Cloud had worked. Or had it? Reno had called Cloud days ago and talked to the blonde. Was he the only one the former Shin-Ra spoke to anymore?

Toxic – Britney Spears

Cloud had been surprised when he'd answered his phone. It had been by chance that he had even seen the redhead calling. Why had he picked up? Because he wanted to talk to someone was highly unlikely. Perhaps he had been curious? But that didn't make sense, either. He knew why he'd answered, but he wasn't willing to admit it. He had needed to hear that voice again. He hadn't heard it since deserting the company, save the few occasions Reno had "lost him" during raids on the compound. How the cocky bastard was still second-in-command, he wasn't sure, but he was glad the red haired man had some connections to his former alliance; it made it much easier to hide his emotions.

Sweet Emotion – Aerosmith

Sooooo….nothing at all. FAIL!

Sleep – My Chemical Romance

Reno sat up as he gasped for air, one hand instinctively going to his neck, where he'd been choked just a week prior during his last day as a captive in the Wutai army. Somehow, Tseng had managed to offer something to the king that had made them let him go, but he was still having nightmares. It was thoroughly irritating. He glanced at the window, wondering if Cloud was watching the sky; like he used to at night during his stay at Shin-Ra. "I'm not wishin or nuttin like that, but I wonder if you still care, blondie…" he murmured.

"Then ask me," a soft voice said. At first, Reno thought he'd imagined the voice, but he turned his head to the door of his room and was surprised to see Cloud hidden in the shadow of the door.

BulletProof – La Roux

Reno knew he had made mistakes. He couldn't count how many times he'd said something or done something ridiculous just to get Cloud's attention. But he had never thought of falling for the blonde. It sucked. He wanted so bad to be with the former SOLDIER now…but it was no use. His walls were still heavily guarded from the last time he'd been shot in the heart. And he meant that literally. He still had the scar from where Tseng had pulled him from the gutters to prove it. It really ticked him off as he sat watching Cloud from afar; surveying. He was actually supposed to be making sure Rufus' hotel accommodations were correct, but Rufus had already seen to that. Reno just had to get back before Tseng did. And even if he didn't Rufus could use the time alone with the Wutainian man; to loosen the stick that was shoved up his ass so hard. He smirked as Cloud walked along the edge of the church, wondering where the blonde was going now.

She Loves Me Not – Papa Roach

WTF IS THIS? SO NOT COOL! DX

Down the Rabbit Hole – Adam Lambert

Was it possible to fall so deeply in love with a man because of how he danced? Once upon a time, Cloud would have said no reverently. Now? Uh, not so much. He sat, intoxicated, as he watched the redhead sway so expertly on the dance floor. It was slightly scary, but so amazing, that Reno could dance so well. Were there lessons involved? Had to be. That…or he really had been a stripper once upon a time. Cloud chuckled at that thought. 'Once upon a time, a fiery redhead named Reno danced for men and women while taking his clothes off to the sound of Adam Lambert's "Strut". But that thought couldn't be far off the mark, Cloud pondered. His current train of thought was broken as Reno plopped in his lap and began a special, free lap dance.

Another Day – from "Rent"

Reno stared at the blonde in shock. He'd been denied. But..why? What had he done? He couldn't think of anything. So he stood from where the blonde had shoved hi and moved to sit on the coffee table in front of the rogue. "Hey, babe. Come on. Live for today."

Cloud glared. "That line may have worked back then, Reno, but it won't anymore." He half growled.

Reno blinked. "Blondie, may I ask what the fuck you are talking about?" he asked. "You know that's how we live."

Cloud scoffed. "More like how you live. I don't wanna do it anymore." He said, crossing his arms. "I saw you with him."

Reno stared. "Who, Rufus?" he inquired. Seeing the flash of anger in baby blues, he sighed. "Yo, Cloud, babe. Rufus is just a really good friend. He was the only one who believed in me when Shin-Ra took me in." When he got no response, he sighed and stood. "Fine. I'm done trying to prove myself." And he slammed the door.

Rolling in the Deep – Adele

Cloud sat in the dark of his room, staring at an old photo. It made his heart race to watch the moon shimmer on the photo of the male, but he knew it wouldn't match the memory of the moonlight on the fiery tresses. He gave a sigh. He had to do something; sitting around and moping would not have helped. But what could he do? He'd heard several stories about what Reno had been up to since he had denied the redhead his feelings. Maybe he should go the low road and go back? Or…maybe he should just wait? He groaned and grabbed handfuls of hair as he rocked a bit. "I wish I knew what to do…" he murmured.

"Just admit your feelings, Cloud. Look back at everything. Focus this time. Think."

Cloud blinked. Aerith had always known what to say. He gave a sad smile. "It's kind of sad that you're still helping me after I let you die." He mumbled, but laid back on his bed and closed his eyes. With a few deep breaths, he began to travel down memory lane and focus on each one; his actions, reactions, thoughts and lack thereof. And as he watched, he became aware of what had always been there.

Better Than I Know Myself – Adam Lambert

Cloud sat up and had to wipe away tears. He growled, angry at himself, and reached over to grab his phone. He needed to make sure Reno knew that he was serious. And if that meant Cloud would have to drag him out of a bar and screw him in an alley, he would. He called feverishly, leaving some 80 voicemails; that was until he had filled the voicemail inbox. Then he began texting; trying to get the redhead to answer. "Damnit, Reno, answer." He said, the only thought being that he had lost the one thing that had kept him grounded for so damn long. He had plopped on the bed, tears brimming usually clear eyes, when the door burst open and a panting redheaded Turk stood before him. Cloud jumped at the sight and stared next. "Reno…"

"You okay, blondie?" the male asked, rushing over to check him out and make sure no marks were present. "Good, no harm." He sighed, relieved, and then threw himself into Cloud's arms. "I'm sorry, Cloud."

"Just…just don't go, Reno." Cloud managed, holding the other tight. "Promise."

"Gladly," the Turk replied, grinning as he pulled the male close.

[lnights]

I would love to hear about the detective/Mafia AU regardless if you write it or not. I'm nosy and want to always hear about all ideas^^

Ahhhhhh ok so this is a general outline and may be ridiculously stupid.

First, have you seen the music video for Alex Mattson's UFO? That's the era/look I have in my head for this, old school mobsters.

It opens up with newspaper article about a recent death, an og character found washed up in the river. Suicide suspected.

Joel and Joonas have a small detective agency/ PI office together, one of them was reading the article out loud to the other.

A young well dressed man (Aleksi, going by Alex Mattson) comes to their agency asking for their help finding a missing person (Robin). He has another young man silently standing behind him, obviously a bodyguard (Tommi)

Aleksi is willing to pay whatever they want for them to help find his friend, but they both shrug that they mostly track people to prove affairs, research fraud cases and the like, that he should go to the police.

I have the idea Joel is ex police, he was a detective and he saw something that made him quit.

Aleksi would tell them his friend got caught up with someone in one of the two mob families in the area the Kaunisvesi family, and the police have been paid off to ignore any suspicious activity, seeing the paper and telling them that the victim was murdered.

They keep refusing, but he comes back day after day to beg for their help, and finally Joel gives in as he tells them more details of his missing friend, that it was clearly a kidnapping.

So it goes from there, they start trying to find clues on the kidnapping but on Alex too because he's suspicious.

I had the idea that the overarching plot is the two crime families were trying to make an alliance, and they were going to achieve that by Kaunisvesi's oldest son being given to the other crime family, the Moilanens, for an arranged marriage to their son and heir (I'm choosing to just ignore the blatant homophobia that goes along with that era/crime style)

Basically, Aleksi refused the arrangement and it got one friend killed and Robin kidnapped.

Joonas finds this out because he has a connection to the Moilanen family, someone he thinks is just a low level grunt (Niko going by Vilhelm).

So they try to talk to Alex about it and he admits who he really is, that Tommi is his bodyguard, and that he refuses to be the play thing to the oldest Moilanen son.

So Joel and Joonas end up trying to help negotiate some peace, even though they know they're in way over their heads, because Niko tells Joonas that he knows some info on Robin and wants to talk to Alex directly.

Of course Aleksi recognizes Niko when he sees him (Olli is Niko's top advisor) and freaks out that Joel and Joonas betrayed him, even as Niko shrugs and says they never knew his real name.

Olli and Tommi both have guns drawn on each other, no one dares to move

Niko tells him that if he had just cooperated none of this would have happened. Tells him that he did try to convince his father not to have his friend killed but he has made sure Robin is at least being treated decently. That if he comes with him all of it stops.

And that's what I have so far idea wise. Idk I see this a dark fic with a happy end and I'm not sure I would do it justice.

[cosmicjoke]

Why did Levi choose to stay behind with Yelena when the alliance was battling the Yeagerists? I know he was left behind at first because of his wounds, but then Levi put himself forward when the Beast Titan showed up. And likewise in chp 136, Levi got stuck on Falco's Titan while the Alliance was battling the giants, but then when he saw Zeke he showed up. I see most people use these to prove that Levi doesn't care about anything but Erwin's promise. Sometimes I can't help thinking that Yams reduces him to an obsession with killing Zeke because he doesn't know what to write about him after Shiganshina and he thinks his role is over. And as a Levi stan, I'm sick of being shown this way in the finale and having fans making these statements.

You have to remember that when the alliance went to retrieve the plane before getting into a battle with the Yagerists, it had only been about a day since Hange found Levi and treated his wounds. He was SEVERELY injured. He didn't yet have the strength to fight, and would have only gotten in the way of the action had he attempted to do so. If people are really trying to float this ridiculous notion that Levi didn't participate because he didn't care about the fight, or his comrades, then I'm sorry, they're either brain dead levels of stupid, or they didn't read the manga. Levi's entire character is centered around how much he cares about his comrades.

He fought against Eren because the situation was dire and desperate and they needed all the help they could get. But the truth is, Levi shouldn't have ever even tried to fight. He was barely alive at that point, and was in no sort of fighting condition. He took a thunderspear to the face, basically, and people complain that "he didn't do enough". Like, get the fuck outta' here. It was an incredible act of courage that he took up arms in the final battle at all. He was further injured while saving Connie's life. He was coughing up blood, bleeding internally. Why anyone would criticize Levi for needing to sit out after that is beyond me, unless they're just a callous, cruel person. He took Zeke out because he was given a clear and easy shot. Zeke let himself be killed. It required little effort on Levi's part. That's hardly comparable to having to battle dozens upon dozens of spawning titans actively attacking, something Levi attempted to do before his leg nearly got bitten off. Levi also knew if he took out Zeke, it would end the Rumbling, full stop. What, was he just supposed to sit there and stare at Zeke waving him down, giving him a clear shot to kill him? That would have been stupid. Zeke specifically called out to Levi. Nobody else probably even realized Zeke was there, or if they did, they had their own hands full battling against the dozens of titans spawning on Eren's back.

Isayama never reduced Levi to any such thing as an "obsession" with Zeke. That whole notion comes from a bunch of idiots who don't know how to read properly, and have no grasp of Levi's character or what drives him. Levi was pivotal in organizing and rallying the alliance in the fight against Eren, and in gaining the victory. Without Levi's leadership in that final fight, who the hell knows what would have happened. I don't understand how anyone can read the manga and come away not seeing how greatly Levi contributed, and how much he gave in the final push against Eren and the Rumbling. He nearly died fighting alongside the others, protecting them and doing what he could to save what was left of humanity, despite being grievously injured. If all he cared about was Zeke, he would have killed Zeke any of the numerous times he had the chance to beforehand. In Shinganshina, during the raid on Liberio, in the forest, etc, etc... He didn't because he was always trying to do what was right for humanity. It was never about revenge, it was about honoring and giving meaning to the sacrifices of his fallen comrades. Not Erwin, but ALL of his comrades. I don't know why this is so hard for people to wrap their pea brains around. If all Levi cared about was killing Zeke, he wouldn't have acted as the de facto leader when Armin became indisposed and rallied everyone to keep fighting. If killing Zeke was all Levi cared about, he wouldn't have gotten Mikasa and Pieck up onto Falco's back after the fact, and whipped Mikasa into shape to deliver the final blow to Eren. WTF is so hard about understanding this for people, I wonder? Every action Levi takes is proof positive that he cared about humanity. The only explanation is that people are looking for ways to discredit Levi. Probably because they're butthurt that everyone hates Eren and loves Levi. Oh fucking well.

Anyway, I'm sorry if I sound pissed with this reply, but I'm sick to death of answering these types of questions. Like, Jesus Christ, if anyone feels that insecure about being a fan of Levi because a bunch of morons on the internet keep screaming about him not caring about humanity and being obsessed with Erwin or Zeke, then maybe they should take up a different interest. It's plain to see by reading the manga or watching the anime how much Levi cares. It's OBVIOUS. It's easy to debunk and counter these fools, because everything they claim is a falsehood to begin with.

Whatever. Again, sorry, I'm just so sick of this shit.

[justaminion]

@temple-mistress​ very kindly tagged me in this WIPs meme, which I’m reposting below and tagging @barmadumet and any Obikins who follow me to please give it a shot! 

Rules: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have wips. I have deemed that this isn’t just for writing either. Sketch titles? Comics? Dnd campaigns? If you have an unfinished project, it counts!!

Sadly, my own WIPs are a very sorry state of affairs and I only really have one Obikin WIP with whole written and unposted chapters. I hope to revisit it one day, when I have a lot more spare time and feel better about my writing (and about Obikin which is quite frankly just giving me the sads these days), but I thought I’d just directly post a summary and excerpt here in case it never sees the light of day.

Ishara: summary

An AU where Obi-Wan left the Jedi Order at 13 and followed a different path, eventually becoming an undercover agent for the Outer Rim Security Alliance. This brings him to Ishara: a planet which, until recently, was cut off from the rest of the galaxy, and where an atmospheric disturbance means most modern technology does not function. Members of the Isharan Royal family have become involved with slave traders in a crime syndicate, and Obi-Wan has been working to ingratiate himself with them, and, secretly, to take the entire ring down.

Meanwhile, Anakin, who is now 21, was brought to the Jedi by Qui-Gon, and has been training as a Padawan, but is desperately unhappy. 

When he reacts badly to the news of his mother’s death, Anakin is sent away to Ishara by the Jedi Council, on a sort of cultural exchange programme. There he meets Padmé, who is also part of the programme. Young, reckless, and desperate to prove himself, Anakin crosses paths with a man he thinks is his enemy, but turns out to be the mentor (and eventually, the lover) he’s been missing all this time. Obi-Wan is outraged and frustrated by this beautiful, idealistic man who puts his entire mission at risk. But once they start working together, he begins to regain the confidence he’d lost at 13, and finds the home he’d been searching for ever since.

 Excerpt 

This is the scene where Anakin and Obi-Wan (in disguise as Ben) meet for the first time.

Padmé has been on-planet for a couple of months, and has already picked up a decent amount of Isharan, together with basic etiquette, and who should - and should not - be relied upon, spoken to, and avoided. Anakin's first introduction to the Isharan Royal Family takes place at dinner on his first evening.

“It's harvest time, and the start of the hunting season,” Padmé tells him as they enter the hall and walk past tables laden with fruit, meat and decorated with the severed heads of numerous long-horned beasts that remind Anakin of Tatooine Jerba. The hall is filling rapidly with people and smells of sour sweat, beer and musky, drying blood.

“Queen Faeron will wish to greet you,” Padmé says as they take their places near the high table. “But don't address her directly. In fact the less you say the better.”

Then there is shouting above the clamour of the room, and everyone gets to their feet. The Royal party sweeps in, flanked by a dozen guards dressed in the same uniform as the soldiers who had escorted Anakin to the castle. The queen is tall, long, midnight-black hair streaked with grey, her only jewellery a striking pale blue stone worn on a pendant chain around her neck.

A tall, imposing figure of a man follows the queen. “He’s the Crown Prince,” Padmé says. “Vorad Issorad. Jovial when sober, violent when drunk. Which is often.”

Padmé indicates a man toward the back of the party, walking with a limp and the aid of a stick. “And that's his older brother, Raic. He would be heir to the throne if he'd not been injured in a hunting accident when he was an adolescent. The damage is permanent, and the Isharans would not tolerate that in a king.”

The banquet lasts for over two hours, and Anakin has to wait until the dishes have been cleared away before he's summoned to the royal table. Before he has a chance to ask, Padmé gets to her feet too. “Let me help.”

Anakin bows deeply before the queen, waiting to be spoken to, as Padmé had advised.

Vorad Issorad, seated to the queen's left, whispers something to her and then she turns her gaze on Anakin, smiling graciously, and she makes a short speech in the lilting Isharan dialect Anakin is only just beginning to recognise.

“She welcomes you and wishes you health, strength and good fortune,” Padmé says.

Anakin inclines his head, keeping his mouth firmly shut.

The queen says something else, and by the expectancy in her expression Anakin guesses it must be a question. He looks at Padmé.

“Um, she wants to know what your training will lead to. What job will you do?”

“Tell her I'll be a warrior. And a keeper of peace.”

Padmé relates it back and the queen replies and then laughs, all her companions laughing with her.

“She says you have it wrong. Warriors make war. Only the feeble keep peace.”

Vorad says something, and Padmé replies, causing the prince to laugh, flashing Anakin a mocking smile.

“Why do I get the impression that was directed at me?” Anakin murmurs.

“He asked for a demonstration of your swordsmanship. I told them Jedi use laser-swords so your arms are weak and I expect you could hardly lift their steel, even if you were brave enough to accept which would be unlikely since you are barely a child, not a proven warrior.”

Anakin stiffens. “I'm perfectly capable-”

“-of being slaughtered by an Isharan broadsword-wielding thug.” Padmé interrupts. “Save the bravado, it won't do you any favours here.”

Anakin becomes aware of the silence in the room, all eyes on him. “Tell them I accept.”

“I really don't think-”

“Then I'll tell them myself. It can't be hard to make them understand.” He begins to take a step forward.

Padmé puts a hand on his arm. “Okay, shut up.” She speaks again, directing her words at Vorad, who just shrugs. From the other side of the table, Raic Issorad says something, to which Vorad and the queen seem to reluctantly agree.

“So?”

“I said that it would bring great shame on the Jedi Order if you were slaughtered by an Isharan warrior on your first night here. Raic suggested you fight another offworlder, and they agreed.” She pats Anakin's arm. “Happy now? Just don't come to me crying when your wounds have gangrene.”

*

Servants push tables and benches to the side of the hall in order to make space for a decent fight. Anakin waits, hand lingering instinctively by his lightsaber hilt, even though here, it’s nothing but a useless lump of metal. 

He studies his prospective opponent.

The man, who had been seated next to Raic at the table, seems unremarkable. Medium height. Medium build. A certain lightness to his gait that betrays a good sense of balance. Otherwise, ordinary.

Twelve, maybe fifteen paces separate them. The man ignores him completely. Gaze fixed on the floor, his eyes are hidden from view. Dirty red-brown hair hangs down over his forehead. He scuffs the flagstones with the tip of his sword, fingers strangely pale and elegant against the hilt. Artist's fingers, Anakin thinks. Unsuited to such a vulgar weapon.

Thinking there is likely no harm in it, Anakin reaches out to him, carefully, with the Force, expecting to find another concoction of the shadows lurking around the room. Greed, lust, hunger, resentment.

Instead he finds... well... nothing.

Not the blank, smooth, empty, nothing of a Jedi accustomed to shielding, but a soupy grey fog of nothing, betraying not the slightest flicker of emotion behind. Anakin has witnessed natural shielding in non-Force-sensitives before, but never a case quite as effective as this.

In his surprise he lets his control slip for a moment and it's almost as if the other man notices, because he stills his movements and looks up, stopping Anakin's scrutiny with a piercing look and an arched eyebrow.

But that is as far as their conversation gets, because a second later the man's sword is flying through the air, straight towards his head.

[the-firebird69]

We're going to start hitting you now Trump he doesn't have any patience for you bimbos you don't know anything about what he needs he's scream at you think it's good for you you're f****** stupid you're going down too because you're dumb this guy next door is completely dumb if you like a waste of time now just s*** off the internet nobody wants to see your dumb f****** retard face and they're going after your people because of it you have no AI at All by comparison you have done this s*** head is a moron next door I tell you what we're going to get rid of him it's so gross it's such a f****** little a******

Thor Freya

New empire people are pussies you can't move too f****** their bums this is ridiculous they're so stupid

Zues Hera you're a joke Robert Duvall you're a f****** joke everybody attacked you cuz your p**** is to your little f****** retards the sitting here dumping all over me you f****** joke what do you think you could get a free cubie doll I really don't want you here either my people have to get on the ball this is ridiculous you always complain to me I'm saying shut up and stop complaining

I hear that this is ridiculous we have to stop complaining to him we're taking away his hope and these people take away everything you have to think it through it's ridiculous I'm sending orders stop having me do it whether I feel like it or not I don't care for that s*** talking either I feel like saying something so I have to say it what the f*** are you

Thor Freya

It's some Jesus s*** I got to tell you we have to get these assholes out of here we need them out of here and we're going to order it and it says stop complaining to me and get it done so I'm going to do that if you're alone in it get it done alone everyone's going to have to look to you for everything

I'm starting to hear what you're saying I'm alone in here and everyone's doing it and tell him to stop these people I get something I don't want to say it everyday like I'm a retard you have to have a meeting he says and sit down and say stuff to each other no get this stupid job done iots who keep interrupting us every 10 seconds almost as bad as they are except they're using this where the buffer zone to make life miserable for everyone and it's evil so I'm going to put that in a meeting and he said that last paragraph

Nuada Ariana

There's a lot of stuff going on and I'll tell you what these people here need to go they're out to lunch they don't even care you have to prove all sorts of stuff and then they walk by like Garth and he does this all the time I don't care in any way said how many times a week do you have to get shot in the head for you to give a s*** turns around says that's why I said that's why you're in moron you see you come by and say stupid s*** you're getting shot you're not going to get crowned you jackass so people are going after him he's spewing stuff for hours they're hitting him all day and the dumb m*********** keeps doing it I'm telling you these people just returns or spending time talking about him he's getting more and more pissed off they're so freaking stupid they don't have real brains they're taking hours and hours of his day he wants us to knock it off

Bitol and Goddess Wife

We realize they're very stupid and people are having them do stuff and it's the empire and was saying don't do it we're going to hit you and you won't get up it's ridiculous what you're doing here your stupid f****** you're vermin they're not going to help from you

Olympus

We've sent a special courier to these guys at 9:00 p.m. they got our message basically it says don't make any alliances with us because you never keep the word and you always try it's ridiculous and my son was out of line and I am not holding to it in any way you are a bunch of backstabbing b****** and for Christ's sake stop bothering him to get us you idiot it looks like it works and I said that he said this back we don't care about you and yours or him or anything we're just going to die here making noises and that's an essence what they said and I wrote back then die there making noises don't bother us you useless s*** so they said in a letter back and said we're doing what we want to do and that's how it is and to you too and I wrote back and I said I'm the father of everybody of our race your boobs you made up the story and people bought it because they're all stupid now so they wrote back and said no it's not true and what we say is we have evidence now now you're ruining everything you attracted all this attention you suck at fire things you can't hit now and it said we're sitting here dying and you're making fun of us so I hit the roof and I told them they're wrong they keep enforcing the law on the wrong way they keep telling people to do the wrong thing and making bad decisions and aren't listening to anybody and then they said this we can't help it we had to isolate to try and keep ourselves clean from demons I said that's true but holy s*** you're f****** stupid you're making wrong decisions every day and you're isolated from demons but you're worse than they are so went on for a while back and forth and we hear you where is a f****** problem here your max they're foreigners you're losing cuz you're stupid and falling for this s*** you morons so it's not falling for the s*** no we're going at it pretty hard it's going to be over for us and we can't handle it

Mac

[sabraeal]

The Sword Between

A brand new Hakizana AU written for @krispy-kream! This starts a little in media res; Izana is posing as a common mercenary under House Arleon, assigned to watch over the Earl’s daughter...who is also his betrothed.

There’s a flash against the snow, quick as a hare through a drift. Haki shifts on her cushion, peering through the lattice of her windowpane. The women’s wing might be as far from any area of import as her father can manage, but it does afford her a clear view of the entrance. A useless feature normally; visitors of any interest are few and far between this far north, but now, now--

There’s plenty of reason to be looking outside.

Cold seeps through the glass, blunted only by the shawl drawn about her shoulders, and Haki wraps her hands tightly around her tea. There’s a sleigh, dashing through the courtyard, spraying snow as it rounds before the doors. 

“Ah,” she hums, taking a sip from her mug. “It seems Lady Satomi has arrived.”

The Maid of Varghala descends from her conveyance with the same sultry elegance than won her mother an earl. Or at least, so it is said; she’d only met the woman once, back when she was just a babe, and her memory of her was little more than dark skin wrapped in blue silk and the awe of a child when they are brought face to face with such beauty.

“Strange.” She leans close, trying to catch a glimpse of dark hair beneath the blinding white fun. “I’d always thought she’d be the kind to make a grand entrance. You know, an hour late clad only in gold leaf.”

Haki settles back against a pillow, pulling the shawl tighter over her shoulders. If the night was cold, then the silence that envelops her room is colder.

“I wonder what plans she has, coming this early,” she remarks, thrilled when her voice bends into a diffident drawl. “Maybe she has designs on Makiri.”

A snort lets her know just what her audience thinks of that particular guess. She scowls at the window, picking out his gold head in the reflection. Lowen excels at being a certain kind of frustrating, and tonight is no exception.

“Well then.” She turns to him, expression composed entirely of a patience and mildness she does not feel. “You do have an opinion after all.”

Lowen is half-shadowed so close to her hearth, but even still, she sees how his mouth curves ever so slightly at a corner. High amusement, from a man such as him. “I always have an opinion, my lady.”

She bites her lip to keep it from jutting into a pout. “Of course. You just do not always deign to share it.”

He huffs out a laugh, his head shaking. “I do not always dare to share it, my lady.”

The deep indigo of his eyes is piercing even in the dim, pinning her in her place like one of the butterflies at the university. Her fingers twist in the wool of her shawl. How easily he can do that, reminding her of the gulf between them. “You know I do not mind if you speak freely.”

She would prefer it, longs for it, but-- that is not something to be said. Not now. Not when she can already see the tension coiled in his legs, the anxious energy that has dogged him all night. Lowen might put himself between her and a hundred blades to keep her safe, but tonight--

Tonight, a simple dance has made him poised to flee.

“How would you know?” The arch of his brows and the curve of his mouth may read simple curiosity, but Haki knows him too well to miss the mocking tilt of his chin, the cold reason in his eyes. “You have never heard it.”

“Fine.” She folds her arms beneath her breast, hoping she looks insolent and seductive, but the way his lips twitch tells her she’s missed the mark and hit sullen and petulant instead. “Then what is your theory about Lady Satomi’s motives? If it is not my brother drawing her so early, who could it be?” She lifts a dubious eyebrow. “You?”

His lips bow as if he has a secret and she is a fool not to know it. “I can firmly say that neither I nor your brother would suit the lady’s tastes.”

Haki frowns. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing, my lady.” His gaze drops, following the smooth motion of the cloth over his blade. “However, from what I have observed of Varghala’s Maid, she is less likely to be drawn to a place by a who rather than a what.”

Her father has taught her better than to show her surprise, but it still takes her a moment to manage, “And what do you think that is?”

“Why, my lady,” he drawls, his smile glinting coldly in the light, “I could not even venture a guess. Perhaps she only wished to be ahead of the storm.”

Haki peers out the window, watching as the flakes swirl furiously outside the pane. If that was her goal, Lady Satomi chose a poor night for travel. “Do you think it will storm the night of the party?”

“If it does, it won’t matter,” he says easily. “All your guests will have arrived in plenty of time to attend. Unless you think Lady Satomi is the only one who would take advantage of your father’s generosity?”

Generosity. She huffs out a laugh. He knows as well as she that no lord hosted a ball for only a single night. Maybe in the south, where everyone had their sprawling manors in the capitol, and it was only a matter of minutes between a guest’s door and their destination. But in the north--

Well, even here in Wilant, there were few neighbors within a stone’s throw that could boast a title. And her father would have nothing if not the choicest of lords for his daughter’s birthday fete.

It was no feat to ponder why. “I wonder if my fiancé will deign to attend.”

Lowen stiffens, hand still on his blade. Haki smothers a smile as she continues blithely, “It’s only a year until we’ll be married, after all. If he chooses to attend the wedding.”

With a stuttering pace, his hands once again start their slow grind of stone against steel. Haki waits.

“Perhaps,” he grits out, every syllable begrudging.

She takes a long sip from her mug, enjoying how bloodless her guard has become. “Surely he must be curious about his bride.”

“Or he might be practical.” Lowen lifts his brows if not his gaze, the hint of a smile hovering at the shadows of his mouth. “If he has no choice in marrying you, there is no point in traveling all the way north to mark your measure.”

Haki draws herself up, affronted. “By all accounts, Izana Wisteria is a profligate dandy who only cares for excess. A man like that would surely come, if only to know whether I meet his standards for a lover.”

“Oh, my lady.” His gaze meets hers, dark in the flame, and oh, Lowen’s grin is as wickedly sharp as his blade. “Every woman looks the same in the dark.”

Haki hardly knows she’s gaping until her jaw aches, mouth gone dry in the silence. She shuts it, delicately, teeth making a soft click as they meet.

He lets out a bark of a laugh, eyes shifting back to his lap. “You are not a lover, my lady, but a wife. All he would need to do is hold his nose and do enough of the deed to get an heir on you.”

It is the heat of the fire that makes her flush, not-- not anything else. Silly Ami always made it far too hot in the evenings.

She stands, and with the practiced elegance of a woman meant to be queen, scampers to the hearth. It’s nothing to push the log back, to push some of the ashes on top of it, but--

“Is something the matter, my lady?” her guard asks her, far too innocent. “Too hot for you, perhaps?”

--Lowen notices. He always does; there is nothing about her that ever escapes his notice. She pokes at the fire, if only to have some sort of occupation, anything to keep from having to meet his too-inquisitive gaze.

“To think,” she mumbles, hunching her shoulders, “you said you do not speak your mind.”

“And to think,” he says, pointedly loud, “you said you would enjoy it.”

She favors him with a glare, mouth pulled thin. Wanting him would be so much easier if he did not make her regret it so often. “The point is moot,” she snips, dropping the poker back in the stand. “He won’t be here. Last I hear he was still on his grand tour.”

Lowen’s jaw tightens. “Is that what you’ve heard?”

“Everyone knows,” she tells him airily, taking the seat across from him. It’s easier to talk to him this way, when he’s not so reminded of the gulf between her place and his. “He’s only been on it, what is it, two years now?”

His mouth twitches. “Something like. But surely a lady of your standing would not judge a man for his wanderlust?”

“Of course not.” She lets her mouth tilt into a knowing smile. “But I will judge him for the women and drink.”

That draws him up sharp, for a moment. “My lady,” he begins, almost haltingly. “Just because a man travels abroad does not mean he is spending it carousing in taverns.”

“Oh, no, definitely not,” she agrees, so easily his gazes turns wary. “A man of the prince’s stature gets soused at manor houses and has the courtesans brought to him.”

Lowen’s mouth thins. “Makiri tells you too much.”

“I rather think he tells me just enough.” She cocks her head, confident. “A girl can never be too careful, nowadays.”

He hums, attention wandering back to that accursed blade of his, just where she doesn’t want it.

“So.” She leans, trying to mirror his casual affectations, as if she has no care in the world for the conversation that unfolds, as if she is not directing it as subtly as man might a river. “You are of the opinion I should marry him?”

The stone stutters over his blade, just a moment, before the stead drone of the grind begins again. “Pardon?”

“The prodigal prince of Clarines,” she clarifies, though she knows by the steady blankness of his face that it is unnecessary. “I should marry him, you think.”

His lips curl at a corner. “I was not aware that my opinion held weight, my lady.”

“It does.”

Her hands furrow in her nightgown, the tight weave of flannel scratching her palms. Silly, stupid girl. That might as well have been a confession itself.

His hands still in their task, his slender fingers delicate and pale in the firelight. He’s never touched her with them, not more than a gentle guide on her back or a press at her elbow, though she’s thought about it. Thought about it more than is seemly for a girl in her position, especially when they are left to their own devices like this each night. Her father would never allow a lord so close to her age to sit with her like this, but Lowen--

Lowen is too far beneath her to consider. Father may find his advise in the war room indispensable, but he is no peer, no knight, just a man that takes money for his services. It is unthinkable for him to cross that divide.

Save that she does. That she wants him to. That even now she wonders what it might be like for him to stand and close this space between them, to kneel at her feet and hold her hands in his, and--

“I think--” his fingers pluck the oiled rag from beside him.-- “you have little choice in the matter, my lady.”

Haki’s mouth bows with displeasure, fingers clenching into fists. He might rise to the bait, just once. He plays at apathy, but she has watched him too closely to miss how he stiffens at the very barest of the prince.

“You’re right,” she decides loftily. “If there is no recourse, I might as well be pragmatic about my betrothed. Resign myself to my fate, so to speak.”

Lowen does not raise his gaze, but his every move becomes wary, hesitant, as if he is searching for a trap. “I suppose.”

Her mouth thins. Not exactly the reaction she had been hoping for, but-- an Arleon is nothing if not resourceful.

“He is rumored to be quite pretty,” she muses, setting her chin on her hand. “I could like that about him.”

“I believe most say he is handsome,” Lowen corrects tightly. “Not pretty.”

Ah, now there is something she could work with. “It is said he has no beard, like a child.”

“They are not so fashionable in the south as they are here,” he explains. “Hardly any man wears one. Not even the council.”

“Not even the council?” Haki gapes. "But they’re my father’s age! Older, even!”

He shrugs, never once looking up from his occupation, but his mouth curls at the corner.

“Ah, but you were a mercenary in the capital, weren’t you, Lowen?” she inquires, all innocence.

He hesitates. It is only for a moment, a blink of an eye, but Haki feels it, as heavy as the silence between them. “For a time.”

“Did you ever see the first prince?” She can play this game, the noble lady in love with the idea of her betrothed, especially if it makes Lowen wince as he does now.

“I was not stationed inside Wistal Castle.” His tone reminds her more of a clerk quibbling over precedents of law than a soldier relaying the particulars of a post. “Mercenaries are not employed by the crown.”

“But they are employed by the lords.” He scowls down at his blade, and ah, she has got him now. “And personal guards are allowed within the palace. So--” she leans on her hands, batting her eyelashes-- “is he handsome? Is he pretty?”

“I couldn’t say,” he deadpans, eyes still fixed to his blade. “I saw only glimpses, and he seemed fine enough to me.”

“Boo!” she jeers, smile parting her lips. “Surely you can say more than that. Unless, of course, he is quite deformed, and you mean only to save my--”

“He would give you no cause for complaint,” Lowen hastens to say. “And even if he was not, it would be the least important thing about him.”

“Spoken like a man,” she laughs. “If I am to have no choice in the matter, I might as well like the look of him, if nothing else.”

“Or you might like his character,” he says sourly. “Or perhaps the way he treats you.”

“I suppose that I could be told of his kindness, or that you were personally impressed by his generosity to his people. But no one may tell at a glance how a man is behind closed doors.” If his words are sour, hers are bitter, seasoned well by her years at her father’s side. “But to tell me he is handsome, that-- that at least can be trusted, even if the rest of him is rotten to the core.”

Lowen does not dare lift his gaze, but he slants her a glance from the corner of his eyes, one that speak volumes, but only in a language she has never read and--

And this mood is far too serious for what she wishes to accomplish. At least for tonight.

“Though if His Highness does appear for a dance on my birthday, that will go a long way in vouchsafing his character, would it not?” She offers him a sly smile. “And failing that, Master Lowen, I will take a dance from you.”

Lowen recoils with a hiss. “Ah, stupid.”

Haki nearly takes offense-- it was a bold proposition, certainly, and one unbecoming from a woman of her station with her sort of complex marital arrangement-- but still, stupid is a harsh assessment--

Until he shifts, blood glittering black in the firelight, and she realizes: he has cut himself.

“Oh!” Her hands flutter uselessly in front of her, papers lost to the wind. She has never been one to balk at the sight of a little blood-- silly to, when so much pours from her each moon-- but for it to be his flusters her.

Like any woman of breeding, Haki can produce a handkerchief from thin air, and so she does.

“Here,” she murmurs soothingly, taking his wrist in her hand. “Let me.”

He stares down at her fingers, wide-eyed. “My lady, I couldn’t possibly--”

“Shush.” A fine lady she may be, but she is a younger sister too, a veteran of mending her brother’s scrapes. “Give it to me.”

He hesitates, but only for a moment. She fixes him with her most sternest glare, the one that gets even Makiri into line, and his arm eases, hand falling open over hers.

“Ah, there. You should be more careful,” she scolds, pressing the cloth firmly against his palm. “You could hurt yourself.”

He lets out a dry laugh. “So I am learning.”

“But about the dance.” His hand is held firm between her own, warm beneath her fingers, and if anything, Haki is her father’s daughter, born to press when she has the advantage, to give no quarter. “You will agree to it?”

“I...” His gaze tangles with hers, the sea tangling with the ice before it skitters away. “I do not think your fiancé would approve of another man dancing with his wife.”

Haki lets out a bleating laugh. “If he deigns to show himself, then he may see to it that his are the only hands that touch me that night. But if he does not--” her mouth cants into a secretive smile-- “then I shall be dancing with a dozen men to please my father instead. Why should one of them not be you?”

“My lady,” he breathes, every word steeped in frustration. “I doubt that this will please him.”

“And how is that?” She laughs, pulling back the cloth to see the wound well with crimson. Ah, it needed another moment. Fortuitous, as she does as well. “My father loves you. My brother would be you, if he could. What could bring either of them greater joy?”

“He will not rejoice in my lack of a title,” Lowen insists with his stubbornly pragmatic tone, fist clenching beneath her touch. “Not when you could spend that set with a man that already possesses one.”

She pulls the cloth tight against his skin, biting back a smile when he grunts. “If it bothers him so much, then he can just give you one.”

Lowen stiffens, jaw slack. “I’m...I’m sure he could,” he admits, begrudging, “but I think that would be...counter to the purpose of the dances, to give you to a man he already owns.”

Haki balks-- she is not a woman to be given anywhere, not without her say-so, but as he turns his head in the firelight she catches pink sprayed across those high cheeks. There is no point in arguing when he is so close to routed.

“Come now,” she soothes, smoothing the handkerchief along his palm, before tying it across the long bones of his hand. “Surely you would not deny a young lady her one birthday wish?”

He snorts. “I would.”

“Mm.” She edges closer, her skirt brushing his boots. “But would you deny me?”

He looks at her then, eyes hooded with contemplation. “It’s a waste of a wish. Maybe I cannot dance.”

She grins at that, finger delicately tracing her handiwork. “I will not believe it. I know you can.”

“Do you now?” He raises a skeptical brow. “And just where does this unfounded confidence come from?”

“I’ve seen your swordplay.” It’s a bold claim, but one that is rewarded by his wide-eyed stare. “A man with such fine footwork would never be out of place in a ballroom.”

His expression eases. “And this would be your professional opinion?”

“It is,” she hums, tilting her chin smugly. “Come now, you have been caught out.”

“Ah, yes, you have caught me.” He cocks his head in a way she might dare to call playful. “I am a passable dancer.”

“Then you must agree to favor me with your passable dancing.” Her mouth twitches with mischief as she leans in, so close she can see the delicate sweep of each of his eyelashes. “Unless there is some other reason you are afraid to be near me?”

His breath puffs hotly against her lips, and she cannot help but fidget, cannot help but lick them to mute the sensation but--

But his gaze drops to watch, eyes tracing her path with pupils blown wide.

“A single set.” Her touch travels to his wrist, rubbing over the delicate nub at its waist. “That is all I am asking.

“Your father.” The words are little more than a breath. His body stills beneath her, save for the frantic pulse beneath her fingertips. “He will not approve of it.”

A weak parry. It would take a sterner father than her own to deny a single dance. “Then let us dance out of sight. We will not be missed.”

“My lady--”

What he means to say is lost; her fingers smooth along the vein, and what words he has elide into something softer than a moan.

“Lowen.” She teases the edge of his cuff, a nail slipping just beneath. “Do you not trust yourself alone with a lady?”

“A lady? Yes.” His breath rattles out of his chest. “With you...?”

His fingers spasm beneath her wrist, just the barest touch before they pull away.

“The atmosphere is different a ball,” he says, stilted, as if he had meant to say something else.

A laugh slips from her chest, tinkling breathlessly in the air between them. “It’s louder for one.”

“Hah.” It leaves him in a burst, harsh. “Not quite what I meant, my lady.”

“Cloying, for another,” she continues, trembling with her success. If only she could keep him this close, if only she could make him laugh like that again. “And hot--”

“What I mean,” he drawls, casting her a playful glare, “is more in--” his breath catches-- “timate.”

Just the word is enough to make her shiver. “I see,” she manages, knees brushing against his own. “I have never...” Her gaze rises to meet his, but never gets beyond the perfect bow of his lips. “I have never found so.”

“Ah.” He’s so close the heat of his sigh sears. “Neither have I.”

“Then it’s--” his fingers brush the flannel of her nightgown, and ah, it is so hard to think when his breath caresses her lips as tenderly as he might himself, if only she could dare these last inches-- “it’s settled then. A ball is no more dangerous a place than this b--” her voice fails her, dropping to a whisper-- “bedroom.”

“Perhaps,” he hums, a sounds she can hear through her bones. “But I have heard with the right partner, any dance may seem--” his touch drags down her arm absently, brushing tantalizingly over her own palm-- “much more.”

“But could that not be said for anything?” she teases, tilting her head just so. “Even a--” her breath catches, and oh, the words leave her mouth before she can gather them back-- “a conversation?”

His hand spasms around her, and again his eyes are on her lips. “Could it?”

Haki hesitates. A flirtation is a fine thing for a lady, a healthy thing some might argue, but-- there are things not to be said, lines not be crossed--

But oh, how can she care for such things when he is so close, when he might want her just as she wants him. “Yes.”

She leans in, eyelids dropped to half-mast, lips parting as his breath fans hotly over them, and--

And she is left cold.

“I should leave you,” he says, words too loud for this room, this hour, this conversation. It is good he has put as much space as he can between them.

That is, without dropping her hand. “Should you?”

“Yes.” It’s a decisive tone he uses, even if the way he looks at her describes all the ways he would like to say. “You should be in...”

Bed, he means to say. A dangerous word to have between them now.

“Perhaps.” Her thumb rubs along the long bones of his hand, and oh, she has never seen a man so poised to flee with eyes that burn to stay. “Are you to watch over me?”

“I...do not think it prudent, my lady.” His lips curl wryly as he stares at their joined hands. “Not at this hour.”

“You have stayed before,” she protests. “I will set the chair for you, and--”

His hand comes to her shoulder as she attempts to rise, guiding her back into her seat. “No. It would not be wise to--” he shakes his head, and with clear eyes, meets her gaze, “the hour is not too late, my lady, but too dangerous.”

Her fingers squeeze his gently. “I’m never in danger from you, sir.”

“Ah, maybe so. But I am in danger from you.” He lifts her hand, as he has so many times before, though never here, not in her private rooms, and the kiss he lays upon it--

She struggles for breath. It has never quite felt like that before either. “Sir--”

“Goodnight, my lady.” His mouth rucks ruefully as he backs away. “Let us converse in the morning. At a safer hour.”

[rahrosario]

MEET FARAH “RAH” ROSARIO  a.k.a. THE SPITFIRE

{ ALEXA DEMIE, 21, GENDERQUEER, THEY/THEM } Is that FARAH “RAH” ROSARIO A JUNIOR originally from NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, they decided to come to Ogden College to study ANTHROPOLOGY & ECONOMICS. They’re THE SPITFIRE on campus, but even they could get blamed for Greer’s disappearance..

- SPOTIFY - WANTED CONNECTIONS -

&. BASICS

Full Name: Farah Rosario

Nicknames: Rah (almost always, it’s a combination of their name Farah and the Egyptian God Ra)

Age: 21 years old

Sexuality: pansexual

Date of Birth: March 28th

Place of Birth: New Orleans, Louisiana

&. MORE BASIC INFO

Languages: English, Spanish

Religion: Satanism, Wiccan

Education: studies Anthropology & Economics @ ogden college

Extracurriculars: animal rights coalition, queer alliance, art club, debate team

Drinks, Smokes, & Drugs: yes, never, yes

&. PERSONALITY

Zodiac Sign: Aries

MBTI: ESFP  - ESFPs live in the moment, enjoying what life has to offer. They are especially tuned into their senses and take pleasure in the sights, sounds, smells, and textures around them. ESFPs like to keep busy, filling their lives with hobbies, sports, activities, and friends. Because they'd rather live spontaneously than plan ahead, they can become overextended when there are too many exciting things to do. An ESFP hates nothing more than missing out on the fun.Although they are characteristically fun-loving, ESFPs are also typically practical and down-to-earth. They are grounded in reality and are usually keenly aware of the facts and details in their environment, especially as they pertain to people. They are observant of others and their needs, and responsive in offering assistance. ESFPs enjoy helping other people, especially in practical, tangible ways.

Likes: fighting for justice, being underestimated (so they can prove them wrong later on), rain, having fun, rock/goth/metal/punk music (they know some of those genres don’t really work together, but Rah believes music has no affiliation and just needs to be heard), ignoring rules, freedom of choice, literally just fun and drinking, like give them a good time and they’ll be your bestie, debating

Dislikes: being ridiculed, injustice, large bodies of water they can’t really examine well (so seas, oceans etc) they much prefer swimming pools, all type of insects, the elite, the typical 9-5 work and their obedient zombies

Bad Habits: no filter, swears a lot

Secret Talent: great digital/traditional artist, lock picking, pretty convincing

Five Positive Traits: outspoken, venturesome, open-minded, passionate, fun-loving, 

Five Negative Traits: unpredictable, provocative, gloomy, frivolous, impulsive

&. FAMILY INFORMATION

Parent Names: Marcello (taxi driver) & Gabriella (teacher), Viktoria (legal guardian since Rah turned 16, aunt)

Parent Relationship: They never understood why Rah acted the way they did, so they don’t have a good relationship and it’s all messed up from there, but Rah has a great relationship with their aunt from the Hamptons.

Sibling Names: one older brother, one older sister

Sibling Relationship: their relationship is good for the most part, they envy Rah for being so outspoken and being so willing to go for what they want and they never had the courage to do that themselves. Both are married and already have kids.

Children: none

Pets: A black cat named Salem

&. HOW THEY EMBODY THEIR TROPE.

Farah has no filter whatsoever, they love to be the center of attention or get others to react a certain way. They are all about being nonconformist, edgy, “not like the others”. While others might believe this to be a caricature of who they actually are, Rah really embodies the trope, enjoying everything out of the ordinary. They use their assertiveness to demand change on multiple topics such as politics, removing stereotypes and breaking barriers. Always true to themself, Rah considers their conservative background and how their parents tried to hide their child’s stubbornness to conform as one of the reasons they don’t do well with authorities. Their parents play no part in Rah’s life anymore and they began living with their aunt after turning sixteen. They want to define gender and rules for themselves without anyone interfering. On top of that, Rah doesn’t mind getting into trouble or even just being the odd one out if that means justice will be served. While certainly different in terms of  hobbies and behavior, they possess a good heart, that’s eager to prove themself in and around Ogden. For the most part misunderstood, all it takes for someone to take that brave step forward to actually get to know them and they’ll have found a friend and troublemaker for life.

&. ADDITIONAL TROPES

the cynic - determinator - dark messiah - perky goth 

&. CHARACTER INSPIRATIONS.

Katniss Everdeen (THG), Daenerys Targaryen (GOT), V (V for Vendetta), Lucy Westenra (Bram Stoker’s Dracula), Robin Hood (Robin Hood)

&. RELATIONSHIP TO GREER.

Strained, but not terrible. They used to hang out together from time to time. Rah posed as an unusual friend for some time, occasionally hanging around Greer in secret. All began after Greer saw one of their portraits while Rah stayed with their aunt in Hampton beach. While they were drawing away, Greer approached them and they got along over the summer, meeting every now and then after realizing they liked the same band and Greer would sometimes ask for self-portraits of herself or other paintings (she then paid for). After talking some more, Rah eventually decided to follow Greer to Ogden, no matter what. In Ogden, however, their relationship just wasn’t the same anymore, but Rah didn’t mind considering they both had different goals and backgrounds to begin with.

&. SHORT BIOGRAPHY.

Even in their childhood Rah was fascinated with all things different and occult. From fantasy to more serious topics, they began to read about the world and other worlds, finding similarities everywhere they looked. As they began to drift into different sub-genres, trying to express themselves, Rah ended up fighting for several pressing issues, rebelling against the norm for a better future. It shaped their character immensely, turning them into a confident, courageous and non-conforming person with grey morals except when it came to social issues, justice and environmental issues. Their parents sent them to the Hamptons where they got to know Greer. They followed Greer to Ogden where their relationship just stopped, but they don’t mind.

[honkster]

Why the Dream SMP’s way of storytelling is IMPOSSIBLE to recreate in any other medium.

This has been in the back of my mind for the longest time. I think I finally got it.

People have talked about this before, and they’ve put forward some good points, and good for them – most of them are correct. It’s the way the ccs interact with each other, it’s how plot is mixed in with banter, that’s all good! I wanna put more out there.

So you know how you open a book to read, you start a new show, you sit down to watch a movie – that’s all produced by some sort of company, someone who made it specifically for you to enjoy. You expect a certain dramatic flair to it, certain cinematic choices, certain ways of writing, certain camera angles, certain reactions to things. That’s just ingrained expectations of things now.

The DSMP? Doesn’t have that.

The low expectations work very much in its favor. It’s a Minecraft role-playing server with a bunch of famous youtubers/streamers, who are all good friends and have great dynamics with each other. So when you expect “just another Minecraft video” but in stream form, or you watch the videos because there are certain people in them, you don’t expect to be dropped into extreme lore and sensitive topics, realistic situations proposed in game form, a combination of serious stuff and just fun times with friends goofing around – and you’re pleasantly surprised.

We, the fandom, are used to it a bit more now. How excellently they manage to make a serious story in such a “ridiculous” medium, how much it affects us all and gets our creative juices flowing. But even the ccs can’t predict some of the things that happen. And that’s fun.

The whole election ending the way it has? That was on us. And it made some of the most angsty content there has been in the DSMP. People still theorize about the arc and make connections to now – that’s pog!

Fundy being adopted by Eret – that sparked the whole “Fundy just wants a dad – let’s get him some love” thing that made FundyWasTaken and other Fundy+someone ships happen. I see a different person paired with Fundy every week, and somehow, I agree with all of them. I really got into Fundy because of that stream where Eret “slept through the adoption” and Fundy confronted his real dad and spent time with his granddad. That little stream gave us more insight into Fundy’s whole character (Nevermind Fundy showing off his acting skills – you go you funky little fox), but also justifies some of his actions now. DryWaters? Wanting to kill Technoblade? Fucked up reasons, but we still love him.

Phil being broken out of house arrest ahead of time – still made a great stream and Phil agreeing with Techno’s want for revenge – that made us all very happy. The SBI!!! The AE! And that’s also a thing!

That even if we do know or have predicted what’s going to happen, begged it out of the ccs basically, it is still incredibly fun to watch. Where some books/shows/movies fall short and reveal too much and end up being “too predictable”, they’re not fun anymore. I read this somewhere before, that sometimes holding back EVERYTHING from the reader, and relying on shock value to make a good story is just bad. Whereas if you progress the story naturally and let the reader make some predictions of their own and then they end up being right – that’s a lot of serotonin right there. It’s the re-readability that makes it slightly better the second time.

The DSMP takes this concept and fucking yeets with it. Letting fans engage in the story, letting them theorize and then be right, even acknowledging the fanart that was made, just engaging with the community that their roleplay created – that makes it so much more fun. I bet that even if the whole script was revealed to the fandom we would still watch every plot stream. Even if we knew vaguely what happens in the stream, we would tune in and enjoy every second of it. Because the ccs are just that good, we love them that much, we love this plot that much.

Oh and the unpredictability helps too. Tommy in exile was the vague concept of a lot of the streams – it’s taken that and ran with it in a lot of different directions. All quite enjoyable.

Having said all of that… The fact that this type of telling a story is impossible to recreate in any other medium is… kinda saddening? It is incredibly unique, and I’d say has things that not a lot of the people that produce mainstream media would even consider. “Just friends hanging out” – how would that make the script progress? “Engagement with the fandom, even considering their wishes for the characters” – but we’re telling a story here!

The only thing I can think of that would come close to the vibe, would be just a bunch of writer friends coming together, thinking up a universe and general plot, and then each deciding to write a few of their own characters in that universe. When one author focuses on their main characters, the side ones can feel left in the dust, or not fleshed out. The DSMP is just “every character can write their own story”, which takes a lot of the strain from the “main writers”. But the general thing of “just friends hanging out” would be taken away from it. We’re being serious here, why would we change the tone so quick?

With all of that in mind… I kinda wanna make some predictions? And I don’t know if they’re correct, but it’s fun to theorize. See?

1. L’manburg will die.

And not just because Techno has 54 withers. The country is cursed – it definitely is. There is little sentimental value that can be felt for a few flimsy stilts built on top of a crater. It might go out in a blaze of glory, with the withers (Is history repeating itself an interesting enough plot point to recycle a whole arc?), but it might just be forgotten. Yeah there have been some angsty headcanons about how “no one cares about L’manburg anymore, save for two people” and it just gets abandoned, but how about it just becoming irrelevant?

This all comes back to Dream, it always does! His want, need for the server to be “one happy family again”, it just means one thing. He wants the server to return to the peaceful anarchy that it was before L’manburg. No rulers, no factions, no nothing.

That’s never going to happen.

Try as he might, Dream cannot affect that change that L’manburg did to the server. The introduction of a faction, one that can exist without the interference of a higher power – why do you think so many factions have sprouted up since? And it’s not even serious factions a lot of the time, it’s just a few friends deciding to build their bases on a plot of land that they claim is a nation now. L’manburg has changed the mindset of these people, now an alliance with somebody is a political move. An alliance doesn’t exist if it doesn’t have a faction, and that faction can remain neutral for only so long.

Basically, L’manburg introduced the factions mod into the server.

And the fact that every faction now has enough relevance to hold weight in a war also means that every nation on the server is doomed to follow the downfall of L’manburg. Eventually, they will get into a fight they can’t win, go up against the wrong people, anger someone they shouldn’t have. All factions will either be destroyed, or lose relevance, until their creators, residents and such just… move on.

(And really you can go into meta and talk about real governments and compare them, but it’s far more simple than that. The server isn’t built for peace, it isn’t meant to be a relaxing place where you can just vibe, it may have been made for a few friends to play Minecraft together, but it has turned into An Author’s Curse. The curse that follows any kind of story being told – the fact that peace is boring. People watched the first streams of the DSMP because they liked the ccs, and that’s valid. But how many more people tuned in to watch the war streams because there was PLOT and there was CHAOS and there WASN’T CALM PEACE ANYMORE – that’s the curse of every writer. That you can write about someone just living their life drama-free, you can make interesting peace with characters or circumstances, but it’s always leading to one inevitable conclusion – war, drama, because people read that. And at this point, it’s just a predictable outcome. No matter how much you say that you are retired, that you’re done with violence (Technoblade), something will happen that will prove to you that you believed in people too much. No matter how “neutral” you may be in the matter, no matter how much you claim that you have no allegiance (Philza), you will be forced to pick one, because out of all the bad things, you pick the least worst one, the most appealing to you, the one that can benefit your want of revenge.

And I can go on, but this is far too deep for one simple reason – The Author’s Curse is so prevalent here because THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO STAKES. It’s a video game – you die? You respawn. Something gets destroyed? You can just rebuild. Sure, you’ll want to kill the person who did wrong to you, but whatever they did wrong can just be replaced, remade, recreated. So why not have wars? Why not cause massive amounts of destruction “for the plot”?

It’s literally a playground. How all authors have their little playground with their characters that they meticulously plan out, the DSMP is that playground for all of these people.

And it’s fun! Sure! I like it! I’m just really skeptical whenever someone in character says that they “just want peace”, “are retired”, “swear off violence”, “are building just a little city for themselves”. Because you can do that, nothing wrong. But eventually, no matter how much you distance yourself from all of the chaos happening, all of the wars, you will return.

Because it is just much more fun.

It’s the curse. A cursed cycle.

And everyone is in it.)

2. The prison.

I don’t have anything on the prison because I don’t have anything on the book. Yeah I’ve done a whole post where I overanalyze what it could be, but it doesn’t make it any clearer. Whatever it is, it’s made out to be a huge plot point, something that can only be revealed when the prison is finished.

Cursed. The prison’s reason for being constructed is the book, but the book is only relevant when the prison is finished. We can only wait, and theorize, as we do.

(My only theory is that the book is information about another op on the server. Or at least something related to op or creative mode. Dream only fears one thing on this server, and that’s Technoblade, so if his one fear is the most skilled player on the server, what else could give him existential fear?)

3. The SBI.

Again, I don’t have anything! Yeah the reunion seems to be going smoothly, one member at a time, but there is already conflict in their beliefs among each other. And all that’s happened is a vague “maybe one day we’ll strike”.

Is history repeating itself an interesting enough plot point to recycle a whole arc?

Is L’manburg’s destruction AGAIN really necessary to hammer home the idea that no one likes that place anymore?

I don’t know. Whatever happens, no one’s in the right. No one’s in the wrong either. They’re all not good people and that’s that on that.

4. The Clingy Duo.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

That’s all.

(Okay seriously? All of these arcs are connected. You know what happens when everything seems to be connected to one another?

A giant, dramatic final showdown between the two opposing sides.

Cause it’s just Chaos vs L’manburg. Those are the sides. People that want L’manburg to exist and people that want it gone. There are no other sides, there isn’t someone who’s like “Well maybe it can exist if we do this and this” cause no one wants to put in anymore effort into this cursed country. The only people were the clingy duo and now they’re separated and everyone is just leaving and Tommy is on the Chaos side like at this point he doesn’t care about L’manburg he just cares about Tubbo but he has to convince Tubbo to leave L’manburg but will Tubbo be convinced but will Tommy even consider leaving L’manburg and breaking free from its curse AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Goddamit.)

5. The Egg?

Dunno shit about it. Like the prison – it seems important, but we’re just not being given enough information. Is it a coincidence that the moment Dream commissioned the prison the Egg popped up? Or are the two directly related?

I don’t know. But as long as someone is finding ways to fight the Egg, that’s fantastic. Bad juju indeed.

6. Oh the Butcher Army want to kill Dream!

Hah.

Okay I’ve seen people make the case that the Army is just a bunch of people with trauma repeating the cycle of ab*se that they went through and yes.

Just yes.

And the fact that no one is actually looking at it that way and no one is there to like.. help them or even help them understand that what they are doing is just irrational, even though their reason for doing it and the result they hope to achieve is YES and the only thing that a lot of the people of the server who want peace should try to go for as well, they cannot stand up to Dream on their own. They just can’t, they will get punted into exile. They need allies, and they need powerful ones, people that have also been wronged by Dream and want him gone.

But the cycle continues, and no one knows where it ends.

(Okay but from a writing perspective? Getting rid of Dream is the end goal. It is the be all end all of all conflict, well… most of it, at least most that’s related to the supposed “good side”, or “the side that’s been most victimized”. But from the same perspective, that side is just… no longer. It has proven that is just as bad, if not worse than the final boss. I have to agree that Techno has to pay for his crimes, even though I like him a lot, but Techno did in fact cause insane damage. Yeah L’manburg rebuilt, yeah Wilbur probably caused more – still he isn’t completely free.

But that’s a discussion on morality more than laws.

L’manburg is doomed to die. Dream is doomed to be fought, and probably won against (simply because he has won far too many times already, you know how everyone seems to hate OP characters…). But the Butcher Army is doomed to fail against Dream. So how does that work?

Welp.

Is history repeating itself and interesting enough plot point to recycle a whole arc?

The answer is no.

I’ve repeated that question three times now, and the answer to it is no. No it is not. L’manburg can be destroyed again, and it can be rebuilt again, but the sentimentality that people feel for it will not remain. The cycle of history ends somewhere, and it’s not too far a fetch that it ends here.

So what happens when Technoblade, Philza and Tommy roll up to L’manburg with withers and a destruction wish, only to be met with a bunch of traumatized children with axes and a death wish?

Well, I’ll spare the details, but from a purely writing standpoint…

The two sides team up.

Think about it – The Butcher Army doesn’t care about Technoblade anymore. They’ve seen that Dream is the one pulling the strings, they know that even if they do care about trying to eliminate Technoblade again, they have to get rid of his strongest ally – Dream. But through their anger, they’ve lost their fear. You should fear Dream, he’s a fuckin op. Techno is correct in not wanting to go against him.

But after Tommy? After seeing the Butcher Army at their lowest, screeching about Dream being the villain?

Will Techno finally go past his thinking of “government is evil, always government is source of problem” and realize that Dream has the most evil government in mind for his rule?

I’m still kinda sad that Techno isn’t making the conclusions he should about Dream. But he’s starting to – and really, the SBI-Butcher Army team up is the most logical thing that could happen.

Watch me be completely wrong or miss something and I’ve got ALL of it wrong. I would love that.)

(Also it’s very funny to me that Dream is literally simping for Techno while he’s just here like “Listen bud I would stab you on sight if you didn’t have creative mode”. Dream KNOWS that Techno can and will kill him given the opportunity. Techno knows that that opportunity may never arise.

It’s a weird type of stalemate, to be sure. But goddamn is it interesting.)

Anyway... if you read through all of this... I could bake you a cookie? Thank you! I like to ramble.

[dontcallmecarrie]

can we get a little taste of what would happen if someone tried to get justin assassinated and very nearly (as in he needed hospital close) succeed? like justin's reaction at how close that was 👀 family/friends reaction 👀 what would happen to the person who hired someone to hire someone to get rid off justin so they wouldn't be traced back to the incident except the people in justin's sphere of influence are all smarter than that ok? even if somehow this attempt went over everyone's head in such a way that no one noticed until it the deed was done. imagine if it was justin's DAD. OH. THE DRAMA. OH THE TRAUMA maybe. 👀

...I get the feeling that you really want to see these characters in a very different genre than what No Hero is turning out to be.

Mainly because the above situation is something I'm not sure I have the energy to tackle, and I applaud your imagination because I wouldn't have even thought of it in the first place.

See, early on is when Justin's probably most at risk in this AU; while his charisma never wanes, his network is something that grows as time goes on. Early on, before he's made his alliances and started really building his network is when Justin's at his most vulnerable— but even then I don't really picture him as getting in nearly as many sticky situations as Tony would've?

Bear in mind that Justin's reputation as a responsible, hardworking dependable guy started very, very early in this AU. Since his boarding school days, even, and some of those kids [...other than Victor, because of obvious reasons] probably later on went to invest in his company as shareholders, etc.

But.

Beyond that, remember that at the end of the day, Justin Hammer is the only son and heir of one of the biggest names in the defense industry.

...suffice it is to say that it takes a very special sort of stupid to want to piss off the guy selling you your guns.

Especially when his main competition has ridiculously high standards for anyone who's not the U.S. military.

So all in all, it's in nobody's best interests to hurt Justin; not when they've got a good thing going on, with a very reasonable businessman who knows how to play the game, and when to look the other way.

This is all a long way for me to say that even before Victor von Doom showed up again, Justin already had people willing to do him favors. Tit for tat, and all that. Victor's different in that any favor would be of a different sort of stake, with a different price; after all, he's no longer in need of weapons. Not anymore, at least.

So if someone was foolish enough to put a hit out on him... I'd think that there would be enough groups who prefer the status quo the way it is to give him a heads up, and look into taking out the threat themselves. Oh, and of course, expect a few very nice discounts afterwards. That's how I'd see something like this going.

Before Cabal was a thing, anyway; after that... woe betide whoever wanted to mess with him, because Justin has friends in very, very high places and I'll just leave it at that.

.

As for if Justin's father would try to pull something like this...

Hmm. You know, I honestly don't know anymore. Hammer Senior's the type of guy who's very big on appearances, and while he might not have liked being essentially ousted as the CEO of Hammer Industries, part of him was honestly pretty impressed at how his son handled the who fiasco— to the point that he wasn't even mad when he left.

Bear in mind that Justin's father is a piece of work: he's incredibly sexist, of the "dear god why hasn't he been fired ye— oh he's the owner, oh, okay, fuck this I quit then" variety, cheated on his wife for what was probably the entirety of their marriage and is just generally the embodiment of that one stereotype about trust fund brats because he's old money but that doesn't mean he knows what he's doing.

Part of why Justin caught everyone's attention at first was because he was, well, basically the exact opposite of his father: responsible, level-headed, hardworking, and competent. To be honest, there were probably some people who side-eyed him and his father and went "who the fuck knows where he gets it from, because it sure as hell ain't his old man" because of it— because other than genetics, there wasn't much else the two had in common.

It's why Justin had such an easy time becoming a CEO despite doing everything he did to get there— all he had to do was prove he was a better candidate than his father, and since his father set the bar so low, well... you get the idea.

As for Hammer Senior, in all this: let's be honest, the man stood to benefit either way. Because part of the deal for his publicly "gracefully stepping down" meant he got a very nice paycheck, and an early retirement to do whatever the hell he wanted. And, since Justin had masterfully orchestrated everything to make their family come out of it smelling like roses, it wasn't like he had any hard feelings about how he got there.

After all, that's how he raised his son.

.

...now, if anyone actually met Justin's father, that'd be another mess entirely. Their family in general, for that matter, but emphasis on their father because again, the man is a piece of work who cared more about appearances than anything else, and the older Justin got, the less and less they respected him.

It doesn't help that both of their parents are homophobic, and Justin's sexuality [...not to mention the gender thing, which is a whole other kettle of fish] is something these two are still unhappy about but forced to live with— though at this point, Justin's father has convinced himself that his son is just being a good, celibate Christian [Justin: ...that's hilarious on a number of levels], while his mother has just taken to pretending it's not an issue in the first place.

At this point, it's just something they have to live with, because Justin is the only child they're willing to acknowledge that acknowledges them back. So it's not like they've got many options with how to pressure him, not that they're able to at this point.

Not when he's an adult and an ironclad reputation that, in turn, makes them look good as well, because obviously they did a good job at raising him, didn't they, if he turned out so well?

So this is the stalemate they're at right now: a tension no healthy family would have but is the only thing they know, and the bitter knowledge that there's nothing they can do about it, not when Justin holds all the cards these days.

[lavenderboneswrites]

Pirate Shizaya headcannons. I preferably love the idea of Izaya being a coordinator that Shizuo has practically kidnapped because Shizuo held the damn map upside down and is know lost(he is the captain) also I love everything u do

Aaah okay I had to think long and hard about this because really I have TOO many ideas. I’ll preface this with saying that the Golden Age of Piracy actually coincides with the Edo period of Japan where the country was ruled by the Shogunate and was generally closed to outside politics, influences, etc. So with these two periods overlapping there is so much room to play with. I for one am losing my mind about samurai pirates.

Orihara Izaya, Captain of the Dragon Zombie Pirates.

Alright alright. So I think Izaya was probably born in a noble and well respected samurai family of Japan. However this boy craved adventure and to the see the world and to meet all that it had to offer. Not a fan of Japan’s anti-foreign involvement (open the country, stop having it be closed), he led a group of revolutionaries out of Japan to the seas.

During this time I can definitely see Izaya finding his way onto a pirate ship and manipulating everyone in sight until there’s a mutiny and he becomes the new captain, because of course that’s what our boy would do.

However despite this, and after proving his worth, his intelligence, his skill, I think his crew would be fiercely loyal to him. I can see him keeping a few of his original Japanese crew around too. I think Mikado would be his right hand man, Mikage and Ran his enforcers, Shinra the ships doctor, and his childhood friend who followed him out to see in search of ‘true love’. Simon I can see maybe as the quartermaster, I think he’d be good at rallying the crew. Overall I think there would be a mismatch of people from all over the world, because Izaya loves picking up strays.

Izaya is a cunning and intelligent captain. He uses wit and no small degree of charm to achieve his goals. He's fascinated by the occult, especially myths and legends. I feel like he'd love to hunt for the fountain of youth and see the kraken with his own eyes. He dreams of bigger prizes than just the usual gold.

Izaya is showy af and definitely has all the flashy pirate coats, not mention a penchant for ridiculous hats (Captain Barbossa’s hat anyone? And all the tricorns). I think he’d be an adequate warrior, trained with a samurai sword, but his weapons of choice are two daggers and close range where he can use speed, agility, and intelligence to outwit his opponents. (I imagine he fights like Anne Bonney, who I love, from Black Sails). I also kind of think he’d be a pirate like Calico Jack Rackham (also from Black Sails, look I love BS there’s gonna be a lot of BS references). Also our boy is talented as parkour and can parkour around a ship like a motherfucker (thank you Black Flag).

Heiwajima Shizuo, Monster of Caribbean, Captain of the Beast Pirates*.

Shizuo is a powerhouse in the pirate world. Where Izaya is all brains and cunning, Shizuo is brute strength. I actually like to head canon that his violent ways got him cast into indentured servitude and he was sold off across the seas and ended up in the Caribbean. Due to his strength he made a good labourer for the British but also fuck the redcoats. I think Shizuo would have led a revolt against the slavers and started his own pirate crew after that. He would’ve given his fellow slaves the option to go where they want or join his crew and a few probably did.

Tom’s of course his right hand man, they are brother’s in arms and have fought many battles together. I think Vorona would be a good enforcer and I definitely want Kadota to be his quartermaster (with the rest of the van gang on the crew as well - those four are a fierce raiding party). Though Shizuo is 100% hopeless at navigating so he's gonna need a good one on board.

Shizuo is definitely a brawler with his insane strength, and the thought of his weapon of choice being this fuck off massive Warhammer is just too good to pass up. I want Shizuo bare chested with high-waisted pants, pirate boots, half shaved head, long blonde hair in braids basically just looking like an absolute barbarian beefcake. ALL THE TATTOOS. He is the definition of a rough, fierce pirate.

He likes hunting prizes and spending his gold on drinking, gambling, and fucking, really any pleasure he’s for, but his favourite thing is a good old fashioned fight. I think he'd do very well in slave fighting pits and probably even had some experience with them in the past. Though he is adamantly against slavery and has been known to hunt slavers and free slaves (any pirate who engages in trading slaves is not considered a pirate to him but a blight to be obliterated from the map). Because of his past he absolutely despises the British and really any kind of authority. While not on Izaya’s level of intelligence he’s got great instincts and can almost seemingly sniff out a good prize.

* don't sue me Oda

Rival Captains

Izaya and Shizuo both meet in Nassau in the Caribbean. They are the definition of brains VS brawns. These two crews are always running into each other and fighting. While Shizuo is ferocious and terrifying, when in the same room as these two pirates one would consider Izaya more menacing. Shizuo's and Izaya's rivalry is well known throughout the seas and seeing them fight in person is the stuff of legends.

They're constantly going after the same prizes and then fighting over them. Though there are a few times they do team up for an alliance when it's a very delectable prize. Also they will unanimously team up against the British, the Spaniards, the French, the Dutch, etc, because as much as the loathe each other they hate anyone who would try and encroach on their freedoms.

Basically they are both stubborn as hell and don't like being told what to do.

For their ships I can see Izaya having a Brigard, something swift, that at Izaya's hand can outmanoeuvre and outwit any foe. Of course his ship has a dragon as the figurehead! I haven't thought much in the way of a Jolly Rodger, but maybe a dragon skull and instead of crossbones it is crossed samurai swords??

Shizuo on the other hand has a British Man-O-War that he no doubt won after he and Izaya teamed up to launch an attack on British settlement when both their crew-mates were captured and sentenced to death for piracy. Izaya lead an assault on land while Shizuo and his crew snuck onto the Man-O-War in the port and captured it, then turned it's guns on the settlement. For his jolly rodger I think it would be the usual skull and crossbones with maybe his infamous Warhammer running through the center line.

The sexual tension between the two captains is a painful to watch for their crews and each crew even has a betting pool going on when they will eventually get it on. The crews actually get on relatively well during alliances, and the parties and feasts they throw together after a successful hunt is wild. Though they'll easily go back to trying to kill one another one the alliances end.

Also a lil Shinra add-on. In Izaya's quest for the occult they find Celty and Shinra falls in love with her. I haven't thought more past pirate dullahan asgdfhdhjsjf.

And yeah that’s all I have so far. I also had an idea of Izaya being like the son of an important person (governer, prince? Prince Izaya is good) and being captured by Shizuo’s crew. And while they are pursued by multiple pirates, nations, etc, because Izaya is priceless, he learns to love life on a pirate ship and bonds with Shizuo and his crew. So eventually when it does come time for Shizuo to hand over his bounty he doesn’t want to let Izaya go. (He’s gonna, and then he and Izaya will turn around and rob the fuckers blind and sail off into the sunset together). Also Izaya memorising a treasure map and destroying it so he becomes the map and Shizuo has to put up with him. TOO MANY IDEAS.

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Zena Lorell Spark Sheet

These are just a series of notes/dialogue about Zena. I thought it might be fun for y'all to see the writer's equivalent of a sketchbook. I'm still admittedly working her out, so let me know what you think works!

Random Scenes/Dialogue

At some point Din leaves Zena to look after the kid while he scout out a small town. Zena gets bored and decides to play some games with Grogu to pass the time. The first game is hide and go seek. It takes a while for Grogu to get the point of the game, but soon enough he catches on. Unfortunately for Zena, Grogu is a little too good and the second she starts to look for him, the little womp rat is no where to be found. She basically tears the ship apart and then starts to look outside, now starting to get worried Din might kill her if she doesn’t fine him. Then she hears a soft cooing from the trees.

Somehow, the kid managed to get himself all the way up the tree and is smiling his little face off.

Zena knows she has to get him down, but seeing as trees had never been a thing she had to deal with growing up, climbing to get him proves to be a challenge. And what’s worse, once she’s up there, she very quickly discovers she’s got a little think about heights.

It’s in this state Din finds him. Grogu smile in a tree with Zena clinging onto the branch for dear life.

—————————————

Early on they have to work out living arrangements since Din does need to sleep and has to take off his armor at least to shower. For a while that means Zena is sleeping in the cockpit, but her back can’t take it for long. Eventually, she comes up with a solution. She buys a huge thick blanket from a local market and brings it back to the ship. She then gets some rope and divides the space in half. She even gets some beads to put on the bottom so Din can hear if the curtain is being moved.

With the new sleeping arrangements, late night conversations start to become a thing.

—————————————

“It just feels weird that I don’t even know your name. Or is that another thing I’m not allowed to know?”

“Din. My name is Din.”

“Do you want me to call you that?”

“Whatever you want.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

—————————————

Grogu goes over to Zena’s side of the ship to sleep with her at night sometimes.

—————————————

“You sound different.”

There was a small shuffle of sheets on the other side, and decidedly no answer.

“Are…are you not wearing your helmet?”

An awkward pause followed.

Zena felt her blood go straight to her cheeks. Of course, she knew he had to take the helmet off at some point, but knowing it logically to be the case and for it actually to be confirmed were two different things.

“I can’t see you,” she assured, a little too quickly.

Again, silence. She held her breath, her ears straining for even the small hint of movement. After what felt like years, he finally spoke.

“I know.”

She let out a small breath of relief. Still, the awkwardness hadn’t left the air. She needed to say something.

“I like your voice.”

He didn’t say anything. It was getting ridiculous. She wished she could at least see the outline of his body. Then she could at least read his shoulders. If her cheeks didn’t set fire to the fabric, it was going to be a miracle.

“Thank you. I…like your voice too.”

Something about his tone made her stomach flip. She imagined downcast eyes and an awkward smile. Was he blushing? Could he blush?

“Goodnight, Zena.”

“Goodnight, Din.”

—————————————

Zena is not a fighter and needs lessons in shooting and basic self-defense.

The first time she and Din meet Cara, Zena goes outside and points her blaster at Cara to keep her from attacking Din.

“Stop right there!” Zena snapped.

The woman whipped around, her eyes making quick assessment of the threat.

“Safety’s on,” she smirked.

Zena looked down at the blaster; first mistake. In a second the woman had knocked the blaster out of her hand and sent Zena flying with one solid kick.

Options of where to place her introduction episode:

Before “Sanctuary”:

Pros:

Motivation for Din coming to Mir is to lay low; he comes to Zena looking for accommodations, money she receives is for lodging

Bounty Hunters are the one to scope out Zena’s place, she lies and that’s why her place gets robbed and eventually burned down

Her lying for him adds to Din’s guilt

Chance for Zena to get to know Grogu a bit before joining Din

She is there during the events of “Sanctuary”

Nice ending where Din says there is no reason why she can’t stay. “It’s green,” he offered. “And a lot safer.” “And you still owe me 10,282 credits,” she countered, though not as harshly as before.

Cons:

Din is still in a place mentally where he’s willing to leave Grogu behind if it means it’s safe

The lesson that they need to stay on the move might come too early: solution, have Din forced to land on Mir post escape and have Zena fix the Razor Crest as form of payment (Din knows Mir is too much of a hot spot to stay permanently)

Zena not likely to go along with the idea of lying low on a nowhere planet, when she just left a nowhere planet and Din still owes her money; solution, Din insist they’re still too hot after Mir and need some time to cool off, and there has to be some small time stuff he can do in the meantime

Not much for her to do since she’s not much of a fighter (on the other hand, good excuse to establish how less skilled she is compared to Din and Cara)

After “Sanctuary”:

Pros:

Din is now securely in the “keep on the move and make money where we can” mindset

Motivation for coming to Mir is to pick up some non-guild work better suited to such a far off out-post

For my own personal reasons, all the exposition about how long Din has been wearing the armor and the rules involved have been told and so doesn’t feel like a rehash

Zena more likely to not fight Din tooth and nail about landing on Tatooine

Zena’s first/second outing with Din involves getting shot at; ability to test her resolve earlier on

Cons:

Not much for her to do, probably spends most of the time either working on or commenting on repairs: Din volunteers her to work on the ship instead of the droids?

She and Din are more antagonistic, him leaving her behind with the ship is a struggle

Just not as fun of an episode to explore her and Din’s dynamic

Final decision; Introduce Zena in between “The Sin” and “Sanctuary”.

Din has to make a pit stop on Mir due to trouble with the Razor Crest. He knows Bounty Hunters are still hot on his tail, but it’ll give him a minute to think about where to go next with the kid. He goes to Zena for repairs.

Damage to the ship will take a few days, so for some extra money Din offers to pay for he and the kid to stay in Zena’s spare room.

Local gangsters try to rough up Zena a bit for protection money. (They know she’s got money saved, they’re just no sure where it is) Din steps in, which gets them to back off for the moment. Some exposition of Zena’s situation; she’s on her own, gangsters have always been a problem, but post Endor they’ve been even more of a nuisance since the New Republic isn’t stable enough to get anyone all the way out to Mir, and she doesn’t need help.

“You’re going to leave Mandalorian,” she said, bitterly. “And the second you do, they’ll be back and pissed. So, do us both a favor and pretend you’re not even here.”

Her father was in debt to the gangsters? It took her a long while to pay off the debt and she’s just now getting herself enough money to buy a ship. Gangsters don’t want her to buy a ship since she’s basically the only mechanic they have they can squeeze for repairs.

Din later apologizes for butting into her business, and she apologizes too, recognizing he was just trying to help

Need at least one nice little bonding moment between Zena and Grogu; Grogu actually seems to like her cooking, she has him hold some of her tools and play with the less dangerous ones, etc.

Bounty Hunter arrives looking for Din and the kid

Zena lies to cover for them

Bounty Hunter then meets up with the gangsters and figures out Zena was lying; Bounty Hunter and the gangsters then decide to form an alliance to capture Din and keep Zena on Mir

Fight breaks out; Din, Zena, and Grogu are able to escape, but all of Zena’ saving are left behind and her place to all but burned to the ground

“I can drop you wherever you’d like,” he offered. “There are plenty of space ports looking for a good mechanic. You could even join a crew, if that’s what you want.”

There was a long pause, the distant, harden looks never leaving her face.

“Do you have someone you can stay with,” he tried. “Friends? Family?”

“No.”

“Then where—”

“No!” She rose to her feet, anger fueling her. “You’re not just going to dump me on some back water stink hole! It’s your fault Cane and his crew decided to escalate things. It’s your fault that bounty hunter showed up. And it’s your fault everything I own save for the clothes on my back are burned to a crisp. Your fault. You pay for it.”

[depizan]

I was thinking about the post I reblogged about the loss of the Alliance in SWTOR, and some of my other disappointments with how faction is handled in the game, and how faction based MMOs in general tend to get stuck in this kind of "eternal conflict" mode. (Not that factionless MMOs don't get stuck in their own kind of weird "eternal conflict" mode, too. Look at Guild Wars 2 and the growing list of things that have tried to destroy Tyria.)

But there are stories that lend themselves to a faction model, and SWTOR does have - or does begin with - one of those. It's just that with no prospect of whatever conflict divides the factions ever being resolved, you have a weird permanent stalemate situation, kind of. The Sith Empire will never win, because that would make Republic players unhappy. The Galactic Republic will never win, because that would make Empire players unhappy. No actual solution to the conflict can ever be found because then it would be game over. (Also, no real faction shifting because how would you code that?)

Except... maybe none of that is true. There are games that have faction shifting of a kind coded in. Think of all the minor factions in World of Warcraft, some opposed to one another, some just independent. Sure, those faction shifts are mostly achieved with some kind of grind, but it does prove that mutable factions are codeable.

This might even solve the problem of the Smuggler and the Bounty Hunter being tied to specific factions when that leads to some very odd story stuff, particularly outside of each class story. It suggests a way to handle factional grouping and third faction classes without making those factions "better" because all flashpoints are available to them.

Here is Mac's theoretical redesign of SWTOR with a different handling of factions and playing into the story focus that is the game's best quality.

Republic and Empire each get three classes, Smuggler and Bounty Hunter are Underworld (a third, neutral to the others faction). Since the galaxy is supposed to be under a peace treaty - the Treaty of Coruscant - you design the game with flexible faction tagging and lean in hard to the Cold War set up.

You have degrees of faction, just like those minor factions in WoW. I'm going to borrow the middle part of WoW's faction set up for this. Theirs runs Hated - Hostile - Unfriendly - Neutral - Friendly - Honored - Revered - Exalted. We just need the middle chunk, from Hostile to Friendly. Hostile is typical enemy mob: bar is red, it will attack you on sight. Unfriendly is an orange bar, but will not fight you unless you attack. Neutral is a yellow bar, again, will not fight you unless you attack. Friendly is typical allied mob: bar is green, etc.

Imperial players can go to Coruscant, and Republic players to Dromund Kaas, but everything is Unfriendly to them, they can't buy anything (except maybe at the spaceport?), and there are no quests available to them. Underworld players start out one tick up at Neutral and have a few merchants and quests available. Ones that it makes sense would be available to random people. (This is to balance out Underworld space starting at Neutral to Pubs and Imps.) And, obviously, Pub space starts out Friendly to Pubs and Imps space Friendly to Imps. (Though I would be slightly tempted to have Korriban be neutral to the Agent class because, as a non-Force-Sensitive you don't really belong there.)

(As you can see, we're basically using a game mechanic to underline the state of galaxy. We can also set things so that people can't go fuck things up for their fellow players by coding it so that if you just go attack people on the opposite faction capitol, you get blipped to hostile and squashed like a bug.)

Now, we write the game like there is actually a Cold War happening. This means missions for Imps and Pubs that send people into "enemy" space (not, to start with the capital or Force User planets, though) where they have to accomplish their missions without attracting the attention of the other faction. We can take advantage of instancing to allow for diplomatic incidents, like thinking "well, they can't report I'm here if they're dead," without triggering the anti-trolling splat mobs. This is also where we introduce some side quests that give people the opportunity to work on becoming to Neutral with the opposite faction.

Smugglers and Bounty Hunters are off doing Underworld stuff, with some options to take quests that benefit the Republic or the Empire. (Giving them the chance to work on becoming Friendly with one or both factions.)

All class stories get written so that there are several potential outcomes. We're going to use the Agent story as a model here, and basically set it up so that everyone has a story line that ends with them still loyal to the faction they began with, now Underworld/Unallied, or loyal to the opposite faction. This gets paired with the ability for characters to keep doing things to make the other faction like them better and you're setting up defections or the decision to go neutral with mechanics and story.

You use the Cold War setting to ramp up general tension. Have more missions like that one on Republic Hoth where you can work with some Imperials. Or the times where a Sith Warrior can use Republic soldiers to their advantage. So the whole base game has this good overlay of people wanting peace and people wanting to go back to war (on all sides!). This lets you really flesh out the factions, and the good and bad people in them. Have a more positive sort of Gray Morality going on.

As far as Flashpoints go, you re-write The Black Talon/Esseles for proper Cold War subtlety. I think we want to use the intro flashpoints to give people a better idea of the kind of proxy conflict stuff, where you might be fighting what appear to be a third party (like pirates), but you get info (of the non provable kind) that they're working for the Empire/Republic. And maybe come up with some kind of mechanic where party members can get special communications based on faction. Like, the main (everybody) cut scenes for the Esseles talk about it being pirates that are attacking them, but the Jedi/Trooper characters get a quick comm call that the pirates are probably working for the Empire and after a particular person.

For all the shared flashpoints, you tweak them so they are truly shared. One queue for everyone, we still need to work out exactly how we're getting the different factions their special flavor bits, but there's more of that here. And maybe a kind of saboteur mechanic for things like what to do with the missiles on Cademimu, so that they can still be launched at a fleet for a DS option, but it's not in-character obvious that someone did it.

We can still have some Empire and Republic specific flashpoints, which we might allow Underworld characters who are Friendly with the right faction to do. (Or maybe not if we're keeping the ones we have. They've got a bit of a secret mission vibe. Maybe we add a fun treasure hunt flashpoint for the Underworld folks.)

The end of the base game becomes the Cold War going hot because of Revan (and let's say it's not the Republic at large backing him, but a smaller group within the Republic that's okay with his plan). Now we get proper fall out from someone wanting to commit mass murder, we get a good climax, and we can shift from writing eight class stories to three-ish main stories with class and faction related flavor bits. You'd have those fighting for the Republic (ex-Empire characters could get good flavor bits about fighting their old allies and some suspicion from their new ones - a suspicion ex-Underworld characters would also get), for the Empire (again, joined members get some good flavor bits), or who are with the Underworld now.

First expansion is the war, maybe with some of what we used to have in Chapter Three going on. I'm also kind of tempted to weave in some actual foreshadowing for Zakuul here. I'm not keen on Space Voldemort or the time skip, but other parts of those expansions seem worth trying to save. But maybe we have the player characters working with Lana and Theron like in the Revan expansion, but it's about hints that there's something bad coming instead.

Next expansion, Zakuul attacks, things go super to shit, Lana, Theron, some people from Zakuul and the player character(s) form the Alliance. Oooh, wait, lets go ahead and keep the Vitiate/Valkorian thing, and have killing the Emperor be the end of the first expansion (because he wants to eat the galaxy - he's gone mad, but the Empire as a whole won't acknowlege it and are following him off a cliff, the Republic isn't seeing him and the Empire as separate, even evil characters live in the galaxy, etc). Now, Zakuul invades because when you kill Vitiate, Valkorian keels over. Whoops.

(Zakuul is the backup plan. If he can't destroy the galaxy as Vitiate, here comes the uber-Empire! You just managed to off him, but the uber-Empire gets fired at the known galaxy anyway.)

Now we have one story going, with different flavors depending on the characters relation to the three old factions. Kind of like we do in the existing game. And we avoid bumping the player character up to a ridiculous level of authority by making them part of the leadership of the Alliance instead of the leader. Keep them more in line with the base game power level.

Not quite sure where we go from here, but basically you have this kind of flowing faction thing going through the game that meshes well with the story.

I don't know. Mostly I wanted to work out how you could do something more interesting with faction.

[lemonsandstrawberries]

Exactly the Same

fandom: Stony (Steve x Tony), Superfamily (Tony and Steve adopt Peter Parker as their son)

summary: Steve just wants to read his book in peace, but an argument coming from his two favorite nerds (husband and son) interrupted him.

length: 863 words

a/n: long time no see, right? August was crazy busy, here is hoping for calmer September and more fics! inspired by this prompt! hope you will like it, likes, reblogs and feedback are needed and appreciated :D!

—————

Exactly the Same

It was one of those moments Steve enjoyed the most. Dishes were put away, pot roast and potatoes were cooking in the oven, needing some more time for meat to be juicy and potatoes to be golden, and the kitchen was sparkling clean. He earned some me time and there was a book calling his name.

Steve sat comfortably on the couch, piling the pillows behind his back for double comfort and opened the book, eyes following the written words and he was falling deeper and deeper in the fictitious world of royal families, monsters roaming the world and a monster slayer. He didn't expect to enjoy this series, preferring something milder and with happier endings, but he couldn't draw himself away, muting his surroundings.

" - no, you got it all wrong -"

" - dad, seriously, listen to me-"

"HAH! No, you listen to me kid -"

Steve grunted, words in the book being obscured by the ones said behind his back. He thought Tony and Peter were down in the workshop, working on some project, but seemed they finished earlier. Or couldn't come to an agreement about something and put the project on hold, basing on the exchange happening.

"Dad, it is my science project, I know you want to help, but let me decide -"

"I am gonna let you decide, once you will make good decisions!"

"What are you two talking about?" Steve turned around and looked behind himself. Better just to get involved or his alone time might never come back.

Tony and Peter seemed surprised when Steve spoke, almost as if they didn't notice that he was there. They probably didn't, engrossed in their own talks.

"Just science stuff, Steve. Nothing much," Tony soothed, smiling in apology to his husband. He turned to Peter with a much more stern face and resumed the heated discussion. Steve should feel offended with being brushed off like that, but if Tony decided to deal with it on his own, he won't interfere. He turned around and got back to the book.

"Poooops! Tell dad to back off!" came a whine after a while. Seemed that Peter was not able to reason with Tony. Not many could, really.

"Tony, let Peter make his own mistakes," Steve decided in a firm tone.

"He has us to prevent him from making mistakes!"

Steve sighed heavily, hearing more noises, Peter's outraged voice and Tony's louder one. Soon it became ridiculous and he chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?" Tony asked in a harsh tone, not understanding what was humorous about this situation.

"You. Both of you. If you could just hear yourself. You two are exactly the same," Steve continued to laugh.

"We are not!"

"Dad is more stubborn than I am!"

"Watch your words, kid!"

"Exactly the same," Steve laughed and put his book away. He turned around and looked at his husband and son with fondness. "Two stubborn nerds."

Some more protests. Steve just smiled, noticing that Peter flailed his arms the same way as Tony did while he was getting heated up about something. Or that Peter wore his wristwatch just like his husband, meaning on the inside of his wrist. There were more examples like that.

"There, I am gonna prove you two are the same," Steve grinned, suddenly reaching his arms forward and grabbing both Tony and Peter, arms wrapping around their waists and dragging forward until they collapsed on the couch next to him. From that point it was easy and Steve pinned his hand into each of his boys' hips and squeezed a couple of times.

"What?" Tony mocked, just cracking a smile as his hips were not that sensitive, while he heard Peter kicking and laughing his heart out. "You thought this would work on me?"

"Maybe it didn't yet, but after I do this," Steve made sure that Peter was a little out of his breath before he let go and threw himself at Tony, blowing a long and wet raspberry on his husband's neck. That made Tony shriek and laugh out loud pretty nicely. When he moved away and pinned his hand back into Tony's hip he was rewarded with a booming laugh. "And now it works," Steve grinned. There was something about raspberries that immediately unblocked Tony's reactions and made him ticklish all over. More ticklish all over.

"Where do you think you are going?" Steve yelled when Peter almost slipped away, but it wasn't that hard to pull him back and blow a raspberry on the nape. Peter basically fell back on the couch, not able to defend himself from tickling fingers, reacting the same way as Tony did to raspberries. They both didn't stand a chance against that form of tickling and turned pretty helpless.

"See? Exactly the same," Steve smiled sweeter, just enjoying the rare moment of family closeness. Peter even laughed a bit similar to Tony, his nose scrunching up from time to time. Steve didn't know when Tony and Peter formed an alliance against him and suddenly four hands reached in his direction, squeezing and tickling, but he didn't regret - it was good to see his son and husband work together for a change.

[silverryu25]

Hey, Santa Baby~ ;)

This was written for a raffle organized by @catsitta on tumblr (here is a link to the post if anyone wants to join! ends on Dec 30th). Since they said anything goes for the raffle I decided to do a smol fic (kinda? is 1k words considered a fic or a drabble? >.>) for some of their art UwU

And since tis’ the season we gotta go with a nice festive skele, right? So I picked this masterpiece! >:D

Under the cut cause of suggestive themes! ... what can I say, it’s Lust :P

A friend helped me pick who to pair Lust with! Hope you enjoy :D

Pairing: Rust (bara UF!Sans / UL!Sans) Tw: suggestive dancing, swearing

And I apologize but I’m stealing the title cause it’s too perfect UwU

AO3 link

Before starting I apologize for any OOC from Lust, but I never wrote him and there isn’t a lot to read with him so I might get him wrong >.>

A Giftmas party. He was stuck in a fucking Giftmas party.

Red let out an annoyed sigh, downing another spiked mustard shot. If he was stuck here, he’d at least get properly hammered. It would make time pass faster and let him relax enough not to start a fight.

And boy did he wanna start a fight.

There were too many versions of him that were getting on his nerves. He wasn’t a patient monster, not since forever, and if he snapped it wouldn’t end well. Especially since he seemed to be the biggest Sans here, most of his counterparts barely chest height, with rare exceptions. He didn’t really get how that worked since they were basically the same person, but he didn’t care.

He wouldn’t even be here if he had a choice. Boss insisted so now he was stuck here. For a while. He couldn’t leave without taking Boss with him and who knows when he’d want to go back to their shity universe. He was planning something with alliances or some crap like that. Red didn’t really remember and didn’t care. He knew he should, but he just didn’t have it in him to care anymore.

It didn’t really matter.

Why would he care? It’s not like he had anyone or anything to fight for. Boss was stronger than him at this point, he could take care of himself. No one needed Red. He was more trouble than use, especially with his short temper and violent tendencies. And even if he wanted, he couldn’t find anyone who would care for him, not with those useless, scarred, ugly bones of his.

Being surrounded by undamaged, smaller and softer versions of himself wasn’t helping his mood. He could feel every scar that littered his bones itching. It wasn’t like he was ashamed of them, they proved he could survive a lot of crap. But seeing what he could have been-

Before his skull could spiral down that thole anymore, the lights suddenly turned off. Normally, he would have panicked, but he was way too sloshed to really care what happened. He did tense up, preparing for an attack in case it came, but otherwise didn’t move. Luckily for him, instead of an attack there was a flare of stage lights and loud music started playing. It sounded familiar, but his buzzed brain wasn’t processing things right so he wasn’t sure.

The stage was drowned in red and green lights, occasionally a purple and pink one playfully mixing in. It was hypnotizing, drawing his eyelights to the centre of the stage. After a few moments, the curtains lifted showing a row of monsters lined up on the stage.

Red didn’t even glance at them, his attention instantly landing in the centre. There, looking absolutely sinful, was a version of himself. But he was so unlike Red, he couldn’t believe they came from the same basic source.

The monster was gorgeous. His ecto body summoned, soft and supple. A soft purple, shining beautifully in the hypnotic lights. He was wearing a hot dumb Santa outfit that barely covered anything. Hell, it showed off his cures and made them look even more attractive. And boy did he have curves. His female ecto body was very well endowed, curves in all the right places. Red felt his fists squeeze thinking how soft that ecto would feel in his rough phalanges.

Red didn’t have a chance to explore that thought cause the monsters on the stage started dancing to the song. They were pretty good, earning cheers from the crowd, but Red had eyelights only for one monster. He didn’t even know his name, but he couldn’t look away. He was too buzzed to fight it so he just gave in. He leaned back on the bar behind him and looked at the show, tracking every move, dip, hip shake and turn.

The monster was a talented dancer, as if he was doing it for a long time. Red could tell he was having fun, every movement showing his joyful intent at the attention and cheers. The music changed every so often, seamlessly flowing, the dance going faster, then slower, then speeding up again to follow.

Somewhere in the middle Red could swear he caught the monster’s eyelights. It almost looked like they sparkled as they met his. He was ready to dismiss it but suddenly the way the purple skeleton danced became... more intense? Practically lustful?

Red wasn’t sure if he was seeing right, his brain didn’t work properly, so he might have been imagining things. But right at the end, as some obnoxious holiday song was playing, the dancers paused for a few moments, standing in a pose with one arm up on their heads and one leg lifted, the other arm straight down, shaking in rhythm with the song. All the dancers were smiling at the crowd, as far as Red could tell from the corner of his vision.

Only the purple skeleton monster turned his head pointedly in Red’s direction and, with a wide and inviting smile, mouthed the song line “hey, santa baby~” and... winked.

Red could feel his cheeks warm at that. He was blushing? Fucking hell no. No way. He wasn’t. Why would he blush at something as stupid as a wink? And it probably wasn’t even for him. It must have been for some monster standing between him and the stage. What the hell was wrong with him.

Thankfully, the song stopped and the dancers bowed than left the stage. With a sigh of relief, Red turned back to the bar, finally free from that hypnotizing monster light show. He ordered a few more shots, still feeling too sober do deal with... everything.

The drinks were taking forever, making his mood sour even more. Just before he was about to growl after the barkeep there was a soft touch on his elbow. With a scowl and a “wha’ da fuck do ya want?” ready on his teeth he turned towards the offender. And froze.

There was the purple skeleton monster, still wearing that adorable ridiculous outfit. Red stared, feeling his mouth turning dry. He couldn’t think straight enough to say anything, but he didn’t have to. The smaller skeleton, mercifully, took the lead.

“hey big bone, i’m lust.” He gave his name, followed by a smile and that same sinful wink. Red could feel that blush returning full fore.

Suddenly, he didn’t mind being stuck at this fucking Giftmas party.

[behindheremeraldeyes]

sasusaku month 2020

day 2 - gravity

title: Falling

summary: The entire team 7 is at the training grounds, when he suddenly finds himself staring at her. He doesn’t really understand why he can’t look away from her, but apparently, his loud, best friend does. . Rated K (or F for fluff) . a/n: I thought about this idea while searching Pinterest for some inspiration for the theme (I really had NO idea of what to write) and I'm quite happy with the way it turned out. It's simple, cute and Naruto is in it, so... I guess it should be a nice story. I hope you enjoy it and please, forgive me for any mistakes you might encounter. My beta-reader didn't proof-read it for me, but I decided to post it anyway so I wouldn't be THAT late. Have fun!

.

.

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It had been long four months since they had been discharged from the hospital, and yet, only now they were able to feel their muscles stretching like before. For their injuries during the war had been quite serious— and mostly because their pink haired doctor had kept them at bay— neither Naruto nor Sasuke were sent in any missions, being ordered to stay in the village instead so they could fully recover. The’ve spent months on physiotherapy and on healing sessions at the hospital, and only after begging Sakura day after day were they authorized to go back to the training grounds. However, just because they were back, it didn’t mean they could go full out.

As the strict medical ninja she is, Sakura didn’t allow them more than 2 hours per day at the training grounds. She had also made them a list of what exercises they could do, and by no means, were they to stay out there by themselves. The girl certainly knew better than to believe her two teammates would hold back if they were left alone, so she took it upon herself to supervise their training routines. 

No punches, no kicks, no sparing and no ninjutsu. Genjutsus were also off the list, as well as any other kind of move that involved molding a considerable amount of chakra. In other words, they could only do some basic work out. She didn’t want to risk all of those months of intense care just because those idiots wanted a rematch. And even if they both hated her terms, they figured that arguing with her would take them nowhere, therefore, after being scolded at least three times, the boys settled for her rules.

Even if doing some push ups wasn’t enough to satisfy their physical needs, the Uchiha figured that, at least, they could spend some time under the soothing sun.

Spring had arrived Konoha a couple of days earlier than expected, and for the first time, his eyes could truly see the beauty of the fields around him. Flowers were blooming, the grass was green, and soon the cherry blossoms would start falling. A gentle breeze played with his dark locks, and even as he was hanging upside down in order to do some abdominals, Sasuke could see the changes in the world around him.

The village had changed, indeed. Tress had grown taller, new houses had been built and even the sky seemed bluer. People had changed, too. After so long, those he used to call teammates were now true shinobi, each of them with an important role around the village. He was on his path towards redemption, his sensei was going to become Hokage, his best friend was also on his way to the top, and Sakura…

Oh, Sakura.

Amongst all of them, the pinkette was the one who had changed the most. Apart from mastering the medical ninjutsus and healing the entire shinobi alliance during the war, she had grown taller and stronger until she became this admirable woman who was sparing with Sai right in front of him. His mismatched eyes followed her moves, and he couldn’t help but notice how clean and powerful they were as she blocked the attacks with her own blows. Her eyes moved fast, too, as they were constantly examining her opponents’ moves, and even from afar, he could tell she was very aware of their new teammate’s openings. Though he still didn’t know much about her new combat skills, he was sure she could’ve ended him many times already.

She had turned into an impeccable kunoichi, indeed, and that diamond on her forehead was not the only evidence of her victories. There was confidence in her expression, lightness in her feet and the way her body moved and stretched was just—

He could feel his cheeks growing hotter, and he knew it wasn’t only because of the blood going down to his head. Apparently, he had been staring at her for too long, trapped in whatever nostalgic thought that had crawled from his childhood memories, and even if she hadn't noticed, it was still not something he would’ve normally done. It was odd and very unlike him to do such thing, but considering all the changes going on, perhaps, that was just another thing he was going to get used to.

Perhaps, that was also a part of his new normal.

Or, at least, that was what he thought.

“Oi, Teme, quit staring at Sakura-chan. It’s getting weird-ttebayo.”

The blonde’s voice caught him by surprise, and suddenly, the Uchiha was reminded that Naruto was also there by his side. For he was also with his legs hanging on the tree-branch, his golden locks, though shorter, were also being affected by gravity. His cerulean eyes were glaring at the Uchiha, and it was possible to see them judging him for staring at his girl best friend.

“What? Don’t be ridiculous, Dobe. I was not staring at her.”

“Yes, you were! You were checking her out and you haven’t heard a single thing I’ve said, you bastard.”

“Tch, you’re delusional.” Sasuke closed his eyes in annoyance, a pout taking over his lips. “And besides, I’m pretty sure it was nothing important since you were the one saying it.”

“It was very important, you jerk! I was talking about this new jutsu I’m gonna use to beat you! ”

“Shut up, you moron! Don’t make me kick your ass!”

“Hmph“ He scoffed, a foxy grin spreading across his face. “You can certainly try and get your ass kicked again-ttebayo!”

“Bring it on, the—“

“Oi, knock it off, you two!” Sakura shouted from across the training grounds, her sparing session clearly interrupted. Her hands were resting on her hips, and her brows were knitted in a very angry expression. “Shannarou! Just focus on your own training! Don’t make me go there and smack your heads!”

Both the boys widened their eyes in surprise, and as soon as they looked at her expression, they understood she was very serious about the smacking part. It would take her no more than 5 seconds to get to them, and they knew that, if she did, their heads would hurt and she wouldn’t let them come back to the training grounds that soon.

They bit their lips, then, swallowing dry and staying silent as the two, stubborn boys they are. After a couple of seconds, Sakura and Sai resumed their activities, focusing on their own moves, and leaving the boys to their own training routine. For all the pinkette cared, they could argue all they wanted later as long as it didn’t escalate to a battle between titans that would hurt them and destroy the entire village.

Perks of giving god-like powers to two idiots, she would say.

And even if they didn’t agree with her, their previous actions were all she needed to prove her statement.

“I guess Sakura-chan just saved your ass, Teme.” Naruto whispered, his abdomen flexing as he focused on his training.

“Tch, as if.” Sasuke scoffed. “Now will you just shut up? Sakura is going to get mad at us again.”

“You shut up! This is all your fault-ttebayo!”

“My fault!? How so!?”

“You were the one eating her alive with your eyes and getting all worked up with your hormones, you pervert!”

At the blonde’s loud words, a wave of embarrassment rushed through his face and it was as if he could feel his cheeks on fire. His lips went agape as he was at loss of words, and the simple idea that the Haruno girl could’ve heard those words made him want to be swallowed whole by the ground.

What on earth was wrong with that idiot?! How could he say such things like that?

The Uchiha’s eyes started to look around desperately, frantically moving from Naruto to the pink haired girl. The tips of his ears were as red as two tomatoes now, and listening to those words reverberating inside his head wasn't helping at all. 

Eating her alive 

His heart stated beating faster, his mouth going dry.

Hormones

He began sweating, and he felt something burning down his throat.

Pervert 

His eyes drifted to her legs, going up to her face and her rosy lips.

Sakura. 

At that moment, his heart skipped a beat, and in a matter of seconds, he could feel his upside-down world spiraling. The embarrassment became too much, and soon, he lost control of his balance, falling face-first on the ground. He closed his eyes, bracing for the impact as his body made a loud noise when it hit the dusty floor. 

Uchiha Sasuke was down. Even if he hadn’t fallen from a place high enough to actually hurt him, his pride as a ninja was ruined. Once he opened his eyes, he saw his best friend laughing at his face, a shy tear escaping his eyes. Naruto’s voice was annoying, and he made a mental note to punch him for that as soon as nobody was looking. He placed his hand on his lower back, massaging the area that had made contact with the hard ground, and at that moment, he just wanted to go home and hide his face somewhere.

But things wouldn’t be that easy.

He closed his eyes once more, and that was when his ears finally captured the sound of rushed steps coming towards him. For he knew who was coming, he chose to linger in the darkness for a couple of seconds more than he should, only then deciding to open his eyes. As expected, the first thing he saw was the green of her orbs, and though he was still too embarrassed, it was undeniable that her eyes calmed his heart.

“Sasuke-kun!? Are you okay? Are you hurt?” She was now crouched near him, her hands carefully reaching to his torso so she could help him up. Her worried eyes were scanning him clinically, looking for bruises, and he could hear the concern in her voice as she spoke to him.

“Aah.” He said, not wanting to worry her any longer. He let her help him sit up, and their proximity didn’t go unnoticed by him. His nostrils were invaded by her floral scent, and it made it harder for him to face her directly. “I'm okay.”

“Are you sure? Do you feel any pain?”

“Does your ass hurt, Teme?” Naruto teased, then, jumping down from the branch and standing near them. Sai was now next to him, too, and suddenly, the Uchiha started to feel a bit claustrophobic with all of those people surrounding him.

“Naruto, knock it off!” Sakura scolded him, her eyes now glaring at the blonde.

“Tch, I’m fine, really.” Sasuke said, looking at her with a soft expression on his face. He felt more relaxed now, and even if he was still embarrassed, at least he felt like he could breath normally. 

“What happened?”

“Yes, Sasuke-kun” Sai started, that creepy smile on his face. “Could it be that you forgot the basics of being a ninja?”

“Oi, Sai! Not you, too!” Sakura said and Naruto had to suppress a giggle.

“What? It was a valid question.”

“No, it was not! Shannarou, if you two are going to keep making fun him, you’d better as well get going!”

“It's okay, Sakura.” The Uchiha stated, her eyes returning to him. Sai kept looking at them and Naruto just crossed his arms across his chest. There was a pout on the blonde's lips, and it pleased him to see such scene. “Gravity happened. I just lost balance, that was all.”

“Are you sure? Did you feel anything strange? Did you get dizzy or something like that? Do you feel like throwing up? Do you know where you are?”

“Tch, you’re clearly overreacting now, Sakura.” He started, sighing at her worried stare. “I’ve said I’m fine already. No dizziness or anything like that.”

“Not even a sudden heat?” Naruto asked, mockery evident in his voice.

“No.” The Uchiha glared at him, and that only made the blonde grin even wider.

“Promise?” The pinkette asked, her eyes filled with a sincere concern. Normally, she knew there would be no reason to be asking all of those things just because of a minor fall, but since they were still recovering, he knew Sakura was being overprotective towards them. She was wearing her heart on her sleeve ever since the end of the war, and he figured it didn’t cost him anything to be more sensible around her.

“Yes, I promise."

“Okay…” She nodded, tugging a lock of her pink hair behind her ear. “I guess we should call it a day, right? Why don’t we go grab something to eat at Ichiraku?”

“Now you’re speaking my language, Sakura-chan!” Naruto jolted, throwing his hand in the air. Even if the blonde wanted to work out a little longer, he could never say no to ramen.

“What do you say, Sasuke-kun?” She looked at him, her round, green eyes giving him no choice. She probably didn’t know the effect she had on him, and perhaps, that was for the best.

“Sure. Ramen should be nice.”

“Great!” She smiled. “You're coming too, right, Sai?”

“Oh, yes. Eating together is a good way to strengthen the bonds!”

“Good! I’ll just go grab my things, wait here.”

“I'll go help you.” Sai said, simply.

In a fast move, the pinkette was up on her feet, and before she could walk away in order to retrieve her stuff, she reached out with her hand and helped the Uchiha stand. She offered them a soft smile before departing with Sai, and he couldn’t help but feel his chest growing warmer at the sight.

She really knew how to make him feel better. His lips twitched upwards at the thought of seeing her like that, and—

“God, you’re pathetic, Teme.”

Once more, Naruto’s bothered voice interrupted his train of thought, and if he had been considering to smile the moment before, it was all gone now. His stoic expression was back and the Uchiha was once more pissed at his best friend.

“What is it this time, Dobe?”

“Don’t you think it’s already time for you to tell Sakura-chan that you like her?”

“What?” He sounded surprised, his eyes widening at his words. “Stop saying weird stuff. My relationship with Sakura is not like that.”

“Oh, really? Then how is it? You don’t actually believe you two are just teammates, right?”

The Uchiha stood silent for a while, trying to think of the words he could use to describe his relationship with Sakura.

How was his relationship with her?

Though he had tried to think about it a couple of times before, he would always end up settling for letting time guide them. He knew their relationship was not the same as the one he has with Naruto and the rest of the people around him, but never before had he reached a conclusion.

Was she another friend? Just another teammate?

No. None of those options felt right. Sakura was more than that. She has always been more than that. Could it be that Naruto was actually right? Could it be that he really liked her ?

Sasuke really didn’t know. At least not yet. There were still so many things he yet had to understand about himself before he could actually dwell on these feelings. His feelings for her— whatever they were— deserved more than his broken self, and he wanted to give them some time so he could finally be true to his emotions.

Perhaps, soon, he would be ready. And perhaps, then, he could reach the answer his heart already knew so well.

“Hn, it’s none of your business.”

“Tch, you bastard.” Naruto scoffed. “All I’m saying is that you should just make up your mind already. Sakura-chan is probably the most amazing girl ever, and well, you guys have history.”

“…I’ll think about it.”

“You should! After all, you can’t always blame gravity for falling in love-ttebayo!”

A silly grin took over the blonde’s face, and before Sasuke could even answer anything, Naruto was already running towards the pinkette. His lips were left parted for an instance, but he soon closed them as he allowed those words to sink in.

Falling in love, uh?

He really didn’t know. 

But perhaps, like gravity, there were just certain things he couldn’t control.

fin.