#whats interesting is there is actually a lot of lore behind this scene and the meaning of fawns when it comes to death.

[elainsgirl]

Fox and the Fawn, is not canon. It is a fanon name made for elucien by eluciem stans as Sjm never cared enough to give elucien their own beautiful imagery and name together.

Foxes and Fawns do not have a symbolic relationship. They are not present together in any folklores. In nature - at most, they simply co-exist. Foxes actually prey on the carcasses of Fawns and may even hunt them if they’re desperate enough. They are not linked metaphorically or literally. There is nothing romantic about a fox and a fawn together. One is predator, one is prey. They are not equals.

It is not comparable to elriels’ canon, imagery of Death and the Lovely Fawn. The Fawn that represents Life - its only equal, Death. Light and Dark. That is a powerful imagery Mass painted between elriel. The author herself, took her time and went into detail about elriels’ connection. Something she did not do for Elain and her mate.

[kinardsevan]

i wrote a whole ass psychology breakdown (for the first time in FOREVER) about the break-up. enjoy (if you so choose):

so I've been reading a lot in relation to Tommy's speech during the break-up (and have actually gotten through the scene several times now, mostly as a creative reference for these fix-it fics. I think one of the first things that I've seen completely tossed aside (that bothers the shit out of me as someone with over a decade of therapy treatment and a psychology degree) is whatever trauma Tommy carries.

We know that there are issues with his dad. We know Lou's lore behind him is that he spent a lot of his childhood alone. We don't know anything in relation to his mom, but she may or may not be the cause of more trauma. We know that his way of dealing with abuse of authority is to shut down and follow the leader, which is likely a mix of his military time and growing up in his father's household (and when I say this, I mean from what we saw of him under Gerrard's command). This is a person who has put years into getting himself into some version of okay after all that he's endured, and we know he still generally does it on his own.

To that end, here, have my breakdown of the break up (roughly right about the time Buck says "I want you to move in with me"). (with pictures!)

Prior to the offer, we watch Tommy process through Evan's explanation about his relationship with Abby, things being transformative for him, etc. We have to bare in mind that this is where we also start to get what I've dubbed "starry-eyed Buck". He's so in the throes of what he's saying that I don't think he's really considering the connotation of his words. At the same time, Tommy doesn't know what lore Evan is about to drop him about this prior relationship. Remember that he now has to contend with the fact that they both have strong opinions on their relations toward Abby, and Tommy can't know if their feelings toward her as a person will be the same. I think Lou played this beautifully, appearing anxious and apprehensive as Tommy listened to Evan explain that Abby was transformative for him. Then he shifts into how Tommy has been transformative for him (which, he has, and we as the audience know this, but we understand it from a bigger POV than what Evan is saying with his words.)

There have been posts about Evan putting Tommy up on a pedestal throughout this speech (and really, possibly even sooner, but this is where we really get it expressed). Tommy tries to rectify this to a degree by countering "I wasn't always that way".

To that end, we then get Evan telling him "I know, and it just makes me admire you more." Tommy gives a bashful smile, clearly heartened by the statement, and even opening his mouth as though he's going to respond to it in some form. It would be interesting to know what was on Lou's mind of what (if anything) he thought would've been said there. Are there lines that were removed in this scene? Was 'I love you' actually going to come up? We can't really know. However, there's this part of me that thinks that Tommy thought that they were having a discussion on the depth of their relationship which would've possibly brought those 7 letters to the equation. Either way, this entire bit of facial acting is SO important, because it speaks volumes about how Tommy feels about how Evan feels about him.

From there we get the "I want you to move in with me, and this, THIS, THIS is such an important point for this ENTIRE scene. It's two seconds, but it holds SO much for the narrative. This man, who seems to be on the verge of ...something, clearly (who knows if I Love You was on his mind, or if it was just the fact that Evan was expressing how much he cares about him.) The reason this is all so important is THIS REACTION:

Now again, we don't know Tommy's trauma, but the joy literally drops out of his expression and shifts to panic. Now, speaking solely from the standpoint that these two haven't even said "I love you" yet, his boyfriend steamrolled over him from a possible declaration of love straight to moving in together without discussing semantics. Further, it's not even "I want to live together", it's "move in with me". We don't know much about Tommy's house (because these shitheads haven't built him a set yet), but we know that he has a HOUSE. With a GARAGE. Buck lives in a LOFT. Regardless of how much of an asshole this makes me sound like, it's crawling with red flags. It comes across as "fit more into my life" instead of "lets do this thing together". Further, if that's not bad enough, mention of getting engaged and married is thrown at Tommy as well, which holds two major bits of information: One, these are on Evan's mind. We've NEVER heard him talk about getting engaged or married to anyone. This speaks to the importance of their relationship to him, but the lack of I Love You also speaks on his own trauma. If we truly are getting the rom-com trope, at some point there's likely to be a conversation about why he lept over it (*cough* Taylor, his parents *cough cough*). Meanwhile, as he's continued in his starry-eyed speech, this is what Tommy is giving:

Now for those who don't know how to spot it, this my friends is a PANIC RESPONSE. The shift forward, the move to get up, the literal deep breath. He's having a panic attack. Now, obviously we don't know what brought this on, but god-willing, we WILL get the answers.

Now, to his own point, Tommy doesn't just straight up pop Evan's pink bubble. He does express that it's a sweet sentiment, but that it's a bad idea. To which point we get:

"Evan, that is so sweet. But I can't move in with you." "And why not?" Because. I know how this ends." "Uh, what-what's that supposed to mean?"

At which point, we clearly get the qualities about Evan that Tommy likes. "Incredible guy. Big-hearted. Hot as hell. Impulsive." I don't feel that the expression here matters as much as his tone of voice, because we can see on his face that he's expressing these qualities from a good place. The next point of reference isn't until Tommy's next line, when he says that Evan's reaction is out of things being "new and exciting".

To that end, the way Evan is talking to him makes this statement valid. He's not talking to Tommy like they've been together for six months and have built a relationship that should be moving in this direction. (For the tenth time I will repeat, he couldn't even dignify whether he was in love with Tommy when Josh asked).

Furthermore, I think when you consider this part of the scene, you also have to consider the strain in Tommy's voice. Something about those concepts (living together, getting engaged, married) is terrifying. It definitely gives the impression that Tommy has been faced with some version of this before and he got burned. Why is this important? Because of this:

"I'm saying no matter how bad I want it to be, I'm not your last." Those 9 words are important on their own, but when you couple them with the expression on Tommy's face and what we've just seen him go through, there's a clear point to the fact that he's been through this before. I also think that there can't be enough importance placed on the way he intonates "how bad". This is not a man saying no because he doesn't want to. He's backpedaling because he's sure that he's going to get burned. We get this point further driven home with this exchange:

"I'm your first." "But hey, they can be the same thing." "But, they usually aren't."

See this doesn't read to me as someone who's scared because he knows Evan has never been with another man. They're both fully grown adults who have had multiple relationships. What this speaks to me (now) as, is someone who has let someone convince him before that he would be their forever, that they were all in, and then broke him. When you include his childhood trauma and whatever abandonment issues it's left him with in correlation with all of this, yes, it's still an extremely biphobic set of lines. But in the context of what he's expressing and why, it's not about telling Evan he needs more experience, it's about telling him that he doesn't believe that he'll want to stay settled down with him six months, a year, etc., down the road. And THAT my friends, is abandonment issues 101. "Everyone else has left, so it doesn't matter that I'm in love with you, because you will leave too, and I need to protect myself from that."

Following that, we get this: "if I were to move in with you, you wouldn't mean to, you wouldn't plan for it, but you'd end up breaking my heart."

This line is SO important, right next to Evan's exchange with Josh about his relationship with Tommy. Why? Because even though neither of them have said it, it spells out that these two are in fact in love with each other, even if they haven't said it.

"I don't think I could deal with that." Tommy is fucking GONE on him. He's expressing that if he gave himself fully over to what Evan's referring to, losing him would break him. Again, we don't have the full picture on his trauma, but we know there's a mountain there. It's also worth noting again, that the intonation he uses in these statements clearly come across as someone trying to reign in their emotions and keep it together. That says to me that we're dangeously close to touching his trauma.

I don't feel like I have to include the final few bits of the scene in gifs because they're all over the site now, but the next line gives over the fact that he hasn't really been open about his trauma to Evan, given that his immediate response to expressing all of this is "I should go". This kind of reaction is generally brought on as not being accepted for having certain feelings. Now, obviously Evan is caught off guard by the entire interaction, the same way Tommy was (but for different reasons), so we have to take all of that into account when we think about the fact that instead of countering Tommy's logic, he asks instead if Tommy is breaking up with him.

Body language is also so important here for Tommy. His shoulders are hunched in, we see him wipe his face (meaning there are likely tears), and when he turns around, he's so caught up in whatever wave has taken him over that it takes Evan asking him for Tommy to state "yeah, I guess I did" about breaking up. Further, there's the fact that he states that he didn't see the break-up coming, which goes back to my point at the top of this post, that he clearly thought the conversation was going one direction, and instead it goes the other. From this point, we have Evan reeling, because he wants to create more of a life with Tommy, while Tommy is shutting down because of whatever is holding him back.

Finally, as I've referenced before, we get this line:

"Should've known that parking spot was too good to be true."

That line makes zero sense out of context, but in consideration of someone trying to lighten the weight they're carrying (which you can literally see by the way he has his hand on his neck, which you generally only see people do as a stress response). You can also double entendre this statement that getting to be with Evan was too good to be true. We get that little inhale with the smile, and I swear to God the only time I've seen that kind of reaction is right before someone cracks.

And then in closing, we get the "I'll see you 'round, Buck," our closing gut punch. Evan is still reeling, clearly. His face is very "what the hell just happened". Tommy is clearly not okay. This entire scene has opened an entire can of worms on them without a whole lot of answers.

Now, I've owned the fact that basically from the end of 806, I felt like this had to be a swerve, and that there has to be more to the story. I've also pretty much owned the fact that if the writers did actually just do this for kicks and don't have a resolution for it, I may not keep watching. However, in the context of the fact that, for the moment, I'm choosing to put hope in some kind of resolution, these lines make so much more sense. It is worth noting though, most people in the fandom, let alone the general audience, aren't going to psychologically break this shit down line-by-line. They're not going to lean into whatever trauma Tommy has that we don't know about yet. Its why the internet has been a mess since Thursday night. But it's also why I talk about how, when this situation gets resolved (because right now I refuse to say if), Buck has to give up the loft and give more of himself. Tommy, by the nature of the show, has fully immersed himself in Evan's life, but we haven't seen or heard mention of Evan doing so at all in Tommy's life. That doesn't mean he hasn't, but we haven't gotten any version of that. So when I say Evan needs to give things up... it's about matching what he's asking Tommy to give up. Because at the end of the day, when this circles back around, he's effectively going to be asking Tommy to trust that he won't break his heart like others have, and when you have a lifetime of abandonment issues and have learned to cope by being hyper-independent and alone, moving in the opposite direction is more terrifying than anything else. ESPECIALLY when you love that person, which we saw Tommy spell out. Evan has the ability to break him (and probably already is via this cut-off-at-the-quick break up.)

So, I'm really gonna need these shit heads to figure out that they'll be more miserable apart than they'd ever be together.

That's all. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[joyflameball]

The differences between the FNAF movie and the Minecraft movie are so fascinating to me. Here you have two different movies made out of beloved video games. They've both got a million games based off of/created with them, with FNAF having all its "Five Nights At [INSERT FRANCHISE HERE]" games, and Minecraft having the most gorgeous stories and worlds you've ever seen literally built on it. Both movies went through production hell, presumably went through a fuckton of scripts and a whole lot of edits, and then were made after a whole decade.

The FNAF movie is 95% practical effects. The animatronics are 1 to 1 recreations of how they are in the games, moving robotically, being puppetted and worn. I cannot stress enough, they actually made those things. They actually built the sets and built the animatronics, and the movie is just ten thousand times better for it. I can't even put it into words. And I remember, the atmosphere leading up to the movie's release was pure excitement. And when it finally DID release? From what I personally have seen, a lot of people really liked it! I certainly did! This was a project ten years in the making, and you can tell! There's so much love for FNAF in this movie, and you can feel it! I really love the retake on the FNAF lore, the interesting characters, the clear passion behind everything in this movie, and how they've redone one of FNAF's longest-standing characters. Because by god, they did William Afton justice, and he's in about three scenes.

The Minecraft movie, on the other hand, is a complete CGI nightmare. A green screened CGI nightmare that may not be AI generated, but sure fuckin looks that way. It looks like there is zero passion behind this movie, just the cold motivation to make money and appeal to The Youths. They referenced the fucking "the children yearn for the mines" meme without understanding the meme was making fun of someone suggesting we bring back child labor. That by itself shows that they do not care. I cannot find a single frame that has an iota of love for Minecraft, the love that we have grown up on for years. The atmosphere leading up to the Minecraft movie's release is dread. Dread and anger. Between the awful CGI, the stupid fucking Marvel-esque quips, the whitewashing Steve, the lack of love for this goddamn game, everybody saying a teenager could do better is fucking right.

[srslylini]

The thing about Act 1 of season 2 is that, while in context with the rest of s2 it was bad, they actually did set up a good story and continued season 1 pretty amazingly.

There were still some problems but genuinely most of those problems stem from the rest of the Episodes not delivering and not on the first 3 setting stuff up.

Act 1 giving us the tree being sick? Really good idea, perfect set up even the connection between the hextech and it being sick? Nice as fuck. It's what they did with it (nothing) and how it didn't matter (at all) that destroys Act 1.

Caitlyn's set up was absolutely not bad, and a lot of people were praising it. It made sense for her character and it also didn't seem like they thought she was right. Not with all the other episodes after Act 1, though. Contrary to populer believe I like morally not so good (evil) characters if they make sense. Caitlyns narrative was promising to be interesting they just didn't do anything with it and acted like what she did in Act 1 was fine and excusable and alright. It wasn't. Had they actually done something with what they set up with her, well I wouldn't be standing here now.

They also promised this season being a Vi focused season and while I would say that Act 1 did actually give us a lot of Vi, in context with the other Acts... no. In hindsight there was no need to make her an Enforcer. "But the lore-" I'm gonna stop you right there, they also completely changed Viktors lore, and even Jinx' lore. So?

CaitVi was also something that, in Act 1, I was way more ready to get behind. I was a CaitVi shipper in season 1, I did like their dynamic and wanted it explored. I liked their kiss. I did not like what they did after that. Not Caitlyn hitting Vi and then getting to hit her again and never apologizing. I am a lesbian and here I am telling you: Everything that happened with them was weird.

Act 1 also gave us this genuine good found family between Isha, Sevika and Jinx. It was so moving and well done even in such short of a time (there is still stuff to criticize about it but the consensus is that it is awesome so yk I can overlook certain stuff). And then they turned around and wrote Sevika completely out of the story and killed the plot device that was Isha. When Isha should have mattered.

I didn't even originally dislike how many new characters they introduced because season 1 once mastered characters like this. Maddie seemed promising, until she wasn't. Loris seemed interesting and well thought out until he wasn't. Lest was such a good addition until she was just written out of the show completely. Don't even get me started on Steb.

Ambessas ploy in Act 1 was also something that I genuinely liked. Even Mel figuring out a mystery was good. Until they decided "well that doesn't matter anymore".

In Act 1 I did actually like the subtleties. I liked how Caitlyn saw the Violets and how, in episode 3 of s2 she saw one through her rifles lense (I have no idea what that is called, sue me haha) floating over Jinx. Because it was a nice add on and nothing that would destroy your viewing experience if not noticed, and it wasn't on the nose.

While a lot of directions they took, I was already questioning (the Smeech stuff took up way too much time) I was ready to give that a pass because it didn't destroy anything, yet.

Up until episode 4, it all seemed well enough, and while the prison scene also made me question stuff (that god damn Enforcer pants joke oh my god I will never let that go what was that) it wasn't anything too bad, yet.

The reason Act 1 doesn't work now is because of Act 2 and Act 3. Had Act 1 stood alone or had Act 2 and Act 3 delivered on Act 1, we wouldn't have that much of a problem. As it is the further Acts destroy what Act 1 seemed to carefully build up.

In the end what seemed purposefully and artistically done in Act 1 now seems like something the writers actually believe.

[starrieisdelusional]

why kairi might be the one who manipulated sora's memory

yes you read that right, and no i did not mis-type this (if you're thinking hey that should be namine!)

i was going back a few times to kh3 and i found many patterns and cutscenes in 3 that can be compared to previous installments of the game, even side by side, this one particularly caught my eye:

crazy am i right

so remember that scene in 3 where sora falsely exclaimed "the light in the darkness" to be kairi? (it's actually riku) where sora and kairi goes enters the light to made it back to the real world

previous clip in link because tumblr isn't working with me ("riku, answer me!!" comparison with "okay! i have to protect them (aitsu)! Namine can you hear me?")

as you've seen in the comparison i realized it probably a direct paralell to namine's fake meteor shower scene back in COM Sora's side. And these lines of dialogue in particular interest me

it got me thinking, and i think that kairi purposely did something to sora's memory at some point in their lives. The exact when i'm not too sure, but she had inserted herself into some of riku's part in sora's life as sora's taisetsu na hito (special someone)

i know this sounds crazy, but i think there's a valid reason to this theory

Why??

the motive is clear: that kairi is lonely. i personally relate to her character struggle, loneliness can be suffocating, just like how namine portrayed hers that resulted to the events in COM

kairi's main theme has always been about 'seperation' and being left behind by sora and riku. so it would make sense for her to crave attention

kairi might feel sad that sora and riku doesn't pay attention to her unlike how they pay attention to each-other, so i don't see it as off character for her to insert herself into a fake picture if she had the chance, especially as the love interest of her crush

she even said this back in KH1 which sora responded with "Huh!? What's gotten into you?"

or is it done out of malicious intentions? there might be a possibility for that, but i don't think it is as it goes against kingdom hearts thematic story that stays consistent over the years, that portrays every character struggle in a sympathetic way that honestly you can relate too

(xehanort is even a subject to this in dark road)

i think that kairi felt really guilty about it and didn't realized the impact that she had done to sora and riku's relationship. or maybe she thrived for it, because even if the affection is not real, kairi is still loved and remembered by someone as their precious person, and it feels nice especially with someone like sora

snippet from kh3 novel

in the novels, there's a strong hint that kairi cut her hair because riku cut his, which contributes a lot to the theory of kairi wanting to be sora's precious person (riku) where she somewhat mimics his behavior (she probably realized deep down sora cares more about riku than her)

Passing Memories

i think this also made sense lore wise, because why else would sora suddenly lost his memory of riku? and i don't think sora's sort-of infatuation with kairi is caused by comphet alone

forgotten promises is a recurring theme in sora and riku's relationship, everything up to this point has always leads to hidden thoughts and burried memories, you have to dig deeper if you want to find a connection between sora and riku, the examples currently are:

whatever is happening between soriku

passing memories jp name of oblivion keyblade that is owned by roxas

riku is the TRUE light

necklace theory: the fact that THE necklace is everywhere in the game but is never brought up like ever

aitsu (check full discussion on the internet)

COM the game (just everything related to COM, the only game with riku and sora beside DDD? it's sus if you ask me)

compared to sora and kairi who's relationship always seems shallow and on the surface. i think it made more sense with the 'why' factor answered, because every time sora is thinking of riku, kairi would replace herself in his position, just like the light-tunnel scene in kh3

the 'oathkeeper' (promise charm) and 'oblivion' (passing memories) also reflected sora keeping his promise to kairi, but forgetting about his to riku, riku might not be affected in the same way that sora does, so this happens:

+ the multiple and many instances, riku is straight up covered by kairi

some of those instances:

kairi is true darkness (ex: sea is metaphor for darkness)

xion (is said to be kairi but proven also to also be riku)

the final world

Power?

honestly, i think kairi is more than she lets on (like LUXU), let's talk about her nobody:

i think it's already suspicious that namine has the power to mess with sora's memories (because she's from kairi's body and sora's heart?) when existing nobodies like roxas and xion for example has powers directly tied to their somebodies (kingdom key), xehanort doing xehanort things, marluxia possessing the same rose petals as his somebody counterpart, (and a lot more...)

so, with a game like kingdom hearts, does namine's powers really came out of no where? we know that sora doesn't have the ability to manipulate people's memories, so who else could it be?? kairi's powers might even be more powerful

this would also aligns with the theory 'riku is light-kairi is darkness' because even at front value the game is telling you 'hey kairi is LIGHT and riku is DARKNESS' time and time again its always the reverse in certain situations, but you never got to wonder what it actually mean

yes riku is the light, but why is kairi the darkness?? yes she sort-of brings demise as xehanort's pawn, but is it really just that?

lastly, kairi is a princess of heart, and might even came from the lost masters era as it is decorated and spammed with stars (every symbol is replaced by stars i'm not joking)

it's very on-theme with the 'traitor' plot point that has been consistent in every khux game, so... (i have a theory that kairi is master ava, or master ava is her grandma, OR kairi is mom... or skuld)

in addition to all of this, i also think that kairi can also be a creature, maybe she's actually a chirithy:

however i do think as opposed to riku as a dreameater (spirit), kairi is a nightmare chirithy, as seen in their color pallet (might be a coincidence but who knows)

[lilybecca1]

Hi! Can I ask your top 5 fav BKDK fics recs? Thx so much 🥰

Hi! Sure! *Pulls out a list*

Okay just kidding

I've read like a TON of bkdk fics so far but the ones that actually got to me are just a few.

Starting with: The Way You Used To Do by edema_ruh

Yeah, no one can say that it's overrated because it's the absolute best bkdk fic I have ever read out of, well, A LOT. It's also the first ever bkdk fic I have ever read, which doubles the attachment I have towards that fic cause imagine being introduced to the world of fanfictions about your favorite ship and starting out with THE saint scroll of BakuDeku 😭 that fic set the bar higher than the freaking Mount Everest and it left a lasting scar in me so yeah, I don't think any other fic will ever top that one. It's a must read, if you're a BKDK shipper and haven't read it yet that's illegal. TWYUTD is my shrine.

Second one, I would have to say In the Dark by Jane_Harl0w. Actually, my top 4 fic recs are all some of the first fics that I have read so that probably contributes to the reason why I have such high expectations of bkdk fics 😂 Like the beginning of In the Dark, holy sh*t. Almost as good as TWYUTD. And the ending freaking broke me. (Spoilers ahead). I remember reading the second to last chapter and I kid you not, I was in DISTRESS, cause there was only one more chapter left and no way the story was going to have a good ending cause they were kidnapped and there's no way in hell they would survive and escape when there's ONE chapter left. And then I clicked on the last chapter and saw the "Trigger warning: s**cide" and I broke 😭 I'm pretty sure I cried for hours cause I seriously believed they were gonna die and the absolute DREAD I felt when I knew the story wasn't going to have a good ending. But then it actually did have a good ending, and that's the only reason why In the Dark isn't number 1, because I would have been traumatized for life if the story actually ended how I thought it would.

There was also a lot of fluff and I loved their interactions, it reminded me of how they would have been like as childhood best friends. Although I kind of hated all the smut ngl, that ruined it for me a little. Without it, In the Dark would definitely rival TWYUTD for me.

Number 3: The Devil Ships ZeKu by xairylleactually. I had no idea what the fic's title was for such a long time cause my stupid ass didn't save it and I haven't been able to find it for MONTHS but someone finally found it so THANK YOU. It was about Deku and Bakugo finding out that fanfictions exist about each other and a whole lotta pining through it all. This one wasn't even finished, but it was the first time I ever came along this concept and the way it was written was reaaaaaally good.

Number 4 is Operation BakuDeku by ratnotfound

It's a crack fic, I remember it being hilarious af, also there's a lot of fluff. Really loved the texting theme in it and the class interactions. Even Mineta lmao. People can hate on him as much as they want but he can be funny as hell sometimes.

I actually wasn't sure what to put on the number 5 spot but I ended up with Fire Lily by EtherealBeing. The reason I loved this fic so much is because of the world building. Cause like goddamn I could make my own fanfiction about the world alone 😂 the angel world, the demon world, the lore behind God and the Deep, everything was so genuinely interesting to read that I swear I enjoyed the world building better than the actual bkdk in it lmao. (Although that church scene was kinda top tier ngl)

Also honorable mentions:

Deku Enchanted by s_the_queen (didn't finish it but the beginning was hilarious af, I swear it's one of the funniest I've read out of all of them. Deku basically gets hit by an obedience quirk which makes him obey whatever people ask from him, creating a lot of...interesting situations lmao )

They ship us? by Raltaya (don't remember it much but it was pretty good. It's about Bakugo and Deku finding out about their ship and then pining for each other)

If I Have You by dommymommy (it's not finished yet but the ANGST and it's not even the typical kind of angst, it's actually good and it deals with more mature feelings than just simple pining and being flustered around each other. Their relationship is much more grounded in this one, but with a lot more heavy feelings than other fics. I definitely recommend reading it, it filled my soul with warmth. It's the perfect example of when you know you love each other but it hurts too much to be together)

I've read tons of Villain Deku fics but so far Forget Me Not by Scorned_By_Thornz (WynterThornz) was the only one that actually made me believe that he COULD become a villain. The pure angst, humiliation, and sickening feelings between them is just wow. Prime example of how a relationship can turn bitter even though you love each other. Has a good ending, but man I feel sorry for Izuku for how they treated him in the fic.

Dreams Change People by FireRuby1 (it's a time travel fic where they get stuck in the past and relive their childhood experiences. Lots of good moments but the moment when Bakugo relived the river scene was what sold me.)

To Stand by Your Side by aeronines (also didn't finish this one cause I was too impatient...yeah, I have commitment issues, anyway...but this fic was actually really good, Bakugo is younger in this one and Deku is a pro hero, and it was very interesting to see their dynamic this way)

Hero Class Civil Warfare by RogueDruid (Icarius51) (Not specifically bkdk but Deku is really f*king smart in this one, the plot twists are insane, like fr kudos to the author for coming up with them cause I for sure would have never been able to. The story itself is about a competition between the Hero and the Villain team, and Bakugo is the leader of the Hero team while Deku is the leader of the Villain team. The Villain team is low-key badass in this one)

Mirror Image by Eleke (Bakugo gets sent through the multiverse in this one. Pretty interesting AUs appear, and I liked the ending a lot)

In Another Life by Hollandvice (A part of me died with this fic. But in a good way. Like it could have had the opportunity to complete break my soul if the ending went down differently, so thank f*ck that it didn't, I narrowly avoided future heart problems. It's damn well written and I recommend it to everyone who wants to read an emotionally impactful story)

Get on my Level by Mikacrispy (this time Bakugo is the pro hero and Izuku is the younger one. Lots of fluff and I really loved the ending, it was very touching)

To Win You Again (with trembling hands) by DoesItSaySassOnMyUniform (this fic was amazing, especially the ending. I absolutely loved their confession, it was the most realistic confession I have ever seen in any fic so far)

That's it, I hope you'll like these fics too! 💚

[zahri-melitor]

Have now met Minhkhoa Khan.

I honestly think he's the most interesting addition to the wider Bat lore since probably Damian's introduction, in terms of the fact he's actually filling an unoccupied gap in the setting and lore.

Part of the issue with the proliferation of new characters over the last 10-15 years has been that a lot of them are effectively redundant on arrival: they're not providing new storytelling opportunities. Characters like Harper Row (Bluebird) and Mary Turner (Strix) and Claire Clover (Gotham Girl) and Bao Pham (Clownhunter) and Francine Charles (Operator) and so on aren't really designed to have a long term existence or take-up. You know once a writer leaves a book that character is probably done, and going to fade into the annals of 'hey do you remember'.

They exist because a writer can't use the character they clearly wanted to use instead, or they wanted to run a trope in a story arc (the characters listed above are: 2x 'we actually wanted to use Cass'; 1x 'we wanted to use Oracle'; 2x 'we wanted a troubled kid for Bruce to help deal with their trauma').

And I personally don't have a problem with creating short term characters to tell the story you want to tell, though I do prefer it if writers actually check if there's a pre-existing character that fits what is wanted, especially if that character is well known. (We shouldn't have the 'this is just Cass, but the writers weren't allowed to use Cass' situation).

But what makes Khoa instantly compelling to me is that he fits straight into continuity without causing any issues, because he's a character that makes sense to exist, and could have existed in the background for decades.

He's part of Bruce's past training journey, but unlike Henri Ducard or David Cain or the O-Sensei, he's not one of Bruce's teachers; he's a fellow student and rival.

Unlike Thomas Elliot, he's someone Bruce has an active rivalry with and who can instantly draw Bruce back into acting like a petulant teenager. He's not from the Gotham society Bruce left behind like Tommy is (or Roman Sionis); he's part of the development of Bruce's code of morality in his world travels. And he's someone Bruce actually has a give and take relationship with, rather than being a character developing a terrible case of one-sided rivalry watching Bruce.

It takes genuine effort to look at the Bat canon and go 'hey, there's an unoccupied gap here where I can fit in a character that will add to the story, rather than just repeat it'. And Khoa's also a character that can disappear off panel for 5-10 years then pop back up when another writer wants to use him and that would make complete sense; he's not someone who should be getting called in and isn't, or whose only use after his initial story arc is to fill out the background of crowd scenes.

I'm honestly impressed. And interested to see where this goes.

(Also I want fic about David Cain, Minhkhoa Khan and young Cass very, very badly; or a story where Cass runs into him while she's working in Hong Kong)

[perksofbeingpoet]

new headcanons!

☆ THE POETS AT THE CINEMA ☆

(this got really long bc i love them so much aahhhh i hope you enjoy these headcanons as much as i do-)

CHARLIE: his favourite genre is comedy, plus movies about outlaws and teen rebels, says "so me" all through the film. oh yeah he doesn't shut up ever, talks the whole time until someone tells him to please stop talking because the movie's more interesting than how he'd dress as a pirate. every time there's a kissing scene, he turns to the poet sitting next to him and wiggles his eyebrows with a smirk. a nightmare to clean up after, his popcorn ends up all over the floor and himself. BUT all this doesn't apply to emotional movies. if a movie is sad, charlie is silent the entire time, doesn't crack a joke once and comes out of it with half his popcorn left.

KNOX: cries when watching romance, tells the poets he's not crying!! just the dry air of the cinema getting to him. insists on taking pictures of them in front of the movie poster. has accidentally thrown his ticket away instead of the receipt on several occasions. if there are cardboard cut-outs of characters at the cinema, he needs to take pics with all of them. eats a strange mixture of snacks, popcorn, pretzels and ice cream. asks "whAT?" at least five times through the movie bc he can't follow the plot. really fun to watch a movie with because he'll audibly gasp at every plot twist. idk him at the cinema is really cute guys i swear.

PITTS: needs a toilet break three times throughout the movie (tall guy small bladder king). his legs get cramps from the rows being too narrow but he doesn't care, pittsie LOVES going to the cinema. will most often go with knox and meeks, they're the best film trio. knows loads of lore about all sci-fi movies they watch, and acts annoyed at people asking questions because OF COURSE ni-bo64 has to destroy Leobor. eats salty snacks and always chooses the biggest cup of soda (meeks points this out every time pittsie has to squeeze around him to go to the toilet). loudly shouts "YES" when something he approves of happens. is the best sport about charlie's smirks in kissing scenes, he just like puts his hand on charlie's thigh really slowly and mouths 'hi'.

MEEKS: really likes movies with a hidden message, is the only one charlie will watch emotional movies with. but also just a huge nerd, him and pittsie watch sci-fi stuff together and then talk about every plot point for an hour. ORANGE SODA. really big fan of good film music. can't sit still and always steals the arm rest. doesn't talk but says "WHAT??" way too loud when a plothole occurs or a thing he was hoping for doesn't happen. is the one to buy the tickets.

NEIL: loves the comfy velvet seats. always has half a breakdown about "omg maybe i should go into film instead of stage acting??" after seeing a movie he really likes. is a little movie nerd, especially for superhero movies! loves the moment of stepping out of the cinema into the fresh night air. his snack is sweet popcorn or gummy bears. gets so excited when something cool is about to happen, he's waving his arms and being like "oh- ooohhhh- oooohhhhhh" until the cool thing actually happens. makes sure everyone has their tickets (goes into airport dad mode). laughs a lot and looks around at all the poets like "did you see that??" as if they're not all watching the same movie.

TODD: too anxious to complain about sitting behind a tall person, he'll often try to sit on top of his balled-up jacket to be a bit taller and see enough of the screen. pitts notices after a while and is like "hey todd, could we swap seats? i'd love to sit next to knox". todd only realises what that was about a few hours later and is silently soo grateful for pitts not embarrassing him. likes artsy movies where not a lot happens, and LOVES reruns bc then he already knows the plot and can relax. doesn't ever talk throughout the movie but laughs SO MUCH. mouths the lines when he already knows a movie. when there's a kissing scene he'll get embarrassed. doesn't buy snacks cos they're "too loud" and then eats all the other poets' snacks. every time. likes watching the ads before the movie.

CAMERON: asks "does anyone need to go to the bathroom before the movie starts" like fifty times before they watch the movie. hates sitting next to strangers during the movie because then he's always hyper aware of his behaviour and can't really focus on the film. likes historical movies and will watch them with todd (no one can tell me todd/cameron friendship isn't real, it makes so much sense). salty popcorn kinda guy. knows the names of all the actors and actresses.

[prisi]

I feel TOH fails a lot with the treatment that Belos and his lore receive towards the end. I think his arc will feel so much more complete if the show was allowed to show us that he suffered in the past and wasn't like "nah he is just pure evil and he has always been like that". I don't like how the show wants you to believe that Caleb did nothing wrong or reprehensible when there's obvious implications that he abandoned Philip to go with Evelyn, it will be so much more interesting that the show recognized that Caleb was naive and selfish in abandoning his brother (who only have him as family and support figure) to his own in the puritan era, and how that action of Caleb deeply damaged Philip emotionally and mentally (kinda like Luz abandoning Camila to live her fantasy in the Boiling Isles without thinking in the consequences (I'm still pissed that she didn't apologize to her mom for running away at the end) but we are not talking about that right now, I love Luz btw don't get mad at me). And Philip, who probably entered the Isles with the sole intention to "save" his brother who at his eyes was bewitched and seduced by an evil witch to go with her, when he finally found his brother after many years and found out that Caleb actually loved Evelyn and DECIDED to leave him behind he totally lost his mind.

A confrontation escene between Philip and Caleb (it could be a flashback or something showed in Hollow Mind even) will be so interesting to watch, something like in the third season of Infinity Train when Simon confronts The Cat for abandoning him as a child, Caleb will try to justify himself at first saying that he is sorry, that he thought Philip was going to be okay on his own, that he didn't thought that he was going to miss him or something, making Philip more angry, sad and confused.

The situation will scale to the point that Philip, (who's original goal was to kill Evelyn to bring back Caleb in the Human Realm) now that he is angry, sad and out of his senses he tries to attack Caleb with the dagger he had in his hand which triggers the knife fight in which Caleb dies.

Philip, after realizing that he killed the only person he had in the world, he tries to justify himself in an internal monologue like: "oh well, I murdered you, but in doing so I freed your soul from the union with that sinful witch. That's what the witch hunting taught me, right? That's what YOU taught me, RIGHT?". Trying to shift the blame for what just happened onto Caleb but also letting us know and acknowledging that it was Caleb who introduced and instructed Philip in the witch hunt and did nothing to reverse it.

Coming to the end, when the fight ends and Belos and Luz are face to face, the scene would play out more or less as we see it in canon but at the moment in which the first drop of boiling rain falls on his hand and begins to see his body dissolve, he enters a mental breakdown in which he realizes that he wasted his entire life on a goal that made no sense, the witches weren't evil or a threat and he knew it, but he clung to his goal because he did not want to face the reality, he did not want to accept that he had killed his brother in vain nor did he want to accept that he had decided to abandon him, and he did not want to die knowing that he wasted 400 years suffering for something that was not worth it. At the end of his collapse he would crawl a little and see Hunter in the distance (because yes, Hunter should have been present in the end even a little), he would try to extend his hand in his direction but Hunter, noticing this, would close his eyes, look away and take a step back behind Eda and Raine. Philip experienced his brother's abandonment again but with the difference that this time it is merely his fault, because even if Caleb damaged Philip deeply with his abandonment, he is not responsable of the path Philip choosed to take.

Seeing and realizing all of this Belos would stop crawling and give up, lying on the ground, breathing hard as the boiling rain finally dissolves him and dies.

Or at least that is how I liked it to happen, let me know what you think.

[wixhing0nastar]

Okay, so I'm thinking about where Arcane's second season is going to go, specifically in terms of what's happening with Vi and Caitlyn, and I've got some thoughts about how the first two acts might play out.

This is largely based of the scenes from the trailer, which are all likely from the first act/first three episodes of the season, plus what we know about Vi leaving (again) and having her angsty goth phase during (I believe) the second act... plus I'm a league player and Caitlyn is one of my mains, so I know lore-wise where her and Vi's relationship goes.

Specifically, that of all the relationships in the show (romantic or otherwise) they're the only one we know gets a good/happy ending... most of the other ones get at best a lukewarm ending if not an outright tragic one.

So we know in the first act it looks like Caitlyn and Vi, along with a small team, are going into the Undercity to try to apprehend Jinx. This post actually did a really good job of picking out some of the details about how that's all going to go down, but I remember reading it over the first time and then wondering to myself how do we go from Caitlyn getting hurt and looking haggard from the fight to Vi up and leaving again?

And then I realized there's a component I've seen a lot of people forget about when trying to theorize about this... and that's Warwick's existence, aka: Vander's reanimated corpse.

An interesting fact about Warwick, part of his thing in canon is that he's attracted to/can smell Shimmer and attacks people who've been using it... like Jinx and Vi (remember the cure Caitlyn had to get for her stab wound... the one that had a drop of Shimmer in it?)

I think that things are going to go wrong because Warwick/Vander shows up on the scene and attacks everyone, specifically focusing on Vi and Jinx since they're the ones with Shimmer in their systems...

And I think that at least Vi (and probably Jinx) is going to see him and put the pieces together and realize what Singed did to him and that's going to cause Vi to have a bit of a psychotic break just like Jinx did.

Because while Jinx is the obvious one with mental health issues, Vi's also clearly got her own issues. While they were caused in part by blood loss, Vi has also had hallucinations and seen things that weren't there (Powder, their mom, Vander, and we know in this upcoming season; Caitlyn). 

And I think that Caitlyn is going to be struggling with her own grief after her mother's death and the weight of trying to keep everyone safe now that she's sheriff that she's not going to realize what's going on with Vi at first and she's too emotionally exhausted to keep trying to fight Vi and get her to stay (we mostly talk about the not breakup in the rain, but there were actually four separate times in the first season Vi tried to leave Caitlyn behind).

And that's the first act, paralleling the end of season one's first act where Vi's separated from her loved one. Then the second act starts, continuing to parallel the first season we have Caitlyn doing work and investigating and then something happens, too many variables to be certain, and she ends up chasing Vi down anyway.

And it's a pseudo redo of Vi (and Caitlyn) trying fo find Powder in the first season, only now it's Caitlyn looking for Vi who's hurt and upset and alone... and then we get a parallel reunion scene (with a possible heartbreaking "are you real" from Vi this time since we know she's hallucinating Caitlyn) and then Caitlyn drags Vi back topside to see a doctor and get the help she needs... no idea what's in store for act three though, total mystery there tbh...

But while I know the show has a unhappy ending, it's important to remember that the show itself isn't actually about Vi and Caitlyn's relationship (though it's a large part of it). It's about Vi and Jinx's relationship, it's their origin story after all, one that we know for sure ends in tragedy... while Vi and Caitlyn's doesn't... which gives me hope in that regard at least.

[zbengui]

I've grown to love Singed as a character after watching act 2, which I should've seen coming considering my proclivity for mad scientist archetypes. He stood out to me in the first season too but there wasn't quite enough for me to sink my teeth into back then, so I'm glad they've decided to reveal more details regarding his lore now even if it still remains rather vague. That's actually one of the aspects that I like about him, it's fascinating how much he influences the overall plot even though his character receives almost no focus. He is constantly instigating chaos and causing so much tragedy for the main characters, and yet he is never confronted. I was actually just thinking about how it's a little funny that Jayce is getting blamed for what happened to Vander, even though Singed was the one who injected him with that serum. He brought Vander back to life and offered Jinx and Vi the chance to rebuild their family, only to immediately and brutally take it away.

That's kind of his entire thing. He brings the dead back to life against their will and they come out of it deeply and irreversibly changed (Vander, Jinx, possibly Viktor...?). He keeps his subjects breathing even if being alive is nothing but torture for them (Rio), not necessarily out of sadistic pleasure but in service to his ultimate ambition. For progress, evolution. It is then revealed that the motive behind all of his horrendous experiments is to bring his daughter back to life. It's all because of love, as he admits. I don't know a whole lot about the lore behind this, but I have to wonder how Orianna herself feels about this. Is she in pain, just like her father's other subjects? Is she grateful or resentful for what he is doing to her? Did she have any say in this?

One thing I like about his scientific methods is that he is willing to put his own body on the line and experiment on himself, like when he pumped his blood into WarWick. It definitely goes to show how... passionate he is. I also appreciate that he doesn't let any specimens go to waste. He even preserved the decapitated head of that guy he tested Shimmer on back in S1:

I'm sure most people would agree that Singed has a very impactful screen presence. Almost every single line he says is relevant for the overarching themes of the story. It feels like he's always dominating the scene, even when he was being held prisoner because he knew that his captors would immensely benefit from having him on their side and that Ambessa, the opportunist that she is, was going to ask him to join her as an advisor sooner or later. It's horrifying to imagine the biochemical warfare he is going to unleash while working with the Noxian army. He's going to invent new war crimes.

I also wanted to mention how relevant he is for Caitlyn's character arc in this season because most people seem to be overlooking it. I may have my personal gripes with her character progression in act 2, but her interactions with Singed in episode 5 were excellent. Singed isn't just a "crazed Zaunite", he is actually a Piltovan alchemist that is using the people of Zaun as lab rats for the sake of a deceased family member. Caitlyn realises that she will end up like him if she continues walking down the path she is currently on. That realisation, I think, is what informs her decisions later on.

I find his relationship with Viktor very fascinating too but that dynamic deserves an entirely separate post. They are both scientists with similar interests but very different philosophies and work ethics (or lack thereof). As I've briefly mentioned already, I believe Singed is going to bring Viktor back to life, robbing him of his autonomy once again in the process.

That is to say, I'm very invested in this weird old man and I'm excited to dive into his League lore after this season is over and find out what other atrocities he has commited.

[britcision]

Tell you what tho

I read Lord of the Rings when I was 10… and 11… because it took me that long to finish it

And I do remember reading it, and I remember being a little confused by the tangents and the history and geography and speed reading those bits trying to find the adventure, and first seeing the movies and knowing the story

But I hadn’t read them since

And I know the movies well enough that I can identify which scenes in the extended version weren’t in the theatrical release and which weren’t in the original shorter extended version

But reading the first book again now as an adult… I am absolutely reading it for all those tangents and the history and geography to devour the entire world and I’m barely interested in the Ring and the quest

And all of it feels new

Like, I very specifically remember single lines pretty much at random through the book so every time I’m sorta getting lost in “wow I don’t remember this at all” suddenly I’m finishing the next sentence before I turn the page

And I think that says something about growth and aging and time

Because I was always a little nerd, my bedtime stories were Discworld before I could talk, I read Lord of the Rings solely because it had 1000 pages and I considered that a challenge and I stuck to it even when I wasn’t all that interested in the extended lore because of that

(May Tolkien forgive me, but I was 10!)

And back then I was reading for The Quest and The Story Of The Fellowship and things that were happening now

And so little of it stuck with me that it’s almost all new all over again, and I’m discovering all of this wonderful extended lore and devouring the history and yeah the Silmarillion’s gonna come after the full trilogy and it’s all new to me

And it’s also so familiar

I remember half the songs, but I hadn’t remembered they were Tolkien’s

I just… kept singing them. I can do most of Gilgalad’s from memory, but I couldn’t swear that’s how you spell the name

And part of it is that my family also used to do the radio editions of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit on long drives or as family time in the evening, and I really did only read the actual book once

(Possibly not long after we finished the radio drama version, which is why I was so confused by the extended Shire adventures)

So it might just be that I know the now so well already, that’s so familiar, that I can finally focus on the rest of the world

But I think it’s also because the older I’ve gotten, the more I want to look behind the curtain. To see the lore, the making of, how things work and connect and see everything that made the story of now possible in everything I see

The more I read the more I see Tolkien’s hand, his pen, his values and what he believed mattered, and he was right. It matters to care for the land and the world and growing things, even if it doesn’t have monetary value. It matters to choose to do good, even with no reward

It matters to take your time, to do things the right way instead of the easy or cheap way, to cherish and value everything that lives, however small. It matters to care, more than anything shiny and golden

And also yes I am also learning that the way I write apparently has a lot more in common with Tolkien than I thought, so you can all blame him for the length of Dead And Loving It and all the lore and my need to expand the universe in every direction and obsess over every connection

I’m certainly nowhere near on his level, but even in a book I only read once… I think Tolkien shaped quite a lot of what I consider good quality writing and world building

And I think he’d appreciate that

And from now on I’ll be explaining my utter refusal to cut any “unnecessary” perspectives or world building with “would you have edited Tolkien?” Because the answer’s always “nope” his publisher said so

[malfoy-mrsdracomalfoy]

Hidden Alcove

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader

House: Unspecified

Warnings: Making out, lots of touching each other, partial nudity. Draco opens up about his troubled past. Some minor dark thoughts and deep feelings. Draco being Draco

Word Count: 4933

Summary: Draco and Fem!Reader find a hidden alcove and suppressed desires force their way up. This is a slow burn. Draco is a tough nut to crack, as usual.

author's note: I created a tiny bit of lore about Lucius and Narcissa. I don't actually know much about them besides what was shown on the movies. I wanted Draco to have a bit more background.

Reader's Point Of View:

Draco and I walked silently side-by-side, calm and content. Nothing is ever forced between the two of us. We are both guarded, cynical enigmas. We often seek out each other's company. Both perceptive individuals, we can gauge each other's mood and act accordingly. We see the needs of one another and provide it. From witty banter to a stoic and silent presence. I gaze up at the setting sun in awe immersed in the yellow and pink hues that slowly fade into purple and dark blue, then finally- black. A vast black sky filled with stars. It was breezy tonight, the winds rustling through the trees that surround us.

I look over at Draco, coming back down to earth. He was standing about three feet away, a pensive expression on his sharp features. His head turned up, looking at the constellations he knew every name of.

I noticed the sharpness of his jaw, the curve of his neck. His hair was neatly parted, some length hanging down on his forehead with the sides and back cut short to the root. The wind ran her fingers through his platinum locks, and I watched her in envy. He was devastatingly beautiful. He was wearing a plain white button down, the top two buttons undone and the sleeves loose and pressed up his forearms. His black trousers were perfectly-pressed, as usual. He had cuff links and a blazer on earlier, but I was able to convince him to leave it behind. He looked like he was feeling suffocated.

I was right, he was. I notice everything about him. He began to look towards me, so I faced forward once more- pretending I was looking down the trail instead. That's what I do. Pretend I'm not watching his every move, or hanging on to his every word.

"Would you like to keep walking?" I turn to meet his ice blue eyes, calmly. He nodded, solemnly, while keeping his gaze on my face. He was having one of those nights again.

I begin walking forward, the gentle breeze now taking her time wrapping around my legs before returning to the leaves. I notice a different path I've never seen before. Curious, I let my feet lead me down the trail.

"Do you see that? What is it?" I ask Draco, pointing to a group of trees ahead of us. There was a glimmer of something shining through the branches.

"Let's find out." He said, now walking past me and taking the lead.

"My fierce guardian" I tease, trying to pry him out of his dangerously reflective and withdrawn mood. It leads him to dark places, and I don't want him there. Not when I'm around to stop it, and not in this beautiful forest.

He stops, suddenly. I approach from behind, looking around his shoulder. It's a pond, but to the left of it I see an alcove.

"That's where the glimmer came from" I gesture to the rocks around us, full of pink crystals reflecting the moon's light. They hum with an otherworldly energy. The water is perfectly still, reflecting the starry night above. Draco's eyes widen slightly as he takes in the scene.

"This place is beautiful." Draco says.

"So beautiful." I agree, looking at him with a smile. He moves closer to me, his arm brushing against mine as I turn to look out again. The air feels charged with magic. "You know... they say this lake has the power to reveal one's deepest desires" He says over-dramatically. I giggle, pleased he's in a better mood now.

"Oh yeah? You've heard about this place before?" I ask, interest peaked. Draco chuckles softly, a mischievous glint in his eye,

"Oh, I may have overheard a few whispered conversations in the halls when we were students. Rumors spread quickly at Hogwarts, you remember. According to the folklore, this place only attracts the romantically inclined." He wiggles his eyebrows teasingly.

"But have you ever been here before?" I whisper, looking at a small rose quart in the sand. He scoffs, trying to hide the fact he's actually considering his response carefully. "Merlin, no! Why would I...." He trails off as he watches me pick up the rose quartz, eyes following my movements carefully.

"Do you think people are drawn here? The romantically inclined, I mean." I rub my hand on the cold surface of the crystal. Draco watches me, his mind racing with unspoken questions. He swallows hard before answering, "Legend has it that the lake's magic can draw couples together, reveal hidden feelings... that sort of none-sense."

"You think that's nonsense?" I turn the crystal in my hand.

Draco's eye flicker to the crystal in my hand, his gaze lingering on my fingers, eyes slightly rising up the curve of my wrist and back down again. He clears his throat, regaining composure. "Yes. Nonesense. It's just a silly myth, probably invented by some lovesick student." He pauses, voice dropping to a whisper.

"Lovesick student.." I whisper a quiet 'lumos' to my wand, using the light to inspect the crystal closely. The soft glow from my wand catches something inside the crystal- a tiny, shimmering speck of light. Draco leans in closer, his shoulder almost touching mine as he peers down at it. His voice is barely above a whisper "Or maybe... it's not such nonesense after all."

"I don't think it is either. Look inside this crystal. What do you make of it?" I reach for him, offering the crystal in my hand. Before he grabs it, the crystal falls to the floor between us, light no longer present.

"What..?" I pick the crystal up off the floor, the light reappearing from within. Reaching to Draco once more, fingers brushing as he takes the crystal into his own warm palm. He feels it hum slightly, the light still twinkling within the crystal. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"I wanted you to feel it. Does it feel like anything to you?" I respond.

"It is peculiar, yes. I feel it vibrating." He confirms my suspicion. I nod and say,

"It vibrated for me, too. It's a real rose quartz. In fact, that whole back rock wall is full of them. Look." I point to the opening in the wall ahead of us, "That leads to a private alcove."

Draco follows my gesture, his eyes widening slightly as he sees the opening. He begins to walk toward it curiously. As he steps into the narrow passage, the walls glow softly, just like the crystal in his hand. I whisper a quiet 'nox' to my wand, and follow him in.

"Do you know what rose quartz is typically used for?" I ask him. Draco pauses in the passage, his hand on the wall as he feels the gentle warmth emanating from within it. He turns back to me, thoughtful now. "It's often used in charms and spells to create romantic feelings. But, it symbolizes unconditional love, infinite peace and deep inner healing."

Taking a seat on the sand in front of the water in the private alcove, I reply, "Makes sense why this place would attract lovers."

He sits next to me in the sand. His voice becomes quiet, almost vulnerable. "Sometimes... sometimes I think these old legends and superstitions aren't as ridiculous as we make them out to be." He pauses, studying the crystal again before holding it out to me. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

Taking the crystal back gently, I hum, "No, I don't." I look at Draco, setting it back on the floor. The light goes out again. I look at it, puzzled but decide to leave it be and continue. "I believe there's attraction at first sight. Love is something deeper and it takes longer to form." He nods slowly at my response before saying,

"So you're saying that while you might be drawn to someone physically, or say, magically, love requires more time and.. what?"

"Well, compatibility and trust for starters. How about you then? Do you believe in love at first sight?" I question. He scoffs, "Merlin, no. That's ridiculous. Love at first sight? More like instant lust- at best. How can you possibly know someone after one look? You don't know their personality.. their habits..." He trails off, feeling like he's talking too much.

"I agree with you. You don't know the inner workings of someone's mind. You don't know how they take their coffee and tea, or what their favorite book is." I add on.

"Exactly." He nods slightly, a hint of admiration in his eyes for how similar the two of us are. He's feeling very understood. "I mean look at my parents... Everyone thought they were the perfect pair, but it all fell apart when they realized they didn't actually know each other." He looks up at the sky again, contemplating.

"They didn't really know each other?" I prompt, wanting to know everything about him, and thankful he's feeling comfortable enough to tell me about this. He hesitates, then continues.

"My father was always away on ministry business for one thing or another, and my mom was always throwing social events at Malfoy Manor pretending to be the perfect witch. They had nothing in common beside their blood status and last name."

"Was that difficult maneuvering while growing up?" I say gently. He shrugs with indifference and with a hint of bitterness in his voice,

"It was... complicated. I had to grow up fast. I had to earn their love. I had to be obedient and silent. I had to be perfect all the time. There was no room for failure. Ever. I always had to be scheming, or making sure I had the upper hand in every situation." His voice is raw now, but he presses on. "Sometimes I wonder if that's why I'm so..." He leaves the sentence hanging in the air. I looked at him, his eyes were pleading to be accepted, to be seen, to be validated.

"Reserved?" I tried to help, hoping I was saying the right thing. I dared to look at his expression, hoping I didn't affect him negatively. Finally, after a deep breath, he says,

"Yeah. Amongst other things. Not all of them good." His jaw clenching briefly before he continues, "I'm guarded. I'm cold. I have never seen a healthy love. I don't know what it is." He looks at me, eyes searching for a reaction. I met his gaze with understanding. Not pity. He hates pity. I nod solemnly at this revelation. He seemed to appreciate it for a second. There was a moment of silence we just looked at each other. The air filled with understanding. We are bonding. Kindred spirits with similar minds, values and upbringings. He breaks the eye contact first and begins to slide his fingers through the sand between us. Slipping off my shoes, I buried my toes in the sand. We were comfortable sitting in silence side by side. Until he got into his head again.

"You know.." He said, suddenly "Most girls would be trying to 'fix me' right now." His mask is back.

"I don't think you need to be fixed." I reply honestly. Surprise flickers across his face, and he raises an eyebrow. "No 'you're just hurt inside, poor baby' speeches?" He begins sarcastically. After noticing how serious I was being, he smiles, a real heart-stopping Draco Malfoy smile. "That's... surprisingly refreshing."

I say, "It's just the truth. Plus, I don't think someone should say they care about someone and then treat them as a fix-me project. That's not authentic." He's quiet a moment, processing my words. Then, he nods slowly. "You're right, that's not authentic care. That's manipulation." He looks out at the water, the moon shining in through a break in the wall, coating the water in an ethereal glow. I look at him. The water is reflecting in his eyes and they look like molten silver. He was everything I could ever want in a man. I took a breath to calm myself.

"That's right. Love isn't about fixing someone, or making them whole. It's about loving them in their dark, their light, their entirety. Embracing the chaos of their soul." I run my fingers in the sand at my hip.

"You..." He breaks off. He's never agreed with a sentiment so fully in his entire life. He felt a deep admiration and attraction to me suddenly overtake him.

I look over at Draco, who is intently staring at a pebble in front of him, face stoic and devoid of emotion. He's suppressing how he feels again.

"Hey, dragon?" I whisper, catching his eye, looking mischievous.

His breath catches slightly at my expression, "What are you up to?" His usual guarded demeanor is cracking, not without a great fight from Draco himself, but cracking nonetheless.

"Wanna go swimming?" I point to the water in front of us. We are shielded by rocks, stones, moss and trees. He's taken aback by my sudden suggestion, his eyes darkening slightly as he follows my gesture to the water. "Are you trying to drown me or something?" He tries to maintain his sarcastic demeanor.

"Come on, live a little." I get up, pushing off my coat, and pulling off my sweater. I walk deeper in the alcove. He watches me, momentarily dazed by the sudden exposure of my skin. With a deep breath, he stands, beginning to unbutton his shirt. I bend, rolling off my black tights, and sliding my skirt down my legs. I notice he pauses as I bend down, his gaze lingering on the curve of my back, then lower. Realizing what he's doing, he quickly looks away, his face flushing slightly.

"You're going to freeze in there" he walks up and stands next to me, watching as I take my first step into the water gently lapping the wet sand beneath me, squishing as I step down.

"Then I'll die a happy woman". I step into the clear water with only my bra and panties on. I notice him swallow hard, watching me. He's used to girl's throwing themselves at him, and he's plenty of naked women, but this feels... different. He feels fifteen again, unsure and inexperienced. I walk into the cold water, now waist-deep. Feeling the smooth, white marble underneath my feet I turn and look at him, he's still standing in the sand, eyeing the water like it'll swallow him whole.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" I call out

"You're insane" He mutters, but there's no real heat behind the words. He shrugs off the now unbuttoned white shirt, dropping it on my pile of clothes. I watch him as he unfastens his belt, thick, veiny hands pulling the belt off with a gracefulness only he could achieve. He begins unzipping his jeans. I am completely locked in on his movements. I watch his shoulders, chest and forearms flex as he moves. Lean muscle but muscle all the same. Seeing a well-dressed man take his clothes off made me suppress a shiver. He was so attractive, and his movements were effortlessly refined and confident. I felt my stomach start to do flips, heart racing as I keep my eyes glued to him. I watch as he steps into the water, hissing at the cold.

"Cold, huh?" I say stupidly, trying to pull myself out of my fantasies again.

"Freezing." He admits, his voice catching slightly as he moves deeper in. He's acutely aware of how close he's gotten to me, how the simplest of movements would make us brush skin. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"With you? Definitely. I like seeing you let loose a little." I say, feeling a bit braver but remaining playful. He rolls his eyes and smirks at this. He feels light and happy. The water is now reaching his waist.

"There he is! Bold as brass." I say as I lower myself into the water, letting it reach my neck. I tilt my head back, wetting my hair with a small shriek,

"It really is cold!" I giggle. His breath catches at the sight of me- the way my hair darkens when wet, how the water leaves droplets on my neck and chest. He has to force his eyes back to my face. "Should've warned me about the shrieking part though" he jokes, voice husky. I feel a tingle run through me as I hear the new tone of voice. I splashed him playfully, leaning my head back again, feeling the water slide down my scalp and neck. He flinches back involuntarily as the cold water hits him, a reluctant chuckle escaping his lips.

"You know it isn't so bad once you're fully doused..." I look at him, approaching him slowly with a playful smile. He watches me approach, a wariness in his eyes and a reluctant fascination. As the water ripples, he's acutely aware of how close I'm getting, how the currents seem to be pulling me to him.

"What are you up to?" He asks. Without warning, I pull him fully into the water, leaving only his head above the water line. He's caught off guard, windmilling as he tries to stay afloat. The sudden immersion sends a shock of cold through him, and he grits his teeth against the discomfort. When he manages to surface, he finds himself staring at me, his hair plastered on his forehead. Unable to control my laughter I say, "You should see your face!"

"You're dead." He mutters, trying to sound threatening. But it's ruined by the water dripping down his face and into his mouth. He tries to dip down and come back up more gracefully, but he ends up spluttering this time, hair still stuck to his forehead in a comical way.

"Ooooo I'm so scared." I tease. He surges forward, attempting to grab me, composure slipping entirely, I yelp and spin out of his reach. He slips as he tries to catch me again. When he resurfaces this time, he's laughing despite himself.

"I'm going to get you for this." He promises, no heat behind his words. Instead, he's really smiling, and it transforms his face entirely. I have an urge to touch him suddenly. An uncontrollable one. I close the distance between us, and then slowly reach up to his forehead. Gently, I push his hair out of his face.

"Disheveled Draco unlocked." I tease.

He freezes as I touch him, but the touch makes his heart flutter anyway. "What does that even mean?" He asks gruffly, trying to hide the fact that he likes the feeling of my hand in his hair.

"Probably me being American or something" I tease, pulling back and setting my arm back in the water.

"Probably" He agrees, his eyes drifting to my hair spread out in the water behind us. He's trying not to stare, he's trying to act normal.

I sit up. "Remember when you said there's folklore about this place being magical? The place that draws lovers in?" Draco turns to hides his sudden bashfulness. He hadn't expected me to bring it up again, especially not now, when we are both so close in this secluded alcove. "I remember.." He responds

"I believe them now. There's no way this place isn't magical. I feel it all around." I gesture grandly at out surroundings. Draco can't help but be swept up in my enthusiasm, looking around at the tranquil surroundings with new eyes. The crystal clear water, the lush greenery, the moss-covered walls, the soft glow of the moonlight. It all seemed enchanted. Especially with me here beside him. As he looks at me, he notices the way the moonlight catches my hair. He noticed the gentle smile on my face, the way my eyes are sparkling with wonder. He swallows hard, seeing something that makes his stomach flip-flop. Without thinking, he reaches out and gently tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his finger brushing the side of my face, gently. "You're right," he whispers, "This place is magical".

I look up at him, looking deeply into the molten silver with admiration. I start feeling the creeping urge to touch him again. It had to be the evening talking... right? Draco feels his heart racing as he meets my gaze, seeing the same unreadable emotion reflecting in my eyes. The atmosphere between us shifts, charged with something more than just moonlight. He's aware of every inch of space between us, every breath I'm taking. "What are you thinking about?" He speaks lowly, for my ears only.

"I'm thinking about..." I match his volume and begin to fight the lovelorn haze that's threatening to take over. As I trail off, Draco leans in closer, his face now inches from mine. He can feel the softness of my skin, the tips of our noses almost touching. He's tempted to close the gap, to press his lips to mine and see where this strange, unexplained feeling leads us. "About what?" He whispers, eyes gazing into my own.

"About.. you" I whisper back, waiting to see if the feeling is just my own. His breath catches in his throat as my admission, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. For a moment, he's stunned into silence, scarcely believing what he's hearing. Then, slowly, a small, almost shy smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "Funny..." He starts

"What's funny? I feel my body tingling, the feeling about to spill out of me completely. He laughs so softly it's almost silent, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "That you're sitting here, looking at me like that, acting so strange.." His eyes now flickering between my eyes and lips.

"Strange?" I find myself sliding an arm up his back under the water, feather-light touches. At the feeling, he looks back down at my lips, and then back to my eyes, searching them. He slides a hand up my arm leaving it on my shoulder, then slides his other hand down my spine. Softly, testing, feeling...

"Something is going on with this water...." I say, feeling my eyes close a little. "I think I see why there's rose quartz in the walls.." I try to joke, but losing control of my thought process, I feel myself falling deeper into a haze, hypnotized almost. I look at his lips, and then up, I'm met with desire that I quickly reflect back to him. He pushes closer, our bodies now flush with one another.

"You really think that's what's going on?" He inquires, slowly sliding his large hand from my shoulder to cup my neck. "Maybe.." I hum, arm snaking around him. When he feels my arm around him, he can't resist any longer. A strange, hypnotic feeling overtakes him. He groans lightly, wrapping his free arm around my waist, he tugs me in closer.

"Merlin, what is happening to us...?" He gets out, his self-control an inch from vanishing completely.

"I don't know.. But I think I like it." Under the water, I wrap my legs around his waist, both my arms wrapped around his neck now. I begin to slide my hand up and down the back of it. He inhales sharply, instinctively he grabs my hips, his torso now completely wrapped in my arms and legs. His eyes now seem to glow as they look into mine. All I can see is silver, and all I can smell is his cologne. I drag my fingers up the back of his head, tugging the ends of his hair. He groans involuntarily, his eyes begin to droop.

"You should stop doing that.." His voice now thick with desire.

"Why?" I give his hair a tug, now cupping the back of how own neck.

"His voice drops to a low murmur, "Because if you keep touching me like this, I won't be able to stop myself from kissing you."

"What if I want you to?" I whisper, tightening my legs around him. At my words, something in Draco snaps.

His eyes flash with a fierce intensity before he crashes his lips against mine in bruising, desperate kiss. He kisses me like a man starved, his arms tight around me. I slightly part my lips, and Draco uses this advantage to deepen the kiss. I feel his breath on my face, on my neck. I feel the softness of his cheeks, the graze of his nose-occasionally rubbing my own- the bone thin and firm. I feel every curve of his lips. I feel the soft strands of his hair in between my fingers, slightly tangled from my hand running through it. I feel his chest pressed against mine, his heart racing wildly under his rib cage. He is completely lost in me, my lips and the closeness of our bodies- warm despite being in the cold water.

The air smells of my perfume mixing with his cologne making a smell that is perfectly feminine and masculine at the same time. I smell his apple shampoo, my coconut shampoo blending perfectly. The combination of the smells around us has an aroma so heavenly, if I could bottle it and keep it forever I would. I inhale deeply, losing myself to this moment completely.

After what felt like our special eternity, Draco gently pulls back from the kiss. My eyes open, looking at him. He has a softness in his eyes that could make the toughest person cry. My heart grows five sizes when I see him looking at me like this. He smiles softly, keeping my gaze and gently setting me down. I reach up to push some hair off his forehead, and he leans down one more time and presses a lingering kiss on my lips. I press upward, not letting him pull away fully, giving him another soft kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck as I slightly pull back, my lips only a fraction from his. He runs a hand up and down my back affectionately. He can't help himself, he leans down for one more kiss. Then another. Then another.

Laughing sheepishly, he takes my hand, interlinking our fingers, and leads me out of the water. As we both get dressed I ask Draco, "What do you reckon brought that on?" Looking to him for a response, I turn. He's now fully dressed, standing and watching me with a fond smile on his face. Our hairs are still damp, but we are otherwise completely dry. 'That water is special' I think to myself. I finish dressing fully, my mind pleasantly buzzing. A warm and fuzzy feeling overtakes me.

We hear a splash. Looking towards the source of the noise, we find our eyes on the body of water we just left. A mermaid peaks her head out of the water, smiling at us knowingly.

"Hello" I greet her kindly. She smiles a dazzling smile and says, "Hello! Did you two have a good evening?" With a wink.

"Uh- were you here the whole time?" I say, heat rising to my cheeks. She laughs, a melodic sound that makes the air feel like it sparkles.

"No. You two had your privacy.. Merlin knows you needed it" She looks at Draco, then me, then down at our intertwined hands with a glimmer in her eye. "Aren't you glad we called you here?" She says, swimming closer.

"You- wait. You're the reason we..." I pointed in between Draco and myself, feeling played.

"No, of course not!" The mermaid responded, "This place doesn't create feelings. It only brings up what's already there."

"But it was so.. intense?" I look at Draco, he catches my eye, nods, and then looks back at the mermaid.

"Well you both had really intense feelings for each other upon entering our cove.. did you not?" She says the last part teasingly.

"Well I-" I trail off, looking at Draco. He smiles before admitting, "I was completely bewitched by you quite some time ago. This place just made me man up and face it" He says, voice full of warmth. I feel a surge of pride and relief and happiness and joy and laughter and everything good in the world all at once. I look at the mermaid, she beamed up at me in pride, feeling clever. She knew it would only take one visit to bring our feelings for one another to the surface. "Don't make me have to bring you back!" She said, giggling and disappearing into the depths of the water.

"Don't tell me it was one-sided all along?" Draco teases, looking at my still-surprised face. I met his eyes, a warm smile took over both of our faces, looking at each other in a new and improved light. We gently kiss each other again, this one filled with unspoken promises.

"Come on you lovesick fool" I say affectionately, slipping my fingers through his and leading him away.

Masterlist

[unofskylanderspages]

... Give us the headcanons-

well, they're not super extensive. like i said, there's not a lot of canon info on her (at least that i've encountered personally) unfortunately, so a lot of my headcanons/ideas are about filling in those many gaps.

edit: i lied. it was extensive. it's like 1k words of just headcanonning my bad 😭

most of mine are about goldlings themselves as a species, since we canonically don't know any other than her.

according to her bio, in every iteration, goldlings are mentioned to be very wealthy, all of them, seemingly without discrimination. however, there's really no hint as to why, or where this supposed wealth came from.

honestly, i'm not totally settled on what that was, either. it doesn't seem to be related to technology or mechanics, since sprocket being into all that was supposedly odd. they also don't seem to be pursuing this thing any further, either, just hoarding and wallowing in the wealth they've amassed from it.

personally, and now maybe i'm projecting a bit, i think they may have been a more artistic race, putting a lot of time, effort, and money (obviously) into both creating and consuming art. while it began as a genuine joy and interest in it, they began to monetize it more and more until the profit became a greater priority than the passion. that drove the race to its current status, sitting in their pooled wealth, their artisan skills and passions left far behind.

however - and now we're finally getting into sprocket herself - a cultural shift into a focus on technology may be in the somewhat distant future of the goldlings, if sprocket and her uncle are any indication.

again, like i noted in the original post, i think she and her uncle were of the same techy mind, since it was his workshop that she spent almost all of her time in. by that, i mean that he also felt detached from the wealthy world of the goldlings and instead found interest in creating and tinkering with his mechanical inventions.

i think that he was more or less the black sheep of his family for this interest/passion of his, with sprocket more or less falling into the same role in her family, although this time she had his support. i think the two were incredibly close.

i think she's just as smart, crafty, and handy as her uncle, if not more than him, since again this time she can learn from him directly as well as on her own. being the odd-ones-out in the family forges a special bond between the two.

additionally, while i don't think i'm the first to think of this, but it's something that i've adopted into my personal beliefs: i think that spy rise was the creation of her uncle. i know that technically, according to his bio, he was created by a detective or something, but with how little we know of her uncle, who's to say he wasn't one?

and realistically, i know that whichever cores return in subsequent games has no impact on the lore implications of the game, but in my lore, the characters on the roster for that game are the ones actually handling that story/plot/mission/etc. so of course she would offer to go handle the cloudbreak mission, that's her cousin that needs her help!

i imagine that those two were awfully close, too, both before and after her uncle's disappearance. she never had a hand in making him - he let her watch and learn, but this was solely his project - but she was around when he was activated for the first time. for a while, they were one odd little family before the uncle's kidnapping.

between the two of their intellects, it probably didn't take them long to figure out that it was Kaos - or someone in the Kaos clan - that took him, but i doubt he wouldn't have left an obnoxious sort of calling card to mark the scene of the crime anyway.

as for her actual skylander life, i think she does and doesn't miss her old life. i mean she doesn't miss the luxury and riches of the goldling lifestyle/culture, but she misses the life she had with her uncle and spy rise, if that makes sense?

at the start, like many other skylanders (i'd assume, at least), she intended for her stint as a skylander to only last until she found her uncle, hoping to return to that life they had before. i'm not saying that all goldlings are inherently selfish, but when you live a life where you can have anything and everything you want at the snap of your fingers with all the wealth you've had since birth, there's always that subtle greed and selfishness you can't shake; all sprocket wants and cares about in the beginning is that peaceful life, where her little family can get to ignore the plights of others that she witnesses as a skylander.

but even between both her and spy rise searching for him in their skylander work, every trace and clue they find turns up dead or cold. kaos's swift understanding and utilization of the arkeyans couldn't have come from nowhere, and the evilizer machines popped up too soon after his discovery of petrified darkness to have been unaided by some mechanical prowess. but, maybe for better or worse, the uncle never appeared to them.

inevitably, as her time as a skylander goes on, she finds more and more joy in her duties and putting all her skills to work (including frequent work on keeping the dread-yacht functioning during the giants saga and working on it alongside sharpfin and his crew in the swap force saga) and decides to stay on full-time, even after (determined that she'll find her uncle eventually) she rescues her uncle.

obviously, her cousin is a skylander, but as he's stationed in the cloudbreak isles, they don't often cross paths. she makes other friends as well, eventually getting close with gearshift, but again, her duties as a trap master often keep a distance between them. in the downtime they have, they're awfully close, as the only two girl tech skylanders, a robot and a mechanic, just seem to get each other on a deep level. perhaps this, too, is yuri? 👀

...anyway that's uh. far more than i expected/intended to write, especially considering that it's pretty much just about her backstory/bio or whatever, but it just kept coming to me idk.

anyway. that's my sprocket spewing for the day.

[angelpuns]

I think looking through my art over then years is really interesting because in middle school I drew a lot of ( terrible ) fanart, drew a LOT of comics and generally just drew whatever I wanted even though it was pretty terrible.

In highschool I drew a LOT of really serious, really grungey and really naked-heavy art ( Like...I drew naked women very very often because I was a closeted trans man :/) and I also drew a lot of ocs. I was mentally not the worse but I was masking super hard and wanted to understand the kind of struggles other people went through ( I was one of those kids that liked reading really sad stories and 'longed for trauma so that my being the way I am would make sense and be justified' anyway I did have trauma just could not recognize it as such because my life was ' too normal'. Not trying to like trauma dump or whatever I've just thought about it a lot )

Then in college/after college ( during a really difficult time in my life ) I drew a LOT of men. Especially sexy/sexualized men. But my art was less serious and more story driven. Still not comics but a lot of behind the scenes lore was happening. Also drew a lot of OCS. My college art was p weak cause I just wanted to make oc art at the time and all my instructors wanted me to make symbolic pieces that 'meant something' and I was very against that. ( I also was out at this time and was unmasking a lot more - but I also was living through some mildly traumatic stuff. I don't like to call it traumatic but it might have been that. I worry the stuff I think is traumatic isn't and I'm totally blowing it out of proportion. Anyway this isn't venting just observations )

And NOW I make a LOT OF FANART AND A LOT OF COMICS AND A LOT OF WHATEVER I WANT Which is hilarious cause we've come full circle. I don't draw sexual/sexy stuff at all anymore cause I don't enjoy it and I never enjoyed it ( I drew a lot of it in college/after college cause the people around me thought I was asexual and I wanted to prove I wasn't, because I really am not. Might be aromantic tho. Anyway drawing sexy stuff vs not drawing it means nothing in relation to my sexuality ) I also am working on drawing stuff that actually does mean something even tho I hated it in college. But I'm doing it the way I want to. ( this was all because of a comment I got on a fanfic. Wherever you are commented I hope you're doing well. You made me want to create art and fics that have a deeper meaning )

I think currently I am happiest with my art I just wish I had more time for it. Like yeah skill wise I'll probably never be where I want to be - as is the nature of being an artist - but I'm having fun and enjoy sharing my art and that's what matters.

Anyway I'm gonna make a year of art summary but I am also gonna make a 25 years of art summary for my birthday cause I think the comparisons are just funny year to year. Like I'll have gaps and stuff obviously but the circle of art I've been going through is so wild

Also side note none OF THIS IS MEANT TO BE A VENT ANY MENTAL HEALTH/TRAUMA THINGS ARE JUST OBSERVATIONS I'VE MADE/SPENT TIME THINKING ABOUT OKAY SO PLEASE DONT WORRY ABOUT REASSURING ME I DO PLAN ON TALKING ABOUT ALL THIS IN THERAPY OBVIOUSLY IM MENTALLY ACTUALLY P DECENT RN THIS WAS JUST ME RAMBLING ABOUT THE VERY SILLY ART CIRCLE JOURNEY IVE BEEN ON AND ALSO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT INFLUENVED THAT JOURNEY AH

[zarvasace]

I'm thinking of sharing some more original work, art and lore mostly, but I have... a lot of it. Do any of these sound interesting to you? More detailed descriptions beneath cut, but I tried to capture vibes!

In a slightly more high-tech modern world, the fey live in a floating city. They are aloof and have a policy of non-intervention... which means that the only fey people see are the mischievous, villainous kind. Through fey gifts, curses, and blood, various heroes rise to the challenge. This is a fairytale/superhero/modern fusion!

Original works!

Fairytale Superheroes

Characters include Pine (from The Ugly Duckling), Dawn (from Sleeping Beauty), Blythe (from Snow White), Andrew (from Snow White and Rose Red), Kala (from The Little Mermaid), and Dave (from Aladdin).

Random pieces written, mostly focusing on Blythe's angst.

Unveiled

In a modern, like-ours world, a secret community of magical people thrives: fairies, vampires, shapeshifters, centaurs, selkies, you name it. Their government and organization is scattered, but comes to a critical conclusion one day: to reveal their existence to nonmagical humans worldwide. Cue product placement, social media handles, trending tags, accessibility concerns, new legislation, new controversy.

Story focuses on Vivelle, a vampire, her kidnapped fiance Zachary (she didn't kidnap him, bad guys did), and a huge cast of side characters with different origins and approaches to the new order of things.

Lots of random pieces written focusing on different characters, some plot bits with Viv and Zach, some longer whump-y angsty ones.

Into Technology

The city of Scindite rises a mile above the ground on a massive stalk, built on a disk that turns a full rotation every day. It's protected and policed by graduates of an Academy, which is doing under-the-table research to give people superpowers. Successes are celebrities, elite soldiers and operatives. The Academy's failures are held in a long-term care facility... Except they're actually memory-wiped and dumped beneath the disk of the city, left to fend for themselves among the jungle and gangs of the city's underside.

Characters include Damian, Renna, Bee, Wyatt, Elden, Cosmina, and Cole. They each have little superpowers and are doing their best to survive on the underside.

A whole short story written, other pieces and backstories too. I wrote a FS story in this world once for Febuwhump.

Lucite

Ankifrah is a demon princess of hell, and just a little rebellious. After an incident involving a volcano, she's sent up to the mortal world to go to a year of high school. She's grumpy about it, but it IS just one year. She makes a friend named Will, and together they try to solve a string of violent murders before the killer can sacrifice everyone on prom night.

Maybe half of a novel written?

Vacea

Sci-fi trappings. The planet Vacea has a complicated system of magic that allowed it to withstand attacks from neighboring warring planets. Now they thrive... until the youngest prince, a shadowchild with stigmatized powers poisons a noble, starts a failed revolution, orders the king and queen to be assassinated, and is captured. Behind the scenes, though, is a radical group from a neighboring planet utilizing abandoned technology from before the treaties that would have given their soldiers access to Vacean magic.

Characters include Slyn, Mattie, Rinter, Gin Ha, Emmeline, and Vath, people with a variety of -child magics and expertise. This was whump before I knew what whump was.

Some random scenes and also maybe a third of a book written

Unhallowed

The Unhallowed Lands are their own brand of magic, vibes aiming for a high-fantasy feel without the elves and dwarves of lots of fantasy. Lots of worldbuilding and new humanoid fantasy species! There are the Terrible Royalty, who are more plant than animal; the Saihrwn, with colorful hair and a literally musical language; the Cobbs, immortal Frankenstein-ish people with an eternal outlook; the Lialts, magic-touched humans with a huge variety; the giants, with their agriculture specialties and unique martial styles; and the small folk who don't have a special name (yet.)

Main story follows Ward, the kingdom's heir, Laurel, a giant, and Rike, a Saihrwn, as they try to work through the kingdom's traditions and establish friendly contact with the non-magical people, all while fending off cosmic forces and evil kings.

Big story half-written, but aimless, some smaller pieces written. I also did a FS oneshot in this world, if you remember!

Disabled Princesses

If I only ever get one thing published, I want it to be this. Considering adapting one of my above worlds (Vacea or Unhallowed most likely) for this series. I want to write some middle-grade novels about princesses with disabilities doing cool things. I have a few characters in mind but haven't actually pinned much down yet.

Literally nothing but notes written at this time.