#we'll call it a side project lol

[cinamun]

Ngl, even without all of your beautifully detailed pictures; though even with one picture I still could "see" what you were throwing down in "The Lady & The Upstairs Neighbor" storyline. Feel free to continue on...

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

[wickworks]

Lancer Tactics dialogue layout crisis of faith

(from this month's backer update)

Every so often, I'll run into something in development that eats away at me until it pushes me to a crisis of faith and I have a breakdown, burn down a bunch of work, and build something better from the ashes. These are moments of transformation and we're almost always able to come out the other side with something much better than what we started with.

This all sounds very dramatic until you take a step back and see the issue in question is just, like, the layout of a menu. But if medieval priests were able to have schisms over angels on pins I can have strong feelings about graphic design, dammit!

This month's episode revolved around how we're doing character dialogue. For reference the plan was to do a standard 4-slot visual-novel talking heads layout. I call it a 4-slot because there's usually four positions that characters can stand; two on the left, two on the right:

I had it ingame, and it was working. But... something felt off. Do you see the difference between every one of the above examples and this?

It's all about perspective, baby.

Answer: all the character art in those examples are drawn at a slight angle so they can be flipped back and forth to be made like they're looking at each other.

Trying to do this with the perspective we chose early — straight on — makes for a chorus line of weirdos who are looking directly into your soul as they ostensibly chat with each other. Credulity is strained; the illusion of these puppets interacting in the same space is paper-thin.

(I was skeptical of choosing this perspective for this reason, but we ultimately went with it to make the customizable assets in the portrait maker easier to fit together)

We tried a bunch of different layouts, but they all at least one of these problems:

they'd stare into your soul while ostensibly directing comments elsewhere.

they felt like text messages; this would be fine if that's what we were going for, but we wanted something that could represent face-to-face conversations. (Tactical Breach Wizards was able to pull this style off because they had little 3D dioramas to go along with it)

or, most damning of all, they felt like zoom calls.

So, my heart aflutter and spirit in want, I spent a day doing a research dive into various dialogue layouts (bless the Game UI Database!) to see if any other games had managed to pull this character art perspective off. I ended up with this massive non-chronological taxonomic tree:

(fullsize here)

The type of layout that particularly caught my eye was this style where each character had their own little box. These layouts borrow a concept from comic books called "closure" where the space and time between characters are left blank. Freed from the constraints of trying to simulate a single space, these layouts allow the reader to fill in the blanks with something that feels more true-to-life than anything we'd be able to render ourselves.

I was especially impressed with the dynamism of Tales of Symphonia and The World Ends With You; rather than sticking to single slots they would animate the entire panels moving around to indicate motion an relative position of characters.

So we threw out the old code and copied them. Here's what we've come up with:

We'll be able to have portraits interact, like smacking each other (I felt like a kid hitting two action figures together, lol)

We can also apply effects like princess-leia-holograms and full-screen "lighting" effects like warning banners:

Carpenter and I came up with a number of arrangements that the portraits can smoothly transition between:

I've also implemented support for choices during a dialogue, potentially leading to branching paths.

Overall, I feel SO much better about this system than our initial designs. It might feel a little more cartoony, but I think we're making a cartoony game so that's not a problem.

Whew. We bit a lot off to chew with this project. I feel like I just made a second visual novel game engine inside of the first. Fingers crossed that it all ends up worth it.

[chigirizzz]

they comfort you after you had a bad day

characters: sae, kunigami, shidou, isagi

warnings/tags: angst, fluff, boyfriend material, gn! reader (gets called princess on shidou's because i feel like he would call that to anyone regardless of their gender), shidou being shidou, they're pro players, mentions of violence (shidou and kunigami's parts), swear words, pet names such as "handsome", "baby", "beautiful", "princess" and "shrimp" (you will see why lol), fake friends (shidou), burn out and violence at work (kunigami), reader's insecurities get attacked on isagi's part (it wasn't isagi tho) but no insecurities are specified

notes: sorry for any mistakes :>

»»——⍟——««

itoshi sae

"come to bed," your boyfriend, itoshi sae, called for you at the door of your study room (where you studied and did your college assignments).

"just give me one or two hours more, handsome," you answered, not even looking at his direction. your eyes were focused on your laptop screen and on your notes in front of you, getting dryer and more sensitive each minute from the amount of hours you spent in front of the screen. Your posture was... not the best.

a "tch" escaped sae's lips at your response. he knew you were lying and planing to spent the whole night studying. you always did that. sometimes he would wake up at around 3am to get some water only to notice the faint light coming out of your study room.

"what are you exactly doing anyway?" he asked when he approached you to inspect what you were typing on the laptop and reading on your notebook. he yawned and rested his hand on top of your head gently, which you didn't seem to mind. sae would occasionally do random and unusual gestures to show his love for you.

"a group project that one of my professors decided to give us today and is due in two days. but surprise surprise, my group is terrible and refuses to do anything, and when they decide to do something, it reminds you of the skills of a fifth grader." you let out everything, almost without taking a break to breathe. you inhaled anddd… exhaled. "so basically, i have to do almost everything, and it's stressing me out."

sae listened carefully to your words. he knew what you felt, sometimes he feels like he has to do all the work on a game while his teammates either seem to not give a shit or just don't know how to think rationally ("they're a bunch of assholes," he'd tell you often). he knows how annoying and stressful it is, even if he is a professional football player and you a normal university student.

"come to bed. you need rest."

a groan escaped your lips. "sae, i can't. it's a very complex project to do in a very short time, i have to do as much as i can today still so i don't get delayed." your hands grabbed a few hair strands and pulled them with some force. "and as i just told you, it's me doing most of the work. i can't rest, not yet."

he sighed. he grabbed your chin gently and made you look at him. "y/n, you and your pathetic classmates are university students, you must be mature and responsible. if they don't pursue those characteristics, then they don't deserve your time, your patience and your nice words. they can go fuck themselves." his thumb caressed your lower lip. "i would advise you to do this: you send the project's plan to your rat looking buddies and professor's email, making it clear who does what. that way, if they don't do their shit—or if they fuck up their shit—, your professor will know who actually worked hard. "he pressed a kiss on your lips and walked towards the door so he could go to your shared room. "but you do you, i guess. i'll go to bed. and fix your posture, you look like a shrimp."

about half an hour later, itoshi felt a weight on the opposite side of the bed. you thought he was already asleep, but you were surprised when his arm wrapped around your waist protectively.

"i did what you told me. we'll see how tomorrow will go..." a few seconds of silence. "thank you, sae. i love you."

he kissed you on the cheek. "hm. love you too." his words made you smile a bit and you cuddled closer to him. but of course, sae decided to ruin the moment. "shrimp."

"are you seriously gonna start calling me that?!"

no point in acting like you're offended, your boyfriend is just chuckling at your reaction.

shidou ryusei

"angry" was not enough to describe what Shidou Ryusei was feeling at that moment; Shidou felt pissed off and full of contempt, and the way you were crying on the couch in a curled up position only made him clench his fists, his blood boiling inside his dilated veins.

"i'm going to beat the shit out of them." the pink-eyed demon was never the best at comforting others, in fact, he never cared about the emotions of others, choosing instead to ignore or mock anyone who would be in a vulnerable state around him. however, you were a different case, you were his partner, and he genuinely cared about you even though he had promised himself that he didn't want "distractions" in his life. but even though you were the protagonist in his life, shidou ryusei still didn't know how to comfort a human being, so when he saw you sad after you found out that your friends had betrayed you, he decided to choose violence as a solution. "I will beat them, torture them, and then spit in their eyes."

You wiped your eyes with the back of your hand and looked at him, at his evil smirk. your hand landed on his fist in an attempt to calm him down. "ryu... no, you'll only make it worse. i'll just forget about them and move on. it's better this way." you knew he only wanted revenge for the way your fake friends made you feel, and you knew perfectly well that your boyfriend could handle a fight alone against a big group of people, but an angry shidou was an out-of-control shidou, and you didn't want any more problems (but deep down, you'd like to see them hurt).

"huh?" he arched an eyebrow, his pink eyes growing darker. "baby... didn't you get tired of crying every time your oh so dear friends ignored you and humiliated you?"

more tears were falling down your cheeks, but now you weren't sobbing or anything, you just were in silence and listening to him. your eyes and nose were red, your head hurts like a bitch, your throat was burning and you felt dizzy and dehydrated. you just wanted to sleep on the bed you shared with your boyfriend, to hold him and not let him go not even for a second.

yesterday you asked your friends on the group chat if they wanted to go to the movies with you the next day, which is today. some said they would be busy, others didn't even bother to answer. you were already used to their distant behavior. wanting to see the movie anyway and to enjoy your free time, you decided to go alone, only to find that your entire group of friends was in the same mall as you, strolling through the stores without any concern or remorse.

you confronted them but they got defensive and started saying that they didn't do anything wrong.

for months they excluded you, humiliated you, made fun of you, and even badmouthed each other—what a group of loyal friends.

shidou wiped your tears and hugged you, your face on his muscular chest, searching for warmth and comfort.

"what if they do something...like spread rumors or something...they would be capable of that."

"they won't. i won't let that happen, princess. i promise.~" he awkwardly ran a hand through your hair. a few minutes passed like that until you fell asleep. he took you to bed and tucked you under the sheets. he stared at you for a while, observing your red eyes and how you slept, hugging one of the many pillows that were on top of the bed. yeah he's definitely going to hit someone. "goodnight beautiful~." the blond pressed a kiss to your cheek and left the house silently. your friends have to pay, no matter if you were in favor of the situation or not. fortunately he knew where some of them lived.

shidou ryusei was not the best person to seek comfort from, but he was the best to make sure you felt protected.

kunigami rensuke

kunigami's attention was drawn to the front door of the house that the two of you shared. a smile formed on his lips; he knew it was you who had just come home from a long day at the office.

lately you had started coming home extremely late from work, completely tired and desperate to get to bed. however, kunigami thought that you were getting... sick—paler, dark circles under your eyes, distancing yourself from him as you didn't have any energy to spend time with him and you had a more... depressed aura. kunigami knew that you weren't well, he knew that your work was slowly consuming you, both physically and mentally.

no matter how many times he told you that it would be better to quit, you denied it, wanting to contribute to the financial state of both of you—even though your boyfriend's salary as a professional football player was more than enough—and wanting to have a life and career of your own. the ginger respected your opinion and your independence, but the way you were killing yourself—no, the way your boss was taking advantage of you made him angry.

the ginger was never the type of guy who likes violence or any kind of conflict, he always preferred to "play fair", but the idea of giving your boss a hard time was getting more and more appealing.

"hi baby," he said with a soft voice and approached you to rest his hands on your shoulders. "how are you feeling? tired? want me to cook something for you?" he looked at you, and the man's face expression went from a warm smile to worry and panic when you made eye contact with him. your eyes were red from crying, your hair was a mess.

kunigami was silent, not knowing what to do or what to say, so he just pulled you into a hug, his hand on the back of your head.

"what happened? y/n… are you ok?" he asked you in a low voice. you could feel his hot breath and his warmth—it was comforting.

"rensuke, i…" you sniffed your nose and hot tears were forming on your eyes.

he interrupted you, his hand now on top of your head, giving you a little massage on your scalp with his fingers. "shh. it's ok if you don't want to tell me. you're safe now."

but you wanted to tell him.

"i… my boss screamed at me and-and'' your sobs were interrupting your words. kunigami kept embracing you—tight enough to make you feel safe, but still careful to not hurt you or to make you uncomfortable. he knew you were a strong person, and always made sure to not be the overprotective type since you hated it and it made you feel powerless and like you lacked freedom, however, at that moment, you were clearly psychologically and physically hurt—he could see a bruise here and there on your body—; you obviously were in need of him taking care of you.

in fact, that was one thing that rensuke loved about you, you always wanted to do things your way and without much help, but if you actually were in a situation where you needed someone to help you, you wouldn't deny it or hesitate. he loves how you were so strong and independent, but still humble enough to know what you wanted and what you needed, without being afraid of telling anyone.

"and started pushing me and throwing things at me. he... he has been getting more violently each day."

the ginger spent two hours listening to you, his big arms never leaving you (unless you needed a tissue or a cup of water), whispering things like "i love you", "it's ok", "i'll protect you". you were so grateful to have him in your life.

"i'll take care of the situation." he told you. you were now cuddling on your shared bed.

"how?..."

"don't know exactly, but maybe i'll ask reo for help so he can fire your boss and make him bankrupt and lonely. you know, since reo has a lot of connections."

you chuckled at his words. "seems like a good idea to me." you kissed the tip of his nose and smiled when you saw his cheeks getting pink. "thank you, my love."

isagi yoichi

"it's ok, y/n, someone will accept you eventually." your dark haired boyfriend handed you a cup of tea to make you feel better and sat next to you on the sofa of the living room. "the most beautiful diamonds take a lot of time to form, you know?"

you chuckled at his silly attempt to cheer you up. "i don't know, yoichi… i have tried so many agencies and so far nothing."

isagi sighed. "come here." he called out to you, and when you looked at him confused, he grabbed your arms gently and made you lie on top of him, your head resting on his muscular chest, listening to his heartbeat. his arms embraced you and one of his hands gave you a small massage on your omoplates. "your muscles are so tense. relax, no need to worry, baby. someone will eventually realize how beautiful and talented you are."

for months you've been trying to join a model agency—only to be rejected every time. it made you feel hopeless and embarrassed, but you were still fighting for your dream.

today you received an email of the most recent agency you candidated to, however, this one rejecting email was a bit different… they proceeded to be unprofessional and insult everything about you, managing to hit on your insecurities and give you new insecurities.

isagi was actually the one who got a reaction—his eyes darkened, his jaw tightened, his knuckles turning white due to the amount of strength he used when clenching his fists—insisting to make them pay for their cruel words. you, on the other hand, just stared at your laptop screen—not a single movement, not even a single word.

isagi was passing around the living room insulting the model agency out loud. he then noticed how quiet you were. he calmed down and approached you, his fingers caressing your cheeks after closing the laptop.

and now you're here cuddling on the sofa. your eyes were closed, feeling his chest slowly moving up and down due to him breathing.

"you'll see, baby, you will make it. i'll be by your side the entire time."

you were so thankful for having him besides you.

[coff-in]

Random thoughts but Mrs Graves house actually having a actual room for sister reader like it has its own bathroom that's decorated and everything and Reader probably knits as a side hobby to make money or something so she basically works at home

But what if it also has its own lock... 👀

renee does not love her children. she wouldn't have an extra bedroom for [reader] because she would not expect to see any of her children again after she and her husband moved.

however, it's not above her to pick favorites.... maybe.

[fem reader-insert]; renee graves lol (if you hate her maybe skip this), incest, cheating

it's no secret in the family that renee's favorite child is [reader]. whenever her birthday came around, renee made sure to get her a fairly pricey gift and celebrate with her favorite flavored cake. whenever [reader] accomplished an academic achievement, renee made sure to display it on the fridge and tell every coworker the day at the office. she displays her daughter like a medal, a trophy; as something that shows that she can be successful... by producing a smart kid.

she can't help but to feel... somewhat happy and fulfilled with [reader]. [reader]'s a weird godsend she doesn't deserve, but felt that she needed. [reader]'s not weird like ashley to the point it's a detriment to others, nor is she disappointing like andrew has been. a child she can trust to stand by her when her two oldest seem to be against her.

when renee brings her husband and daughter to their new home after being able to leave the quarantine, she makes sure to choose a house with a bedroom for [reader]. 'isn't it great?', she'd ask [reader], 'a whole entire room to yourself.' of course her and her husband would share the master bedroom for themselves. and such a nice bedroom [reader] gets. it has enough room to walk and dance around, free from the crowdedness of andrew or ashley's stuff. a room that [reader] can call her own.

it would be nice for the room to have a lock... but it doesn't.

'none of rooms have a lock,' renee tells [reader], 'we'll get them installed once we get the place renovated, sweetheart.' until them, [reader] still has to deal with renee popping into her room every once in a while, like parents do. checking in to make sure that her baby is settling in nicely. she takes note of [reader]'s yarns, her knitting needles, her boxes filled with projects...

... and at night, she comes in to make sure that she's sleep. quietly walking in, standing over her bed and [reader] sleeps soundly. all tucked in like renee used to do to her. she can't help but to regret dismissing her when she was younger. she was so sure, after how ashley turned out, that [reader] would be the same. even when [reader] proved that she was better, renee only cared on a durfaced level. it wasn't fair of her to not give her her all as [reader] gave her.

'but don't worry,' she climbs in next to her child, cupping her cheek lightly covered in drool, 'i'll make it up to you.'

----

coff-in

[enjoyjellime]

Choco Fin | Chapter 1

Chapters: {1} {2}

Hey everyone! I decided to try writing a fic with multiple chapters for the first time! This was mostly just a lil side project I would work on during my breaks at work and whenever else I felt like it. But I wanted to post the first chapter today on Valentine's Day since it's a Valentine's themed story, and possibly have it done by White Day (Mar. 14) this year we'll have to see, cause I. Am. Slow, lol. I feel a lil nervous posting since I don't know how good my writing actually is, but I hope you enjoy it anyways!

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Light snow drifts delicately to the ground as Kazuo Yashiki stares blankly out the window from his spot at the dining table, mind elsewhere while his hand stirs his cooling coffee. Without looking, his other arm moves from under his resting chin and towards a small box of sugar cubes. It takes a moment for his mind to snap out of it when his fingers can't find purchase on even a singular grainy cube. Looking over to the box, he lets out a tired sigh. Had he really gone through them this fast? He'll have to pick up some more later. Normally he wouldn't even be up this early, but he had agreed to a request, so here he was. Up with the living.

A day prior he had gotten a call from Moe Watanabe, an overly positive girl with a love for the occult, with a request to make Valentine's chocolate.

"Pleeeeeeease ojisan? It would be a huge help!" He could practically hear the puppy dog eyes over the phone.

"Oh, uh... Sure. Is there a particular reason you're wanting my help? I'm sure Ai or even Suzu would love to help you out."

"Oh this isn't just normal chocolate ojisan, I heard a rumor that requires it, and want to test it out! This could be my next big scoop!”

Ah. That's what this is about.

"Alright. Tell me about the rumor:”

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He hears the quick knocks from the front door but doesn't make a move to get up and answer. He doesn't need to, as the large door swings open anyway and in skips Moe dressed in winter essentials and a paper bag gently held in one arm. She takes her boots off at the door and slides into a pair of slippers left there for her before looking around for the man in question.

She looks up towards the stairs, moving her head side to side and standing on tiptoes to see if she can see anyone up there before turning her head toward the kitchen. Her face brightens at the sight of the man slouched over pathetically in a chair in a simple t-shirt and pajama pants, white knuckling his coffee mug before taking a sip and shivering. Aw, Poor guy.

As she makes her way over, she grabs a small throw from the couch on the way and practically glides over in excitement. Placing the paper bag on the table beside him, she drapes the throw over his shoulders in greeting before moving over to take her winter coat off, hanging it from the back of the chair beside him. He nods back with an appreciative smile, grabbing the ends of the blanket and hugging it closer to himself.

She keeps her voice quiet, despite the way she's practically buzzing with excitement.

“I got the things you said, ojisan!" She pulls the bag over and starts to take things out, mindful not to crinkle it too much this early in the morning.

Yashiki sits up straighter in the chair, cracks and pops resounding the whole way up and a disgruntled look on his face before going back to normal.

"My mind is still waking up at the moment, would I be able to get a refresher?" Yashiki barely gets out before a yawn escapes him.

Moe nods fast, all the things needed laid out on the table and folding up the paper bag.

“Okay so: the rumor goes that over at H Park there's been sightings of the “Ghost of Valentines” where the silhouette of a woman has been seen walking around looking for her lost love— which would make sense considering the park also goes by the name “Lover's walk”— anyway it's been said that if you leave a Valentine's offering near the statue in the center, she'll appear!”

Moe moves her arms around as she bounces rapidly from point to point, getting progressively louder as she does so.

“I heard that people have tried with regular Giri Choco with no luck, and some others felt a slight presence with Tomo Choco— but you can't really fully believe those types of claims 100%, especially when you're writing an article for something as important as OOParts— ah- where was I?…….Oh yeah! So I want to be the one to meet her because it would be absolutely AMAZING to get the chance to have an interview with her! So I feel like the best chance of her showing up would be to make Honmei Choco— because duh, she's looking for her lost love? So chocolate that's meant for romantic love would surely attract her attention!”

Yashiki nods along, his memory coming back as he wakes up more from her excited rambling. He picks up his coffee cup before glancing up again.

"So what happens if she falls for you because of the Honmei Choco?”

Moe falters, face scrunching up in mock pain.

"I.. ah, haven't thought that far yet." He knows she's quick to bounce back.

Her face springs back to its regular cheerful self. "But I'll think of a plan when I get there!"

There she is. He smiles into his final sip of coffee for the morning.

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Over in the kitchen, they take note of everything they have resting on the island in front of them.

"Dark Chocolate”

"Yep!"

"Flavour extract"

"Yes! I got a coffee one, to make it feel more "sophisticated" like the store bought Honmei.... and a peach one. In case it doesn't work. Snack for later!"

"How about the molds?”

"There weren't too many left. I was able to pick up two of each though, a heart one, and a bunny one! Aren't they the cutest?"

"Very. Alright, decoration?"

Moe lifts the bottles as she introduces them.

"Edible gold flakes, aaaaaand candy pearls.”

"Perfect. The packaging?"

Moe gently slaps the tops of some small but nice looking confection boxes. "Ready to go!"

Yashiki opens the pantry door and grabs the aprons hanging from a hook.

One for him, and one.......for Moe.

The sight of bloodied petals.

A pang in his heart, unknowing at the time.

Breathe in...

Breathe out..

A smile back on his face.

He turns back around and hands Moe the other apron and ties his own.

Moe hands him a few cutesy looking hair clips so his hair isn't in his face, and she does the same.

With both sleeves rolled up, they get to work.

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"There's quite a lot here. you have to give me some since I helped out."

"Of course dear brother, you have earned your keep of Fami Choco."

"Why'd you make so many anyways? It's not like you have that many friends."

"At least I have some.”

"Rude."

"Sorry, you just make it too easy.”

“...”

“...”

"You're getting marshmallows for White Day.”

“Rude”

A shared laughter between siblings.

"We used some really nice ingredients for this Tomo Choco, your friends will probably think it's Honmei or something. Heh, that would be funny.”

A fond smile.

"Yeah, perhaps they will."

The face of his sister looking directly at him.

"Masa, you have chocolate on your face."

A finger coming closer.

A poke to the face.

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Yashiki startles awake to see Moe hovering over him, hands behind her back and grinning.

"Morning again ojisan! The chocolates should be done by now, so time to pop 'em out and get them all packaged!"

She leans back and runs off toward the kitchen as he sits up, the throw from earlier slipping off his form and realizes he's on the couch in the living room. He checks the clock above, Almost noon. Not bad.

He takes a breath before pushing himself up with a grunt. "I'm really not getting any younger" he mused as he shuffled back into the kitchen. Glasses pushed up on his head slightly as he rubs the sleep from his eyes, he makes it to the island where Moe is carefully pushing the chocolates out of the molds, eyes squinted and tongue sticking out in focus. Once out, she methodically lowers them into little papers placed within the decorated box in front of her.

"Here, I'll get the other ones." Refreshed, Yashiki rounds to the other side and grabs a mold. It's calm this early in the morning, just the two of them working together on a project. Yashiki glances over at Moe as she lowers a box lid carefully with both hands as if performing surgery. The lid makes it on flawlessly as she shoots her hands up to her sides and turns to Yashiki with a huge grin.

Yashiki can't help the chuckle that escapes him, along with a burst of happiness that takes over his whole chest. For a brief moment he wonders if his father ever felt the same way towards him and Saya when they were younger. Moe bows with dramatic flourish as Yashiki applauds her performance. "Great job, it looks perfect.”

Moe giggles. "And with that, they're all finished! We had quite a lot here, ended up having enough for three boxes. Good thing I brought extras." Moe picks up one of the boxes, a brown little thing with a thin red bow on top. "Here ojisan, I want you to have this one, as thanks for helping me out today. I couldn't have done it without your help after all." She carefully thrusts it forward with her head tilted, eyes closed and a bright smile.

Surprised, Yashiki takes the box from her awaiting hands, and holds it within his larger ones gently as if it were a baby bunny.

"Are you sure? You need these for an important reason, I couldn't just take this from you…”

Moe puffs up her chest, throwing her hands to her hips. "I'm positive ojisan! It means a lot to me that you even agreed to help in the first place. Plus I only needed two at the most, so to show my appreciation, you can have this one! ….Think of it as Fami Choco!... please?"

"Fami Choco?"

Yashiki glances back down at the box for a moment, and a fond smile appears on his face before nodding.

"Alright. Thank you very much for this, Moe." They share a smile for a brief moment before Moe's eyes widen in shock.

"Oh! What time is it? I better start getting ready to go!" Moe swiftly starts to grab her boxes and the couple extra supplies before placing them in her bag. Yashiki slips the box into his pants pocket and walks over to the chair with her coat hanging from it, handing it to her as she rushes by, nodding in thanks.

As they make it over to the door, Moe slides off the slippers and gets into her winter boots, hopping a bit for balance as she slides them on. “I'll call you later to tell you whether it was a success or not. Wish me luck!"

In her boots, she picks up her slippers and gives a small bow as Yashiki takes them from her, moving them to a large cubby he had placed next to the door. Placing them in a spot with the name "Moe" labeled on it. He turns back towards her.

"Good luck, and please be careful, if anything happens, call and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thanks for the concern, but don't worry! I called Shou earlier while you were sleeping and he's going to be backup for me today.”

"You know how terrified he is of spirits, how did you even get him to agree?”

“...”

“...”

"You promis-"

“I promised him chocolate."

"...Just be safe."

"hehe, will do.”

📔•₊✧👻⋆⭒˚☕️｡⋆📔•₊✧👻⋆⭒˚☕️｡⋆📔•₊✧👻⋆⭒

Hey there! Thank you for making it this far! This is going to be a Yashita fic, since what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with writing two fictional men going through situations™ (don't worry, that will come later) but yeah, Yashiki is a guy that just has girl dad vibes to me, so I wanted to write about that in this first chapter. :)

AO3 link:

Choco Fin

[infinitelystrangemachinex]

Mel Medarda Is Alive probable evidence megapost (cope with me)

League of Legends UK calling the gold on Mel's back "armor" and then withdrawing the post, first pointed out by @moonsdancer:

This marks an "official" source calling Mel's gold "armor." It implies that once whoever made that post realized that most of the Arcane audience is expecting Mel to be dead, they recognized that hinting that she's wearing armor is actually a spoiler. So, they deleted the post.

Mel featuring in storyboards depicting a scene that did not happen in season 1, shown by @jshepardtsoni and @mollysunder and @miraofhearts2point0:

The Riot-Fortiche workflow has been described as: extensive time and resources spent on writing up front on Riot's side, and then the scripts are sent to Fortiche and storyboarding begins. If writing and storyboarding don't happen in parallel, then that's how Fortiche was able to showcase the one-to-one relationship between storyboards and the finished animated product. There's a lot less throwaway work for the animators, which would happen with major story rewrites.

This means it is less likely that the storyboards featuring Mel in a scene that did not air in season 1 were simply cut content from season 1, and more likely that it's a canon scene that we'll see in season 2. I think relatively little ends up on Fortiche's cutting room floor. The main scene that I'm aware of that did get cut was the "boy savior" scene where young Ekko tries to save Jinx (and I have high hopes that the scene will still be used in S2).

Toks Olagundoye, Mel's VA, saying she's "not allowed to say" whether she's returning to voice Mel in S2, and saying that it would be cool to come back for flashbacks:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Toks Olagundoye (@toksolagundoye)

If she's not allowed to say anything and Riot is taking pains to hide whether Mel or Jayce or Viktor (sorta, lol) survive the attack, then of course she can't hint that she is returning. Her comment about the flashbacks definitely says to me that she was told to hide whether Mel survived the attack - she probably was not instructed to hide whether Mel gets more flashbacks in S2. She's almost certainly implying that Mel does in fact feature in more flashbacks in S2. A fan asked the question, and she wanted to give a substantial and encouraging answer other than just "I can't say anything." Her tone did not personally leave me with the feeling that her character has been killed off.

Toks saying she doesn't know much about Arcane S2 and its airdate etc. doesn't mean anything serious, considering that voice acting for the season seems to have been completed a while ago. Like most actors and especially voice actors, Toks has probably already taken on several jobs since then, so her work on Arcane isn't the project that's freshest in her mind.

The German (and Hungarian, I think) S2 trailers have Ambessa say "Half of the Council is dead" and not "Your Council is dead":

I noticed people in the comments of this trailer analysis video by Necrit talking about how the German trailer says "Half of the Council is dead." After watching the German trailer, and then poking around the other dubbed trailers, I found that the German trailer and the Hungarian trailer both seem to say "half." (I would love it if someone here fluent in Hungarian could confirm!)

From a translation standpoint, I could see this happening because some languages don't have different words for "council" and "counsel" as in "advice." Even in English, the words are homophones. So saying "your counsel is dead" would make no sense. If a translator tried to instead say "your ENTIRE council is dead" to make the meaning clearer, then if some Council members survived, the translator would have to be corrected, so we end up with "HALF of the Council is dead."

If some Council members survived, then I think it's likely that Mel is one of them, considering her armor and her several unfinished plot threads.

Please feel free to add on to this post with anything else you find!

[the-osborn-way]

Just finished the Bad Batch finale and HOLY SHIT IT WAS SO FUCKING GOOD

SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT

THEY ALL LIVED!!! HOLY SHIT THEY ALL LIVED I CAN'T BELIEVE IT--

So um.... yeah Tech's still not dead to me, CX-2 is alive, everything is fine, we'll see him soon, it's fine-

Crosshair GOT HIS HAND CUT OFFFF- Not the biggest Crosshair fan but I still feel so bad.... BYT AT LEAST HE MADE THE SHOT AND SAVED OMEGA AND HE GETS A HAPPY ENDING NOW

Speaking of happy endings, THEY ALL GET TO GROW OLD!!!! I'M SO FUCKING HAPPY FOR THAT, I'M SO GRATEFUL THEY GET TO LIVE THAT PEACEFUL LIFE THEY WANTED, EVEN IF WE DIDN’T GET TO SEE IT

GONKY'S ALIVE AND WELL, THANK THE FORCE

Emerie helped the kids escape I'm so glad they all made it too AND THE KIDS LOOKED SO CUTE ON PABU WITH MOX, DEKE, AND STAK

ECHO'S STILL ALIVE AND HELPING THE CLONES FIGHT, HELL YEAH

They rescued the clones!!!! I'm SO FUCKING HAPPY they did

HEMLOCK AND RAMPART ARE FUCKING DEAD, LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOO

Rampart was a double-crossing son of a bitch and he got what he deserved. Rest in peace, Nala Se. You may not have always been on the right side, but you died doing the right thing.

Did I mention that I don't think Tech is dead?

The CXs were SO COOL I wish we got to see more of them!!!

DID I MENTION THAT I DON'T THINK TECH IS DEAD?!? (I'm not losing hope guys, I'm not-)

The Zillo beast absolutely RIPPING UP TANTISS was fucking FANTASTIC and I love it and it was VERY VERY MUCH DESERVED

Baryn is me, I need loud destructive noises to fall asleep LOL (this is why I can only fall asleep to FNAF songs in my ears-)

Seeing grown up Omega made me cry, and I love that older Hunter looks like pretty much every older Hunter fanart ever drawn-

Wish we could have seen older Wrecker and Crosshair, and GIVE ME SCENES OF BOTH OF THEM HEALING, PLEASE- (Crosshair did not eat on screen the ENTIRE SEASON I don't like that at ALL.)

Overall, I thought the finale was a solid 9 1/2 out of 10, the only thing that could have made it better was a CX-2 is Tech reveal, but... I mean I got everything else, so I'm not entirely disappointed.

I'm still staying VERY MUCH a part of this fandom, sorry not sorry to my followers who came for the Ninja Turtles and got Star Wars copy-paste men instead-

As I mentioned, I do have a Bad Batch project coming out soon, and I guess I could call it a fix-it now... but yeah, I'm not done with Star Wars and at this point in my life, I really don't think I'm leaving this fandom any time soon. Yes, it has some issues, as all fandoms do, but it's where I fit best at the moment. I'll still be posting other stuff, but Star Wars and the Scream franchise are my main fandoms for now.

Thank you to the cast and crew of this WONDERFUL show, you did it again, Star Wars. (*puts TBB in my top 3 TV shows of all time*)

And thanks to all my friends here on Tumblr who helped me get into this show and traded theories and so much more! (Also special thanks to @atyourdinosaurs for all of your love, theories, and ideas [and for inspiring my new project], and to @casp1an-sea and @thecoffeelorian for being two amazing friends I made from this fandom!)

We had a great run, guys. It's a honor to love this show and to be here for its final moments. Here's to more Star Wars and to more Bad Batch content in the future.

-Oz

[strelitzia-mystery1097]

How in the heck do Jenova Cells even work?!

I will say here and now that I haven't watched/played/read every FF7 thing in this franchise so if something I talk about is actually clarified in some obscure thing or I get something wrong, then comment about it.

So let's start with the beginning. Who or what is Jenova.

...🤷‍♀️

We honestly have no idea about Jenova'a origins beyond her crash landing on Gaia via meteorite. We don't know if she's the only one of her kind, or if she has successfully destroyed planets before (considering in FF7 AC Sephiroth talks about using Gaia to travel to another planet, that meteorite was probably a planet Jenova destroyed). She's very much your typical cosmic horror creature. But wherever she's from, it's not the planet.

So Jenova crash landed and that damaged the planet, (an injury that the planet is still healing from, hence how wacky the Northern Crater looks) and then Jenova started using her hallucinations/shape shifting abilities on the Cetra to trick them. And then Jenova turned them into monsters. Yes, all the monsters in FF7 are Cetra or descendents of what was Cetra (kind of awkward when Aerith kills them lol).

Side tangent. I wonder if Jenova just works differently on different species. Like if Aerith was exposed to Jenova like what happened to her ancestors would she just turn into a monster instead of what happens to humans? Also does that make all the monsters part of Reunion or not? What would that Cell even be called. M (Monster) Cell? C (Cetra) Cell?

But yeah Jenova was trying to destroy the planet.

Eventually the remaining Cetra sealed Jenova away until 2000 years later she was excavated and mistakenly identified as a Cetra by Gast.

Later on Hojo created Project S and Hollander made Project G in an attempt to create a Cetra that could lead Shinra to the Promised Land.

In Project S, which stands for Sephiroth, Hojo injected Sephiroth directly with Jenova Cells when he was a fetus. In Project G, which stands for Gillian, is where Gillian was injected with Jenova Cells and her DNA was mapped onto Genesis as a fetus (Angeal, while he is part of Project G, was not purposely made for it. Angeal was naturally born after Gillian was injected with Jenova Cells).

The strands of Jenova Cells even function differently after being introduced into a human system, S Cells and G Cells.

Project S was the superior Project and most SOLDIER are created in a similar way to the later created Sephiroth Clones.

Remake implies that there are Project G SOLDIERS too, but it could of been referring to the Tsivets.

So...

How does the Cells function?

Starting with G will probably be shorter so I'll do that.

Genesis and Angeal, while not as powerful as Sephiroth, were still more powerful than most. However the prime time of powerful is short lived. Both of them start to degrade into their 20's and start developing some inhuman abilities.

*ALSO NOTE HERE THAT G CELL DEGRADATION IS DIFFERENT FROM S CELL DEGRADATION*

After an injury that doesn't heal, Genesis starts to degrade. His hair and body starts to go white, he grows a black wing, and most importantly, he can created Genesis Copies.

Genesis can map his cells onto other SOLDIERS and make them copies of him with them still retaining a little of thier former skill in their respective weaponry, otherwise they are just copies of Genesis.

However Angeal is the result of Project G. He has a wing like Genesis (right white wing) but his degradation is slower and he's able to make Angeal copies out of people and monsters. He only properly degrades (white hair and all that) when he tries to self destruct kinda when absorbs all those monsters and forces Zack to kill him.

I do personally find it interesting that G Cells seem to psudo-inherit Jenova's abilities to turn things into a different form. Even Sephiroth wasn't able to do that unless he was using part of Jenova's literal body- Well until Rebirth but we'll get to that.

But there are two things that stick out to me.

One, could Genesis or Angeal experience Reunion or would it be different for them? Is that why Genesis showed up in the Mt Nibel Reactor?

And two, why is Gillian normal? Like Lucrecia was injected with Jenova Cells as a by product of Sephiroth being injected when she was pregnant with him and she's stuck unable to die no mater what. But Gillian was directly injected with J Cells and she kills herself just fine. I honestly don't think there is an explanation for this one though.

Also when talking about G Cells I should talk about the Tsivets but-

I never played DoC and I tried watching Maximilian dood's playthrough of it and I just couldn't.

From what I know is that the Tsivets wear like mako suits otherwise they die? Also they all have real weird powers like Nero (Rip Sonon in that Remake Dlc) and Weiss. Also Shulke can like dive into the internet? I dunno that game was not for me. Please tell me if any of the Tsivets have abilities that are actually comparable to other characters with Jenova's Cells because I wouldn't know.

Okay now onto S Cells woo!

So Sephiroth, probably most of SOLDIER, Sephiroth Clones, and Cloud all have S Cells. And they function pretty differently than G Cells.

For example, Sephiroth can't actually make Sephiroth copies like Genesis or Angeal. Sephiroth cannot physically change any of the people with his Cells like Angeal or Genesis either.

But S Cells are considered superior for many reasons.

Sephiroth can create hallucinations and illusions to change the copies or pieces of Jenova to look like him when needed. Also he never degraded himself.

SOLDIERS and Sephiroth Clones can but that degradation is different for S Cells. Instead of turning white and slowly dying, they become puppets that only try to go and enact Reunion.

The Reunion Theory (Hojo created it) was that if separated, Jenova would come back together, a Reunion.

Sephiroth pre-Nibeheim incident was the most powerful guy but he was pretty human (cat eyes and silver hair not included).

Then things go wrong.

Sephiroth freaking snaps due to Jenova, false information, and other existentialist crisis stuff.

Also here I should address a question. How sentient is Jenova? Is she a mind beyond human comprehension? Or is she much more animalistic and just works off of instinct? Did she intentionally help Sephiroth go crazy or was it just Reunion?

Like her backstory, we don't know. But regardless, it was confirmed that in FF7 it is Sephiroth in control because of how strong his will is. He's insane and mind broken, but he's the brains of the operation for all that happens in FF7.

Sephiroth in FF7 is able to puppet and command the Sephiroth clones, do crazy stuff like flying or going through floors, use illusions, and use Jenova's body to create crazy boss fights. Also at the end he's able to transform himself into a crazy monster form for the final boss fight for the party.

Cloud also is able to like astralproject himself to have a solo final fight with Sephiroth. I don't know what Cloud's potential is with using the S Cells to his advantage but I doubt he would able to use as well as Sephiroth. Cloud did accidentally use the S Cells to get the memories of Zack and Tifa's memories of Cloud though so... that's interesting.

Anyways jump to AC. Kadaj, Loz and Kazoo- I mean Yazoo are remnants of Sephiroth. They aren't actually made of S Cells, but Sephiroth will and power. Once Kadaj gets Jenova's head Sephiroth is able to possess him because he finally has Jenova's Cells. Meanwhile Geostigma is also caused by Sephiroth and Jenova in the lifestream. This is also the first time Sephiroth gets a wing like Genesis and Angeal. His black right wing s iconic afterall.

Okay now it's Remake time.

Sephiroth time travelled woo! Don't ask me how that works with worlds and such. I don't care if we get an hour of exposition in Part 3 as long as it helps me understand what that's all about properly.

However I can talk about how Sephiroth's powers are a bit different thus time around.

Like how in the OG he did illusions, but he couldn't make Cloud hallucination himself as everyone can't see it. I remember in AC Cloud would kinda have a mini hallucination of past memories in that one scene of him clutching his infected arm in pain with the cool Sephiroth cat eyes for a moment (and that is referenced in Remake) but that's all that comes to mind. Just with Sephiroth at least. Cloud had like multiple hallucinations with Aerith and Zack.

New ability two is that Sephiroth Clones can now fuse with monsters. Monsters would have Jenova Cells now that I think about it so... cool.

I do find it funny that Sephiroth took the wing and now the monster thing from Genesis and Angeal lol.

Again, how Sephiroth is able to jump worlds and such is not something I can quite understand yet. I honestly think that's more a Lifestream and Whispers thing than a Jenova thing. Like it's Sephiroth will power (think of the Remnants for example) that gives him that power and not Sephiroth going around injecting whispers of fate with S Cells or something.

Um...

That's all I can think of for now.

Damn, trying to comprehend the biology of a cosmic horror is tough.

[fractualized]

And so begins the Knight Terrors interlude for TMWSL! I'd thought maybe we'd get more clues to the which-Joker-is-Joker mystery with this, but this issue opens in the dream, and over in Knight Terrors: First Blood, there's just a small close-up with Joker's face when he becomes afflicted with sleep so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyways spoilers, dark humor, and nightmarish imagery ahead.

The opening scene made me cackle, I found it so unexpected.

LOL Just. The fucking slide. Jesus.

Joker, Gaggy (whose presence may indicate the TMWSL backers are also dreams), and a goon (who is possibly a human stand-in for Jackanapes) confirm that Batman is, in fact, dead.

Aw, no point in the heist now that Batman is unable to stop it, and once again Joker's towing around the corpses of people he cares about.

He brought Bruce into the diner to sit next to him omfg

Earlier Joker laughed about Batman falling off the roof, but now it's sunk in that their epic battle ended forever in the dumbest way possible. Other heroes just don't have the same appeal.

Though Joker does try to keep up the fun.

But when the ship captain says it'll be easy for him to just hand it over…

It's just not the same. :(

PAUSE

I just want to highlight that Joker appears to be eating refried beans and marshmallows.

RESUME

As per usual, without Batman to fight, Joker realizes he doesn't have any other goals. Even Gaggy still has a taste for crime, and he throws the paper at Joker as he leaves.

(Side note: do you think Lex Luthor has shown up on Real Housewives of Metropolis? Like in party scenes or something?)

The Jobs section in the paper apparently spurs Joker to try something new. He goes for a job interview at none other than Wayne Enterprises, and we finally run into Insomnia.

Readers who've read Knight Terrors: First Blood will realize this man is this dream's manifestation of the Bad Guy Who Incited the Event, but if you haven't, just his appearance is a clue that something's not right about him.

But this is Joker's dream, so he doesn't notice anything weird apparently!

He looks like such a goof. 💕

Joker starts off the job by trying to search on his workstation for where all WE's money is or their secret weapons projects or…

….. something "of Bruce Wayne." Which has to be "naked pictures." I don't care if you think batjokes is real or not, that's the obvious fill-in.

We'll never know for sure because of Helen (which was also the name of the nurse in TMWSL #3 who called the cops on Joker at the hospital, and that probably doesn't mean anything, but I remembered it). Joker introduces himself.

(Johann was also a name from the hospital, the dead husband of that patient at the end of TMWSL #4. Which also probably doesn't mean anything but maybe Rosenberg could switch it up with names?)

Now that Batman is gone, it appears that Joker wants to start trouble at Bruce's old company instead. Even when he's trying to get a new purpose, it's still related to fucking with Bruce. Unfortunately for Joker, in a comedic bit about corporate bureaucracy, Helen reveals that their nameless department isn't really responsible for anything important.

A few weeks pass, and Johann becomes known as the office comedian.

But his supervisor does have complaints about his performance.

Joker does not respond well to this bad feedback!

Check out the issue if you want more of a man's head exploding.

The next morning, Joker tries to incite some kind of… uprising? Mass resignation?

Yeah, yeah, end-stage capitalism, we've all seen it, J.

In the regular world, Mr. Dee might be talking to Johann about that brutal murder in the breakroom, but as Joker prepares to take down Mr. Dee as well…

And here's some extra weirdness: Joker didn't start working at WE until after Batman plotzed himself. How has Bruce taken a shine to him?

That job title is killing me.

If you've taken a look at Knight Terrors: Batman, you know that Insomnia claimed that he has no control over where people's dreams go and that he's just going along for the ride. However, Insomnia certainly has control over how he presents, and he's looking for the Nightmare Stone. So I think the promotion he's offering is a careful suggestion to draw Joker deeper into this scenario to see if that's where Doctor Destiny hid the stone.

And it's interesting that Joker still says here that Batman is dead, despite two statements indicating that he's alive. If Batman is still around, that means so is Joker's reason for being. He should jump on this! But the thing is, this dream and TMWSL take place after Joker War, after the batjokes divorce. Batman explicitly abandoned Joker to figure out how to survive on his own, and they haven't seen each other since. In Joker 2021, Joker was implied to have suicidal thoughts. In TMWSL, we have one clown who left Gotham as soon as he returned, and another who was expressly depressed. Batman fucks with the rules of their game and ruins it? He might as well have died "like a %$!@?*& moron."

Insomnia is practically throwing a cue in Joker's face: Batman is still out there to play with! Joker can run out the door right now! Or he can burrow deeper into this new goal, into this dream, and hide from the abandonment. It feels like a test to see if Joker will take Insomnia where he wants to go.

And Joker chooses to burrow. More weeks pass, and now he's the funny(?) boss.

Instead of getting called to HR, he gets invited to drinks!

That guy's WTF, CAROL expression is killing me.

Wait. D'Amico??

That's the name of the doctor who pulled a bullet out of Joker's brain in TMWSL #3! These names can't be an accident at this point. I still don't know if they mean anything, but y'know, they're there.

Alright, so now Joker is at the point where he goes to office happy hours.

And he's not even killing anyone! That's a bad sign. Uh, for Joker, relatively. It's a good sign for anyone else. But who are those shadowy figures?

Our favorite murderclown is back in action, ready to remind any street thug that Gotham is his town!

Oh wait, it's not just any thug. It's Gaggy, who is very surprised to see Joker. Gaggy says he looked for Joker when he heard the rumors that Batman came back, and Joker tells him not to tell lies. His old life comes back and literally kicks him in the gut, once more telling him Batman is back, and Joker still doesn't want to hear it. He emphatically sheds the blood he just shed.

UM, YOURS? WHO ARE YOU?!

Just a jokey boss-guy, apparently…

It kills me that the fucking microwave is still there.

Yeah, you know this is definitely not a joke before we get to the end. Because Batman is definitely dead!

Until a guy says that Batman saved his wife from a mugging just last week.

Joker knows how handsome Batman is. That's why he was looking for those naked pictures.

So now Joker has someone not just referencing Batman or bringing up rumors, but talking about an actual encounter with for-real, swinging-around, totally alive Batman. And it seems to make him angry— until he waves it off, implying it might just be another guy. (And I mean, with all the kids Batsy's got around, maybe.)

He grimaces when the batsignal shines overhead, but again makes himself ignore it.

lol Is the white dog like a white rabbit? Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy also has a guy wearing a top hat with a white dog. I'm pretty sure that's not supposed to be Penguin because his shirt has shamrocks on it which feels more Jervisy… It won't be a shock if Mad Hatter has deeper involvement in these stories, but I didn't notice him in the Batman one so I dunno.

Once Joker gets in his apartment, we see flies. Lots of flies.

So back in the real world, Joker has been explicitly aware that Bruce Wayne is Batman since Snyder's run, but in this dream, he's back to separating them. Maybe this shift happened over the course of the dream, or maybe it's been since as early as the promotion conversation, when Joker didn't seem bothered by the mention of Bruce, but when Insomnia brought up Batman, Joker was quick to say he was dead. Either way, Joker's now acting like they're two totally different dudes, one a boring rich guy who Joker has no great interest in and never did, nosirree.

The news story is also interesting. Back near the beginning when Helen is explaining wtf their department actually does, it turns out to be, in a ludicrous roundabout way, related to accounting. So I'm guessing in Part 2, Johann gets called up to talk to Mr. Wayne about the mess… 👀

And Bruce Wayne is of little concern for someone who's gone up against Batman, now rotting in Joker's closet!!

Boy howdy.

This is an ominous chapter end for Joker. He wants to have some purpose outside of Batman, but 1) Batman is still obviously hanging over him no matter how much Joker tries to ignore him and 2) his efforts have thus far led him right back to where he was in his depression: rotting his brain with reality TV. Yeah, he has a job, but it means so little that it doesn't matter that he has no clue what he's doing. Yeah, his coworkers laugh at his jokes, but when they do it's because they're not taking him seriously at all. He's obviously harmed people, but they completely miss him as a threat. He's neutered!

So far, Joker's Knight Terror is a terrible dream about the stark way he sees life. You either get to be in endless magnificent rooftop fights with Batman, or you better find satisfaction in being an empty drone.

Putting this together with how TMWSL has been going and the Darwin Halliday stuff in Batman, it all feels like it's pointing to some change in direction for Joker in the future. I'm afraid I'm not going to like where it all ends up… but for now I'll keep enjoying Rosenberg's storytelling.

... Also hey is anyone at DC gonna write about where Joker got his fake eye? I know it doesn't matter but I keep wondering about it.

[darkstar225]

Twice's 10th member loses her stuffed dinosaur ft Girls' Generation's Tiffany as GF

A/N: Heyyy, I'm coming up with a lot of stuff for you guys so I can make up for the time I'm gone lol! Sry for taking so long to post :D I hope that my friend LyraHarris6 who gave me this idea on Wattpad likes it! :)

The request: Hi its me again. I want to request can you do where y/n is dating Tiffany snsd and y/n lost her favourite stuff dinosaur and throw a tantrum and the members call Tiffany and she came right away to the dorm to calm you down and help you find it. Thank you and love you ❤️

PS: Tysm for everyone who reads what I write, I hope I can bring a smile to your faces every time I post! I'd like to thank whoever sent me this idea 'cause I loved to write it <3

__________________________________________________________

The TWICE dorm was bustling with activity on a typical sunny afternoon in Seoul. Laughter and chatter filled the air as the members went about their various activities. Y/N, the group's 10th and youngest member, was in her room, frantically searching for something.

Y/N - Where is it? Where did I put it?

The maknae kept muttering to herself, her brows furrowed in frustration.

The object of her search was her beloved stuffed dinosaur, a plush toy that had been with her since she was a child. It was her comfort item, the one thing that always made her feel safe and happy. But now, it seemed to have disappeared.

Y/N's girlfriend, Tiffany from Girls' Generation, had often teased her about her attachment to the dinosaur. Tiffany found it endearing, and she understood the sentimental value it held for her girl. They had been dating for a few months, and Tiffany had quickly become an important part of TWICE's angel's life.

As the younger girl continued to search her room, her frustration grew. She had already turned the place upside down, and there was no sign of her precious dinosaur.

Y/N - Where could it be?

She mumbled, on the verge of tears. TWICE's sunshine had a busy schedule, and the thought of facing the world without her beloved stuffed animal was making her anxious.

In the living room, the other TWICE members exchanged worried glances as they heard Y/N's distressed murmurs. They had all grown fond of their sugar and knew how much the dinosaur meant to her.

Sana, one of the closest members to the girl, finally spoke up. 

Sana - Maybe we should call Tiffany unnie. She might know where it is.

The suggestion seemed to be a lifeline to Y/N. She immediately grabbed her phone and dialled Tiffany's number, her hands trembling with anxiety.

Tiffany, who was at the SNSD dorms working on some solo projects, answered on the first ring.

Tiffany - Hello, babygirl. What's up?

The voice on the other side of the line quivered as Tiffany listened attentively.

 Y/N - Baby, I can't find my dinosaur! I've looked everywhere, and it's just gone. I don't know what to do.

Tiffany's heart ached at the distress in Y/N's voice. She knew just how much that stuffed dinosaur meant to her girlfriend. 

Tiffany - Don't worry, sweet girl. I'll be right there. We'll find it together, okay?

TWICE's lovebug let out a shaky breath, feeling a bit of relief. 

Y/N - Thank you, my love. I love you.

Tiffany - I love you too, boo. I'll be there soon! 

Tiffany reassured her before hanging up.

The TWICE members watched as Y/N hung up the phone, her expression a mix of anxiety and anticipation. They knew that Tiffany was the only one who could calm her down in a situation like this.

True to her word, Tiffany arrived at the TWICE dorm in record time. She was greeted by a tearful Y/N at the door, who immediately threw her arms around her girlfriend.

Tiffany hugged her darling tightly, whispering soothing words in her ear. 

Tiffany - It's going to be okay, my heart. We'll find your dinosaur, I promise.

Y/N pulled away, her eyes red from crying. 

Y/N - I don't know where to start, Tiffany. I've looked everywhere. *pouts*

Tiffany smiled gently and took her girl's hand.

Tiffany - Let's start by retracing your steps. When was the last time you saw it?

The younger girl thought for a moment. 

Y/N - I had it with me last night while we were watching a movie in the living room. I remember snuggling with it on the couch.

Tiffany - Okay, let's check the living room first. *nodding*

They walked into the living room together, and Y/N's eyes scanned the room in desperation. But there was no sign of the dinosaur.

Y/N's voice quivered as she spoke next.

Y/N - It's not here, Tiffany. I don't understand where it could have gone. *sobs*

Tiffany remained calm and composed, determined to help her precious girlfriend find her cherished possession. 

Tiffany - Let's check your room one more time, just to be sure.

They returned to the SMC's room and began searching once more. Tiffany carefully looked under the bed and in the closet, while Y/N checked her nightstand and the bookshelf.

As Y/N reached out to pull open a drawer, she let out a gasp of surprise. 

Y/N - Tiffany, look!

She held up the stuffed dinosaur triumphantly. It had been hidden under a pile of clothes in the drawer.

Tiffany couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her sunflower's joyful expression. She pulled her into a tight hug. 

Tiffany - I'm so glad we found it, baby.

Y/N clung to Tiffany, tears of relief streaming down her cheeks. 

Y/N - Thank you, darling. I don't know what I would have done without you.

Tiffany pressed a tender kiss to Y/N's forehead. 

Tiffany - You never have to worry about that, hon. I'll always be here for you.

The TWICE members, who had been waiting anxiously in the living room, let out a collective sigh of relief when they saw their youngest and Tiffany emerge from the bedroom, the stuffed dinosaur safely in their dongsang's arms.

Nayeon, as one of the older members and Y/N's mom, felt the need to tease them.

Nayeon - I guess Tiffany unnie is the hero of the day, huh?

Tiffany chuckled and hugged Y/N tighter. 

Tiffany - Just doing my duty as Y/N's girlfriend.

Y/N's face turned a shade of pink as she buried her face in Tiffany's shoulder. The members' teasing only made her feel more grateful for the love and support she had in her life.

As the evening continued, Y/N held onto her stuffed dinosaur, feeling more secure than ever. She knew that no matter what challenges she faced, everything would be okay if she had Tiffany by her side.

The TWICE sisters watched the couple with warm smiles, knowing they were witnessing a love that was as enduring and comforting as Y/N's beloved stuffed dinosaur. And this made them only have one thought:

We love our dear maknae.

A/N: I’m sorry for any errors, English is not my first language. Pls, let me know if there’s something wrong, ty for reading <3

[fatuismooches]

Honestly- fragile reader hits close to home for me. I don’t often disclose details about my personal life, but I see too many similarities with how the reader is depicted with their illness. I have chronic issues with my body, which prominently include shaky hands and fatigue. Being shaky is aggravating for me. It makes me unsure of my movements and constantly makes me untrustful of my body, especially with my hands. So when I read back on some of your fics that include reader dealing with their symptoms it genuinely feels nice to read. I can’t help but imagine reader also having issues with trusting their body to work and feeling frustrated that they can’t get up from bed due to fatigue. Is that projecting? Yes, but I seriously cannot help it. fragile reader is comforting in a way I can sympathize with and understand, which is so cool 4 me.

I remember one of your fics involving fragile reader breaking a glass once. Thinking about it now, I remember all the times I had to be careful pouring a drink because of how shaky I was. Luckily, I never broke a glass. There were close calls though... We need more fragile reader appreciation!! 

Anywho I hope you're doing well, smooches! I love your latest fic, it is super sweet. also reading in the summer heat is not for the weak LOL

❤️❤️❤️ Thank you for sharing this with me Tom, it must have taken a lot of courage!! I cannot imagine how truly frustrating and tiring that must be for you and I am sorry, but I am really happy I am able to help you in some way with fragile reader writing, and i sincerely appreciate your appreciation for it! :) And yes Reader would totally feel that way. But Dottore and the segments (or the harbingers in general) would be patient and understanding toward you, take care of you and do whatever they need to make your life even a bit easier. Although they can't really take the feelings away, they would always be by your side when you need it. (And don't worry about projecting, that's welcomed here!)

I'm super happy you liked the fic!! I am also doing well, minus the fact i hate summer- i totally understand, the main reason the fic took so long to write was bc my motivation was sapped by this heat... 💀 i hope to begin working on a Dottore x fragile reader series + another fluff fic (need to write before school opens again 😔) but we'll see what the weather has to say about that... anyway, stay safe and HYRDATED out there. I hope you are doing well too!

[peterjakes]

Theon x Sansa - 'we unravelled a long time ago' Chapter 4

The time has finally come. Theon Greyjoy is almost fully recovered and Sansa Stark is becoming accustomed to her new position. Neither want Theon to leave, but neither can quite admit how they feel just yet. Or maybe they can?

WHY OH WHY DID THIS TAKE SO LONG TO WRITE?!!?

also you can tell I got bored when writing the dialogue hahaha - look we don't need to describe Sansa and Arya okay - they're sisters

I'm not 100% on this but it's been like 2 years lol so we'll go with it

I will always hold a special place in my heart for these two.

thanks as ever for reading x

also posted on ao3;

It was a dark night in Winterfell. The guards were shivering down below, whilst their Queen sat high above. Sansa, eyebrows furrowed and eyes focused, was sitting in her chambers, scribbling on a piece of parchment. Arya, who was sitting opposite her, spinning her blade around her fingers, was watching her sister. She didn’t think there could be anything more tedious than the ‘duties’ her sister would harp on about. And yet for some reason, here Arya was keeping her sister company. She supposed she didn’t have much else to entertain herself, not at this hour anyway. But Sansa suddenly stopped, placed her quill on top of the piece of parchment and looked over to her sister. Arya was taken aback, Sansa never liked it when Arya would stare at her. It was mostly glares growing up, but staring was not much better. 

“Arya. I was thinking. Once, I officially become Queen. There’s certain positions that need to be filled. Master of Coin, Ships, Laws-“

“War, Whispers.” Arya smirked as continued to spin her knife, watching as the silver glint surrounded the room. 

“Well, I’m not too sure on those ones. But Lord Commander, Grand Maester…” These positions in Kings Landing were filled by deceitful men, who would plot a downfall so swift no one ever saw it coming. You would not cross these men, for they had more power than people knew. That was something her that would have saved her father. The honourable Ned Stark, loyal, trusting and foolish. Sansa would not make the same mistakes as her father. She owed that to him. 

“A lot of decisions.”

“I can’t do it by myself, I need your help, Arya. As my sister, I need you.”

“I’d be honoured, Your Grace. But you have to promise me.”

Sansa sighed; nothing was ever simple with Arya. There was always something.  She always seemed to complicate things. “Promise you what?”

“That you’ll tell him, eventually.” Arya gave a sister a knowing smile, once that Sansa couldn’t reciprocate. It was something unspoken between the two sisters. Arya knew exactly what Sansa was thinking in that moment, like many moments before. Sansa couldn’t deny her sister knew her better than anyone, especially know almost everyone they knew growing up was gone. 

“Arya…”

Arya shrugged, placing her knife back in her scabbard, “Well, you know what to do if you want my services.”

*

Theon was sat upright in the bed he soon would no longer call his own. He had realised in the last few days how uncomfortable the bed really was. He didn’t complain, who would really care if the Ironborn traitor couldn’t sleep? But he had hardly slept the past few days. Though, Theon imagined this wasn’t due to the bed, rather something else that was constantly on his mind. Theon would soon leave Winterfell, and he would very unlikely never return. What we he doing? Why was he going along with something he hated the idea of? Oh yes, that’s right. Duty. Honour. His sister. And Theon didn’t deserve to decide what he wanted. He had promised his sister to stand by his side, and he couldn’t take that back, not now. No matter what he felt about a certain Northern Queen. 

The Maester was checking on Theon’s wounds, but the two had sat in silence, Theon did not know for how long. He didn’t particularly feel like speaking, especially to the Maester. There was one person he would gladly speak to, and yet he assumed she was far too busy for Theon now. A difficult conversation would have to be had soon, however. Theon couldn’t put it off any longer. Yara grew more agitated by the second, she would not wait forever, and Theon couldn’t expect her to. Theon Greyjoy would have to go home, back to the Iron Islands, back to Pyke. Theon would go back to the place he had yearned for all his childhood. And yet, Theon could not think of anything worse in that moment. Theon did not want to leave, so why did he feel so compelled to do so? He couldn’t take advantage of the Starks hospitality any longer. Sansa and Arya had been gracious, more than Theon deserved, or even expected. Hostility would have been more suited to the man Theon believed himself to be. 

After what seemed to be an eternity, the Maester seemed to slow down. He had discarded a number of bloodied wrappings that were once on Theon’s legs and seemed to be adding only a few new ones. “I’d like to go outside, if...” Theon spoke, almost not recognizing his own voice. It was small, and quiet, as if he didn’t want the Maester to truly hear him. 

“Very good, m’lord. You’ll need to become accustomed to walking again soon. Now is a better time than any.” 

Theon watched as the Maester wrapped the last of the cloth around his leg. The pain had faltered in the past few days, and Theon knew he couldn’t stay lying in this bed forever, no matter how much he wanted to. It was odd, Theon spent years and years yearning to be taken home. Waiting for his father to save him from the Starks and Northerners. And yet now, with his sister waiting to take him back home, he didn’t want it. Pyke would seem so small, so quiet in comparison to Winterfell now. Something was achieved here, something Northerners would remember for centuries. The myths, the stories, the songs. And the one person who was almost as hated as the Lannister Queen, was a part of that. Theon could admit only to himself that he felt some sense of pride. It made all those years he was so angry worth it. Even if it was only a little bit. 

It took Theon an exceptionally but predictable long time to even get down to the courtyard. He refused any help from the Maester, he couldn’t bear to look at his face, filled with sympathy. It wasn’t that Theon didn’t want his sympathy; he just didn’t believe he deserved it. He could walk quite well now, only limping every so often. The pain had subsided too, it was more of an ache now, as if Theon was lugging around something heavy. 

The courtyard was still covered in the white snow, though it was a warmer day, with the sun shining down. Theon noticed her straight away. Her auburn hair shone in the winter sun. She had styled it different today, embroidered with some kind of winter flower. She was speaking to a guard, deep in conversation. Theon couldn’t make out what was being said, only that he felt an odd sense of pride watching Sansa there. She looked quite beautiful in the morning glow. Yes, Theon could admit that to himself in the moment. All senses of what was right and the duty he had for his sister fell apart, just for that second. Sansa had always been beautiful, no one could deny that, and Theon had always thought so. But standing there, something had changed. Theon wasn’t entirely certain what his feelings were for Sansa, he couldn’t quite explain it. He just knew he felt them so strongly, it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep them to himself. Maybe it was for the best that they would part ways. Theon didn’t deserve to have those feelings for someone like Sansa. She deserved better. 

He waited a moment, watching her gesture quickly, before he made his way over to her. Sansa must have heard him coming, or felt his presence at least, as she didn’t move until Theon was barely inches away from her, as if she was preparing herself. She turned to face Theon and smiled. Her eyes glossed over Theon’s injury and wooden stick that was supporting him. A little sadness seemed to travel across her eyes, worry perhaps. She cared about Theon’s health; he knew that much. He supposed he should be grateful for that at least. 

“Lady Sansa.” Theon nodded, attempting to bow but failing miserably and completely embarrassing himself in front of her. Sansa didn’t seem to notice, her eyes fixated on Theon’s face and only his face. 

“Maester Wolkan mentioned you were feeling better.”

“I am.”

“That’s good. I suppo-“

“I think-“ 

Theon wasn’t sure what he was going to say in that moment, and a sense of relief almost engulfed him when Sansa began to spoke at the same time. Anything she had to say would be far more important, of course it would. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ll be going home soon.” Sansa continued to walk, but decided the snow patches on the ground were far more interesting that anything else in that moment. She couldn’t look at Theon, Theon could sense that. He didn’t think his facial scars were all that bad. They had healed pretty quickly, all things considered. Theon was the opposite. He didn’t want to take his eyes off Sansa for one moment. It would be a moment too soon. Leaving Sansa and Winterfell was not what Theon wanted to do, but he had to. He didn’t want to forget Sansa. Didn’t want to forget how softly spoken she was with Theon. Didn’t want to forget the small freckles dotted around her cheeks. Didn’t want to forget the way she made him feel. He would memorise everything about her, her features, her laugh, her smile, her favourite colour. Everything. That is what he would take and treasure. 

“Er, yes. I suppose I will.” 

“Your sister seems quite agitated.” Sansa motioned towards the Ironborn Queen, who was in that moment sat crossed legged ranting at the blacksmith. Theon only caught glimpses of the conversation, but it did not sound like a jovial debate. It never was with Yara. 

“She doesn’t like the North.” Theon sighed. It was a sentiment he had felt from the moment he stepped foot in Winterfell all those years ago with Ned Stark. But a part of Theon knew he never truly hated the North or Winterfell or even the Starks. He couldn’t. He hated himself more than anything now. 

“No, I don’t suppose she does. I’m not sure how well a Northerner would do in the Iron Islands.”

“A wolf in sheep’s clothing.” 

“She doesn’t like us Starks.”

“Have Greyjoys ever? My father didn’t.”

“I don’t know…things can change.” Sansa turned to Theon, her eyes locking onto his. She was blinking quickly, her breath hitched, though Theon may have imagined that. He too felt his heartbeat quicken the moment Sansa’s eyes found his. They didn’t stay for long, however. But moved down to his nose, and then his mouth. Sansa must have seen Theon noticing where her eyes fell to, she quickly focused back onto the courtyard, her eyebrows furrowed. What was she thinking? A question both Theon and Sansa pondered at. 

*

“Sansa, you should eat something.” The two Stark sisters were sat opposite each other. They rarely ate in the dining hall. It was far too big for just the two of them, so they would often sit in Sansa’s chambers. 

“Is there anything left?” 

“Plenty! That,” Arya grabbed the scroll that was taking all of Sansa’s attention and slid it across the table. “Can wait.” 

Sansa sighed, “Fine, fine.” 

“I haven’t seen you lately, have you been ignoring me?” 

“No, don’t be ridiculous.” 

“But you’ve been ignoring something else? Or someone.” 

“I don’t know what you mean.” 

“Yes, you do.” 

“No, I don’t.” 

“Are you going to make me spell it out?” 

Sansa shrugged her shoulders; she was so tired and didn’t think she had the strength or energy to argue with her sister any longer. 

“When does he leave?” 

“If you’re talking about Theon-” 

“I thought that was obvious.” 

“A matter of days, I suppose.” 

“I don’t like her. His sister.” 

“Hm. I think the feeling’s shared.” 

“Do you?” 

“I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter. Theon has to go home eventually.” 

“I always thought Winterfell was his home.” 

“Well, it’s not.” Sansa snapped, glaring at Arya. She was getting too angry at the wrong person and her sister wouldn’t thank her for that. But it was like Arya had no real idea what she was talking about. She had no idea what Sansa was feeling, how confusing and complicated it all was. 

“Sansa.” 

“What?” 

“I’m your sister, I know you better than anyone else, yes?” 

“Yes, Arya. Unfortunately.” 

“So, you can tell me.” 

“And what is it I’m supposed to be telling you?” 

“Are you being intentionally dense?” 

“That’s your Queen you’re talking to.” 

Arya sighed, of course Sansa would try to pull rank, “Sansa, please. I’m not an idiot. And nor is he.” 

“I don’t know-” 

“You can admit it, you know.” 

“Admit what?” 

“That you don’t want him to leave!” Arya exasperated, jabbed her fork into the wooden table. Sansa jumped at this, a little exaggerated Arya thought. But her sister was always so dramatic, making problems when it was quite clear to Arya what the answer was. 

“It sounds like you’re the one that doesn’t, not me.” 

“Well, that’s not true. But I have become used to Theon being here again. Like when we were younger. Before...everything changed.”  

Sansa stayed silent for a moment. “Maybe there’s some truth to that.” Annoyingly, Arya was right. It wasn’t just Sansa, Arya felt it too, as did many others at Winterfell. It was right to have Theon there. He was a hero after all. 

“Of course, there is. I’m never wrong.” 

“Oh, you are, plenty, Arya.” 

“Beside the point. So, what are we going to do about it?” 

“There’s nothing to be done. I can hardly command him to stay.” 

“Why not?” 

“Arya.” 

Arya shrugged, “I would.” Sansa wondered how much of that was true. The Baratheon bastard had followed her around like a lost puppy before the battle and even after. But it wasn’t long before he was bidding her a frosty farewell. 

“Which is why you’re not the Queen.” 

“Maybe for the best.” 

“Yes.” 

“So, you don’t want him to leave because...of what?” 

There was no point delaying or trying to dissuade Arya from the topic of conversation. Sansa would just have to face it. She was becoming sick of doing things she didn’t want to. Surely being Queen had some perks. “When I came back to Winterfell, promised to Ramsey, you were all gone. Father, Mother, Robb, Jon, you, Bran, and Rickon. Almost everyone we grew up with, disappeared, missing, dead, forgotten” 

“But Theon.” 

“Yes. Sometimes it still feels strange being here again. I thought this time, he perhaps would stay. Having a choice.” 

“Does he?” 

“Well, yes.” 

“So, you’d miss him?” 

“Yes, Arya, I would.” 

“Why?” 

“What?” 

“Why would you miss him? It can’t just because of Father, or Robb.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because I know you, Sansa.” 

“As you keep reminding me.” 

“Sansa-” 

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to do.” 

“You just don’t seem very happy.” 

“Fine. I don’t want him to leave. I want him to stay! But there’s nothing to be done.” 

“You could tell him.” 

“That wouldn’t make a difference.” 

“You don’t know that.” 

“It may not, and then where would we be? I couldn’t just confess-” 

“It isn’t some dark secret, Sansa. It makes perfect sense.” 

“If I did, and he still...” “And besides, I couldn’t do that. Make someone choose. I wouldn’t be the choice.”  

“You don’t know-” 

“I do, Arya. I can’t.” “I’m the Queen of the North now, I have duties that are far more important.” 

“I can sense we’re not going to get anywhere. Are you going to finish that?” Arya had been eyeing up Sansa’s plate for most of the conversation. She was hungrier than ever. All the arguing. 

“Have it.”  

*

Theon knocked gently on the bedchamber door. He knew Sansa was in there, probably far too busy for him, but he knew he’d have to just stop being a coward and tell her. He didn’t want to tell her. He would rather do anything else. Well, maybe not everything. But he had to. He knew that. 

“Come,” Sansa’s voice travelled through the door, and Theon obeyed, slowly opening it to find her standing in the middle of the room. She had her hands on her hips and was intently reading a piece of parchment. 

“I hope I’m not interrupting.” 

“Oh, no.” Sansa looked up to find Theon waiting anxiously by the door. She placed the scroll down and turned to face him fully. 

“Your new position, it’s keeping you busy?” Theon gestured towards the mountain of parchment and scrolls sprawled across the wooden table in the middle of the room. 

“Very. Everyone who came to Winterfell for safety, the ones that survived, have all gone home now. But that doesn’t mean we have enough to feed or clothe everyone...I sometimes wished I’d paid more attention when I was in King’s Landing or perhaps to Father.” Sansa sighed. She didn’t want to burden Theon with her problems, which seemed so insignificant compared to his plight. And yet, he was the only person she wanted to speak to. About how she was feeling, how he was making her feel. But she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t destroy the last shred of happiness Theon would have once he set foot back home, where he belonged. No matter what Sansa thought. 

“I’m sure you’ll get there.” Without you. Sansa couldn’t help but fill her brain of these thoughts. Theon was leaving Winterfell. He was leaving her. She doubted she would ever lay eyes on Theon Greyjoy again, and that pained her terribly. He looked so handsome in the light. Now most of his wounds had disappeared, Sansa could see his face properly. It was as if she was transported back to the younger self, watching Theon strut around Winterfell’s courtyard. She’d always thought he was handsome, though a little smug for her taste. She didn’t dare tell anyone, especially Robb. Oh, the teasing! But Sansa wasn’t a little girl pining over a Ironborn Prince. She was a Queen. But that didn’t mean queens couldn’t feel the way Sansa did. The way she wanted Theon to feel. 

“Is everything alright?” 

“Oh, yes. I, uh, spoke to my sister. She wants to leave in the morning.” 

Oh. Sansa hadn’t expected that, not one bit. This was far too soon. This didn’t give her enough time at all. But how could she tell him no? It wasn’t her decision to make. Theon was his own person and could very well do as he pleased. It wasn’t for Sansa to have complicated feelings about it. She was being selfish. “On the ‘morrow?” 

“Yes.” 

“So soon.” 

Theon nodded, blinking repeatedly. Sansa watched as Theon attempted to give her a small smile, though he looked pained to do so. Did he want to stay? Was that what he was trying to tell Sansa? She was more confused than ever. Why couldn’t he just say it? Why couldn’t she? 

“You’re not asking for permission?” 

“Uh, no, I don’t think so. Should I?” 

“No, Theon. Please, don’t.”  Sansa moved forward, closing the gap between the two of them. Theon watched as she walked. She seemed more vulnerable in this moment, as if she was laying herself bare just for Theon. Only for Theon. 

“Right. I just...wanted to tell you, in person.” Theon moved as if was going to say something else but stopped himself.  

“Thank you.” 

Beat. An awkward silence.  

“Is there anything you need before you go?” 

“Uh, no, I don’t think so.” Theon answered, far too formal for Sansa’s liking. 

“Of course. Well, you will be missed, I’m sure.” 

“Oh.” 

“The Hero of the Godswood.” 

“Very funny, Sansa.” 

“I’m not jesting. The North remembers, does it not?” 

“Of course, it does.” 

Sansa smiled; she tried to at least look happy for Theon. This was supposed to be a good thing. Theon was going home. He was recovered enough that he could travel. But Sansa felt anything but happy. And she was sure her face couldn’t hide that. 

“Arya will miss you.”

“Will she?”

“She’s become oddly sentimental recently. I suppose…you remind her of Robb. Of home.”

“Sansa-“

“I will miss you too, of course.”

“Of course…” Theon echoed Sansa’s comment, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Sansa would miss him. And she had openly admitted it. Well, of course she would. They had something shared the two of them. And Theon had come back to her, to Winterfell, for Winterfell. A small part of Theon pushed its way to the forefront of his mind, the small part that had a tiny glimmer of hope. The hope that Sansa felt as Theon did. That there was a chance Theon could have some happiness in his miserable life. This part of Theon had been pushed down, pushed away. Sansa had never shown any true interest, and it was comical to think so. But now, the way she stopped when Theon admitted he was leaving so soon. The way she spoke so softly to him. The way she was the first person to see Theon when he woke. The way she told him she would miss him. That maybe, just maybe, she didn’t want him to go. 

“I’m sure you’ll be happy to go.” Sansa spoke so softly, and yet it bought Theon back to reality, shattering that slimmer of hope he had. No, of course, not. Sansa would miss him, as she would miss anyone. But she was happy to see him leave. Too many memories. Theon was not a good person, especially to Sansa and the Starks. Why should he deserve any true happiness? He was alive. That was all he got. The old gods had been merciful, and Theon should be grateful. Dreaming of anything changing between him and Sansa was a folly, it couldn’t be. 

“You’ll be happy to have me out of your hair.” Sansa didn’t understand why Theon seemed so intent on putting himself down. She could never think like that and would not. She wanted to tell him that wasn’t true. That she couldn’t think of anything worse than him leaving her. She wanted him to know how she truly felt. But it wouldn’t make a difference. Theon was leaving, he wanted to, otherwise why would he go?

“We never saw it like that, Theon. Never.” Theon took a sharp intake of breath, but he stayed silent. Sansa waited for Theon, for him to understand what she was saying. Theon caught a glimpse of something in Sansa’s eyes, almost as if she was pleading with him. What was she saying? Was she yearning as much as he was? She couldn’t be, she couldn’t feel as Theon did. Why would she? What did Theon have that Sansa could want? He’d betrayed her, her family. He’d destroyed so much. And yet, Theon could feel his mask failing, his wall falling. He so longed for Sansa to reciprocate how he felt. He longed to mustier up the courage to voice his feelings. To tell Sansa how important she was to him, how he believed he couldn’t live a true life without her. How he would think of her noon until nightfall. How she plagued his dreams, how she soothed his nightmares. How her kindness, her softness, her delicateness, were the only things that brought Theon joy. How could he ever tell her that? Putting those feelings into words would be difficult enough. But he couldn’t. He had to let her go. And she had to let him. It was the only way. 

“Well, I’ll be sure to bid you farewell in the morning.” 

Theon nodded, “Thank you, Sansa. I’ll, uh, leave you to...” 

Before Sansa could return her thanks, Theon had left. He’d disappeared completely. Slipped out. Just as he would the next morning. Theon Greyjoy was leaving, and there was absolutely nothing Sansa could do about that. She was losing him. 

*

Upon waking the next morning, Theon realised he had almost not sleep at all that night. He wasn’t particularly surprised. How could he? The early morning was spent trying not to overthink everything that Sansa had said. The way she looked at him. The small smiles she would give only to Theon. How sad she looked when Theon told her of his plan to leave. But he couldn’t help himself. How could he not think anything of it? He couldn’t bear to think of what could have been. He didn’t want to think of Sansa. But she followed him everywhere. He couldn’t not think of her. Her ugly laugh whenever she found something funny. The depth of her hair, and how it trailed down her back. Her fingers touching Theon’s. How she had sat with Theon almost every morning after he woke up. The way her eyes sparkled whenever she was excited. Theon didn’t want to part with those memories, with those feelings. He couldn’t. And soon that would be all he had left of Sansa. 

*

“Sansa. Sansa!”

Sansa stood, next to her sister, up high on the balcony. The two sisters were watching the commotion in the courtyard. The Ironborn soldiers along with their Queen and Theon were crowding around. There was laughter, shouting, drinking. Arya thought they were all very pleased to be leaving, just as many Winterfell folk were glad, they were going. 

“Yes?”

Arya glanced over to the courtyard, noticing the young Greyjoy talking to the Maester. Sansa’s eyes were still fixed on him, though her expression was unreadable. “Are you listening or are you slightly distracted?”

“I don’t know what you mean; I’m listening.” Sansa was frowning, but didn’t take her eyes off the courtyard. She couldn’t bring herself to. She wanted to watch Theon until the moment he was no longer visible. It was the only thing she could do in that moment. “Proceed.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Oh, yes.”

“He’s off then.”

“Yes, Arya, he is.”

“Did you tell him?”

“Arya-“

“Clearly not, he wouldn’t be leaving if you did.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do. Sansa-“

“Arya, please!”

“Did you say goodbye?”

“Yes.”

“Well then, I suppose that’s settled.” 

“Arya-“

“You’ll have to find a new candidate.” And with that, Arya stormed off, speeding down the steps. Oh, great. 

“Arya!”

Sansa’s eyes found Theon, still stood in the courtyard. His sister walked away, leaving him alone down below. Sansa wasn’t sure how long it was until Theon glanced up to find her still watching him. Sansa wasn’t embarrassed this time. This may have been the last time she would ever look upon his face. She was going to treasure it. Memorise all of his features. The way his curls bounced around his face, the slight stubble he had grown since being at Winterfell, how calm his eyes looked now the fighting was over. She would remember it all. All of it. 

Sansa smiled at Theon, waiting for him to respond. But he couldn’t return it. 

And as Arya said, that was that. Theon Greyjoy was gone. And Sansa Stark would just have to put up with it. 

*

The Ironborn party hadn’t been riding long when one of the soldiers stopped in his tracks. Theon had been trying to think of anything but the red-headed Stark but had failed miserably. In a sense, it was a relief to have something to distract him from her, even for just a moment.

“Stop! We have a shadow.” 

“What-” 

Only a few feet away, was a young boy, a servant boy; Theon remembered him. He ran around the courtyard not long before the Battle of Winterfell, playing with, whom Theon presumed, his sisters. And it seemed he was running again, but this time, towards Theon. 

“Lord. Theon.” The boy was panting hard, clearly from running all the way from Winterfell. It must have been at least a few miles. But he still made sure to bow in front of Theon. Theon hated when people did that. ‘Lord Theon’! What a joke. 

“Yes?” 

“The. Queen. She. Sent me.” 

“Good gods, will he get on with it?” Yara was tired of this. She had spent far too long in Winterfell, in the North. She needed the Iron Islands, and as soon as possible. 

“He just needs to catch his breath.” 

“Well, Theon. You stay with him while he does. Ride on!” Yara turned away from her brother, to continue riding. Theon watched the Ironborn soldiers follow suit and waited until they were out of earshot. He moved himself off his horse and knelt down, so he was level with the young boy. 

“She sent me. To give you this.” The small boy held out his hand. Something wrapped in cloth stood before Theon, waiting to be unwrapped. Theon didn’t understand, he couldn’t think of anything Sansa would want to give him. The servant boy waited for Theon to unravel the item. To Theon’s surprise, it seemed to be a pin of some sort. A wolf’s head. The Stark crest. Theon held it in his hand, up to the dim light of the early morning. He rubbed his index finger over the wolf, feeling the smoothness drag across his skin. Sansa had given him this. To remember her by perhaps? Or was it something more. Theon never believed himself to be a Stark. But he didn’t truly feel like a Greyjoy either. Maybe he could be one, maybe this was proof. Theon did belong somewhere, but he was going in the wrong direction. 

“Thank you. Will you tell the Queen...” 

“Yes, m’lord.” 

This gift seemed to explain how Sansa felt without saying a word. And Theon Greyjoy was leaving her for Pyke. What on earth was he doing?

[onceuponaneverafter]

hi everyone, and:

welcome to my blog! <3

i figured now that i'm posting more actively, i'd do a little post to actually introduce myself beyond the tiny bit of info in my description and the fact that i really needed somewhere to talk about OUABH lol.

a little about me

you can call me lili! i'm 22 years old and i use she/her pronouns.

aside from my love for reading, i'm a writer - i'm working on a YA fantasy/romance duology right now! and a couple more projects. well, a few. but you know...

i'm also a college student (if you see my longer theory posts, it's blatantly obvious from the structure that i'm working on my BA thesis 😭) (update: the thesis is done! 🥳)

i adore books, green tea, flowers, sparkles, everything romantic, the colors purple and pink, pretty clouds, cozy aesthetics...

i also love taylor swift's music, as you might have noticed if you've come across my little lyric posts <3

i have a lot of hobbies related to music and different types of arts and crafts!

a little about my blog

this is my side blog dedicated to the once upon a broken heart book series <3

i created this because i needed to talk to someone about those books and my bestie is taking forever to read them (update: my bestie has read them! but i love posting here so you all aren't getting rid of me anytime soon <3)

i will always tag spoilers in my posts. i also will not reblog ACFTL content without spoiler warnings for a good while once the book is out.

sorry but we hate apollo here :)

but we LOVE evangeline and jacks to balance things out <3

will i post OUABH theories? yes. will i post fanart? maybe! what else will i post? fanfiction! something else? we'll see!

we have cookies!!! and apples 🍎

masterlist

Let's Talk About Jacks's Apples part 1

Let's Talk About Jacks's Apples part 2

i hope you enjoy your stay, feel free to scroll around as much as you'd like! <3

[fushitoru]

hi hi saw your future projects post and I'm here weighing my two cents.

totally get it if you stop after gojo for bridgerton!au but I lowkey would love to read bridgerton!nanami ( I'm a nanami whore/enjoyer wtv you'd like to call it) I remember you mentioned anth about mc in his fic being the person behind whistledown nd I would love to see you explore that more cause one I LOVEEEE the whistledown articles in every bridgerton!gojo updates infact I look forward to them eagerly especially when il you're putting sm efforts in them. on a related side tangent can't wait to see Mr Nanami making duke gojo want to eat his own fist like you deserve that mf. but anyway don't think too much of it write what you want like I said if you don't want to continue bridgerton!au I totally respect that and hopefully everyone else will also cause at the end of the day it's your art, your decision <3

overall I'd love to read more nanami stuff from you ^^ also TOJI SUKUNA BEING TOGETHER MAKES PERFECT SENSE I'M SP THANKFUL SOMEONE GETS IT CAUSE I GET SHIT ON FOR RAMBLING ABOUT THAT TO MY JJK ENJOYER FRIENDS!!! love big bro sukuna mwahhh.

HI POOOKIEEEE im glad you think that

yea honestly I’d love to explore reader secretly being a diva and knowing all the TEA AHHH. I think part of my hesitance is that I may suck at writing nanami? WE'LL SEE

and dude gojo is going to almost get into a violent duel with him please T-T

AND LOL i love shipping tojikuna. have they ever met? no but they would have the most homoerotic bromance somehow

[sheliesshattered]

I finished Jack's Very Fancy Santa Hat yesterday -- or well, finished enough to call it done for now. I might want to re-do the fur (or parts of it) at some point, but hey, is that or is that not a Very Fancy Santa Hat:

I'm like, 95% happy with it, and that last 5% is really down to learning new techniques on the fly, and my goal of making this 'heirloom quality'. It is, I'll grant, both very fancy and obviously a Santa Hat, and Jack seems really happy with it (he's wearing it while I type this up). But if I get a chance in the future I might try to improve it, we'll see.

I've also decided not to finish my Santa hat right now, since there's only a few weeks left until midwinter and Christmas, and given the choice between the two, I would rather have my velvet Yule dress done and wearable and save my Santa hat to finish for next year. So I've put away all the hat-making things and shifted gears into getting the velvet gown cut out. Here's one of the side-back panels ready to be cut out:

I'm really hoping to have this dress done and wearable three weeks from today, for an event Jack and I are going to. Three weeks is pretty quick for any sewing project for me, much less for a silk velvet gown. But, on the bright side, I know this (self-drafted) pattern really well, I know which parts are fiddly and which parts are easy, and I don't expect there to be any fit issues. And sewing the seams for the Santa hats gave me some practice working with this velvet, so I already have a good handle on what I need to do to make sure the dress's seams don't creep around on me.

This velvet is gorgeous and not nearly as difficult as the other silks I've sewn in the last few years. Like any velvet, I'm cutting it face-down, and on the backside there's a really obvious weft and fairly obvious warp, so it's pretty easy to get the grain squared up before cutting. It's only moderately wiggly, generally stays put unless nudged, though I do try to get the pattern weights on just as soon as I'm certain of the placement. Both of the silks for my Rhaenyra cosplay were much more annoying to work with, and so while this isn't the easiest fabric I've worked with recently, it's not so bad.

But cutting out full-length gown pieces is exhausting, a slow process of getting the velvet laid out and squared up, figuring out which piece best fits there -- cutting them all in the same direction just in case the nap decides to make an appearance eventually -- laying out the pattern and weighting it so it doesn't move, cutting it out with my rotary cutter and then going back through with scissors for any notches. The part of my back that I injured late last summer generally doesn't hurt anymore, except when I lean over my cutting table for long periods like this. So I keep having to take breaks to go sit with my back on my heating pad and let the muscles calm down a bit.

We're doing a Lord of the Rings marathon today (and the one benefit of sewing in a ~825sqft place is that I'm never far from the TV lol). We're a little past the midway point in Two Towers and I've gotten four panels cut out and a fifth ready to cut, before sitting down to take a break and write this post. The dress has nine panels and then the two single-piece sleeves, eleven pieces total, so I'm not quite half way through the cutting process. If I can get this whole thing cut out by the end of Return Of The King I'll be happy, and barring that I should be able to get the last of it cut out early tomorrow.

This velvet doesn't fray nearly as badly as the brocade for the Rhaenyra dress, but I might want to stay-stitch the edges of each piece just to stop the fraying from happening. If I decide to do that, it'll be before I start pinning pieces together. Either way, I probably won't run the sewing machine until Monday, when Jack is back at work, rather than tomorrow while we've got cozy movies on.

Three weeks really isn't a lot of time, but my holiday shopping is nearly done, I don't have any other major craft projects or work demands, and I'm not planning on any significant baking or cooking between now and midwinter. So maybe if I can keep myself moving, especially on workdays, I'll be able to get this done with all its finishings in plenty of time to wear on the 21st.

[betweenlands]

arctic oscillation update! now clocking in at roughly 17.5k words, arcosc is officially longer than any of the 77-2 fics and is quite possibly on-pace to be the single longest solo work we've ever written, given that we're only five chapters in and again need at least 2-3 more chapters before there's an ending in sight!

surprisingly though, the final hurdle to get there happens to be one of our oldest fics. i had no idea vm! was a little under 20k words long, but it is, apparently, 19,962 words long, which is just absolutely stunning to me.

(after that, though, wordcounts go up drastically as our three longest fics are all collab fics -- the hec and jo show is exactly 27.5k words, TICOTBSSK (which we're credited on for worldbuilding/other help but was 95% Zain) is 37.8k words, and of course dog at the door clocks in at an absolutely staggering 66,416 words.)

anyway though, holy shit, i don't think we can call this a side project anymore, this is more like an orbital laser on its own and then there's also a second orbital laser that hasn't been loaded with ammunition yet. actually i'm a little scared to find out what bs!au's wordcount will be, given that it's a Solar And Fluffy Fic and last time that happened we uh . yeah.

also we're still not sure how to end arcosc lol. it'll come eventually, i'm sure, but at the moment the plot threads are forming too interesting of a tapestry for anything to have a concrete end in sight. we'll figure it out though. we've got a lot of time before this thing ends up being published, after all...

...it's not the only thing in Project Northern Desert.